Posts by Vidiot

WTWizard - "This is so broad a definition that they could label someone "apostate" if they used to get 60 hours a month in field circus and now they are averaging only 50. Sort of reminds me of the definition they gave a while ago for 'brazen conduct'."

I'm sorry, let me paraphrase; this is so broad a definition that they could label anyone "apostate".

"Apostasy", "brazen conduct"; I'm telling you guys, they're prepping to thin the herd. This is just leeway to curb anybody who won't march in lockstep. That way, (like metatron speculated), the more extreme any future actions of GB2.0 are, the less potential fallout among the R&F.

16

Help w/ Bible Teach ch 9 section "Major Developments of the Last Days"

by InterestedOne in

i'm in ch 9 in my study, and we will go over the section "major developments of the last days" (pars 6-9) next week.

although i don't see anything special in pars 7-9, i think par 6 allows the jw's to strike a chord with people, and i was wondering if anyone could help me with how to respond to it.

they are able to quote real figures in that paragraph such as "three times as many people fell victim to war in [the 20th] century as in all the wars from the first century ad to 1899.".

Vidiot

Mad Sweeny - "Actually, Jesus doesn't say that wars are a sign that the end is imminent but rather the opposite. He says that wars are a sign that "the end is not yet."

Good catch, dude. You're absolutely right.

22

Two elders visited me today...

by NVR2L8 in

jw
friends

today i received a visit from 2 elders.

it was the first contact i've had with them sinced i've stopped going out in service or attending the meetings after the 2010 dc in june.

i opened the door without inviting them in despite the cold weather.

Vidiot

nugget - "...it looks like you are on the radar and they will either step up the encouragement or leave things be."

Maybe, I dunno.

U can't seem to shake the vibe that (what with the increasingly apparent weeding process that seems to be ramped up lately) GB2.0 might institute some kind of unwritten rule (say, in a letter that gets shredded or something) that if an inactive JW doesn't make an appearance in, like, 6 months or a year or something, they'll regard him or her as having unofficially* (and perhaps "brazenly", since that term can have pretty wide latitude) disassociating themselves.

I could be wrong.

* "Unofficial" meaning not necessarily announced from the platform; maybe just a footnote in that person's congregation file, and perhaps telling immediate JW family, but counseling them to keep it on the down-low so as to avoid congregation "disunity".

27

Email from mom: First Prophecy in at least 20 years fulfilled in the last two weeks ...

by Soldier77 in

if you get a chance, read the latest daniel publication (about 11 years old ...) on page 59-60. whats happening in the middle east and north africa is a fulfillment of that prophecy.. love,.

mom.

so i dust off the ole cdrom and look it up and this is what it says:.

Vidiot

From what I remember, Middle-East-specific events were never really featured prominantly in "official" WT eschatology, but then, neither were terrorists crashing jets into skyscrapers, and that didn't stop some JWs from getting all hot and bothered after 9-11.

38

I'm a new study, need advice.

by Resistance is Futile in

jw
friends

a little background on me, i have never been a jw.

my spouse was born and raised in the cult, disfellowshipped as a young adult and is now completely shunned by family still trapped inside.

before i met my spouse i knew very little about the jws.

Vidiot

NewChapter - "They are prepared to answer anything to do with science."

Ehh, not so much these days, actually.

More often than not, lately you'll just get crickets chirping, or the default (and rather half-hearted) "wait on Jehovah" response when confronted (even in a nice way) with any kind of scientific discovery, advancement, breakthrough that doesn't jive with the WT worldview.

Don't believe me?

Ask them a few questions like, "if the Bible states that all land animals were vegetarian prior to the Deluge, why have paleonologists found fossilized mammal skeletons inside the body cavities of fossilized dinos?", or "why have they found allosaur teeth imbedded in apatosaur bone?", and if they answer with "maybe these animals were on board Noah's Ark", then ask "if humans and dinosaurs were contemproaries, why are there no cave paintings of dinos? Why are there no human remains in the same layers of rock as dino remains?".

Another one is "taking into consideration the specific dimensions of the Noachian Ark stated in the book of Genesis, and also taking into account the volume required for a year's worth of supplies, there would have been space on board a vessel that size for aproximately 2000 different species of mammals, birds, and reptiles, maybe 3000 on the outside. At present, however, there are over 30,000 known species of birds, mammals, and reptiles (not including invertebrates, aquatic species, and the like). Where did all these 'new' species come from?"

Or for something a little more personal, "geneticists have recently discovered that certain sections of human DNA specifically code for immunization against diseases that can only be contracted via cannibalism, and this coding has been found in every strand of human DNA sampled; all - no exceptions - including samples taken from the oldest human remains found. Since the human immune system only acquires immunity by building antibodies after being infected, but Genesis states that all humans were vegetarian prior to the Deluge (all - no exceptions), how does one explain the need for and means of such immunization?"

Have fun.

55

Talked to 2 jw's today

by JunkYardDog in

jw
friends

i ran into a father and his 10 yr old jw daugther .

i asked for the mag's and started anti= witnessing.

i'm guessing the man was about 40 yrs old and ask him how long he's been a member of the wts.?

Vidiot

Honesty - "The best thing that could happen to her was those dumass JW's with their BS about her leaving God because she questioned his channel."

You ever find out what happened to her after she got denounced by the loyalists?

81

Here i am....

by makersmark in

here i am - born in truth, hard-core spiritual everything all my life, early reg.pioneer, ms, elder, assembly parts, tour at bethel, etc, married now...... i'm trying to examine jw teachings a little closer...... i've spent the last two weeks reading many many posts, info , references on where ex-jw's are coming from.

i'm kind of concerned about a few things lately..... honestly - some points make sense to me - some don't - here are my general thoughts:.

-wt getting un membership for access to library - doesnt bother me - some passports and other governement documents have similar forms and requirements..... -blood issue - some counterpoints to the jw 'rules' makes sense (original intent of scripture is unbled animals, white blood cells similar in mothers milk) etc -however a lot of 'apostate' reasonings and proof are inaccurate.

Vidiot

zoiks - "...the Governing Body (notice how it is capitalized now when it wasn't years ago?)"

Seriously??? I hadn't realized that. Wow.

Welcome, makersmark. you're in for an interesting ride, dude.

30

Facial Hair a Perfect Fading Strategy

by zarco in

jw
friends

startfragment.

so a brother wants to fade, but would rather not explain his reasons.

lets say he grows a nice beard or goatee.

Vidiot

HayDay - "I asked the elders once why the mustache was allowed but not the beard, and they just chuckled back at me."

If they chuckled, I suspect it was for one of two reasons, both related to the trait of authoritarianism;

A) they didn't know why, but were loathe to admit it (textbook authoritarian attitude - never give the impression that you don't know something; it might undermine your authority), and the dismissive laugh was meant to discourage further inquiries, or...

B) they DID know why, but didn't want you to know, and here's the reason; among police officers, mustaches are subtly (and sometimes not so subtly) encouraged, as they seem to psychologically project an impression of...wait for it...authority (and thusly encourage the submission to said authority) among a surprisingly large percentage of the general population. Therefore, it stands to reason that (whether conciously or otherwise), elders with authoritarian tendencies would grow mustaches for the same reason.

I'm sure it's not a hard-and-fast rule, but for those still in, look around at the elders in your respective congregations next meeting, and ask yourselves "Would I classify this particular mustached elder as authoritarian in his manner and techniques? This particular non-mustached elder as non-authoritarian?"

81

A roaring current of change.... Is The Watchtower in the process of a major overhaul of their religion?

by koolaid-man in

jw
friends

a roaring current of change..... what is going on at the world headquarters of jehovah's witnesses?

in the last couple of years unprecedented changes in policy, procedure, and doctrine have been coming forth in rapid fire sequence.

this uninterrupted episode of new information is beginning to backfire for the rank and file witnesses.

Vidiot

Room 215 - "Two things -- the inexorable passing of time and the rapidity of the information dissemination on the internet -- will push them toward the mainstream."

Under many circumstances I'd agree, but in the case of the WT (and I've said this before), if they implemented any progressive reform this late in the game, they would arguably no longer be Jehovah's Witnesses.