Posts by Phizzy

40

Dates and times

by jhine in

last night at my bible study group we looked at 1thessalonians ch 5 .

we have been working through the whole letter.

verses 1-11 start with .

Phizzy

We have to remember that Paul is writing to those in Corinth in the circumstances they found themselves then, around the time that Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome.

Paul was not writing to the wider church, even less so to us, but to his good friends in Corinth, he had spent 18 months or so with them when he established the Congregation, and he expected persecution to come upon them, as they would all be viewed as members of a Jewish Sect.

His advice was for the time of this expected persecution, not any longer.

That is the way I see it, others will disagree, no doubt.

32

New approach to ministry

by Mikejw in

jw
friends

there is a new approach to ministry where the direction is to just talk to people and listen to what they want to talk about.

the new school for the midweek meeting is completely different and is all about the new approach .

even before the no reporting changes field service dropped right off.

Phizzy

" I just don't comprehend how any still in cannot see it for what it is. I cannot fathom how my relatives can still be in and not see something majorly wrong."

I wondered that for many a year.

But when you are inside the closed system that is the J.W Bubble of Ignorance it is not easy to see what we can see from the outside. Hence we make predictions of how things are going, and how they are going to go, and J.W's are surprised ! we are not, when they come about. But they still rationalise, and explain away the various changes, as they always have done.

But in the distant past, a few woke up and left, but now with Internet access, and now no restraint on talking to those who have left, more WILL wake up !

We can but hope it is our loved ones who do !

18

JWs in Norway lost to the state - will not get state support back

by BelisemDeBelimakom in

translated with google translate:.

the trial went before oslo district court in january, and now the district court has concluded that the state is acquitted.

jehovah's witnesses are also ordered to pay court costs of just over nok 1.1 million.. https://www-vg-no.translate.goog/nyheter/innenriks/i/2bljxg/staten-frikjennes-etter-aa-ha-blitt-saksoekt-av-jehovas-vitner-melder-dagen?_x_tr_sl=ka&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp.

Phizzy

" Religious movements that threaten or engage in negative social control of their members are not in line with relatively new state rules regarding eligibility for funding. "

As a previous Poster said, may other Governments and tax and charity Authorities take note !

18

JWs in Norway lost to the state - will not get state support back

by BelisemDeBelimakom in

translated with google translate:.

the trial went before oslo district court in january, and now the district court has concluded that the state is acquitted.

jehovah's witnesses are also ordered to pay court costs of just over nok 1.1 million.. https://www-vg-no.translate.goog/nyheter/innenriks/i/2bljxg/staten-frikjennes-etter-aa-ha-blitt-saksoekt-av-jehovas-vitner-melder-dagen?_x_tr_sl=ka&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp.

Phizzy

Just over $U.S 1 Million in costs !! If only this were to get widely known among J.W's ! surely they would have many valid questions !

Have the J. W's commented yet ? are they going to appeal ? and waste more $$$ ?

Thanks for Posting !

20

For all JW's: Stop calling others "apostates."

by BoogerMan in

if you don't want to be thrown into gehenna, read what your own faithful evil slave & christ say:.

cj chap.

3 p. 110 chapter 3 - "jesus christ said: “whoever says, ‘you despicable fool!’ (apostate) will be liable to the fiery gehenna.” (matt.

Phizzy

I agree with Notformer's sentiment, JW's and the org itself particularly use "Apostate" as a demonising "Trigger" word.

Strictly speaking an Apostate according to the Dictionary is someone who is " a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle."

But the Bible is specific as to how early Christians defined an Apostate, i.e someone who denies the Christ, not merely someone who leaves their group.

On two separate visits many months apart, the same two Elders tried to trap me in to saying something so they could DF me for Apostasy, by asking the "Loyalty question" several times, I did not fall for it, and never got another visit.

But regardless of the truth about my beliefs or reason for leaving, I was labelled an Apostate, and became a "Do not call", thankfully. One old "sister" told me an Elder had warned her not to talk to me because I would "destroy her faith ", LOL, what a weak faith ! if they had "the truth" it would withstand any challenge.

But that demonising trigger word works well for the org. Mind Control at its Finest.

10

Finding Neverland

by Freeorange in

add bookmark.

#1. i have to start off this post by saying i am not intending to insult or offend.

these are just our observations over our entire lives in the org.

Phizzy

I enjoyed your post and think it is both perceptive and accurate, Freeorange. but as a personal favour, can I ask please that in future you do not refer to the J.W's as "the truth" ?

I know we have to search for a more clumsy way of referring to them, and that "the truth" is a convenient shorthand, but it is Mind Controlling Cult Speak, and really gets my goat !

Thanks, and keep on Posting your thoughts !

19

Bible study

by GregT in

i used to attend the meetings and was baptized about 30 years ago but i haven't gone to the meetings or associated with any one i new from the congregation for around 15 - 20 years.

i want to get back to studying but i am not ready to go to any meetings.

other than the watchtower and awake what book is used these days for people just starting to study with jehovah's witnesses?.

Phizzy

If you wish to Study the Bible simply to affirm baseless evidence free beliefs , then do it with J.W's or any Christian Bible Study Group.

If you wish to study the Bible with the aim of ascertaining what the various writers, really said, what they wanted their readers to glean from their words, and what their readers would have actually understood, then Welcome to the Academic approach, the learned approach to Bible Study !

If your motive is the latter, then best Study alone, and use Correct Eisegesis and Hermeneutics. Do NOT read the Texts with a 21st Century "Eye", do not approach them with any beliefs you already have, but with a mind that can accept the Truth about what was really being said. You will need to consult Books etc. by Scholars expert in the Field, but filter what you read, some Scholars are believers, which colours their conclusions somewhat, a consensus opinion from the latest Scholarship is fairly reliable.

To do justice to any Ancient Texts, Biblical or not, they can only be approached in the correct way I have outlined above, if this is what you wish to do, good ! and Enjoy !

32

New approach to ministry

by Mikejw in

jw
friends

there is a new approach to ministry where the direction is to just talk to people and listen to what they want to talk about.

the new school for the midweek meeting is completely different and is all about the new approach .

even before the no reporting changes field service dropped right off.

Phizzy

I am sure you are right Mike, "soft shunning" is no more. In another Thread I say how I have received three visits in three weeks or so from J.W's who, now thinking about it, "soft Shunned" me for decades.

We chatted on each visit in a normal non-JW way, no religion at all, but I guess all these people can still count their time now ?

Back in my day, if you did not mention religious ideas at all you could not count the time !

There is both a new approach to the ministry, and a new approach to those who have been out of the Org. for years, do they think they may sucker some back in ?

17

Again, More confusion about the direction of the Watchtower Society

by Truth and Justice in

jw
friends

hi friends, i have not been on this board in awhile, and i would like to get some thoughts from some of you.

i have noticed a change within my 4 siblings in approximately the last year and a half to 2 years regarding their communication with my mother and i. they have either phoned us, texted, emailed, or written a letter or card to us.

the conversation has been good, and on any topic that comes to mind.

Phizzy

We have recently had three visits that were unexpected, a sibling I had not seen for several years, who specifically came from abroad for a short holiday just to see us, another close relative, an Elder, and then another Elder, and his wife, not relatives, but I knew them from when they were babies.

Something must have changed ! after all these years, three in a row ? I am in the U.K, so this must be an Org. wide thing ??

All were careful not to talk "religion", or even stray close to it, but all were very pleasant, and as normal as a JW can be !

The last guy, the non-relative Elder, I know is somewhat awake, I am hoping he may visit me without his wife, so we can talk openly. He seemed to be very conscious that she was there, and she is still thoroughly indoctrinated, but she is a lovely person.

Nobody told me there would be days like these, Strange Days Indeed. (John Lennon).

32

New approach to ministry

by Mikejw in

jw
friends

there is a new approach to ministry where the direction is to just talk to people and listen to what they want to talk about.

the new school for the midweek meeting is completely different and is all about the new approach .

even before the no reporting changes field service dropped right off.

Phizzy

" It’s very clever and I have to admit it’s working." True, and therefore it MUST have come from outside advisors they have Hired. The Holy Spirit was obviously too busy to guide them on this.

I say it must have come from a "Worldly" Company, because the G.B. and all at the top just do not have the gumption or intelligence to come up with this on their own.

It will help with Retention to a degree, but it will make being a J.W ONLY in name so very easy, and even those people eventually will say "sod it, why bother at all ?"

The Org. is in a downward spiral, thankfully.