Posts by nugget

68

Your top 5 most irritating doctrines/practices?

by cedars in

it's clear that virtually everyone on here is infuriated by wt teachings/doctrines/practices, but i would really like to know what is of most concern to people who frequent this forum.. here is my top 5, number 1 being the most significant/infuriating:.

the disfellowshipping practice - expanded to include family members (but not parents) who are old enough to leave home.

wrecks families and creates abject fear once people find out the truth about the organization.the blood issue - another unmerciful teaching, but one that costs lives.unquestioned authority of governing body - a handful of men make life-altering decisions as representatives of a larger group of people who they never see or speak to, and yet they demand unquestioning obedience on pain of being disfellowshipped.failed prophecy - the fulfilment of huge swathes of bible prophecy, including revelation, has been attributed to the events of the early 20th century, and the actions of a small group of men.two-tier christianity - faithful and discreet slave are anointed who go to heaven to whom ransom provisions apply directly, whereas remainder, or "great crowd" stay on earth and form a sub-class, only access benefits of ransom through fds.i realise that many of these issues are inter-related, but that's roughly how i would put them.

nugget

Any doctrine that causes harm is a source of irritation

Blood doctrine - which changes over time but is enforced without mercy. Families who would rather see their loved ones die than risk the consequences of receiving life saving medication.

Shunning - Unloving, unchristian, cruely applied with no empathy. When people are disfellowshipped in order to be made an example of and the inbalance and lack of equity so that elders children are forgiven but others are punnished is disgusting.

2 witness rule and protection of the reputation of the religion over protection of the flock is a stench and a disgusting practice.

Social isolation so that children grow up awkward and with low self esteem is a travesty. The denial of education, the denial of people being allowed to grow and be the best they can be is painful to watch. Isolation from peers so that these children are socially awkward and don't understand how to protect themselves or interact around others. This means that they associate only with other social misfits and also feel pressured to rush into marriage, leading to long term misery. This also means that the literature produced by the society is a joke since the membership is left with only a basic understanding of research and accepts everything however poorly researched.

Insistance that the current doctrine is the truth even when that doctrine is constantly changing. People do not keep up with the changes, most are ignorant of the current beliefs and yet will not research what the believe when challenged. Happy to be ignorant and contemptuous of everyone else even when they are obviously wrong. Leads to arrogance that is underseved and unjustified.

I am all angry now need a cup of tea to calm down and some soft music.

40

Post 6: My brother turns on me now - Possible Legal advice

by sosoconfused in

this is a letter i received today with my brother turning on me based on something that was told to him by my crazy mother.

he works for me, yet has not spoken a word to me in months because he is a self-righteous little dick.. .

what i would like to know from someone who knows the law, is it possible i can sue him if he pressures people to not work with me because of my religious beliefs????

nugget

What does his contract of employment say? Does he have to work a period of notice? How important is he in the business and how easy is he to replace? If he has breached those he may be subject to penalties.

It sounds as if he is being pressured by your mother to take this stand. He is taking the path of least resistance and whilst he says he loves you unconditionally the fact that he is resigning shows very clearly that there are conditions on his affection.

A typical knee jerk response and it carries the threat that although he will do nothing for now, things may change in future. I would seek legal advice but witnesses are a self righteous bunch and love to gossip. Some may be able to justify working for an apostate but once they start putting pressure on them they will crumble. Start looking at how exposed you would be if every witness you employ resigns. Hope for the best and plan for the worst.

45

A new lesson from Caleb's mom...

by cedars in

...totally freak out and drop something if your child fails to say "please.".

http://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/children/become-jehovahs-friend/videos/please-thank-you/.

the woman is clearly a nervous wreck, and very easily offended.. if this is her reaction to caleb forgetting his manners, i shudder to think how she will cope if she ever finds him doing drugs.. .

nugget

Whilst it is important to teach children good manners this video is another over the top lesson. Caleb's mother who is known for her over reaction to everything, behaves in a suitably meladramatic way to Caleb's lapse. Caleb then not only says please but puts his hands together in supplication and begs for a sandwich. His mother then says she will make the best sandwich and then presents him with a healthy pile of bread and salad that most children would reject out of hand.

Totally disfunctional family here people and certainly not suitable to set an example of appropriate behaviour for anyone.

93

During Your IN Years If You Had Anointed At Your Hall, What Were They Like?

by LoisLane looking for Superman in

the scoop of humanity at one khall, the anointed ones" were a mixed group.. one bro, h. had been in for eons.

he was df for adultery, back in the day when they would announce your sin openly from the platform to everyone.

he just kept on coming and partaking until he was reinstated.

nugget

There were 2 annointed in our congregation. Both were ladies and both were lovely.

26

Breastfeeding in Bathrooms...

by cognac in

jw
friends

the natick, ma assemble hall used to have it's own room for breastfeeding mothers.

they changed this room to the accounting room or something like that and now have seats available for breastfeeding inside the bathroom.. there is one other small room available for breastfeeding but they close that off when the baptism is going on.

needless to say, i used to get so pissed off that they actually wanted me to breastfeed in the bathroom that i would threaten to a brother that i would take my boob out in front of everybody and that is there problem because breastfeeding in a bathroom is unsanitary.. one year they put me in some backroom.

nugget

I totally agree with you about feeding in bathrooms it is unsanitary. No one else would think eating their lunch in a bathroom was acceptable. Assemblies are no place for pregnant women and babies. I breastfed both of mine and at the da they used the players locker room. It was barely passable since the baby change was in the same area with all the stinky nappies in bins.

Only men would make such an arrangement. Since I no longer attend I have no idea what they did this year since they changed venue.

19

My first talk with JWs at the door while on vacation

by troubled mind in

jw
friends

this was the first time in almost eight years i have had a conversation with a jw .

we were on vacation last week at my son and daughter in laws home .

one morning the doorbell rang and as i went to answer it my daughter in law said she thought it was witnesses .

nugget

Isn't it interesting that witnesses do not know what their current beliefs are. In the main they try to fit everything in but there is no way they can keep up. I think you did really well keeping it cordial certainly when they try to whitewash things and you have lived it you know how deceptive they are being.

371

Design or Non-Design, finally we know, Darwin's Doubt

by QC in

jw
friends

if you want to read the definitive explanation on fossils and how life arrived its covered in darwins doubt, by s.c. meyer.

this is a game changer.

the bomb!.

nugget

Taking one book at face value however well written is lazy. Someone can be extremely persuasive without being right and other people with a similar world view will support and endorse it. I bet the book was awesome and a good read but that does not make it truthful or accurate. I would be more impressed if it was endorsed by peers in the scientific community who held opposing views

When I was doing a module on critical thinking we had to look at both sides of the argument , investigate the facts and criticise both sides. I would suggest you read the magic of reality by Richard Dawkins which is another awesome read. Once you have read that book you would be in a position to see which book offers the more rationale explanation.

88

Former Long Time Elder: Why I am still in

by James Jackson in

jw
friends

a customer on my route with whom i have had some lively debates was his number 1 complaint is that "the witnesses have so many rules".

last month i agreed with on this issue.

he asked why the change, i told him that i have been doing some soul searching.

nugget

The morals you speak of are wrapped in layers of conditioning and isolation from peers. This makes JW children ill educated and ill equipped for life in general, socially awkward and conflicted. The seperation causes them immense pain, low self esteem and stress.

People are capable of being moral without a cult telling them to be so. They learn more from the example you set. If you know that the doctrine is a lie and yet you force your child to attend, what are you teaching them? If you encourage them to follow rules without any sound religious principle and merely to make them acceptable to a group then what sort of parent are you? If you are prepared to step back and let people who cannot make a moral decision for themselves raise your child for you then be prepared that the child may choose to abandon your religion and you and they may also resent that you didn't fight for them and their mental wellbeing.

There are better things than raising a child in a cult. Giving them a chance to make unconditional friends, reach their full potential in arts, sports, education. Helping them grow into happy, confident, reasoning and moral adults is far more rewarding than passively doing nothing.

73

The Watchtower Writers need to answer this question "Atheism, not religion, is the real force behind the mass murders of history!"

by ÁrbolesdeArabia in

how come the watchtower will not side with christendom and address a topic like the following?

what if christendom had allowed islam to spread it's plunder into europe without a fight and great force?

i direct your attention to islam spreading not as a distraction, but to ask the question most atheist have asked me when we talk of this subject.

nugget

I wasn't aware Richard Dawkins was a mass murderer.

The watchtower can hardly say Atheists cause the greatest anmount of violence when their own God has already pegged billions for death. According to Jesus; own words thinking and planning an act is as bad as the act itself. Under his own rules God stands condemned.

81

Friend gets "scriptural divorce" over wifes transgressions before they got married...

by sosoconfused in

so i have a friend in a congregation in new jersey who recently called me to tell me that he got a divorce.

nothing surprising there at first but it is the fact of when it happened.

his wife began pioneering april 1, and after about three weeks she came to him and told him that about 4 years she had engaged in loose conduct (fondling the penis and the guy kissing her breasts) during a time that she was inactive.

nugget

Quire frankly if he lets himself be encouraged to divorce his wife over this then he needs to get a backbone. A marriage is a bond you stand together against the world, you love one another and you forgive one another and understand that each of you will make mistakes.

This is a minor thing that happened when she was inactive and younger. The elders are so pompous and self righteous and destroyed a marriage they are beneath contempt.