Posts by Retrovirus

16

Identifying marks of the true religion

by ex360shipper in

saw this on jwtalk they were putting down apostates and posted this quote:.

watchtower 1982 3/1 p. 8. .

identifying marks of true religion .

Retrovirus

OK, I'll give it a go:

1. Those who practice it have genuine love among themselves

The "genuine" is a classic jw weasel word, implying that any love in the "worldly" world is fake. Ask them to define "genuine" vs "non-genuine" love and how to identify it.

2. (I'll leave to @Vanderhoven7)

3. They pray for God to sanctify his name

And so do all Christians who use the Lord's Prayer. They just don't incorrectly call that name "Jehovah".

4. They proclaim God’s kingdom in all the earth

Many Christian churches have missionaries and evangelists. Nor is the jw "coverage" in any way complete, or likely to be so "soon".

5. They keep separate from the world’s affairs

Not exactly. They accept pensions, health benefits and other allowances wherever they can. There's nothing creditable about taking and sneering at the giver.

6. They cultivate the fruitage of God’s spirit

Whatever that may mean. I think it means expelling (disfellowshipping) any deemed to fall short; so much for "genuine" love! Also, once again they cannot define exactly how they do this "better" than other denominations.

7. They obey all human laws not contrary to God’s law

And other denomination do not? This is not a distinguishing mark. Worse, they have flagrantly disobeyed the Working With Children legislation in Victoria until called on it. Even now many go door to door without a WWC card.

So how do these "prove" that they are the One True Faith?

Retro

9

Forget about your exams - go for a weeks ministry June public WT

by dozy in

bearing in mind that every experience in the watchtower has some kind of agenda behind it , what about this experience of a london girl going to ireland to preach & have a holiday.

i was just waiting for the inevitable "i came home & passed all my exams with flying colours.

" but it didn't say.. and what kind of responsible parent would take a child on holiday so that she could " take her mind off her exams.

Retrovirus

From the same article . .

". . and I took the ferry to tiny Heir Island, home to fewer than 30 people. Jesus did say that the

good news must be preached in

all the inhabited earth!"

Hope her exam wasn't in geography!

34

on the fence - an introduction

by so confused in

i was brought up around the truth.

my dad was disfellowshiped when i was young, around 6-7. he was a elder and very devoted even going to jail when he was younger for the truth.

he had a stroke and started preaching things that the society was not teaching and he was disfellowshiped.

Retrovirus

Welcome, So Confused!

Yes, the Bible does say the heart is treacherous, but since the governing body selectively claim not to be prophets, isn't it possible that their hearts are treacherous too? Despite many backtrackings and changes of mind, they seem to have a problem with lowering their crests enough to admit they were wrong!

I'm not a jw but did raise my children as a single parent, and I understand your need to keep your son happy and safe. Perhaps you could read through some experiences of jw childhoods - they don't sound all that happy to me!

Also remember that many young born-ins are leaving the organisation, even when both parents are still believers. My SIL is a JW (brother is not) and their children have chosen not to be JWs. If you could remain a believer, would you ever shun your child?

Best wishes, and keep researching. God gave us brains for a reason!

Retro

101

Victoria, Australia: A MUST READ-Transcript of audio recording of WT letter read to all Victoria congs Oct/Nov. 2011 re: Working With Children Act

by AndersonsInfo in

see www.jwnews.net, steven unthank's private blog site where he posted the following material.

i enlarged and put in bold the third paragraph of the wt's letter where the elder, an ex-bethelite, made some fascinating errors while reading the letter by using the words, "borg" and "perp.

" does this mean what i think it means?

Retrovirus

From the transcript:

However, this is the second point, if we are in regular contact with a minor, someone under the age of 18, we may still be required by law to have a Working with Children Check (my underlining)

This is simply wrong. As I understand WWC (and I live in Melbourne) you need the WWC card if there is a possiblility that your work or volunteering could be with children, and you need the card before you come into contact with children.

For example I'm a palliative care volunteer, and have so far not worked with children, but as a condition of being a recognised volunteer I do have a current WWC card. So surely any JW who engages in field service should have to get the WWC card first?

Retro

56

5/15 WT - WT Society Displays Condescending Attitude towards Marriage

by flipper in

jw
friends

as most of us know the wt society has always claimed that it's dissapproved in god's sight to marry a non-jw .

although they've never made it a disfellowshipping offense, any jw who marries outside the jw organization is looked at as " weak " or lacking " spirituality " and loses certain alleged " privileges " in the congregations.

they use scriptures in the old testament as support for this.

Retrovirus

Hi Mr Flipper,

This topic reminded me of the horrible example in the Feb 15th, 2012(?) study edition of the Watchtower called "Happiness can be found in a divided household" , depicting domestic violence. As I remember it, a wife in an abusive marriage was counselled by her Bible study giver to submit and avoid provocation, and after 14 years her husband finally came to the "truth" .

I wonder now if that article was also intended to reinforce believers' view that marriages "outside" are violent and unhappy, and so discourage any interest that they might have in a non-jw as a spouse?

Retro

27

has anyone tried to "study" and get baptized again in a far away congregation?

by Sofi in

....so you didn't have to go through the process of being reinstated?

please, share your experiences!

.

Retrovirus

Hi and welcome, Sofi!

Just wanted to welcome you. I cannot answer your question as I'm a never-jw, but with friends and family in. I did "study" with

two very pleasant ladies, but couldn't cope with the bias, rules and being told what questions to ask, what to believe and how to feel about it!

. Honestly don't know how anyone else could either.

From your earlier post about the convention, you didn't seem to be entirely at one with it all either; may I ask why you are interested in reinstatement?

Retro

74

Will Embracing the Internet lead to Increased Growth for the Watchtower?

by jwfacts in

more important than the reduction in the size of the new magazine is that the watchtower will be actively promoting its website and encouraging people use it to download magazines.

my concern is that this has the potential to lead to an increase in growth for the watchtower.. the door-to-door preaching work has been one of the most inefficient means imaginable to gain converts, and done little more than tie up the time of active jws.

now, by directing people to the internet, witnesses can spread their message at an alarming rate for little cost.. do you feel that this has the potential to lead to a surge in growth of jehovah's witnesses?

Retrovirus

Wha Happened: Interesting, I hadn't known they villanized the VCR - before coming out with their own tapes and DVDs.

Based on my experience with the "Bible study" - I think that to indoctrinate someone you need face to face contact. Establish that they are needy, love bomb them, then start with the "rules" they must follow to "belong".

So I'd guess that the internet site would be lite on facts and dogma, much more so than the official site, but push the "looming Armageddon" and the "big happy family safe in Jehovah's care". And you can be part of it - just meet us at your local KH!

How effective will it be? Depends how well they do it. Main thing is, it cannot address the biggest problem - they cannot keep members in, especially not the born-in kids.

Anyway, time will tell.

Retro

24

What Draws People To The Witnesses? What Keeps Some Far Away??

by minimus in

jw
friends

if you weren't raised in the religion, why did you get involved?.

what issue(s) keep some from ever being attracted to the witnesses?.

Retrovirus

My own experience. . .

I was drawn to the Witnesses by my ex-SIL, who was baptised soon after her marriage. I'm a bit of a nerd and need to work on friendships, so tried my utmost to keep in touch with her.

She in turn sicced the local jws onto me and I "studied" with them for several months. They also seemed to be very nice people, just with a bit of a blind spot concerning the wacky doctrines.

What (apart from said doctrines) kept me away? The repeated attempts to control and to find and exploit a weak spot. In the end, what sort of friend makes the relationship dependant on calling God "Jehovah"?

Retro

33

New to the board

by jbeau504 in

jw
friends

i'm new to this board and looking to see what it's all about.

i'm currently an unbaptized publisher and third-generation jw, so for obvious reasons i can't give my real name due to personal concerns.

so from now on people can refer to me as "jimmy".

Retrovirus

Welcome, Jimmy! Look forward to more posts from you

Retro

45

4/15 WT - WTS Pridefully says they can " Guide " JW's past "Armageddon "

by flipper in

jw
friends

this thread is for everybody and everybody is welcome to comment on it .

however i'm going to direct my thoughts and comments in this initial post to lurking jehovah's witnesses who may read on this board and may be sitting on the fence pondering on whether to stay in the jehovah's witnesses organization.

also to newer members who may have joined the board.. in this latest 4/15 wt in the article , " jehovah knows how to deliver his people " it conveys the thought that only the wt society ( through god's help ) will be guiding any jw's through the alleged " armageddon " considered god's war against the wicked.

Retrovirus

From the OP:

" As events unfold during the great tribulation, Christians will need to heed instructions from God's word AND ORGANIZATION. For example, Jesus' command to " begin fleeing to the mountains " has a modern-day application. JUST WHAT FORM OUR FLIGHT WILL TAKE REMAINS TO BE SEEN. However, we can be sure that Jehovah will make clear the meaning of THOSE INSTRUCTIONS when the time comes FOR US TO FOLLOW THEM.

Mr Flipper, you are correct to call them "prideful". How can anyone have the gall to assert that a Biblical passage has a "modern day application" - and then immediately admit that they don't know what it is?