Londo111

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Posts by Londo111

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  15

  Four Levels of Shunning

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  remember: the word shun means to avoid, especially persistently.. level 1. official watchtower policy makes extreme shunning mandatory for those disfellowshipped or disassociated.

  there are, of course, two loopholes:.

  (1) one is not shunned if living in the same household...but this works as long as one is not kicked out of their own home (like raypublisher was) or if the jw decide to leave as a consequence.. (2) one may do necessary family business..but this is open to interpretation and obviously relations are very uncomfortable and strained.. but for those two loopholes, a jw may not speak to the person shunned, not even to say hello.

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  Londo111

  In particular, in the next few weeks if a local needs talk is given, everyone usually can figure out who did what. And then there are the instances where a reproof is given one week for one person, and a marking talk is given for another, and people think they know what the person who was reproved did.
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  24

  Why I Refuse to Accept the term APOSTATE

  by Black Man in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  been going back in forth with my mom (who is a longtime pioneer and dyed-in-the-wool jw) about the term apostate.

  she has labeled me one because of my fading and because i stopped attending meetings a few years ago.

  i told her that i refuse to accept the term apostate because its a lazy way for the wts to not deal with dissenters and address why people are leaving this organization in droves.

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  Londo111

  While the technical dictionary definition fits, the many connotations that the Watchtower adds does not. For instance, apostates are supposed to mislead people with “lies, half-truths and misrepresentations.” If THAT was the definition and meaning of apostate, I object to it, while not objecting to the actual dictionary definition.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLkAu1h7oH0&list=PLyNx0oM_bmgDR_jCICclFAMGVxNwvKFHJ&index=0

  Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyNx0oM_bmgDR_jCICclFAMGVxNwvKFHJ
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  17

  Could it be the number of jw under 5 million?

  by Crazyguy in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i was thinking about this last night, in the year book they publish the number or peak and average publishers.

  as we know a publisher could simply be a child getting out in service regularly.

  if two parents baptized have to small children that are publishers then they are counted as four.

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  Londo111

  I wish we had good metrics, but the real numbers are likely only known to HQ.

  I suppose the only real metrics we have are the number being baptized.
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  15

  Four Levels of Shunning

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  remember: the word shun means to avoid, especially persistently.. level 1. official watchtower policy makes extreme shunning mandatory for those disfellowshipped or disassociated.

  there are, of course, two loopholes:.

  (1) one is not shunned if living in the same household...but this works as long as one is not kicked out of their own home (like raypublisher was) or if the jw decide to leave as a consequence.. (2) one may do necessary family business..but this is open to interpretation and obviously relations are very uncomfortable and strained.. but for those two loopholes, a jw may not speak to the person shunned, not even to say hello.

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  Londo111

  Thank you. I don't mind at all. Lately, I’ve been distressed over my decline of writing ability which has taken a hit over the last two years. The older I get, the more I feel like the character in Flowers for Algernon.

  Since we are all using psuedonyms, I doubt it would need to be anonymized.
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  31

  How Judicial Committees Violate Individual Privacy

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  many here have called for public judicial committees, which would indeed add to transparency.

  but--every person deserves a measure of privacy, and to be able to keep their dirty laundry from public view.

  why should everyone know the details of very personal matters, perhaps involving private struggles and family secrets?

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  Londo111

  bttt
• 
  15

  Four Levels of Shunning

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  remember: the word shun means to avoid, especially persistently.. level 1. official watchtower policy makes extreme shunning mandatory for those disfellowshipped or disassociated.

  there are, of course, two loopholes:.

  (1) one is not shunned if living in the same household...but this works as long as one is not kicked out of their own home (like raypublisher was) or if the jw decide to leave as a consequence.. (2) one may do necessary family business..but this is open to interpretation and obviously relations are very uncomfortable and strained.. but for those two loopholes, a jw may not speak to the person shunned, not even to say hello.

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  Londo111

  I've always been somewhere in Level 4. Growing up, the kids in my hall were preps and were all about clothing. My short sleeve shirts and clip on ties weren’t good enough for them. It was difficult to reconcile being excluded from social circles with being in the ‘one true religion’, the ‘most loving’ organization on earth. In retrospect, it created allot of cognitive dissonance. Had I known TTATT, I would have found it more bearable.

  I’ve experienced Level 1 for a while, but now am in Level 3. My former best friend shook my hand at a funeral. I suppose he thought he was being gracious. Never mind he didn’t invite me to his wedding or even notify me he was moving away--I learned these things through Raging Bull, who was 'undercover' at the time. A few seconds of feigned friendliness is not love.

  I saw this video on Facebook this morning and thought it was very pertinent:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7DWX0L2goo&list=UUC2X4J6CmPJkKi-hQXZkkOg
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  74

  GB Doesn’t Believe in 1914 Anymore – My reasoning

  by thedepressedsoul in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have heard a lot of talk over the last year or so if the gb will eventually ditch 1914 and some have even made the claim that most, if not all of the gb do not believe in 1914. ive given this some thought and in the past i wasnt sure.

  this annual meeting puts 100%, without a doubt in my mind that the gb do not believe in 1914. id even go as far to say that they talked about that date and have a game plan in mind.. here is why i feel this way:.

  there were a lot of changes with the parables at this annual meeting.

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  Londo111

  Yes, it could be. If indeed the GB is truly in charge.

  If they do this and get away with it, it will be like yanking a tablecloth underneath a table of dishes. Those that remain in the organization without appearing perturbed will be impossible to reach.
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  15

  Four Levels of Shunning

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  remember: the word shun means to avoid, especially persistently.. level 1. official watchtower policy makes extreme shunning mandatory for those disfellowshipped or disassociated.

  there are, of course, two loopholes:.

  (1) one is not shunned if living in the same household...but this works as long as one is not kicked out of their own home (like raypublisher was) or if the jw decide to leave as a consequence.. (2) one may do necessary family business..but this is open to interpretation and obviously relations are very uncomfortable and strained.. but for those two loopholes, a jw may not speak to the person shunned, not even to say hello.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Londo111

  Remember: the word shun means “to avoid, especially persistently”.

  Level 1

  Official Watchtower policy makes extreme shunning mandatory for those disfellowshipped or disassociated. There are, of course, two loopholes:

  (1) One is not shunned if living in the same household…but this works as long as one is not kicked out of their own home (like RayPublisher was) or if the JW decide to leave as a consequence.

  (2) One may do “necessary family business”..but this is open to interpretation and obviously relations are very uncomfortable and strained.

  But for those two loopholes, a JW may not speak to the person shunned, not even to say hello. Those who do can themselves be subject to a secret trial and shunned as well.

  Level 2

  A lesser form of shunning is marking. A person has broken the Watchtower rules, but technically, not in a way where they are subjected to a judicial committee. The person being marked can be spoken to, but not associated with socially until the person capitulates. For instance, a person can be marked for dating or getting engaged to a non-JW.

  Level 3

  The Watchtower teaches that one person can individually mark another and stop socializing with them, without any official marking. A person who is seen as “spiritually weak” or with “apostate leanings” is avoided. Maybe they are given a greeting or handshake, but that’s about it. The JW who greets the one being shunned may feel they are being generous and loving. Ha!!!

  Level 4

  Even individuals who follow Watchtower rules and believe exactly what the Watchtower teaches can be “left out”. Often, it is “out of sight, out of mind”. Move to another congregation and you can be easily forgotten. And if a person is not in the “in group”, they can find themselves excluded. Of course, this is not just a Watchtower or a cult problem, but JWs are not immune from social exclusion due to not being popular for reasons that have nothing to do with religion. Due to the judgmental environment, people can be excluded with very trivial reasons.

  Shunning is so much part of the fabric of being a JW, there is so much inertia around this, that even if official action from elders were dropped, shunning would well continue. It is how JWs are taught. It is in the air they breath.

  It is definitely not Christianity.
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  29

  Opps! 2015 Calendar with errors

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to all congregations in the united states branch territory.

  re: 2015 calendar in english.

  if many publishers in your congregation have requested the 2015 calendar in english,.

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  Londo111

  The Watchtower has been wrong about chronology from the start…
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  28

  January 15, 2015 watchtower 3 study articles about marriage.

  by hoser in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  couples having problems and getting divorced must be a problem in the jehovahs witnesses.

  the articles are definately an interesting read.

  they give plenty of bad advise as usual.

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  Londo111

  Because they can only marry within the cult, selection is limited. This leads to incompatible marriages.

  Also the qualities looked for in a mate are primarily field service hours and organizational status.

  These things do not a good marriage mate make.