Lee Elder

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Posts by Lee Elder

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  101

  My mom passed away yesterday....

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  thank you all for your sincere encouragement during these last few weeks.

  finally, she is at peace.

  i was with her , holding her hand when she died.

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  Lee Elder

  Sorry to hear this. Glad you were able to be with her.
  
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  28

  Is the end of Watchtowers hated No Blood doctrine in sight?

  by nicolaou in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  i won't pretend to know things that i don't but just look at the incredible rate of change we've witnessed recently.

  it seems that since candace conti and the australian royal commission the watchtower are scrabbling around to shore up their finances in the face of unprecedented legal action against them.. abuse settlement claims are one thing but what happens when children die as a result of your religious teachings?!

  you can bet wt legal are arguing for a complete rewrite of policy to protect the organisation from litigation.. do you think their religious privilege will protect them forever?

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  Lee Elder

  There is certainly precedent for the WT to eliminate the blood doctrine. Note how they accomplished something very similar with respects to vaccination:

  Questions From Readers
  

  “Is vaccination a violation of God’s law forbidding the taking of blood into the system? – G. C., North Carolina.

  The matter of vaccination is one for the individual that has to face it to decide for himself….our Society cannot afford to be drawn into the affair legally or take the responsibility for the way the case turns out….all objection to vaccination on Scriptural grounds seems to be lacking….We merely offer the above information on request, but can assume no responsibility for the decision and course the reader may take.”
  – The Watchtower 12/15/1952 p. 764

  It can be safely assumed that JWs who skipped vaccinations for their children suffered the effects of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, etc. My suspicion is that most JWs continued to feel that vaccinations were a contamination and avoided them whenever possible. That attitude persisted among JWs for decades and I remember it well. We would likely see something similar with blood.
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  63

  AUSTRALIA – Artemis Legal launches inquiry into group and class action lawsuits against Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by jwleaks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jehovah's witnesses - group action lawyers fighting for justice | artemis legal .

  artemis legal | watchtower claims.

  13 october 2015 .

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  Lee Elder

  Now there is a shocker :-) The Royal Commission has provided them with reams of evidence. Should be fun to sit back and watch the dominoes fall. You shall reap what you sow.
  
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  22

  The Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove

  by Lee Elder in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  the watchtower and jehovah's witnesses are fond of saying there are no automatic sanctions for taking blood.

  that they no longer disfellowship someone who takes blood.

  that they have a "free choice" in the matter.

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  Lee Elder

  You are correct. They are one in the same and just a way for them to mislead authorities and courts.
  
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  27

  How to deal with anxiety?

  by BlackWolf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lately my mental health has been rapidly declining.

  i have anorexia and deppression, and my anxiety has become overwhelming.

  i have been to many doctors/therapists in the past, but because i have not been magically cured my parents dont want to get me any more help.

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  Lee Elder

  Call the suicide help line. They will direct you to the resources that are available in your area. These articles may help you understand something about what you are feeling and why. You will, however, almost certainly need help to cope.

  http://www.culthelp.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=6
  http://jwsurvey.org/apostates/inducing-phobias-how-the-watchtower-uses-irrational-fears-to-solidify-membership

  http://www.freeminds.org/psych/phobias.htm

  http://aawa.co/blog/watchtower-mental-illness/
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  27

  How to deal with anxiety?

  by BlackWolf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lately my mental health has been rapidly declining.

  i have anorexia and deppression, and my anxiety has become overwhelming.

  i have been to many doctors/therapists in the past, but because i have not been magically cured my parents dont want to get me any more help.

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  Lee Elder

  Are you currently a JW with JW parents? That would explain a lot. The WT breeds and implants phobias that produce anxiety. Counseling and medication are often necessary. Just as important is having someone to talk to who understands what you are going through. You have taken a step in the right direction here because there are plenty of folks here who get it. However, it sounds like you need professional help and in may be severe enough that it would be more likely to be stabilized in an "inpatient" setting. If you feel "overwhelmed" and like you want to hurt yourself, please just call 911 or the suicide help line at 800-273-8255. Otherwise, talk to a counselor or doctor and get the help and support you need. There is plenty of help out there - don't go it alone, and don't think that prayer is going to fix this. You need help.
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  22

  The Iron Fist in the Velvet Glove

  by Lee Elder in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  the watchtower and jehovah's witnesses are fond of saying there are no automatic sanctions for taking blood.

  that they no longer disfellowship someone who takes blood.

  that they have a "free choice" in the matter.

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  Lee Elder

  The Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses are fond of saying there are no automatic sanctions for taking blood. That they no longer disfellowship someone who takes blood. That they have a "free choice" in the matter. This is equivocation and misdirection. Note how they report JW's who take blood on the same form as those who are disfellowshipped for all other offenses. This is the "iron fist" in the "gloved hand" that enforces Watchtower dictates by punishing dissent for non-compliance with compulsory shunning by even close family members. How can any JW's who requests "no blood transfusion" be sincerely believed since they are being threatened and coerced? What free choice does someone have if you hold a gun to their head?

  
  
  
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  44

  Who Qualifies for TTATT?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i first learn ttatt i started telling every one.

  ttatt will not help him, it will destroy him.

  all his family are jws.

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  Lee Elder

  @Oliva Wilder - it really depended on the person. In many cases it was the contradictions in the blood policy. In a few others I used the Bible/Strongs/Interlinear and showed them how the Greek word for marking and disfellowshipping are the same word and helped them reason on the significance of that. I also talked about other cults and the techniques they use on their followers.
  
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  44

  Who Qualifies for TTATT?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i first learn ttatt i started telling every one.

  ttatt will not help him, it will destroy him.

  all his family are jws.

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  Lee Elder

  You raise valid points that I considered as well before approaching individuals. The bottom line for me was similar, but with some clear differences. If you are currently a JW, and especially if you are an elder, you are in a position of influence and people are going to listen to what you have to say. In my case, almost everyone I spoke with ended up leaving. There were some who I would have liked to have spoke with but I didn't feel it was appropriate. One was dealing with cancer, another had a severely disabled child, others were simply too old to start over imo. I made what seemed like the right calls to me at the time and don't lose any sleep over it.
  
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  14

  Advance Directives and the JW Patient

  by Lee Elder in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  advance directives are complex legal instruments and widely misunderstood by both physicians and their patients.

  with most jehovah's witnesses their is a significant level of misinformation, and in many cases coercion or undue influence exerted on the patient.

  physicians need to be aware of this and always meet privately with the patient to educate them and then ascertain their true wishes.

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  Lee Elder

  www.ajwrb.org

  
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