outsmartthesystem

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Posts by outsmartthesystem

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  12

  First Post

  by mtwtf in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi.. as a lurker ive watched this site for >2 years and agonized over whether to join-in or keep my anonymity.

  now im trying to do both; join-in with specific posts; remain anonymous by keeping my personal details to myself.

  i guess some will berate me for this.

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  outsmartthesystem

  Welcome. I sincerely hope no one berates you. You are entitled to divulge as much or as little as you please. That is YOUR decision and no one elses
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  6

  I feel good about myself

  by outsmartthesystem in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  about 10 years ago....one of my best friends was one month from getting married.

  then i got a phone call from him.

  he didn't go into detail but he told me that he had made a regretful mistake and that he told the elders.

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  outsmartthesystem

  About 10 years ago....one of my best friends was one month from getting married. Then I got a phone call from him. He didn't go into detail but he told me that he had made a regretful mistake and that he told the elders. They grilled him and disfellowshipped him very quickly. Of course.....his fiance dumped him. He called me to explain and sounded damn near suicidal. What was my response? Was I there for him? Did I comfort him? No. My response was "hang in there....you'll be ok.....but you know I can't talk to you, right? I mean.....you're disfellowshipped!" Just like that.....when a friend needed me the most, I turned my back on him. And I did it because I thought that's what God wanted me to do.....having no idea that my mind was being controlled by men.

  For the past 2 years I have been trying to reach him. Trying to call his old number. Trying to email his old email. Doing a Facebook search. Knowing his profession (or at least what it once was) I tried looking in the greater metropolitan area under his name for that line of work to see if he would pop up on an internet search or an association website or something. I tried and tried and came up cold each time. Finally, last week I found him on Facebook. I sent him a short introductory email telling him I missed him. He replied. When I replied back.......I apologized. I told him how sorry I was for turning my back on him when he needed friends the most. How sorry I was that I let a religious faction control me. He hasn't responded yet......but even if he doesn't.......I REALLY needed to get that off my chest.

  OSTS
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  58

  Rumor Elders Will Receive Name Badges For Every Meeting.

  by HelpMeBelieve in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i keep hearing rumors elders are going to be getting permanent badge cards to wear to every meeting.

  one excited brother told me, "it would be nice if new ones to the kingdom hall could see who their shepherds are.

  there is a great surge in activity, new bible students will be able to locate the proper elder in charge of bible studies!

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  outsmartthesystem

  I think it is just a rumor. They rip the Catholic faith for having a Pope and Cardinals and Priests and men of elevated positions. They claim that other faiths are a hierarchy instead of a lowly brotherhood. If they started elevating elders and MS with name badges.....that would be one step closer to the egregious acts of "Christendom".

  Then again.....they've been blatantly hypocritical before so...who knows?
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  41

  Disturbing WT quotes

  by Christ Alone in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i wanted to start a thread about the most disturbing quotes that you all have found in watchtower publications.

  i just came across this one when responding to another thread.

  i'm sure there are many more disturbing quotes out there.

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  outsmartthesystem

  I think your first WT quote needs to be publicized near and far. That is sickening
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  39

  My fade has hit the fan!

  by SophieG in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi guys!

  well the caca hit the fan!

  a friend asked me why i am leaving the org and i told her.

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  outsmartthesystem

  "They are telling me, that my choices put them in a situation where they may not be able to talk to me!"

  That really irritates me! They act like everyone in the world must abide by THEIR cult's rules. And if you choose not to than YOU are the one that is being selfish and terminating the relationship!
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  26

  I Could Really Use A Friend

  by Hargitay in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  have been in the austin area for a little over a week in the midst of trying to start over.

  i was df'd recently after being in the truth my entire life.

  everyone has abandoned me, and i am lost out here.

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  outsmartthesystem

  Welcome! I am quite a ways away from you.....but you have plenty of "e" friends right here!
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  207

  Who Really is The Faithful and Discreet Slave?

  by Recovery in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let's assume, as most of you probably believe, that the anointed christians are not the fds.

  if the anointed are not the fds, who are?.

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  outsmartthesystem

  "The question acknowledges that JW's have already done their 'proving' of the doctrine. The members of this board are quite familiar with JW's doctrine and thus there was no need for me to 'prove' from the outset the doctrine since it was already known. However, I just proved it again just for the sake of the argument. The burden of proof is on the opposers since they so forthcomingly claim it is false. JW's have proven their side, now the opposers must prove it wrong, since they are the ones claiming it is false. The only thing sad about this argumentation is that you are better debating about the 'burden of proof' instead of actually proving JW's to be in error when interpreting scripture. Thanks for the insults as it was quite expected since you have no scriptural refutation of anything JW's believe and can only resort to insults/petty definition arguments."

  I believe this statement proves that you have a learning disability. Just because we are familiar with JW doctrine does not make said doctrine TRUE. YOU are the one claiming that the JWs are correct as to who the "faithful slave" is. Said "faithful slave" claims that identifying them and accepting their teachings is necessary to gain God's favor. IF that is true then I am pretty sure God would want you and every JW in the world to SHOW others how right you are......not smugly wait for them to tell you that you're wrong. Again....what is the point of your mandatory weekly door knocking if your goal is not to show others that you are right? The fact that you knock on people's doors in obligatory fashion shows that you agree that the burden of proof is on YOU. You have still done nothing to prove that you are correct. Cherry picking Ephesians 3:10, 2 Cor 5:20, 2 Thes 2:15 and others is not proof. You have taken unrelated scriptures and tied them together to fit your already arrived at conclusions. This is known as an eisigesis approach to bible interpretation. Hebrews 5:12-14 applies to the Watchtower Society. Beliefs and doctrines change on a whim when the GB says so. And 7 million people follow right along. The GB even tells the "flock" that it is hopeless to try to understand the bible without them. By doing this....they keep the "flock" in mental shackles. Continually attached to the teet of the society. Solid food does indeed belong to mature people. Through use of such solid food, they have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish right and wrong. Sadly...no JWs have this ability. They are completely dependent upon the society telling them what to believe and what not to believe. Their perceptive powers have been stunted......not trained....which keeps them perpetually in need of more milk from "mother".
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  207

  Who Really is The Faithful and Discreet Slave?

  by Recovery in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let's assume, as most of you probably believe, that the anointed christians are not the fds.

  if the anointed are not the fds, who are?.

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  outsmartthesystem

  "We know the Trinity, hellfire, immortality of the soul, purgatory, worship of Mary, reverence of the cross, clergy/laity distinction/, many national holidays, involvement in politics and war, and other things to all be either unscriptural, purely human tradition, of pagan and thus satanic origin, and things that conflict with God's word."

  No.....WE don't know that. YOU are using a bible that has been translated to suit your religion's already pre-conceived theology. Since when is reverence (not worship) of the cross a bad thing? Since your leaders told you so? If decorating with a cross is bad because it is too close to "idol worship" then why does our local kingdom hall have Watchtower symbols stamped into the concrete light pole bases? Where does the bible condemn Mother's Day? Is it because it can be traced back to cultures that once engaged in creature worship? If so why does the society permit the usage of pinatas? They have pagan roots as well.....but their March 2003 Awake tells us that we shouldn't focus on what pinata used to mean......we should focus on what they mean today. Since pinatas are no longer used in a ritualistic/pagan way.....they have been deemed suitable for "christians" to use. Why apply this type of reasoning to one celebration that has pagan origins but not others? Why the hypocrisy? Why allow a bride and groom to feed one another wedding cake (pagan sign of fertility) but refuse to allow them to throw a bouquet or throw rice? Where does the bible say that if you are involved in politics you will not enter into God's kingdom? And do you really want to talk about human tradition? Where is the biblical principle or admonition that says that men cannot be qualified to teach others if they have a beard? I would suggest removing the rafter from your eye
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  207

  Who Really is The Faithful and Discreet Slave?

  by Recovery in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let's assume, as most of you probably believe, that the anointed christians are not the fds.

  if the anointed are not the fds, who are?.

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  outsmartthesystem

  "Therefore, everything, including the parable, could rightly be said to be a prophecy. So the claim that this is just a mere parable and not a prophecy is false and is clearly at odds with what the Bible tells us.

  I swear this guy must be on the writing committee in New York. Notice how he says that because Jesus' words as written earlier in the chapter were prophetic.....then so must these words be. So I guess by that logic the entire 34th chapter of Psalms must be prophetic as well. (not just verses 19 and 20). Djeggnogg Jr, please tell us how and when verses 1-18 apply. Nice leap of logic

  Furthermore.....eggnogg Jr said "everything, including the parable COULD rightly be said to be prophecy." Notice he didn't say "IS" prophecy. He goes on to say "the claim that this is just a mere parable and not prophecy is CLEARLY at odds with what the bible tells us". How can the assertion that it is merely a parable be CLEARLY at odds, when you yourself admit that it only COULD be a prophecy? You took that logic straight from the pages of the Watchtower, didn't you? Let's see.......in my first sentence....I will mention that point A could very well be true. There! That's a fine foundation! Now in sentence two......I will go ahead and use point A as though it is an established FACT.

  Eggnogg Jr - please remember, we are not mind controlled witnesses. These tactics do not work with ones that are able to think critically
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  44

  GRRRRRRRR! update for ya'll on my daughter.

  by Aussie Oz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so much has happened the last few days in my world.

  i am handling it all very well don't worry!.

  my daughter left her mothers home, so very hard to do and she has been so very brave and strong.

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  outsmartthesystem

  Good luck to you and to her. You're a great dad.

  This guy really is a prick. Good thing he has earned his everlasting life by being at every meeeting and going in service though. Cause that trumps being a good person