dontplaceliterature

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Posts by dontplaceliterature

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  13

  Re: Teaching Bible Students about "The Faithful Slave"

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  dontplaceliterature

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

  Thanks for referring me to it!
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  13

  Re: Teaching Bible Students about "The Faithful Slave"

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  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!
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  12

  Convention attire

  by Honesty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  did your parents, spouse or siblings get all in a tizzy about what they were going to wear a couple of weeks or months before the district convention?.

  my ex is a pretty good seamstress (it's in the dna she inherited from her dad, a famous tailor from europe who made suits for celebs like s.stallone, c. eastwood, etc.

  ) and she would get all excited about what she and my teenaged daughter would be making and wearing to the convention.. .

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  dontplaceliterature

  I always felt like the Assembly was a teenage meat-market when I was a teen. I live in the city where my convention is held, and I knew several friends who would go to each assembly weekend during lunch to try to scope out a new girlfriend/boyfriend. I was even guilty of it a time or three.

  Buying new clothes for the Distict Convention was a common practice around here. Unfortunately, we were pretty poor when I was a younger and my parents seldom purchased anything new for the kids unless it came from a thrift store. When I got a job at around 17, I started buying my own clothes and wasn't about to spend the cash on something for the convention. When I was 18, I moved off to college and met my future wife, so the need to "dress-to-impress" at the District Convention went away.

  I will say that I have always loved seeing some of the flashy hats, and get-ups that sisters come to the Convention wearing. I always find it comical that local African American women from our circuit will wear traditional African garb, as if they are at an International Convention. I have German heritage. If I could get away with wearing Lederhosen, I totally would. Heck, I just might even pack some beer for lunch.
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  43

  'Great Crowd' of 12 people get baptised at District Convention!!!

  by burnedout in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  yesterday, out of 4,035 people in attendance at the dc, only 12 people were baptized.

  that is one more than eleventeen and one less than a baker's dozen.. .

  want to take a guess as to the age group of this 'great crowd?

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  dontplaceliterature

  They deserve to be baptised if they are that stoopid.

  That's pretty heartless.
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  42

  Today's WT lesson: Desperate for more MS. How many get appointed 1 yr after baptism?

  by Open mind in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  today's wt lesson: serving jehovah with all seriousness, excerpt from paragraph 11:.

  "if a brother has been baptized at least one year and to a reasonable degree meets the scriptural qualifications for ministerial servants outlined at 1 timothy 3:8-13, he can be recommended for appointment.".

  how often have you seen someone become a ministerial servant one year after baptism?

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  dontplaceliterature

  I am a Ministerial Servant and have been slacking off in "official" duties in a major way. I still spend a lot of time with older ones, and taking kids from single parent families out to do things, etc. But, my Service time has been hovering around 4 - 5 hours per month, I rarely comment anymore, and have missed 30% of the since January. This is a huge drop in activity for me. I used to get around 15-20 hours a month, commented all the time, never missed a meeting (even if I was sick).

  No one has said a word to me. Not one.
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  8

  "How To Do Research" - Last Night's Service Meeting

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i noticed this last night:.

  page 33, paragraph 5 - page 34 of the "benefiting from theocratic ministry school education" book says: .

  "convincing calls for giving reasons why a thing is so, including presentation of evidence.

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  dontplaceliterature

  I noticed this last night:

  Page 33, paragraph 5 - page 34 of the "Benefiting from Theocratic Ministry School Education" book says:

  "Convincing calls for giving reasons why a thing is so, including presentation of evidence. Refuting requires a thorough knowledge of both sides of an issue along with careful analysis of evidence used." (Bold Mine)

  I'll be sure to point to this if the hammer ever comes down on me for reading "apostate" materials. What a bunch of malarky.
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  43

  Menlo Park Kingdom Hall 3

  by Juan Viejo2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  for those of you that have been following the ongoing story of the forced take over of the menlo park, california kingdom hall, please go to:.

  http://ex-jw.com/fear-and-loathing-in-menlo-park.

  i'm sorry, the article is still a little rough and still needs a lot of editing, but i wanted to get it up by today at the latest.

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  dontplaceliterature

  I've only read about a dozen pages of this (Starting with the Watchtower Take Over Scheme on page 30) and it seems like a load of BS.

  Now, I'm not saying it actually is BS, but it just seems so outlandish and over-the-top that were I a jury member, I would have a hard time believing most of these claims. The Watchtower Society has "carefully placed confederates" working for them @ Wells Fargo Bank? Come on...even for them that seems like a stretch. I could see if there had conveniently been a brother who worked at the bank that could aid in the crooked transfer of the accounts/money, but the papers don't seem to say that there is a Jehovah's Witness working at this Wells Fargo Bank.

  I'm going to keep reading and keep an eye on this. I hope this gets media attention, as well, if the "facts presented" are indeed true.
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  11

  Listen to God and Live - WICKED CHILDREN WILL DIE!

  by dontplaceliterature in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  on page 21, the picture on the left of an armageddon scene clearly depicts children as among the "wicked" being destroyed by jehovah.

  isn't jehovah awesome!

  truely a god of love!

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  dontplaceliterature

  On page 21, the picture on the left of an Armageddon scene clearly depicts children as among the "wicked" being destroyed by Jehovah.

  Isn't Jehovah awesome! Truely a God of love!

  (You'll find the .pdf linked in ynot's thread here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/211239/1/2011-2012-DC-Brochure-s-Listen-to-God-PDF)
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  12

  The GB on the wall (WT 2011-03-15) Mene Mene Losch & Jackson

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  friends,.

  as i mentioned in an earlier post, the pictures of the dictators on the wall at the "court" on page 31 of the 2011-03-15 wt, contains great similarities with gb members losch & jackson.

  it seems to be a hidden joke of the brooklyn graphics department.

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  dontplaceliterature

  Those are not pictures of GB members.
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  50

  Resigned

  by Franklin Massey in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i finally resigned as an elder.

  my conscience wouldn't allow me to continue.

  i've battled for years trying to reconcile the fallacies of the wt society with my own personal beliefs.

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  dontplaceliterature

  FM

  I was just thinking about you today. Mabye it's me, but I haven't noticed you posting as much lately. Kudos for having the courage to do what is likely in your best interests.

  I'm struggling with the possibility of stepping down as a Servant (though I'm sure it's not as controverisal), and am not sure how to go about it in a delicate way, so as to avoid a heap of questioning and Shepherding Calls afterward.

  Best wishes to you. I hope you have inner peace and satisfaction after your decision, and that your happiness continues.

  If I knew you, and lived close, I'd invite you out for a beer!