just n from bethel

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Posts by just n from bethel

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  42

  Response to "Do you think the F&DS are directed by Holy Spirit"

  by onefootout in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  thinking about the article a year ago, 6/15/09 watchtower page 23 para 15.. if you are put on the spot, or even in casual conversation if asked if the f&ds, anointed, gov.

  body ect.

  make mistakes, have holy spirit, are spirit directed ect.

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  just n from bethel

  Moshe - what is this crusade that you're on with elderelite? You attack him like some old school JW picketing Christendom.

  I see you have over 4000+ posts here. While it certainly is commendable to point out the faulty premises of the JW religion - it's also scary to see a bitter old man spend the rest his life on the internet. You give a legitimate cause for pause to those of us wondering 'what life will be like outside of the WT.' I know I certainly don't want to end up some cynical old man full of regret.

  So for the most part, your suggested 'out-with-a-bang' exit ploys are a great reminder of how not to leave - at least for those of us that want to keep our dignity and family. You said yourself (actually much of what you post is really good when not trying to brow beat newly disbelieving JWs for their chosen course) - you said, "It's not the truth, just a religious belief system- once you figure that out it's not so bad in the KH, there are worse religions to choose from."

  And the fact is - once anybody figures that out - the rest eventually takes care of itself. How many posters do their thing for a while and realize there is a real life out there waiting for them, never or very infrequently posting here again? How many people immediatley go from recognizing the org is not the truth without ever posting online at all? They skip this online part - move about their merry way and live their life. Many more than are here, are able to get past the bitterness and the cynicism and enjoy their life - often with their family and friends that may or may not stay in the org. I'm sorry that wasn't your case - but I assure you it is a real and viable option.

  For the many of you who have never posted, maybe never even visited any site like this, and went straight to living your life showing everyone that it can be done - we thank you.
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  121

  3 Things You Should Know About Islam

  by onemore in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ....watch the video, what if we were to substitute the word islam (in the video) for watchtowerism.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcbptzalqfy.

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  just n from bethel

  Wobble: I didn't reailize Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Iran, Pakistan, (and many more muslim ruled nations) constituted a small area.
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  90

  1914 Doctrine is FALSE -- Questions for JW's

  by UnDisfellowshipped in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is there any jehovah's witness who can answer these questions about 1914?.

  can you demonstrate, using the holy scriptures, that the messianic kingdom was established in 1914, that jesus got the full legal right to become king that year, and that jesus returned invisibly in 1914, and that the "last days" began that year?.

  1:) no encyclopedia, no history book, and no archaeology book that i have ever seen have ever said that nebuchadnezzar destroyed jerusalem and the temple in the year 607 bce.

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  just n from bethel

  Gorb and anyone else answering BANE - I had to know who this guy was so I tracked him down and sure enough:

  It's this guy

  So now you know who you're replying to.
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  42

  Blood Transfusion?

  by Friend in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  considering the latest questions from readers article on blood transfusion, i was wondering what the feelings are among this forums participants about blood transfusion.

  over the years the society has been receiving a growing amount of letters on the subject of blood and blood transfusion.

  any interesting biblical perspectives here about whether "abstain from blood" means abstain from blood transfusion?

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  just n from bethel

  "Fear of man keeps them from doing so, I guess."

  Or love of family allows them to exercise discretion.
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  62

  Your favorite JW'isms...."Brother leave it in Jehovah's hands" Post yours.

  by UnConfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  bring back the memories.

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  just n from bethel

  Talk on marriage at the CA:

  "marriage is the 2nd most important decision you'll make in your life, next to baptism"

  Talk on baptism right after marriage talk at CA:

  ""we have with us a wide range of baptismal candidates, one is even 9 years old!" Audience: Applause!!!!!!!!!
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  62

  Your favorite JW'isms...."Brother leave it in Jehovah's hands" Post yours.

  by UnConfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  bring back the memories.

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  just n from bethel

  "organized religion is part of Babylon the Great" - oh wait that's before we became an organized religion.
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  62

  Your favorite JW'isms...."Brother leave it in Jehovah's hands" Post yours.

  by UnConfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  bring back the memories.

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  just n from bethel

  "And so all here in agreement with the previous 20 minutes of resolutions you won't remember say AYE!!!!" Audience: "AYE!!!!"

  What are we frickin' pirates?!!!!

  "Don't pay attention to the manner in which the counsel is given, just be grateful and humbly accept the brothers' counsel."

  "Jehovah surely provided this __________ for me at the right time"

  " I was fired from my job for wanting to pioneer and not work more than 15 hours a week, only to receive a call the next week offering me a 10 hour a week job for twice the money I was making before!!!"

  " I needed exactly xxx dollars for food and would you believe it, I received an anonymous envelope [sniffles, tears] the very next day with exactly xxx dollars"

  "When my employer found out I was a witness - and I thought he would be prejudiced, he said 'great - I've worked with witnesses before and I know you're the most honest of all people on the planet"

  Too bad my boss in real life said "You're a JW - you're not gonna be offended that I drink coffee and cuss - if so you can walk your ass out now!"
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  18

  Research studies on the mental health of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  research studies on the mental health of jehovahs witnesses.

  http://www.jwstudies.com/scandinavian_medicine_march_8_1946.pdf.

  http://www.jwstudies.com/paradise_postponed_jerry_bergman.pdf.

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  just n from bethel

  The problem I have with some of these studies, besides the one being from 1946 and another from a biased jesus freak (Bergman), is that very little, if any, double blind studies (heck even one-sided blind studies for that matter) have been performed on on sizable sample of Witnesses in comparison with the general population.

  Here is the general population figures that show one in four:

  http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/the-numbers-count-mental-disorders-in-america/index.shtml

  I've even seen some studies in my Psych courses that go as high as 1 in 2.

  Heck, all one has to do is look in the self-help section and at a bookstore - and I just find a severe lack of evidence showing any particular religous group more likely to suffer mental illness, any more so than the general population.

  Now don't get me wrong, I know plenty of JWs that suffer from some sort of mental imbalance, even if just minor depression. Some of it was onset before they became members, and others occured later. I'd say that the fact that JWs are such a tight nit group (gossipers as some may see it) they just know more details about one another and thus are just more aware of personal health situations. Or perhaps those that have such situations tend to look for help more within the group instead of getting professional help - and thus they share their problems (or their gossipping friends and Jw relatives do) more openly than those not JWs with the same issues. When ones leave the org, they're likely to reflect on the people they knew that had depression or what not, and they think 'wow a lot of people I knew had some kind of mental imbalance - must be a correlation.' Unfortunately - no studies that are truly representaive of the JW population are available. Studies by docs of their patients is not a rep sample.

  Nonetheless, while I do think inter-group awareness of one another's health problems (particularly chemical imbalances) are heightened in JW congregation (and other tight religious communities), I've yet to see any serious statistical studies that prove JW mental illness is significantly more than the general population.

  In the end I think WT dogma, as well as any detrimental religous dogma (Catholic to one's own personal Jesus), appeals to all sorts of people, even those quite mentally stable and intelligent. It seems many cult deprogramming experts feel similar.

  Anyway, those are just my observations up to this point - (and yes I read all the links - but there's nothing that really voids a null hypothesis with regard to the general population). BTW, Doug - always appreciate your research on the blood issue.
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  127

  Disrespect of the Bible

  by brotherdan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am going to get a lot of flack for this post, but i need to do it.

  i want to preface this by saying that i don't judge any of you and i believe in the right of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, including your freedom to not practice one.. however, i'm finding a trend among some ex jws here.

  notice the word "some".

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  just n from bethel

  

  Ummm - is this disrespectful?
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  144

  Bane admits that Christians are to abstain from "eating blood".

  by moshe in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  from an earlier topic-.

  "moshe, ready for another biblical smackdown?.

  christians.

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  just n from bethel

  Bane, I'm sorry - it appears nobody wants your blood - that means you lose!