Posts by truth_b

33

"Freeing" those "trapped" in the Organization.

by curiouscynic in

i have family members who are still jws, many of you do as well.

assuming your folks are similar to mine, they are, for the most part, rational.

they are jws because they believe and they have a tremendous amount of scriptural knowledge, albeit of wts origins and with the expected bias.. if i chose to demonstrate, to my father particularly, the inconsistencies in wts ideology... he might just decide to leave.

truth_b_known

During talks that he and I have had along those lines, he essentially said that he didn't WANT to know. He said that this [JW life] is what he's done his entire life and he didn't know what sort of person he'd be without it. In a nutshell, he WANTS to be a JW and would prefer to ignore evidence that disproves WTS theory.

That is the sad, honest truth. One elder commented that if were proven that God did not exist he would still live as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses is a way of life and most who have spent the majority of their life in the organization are unable to cope with the idea of living with out it. Like many in our modern society, people want to be told what to do. Just like people who spend the years in prison, they are unable to function with freedom.

Inmates are told when to get up, what to wear, what to eat, when they can walk through a door, what they can possess. Such institutionalized people are frustrated with life outside prison walls. They literally get frustrated when ordering food at restaurants and some will wait for permission just to walk through a doorway.

The best way to help someone in the evil empire to decide to leave is to live your life the way you want to. Jehovah's Witnesses are taught that non-Witnesses are miserable and those who leave are even worse off. Prove the teaching wrong by living a long, happy life outside the organization.

19

Does being a JW and having a felony up your value in the kingdom hall?

by 2tone in

maybe this has been previously been discussed.

in my area in the us.

it seems that jw men that are felons or have served time seem to have more value.

truth_b_known

I hate to say it, but the OP is correct.

I spent the majority of my time in the evil empire in a congregation that had 2 state prisons in it's territory. There were about 20 to 30 publishers listed on our congregation roster who were inmates in those prisons. Some were Witnesses prior to their conviction and some joined while in prison.

First, the elders who regularly went out to the prisons to conduct meetings (sometimes doing so instead of taking care of their own bookstudy groups) would often use these convicted murderes, robbers, and rapists as examples to the congregation. It was as if these "brothers" were enduring due to The Truth. It always made me feel really good knowing my bookstudy overseer let us fend for ourselves so he could go conduct the bookstudy at the prison.

Second, I was floored on how many sisters married these inmate "brothers" BEFORE the were even released. There was a 30 year old "brother" who robbed a bank and got 10 years. He was disfellowshippend and reinstated his first year in. Then, a 19 year old daughter of an elder marries him. There's nothing quite like spending the first 9 years of your marriage with your spouse in prison.

This was yet another reason why I had to wash my hands of the evil empire.

120

Do YOU Believe That JWs Have A Huge Problem With Pedophiles?

by minimus in

i don't think there are more pedophiles in the religion than there are in others.. i understand that one is too many.

but i think some believe that it's an epidemic within the organization.

i believe their 2 witness rule can help pedophiles secretly abuse kids.. but i don't think that this particular crime dominates those in the religion.. .

truth_b_known

As previously stated by posters on this thread; it is a huge problem based on how it is handled. Here is some faulty reasonning on the matter:

"We are not concerned with whether a person is guilty or innocent, but rather whether or not they repent." - My former Congregation Coordinator

Couple that with - 1) If the person is repentant they are forgiven by Jehovah. Therefore, you have to forgive them and 2) Keeping Jehovah's earthly organization's name above reproach and out of the newspapers is more important than protecting the well being of children.

This all boils down to:

A) If the child abuser says they're sorry they are forgiven.

B) If they are forgiven by Jehovah you have to forgive them as well. Failure to do so could result in you being disfellowshipped.

C) It's more important to maintain the organization's reputation than to protect children.

D) Even if mandatory reporting laws exist, ignore them. You can pick and choose what laws to follow if you think a law violates a Bible principal. After all, you have to obey God rather than men.

I've dealt with uncooperative elders who protected child molesters. I think that was the beginning of the end for me. The detective I worked with said that the elders she needed to testify were subpoena dodging and the trial date was coming up. I took the subpoenas and served everyone of them, personally. I only wished I could have done it at the Kingdom Hall during a meeting.

18

JW is union member for years....?

by blondie in

jw
friends

http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/16655276/article-tim-bailey-a-well-traveled-%e2%80%98country-boy%e2%80%99?instance=home_features.

bailey, who had been transferred to bricklayers local no.

9 in pittsburgh, retired in 2008. having remained a union member through the years, he receives a pension as a benefit.. .

truth_b_known

There's no prohibition against being a union member. In my cases, if you accept a job you have to join the union. It's referred to as a "closed shop."

Taking an active part in a union is another story...

28

Why the hell do I feel like this suddenly?!?!

by freshstart in

jw
friends

today i saw a friend that is still a hardcore jw.

she knows we're not going to meetings, but seemed pretty cool with it and was willing to have lunch with me, so i thought why not?

she mentioned something about the convention coming up in a couple of weeks, and all of the sudden i got so nostalgic and felt like maybe i wanted to go.

truth_b_known

I remember the conventions I went to a kid. Those are fond memories. It doesn't change my mind about how wrong the organization is as a whole.

44

Jesus loves American Football

by designs in

what is your take on players in all sports who feel the need to connect their athleticism with god's will.

tebow of the denver broncos is the latest in a long line of players who either thank jesus or point a finger to heaven when they score a touchdown or slam some guys head into a concussion.. oddly you don't see bowlers doing the same praise jesus dance for knocking over some pins, i guess its not that exciting to jesus .

truth_b_known

Gridiron is the correct name for American football, which uses neither feet or a ball. It should be called handegg. Arsenal FC, the greatest team the world has ever seen.

Real mean do not love Jesus. Real men hail Odin. That's why I love hockey.

11

Christmas Origins VS. Watchtower's 1914

by Butterflyleia85 in

ok sooo this of course has nothing to do with each other but the reasoning is beneficial for critical thinkers.

christmas is one of the most popular holidays that has spread throughout the world.

what one can think is that this holiday must have its significance, yes greatly influenced but in order for something to be so influenced it has to have ground of truth and honesty behind it.

truth_b_known

Priceless...

152

To garyneal and Others, Evidence that the anointed remnants represented by the GB were selected in 1919.

by mankkeli in

1st evidence: the release of loyal jews from exile, made possible by the fall of babylon, foreshadowed the release in 1919 of anointed christians from spiritual exile.

2nd evidence: that year marked the beginning of the period when the anointed remnants were released from a form of spiritual captivity to the ideas and practices of false religion.

although having rejected such false teachings as the trinity and the immortal soul, they were still tainted by babylonish practices.

truth_b_known

Mankkeli -

If someone is your representative you always have a say on who it is. That is not democracy. Democracy is mob rule.

I get to vote who my local elected leaders are, not what they do once they are in office. So, how did the Governing Body become the representatives of the annointed remnant? What scriptual evidence is there that there should be a Governing Body?

86

Please Post Reasons For Not Believing The Witnesses Have The "Truth" Anymore

by minimus in

jw
friends

i see a few want to believe in the watchtower's view of bible prophecy, scriptural understandings and the view that the "anointed remnant" dispense the "spiritual food at the proper time".. how would you refute those views?.

truth_b_known

It is an assumption based on an amalgam of scriptures that the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" is the annointed remnant on earth. It is assumed that since they will be kings and priests in heaven they must be the Faithful and Discreet Slave. They irony is that they do not even believe it. Terms like "Jehovah's earthly organization" and "The Faithful and Discreet Slave Class" are now just buzzwords to mean the Governing Body.

I was born and raised to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses by my parents. My mother is a born in, but my father didn't join until he was in his twenties. He immediately professed to be of the annointed and has for over 40 years.

About 20 years ago he was brought before a judicial committee because he was talking about things in the scriptures that the Watch Tower Society had not yet commented on. Mind you, these were not things that were in opposition or against the teachings of the Watch Tower Society. During the judicial committee, the 3 elders (all of the "Other Sheep Class") asked my father who he believed the Faithful and Discreet Slave is. He answered: "The annointed remnant living on the earth". He was disfellowshipped for it.

He was never told why he was disfellowshipped, though some on that judicial committee bragged that they had just disfellowshipped an apostate. He was reinstated a year later, however, he has never been allowed privileges in the congregation. At one point the District Overseer told the local body of elders that my father should not be allowed to comment at meetings. No reason was given. They never told him. I only knew because I had to conduct the bookstudy on a regular basis and the book study overseer told me not to use my father to read.

So, the bottomline is, the Governing Body is the Pope of Jehovah's Witnesses.

152

To garyneal and Others, Evidence that the anointed remnants represented by the GB were selected in 1919.

by mankkeli in

1st evidence: the release of loyal jews from exile, made possible by the fall of babylon, foreshadowed the release in 1919 of anointed christians from spiritual exile.

2nd evidence: that year marked the beginning of the period when the anointed remnants were released from a form of spiritual captivity to the ideas and practices of false religion.

although having rejected such false teachings as the trinity and the immortal soul, they were still tainted by babylonish practices.

truth_b_known

"Evidence that the anointed remnants represented by the GBwere selected in 1919" - Mankelli

That whole statement is a mouthful which you try to prove through coincidences in history. Basically the scam artists running the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society simply said, "We were sent to prison and only served to years of our sentence. Therefor were are the Faithful and Discreet Slave." So, they fulfilled the alleged prophesy because they said they did. By that logic, any Christian religious leaders sent to prison for 2 years are fulfilling the prophecy.

However, the most important issue I have with you claim is highlighted: "...represented by the GB..."

At what point in time did the annointed remnant choose the Governing Body to represent them? What process was used by the annointed remnant choose who makes up the Governing Body? Where is the scriptual proof that the annointed remnant would elected a handfull of themselves to make decisions for the whole?

I was born into the religion and wasted the first 30 years of my life as a result. My father professes to be of the annointed. I do not recall a time when a member of the Governing Body died anyone ever contacting my father and asking who he was going to vote for as a replacement.

The WTB&TS loves to divisions and class warfare. There are all sorts of made up "classes". There's the "Faithful and Discreet Slave Class" which I guess now takes a back seat to the Governing Body Class.

truth_b_known

Posts by truth_b_known