Posts by dontplaceliterature

12

dc talk outlines YKnot

by JWFreak in

jw
friends

cant seem to contact dear yknot.

does anyone else want to host some 2011 dc outlines.

cheers.

Movies that resonate with you as an ex-JW or awake JW

by RayPublisher in

the matrix - "do you want the blue pill or the red pill?

", "all i offer you is the truth", "ignorance is bliss", "the matrix is all around us".

shutter island - creepy, is it real or isn't it, it turns out the whole thing is a dream.

dontplaceliterature

Two come to mind. Both are kids movies, but worth a watch (imho).

1. The Golden Compass (The Magisterium = The Organizational Authority)

PLOT (From Wikipedia)

The film is set in a world where a person's soul resides outside their body in an animal-like form called a Dæmon. A dictator-like organisation called the Magisterium exercises power in the secular world. Lyra Belacqua, an orphan of Jordan College along with her dæmon Pantalaimon (nicknamed Pan), spins tales of the Gobblers, whom she and her friends believe are snatching children.

Forced to hide in a closet, Lyra learns that her uncle Lord Asriel is about to present a proposal to the master and scholars of Jordan College. She watches as a Magisterium official pours powder into a flask of her uncle's favorite Tokay wine. Left alone in the room, Asriel pours a glass of Tokay, but Lyra rushes out and knocks the glass out of Asriel's hand. Asriel later presents evidence that particles called "Dust" exist. Over the objections of the Magisterium, the college funds Asriel's expedition to the far north to investigate the Dust. He believes it originates in a parallel universe and enters a person's body via their dæmon. The Magisterium has secretly been experimenting on children to discover a way to inoculate them against its influences.

At dinner Lyra meets Mrs. Coulter, who insists on taking Lyra north as her assistant. Before Lyra leaves, the master of the college entrusts her with the only remaining alethiometer (the film's titular Golden Compass). This device, he tells her, reveals the truth. The Magisterium has destroyed all the others; he warns her to tell no one she has it. Lyra accepts the gift, promising to keep it hidden.

At Mrs. Coulter's house, Lyra mentions 'space dust'. Mrs. Coulter warns her never to mention it again. Lyra refuses to remove her shoulder bag which holds the golden compass. Mrs. Coulter's dæmon attacks Pan, causing Lyra to give in. After hiding the compass under her pillow, Lyra and Pan search Mrs. Coulter's secret room, where they discover that Mrs. Coulter is head of the General Oblation Board, the "Gobblers", who have been kidnapping local children. She also discovers that her best friend Roger and her Gyptian friend Billy have been taken by the Gobblers.

Hearing Mrs. Coulter call out for her, Lyra and Pan meet her in a hallway. Running to her bedroom, they see Mrs. Coulter's dæmon holding the alethiometer. Changing into a hawk, Pan swoops down, grabs the golden compass, and flies out an open window. Lyra escapes behind him, slamming the window on Mrs. Coulter's dæmon. The "Gobblers" pursue her, but she is saved by some Gyptians. Aboard a Gyptian boat heading north to rescue their children, Lyra shows the alethiometer to a Gyptian wise man, Farder Coram, who advises her in its use. On deck that night Serafina Pekkala, the witch queen, tells Lyra that the missing children are in a place called Bolvangar — a place shunned by all living things. Mrs. Coulter sends two mechanical spy flies after Lyra and Pan; one is batted away but the other is caught and sealed in a tin can by Farder Coram, who explains that the spy fly has a sting with a sleeping poison.

At a Norwegian port, Lyra is befriended by a cowboy aeronaut named Lee Scoresby, who advises her to hire an armoured bear. Exiled in shame, the giant polar bear Iorek Byrnison has been tricked out of his armour by the local townspeople, for whom he now performs menial jobs for buckets of whisky. Using the alethiometer Lyra tells Iorek where to find his armour. Armoured again, the fearsome Iorek and his friend Lee Scoresby join the trek northward.

That night while riding on Iorek's back, Lyra finds a cowering Billy separated from his dæmon. Lyra reunites Billy with his mother just as the group is attacked by Samoyeds who capture Lyra. Taken to the armoured bear king Ragnar, Lyra tricks him into fighting Iorek one on one. After killing Ragnar, King Iorek carries Lyra near Bolvangar, to a thin ice bridge. Reaching the station, Lyra is taken to eat with the missing children. While hiding again Lyra discovers that the Magisterium scientists, under the guidance of Mrs. Coulter, are performing experiments to sever the bond between a child and their dæmon. Caught spying, Lyra and Pan are thrown in the separation chamber, causing them to scream in agony. Mrs. Coulter rescues Lyra and takes her and Pan to her quarters.

When Lyra wakes up she is comforted by Mrs. Coulter, who tells Lyra that she is her mother. Lyra then guesses that Lord Asriel is her father. When Mrs. Coulter asks for the compass, Lyra gives her the can containing the spy fly. The spy fly stings Mrs. Coulter, knocking her and her daemon out. Lyra runs to the room with the separation machine and toggles the switches and dials wide open. The growing chain reaction builds as Lyra yanks a control box loose and hurls it into the separation machine, causing it to explode. This sets off a series of explosions that tear the facility apart. As alarms whoop, Mrs. Coulter is found and carried outside.

Outside, the children are attacked by Tartar mercenaries and their wolf dæmons. The battle is joined by Iorek, the Gyptians, and a band of flying witches. The Tartars are defeated and the children are rescued. Rather than returning south, Lyra, Roger and Iorek fly north with Lee Scoresby in search of Lord Asriel.

Unaware that he is in mortal danger, Lord Asriel has set up a laboratory to investigate the glowing Dust from another world, but Lyra is certain that, once she delivers the alethiometer to her father, the two of them will be able to make things right.

2. City of Ember

PLOT (From Wikipedia)

In the midst of a nuclear war, the Builders of the underground "City of Ember" place secret instructions in a small box. They agree that 200 years should be a reasonable margin of safety to stay underground. The box is thrust into the hands of the mayor of the underground complex. Each mayor, in turn, passes the box onto his or her successor. When the box has 47 more years left on the time-lock, the mayor holding the box dies suddenly. It seems the significance of the box had not been explained to anyone because the box is just put at the back of a junk-filled closet. When it finally reaches year 200, the time-lock clicks open, but the event goes unnoticed.

For generations, the people of Ember have lived in a huge underground complex built as a refuge for humanity. It is built into a vast cavern so high that it is filled with regular-sized buildings. Far above the tops of the buildings are banks of floodlights that light the city during the day and provide light for the greenhouses. The lights are powered by a massive generator. Now it is year 247 and Ember threatens to fall into darkness as the generator begins to fail. Blackouts are occurring with increasing frequency and last longer each time. There's also a major shortage of canned goods and light bulbs.

At a rite of passage for all graduating students called Assignment Day, the mayor (Bill Murray) stands before the graduating students as they choose, by lottery, what their occupations will be. Lina (Saoirse Ronan), a young girl dreaming to be a messenger, is assigned "Pipeworks Laborer" and Doon (Harry Treadaway) is assigned "Messenger". The two swap occupations. Lina goes home to find her grandmother searching for something in the closet, which turns out to be the lost metal box. Unable to piece the torn papers inside the box together, Lina nevertheless resolves to decipher their meaning and enlists Doon's help. As blackouts become more frequent, Lina and Doon realize that the information inside the box could lead to the salvation of Ember. Racing against time, the two follow the clues, cleverly maneuvering around corrupt politicians.

During their flight, it turns out that their parents had once joined in an attempt to make their way beyond Ember - an attempt which ended when Lina's father drowned after their tunneler hit an underground river. The pair realizes the document is a set of instructions on how to escape the city, and they search for the hidden exit. They also discover that the mayor has been hoarding canned food in a secret room. When they report the theft, they are declared traitors. Now on the run from the mayor's police, the pair puts their escape plan into action. They fetch Poppy, Lina's younger sister, and follow the instructions, which leads them to the surface where they see and feel the natural air and sky for the first time. At first, they are sad because it is dark, but they do not realize it is nighttime. In the morning, as the sun rises, they gaze in amazement at the glowing sun and blue sky. They then tie a message of their discovery to a rock and drop it back down to the city, where it is found by Doon's father (Tim Robbins).

12

dc talk outlines YKnot

by JWFreak in

jw
friends

cant seem to contact dear yknot.

does anyone else want to host some 2011 dc outlines.

cheers.

dontplaceliterature

I also would like a PM of the link. :)

142

Undercover Brother Campaign- have you received your invite?

by stuckinamovement in

jw
friends

without specifics being mentioned as to what it is......(to avoid tipping off certain lurkers).. how many people know about the upcoming summer long campaign?

please use this thread to confirm receipt of your campaign invitation.

take care.

dontplaceliterature

Also Curious....

54

Growing up a Jehovah's Witness - New Video

by jwfacts in

i have put together a video - growing up a jehovah's witness 1960 -2010. it aims to show the things a witnesses would be taught as they age over those decades.

it is 15 minutes long.

this is my first attempt at a video and it took a while to work out how to use final cut, so please feel free to make suggestions if anything should be changed.

dontplaceliterature

Good Work!

14

Question on Donations By Credit and Debit Card

by lurker in

jw
friends

recently there has been mention of assemblies with credit card machines for contributions.

it was also mentioned on the last six screens call i think at the stanley theatre.

has any one seen this taking place?

dontplaceliterature

I was sort of in disbelief when I started hearing on this website that there would be credit-card and debit-card donation arrangements. I am here to verify that this is actually true. I saw it with my own eyes at the Disctrict Convention this weekend.

10

Watchtower Publications for iPad

by dontplaceliterature in

jw
friends

i discovered today that the september magazines and the nwt are available as epub files on the jw.org website.

that's pretty handy for those of you with ipads that have the interest in reading them (especially those still "in").

i'm guessing this works with e-readers and other tablets.. what is particularly noteworthy is that when opened in ibooks, the articles have links to all the scriptures, footnotes, etc, and links back to the paragraph.

dontplaceliterature

I discovered today that the September magazines and the NWT are available as EPUB files on the jw.org website. That's pretty handy for those of you with iPads that have the interest in reading them (especially those still "in"). I'm guessing this works with e-readers and other tablets.

What is particularly noteworthy is that when opened in iBooks, the articles have links to all the scriptures, footnotes, etc, and links back to the paragraph. Additionally, you can highlight and add notes to the articles by holding down your finger on the desired text and selecting the options from the pop-up menu. I'm assuming more publications will be made available in this format, but we all know what assuming does...

My days of carrying a bag to the meetings are numbered. We'll see if I can carry all the needed materials on my iPad before I actually end up leaving.

20

Best way to record a JC (Judicial Committee) meeting

by RayPublisher in

just curious as to the best way to do it.

most new cell phones record audio, but that would leave with you when you are dismissed.

just wondering how to capture it all if it ever came to that.. .

dontplaceliterature

Here is what I would do, and it's really pretty simple:

Just wear a suit. Before you go into the meeting, turn on an iPhone's/iPod's Voice Notes program and start recording. Be sure that if you are using the iPhone, you have both the ringer and the vibrate funtions turned off, in case someone calls you.

Cut the bottom of your suit pocket out, inside the jacket, and drop an iPod or your iPhone down inside of it. Take off your jacket and leave it on the chair when you sit down in the meeting. The fabric on the inside of most suit coats is thin enough that it shouldn't muffle the sound too much. The device will be resting in between the fabrics and will be at the bottom seam in the coat, so if they reach in your pocket to check to see if there is anythig in there, you won't be discovered.

When they ask you to leave the room, do not take your jacket with you, and you will continue to record the deliberation of The Elders.

Once you are off-site, you can fish the device back out of the jacket and.....PRESTO!

The sound quality may not be top notch, but the chances of getting caught are pretty slim. Plus, you could try the pen thing as a back up, but that seems pretty obvious to me. I wouldn't do it.

13

Re: Teaching Bible Students about "The Faithful Slave"

by dontplaceliterature in

jw
friends

i've been reading hassan's book this week (finally got my hard copy), and have been taking notes!

i came accross something today that i'm sure someone else on this site has uncovered before.

just in case, i thought i might point it out as i'm sure it bears repeating.

dontplaceliterature

You're right, this book is a must-read.

Thanks for referring me to it!

13

Re: Teaching Bible Students about "The Faithful Slave"

by dontplaceliterature in

jw
friends

i've been reading hassan's book this week (finally got my hard copy), and have been taking notes!

i came accross something today that i'm sure someone else on this site has uncovered before.

just in case, i thought i might point it out as i'm sure it bears repeating.

dontplaceliterature

I've been reading Hassan's book this week (finally got my hard copy), and have been taking notes! I came accross something today that I'm sure someone else on this site has uncovered before. Just in case, I thought I might point it out as I'm sure it bears repeating.

In Chapter Six of Combatting Cult Mind Control it's pointed out that one of the ways you can recognize a cult is by their doctrine. Each group has the right to believe whatever they'd like and teach those beliefs. However, if certain aspects of the belief system are intentionally concealed from the recruitee, then the group could be a destructive cult.

Obviously, we all know that many of the controversial beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses are de-emphisized or avoided when making the typical call in The Ministry. However, most of them become known to the recruitee during the course of the Bible Study Program (i.e. Christmas, Blood, Neutrality).

There is one belief that is never mentioned AT ALL in What Does The Bible Really Teach?. You will not find a single mention of the words "Faithful Slave" or "Governing Body" or "The Society" or the idea of submitting to such a group anywhere within that publication. In fact, on page 183 in paragraph 24 the book specifically states that when you get baptized, you are making a dedication to Jehovah, "not to men" or "an organization". However, you will find that the questions asked to baptismal candidates on page 215 of the Organized To Accomplish Our Ministry book tell a different story.

What makes this so bad, is that it is the primary doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses. Without the belief in "The Faithful & Discreet Slave", The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society would cease to exist.

This doctrine is only taught to someone who has become at least a regular attender at the meetings, or has progressed through The Bible Teach book and moved into the second study publication, Keep Yourselves In God's Love.

It has been my experience that by the time a person finishes What Does The Bible Really Teach, they have already progressed to the point of desire for baptism, and studying the Keep Yourslves In God's Love book becomes a formality, if it is even studied at all.

-----------

I'm sure that after I finish the book, I will post some comments and notes I have on the forum for discussion. However, I would like to take the time to give it a quick plug:

If you are an active Jehovah's Witness and have not yet read this book, you owe it to yourself to pick it up at a Library (if you can find it), order it online, or buy the audio version online. The book is very powerful in dispelling the myth that Jehovah's Witnesses are a unique or special group of people. The writer of the book had no idea who Jehovah's Witnesses were when he wrote it. While he points out a number of characteristics of Destructive Mind Control Cults that do not fit the Jehovah's Witnesses entirely, you will be blown away by the number of characteristics that do. In fact, I would swear on my life that he wrote certain sections of this book specifically about Jehovah's Witnesses if I didn't know any better.

I can totally understand why an active JW would avoid having apostate literature around, but this isn't. SO GO GET A COPY AND READ IT PRONTO!