If talking to a J.W I use an expression along the lines of " You are in an Authoritarian, Mind Control Group", let 'em argue their way out of that one !
Posts by Phizzy
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9Are JW's unknowingly part of a CULT?
by The Fall Guy insome points for awakening jw's to consider in 2020: .
"joining a cult: religious choice or psychological aberration" by dena s. davis.
some of the following characteristics are listed:.
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Phizzy
The " Remain neutral to Politics" is also questionable when Kingdom Halls were flying ( or displaying) the National Flag in one S.A Country. Admittedly, they were required to do so by law, but I think maybe back in the days of Rutherford perhaps, they would have made a stand against that.
Also " No Money Collections", maybe, strictly speaking, but they certainly "gather" as much money as they can lay their grubby hands on !
I notice in the MEME there is no mention of "unique" Doctrines, which of course it is difficult to claim they are truly unique, but their Blood Doctrine and 1914 Doctrine are pretty unusual in this day and age, they probably don't like to draw attention to those two, as both are easily refuted, and shown to be NOT " Bible based".
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If You Had The Choice To Live Anywhere In The World or Any State Where Would You Be?
by minimus ini do like the usa but winters suck!
florida has some charm but it gets brutal with heat and humidity.
california is too looney.
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Phizzy
Thank you Fulano for that info. I was going to investigate my Tax position in Portugal, I will be much happier paying taxes to such a Government as theirs.
Bluesbrother, have you proof that I need to alter my view of the P.M and the Government, please ?
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Jesus is Yahweh......Titles applied to YHWH and Jesus in Old and N.T.......credit to Bill Cetnar
by krismalone in.
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Phizzy
The Doctrine of the Trinity was very late in developing, it is certainly not found in any form in the N.T that does not require a huge stretch. Its development/evolution was probably spurred on by a desire to accommodate Greek Philosophical thinking.
It was never a huge part of the early thinking of the various Jesus sects as far as I can see, not even the Gnostics.
Ideas of an incipient doctrine of the meaning of the Divinity of Jesus , as the two being "one" can maybe seen in very late works like The Gospel of John,( early 1st Century, maybe later) but again, it is a stretch to read in to the words that the Holy Spirit is Yahweh.
Were it a great truth, surely it would be unequivocally expressed in the N.T, and made a great part of the idea of how to gain " salvation" ?
I am no great enemy of the Doctrine from a philosophical point of view, and the Doctrine is nothing like the simplistic J,W explanation and " refutation" of it. As with many things, the J.W Org speaks of things of which it knows not.
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Excerpt from an interesting book ? ?
by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara ina deeply interesting read.. i have been reading: 'soul snatchers,the mechanics of cults' and i am finding it so precise in explaining /analysing cults.
here is a few lines:.
drug addiction and cult-membership have striking similarities.
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Phizzy
I think this book makes an interesting link in the similarity between drug dependence and dependence upon a Cult, like the J.W's
A young guy I "studied" with, at the request of his father, as the young feller had just returned home having nearly killed himself with drugs, explained that the drugs alone were not what had a hold on him, it was the "culture", the "society", people he had thought of as friends, also "respect", as he was a Dealer.
The Cult communities, like the J.W's, Mormons, SDA's etc provide similar. "Friends", a different Culture, and often a boost to one's self worth.
As with the drug scene, these things have a hold beyond the drug itself, these being the teachings of the Cult, the hope of Everlasting life etc.
The young guy substituted the J.W's for the drug scene, but he still spiraled down mentally,too much damage done. He is now a psychotic wreck.
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Just a moan - regarding the latest trend in ignorance of the English language!
by The Fall Guy inin recent months i have noticed more and more people on the net (including here) are using this latest perversion of the english language -.
"i would of done this..........or he would of tried to change things".
it's would've - short for would have!.
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Phizzy
I just file it all under " General Ignorance ", but that has the effect of me disregarding the full import of what people are trying to express, it makes their argument seem to lack weight, which is a shame, often such people have valid points to offer.
The ones who I really get annoyed with are those that are supposed to be professional Wordsmiths, on the T.V, or in Print, and a number of our Politicians in the U.K, one of whom cannot pronounce the word " Nuclear " , it becomes " Nucular". I won't have a go at Trump, English is obviously his Fifth language, after Balderdash, Nonsense, Waffle, Babytalk, and Utter Bollocks. Oh, that makes English his Sixth.
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If You Had The Choice To Live Anywhere In The World or Any State Where Would You Be?
by minimus ini do like the usa but winters suck!
florida has some charm but it gets brutal with heat and humidity.
california is too looney.
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Phizzy
Mrs Phizzy and I just love Italy, especially the unspoilt Rural parts, or tourist free seaside ones. I have though, recently, been thinking seriously that we now need to move out of the crumbling U.K, the idiot electorate,mind controlled by the MSM, have just elected a Racist Prime Minister ( Bojo The Clown) heading a Racist, Xenophobic Right Wing Government, intent on ruining our economy and selling off our N.H.S.
I no longer wish to pay Taxes to such a Government, and so am considering Portugal. They have a Social Democratic Government, which has achieved wonders in just its first 4 years, they have a good climate, wonderful people and fascinating places to visit. Oh and good Wine !
Wish me luck !
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Vehicle manufacturers are ripping off UK drivers!
by The Fall Guy invast numbers of vehicles sold in britain are sub-standard quality.
so many vehicle's indicators/turn signals only function when the steering wheel is turned to exit a motorway, overtake other vehicles, or to turn right or left at junctions.
more often than not, they just don't work at all!
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Phizzy
They either never work, or stay on too long, when cars are negotiating a Roundabout.
It is bloody annoying if you are waiting to enter, where da cluck are these cars going to turn ? When they do work, they often stay on too long, and you think the car is coming round your bit, but no, although still indicating as though they are, they shoot off down the exit before you, by which time the next car, no indication, IS coming round your bit.
Without doubt a refund is required. Of course BMW, Audi and Merc. drivers have to watch a Video before they drive the new car away from the showroom, entitled," How to Drive like an Arsehole".
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Upon learning of a terminal illness would you return to being a JW to appease your family?
by NVR2L8 inthis is an hypothetical question...i am doing well.
but i was thinking about how my jw family, grandchildren and all will feel when their inactive grandfather dies with no hope of being reunited in paradise.
of course there would be immediate rejoicing if i came back to the "truth" and a surge of conditional love from the "friends".
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Phizzy
No, I left because my personal integrity, as a lover of Truth, would not allow me to remain in the Tower of Lies. For that reason, and not wishing to waste a highly valuable moment of my life, I would not return.
The other consideration is that such dishonesty would only persuade my J.W family even more that they are in the " true religion" << there's an Oxymoron for you !
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Did You Know Any "Genuine"" Old School Anointed?
by Number 6 ingrowing up in scotland in the 1970s in scotland the anointed were few and far between, but we had one old dude in our cong who claimed to be one of the anointed.
in the days when it was taken seriously.. i'd be curious how you viewed them.
thing is, he wasn't an elder, or even a ministerial servant, just a plain old publisher.. but he was revered like he had a hotline to jesus.. the other week i was talking to a friend of similar age to me but who hung around the wt a lot longer than i did, and he just commented "oh him... he was a doddery old fool who used to just sit and piss himself.
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Phizzy
I knew 2 or three when I was a kid, in the Fifties. One old dear, probably in her eighties, only ever came to one or two Meetings a year at the K.H, the Memorial being one. I think she must have been one of the Bible Students of Russell's or Rutherford's time. She rarely "answered up", but was treated with due respect, but certainly not awe.
Another sweet old lady, older than the first, was a real Christian, full of love for people, always interested in even little kids like me,very spiritual in the real sense of being Christlike, lovely lady, without doubt she was from Russell's time. Her answers, and thoughts and her example were treated with the utmost respect.
My Parents used to speak in awe of another lady, from Russell's time for sure, who single-handedly began the Congregation in our small Market Town, she passed away before I was born.
I never met any later J.W's who claimed to be of the Anointed, but I heard of a few, one, a single Pioneer lady, started to take the Emblems in the Seventies, when she was in her Forties, I wish I could have spoken to her, knowing what I do now, to see what convinced her of the Heavenly hope, perhaps her own reading of the N.T ?