Phizzy

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Posts by Phizzy

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  9

  Visiting old churches

  by moley in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i was a jw i did and still enjoy visiting old churches and cathedrals because of the history and amazing architecture of these wonderful old buildings.

  a sister in my old congregation regaled us with a story of a visit to the tower of london and walking up this crowded narrow staircase only to discover it led to an old chapel.

  the way she described her horror at almost entering you would have thought they were doing human sacrifices.

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  Phizzy

  My wife and me did, for the same reasons as you, and never gave it a thought, apart from being aware that other J.W's would have a stupid fear of doing so etc. I never bothered about what other J.W's would think of our enjoyable visits.

  After we woke up and left, we were able to visit more of these wonderful buildings, and we also visited Winchester Cathedral one Sunday, and joined in the Service to the extent of sitting through it, we really wanted to fully see the cathedral when the Service had ended.

  We also visited a number of Churches and Chapels, of various Denominations, and sat through the Services there.

  Nowadays we would not bother with the Services, we are both Atheists. But if able to do so, will still visit any building that is historically and/or Architecturally interesting.
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  13

  JW's in the Hot Seat in Czech Republic

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  looks like things are heating up in the czech republic over the horrifying practice of shunning children that ask the "wrong" questions.

  kids now days have access to all of the watchtower's lies, manipulations, unnecessary deaths, flip flops, rejection of jesus as mediator etc, etc.

  i predict this issue of shunning children will continue to threaten free government money that the wt receives.

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  Phizzy

  " That's where the legal battles must target to. " That would be great, but Courts around the World will shy away from any such action I fear, for a number of fairly valid reasons.

  But, as Shunning someone the Org. labels as Apostate, under their catch all, and broad, interpretation of the word, does remove the Human Rights of the individuals shunned.

  Human Rights always take precedence over religious belief and practice, or should do.
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  17

  "Everyone Wants To Leave"

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a thread about steve hassan re-emerged and got me looking him up.

  his wikipedia entry had a point under "criticism" that there is an underlying assumption in his approach that all members of high control groups ultimately want to leave*.. while it is generally believed that there are a lot of pimos still attending, doing field service and giving lip service to the wt, i doubt that everyone within the congregations want to get out.

  it's not always internally and logically consistent, but it's been around long enough for enough workarounds to make it tolerable to emerge.. what do you think?

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  Phizzy

  " I was a PIMO, but I could not stay that way and support the lies and get others to join the BORG."

  Me too, for some years before I finally woke up and left, I made no real efforts to make Converts, some excellent "Marks" I did not continue to call back on, eventually I stopped F.S altogether, as I could not in all conscience teach the 1914 crap, or defend it of course.

  An Elder who had called on me to find out why I, the best real doer of F.S in the Congregation probably, had stopped cold turkey. He promised to call back on me and prove 1914 to me, he never did, says it all.
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  20

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

  by BoogerMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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.

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  Phizzy

  " that fact alone technically makes you an apostate."

  Spot on, using the real definition of Apostate, but we all know it is used as a demonising trigger word for J.W's, part of the Org's extreme Mind Control.

  It is done so that J.W's just will not listen to our words, even thought they are words of truth.

  As a wise man said " Even if the Devil himself speaks truth, it is still Truth".

  But J.W's mainly cannot handle the truth !

  
  
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  18

  Do JWs Really Say This?

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i stumbled, via a google search, upon a part of jw space that is usually heavily defended against outsiders like my good self.

  in a discussion, someone started their post with "i (started doing x)... when the slave began to suggest doing so"*.

  do pimis really talk that way?

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  Phizzy

  It is a shame those people using that name/label "Slave" do not have the sense to realise anyone fulfilling the Role of Slave/Servant should be working ONLY for the benefit of those they serve, in this case, the JW believers worldwide.

  The G.B & Cronies only look after their own interests, which mainly consist of $$$.
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  NWT Study Edition - Serious omission!!!!!

  by BoogerMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  “melchizedek, king of salem, priest of the most high god”.

  unique features of melchizedek’s priesthood .

  5. jesus, “a priest forever in the manner of melchizedek” .

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  Phizzy

  Sorry, I may be incredibly thick, but what "omission" do you refer to in the NWT ? or are you saying that in the Mags. etc the Org. should claim the 144,000 are all Mini Mels ?

  The problem with doing that is they will be laughed at by all non J.W's who have an interest in Scripture, but as that has never stopped them, in all their history, from spouting total nonsense and adding to Scripture in a blatant manner with zero shame, you are probably right, they ARE missing a trick.

  But perhaps they may not wish even more to be "partakers" claiming to be of the 144,000, a figure already proven to be ridiculous.
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  17

  "Everyone Wants To Leave"

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a thread about steve hassan re-emerged and got me looking him up.

  his wikipedia entry had a point under "criticism" that there is an underlying assumption in his approach that all members of high control groups ultimately want to leave*.. while it is generally believed that there are a lot of pimos still attending, doing field service and giving lip service to the wt, i doubt that everyone within the congregations want to get out.

  it's not always internally and logically consistent, but it's been around long enough for enough workarounds to make it tolerable to emerge.. what do you think?

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  Phizzy

  I agree GLT, and I listened to, and watched, a Video from a Psychologist who had worked extensively helping people who did want to leave High Control groups, and she said exactly the same as you.

  A wise man said "When the Student is ready, the Teacher shall arrive".

  We need to make sure we are equipped thoroughly to be that Teacher, as opportunity arises. It needs to be done with great skill and empathy, along with compassion, or we may do more harm than good.

  Also good judgement needs to be exercised, some people are simply not equipped to leave, either emotionally, or in some cases financially, they also may well lack the Social Skills to join the real World of Normal People, and hence will struggle to make new friends, and hence will have no support, having lost all of their "friends" and associates, their Support Network.

  But I do feel that as time goes on, we will be able to help many to leave, as you so rightly say, when they are ready.
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  17

  "Everyone Wants To Leave"

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a thread about steve hassan re-emerged and got me looking him up.

  his wikipedia entry had a point under "criticism" that there is an underlying assumption in his approach that all members of high control groups ultimately want to leave*.. while it is generally believed that there are a lot of pimos still attending, doing field service and giving lip service to the wt, i doubt that everyone within the congregations want to get out.

  it's not always internally and logically consistent, but it's been around long enough for enough workarounds to make it tolerable to emerge.. what do you think?

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  Phizzy

  I think if people in such High Control Groups realise it or not, deep. deep down they DO wish they were free.

  This is how Cognitive Dissonance works, if thoughts about this begin to get nearer the surface, they are immediately pushed way back down again.

  So everyone does want to leave, even if the closest they get to expressing it to themselves is something like "I wish Armageddon and the New System were here", that means they wish the regime they live under was over.

  To criticise Hassan because his Books etc. assumes everyone wants to leave is silly, that is why they would be reading his books etc. !

  And deep down everybody wants to leave, even if they think they don't, and think they are perfectly happy.
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  86

  Prediction: no more changes for a long while

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i’ve noticed a pattern where things don’t go the way i expect them to go and/or whenever i realise there is a trend and, i mentally adjust for the idea that the trend will continue, the trend stops in its tracks.

  so on that basis, and given many people, including myself, and active jws, have been asking ‘what changes will the governing body make next?’ perhaps the (disappointing) answer is: ‘nothing much for a while to come’.

  maybe they’ve made the changes they want for now, and will wait a while and see how it’s received.

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  Phizzy

  " will call to check on your "spirituality".

  When I was just beginning to wake up, I cancelled our Direct Debit, I didn't hear a word from the Elders or anyone else.

  That was circa 2006, I had been donating £40.00 a Month at the time.

  I guess it is very different now !
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  12

  First Half of the Book of Hebrews (Study Edition) Now Available Online

  by Wonderment in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  april 11, 2024 (source: jw.org) .

  first half of the book of hebrews (study edition) now available online.

  the first half of the bible book of hebrews (chapters 1-7) is now available in the study edition of the new world translation of the holy scriptures on jw.org and in jw library.

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  Phizzy

  I see they are still claiming this was written by Paul. A consensus of Scholars date this Work to many decades after the death of Paul.