Posts by Wonderment

3

Catholic Church using Bankruptcy for Sexual-Assault cases

by Wonderment in

https://www.wsj.com/articles/catholic-church-used-bankruptcy-for-sexual-assault-cases-now-others-are-following-suit-11545906600.

in the link above, the article on wall street journal deals with the catholic church using bankruptcy for sexual-assault cases.

is the watchtower next?.

Wonderment

https://www.wsj.com/articles/catholic-church-used-bankruptcy-for-sexual-assault-cases-now-others-are-following-suit-11545906600

In the link above, the article on Wall Street Journal deals with the Catholic Church using Bankruptcy for Sexual-Assault cases. Is the Watchtower next?

18

Latest on Greg Stafford

by Nitty-Gritty in

for all those who know who greg stafford is/was.

the former "apostate/apologist and author of three dissertations and other books, is on page 2 of the march 2016 meeting work book.

https://www.jw.org/en/publications/jw-meeting-workbook/march-2016-mwb/meeting-schedule-mar7-13/welcome-memorial-guests/.

cofty: 15 hours agoI really don't understand why somebody would cling to any remnant of Watchtower dogma. It is 100% bullshit.

I get your point, but aren't you exagerating? "100% bullshit"?

To suggest that the WT people only deliver "100% bullshit" is almost like saying that we all here at this forum are 100% right, or that everybody else out there is 100% right.

My point is that most of us here are convinced in varying degrees that the WT org is basically flawed, and dishonest in many ways. But to suggest they don't even have a 10% chance of being right in some belief seems an exaggeration. Are you using a hyperbole?

42

2018-Annual Service Report!

by Atlantis in

if this has already been posted just disregard.. 2018 annual service report one in english and one in spanish.

other news included.

zipped folder.

Wonderment

Yeah Slim, It is odd that congregation stats are missing, which are important. The less transparency on the annual stats, the more people will question it.

9

New World Translation Releases

by Wonderment in

in the last few weeks, i have noticed in (jw.org) the nwt has had new releases in some local languages.. today, i read this: "the new world translation of the christian greek scriptures was released in the kabiye language on december 16, 2018, in kara, togo.

on the same day, in madrid, spain, the books of matthew and john from the new world translation were released in spanish sign language.

the new world translation has been translated in whole or in part into 178 languages.".

Wonderment

In the last few weeks, I have noticed in (jw.org) the NWT has had new releases in some local languages.

Today, I read this: "The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures was released in the Kabiye language on December 16, 2018, in Kara, Togo. On the same day, in Madrid, Spain, the books of Matthew and John from the New World Translation were released in Spanish Sign Language. The New World Translation has been translated in whole or in part into 178 languages."

No word yet on the German and Spanish releases of the NWT Revised Edition.

42

2018-Annual Service Report!

by Atlantis in

if this has already been posted just disregard.. 2018 annual service report one in english and one in spanish.

other news included.

zipped folder.

Wonderment

slimboyfat: "After all the cutbacks, closures, aging membership, scandals, payouts, bans, media exposure, JWs are still growing 1.4%? I don’t know whether to be surprised or skeptical, to be honest. I really expected growth to be zero or negative."

Slim, As time passes by, I question often made claims more and more, from whatever the source. I have gotten to the point that I am getting closer to feeling just as skeptical from religious claims made, as I am from political statements made by their leaders. They both seem to use similar tricks in fooling people to believe their outlandish claims.

The Insight publication stated: "While malicious lying is definitely condemned in the Bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it."

Also: "...persons who are momentarily overreached in telling a lie do not automatically become guilty of an unforgivable sin."

And this: "Especially serious have been the religious lies, as they have endangered the future life of persons deceived by them."

Thus, we are told by this religious group who claim to hold "the truth," that religious lies are "specially serious" and ‘dangerous.’ At the same time, we are told that lying is justified in some cases (when it suits them really), and that ‘overreaching in telling a lie do not automatically become guilty of an unforgivable sin.’

The question is: Since the WT Society is going through all the negative things you mentioned, could it be that they are (or, would be) willing to lie to us (statistics among other things) in order to keep followers thinking that they are as strong as ever? Did not a lawyer of theirs (Covington) once said in a court room that WT leaders stood by this motto, "unity at all costs"?

Is this what we are seeing?

8

Jehovah's Witnesses... Who/What is the Holy Spirit?

by JW Answers in

the jehovah's witnesses claim that the holy spirit is none other than a force... however when we compare scripture with scripture, we begin to see that the holy spirit is a person.as the jehovah's witnesses dispute this, the question still remains..."who/what is the holy spirit?".

the holy spirit can :.

be grieved.

Wonderment

JW Answers claim:

"The Holy Spirit can: Be grieved ... Be Blasphemed against... Can pray... Can intercede Can speak... Can teach... Can guide... Can perform miracles... Can have conversations... Can have fellowship/communion with believers... Can comfort.
All the traits of a person, rather than a force."

Have you noticed the Bible is full of figurative language. The book of Revelation, for instance, cannot, for the most part, be taken literally. To this day, no one can with 100 % certainty explain its many mysteries. Not the Watchtower, not the Catholic Church, not the Evangelicals, nor the Adventists.

Throughout the Bible, many inanimate things can do things that ONLY a person can. Overall, it's figurative speech. Even Jesus said (and that AFTER personifying the holy spirit): "I have spoken these things to you in comparisons." (John 16.25, NWT-2013) Other Bibles instead of comparisons, say "figurative speech," or "analogies." But yet, you seem to suggest that Jesus was speaking literally of the holy spirit as a person being a Counselor or Helper, when he himself said it was an analogy. Think about that!

The basic sense of spirit in the Bible is "breath" or "wind." Now take that literally, if you will.

20

Disassociation experiences please

by UnshackleTheChains in

hi everyone.. i would love to collate the experiences of those who decided to disassociate.

the reason i am asking this question is that i have been in turmoil for a very long time as to whether i remain a fader or whether to bring closure on my membership with the watchtower organisation.. it is for this reason i would like to read about some of the experiences of those on this forum who went down the route of disassociation.

if could answer the following.

Wonderment

I disassociated from the WT empire to make a statement when I was younger.

Now, I kind of regret that I went out that way, instead of a slow fade, which to me now seems to be the less harmful way of pulling away.

The impact of losing my whole family has been devastating.

13

Apostasy Movie - Available on Amazon Prime Video (plus Review)

by Simon in

in case anyone is looking for a way to watch it, it's on amazon prime video.. (apologies if it's already been mentioned).

Wonderment

Simon, your description of the movie is accurate. JW Land is depressing.

10

Twelve days in Spain -- Nary a JW Cart in Sight

by Room 215 in

just concluded a twelve-day holiday in spain... seven cities in twelve days -- and not one sighting of a jw cart..

Wonderment

A few months ago my wife and I took a similar trip to the old world, particularly, Portugal & Spain. We did see a couple of witnessing carts, one in Madrid, for sure. The other one, I don't remember now where it happened.

By the way, the trip was great.

12

Holy Spirit

by Sergey Antonov in

jehovah's witnesses say that the holy spirit is inanimate.

but how then can you sin against the holy spirit, if he is not alive ?!

🤔 then it is more correct to say that it is not against the holy spirit, but against god..

Wonderment

"The Holy Spirit spoke and said, "Separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work for which I have called them."

Yes, and the donkey SPOKE to Balaam, a human, in the book of Numbers (ch. 22).

Although the donkey "spoke," the account says that the Lord made the donkey talk. At the same time, the narrative speaks of Jehovah's angel behind the on-going action being explained. (Ge. 22.22,24,25,26,27,31) It is obvious that the angel was not the same person as the Lord. The angel was representing the Lord. The angel of the Lord may have been the one behind the donkey talking, since the Lord is resourceful enough to engage with Balaam without a mediator. Regardless, the ultimate source of power originated with God.

Interestingly, Scripture talks about God' spirit some 250 times according to one writer.

What can we learn from this?