vienne

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Posts by vienne

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  18

  Narrowly focused, sometimes illiterate

  by vienne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  three of my sisters - there are five of us - were baptized as witnesses.

  one of them has gone from reading voraciously to only reading her textbooks and watchtower publications.

  this does not seem to be unusual among witnesses.

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  vienne

  I'm not certain that writing letters improves anyone's grammar. It can just as easily reinforce bad habits by repeating an error many times. Posts on the internet? You meant that as a joke - I hope. Read twitter or face book and tell me that again. The typical facebook post is questionable. Read some of the comments on this board written by Witness trained people. Writing posts has not improve their writing ability.

  That your "community" publishes much literature in many languages says nothing about the grammar of your congregants, some of whom do not understand what they read. And it reinforces my comments on the narrow focus of many Witnesses. Note that I did not say the majority. Just 'many.'

  And I make this additional assertion: The Watchtower fears an informed, questioning believer. They view them with suspicion.

  Completing high school is not a guarantee of anything. Many U.S. colleges have sub 100 level courses to bring students up to an acceptable level. Mind you, that's not to make them grammarians, just approximately competent report and essay writers.
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  21

  Do you still talk to the dubs?

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wondering!

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  vienne

  I like my witness relatives I'm welcome in their homes. I happily debate scripture. I baby sit their children sometimes. Yes, I talk to Witnesses. My mom never turned one away, and I don't either. Most are good people, and while I disagree doctrinally, I see most Witnesses as earnest Christians.
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  18

  Narrowly focused, sometimes illiterate

  by vienne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  three of my sisters - there are five of us - were baptized as witnesses.

  one of them has gone from reading voraciously to only reading her textbooks and watchtower publications.

  this does not seem to be unusual among witnesses.

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  vienne

  Three of my sisters - there are five of us - were baptized as Witnesses. One of them has gone from reading voraciously to only reading her textbooks and Watchtower publications. This does not seem to be unusual among Witnesses. I know this is not the only path taken by Witnesses. One of my uncles reads widely and was for some years a professor. But of my relatives, near and rather distant, who have become Witnesses the tendency seems to be a sole focus on the newspaper and Watchtower books. Why is this?

  Also, I notice that many Witnesses have poor grammar. Again, not all, but enough to notice. I realize that the Watchtower discourages a university education. But some Witnesses scramble the English language. Certainly, the Watchtower Society encourages attention to lessons even if they'd rather have their members go on to trade school rather than university. I do not mean that they use casual grammar. Most do that in conversation. I mean their grammar is sometimes so poor that it is hard to follow.

  I am at a loss. I cannot explain this. Your thoughts?
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  11

  Disassociated for smoking at 15 years old then later after years of shinning befriended again.

  by TjHunt in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after my 4 and 6 year old sisters and i (5) were molested and covered up by elders, at 15 i'm disassociated for smoking.

  then years later after attending a passover with family members, i'm not suddenly disassociated anymore and attempted befriending begins.

  wow.

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  vienne

  I'm not sad. I'm skeptical. I have the upmost compassion for those who have suffered at the Watchtower's hands. There is no clear statistical analysis, but there seem to have been many who've been abused in one form or another, and not just sexually. But false stories, and I still think this is one, distract from real tragedies.

  I'm not here to score any sort of points. But I'm also not here to be gullible.
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  11

  Disassociated for smoking at 15 years old then later after years of shinning befriended again.

  by TjHunt in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after my 4 and 6 year old sisters and i (5) were molested and covered up by elders, at 15 i'm disassociated for smoking.

  then years later after attending a passover with family members, i'm not suddenly disassociated anymore and attempted befriending begins.

  wow.

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  vienne

  Simon,

  Do things similar to this occur? Oh, yes they do. Do false stories show up here? Absolutely. Should we swallow the false because we object to the Watchtower's abuse? No. I noted one word, but the entire tone marks it as written by someone pretending.

  If I've misjudged the narrator, I am sorry. I do not think I have.
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  11

  Disassociated for smoking at 15 years old then later after years of shinning befriended again.

  by TjHunt in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after my 4 and 6 year old sisters and i (5) were molested and covered up by elders, at 15 i'm disassociated for smoking.

  then years later after attending a passover with family members, i'm not suddenly disassociated anymore and attempted befriending begins.

  wow.

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  vienne

  Diog,

  At seven years old my young cousin knows that the annual celebration is not called "Passover." Even the most disinterested Witness child would know that. There are other elements in the original post that do not fit Witness usage that even a young person who would rather be playing a video game would not use.
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  11

  Disassociated for smoking at 15 years old then later after years of shinning befriended again.

  by TjHunt in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after my 4 and 6 year old sisters and i (5) were molested and covered up by elders, at 15 i'm disassociated for smoking.

  then years later after attending a passover with family members, i'm not suddenly disassociated anymore and attempted befriending begins.

  wow.

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  vienne

  The terminology is wrong. Significantly. This is fiction.
  
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  157

  Systemic Racism: What’s Your View? Is it As Pervasive As Some Suggest?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the president of the united states says we have to do something about this.

  many politicians and people agree that we are all affected by the scourge of systemic racism.

  what’s your view of this?

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  vienne

  Racism is ill defined, often incorrectly so. True racism exists, but it's not pervasive in this country.
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  7

  Russia v. Jehovah's Witnesses

  by vienne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  interesting.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgwuu0vj2tm.

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  vienne

  menrov,

  Theological difference may seem extreme to those of us who believe differently, but the issue in Russia is political extremism. Witnesses are not a threat to the state. I believe that is the issue.
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  42

  What’s Your View On Self Defense?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if someone comes to you with a knife or a gun, would you defend yourself if you could?

  if someone tried to beat you up , would you physically engage, run away or just try to talk the person out of beating you up or robbing you?

  if you did have a gun to defend yourself would you shoot to kill or would you simply aim for the ankle to incapacitate the person?

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  vienne

  If you shoot to maim, it might not stop the attack, and the criminal can turn around an sue you. Personally, a clear shot to the heart of head is my choice, and yes, I have a pistol. It was my mom's; now it's mine. And I'm a very good shot.