Bungi Bill

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Posts by Bungi Bill

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  14

  Anyone every been cut out of family pictures?

  by love2Bworldly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been thinking about something lately that bothers me.

  i mean it happened years ago, but it just seems really sick.

  when i was disfellowshipped, my sister took all of her pictures that had me in it, cut me out and saved the rest of the pictures.

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  Bungi Bill

  I well and truly got in my father's bad books over the JW religion - not when I left it, though, rather the opposite.

  He didn't object when I got baptised in September, 1972. The stuff hit the fan blades some three months later, when the elders made me throw in my apprenticeship ( the "end was too near", and all that!).

  The immediate effect of that was to cause one almighty brawl, when my father stormed into my place of work, intent on punching me clean into the middle of next week! While never much of a one for violence, on that occassion I felt obliged to protect myself by hitting back in exactly the same manner - maybe even a little worse.

  Anyway, for four years after that, my name was never even mentioned at home. And after my father's death, I found some family photos in which my face had been removed.

  That whole sorry business caused a rift in the family that never was completely healed.

  Bill.
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  42

  Do The Writing Committee Believe?

  by jw07 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  does anyone personally know jws serving on the writing committee?.

  what is their outlook regarding the end; are they still truly convinced?.

  are they expressing doubts or seem demotivated?.

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  Bungi Bill

  All very good observations!

  Never to be underestimated, though, is the way that propaganda can work even on those expounding it:

  i.e. if you either hear enough lies being told for long enough, or tell enough lies for long enough, you can end up believing it yourself.

  This has been the experience of a number of persons who have lived under totalitarian rule.

  For example, Robert W. Ford, an Englishman who operated Tibet's radio system, was taken prisoner when the Communist Chinese invaded that country in 1950. As a prisoner, Ford was subjected to a merciless program of indoctrination ("brainwashing"). He figured thay if he wanted an early release (or even any release at all) he had better pretend to go along with this indoctrination program. However, he later remarked that the scary thing about this was, that towards the end of his time as a prisoner, he was actually starting to believe this nonsense.

  I strongly suspect that Crazy Fred Franz, the deluded bloody fool that he was, ended up believing his own propaganda about 1975.

  No wonder the more extreme cult leaders are so easily able to convince everyone (including themselves) to swallow a cyanide cocktail!

  Bill.
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  53

  If Someone Mocks Jehovah's Witnesses Does That Bother You?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every once in a while i hear people purposely make fun of jws, calling them hovas, jeehoovers, etc.

  i don't think that's a good way to reach them..

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  Bungi Bill

  It may not be the best way to reach them, but oh boy, it always makes me feel good!

  Bill.
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  45

  2014: do you see Witnesses ramping up activity? What will the aftermath be in 2015?

  by JimmyPage in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jw's often say they don't serve with any dates in mind.

  but the fact is many of them can't fathom why the end just hasn't come yet.

  since 2014 marks 100 years of invisible rule many witnesses can't help but think this has some special meaning.

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  Bungi Bill

  If their activity is in any way "ramping up" around here, I have seen no evidence of it yet!

  The last time they called in at our house was over 12 months ago, during the Memorial invitation campaign for lastyear.

  Bill.
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  35

  Critical Differences: JW's Today Vs The Past

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jehovah's witnesses have always been a fringe, anti-intellectual movement, almost by definition.

  there is nothing new about faddish health concerns, attitudes that ignore history and science or even beliefs that defy common sense ( false prophecy for what, 130+ years?).

  however, there are two differences with jw's of the past that will prove critical for the survival of the organization today.. 1) poor financial conditions - in the past, it was possible to hold all sorts of nonsensical beliefs and still be a functional member of the human race, generally.

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  Bungi Bill

  "it means that the WTS is accumulating ever greater numbers of weak, dependent people with empty wallets and fragile health"

  And the JWs are singularly ill-equipped to deal with people who are in this state. How many times did you hear it spelled out:

  - "Jehovah's organisation is here for only one purpose, to preach the good news of the kingdom."

  Anybody requiring welfare existence is directed to whatever services are provided by the state - or if these are unavailable or insufficient, to those offered by charitable institutions.

  Furthermore, they have no qualms whatsoever about directing their own R&F to charitable services that may be provided by the much-maligned "Churches of Christendom".

  I experienced this directly some 30 years ago, when my children were very young and my wife was hospitalised for three months. Accused by the congregation of "trying to use people" when I sought some help with caring for my children, I received instead assistance from a group run by the local churches. I tell you, the irony of that was not lost on the people of the small town in which we lived!

  Bill.
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  20

  Have Jehovah’s Witnesses Changed the Bible to Fit Their Beliefs

  by KSFernando in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  no, we havent.

  on the contrary, when we have discovered that our beliefs were not completely in line with the bible, we have changed our beliefs.. is this correct?.

  gods name in greek scriptures?

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  Bungi Bill

  Practically all translations of the bible contain doctrinal bias, the New World Translation is no exception.

  Bill.
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  42

  JW lifestyle is the best way to live!

  by FL_Panthers in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  being a jw is amazing!

  who agrees with me??.

  the jw is a protection from the world.

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  Bungi Bill

  The ten best things about being a JW:

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  l
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  25

  Are witnesses the best behaved people in the world?

  by speargrass55 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi everyone, i was discussing with a family member recently and was encouraged to at least consider the benefits of being raised in the truth.

  for example,i'm not a drunk, don't do drugs, respect others etc.

  the point is i've found lots of nonwitness friends who have similar behavior.. growing up, when a worldly person does something good like help someone i'll hear things like "that's nice of him, for a nonwitness.

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  Bungi Bill

  "it comes as a surprise when you see how roughly and frumpily dressed local witnesses are"

  Good point, Steve2.

  The scruffiest individual I ever knew was always"properly" turned out in white shirt, sports coat and tie:

  - BUT......... what is that expression you have in New Zealand?

  - something about having looked like they had just "been dragged backwards through a gorse hedge"

  Bill.
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  25

  Are witnesses the best behaved people in the world?

  by speargrass55 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi everyone, i was discussing with a family member recently and was encouraged to at least consider the benefits of being raised in the truth.

  for example,i'm not a drunk, don't do drugs, respect others etc.

  the point is i've found lots of nonwitness friends who have similar behavior.. growing up, when a worldly person does something good like help someone i'll hear things like "that's nice of him, for a nonwitness.

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  Bungi Bill

  One of the realizations I had after breaking with the JWs was just how many excellent people I knew, before the Watchtower Madness took hold.

  In many cases, these were better people than many of the JWs I encountered. This should not have been any great surprize, given that the JW's sole measure of a person's worth is that column on the monthly Field Service Report entitled "Hours".

  There are indeed good people amongst the Witnesses - but they certainly DO NOT have the monopoly on these, like they think they do.

  Bill.
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  17

  When did the arrangement change from congregation servant to elders

  by Deceived in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  does anyone remember when the arrangement changed from having 1 congregation servant to the body of elders arrangement.. i have been out of the religion for so long i am getting a little rusty on the changes that happened.

  i am writing down my memoirs and right now i am recounting my teenage years as the daughter of a congregation servant.

  there was a big change in our family life when i was 15 because of the change in the arrangement.

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  Bungi Bill

  2 factions dominated by 2 matriarchs

  Somehow, that comes as no surprise (not sure how, of course - maybe somthing to do with kings and king makers!)

  Bill.