BottanicPepper

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Posts by BottanicPepper

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  27

  Jehovah's Witnesses 2022 Annual Meeting

  by JW GoneBad in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  damn....october 1, 2022 already upon us!

  yesterday's jw annual meeting was held without a word...without any prior mention of it.

  anyone on this forum attend the event supposedly held via zoom?

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  BottanicPepper

  Late to the party as always. Sorry. Is it still possible to get a copy of the AM, please? TIA
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  42

  Were JWs Right That There Would Be A Time When Governments Would Go After All Religion?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  they have predicted this for years.

  religions of the world would become attacked by the governments.

  the only difference is when they go after jehovah’s witnesses, then jehovah god will step in and destroy the governments..

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  BottanicPepper

  They aren't the only religion that teaches this either. I thought they were, but once I gave myself permission to research I found a few that teach this. One that comes to mind is the United Church of God. In fact, the UCG is almost identical to the JW's, bar a few exceptions.
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  11530

  It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  BottanicPepper

  Me again. Sorry. But I forgot to add that I think it's important to keep exposing what is in the Elder's letter each month. Even if it's boring day to day running. Every so often, letter come through that show they aren't all that different from the churches around them. The Obligatory Donations (i.e. the collection plates) one recently was excellent. Working out how much each individual must donate each month and letting the congregation know in a way that doesn't show the hypocrisy must have been a feat for all those secretaries out there.

  "Brothers, we don't send around collection plates, and we've never begged for money. But well, here we are again, talking about money. The GB have decided that you'd all just love to donate at least £8.50 every month, and no less. If you can donate more, go you, your place at the top of the table will be more secure. But if you can't donate £8.50, may we just remind you of the widow who put in everything she had. So, put that £8.50 in at the start of the month and don't wait till the end to see if you have anything left after paying all your bills. And kids, ice-cream rots your teeth anyway. See how lovingly the Governing Body look after us. They even have you young ones at heart. And family heads, maybe we can make it a point of our family worship this week. Explain why we have to give our all to God's only true organisation. Maybe we can think about how we knew we'd suffer for Jehovah. So going hungry is to be expected. And if you aren't suffering, and you're living quite comfortably, then you're not spiritual enough. You aren't doing enough if you aren't in constant persecution. Now, let's sing song number 1002, Glory, glory, Governing Body, Oh, how we love thee. Taken from Saint Tony's epistle chapter 59 v 108. And then we'll ask Brother Boringly Long Prayers to return our thanks."
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  11530

  It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  BottanicPepper

  Also, it may seem like I'm picking on you, Vienne, but I really hope not, because I agree with a lot of what you say. But I'm not certain this is correct:

  We need to stop the nonsense. What the Watchtower said 100 or so years ago persuades no one, though it may make some feel like it was good to leave.

  It was a coffin nail for me. Not the only one, by any means, but it had a large impact. When I discovered some of the rubbish Rutherford was writing in his multiple books it made it even clearer there was no God backing this "strange" man, or his organisation.

  Maybe it's not relevant to the younger generation because the way CA is covered should be enough to send anyone out of this cult.

  But for anyone born in the 70's 80's, etc it's a crucial part. I am/was a 3rd gen born in. I grew up in the 70's and 80's come from the generation that knew nothing of the Shephard the Flock book. And when whispers went around and I asked, I was told it didn't even exist. There was no such secret handbook for elders. I was told 75' was a sifting work, just like 25' was. 1914 was when Russel announced the "gentile times have ended, the kings have had their day" and how "right" he was. It had to be the truth. Russell got it right, the preaching is expanding, Crisis of Conscience was written by the disgruntled nephew of Franz when he realised he wasn't going to become the next president. (This was the actual excuse I was given when Ray released his book. He was angry because he wouldn't be made president and he thought he should be next because Franz was his uncle.) I believed it for years, because I didn't know any better, and had no reason to doubt what I was told.

  It's only of recent years that they've admitted Russel thought they'd be raptured to heaven in 1914. Of course, they still don't tell it like it really was, but at least they admit he thought they'd go to heaven. When I was growing up in the 70's, 80's, we knew nothing of what really happened. We were taught that Russell predicted the coming of Jesus in 1914 and that he saw the World War as being the proof of Satn being expelled from the the heavens. Nothing was ever said about them thinking they'd go to heaven. He'd predicted it was the beginning of the end and he was right. And we had no way of checking even if we did doubt. Information is controlled, and when you live in a sleepy town in the heart of England there was no need to doubt. The internet was still a long way off. I didn't touch a computer until I was in secondary school and learnt BBC Basic. lol.

  People born before 2000 need to see these things. Not so much the millenials and onwards. It's an information era and access to things we just didn't even know existed is a finger tip away.

  I'd heard of Russel's pyramid idea from someone I met on the ministry. When I asked about it, it was shrugged off as being twisted lies from apostates and that wasn't what Russell had been doing. I was told to forget it. I did. When you're born and raised in a bubble, you believe what you're told. Not because we're guliable, but because we trust the source. It was all I knew and I had no reason to doubt what everyone around me knew to be true. All I grew up understanding, was that I wasn't good enough for the true religion, and that God had rejected me years ago. The problem had to be me, because this was the one true religion that never got anything wrong and was blessed by God.

  When the internet exploded with information I went on a search through the library of my parents older books. Boxed up in the back of the wardrobes. They had books right back to the thirties I'd never seen before and they'd forgotten all about. I even found the picture of the levels of Hell in Budism that used to torment me as a child. I was terrified of that picture, but like a moth to a flame it was all I could look at when we studied that book. It gave me nightmares for months. lol

  And I found a fold out diagram of the three pyramids of Gezza and his strange calculations. I can't tell you the relief that gave me. lol

  So, my point, after much rambling, is that these videos etc that expose what was taught 100 years ago are invaluable for the older generations.

  I think it's Larchwood on Twitter who finds some real gems in the older books and puts them up. Some of them are just great to get people thinking without even realising what you're doing.

  I did it the other week with a staunch witness friend. I laughingly told her how we used to teach that by the end of the thousand years, all the women would become men. When she read it for herself I could see the confusion even whilst we laughed it off.

  So, yeah, rambling again. Sorry.

  Just wanted to add my two pence worth to say that I think these videos have a lot of value to offer to older witnesses and some younger ones who are convinced in the GB being right all the time.

  Cause at the end of the day, if "we're teaching the truth now, what was it we were teaching back then?" Certainly not the truth. So did God give us false information? Or is it the WT is just a load of old phoneys out for the money?
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  4

  Investigative Reporter Talks to ex-jw's about Watchtower Abuses

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://youtu.be/b_mvwwon2zq.

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  BottanicPepper

  Thank you for sharing.
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  11530

  It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  original reddit post (removed).

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  BottanicPepper

  Vienne, are you referring to the Aspinalls?

  Oh, I hope not. I love watching their videos. They've helped me get to grip with some doctrinal things over the years. They aren't into scandals, or gossipy stuff, they discuss where the doctrines are wrong. WT is the main focus, but they also cover other cults. This is the "about" bit on their YouTube channel:

  Specializing in discernment issues related to Christianity and the cults, especially The Watchtower (Jehovah's Witnesses). Also education, literacy & literary criticism, propaganda and media, and the historical, economic and social aspects of religion.

  The books and bookcases isn't to appear academic, it's because they're well read, intelligent people. If you look at their latest videos you'll see their home is covered in piles of books etc. It's a way of life to them, not a gimmick.
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  23

  2022-April-Elder Manual and Addendum--12 Files!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  several files in the folder including:.

  2022-april-elders manual.. 2022 april addendum.

  working together safely12 files total.

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  BottanicPepper

  Thank you. xx
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  5

  2022-Private-Accommodations-and-2022 Lapel Cards!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2022--instructions for submitting a private accommodations offer.. 2022-"pursue peace”!-- 2022 convention of jehovah's witnesses.https://www.filemail.com/d/ynrjehcvypywnqzorhttps://we.tl/t-wqq7d52klhatlantis!.

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  BottanicPepper

  Thank you, :)
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  6

  2022-March 19, Announcements!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://www.filemail.com/d/zrgzxqdcygpyrsf.

  https://we.tl/t-gykfqwzfms.

  petra sends big hugs!.

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  BottanicPepper

  Thank you. :)
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  30

  Anyone else remember the Awake saying this?

  by BottanicPepper in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i may have put this in the wrong thread.

  if so, i'm sorry.. my conundrum is this.... i am almost completely certain that an awake back in the 80's/90's mentioned a group of rock bands we shouldn't listen to and i seem to remember them actually naming guns and roses.. i can't find anything now, and i'm wondering if it's the mandela effect, or if it's another case of the cdrom versions of the awakes being doctored again.. does anyone else remember this?

  or am i crazy?

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  BottanicPepper

  Thank you so much everyone. And thank you for the links. I'm not going insane, horray. Or at least not over that. lol.

  Atlantis, my hat off to you sir. I aspire to be this good with digging up the old light etc.

  Thanks everyone.

  Off to follow and save links. ;)