Phizzy

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Posts by Phizzy

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  65

  Would You Ever Go Back To The Witnesses??

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every once in a while you hear people say they actually “miss” their old witness friends and or family.

  some would have even stayed in the organization if they became a bit more liberal and open minded.

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  Phizzy

  NO and NO again ! as a lover of Truth my personal integrity would simply not let me.
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  103

  Are some of you scared?

  by BlackTwisted in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are some of you scared that armageddon may be coming anytime?

  lol.

  just the thought and the picture in your head that anybody can get killed....>.<.

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  Phizzy

  I never worried for myself about Armageddon when I was an active, believing JW. I believed that Big J was a god of justice, and if he judged that I was not worthy of Paradise, that would be fair and Just. So, I had no fear of Armageddon.

  As soon as I completed my study of the 1914 Doctrine, it took a few minutes, I realised that Armageddon could well be a nonsense, and certainly no human would know when it was likely to strike. I then researched the Book of Revelation.

  I soon discovered that it was a Political Tract of its time, not inspired, and not pointing forward to any time much further than the writer could foresee, although, as part of his Apocalyptic style of writing goes, as part of the genre, he appears to "prophecy" such an event. But then so did a lot of such writings, most of which did not make it in to the Bible Canon.

  Any thought of the reality of Armageddon was gone for me.
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  16

  Were the JWs ever anywhere near a bona fide religion?

  by punkofnice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the religion/corporation has changed constantly since the start.

  they appear more whacko than ever.. but, were the jws ever anywhere near a bona fide religion at any time?.

  disclaimer: i think all religions are a scam.

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  Phizzy

  I don't think the more mainstream Religions ever considered "Russellites" or Bible Students as they were probably more widely known as a Bona Fide religion. There are plenty of Articles and Pamphlets opposing Russell's views, some from Bible Students themselves.

  Rutherford was taken apart by the same sort of thing, I remember reading a pamphlet produced by a Church of England Minister that tore in to Rutherford's nonsense that was published just about the time they adopted the name Jehovah's Witnesses. I reckon most people of the time agreed with much of what he wrote. He started off by taking the piss out of their frequent change of name.

  I do think the general Public looked upon them, even in my youth, as just another sect, with maybe some reserve as to the strange views, but we were accorded respect, and often a hearing ear, as we door knocked. I do not remember at any time a great number who challenged the Bona Fides. But, I do remember one old gentleman who told me to study Russell's activities, he mentioned the " Miracle Wheat", and the fact that in his view Russell wanted to start a new religion, not to actually get back to Primitive Christianity.

  So not all of the Public, even then, in the 1950's, looked upon them as genuine.
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  24

  Oh How Far I've Come

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so this weekend my girlfriend and i will move into our own place together.

  it turns out that “a cord of three strands is stronger” is bullshit and two people in a relationship are perfectly capable of being happy without outside influence.

  what a journey i’ve had since leaving 3 and a half years ago!

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  Phizzy

  HUGE CONGRATULATIONS ! mainly on your bringing another non-JW in to the world !

  Your experience of the leaving process is very similar to mine, I soon came to realise that I should never have been a JW, though as a born in, I had no choice. I came to feel that it was not really me who had been a JW, but another personality, I am now entirely as though I had never been one as a person, though the experience and memories, some painful, will always be with me.

  I too now feel I am the real me, and as a kinder, more empathetic and understanding, oh, and honest person, I feel I am a much much better man than I ever was as a JW.

  I am sure you will make a great parent. May you and yours all have long and happy, fulfilled, lives !
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  27

  Hats Off To Simon

  by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  huge round of applause for simon (not every hero wears a cape).

  this is to say a huge big thank you,tons of appreciation and gratitude from me for simon for toiling away on his own dime for 20 years or so and keeping this site up and running .

  surely this site has helped tons of jdumbs n exjdumbs in their search for ttatt and freedom.

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  Phizzy

  I too appreciate Simon's work in keeping this Site going, in also modernizing it, so that it is even more user friendly.

  I have posted this before, but will repeat if you will allow me.This Site, and some wonderful Posters on it, saved my life. When I first found it, I was an active J.W, but was in deep Depression, and near to Suicide. A number of Posters begged me to seek Therapy, something I resisted as J.W's were strongly discouraged from doing so. I did find a wonderful Therapist who dragged me back from suicide, and helped me cure my depression. She rightly identified the JW "religion" and upbringing as the root of my problems, and showed me how to deal with it all.

  So, I cannot thank you enough Simon, and all involved with this Site. Please keep up the truly life saving work !
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  22

  The Faithful and Discreet Slave Just "have" The Truth

  by Number 6 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  in the late 80's when i was in my late teens i used to with my then wife to be attend a monday night pre-watchtower study at a local elders house.. this guy was revered as very knowledgable and he was scholarly and interesting to listen to; so at the time it was a genuinely enjoyable monday evening spent with oftentimes discussion would veer far of the subject at hand and lasting to well after 11pm some evenings.. this particular night, the subject up for discussion was "the faithful and discreet slave" and how we should be obeying them without question.

  right in the middle of the study this elder said as a question not in the wt article; "how do we really know the current fds as lead by the governing body are the real deal.

  i mean what actual proof do we have?".

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  Phizzy

  I had a conversation with a M.S some years ago, in which he made the claim that the G.B had the truth, I asked him, " When did that start then, them having the truth ? and how do you know they have it now ? and what if they change it tomorrow ? "

  He hurrumphed a bit and did not really answer me. Funnily enough, within a couple of years they came out with the Overlapping Generation nonsense. I wonder if he remembered my 3 part question ?
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  4

  1st Cent.Crucifixions to Order and for Sport

  by BluesBrother in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i found this video interesting, from the smithsonian channel.

  it explains how commonplace crucifixions were with specific mention of the patebelum crosspiece.

  https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/videos/crucifixion-became-a-very-popular-roman-spectator-sport/69754?an=history.

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  Phizzy

  The J.W argument, in the light of this Vid. looks even more strange, apart from their dodgy use of 1st Century Greek, Stauros, and all that,I heard them say that " Jehovah would not allow his son to be put to death on a Pagan Symbol".

  Well, the Cross in various forms was used in much of Pagandom, but this in the case of the Crucifixion, was simply an instrument of torture, and eventual death. It would not have been thought of as a religious symbol by the Romans, or the Jews, of the time.
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  48

  2019 service report is out

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the 2019 report is out:.

  https://download-a.akamaihd.net/files/media_publication/29/syr19_e.pdf.

  the “average publisher” figure for individual countries has made a comeback!

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  Phizzy

  I think your Calcs. must be very close to the reality for Scotland Slim. In an earlier Post, you said " but they are doing well compared with many other groups in secularising societies."

  I wonder if you have any ideas on why the J.W's are more successful at keeping members, despite the way Society is going ?
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  12

  Another Rare Beard Sighting

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is from a recent article about malawi, and the caption calls the man "brother welosi mbendera".. .

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  Phizzy

  Beards were never a great problem where I come from in the U.K, I wore one for years, used to give "away" Public Talks, a number of Elders in our Circuit wore beards.

  The only time they made a fuss was if they wanted you on a Convention Programme or heading a Convention Dept. then, no beards. They had it in writing you see, in the Instructions from H.Q about running a Convention.

  In writing yes, quoting some old Watchtower, but not a Scripture in sight !
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  41

  147th Gilead prt. 3 - this could stumble people

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  during gerrit loesch's talk just released, he goes on a long list of the false end times predictions throughout the millennia.

  i didn't expect it, but then he goes into the precursors to the bible students who, when their dates failed, changed christ's presence to have happened 'invisibly'.

  then it goes right into the jws, and he reads the quote from millions now living will never die about how we can 'confidently expect' the resurrection in 1925, and then the life everlasting book that predicted 1975. of course, he doesn't say how it's still going on, namely with the overlapping generation and its' accompanying convoluted chart, but still, this is more than they've ever said on the subject, especially recently.. it almost sounds like a forced statement, to address any backlash from people reading 'apostate lies' online, because he also says how the gb 'humbly' admitted mistakes, referencing the non-apology after 1975 that disturbed raymond franz.

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  Phizzy

  True Paley, but for PIMO's there is an opportunity to do what I did about a year before I left. This was over the membership of the Scarlet Coloured Wild beast or whatever they called the U.N.

  I answered up and put it in such a way ( can't remember exactly what I said) that it appeared I was not accusing the G.B of telling Porkies, which they obviously were, but still highlighted the problem. I saw an expression of extreme doubt cross the Elder's mind as he evaluated my answer, and some in the audience looked uncomfortable, but he had to accept what I said. I hope I planted a seed or two !

  PIMO's can do that, carefully phrased, with this stuff.