Posts by nugget

58

Reading The Bible Again After Leaving

by pale.emperor in

at the moment i dont beleive in anything.

im pretty much an open book, but my critical mind is very alert to bullshit.

but anyway i decided to re-read the bible with a non jw filter.. i researched online first which is supposed to be the best translation out there.

nugget

reading the Bible without doctrine can be an interesting experience. I read the gospels and it was extremely enlightening. I would read with an elderly lady who had been a missionary for the methodist church. It was actually a pleasurable experience. When you are not constrained by reverence and fear of saying the wrong thing you can see some of the contradictions that previously you skipped over.

One example was Jesus saying to the pharasees they would see no more miracles. So I asked the lady whether they missed the miracle of Jesus's resurrection, the opening of the graves at his death, the sky darkening, the curtain to the most holy ripping. Had Jesus told a lie? I did suggest that perhaps they would see these things but fail to appreciate the significance of them. He also told a woman her deeds would be remembered but her name wasn't included in the account. It was refreshing to read critically.

30

CLAM Video: Aug 22-28 2016 – “Jehovah Will Care for Our Needs”

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

this video showed a married brother with three children living in a nice domicile and working full time.

his employer demands that he change his working pattern such that it conflicts with his being able to attend wt meetings at the weekend.

the brother decides not to yield to his employer’s demand and is thus dismissed.. the brother seeks for work very actively over a significant period but without any alternative being found.

nugget

It seems to peddle the same myths. The contribution box has no benefit for those in the local hall since the money disappears into the societies black hole. If a brother or sister is facing financial difficulty they are very much on their own.

When we started fading we were in dire financial straights we were offered a loan by a brother which was extremely unusual. He was a good friend and we turned it down since we knew that if he was aware of our position he wouldn't have offered so we would be taking his money under false pretenses. He also had a daughter who was df'd and struggling and we felt it was wrong for us to take money when she needed it more. We appreciated the offer especially a it was so rare for people to be generous in this way in the organisation. There is no procedure or policy for helping the needy or unfortunate as any act of charity is seen as a distraction individuals have to be moved to acts of generosity.

However in general the society takes it doesn't give. Money is spent to benefit the organisation it is invested in property. Loss making aspects are scaled down or sold off which is why printed material has been drastically cut and branch offices sold. People are there to serve not to be a drain.

51

Can’t cope with being disfellowshipped…..Need some advice

by xxBettyBoopxx in

this site is great, i have been lurking for a while now.

but i can’t get reinstated and have used some of the advice already given.. i was df’d many months ago and go to all the meetings and do all the preparation for the meetings, but the jc committee keep refusing me.

tomorrow at the clam meeting i am puting yet another letter in and will be called for another dreadful jc meeting.. 1. what can i say to the elders to show that i am truly repentant?.

nugget

I can understand the pressure to return especially if you have family who are believers. The recent assembly has reinforced the message that if you are df'd family members must shun you. What the family rarely appreciates is how hard some people work to get reinstated but forgiveness is withheld. If you have challenged the authority of the elders in some way it will take a lot longer to get reinstated than if you have committed a sin. Holy spirit is not involved in their decision.They are men and will be influenced by many things and are not exempt from petty vindictiveness or loyalty to friends.

I would recommend that you step off the treadmill and take some time out and examine the religion to see if this effort is worthwhile and whether they are worthy of the effort you are making. JWfacts and JWsurvey are good places to start.

We are so conditioned into thinking that they are the route to salvation sometimes we do not question whether this is the case. Be a Borean and check out beliefs and doctrines before putting yourself through contnued mental abuse.

39

JW marriages: “They” looked good on paper.

by Londo111 in

i applaud anyone, male or female, who overcomes shallowness and looks at a person’s deeper qualities, especially in regard dating and marriage.

the movie and fashion industry does much to institute shallowness to the point that, in my opinion, it promotes outright discrimination and judgmentalism even as they give lip service to tolerance..

on the other hand, among jehovah’s witnesses, there seem to be a preponderance of incompatible marriages.

nugget

It is a religion that is hard on relationships. You have a small pool to pick from and whatever they say girls are disadvantaged as there are always more women than men. This results in men and boys picking on very shallow criteria. Plain spiritual girls and older single sisters are less likely to find a husband than pretty shallow girls.

This creates a panic so girls will marry young in fear that they will be left on the shelf. The society discourages young ones from dating so the first person you date is likely to be the person you marry even if they are incompatible. If a couple breaks off an engagement it is frowned upon so pressure to marry even if you have doubts is huge.

Engagements tend to be short so there is little time for people to really get to know each other. With all this there is small wonder that so many marriages fail. Boys can have an inflated idea of themselves whilst girls lack self esteem. Outside the organisation you may date many different people before you find someone you want to settle down with you take time and marriage isn't necessary for intimacy so there is no need to rush into things. Whilst the society is quick to criticize this, it does allow people to take time before making an important commitment.

49

"back in the day people didn't know not to abuse kids"- a jw explanation for their abuse scandal

by purrpurr in

a few weeks back i showed the guardian article about the borg refusing to cooperate with the charity commission into child abuse to a fellow jw.

their response was quite amazing.

they told me that in the 50s-80s people didn't know about child abuse, didn't know it was wrong and no one really believed children when they claimed they had been abused - even worldly people.. they said that alot of the time children lie about being abused or therapists plant false memories in their heads and that apostates lie about being abused to undermine our faith.. about the borg not cooperating with the commission they said that it was probably because they wanted to protect the identities of jw's who had been abused.

nugget

This is why the problem remains. I had a conversation with an elder who called on our house by mistake. When I raised the Australian Commission he said that JWs were not alone that other religions such as the Catholics were much worse.

I said to him that it was a shame that he seemed to be content to be the best of a bad lot when the religion prided itself on having a higher standard.

As the JWs live in the past and do not take any responsibility for bad things that happen then bad things will continue to happen.

4

UK Southampton - Police appeal regarding burglary

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

a week after their regional convention took place from 31 july to 2 august...hampshire police, on the south coast of britain, have issued the following appeal in connection with an aggravated burglary that took place around midday on sunday 7 august 2016 in southampton, just 11 minutes walk from the local kingdom hall.http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/news-and-appeals/2016/august/080816-aggravated-burglary-southampton-44160294932.

the kingdom hall at 8 to 10 somerset ave, southampton so18 5fl is used by three congregation - west end, hedge end and sholing - who meet on sundays at 10am, 1pm and 4pmmap: https://goo.gl/maps/iei5hix8rj62.

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/14668634.men_posing_as_jehovah_s_witnesses_smother_woman_and_raid_her_home/.

nugget

Poor woman it must have been very shocking. Chloroform takes a long time to work it isn't as quick as the movies suggest so I don't know what they used to knock her out.

I hope these people are caught quickly.

58

Download Raymond Franz PDF Books Crisis of Conscience and In Search of Christian Freedom

by Tenacious in

for those who've never read these incredible books by our friend ray franz.. here are links for both.

.

happy reading!.

nugget

I thought that the rights belong to someone else and were sold to them by Mrs Franz. If that iswhat the family wanted we should respect that.

24

Those formula prayers. I want to scream

by stillin in

when the co is visiting, i think i hear "thank you , jehovah, for this special week of activity" until i want to vomit.. also "jehovah, please remember those sick and afflicted.

we pray that they can make a recovery and be back with us.".

stale, canned, institutionalized garble.

nugget

Part of the problem is like with everything else the society aims to control prayers as much as anything else. They tell you what should be included and in what order so by the tie you have gone through the must haves all spontaneity is lost.

I used to hate praying because I was using their words not mine. I used to hate my mother's prayers at the end of the family study because they went on forever. Not only had the study overrun by at least 30 minutes but the prayer was used to catalogue our failings..

61

Did the flood happen?

by BlackWolf in

so we were talking about noah for our family worship tonight and it ended with a little debate between me and my parents about how the flood was possible.

you know, where did the water come from, how did all the animals fit, etc.

of course it led nowhere and my parents came up with some strange theories like that there was "an expanse of water in the sky" and that's where all the water came from.

nugget

There is a very good book on the flood but I can't remember the name of it. In the book it explains that at the end of the ice age the sea levels in the Mediterranean rose and water flooded into the Black sea.. They know that the sea was historically fresh water because there is evidence of fresh water creatures and fish being wiped out as the sea water flooded in. There is also evidence of settlements now under the sea as the size of the black sea expanded. It is possible that a farmer on the shores of the Black sea saved some of his livestock on raft or a boat and that was the origin of the story that then became exaggerated.

If the whole world had been flooded as JWs suggest then all the fresh water fish would have died as the seas and lakes merged together. It is highly likely that as sea levels changed there were many floods in various places but no world wide flood.

7

AUSTRALIA: Jehovah's Witness paedophile back working with children at family's church - August 22, 2016 - The Age newspaper

by jwleaks in

jehovah's witness paedophile back working with children at family's church.

the age newspaper.

reporter: chris johnston.

nugget

Have they learned nothing? Seriously.