Posts by Awen

16

Were there 2 witnesses when you were DFd?

by FatFreek 2005 in

of the some 70,000 disfellowshippings each year (some 1% of the membership) most were for sexual misconduct.

of these, i think i'm safe to say that very few were witnessed by a third party.

that means that both participants had to voluntarily confess in order to satisfy their 2-witness rule.. know of any that didn't meet this rule?.

Awen

In my case I told them myself of what I had done. They asked if I had used a condom to which I replied "no". So it was just my confession alone. But I know they did still use the two-witness rule at that time.

Their response was that since it wasn't pre-planned and the result of "being in the wrong place at the wrong time", they weren't going to DFed me UNTIL they gave me the ultimatum to kick the person and their boyfriend out of my house. Yeah I did a bad thing. But I decided not to heed their advice and told them to stick it. I also told them I wasn't convinced that JW's had the truth because of the overhwelming evidence of a lack of real love and only a strict adherence to rules (like the Pharisees).

That didn't go over very well.

I didn't care. My "worldy friend" forgave me and we are still friends (20+ years) to this day. I'm also friends with the woman (his exgf).

Since then, of the 300+ witnesses I knew, I have only spoken or met a handful, except when I go to the Memorial to partake (just to piss the Elders off) and speak to the other DFed people there (to further piss the Elders off).

12

Waaaahhh!!! The Pentecostals have my OH held hostage in a field

by mummatron in

jw
friends

well, ok i admit i exagerrated a little bit there.

they don't actually have him held against his will.

he's stuck in a field in essex being paid to do the sound for some pentecostal convention/rally/festival thingy.

Awen

When they ask if he has found Jesus....tell him to respond this way.

"Sigh...Did you lose him AGAIN?"

12

Waaaahhh!!! The Pentecostals have my OH held hostage in a field

by mummatron in

jw
friends

well, ok i admit i exagerrated a little bit there.

they don't actually have him held against his will.

he's stuck in a field in essex being paid to do the sound for some pentecostal convention/rally/festival thingy.

Awen

When they ask if he has found Jesus....tell him to respond this way.

"Sigh...Did you lose him AGAIN?"

28

WTS Controlling Tactics Similar to Phillip Garrido's on Jaycee Dugard ........

by flipper in

jw
friends

........ and of course, that should come as no big surprise considering phillip and nancy garrido were jehovah's witnesses either before, or quite possibly at the time they abducted & kidnapped jaycee and stole her life away for 18 years.

i will share some excerpts from jaycee dugard's new book " a stolen life " and see if you also identify similar mind control tactics garrido used on jaycee that the wt society uses on 7 million members.. notice this quote from jaycee about schools and education , " i, however, have mixed feelings about high school.

on the one hand, for eighteen years i had been taught ( by garrido ) that schools are bad and kids learn bad things there and peer pressure can ruin a child's life forever ; but when i consider who i heard all this stuff from, a kidnapper, rapist, pedophile, narcissistic, pervert, i can only come to one conclusion.

Awen

Nice post.

I was unaware that the Garridos were/are JW's. Then again I haven't really followed this story.

The fear tactics really seem to be in full swing nowadays considering all the talks against apostates and associating with DFed people. There is a JW who works for an electrical contractor that many times comes by my workplace to make repairs (often the result of their own shoddy work). I knew this person back when I was a JW and he was 8 years old. He's now married and still a JW and in his early twenties.

He has been very careful about speaking to me on Watchtower teachings but sometimes I can use the works of other religions and before he knows it make a comparison to the JW's. BAM! Got him.

One such particular time we were discussing disfellowshipping and he had stated how his mother (whom I also know and used to work for) really holds to the WT teachings when it comes to the treatment of DFed people. I mentioned the Book of Corinthians and how Paul spoke about the man who took his father's wife (his step mom) into his own bed and the resulting expulsion from the congregation. After a little discussion I mentioned how in the "All Scripture is Inspired Book" that it's been estimated that from the time of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (and the expulsion of the Brother) to the second letter (Paul admonishing his reinstatement) was a period of no more than six months. Considering Paul's advice on how the person was to be treated and that meetings were often held in individual homes I asked how was it that the Brothers knew this person had repented if they didn't even say hello to him? The JW was dumbfounded. he didn't know the answer. I told him that evidently the WT teaching is not in harmony with the scriptures as the only way that the Brothers would have known of his repentence would have been by conversing with him. I also pointed out that Paul counseled against waiting a long time to re-instate the person, for fear that he may be over reached by Satan, in contrast to the WT policy of a years to several years for re-instatement. He said he would have to look up the information.

On his next visit he didn't want to discuss it and thought we shouldn't speak to each other as he was warned that I was apparently trying to twist the scriptures. I simply responded that he could look the information up for himself in the "SI" book and 1 and 2nd Corinthians. It's all there. What was he afraid of?

No reply.

He still comes by (as I mentioned the company he works for often has to fix their own mistakes) and it's fun to chat, but it's getting to where he is avoiding me. He once asked me if I was ever going to come back. In response I lit a cigarette and just looked at him.

Peace,

Awen

21

What do you think of this argument?

by Druid in

i stopped being a jw altogether when i went into college and took philosophy classes and started thinking for myself.

i understand a lot of you former jw's are still theists, in fact it seems probably the majority of you are.

i am agnostic, meaning i don't feel there is enough evidence for against either cause to subscribe my lifestyle to one belief.. .

Awen

Excellent posts Druid. To comment on your second question rebuttal.

This: http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/nogod.html was linked in another discussion and from a scientific point of view it give a plausible solution to how God can exist without being created.

Look under the heading "The Theodice Problem".

Here is some of the information. Read the rest at your leisure.

There is much evidence from both the Bible and from science that demonstrates God must exist and operate in dimensions of space and time other than those to which we are confined. God could not have created the universe if He were only a part of it. The Bible says the universe cannot contain Him (1).

According to particle physics and relativity, at least ten dimensions of space existed at the creation of the universe (2). Three of these dimensions (plus time) formed the space-time manifold that we can directly observe. The other six of these dimensions exist within the universe as incredibly compact dimensions of space. God must be able to operate in all of those ten dimensions plus more in order to have created the universe. A verse from the book of Hebrews suggests God created the universe out of some of the dimensions of space and time which are not visible to us (3).

The God of the Bible is invisible and cannot be seen except if He reveals Himself to us in a three-dimensional form that we can see. A being which exists in dimensions beyond our three spatial dimensions would be invisible to creatures (us) that can only exist in the confines of our universe (4).

Acting outside of time
The God of the Bible is described as omnipotent. If God were confined to three dimensions of space and one dimension of time, then He could be in only one place at one time. The God of the Bible is described as knowing all that we do (5). We can hide nothing from God. A three-dimensional God would not have the ability to see through walls (Can you?) and could not know what happens outside of his sight.

Stephen Hawking, George Ellis, and Roger Penrose extended the equations for general relativity to include space and time (6). Not only space, but also time has a beginning - at the moment of creation. Studies in particle physics have shown that our dimension of time is really only half a dimension, since time can only move forward (7) (forget the time travel movies - this is scientifically impossible). If God existed in only one dimension of time, then He would have had to have been created at one point. The Bible says God was not created, but has existed from eternity past to eternity future. The Bible also suggests God created time and was acting before time began (8), confirming that God exists either outside of time altogether or in at least two dimensions of time. In addition, the Bible states God can compress or expand our time line (9), based upon what He wants to do. For God to turn a day into 1000 years and 1000 years into a day requires that He exist external to our dimension of time.

This web page (an Atheist one) has many fine articles that opened my eyes to the truth about many topics, including "Intelligent Design vs Evolution" and provides some examples of how complex the Universe isn't. It also asks how is it that beings supposedly created by God could have so many physical imperfections that cause us no end of pain. I won't link any articles as they are very long.

http://truth-saves.com/chapter6.php?section=2

I'm not attempting to change your mind or argue with you. I'm simply sharing information from both sides of the fence to better arm you against critics. I myself am Agnostic bordering on Atheism. I'm not an Atheist merely because I have had some unusual experiences in my life that I haven't been able to find answers to as of yet. I donot however believe in the Bible. The truth-saves.com website (linked) gave some pretty good information to finally convince me (although I had been wavering on this topic for some time from my own research).

@Larsinger58 LOL Still think you're Jesus eh?

12

Misunderstanding of prophecy

by StopTheTears in

jw
friends

i am constantly amazed at the gross spiritual apathy and blasphemy of men and women, supposedly "christians," who possess a woeful ignorance of the true meaning of the kingdom of god.. .

as shocking as it may seem, millions of people who consider themselves perfectly knowledgeable of the prophetic scriptures are today working earnestly in a misguided effort to help satan and the beast of revelation establish their latter days global kingdom.. some years ago, while attending a prophecy conference in florida, i encountered a sincere but deluded woman proudly wearing a necklace bearing the so-called star of david, the six-pointed star.

she had no idea that this star secretly represents the number 666, that occultists universally call it the hexagram, and that satanists regularly use the six-pointed star in their satanic rituals and invocations.. .

Awen

I also should mention this: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Wolves/scofield.htm

This is the original site where this information comes from. STT just copied and pasted it word for word.

SHAME!!!!

Does STT have any original ideas or is everything plagiarized from someone else?

Peace,

Awen

67

Why did Jesus come to Earth as a man?

by StopTheTears in

jw
friends

jesus lived in heaven as a spirit person before he came to earth.

god used him as his chief spokesman.

that is why jesus is called "the word.".

Awen

I copied and Googled the first sentence in STT post.

Guess where it comes from?

http://www.watchtower.org/e/rq/article_03.htm

Does STT have any posts that wasn't ripped off someone?

51

Feminism? No way

by StopTheTears in

jw
friends

my mother was a hippy who kept a pile of erica jong and germaine greer books beside her bed.

(like every other avowed feminist in those days).

needless to say, she didn't feel the need to do the cleaning and we lived in an unkempt home.

Awen

Out of curiosity I copied the first few sentences of STT original post and Googled it.

Lookie what I discovered.

http://boards.askmen.com/archive/index.php/t-102327.html

Obvious plagiarism.

31

We are all dirt

by StopTheTears in

jw
friends

did you ever stop to realize that we humans are nothing more than dirt?

we are composed of all the foods we eat and the beverages we drink.

everything that we consume comes from the ground, from crops grown in dirt.

Awen

I think God sent his Son to shed his blood so he could make mud pies.

12

Misunderstanding of prophecy

by StopTheTears in

jw
friends

i am constantly amazed at the gross spiritual apathy and blasphemy of men and women, supposedly "christians," who possess a woeful ignorance of the true meaning of the kingdom of god.. .

as shocking as it may seem, millions of people who consider themselves perfectly knowledgeable of the prophetic scriptures are today working earnestly in a misguided effort to help satan and the beast of revelation establish their latter days global kingdom.. some years ago, while attending a prophecy conference in florida, i encountered a sincere but deluded woman proudly wearing a necklace bearing the so-called star of david, the six-pointed star.

she had no idea that this star secretly represents the number 666, that occultists universally call it the hexagram, and that satanists regularly use the six-pointed star in their satanic rituals and invocations.. .

Awen

On a side note STT.

You're using copyrighted photographs. Do you have permission from the WTBTS to do so? If not, you're looking at a lawsuit.

Cheers!