Posts by Nowfree

i've included the first article, and am mid-way through transcribing the second one, which i'll finish tomorrow when i come home from work.. feel free to comment too!.

Nowfree

Good idea Anglise - we'll start a Parkers guide to religion:

Don't forget we'll need to include an "insurance" group rating - so people know what they are likely to lose by joining a particular religion/sect.

Also a resume at the start of each new religion, outlining changes in policy/doctrines over the last 100 years.

Methinks a particular mind controlling cult that we all know and love will not come out of this too well!!!

Nowfree

16

WT 4/1/2002 - "Should Faith Be Based on Re...

by Scully in

jw
friends

honestly, i read the first paragraph and burst out laughing.

do they not have a clue that this applies to their own followers??.

i've included the first article, and am mid-way through transcribing the second one, which i'll finish tomorrow when i come home from work.. feel free to comment too!.

Nowfree

It never ceases to amaze me that the person/people who write these articles don't for ONE MOMENT let themselves ask the obvious point "could this possibly apply to our religion as well?"

Do they have proof readers? And if they do, are they just checking for correct punctuation rather than content???

Thanks for posting the article Scully!

Nowfree

27

WT May 1st - Watch out for traitors in our midst!

by dmouse in

jw
friends

another thread on the wt may 1st 2002 issue.. jehovah hates the course of treachery.

in a thinly veiled attack on the likes of youknow the society issues this proclamation to jws who dare to say anything out of line with the watchtower bullshit and tossers society:.

10. are we personally alert, so that no unrighteousness is found on our lips?

Nowfree

So if the WBTS are planting doubts in all JW minds to be automatically distrustful of each other, then we could take the advantage of the old saying "Divide and conquer".

If a JW replies that "brother Elder said this", we could reply "well if you applying the May 1 WT, can you really TRUST what he is saying?"

Hahahahah - this sounds like fun!

Nowfree

34

How Many DF'ing Offences Have You Committed?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

i must confess that her ladyship and i lived together for 6 months before we got married, so that must be, er...say 200?.

then we used to spend 3 nights a week gambling in tiberiuss casino, even after we got married, so.....umm, say another 250?.

i must have eaten black pudding, say, 100 times?.

Celebrating xmas
Celebrating birthdays
Celebrating mothers day
Celebrating fathers day
Celebrating valentines day
Reading "apostate" (for that read "factual and accurate") literature
Socialising with "disorderly" and "disfellowshipped" individuals.

oh and one small minor thing - Taking my husband to court to prevent him bringing up our daughter as a JW.

Why hasn't anyone disfellowshipped me yet?

Nowfree

7

Don't read this if you're depressed.

by sleepy in

jw
friends

sometimes i think about all the time i waisted as a witness and it makes me shudder.. i don't want to dwell on negative things but , what the hell i'm happy today.

i'd thought i'd try and work out how much time i've lost.. i was brought on on the org and left at 27.. if i spent an average (even as a child in a pushchair) of 5 hours in meetings 1 hour either side getting ready travelling etc(so thats 3).1 hour studying for meetings and talks etc.2 hours on the minsistry.. that gives me a rought average of 11 hours a week.

( really it takes up more time than this).

Nowfree

Another way to look at the time spent as a JW:

You are now 27 years old.

You have left a mind controlling cult at a relatively young age.

You know you will never ever go back to it.

You will now spend the rest of your life doing what YOU want to do and not what you are TOLD you want to do.

If you had never been a JW, then you might reach a crisis in your life at perhaps age 35, come across Jehovah's Witnesses - think it sounds a "nice" religion and join. Only to realise at the age of maybe 55 that you have made a mistake.

To start your life again at 55 is more difficult ( I would think??) than at age 27.

Nowfree

11

Idolatry....Do the JW's do it?

by Tammie in

now please bear with me on this.

i came across this information in a book.

i'm not trying to preach to anyone, but just wanted to share with you all what i learned (and some that i already knew).

Nowfree

They also treat individuals like Circuit Overseers like gods.

I remember all the running around, panicking, making sure everything was in order. All the report cards uptodate. Everyone out in field service and at meetings for that one week. Everyone answering up at the meetings. And why?

Just because it was the CO visit.

Don't they realise that, if God exists (and i am not going into that one), that he would see everything that goes on ALL THE TIME??

They miss the whole point.

Nowfree

16

I'm sorry but here is another goodbye...

by Mindchild in

jw
friends

i've been depressed big time over all the fights, attacks, flame wars, bickering, complaining and what have you that seems to dominate the board these days.. i've just decided that there is no point in my bringing down myself any further and that i don't have anything of value to offer here, especially since it takes as much emotional effort to insulate myself from my friends behaving badly, that i just can't seem to offer much in the way of positive vibes.. i will check back some time (maybe a month or so0 down the road to see if this place has gotten any more mellow and friendly but until then.... hasta la vista and the best of luck to you.

any who wants can still drop me email.. goodbye,.

skipper

Nowfree

Sorry to hear that you are leaving the board Mindchild.

Unfortunately there are some posters who are just here to pick a fight with others. Personally I try and steer clear of them.

I find the board helpful because it reinforces to me that i am not the only person in the world who has BIG problems with the WTBTS, and the control it has over others, particularly family members who are still in. Otherwise I could just think it is me being "picky" with some of the teachings I don't agree with.

I hope you are happy in whatever you decide to do know.

Nowfree

13

Do you think I'll be DF'd now?

by meat pie in

jw
friends

about three weeks ago i told a friend about the un thing, no-one else, i had known for months but didn't tell her till she brought up a similar subject.

i gave her a printout from a guardian article, i have only had a short terse text message since.

i know she has a lot more to lose than i did, and i stopped going to meetings last year.

Nowfree

It depends on the elders in your local congregation.

I left the org in Oct 2001. Since then i have been celebrating xmas/birthdays etc etc. Been loudly vociferous in denouncing JW teachings at any and every opportunity. Discussed all my findings re UN/blood issue/JW v Bulgaria in European Court of Human Rights with my JW husband. Taken my JW husband to court to prevent him taking our daughter to meetings (I won by the way).

And still I have not been disfellowshipped.

My brother in law is the Presiding Overseer in the local cong - I stood in my kitchen last December (my house was COVERED in xmas decorations) and asked him if I had been disfellowshipped. "No" was the answer.

And I still haven't heard anything from any of them. No shepherding visits, nothing.

I don't know whether they can't be bothered, or whether they are scared because I will NOT be walked all over (and they know it), or whether it is because i am still related by marriage to the PO?

So I really think it depends on the attitude of your local elders, and how much grief THEY think YOU will cause THEM if they started to rock the boat.

Just my thoughts.

Nowfree

28

tax in france case lost

by meat pie in

i have just read via the freeminds site, that the case in france has been lost and watchtower must pay a total of 45 million euros or $39 million!

Nowfree

Now this may be a coincidence but...

According to the March (or it could be February) Kingdom Ministry, the proposed expansion of the British Bethel (or should that be UK??!!) has been shelved.

Now is that because they are contemplating a huge tax bill from France?

You tell me!

Nowfree