cobweb

Joined

• started 18 topics
• posted 367 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by cobweb

• 
  12

  so confused!!

  by whatisthis12 in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  is it possible to keep a somewhat relationship with your family if they are witnesses and have a "worldly" girlfriend?

  i just posted a post, and found this site to be very helpful.

  sorry to repost but my other thread brought up some other questions.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  I think he probably wasn't disfellowshipped based on what you have said. This is because his family is still communicating with him after moving out of the family home and he is going to a convention. I think its unlikely he would go to a convention if he was disfellowshipped, particularly if he is not attempting to come back. Even though he is not disfellowshipped, it is entirely consistent with current JW thinking that all his friends would cut all association with him outside of meetings if he is living a worldly life - not going to meetings, having a 'worldly' girlfriend etc.

  Honestly, I think the fact that he is going to a convention shows that he has not firmly rejected the belief system. It sounds like he is still indoctrinated, at least to some extent. He may want to live a life outside of the religion on one level, but the belief system will likely still be there under the surface, and unless it is destroyed, there is a strong likelihood that he will feel pulled back.

  An experiment to see his level of indoctrination. Get him to go through the site https://jwfacts.com/. Ask him to read it and be with him when you do. Ask him what he thinks of the various articles. Talk to him about them. I think his reaction would be instructive. If he is resistant to read these articles or rejects the information without properly considering it, then it shows he still has a high level of indoctrination and in his heart he has not really left the organisation.
• 
  14

  JWs Reaction to BBC Report

  by Phoebe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for months i have been telling my friends - very devout jws - about the problem of child abuse in the organization but it wasn't until they saw the bbc report that they finally believed it.

  (i made mention of their reaction in an earlier post.).

  today they have emailed me to say the bbc report has hit them really hard.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  That is encouraging that they were shaken by the coverage. I have become so used to it making no impact whatsoever. I wonder if they are genuinely disturbed or whether it is merely embarrassment at having to talk to people about it, as a few other posters mentioned.

  I remember when I went door to door many years ago now, and there had been a lot of coverage in the media about a JW child dying because the parents wouldn't allow a blood transfusion, I would be embarrassed to go door to door for a number of days afterward in case it was brought up. My concern didn't go any deeper than that however. It was just a sense of awkwardness that I would have to deal with it.

  The issue of child abuse is different, in that it is impossible to justify as one would try to justify the blood policy with the use of the bible. They will have to find ways to deny that it is a problem.
• 
  45

  UK Charity Commision reports on Moston, Manchester Congregation.

  by snugglebunny in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/investigation-leads-to-improvements-in-safeguarding-at-jehovahs-witnesses-charity.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  "... the opposition through litigation that we've encountered is unprecedented."

  He was straining very hard to be diplomatic and uncritical up to that point but that final comment was quite damning.
• 
  45

  UK Charity Commision reports on Moston, Manchester Congregation.

  by snugglebunny in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/investigation-leads-to-improvements-in-safeguarding-at-jehovahs-witnesses-charity.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  Here's a link to the Sunday programme covering the story. Starts from 33 minute mark.

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08z97zy
  
• 
  85

  Are you a Christian Who Accepts Evolution?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you identify as a christian but you have accepted that the diversity of life - including humans - resulted from a process of biological evolution could you add your name please?.

  just to be clear i am referring to the fact that our physical lineage could literally be traced back all the way to non-human species.. if you like maybe you could comment on why you see not conflict between evolution and your christian faith.. there is a tendency to conflate evolution with atheism.

  it would be good to show that this is not the case..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  Ruby456 I do appreciate you thoughts on this issue. The way people are able to allign Christian belief with evolution interests me and I apologise for my tone earlier in the thread. You are the only person on this thread who seems to meet the qualifications of the topic.
• 
  17

  Cross-dressing Jehovah's Witness raped and molested girl

  by cobweb in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/cross-dressing-jehovahs-witness-raped-13311020.

  a cross-dressing jehovah’s witness raped and molested a girl while making her wear adult women’s clothes.. david fuge, 69, wore dresses and silky underwear when he repeatedly abused his blindfolded victim from the age of eight to 19.. .

  liverpool crown court heard he gagged her and on one occasion tied a belt around her neck and left her hanging from a hook in a room.. he photographed the child naked, made her read pornographic magazines, beat her with a piece of wood and abused her at a golf course.. .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  Best use the link as there has been some more added.
• 
  13

  "Our Lord and Savior" . . . Seriously??

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  did anybody else notice in the convention drama when they went to the memorial the speaker called jesus "our lord and savior"?

  when have you ever heard jws use that phrase?

  christians, yes; jws, no..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  To clarify, it wasn't used in general speech but yes in prayers it was used sometimes.
• 
  17

  Cross-dressing Jehovah's Witness raped and molested girl

  by cobweb in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/cross-dressing-jehovahs-witness-raped-13311020.

  a cross-dressing jehovah’s witness raped and molested a girl while making her wear adult women’s clothes.. david fuge, 69, wore dresses and silky underwear when he repeatedly abused his blindfolded victim from the age of eight to 19.. .

  liverpool crown court heard he gagged her and on one occasion tied a belt around her neck and left her hanging from a hook in a room.. he photographed the child naked, made her read pornographic magazines, beat her with a piece of wood and abused her at a golf course.. .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/cross-dressing-jehovahs-witness-raped-13311020
  

  A cross-dressing Jehovah’s Witness raped and molested a girl while making her wear adult women’s clothes.

  David Fuge, 69, wore dresses and silky underwear when he repeatedly abused his blindfolded victim from the age of eight to 19.

  Liverpool Crown Court heard he gagged her and on one occasion tied a belt around her neck and left her hanging from a hook in a room.

  He photographed the child naked, made her read pornographic magazines, beat her with a piece of wood and abused her at a golf course.

  Fuge, of Gorsey Lane, Wallasey, admitted having a fetish for cross-dressing and that his sex life with his wife suffered when she became ill.

  The OAP confessed to some sexual touching with the victim and accepted hitting her on the bottom with a stick but denied the full allegations.

  He was found guilty of rape, three sexual assaults now categorised as rape, two counts of indecency with a child and 12 counts of indecent assault.

  The victim sobbed in court today as Judge Norman Wright jailed Fuge for 17 years with an extended year on licence.
• 
  13

  "Our Lord and Savior" . . . Seriously??

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  did anybody else notice in the convention drama when they went to the memorial the speaker called jesus "our lord and savior"?

  when have you ever heard jws use that phrase?

  christians, yes; jws, no..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  Its been 20 years out for me but I do recall witnesses using that expression. Also from the UK.
• 
  85

  Are you a Christian Who Accepts Evolution?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you identify as a christian but you have accepted that the diversity of life - including humans - resulted from a process of biological evolution could you add your name please?.

  just to be clear i am referring to the fact that our physical lineage could literally be traced back all the way to non-human species.. if you like maybe you could comment on why you see not conflict between evolution and your christian faith.. there is a tendency to conflate evolution with atheism.

  it would be good to show that this is not the case..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cobweb

  millions of christians manage to live with the tension between their faith-based beliefs and an acceptance of the facts of science.

  People are able to hold two contradictory ideas in their head at the same time. We were JW's so we know this. It does cause cognitive dissonance though.

  The way i dealt with evolution as a JW was to not think about evolution, thereby reducing the dissonance. I knew evolution was something science accepted and it was at odds with my belief so that meant I had to not be too curious about it, not place much value on it. This is normal for JW's and its quite rare for a JW to really have any scientific curiosity. When a David Attenborough nature documentary was shown, I would mentally filter out the frequent mentions of evolution. It was necessary and i did it subconsciously.

  As you say, there are Christians who do manage to believe in evolution but I think either they must have to make some substantial compromises to their beliefs to make it hold together in their head, are willfully obtuse or ignorant about it, or they don't think too hard about evolution or science in general.

  I don't quite understand how it is possible to value both Science and Christianity highly because it is such a compromised position. How is it possible to truly value Science, the scientific method and believe in evolution while also base ones central core belief on a bronze/iron age book full of supernatural stories which has no evidence whatsoever and clashes with a lot of scientific evidence that exists?

  If one values the scientific method one will take an evidential approach to the world, recognise the cognitive biases and logical fallacies that humans are victim to and try to eliminate these in ones thinking. By recognising and seeking to eliminate these biases and logical fallacies, it follows that belief systems for which there is no evidence will not be valued.

  But I know you weren't talking about value for the scientific method, just about Christians accepting evolution, so i have gone away from your point somewhat.