Pete, your observations about the bible are piquing my curiosity. For years after our departure from the cult my husband would continue to read the bible...the book of Daniel especially fascinated him...I bought him some erudite expositions on the book which I too found fascinating. But I could not read or consider the bible as a whole due to being so soured on it by the cult. I kind of wish I could detach sufficiently and see it from your perspective. Interesting thread here.
Posts by tiki
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35The biggest mistake.
by Half banana ina long time ago, before television radio and films, before printing, before the invention of writing, people listened only to the spoken word—and the cry of birds, the wind whistling through the trees and the sea crashing on the sea shore.
before written text they knew about the gods because high up there in the night sky was where they lived; gods, goddesses and immortal heroes.
the constellations told of their exploits.
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Cringe in December
by neat blue dog inoh boy, the meetings lined up for december are culty.. it all starts with a 5 minute talk someone has to give on the topic "why should we not be troubled by the increase of memorial partakers in recent years?".
the next week again inserts jws into bible prophecy, first with "the earth swallowed up the river", which claims that court victories for the org are really god's doing.
there is no mention on who is responsible for the many judgements against the org.. then there's this chart to be discussed that same night:.
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tiki
Desperate times require desperate tactics.....
You can't make sense out of nonsense....but you gotta give them credit for persistence!
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AUSTRALIA | Media Article - Leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses ordered to destroy confidential records
by jwleaks inleaders of the jehovah’s witnesses ordered to destroy confidential records.
a letter obtained by inq has shed light on the secretive methods the jehovah's witnesses are undertaking to erase the impact of child sexual abuse within the sect.. by georgia wilkins sept 10, 2019. a body representing the jehovah’s witnesses in australia has written to all elders of the group ordering them to destroy confidential records, including notes taken by elders investigating child sexual abuse, in an instruction that has enraged survivors of abuse inside the secretive christian sect.. in a letter obtained by inq, dated august 28, a body called the christian congregation of jehovah’s witnesses (australasia) instructs elders to destroy so-called judicial hearing records and certain congregation notes.. “we ask that each elder check his personal computer, or hard copy files, and even his meeting bag, to ensure that no confidential correspondence is retained outside the congregation’s confidential file,” the letter states.
it also directs elders to destroy information aired against so-called “wrongdoers”: “if this ‘wild talk’ is recorded in detail, it may not be accurately assessed when reviewed out of context,” it says.
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tiki
Amazing the lengths that cult will go to to prtect their guilty arses. However given the capability level of those sitting in judgement I would anticipate much of their documentation significantly warped.... -
30
one picture too far ( fetched)
by waton injuly 2019 wt mag.
study article 27, to sept 8 (last weak) sic intended.
page 5. .
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tiki
There is such a serious gulf between this cult purported "lifestyle"and reality. Seriously have they no grasp on the lives people really live??
Lame.....lame...lame....
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45
I was surprised today by what I saw a JW driving
by days of future passed ini was out thrift shopping where my sister lives.
before i went in to the store, i went to donut shop a few doors down.
as i walked up, there by the window was a family and others eating donuts.
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tiki
Its just an assumption they were witnesses...and an assumption that they forked over $100k for the vehicle.....perhaps they were simply a group of conservatively dressed people going to a funeral in a rented car, chosen for show off value. Or maybe the driver was a car dealer out advertising. And if they were indeed dubs who really gives a poop.
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Finding our true identity after spiritual abuse in the Watchtower
by Faith after Deception ini personally find that when you’ve been around toxic people long enough, either in a family environment or as part of a cult or a highly controlling church, (or worse, both!
), you tend to get a very twisted view of your own identity and also human nature in general.. in a religious context, you may end up feeling that you are a “lowly worm” and that in general, people can’t be trusted.
since all you’ve known of relationships has been painful, complex and tiresome, it can give you the impression that this is the norm and that’s all you can expect .
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tiki
I relate very strongly to the third and fourth paragraph.....neuroscience proving that our set brain circuits impact our view of self and others. I have lived a life accepting toxicity in relationships as the norm and it is indeed hard to reform those perspectives.
Spirituality I see differently.....the human, the life we lead, is one thing...our intrinsic self...the spirit....something else and elusive to the human mind. There is much we simply cannot grasp about eternity....the spiritual....as we are currently locked in the human condition.
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Personal story of bethel, sexual abuse and child baptism
by GetMeOutofHere inborn into a strong jw family in the early 80s.
my father died when i was 4 and that left a huge emotional scar on my tender mind.
with my mother, i went to live with family members and was sexually abused between 4 and 10. he was an ms but when elders later found out, all that happened was he got his privileges removed.
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tiki
Welcome...and good to hear you are disentangling from the destructive cult. It horrifies me that so many as innocent child victims in that religion have been subjected to sexual abuse...and more often than not no just punishment to the perpetrator. You are smart to get your education and make decisions based on reality. Keep up the good work! And I do also hope you follow through and talk to a therapist...there are scars and wounds that need to be addressed.
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Dec 2019 Watchtower - Two Witness Rule
by Listener inthe watchtower has attempted to address their two witness rule and the case of the raped woman in a field found at deuteronomy 22:25-27all the tireless work that so many ex jws and concerned worldly people have done by phone calls, cart crashes, demonstrating at assemblies, questioning jws and so on, is paying off.
it's not the doting jws that have been questioning the two witness rule, it's apostates.this is a "question from reader" in the december, 2019 watchtower.
the bible says that at least two witnesses are needed to establish a matter.
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tiki
The scream thing presents problems. What if the rapist gagged her and she couldn't scream.
Does the scream have to be heard to be a viable "excuse"?
What if sheer terror rendered her mute?
Rape is a crime of violence fueled by anger and in many cases misogyny. The Deuteronomy verses seem to lean to more of an overly aggressive male with a female unsure or frightened...it was a different culture altogether. Rapes rarely have eyewitnesses but these days proof positive can be medically obtained. So...imho....using these verses to justfy 2 witnesses is pretty flimsy.
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highlights from Circuit Overseer Guidelines
by neat blue dog ini just finished looking through the circuit overseer manual, so here are some highlights.
first up, regarding circuit assemblies:.
if a brother is so extremely overweight that others would be distracted if he had a part on the program, good judgment would need to be used in deciding whether to give him an assignment.
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tiki
You gotta love the totem pole list of specially blessed elders...there is a fabulous loophole for favoritism and or nepotism.....and the dude that hasn't watched porn for two years....wtf??? If he is going to watch the stuff he's going to announce...hey 4 months back I watched butterballs and nympha getting it on? Seriously? And the woman thing. A lowly female pub gets to go d-d with the co...but his wife can't be seen with a lowly adult male pub? Why? Ohhh the crazy cult crap.
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Aposthia
by peacefulpete inok, this place is getting bogged down with eternal debates about politics.
lets have some fun.
regarding the birth of moses..... ex 2:2 : 2 now a man from the house of levi went and [a]married a daughter of levi.
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tiki
Oh you guys....seriously?!?