Posts by sd-7

108

Are there any Thinkers here?

by theMadJW in

or just you mndless ridiculers?.

sd-7

The question is, what do you define as a "Thinker"? That would help people to meaningfully answer your question. Can you elaborate?

Secondly, I would agree that it makes little sense to engage in 'mindless ridicule'. One can only rightfully ridicule that which one actually knows reasonably well--otherwise, one would be guilty of making ignorant, broad generalizations.

To bottom line it, what's your point? What are you trying to prove? Where are you going with this? If you seek to interact with fellow Thinkers, it seems logical to present them with a specific Thought for discussion. It is the only way we can move forward to something that might be beneficial for everyone.

I engaged in efforts to converse with elders regarding some of my thoughts. I repeat it as often as possible, the words of an elder, "I could care less about 1914!" Yet, the JW belief in 1914 is at the heart of "this good news of the kingdom", as stated on page 279 of the book 'Benefit From Theocratic Ministry School Education'.

So, here is food for thought: how can an elder privately admit that he could care less about a key doctrine that is supposed to be the Bible's major truth for our time, yet expel a publisher for refusing to believe it? Is that evidence of thinking, or merely the hypocritical abuse of power?

Let's put on our thinking caps and answer that one, shall we?

26

Yeabook 2010 cover up -Rutherford's false prophecy that Armagedon was coming in 1925....half the Publishers leave the truth!

by Witness 007 in

this years yearbook covers "albainia" as i read these experiences i get to around 1920-25 and i notice that 3 or 4 healthy congregations turn into just 13-14 publishers by 1926 after "a time of trouble.

" although not mentioned this "trouble" was rutherford's "millions now living will never die" campaign with the watchtower saying armagedon was coming in 1925. most european congregations by 1926 lost whole congregations with only 3-10 "faithful " remaining {e.g poland, romania yearbook experiences} notice how the graph starts from the 1940's to avoid and cover up showing the flat lined publisher figures after 1925.....{notice also dips after 1975}.

however, check out the 2006 yearbook page 80. romania graph, and you see a flat lined publisher figure at 1926. the witnesses had to start from scratch.

sd-7

From the

1988 Yearbook:

"They reasoned at length with the brothers and discussed thoroughly many questions raised on doctrinal matters."

I doubt that they really did that.

They never give reasoned responses to doctrinal objections.

The attitude probably was more like "Do as we tell you, or else!"

That was my experience. They didn't spend much time thoroughly discussing diddly. The bottom line was, (1) false predictions don't matter, (2) this is God's organization, and (3) the faithful slave is God's channel of communication. If you find it hard to agree with that, given the testimony of Watchtower publications themselves and history itself, you're shown the door. Reason has nothing to do with that. Maintain power is the bottom line. "All who gain power are afraid to lose it."

The fact is, you wouldn't have to believe in the Bible at all to be in the org--if you accept those 3 points above, you're set. The Bible is just a means to an end, as demonstrated in field service. Question----->scripture---->LITERATURE.

It sucks, but cults suck. That's how it is...

18

To Those who are DF'd or DA'd: Is there anything that you wish you could have said in your JC?

by african GB Member in

do you regret not having said it since you can't be afforded the opportunity now?.

.

sd-7

It would have involved expletives, and I wanted to conclude matters honorably, as I felt they'd dealt with me as honorably as their cult-trained consciences would have allowed. So...apart from words I don't wish to repeat, nah. Not unless it was to quote Captain Picard, post-Cardassian interrogation: "There are FOUR LIGHTS!"

508

Most-Ignored Scriptures by JWs

by Mad Sweeney in

the watchtower has been known for over 130 years as a great scriptural cherry-picker.

they pick out disparate unrelated verses and combine them to support the wackiest of wacky doctrines.. on the other hand there are many scriptures they almost never address, whether because they contradict wt doctrine or because they simply don't have a clue what they mean or how to spin them to the wt advantage.. one of these is revelation 19:1 that mentions a "great crowd" "in heaven.

" the only time it is ever brought up it is dismissed.

sd-7

2 Corinthians 12:21--a scripture that has NEVER been discussed in any of the Society's literature (at least not in terms of its context, I found only a citation of it during an entirely unrelated discussion, at best), proved comforting to me in a time of grief over the DF'ing of a loved one:

21I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have (BG) sinned in the past and not repented of the (BH) impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

The apostle Paul MOURNED over unrepentant ones. I was never told by anyone that it was perfectly normal to mourn over such ones--acceptable enough to be worth recording in an open letter to the whole congregation and thus part of the scriptural record. If anything, I was made to feel guilty for it. But Paul had genuine love for his fellow Christians, including those who fell into sin. This is a concept utterly foreign to JWs. Frankly, I believe THIS is the most ignored scripture, hands down. But I'm a little biased.

2

Quiet Life after JWs--a poem to the tune of Stevie Wonder

by sd-7 in

jw
friends

no pagan days.

to celebrate.

same-sex marriage pride parades.

sd-7

No pagan days

To celebrate

No rainbow-colored

Same-sex marriage pride parades

No charities

Not a Marine

Not even at YMCA

Exercising

I'm no cause

To hate apostates

I'm no cause

To hate because you're scared

I'm no cause

To hate apostates

So why hate me

Without probable just cause?

No passing plates

On sabbath days

No avid tuning in

To C-SPAN and debates

No demon dreams

No one-night flings

No tribulation

More than making the ends meet

I'm no cause

To hate apostates

I'm no cause

To hate because you're scared

I'm no cause

To hate apostates

So why hate me

Without probable just cause?

No birthday cake

No pointless dates

No particular reason

To vent all your hate

No drinking binge

Not on the fringe

Just breathing oxygen

Like everyone else is

I'm no cause

To hate apostates

I'm no cause

To hate because you're scared

I'm no cause

To hate apostates

So why hate me

Without probable just cause?

8

Wow, it works

by sd-7 in

jw
friends

i got a new gravatar.

no more purple alien for me.

time to get back to meaningful discussions about the watchtower society.

sd-7

I got a new gravatar. No more purple alien for me.

Time to get back to meaningful discussions about the Watchtower Society.

How about stuff that's not clearly defined in the Bible?

1) Turning in field service time

2) 5 meetings a week

3) 1914 as date of invisible return of Christ

4) Disfellowshipping (term not used in Bible. "Quit mixing in company with" does not equal "never say a greeting to"--more severe of the two reserved for those who deny Jesus altogether in Bible times.)

5) Governing body (term not used in Bible--no references to it in Bible, only references to apostles/older men, not 'governing authority')

6) Channel of communication (term not used in Bible, disguise for prophet)

7) Organization (term not used in Bible, congregations were organized but never referred to collective congregation as 'organization')

8) Faithful and discreet slave class (faithful and discreet slave mentioned, but no reference to a class of people that fits that description)

9) John class (term not used in Bible, how did apostle John develop into a class of people all of a sudden?)

10) Circuit overseer (at least 'circuit servant' sounded more humble)

There are others. Don't even care right now. Just wanted to type something else.

66

sd-7's whining session 3-30-2010

by sd-7 in

jw
friends

so...memorial tonight, eh?

yup.

sunday was a fun meeting.

sd-7

Look, just forget I said anything. I don't know why I keep coming here. Maybe the organization and here aren't really all that different after all.

66

sd-7's whining session 3-30-2010

by sd-7 in

jw
friends

so...memorial tonight, eh?

yup.

sunday was a fun meeting.

sd-7

I've done that before, actually, poopsiecakes. It was very revealing. I just haven't been able to get in touch with that person anymore. I've been completely removed from whoever I was.

Dude, they say to me, shut up about your problems. Dude, I say, shutting up.

16

Non-JWs in relationships with JWs - tough questions

by JWoods in

jw
friends

i have noticed multiple threads here by faded jws, non-jws, dfd jws, and so on in marriages or relationships with a hard-core jw.. these are some of the most wrenching emotional situations we read about here on jwn.

for sure the jw religion has done everything they possibly can to make life miserable for the non-jw partner.. i wanted to do a thread on the subject in general without putting this on the specific personal threads - a hard, tough, question:.

is it really worth it to live a lifetime in this kind of mentally abusive relationship?.

sd-7

IS IT REALLY WORTH IT TO LIVE A LIFETIME IN THIS KIND OF MENTALLY ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP?

IS IT REALLY WORTH IT TO STAY THERE EVEN FOR THE PURPOSE OF KIDS?

That depends on how much of a point life has for you. A happy human has the same atomic structure as a sad human, or a dead one. More or less. Maybe some people deserve to be abused, for just being evil people.

But the children don't deserve to suffer for that. Hmm. Guess these are tough questions. My king is mated. Good game!

66

sd-7's whining session 3-30-2010

by sd-7 in

jw
friends

so...memorial tonight, eh?

yup.

sunday was a fun meeting.

sd-7

Ah, Outlaw...where would we be without your usual wit? I actually have been thinking of diapers someday... Any other day, I would actually be irritated.

James, you make some pretty straightforward points. I shouldn't have whined about these issues. I should be fixing them, as an adult would do, without apostate computer help.

And yes, I do agree with Society on some things. "The Word was a god" is the most literal Greek rendering of John 1:1. Actually, "a god was the Word" would be the most literal. And, the best lesson they taught me, above all, was that people have to die for things to change. A lot of people.

Again, sorry about this entry. I don't know what the cuss keeps getting into me that I write about such personal stuff on a forum such as this. It's just painting a big bullseye on myself.