i just had a visit from two guys who are engaged in a door-to-door campaign in the area, preaching "the gospel", and offering, to quote "the best news you are ever going to hear".
this was at 3:30 pm local time, an hour at by which all jws would have long called it a day.
while these two didn't identify themselves with any particular church group, it was quite obvious that they were neither jws or lds.
I've lived in my new house for a year, not a single JW has called on me yet. My old congregation dont know my address so that cant be the reason, and anyway i live in another territory.
It's a good thing the religion is all bullshit, otherwise i'd be toast in armageddon due to not hearing their "lifesaving message".
i'm just curious with all the happy clapping that is now going on with the singing at the conventions.
what has been the reaction to it with the r&f.
has anyone ever commented that it reminded them of a pentecostal revival meeting.
It's slowly metamorphosing into something else.
"Unlike other religions. We conduct ourselves with dignity. Those other religions with their happy-clappy emotionally charged singing - this is not for Christians brothers. We worship our God with dignity." - Our Circuit Overseer 2009.
"Our method of preaching is door to door. We're the only religion that does this on this scale. We dont have to stoop to the levels of other religions with their televangelism and street preaching". - Our Circuit Overseer 1998.
Wonder were those circuit overseers are now?
so i was reading thru a fb feed about poor chester bennington and in relation chris cornell, there were some rather heated and unusual (or usual whatever you may think ) comments... no disrespect to believers but since leaving the jws i just see this type of discussion as lunacy.
... "chester is going to hell ,he killed himself so it's black and white in god's word ."..
"why would a loving god send a person who suffers from mental illness to hell?
There's load of people on YouTube who are converts to Born Again Christianity. They have stories of dying and going to hell and seeing Hitler there etc. Then they get sent back up to earth for another chance.
Even if that was true, wouldn't that just mean you're worshiping God because if you dont he'll hurt you? That's not a nice relationship to be in. And of course, they see Hitler in his state of when he was in his "prime". Not the riddled old man he was before he killed himself.
i have seen a few comments about the nwt being an altered version of the bible and i must admit that when they released the new one it did not sit right with me.. i want to read the bible but not the nwt.
i also do not want to read one that has the thee and thou and ye etc because that will do my head in.. what translations do you recommend?.
New International Version is a fine translation. I beleive it's used and accepted my the majority of scholars.
I own a few, i'd recommend ESV Student Study Bible. I was amazed. Clear translation with footnotes and deeper insights for each verse. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Student-Study-Bible-Standard-Anglicised/dp/0007453272
so i was reading thru a fb feed about poor chester bennington and in relation chris cornell, there were some rather heated and unusual (or usual whatever you may think ) comments... no disrespect to believers but since leaving the jws i just see this type of discussion as lunacy.
... "chester is going to hell ,he killed himself so it's black and white in god's word ."..
"why would a loving god send a person who suffers from mental illness to hell?
One lady comments
My Aunt died and was bought back by paramedics and when she died she said she saw her husband who had killed himself sitting across from jesus so you can trust me that chester is in heaven
It's stuff like this which annoys me. If paramedics brought her back, then she wasn't dead. If there's still brain activity you're still alive. Once that goes. You're gone. The brain only has to be starved of oxygen before you're looking at irrecoverable brain damage even if they do resuscitate you. What this woman had was a dream/hallucination.
Second point. Even if medical science is wrong and she was actually dead, how does she know the guy opposite her husband was Jesus? It could've been Muhammad, Thor, Baphomet or some other undiscovered deity.
just though i'd start a thread devoted to languages, dialects/sociolects and accents, with the idea being that posters can comment on any language, or dialect or accent of any language, on this thread.. any phrases, expressions or idioms that you find interesting are also welcome.
first, the subject of english accents came up on another thread.. the british isles have many different types of accent (although many of the dialects may be dying out), and if i start to take a closer look, i can't help but see 'patterns' .... in received pronunciation of standard english, the letter r is pronounced initially, between vowels, and after consonants, e.g.
red, arrow, break.
Im from a part of Liverpool where they all talk quite strong scouse, but my accent is slight. In fact, words that have a T in the middle, i pronounce with an American accent without knowing. I think it's due to me working in immigration for 13 years. Speaking to foreign people all day everyday and i had to slow down and speak clearly.
However, i can switch to very scouse if i want to. Not that i ever do.
march 22, 2017 to all convention committees re: discontinuation of physical distribution of convention releases.
Im amazed that, in just the year since i left, how much they rely on video's to learn now. Not just at the conventions but in the KH too. Do they even do demonstrations anymore? Or is it always the silhouette video pretensions all the time now?
Only reason i can think of for this is, keep from away from reading the actual information because they may go online and research further.
well let me start with my age is 13 and i have been thinking about this jw thing and i need help i just dont know if i want to be one any more.. the help i need is some one to send me some links to places i can research i just dont know if i want to study with a jw any more..
This pamphlet here is full of useful facts: https://jwfacts.com/print/jw-studies-pamphlet.pdf
There are many things they're not telling you. I was born into this religion and i've learned more about it after leaving than i ever did while in.
march 22, 2017 to all convention committees re: discontinuation of physical distribution of convention releases.
Here in the UK at least the always cut a deal with the convention owners that we WILL make use of the refreshment stands. We're always "encouraged" to buy something from the hotdog/tea/coffee stands (even though the prices are far too high).
I remember Circuit Overseer Paul Robson in 4 years ago say on the platform "some people think we cut back on literature pages because of money. Hohoho!!, brothers, the society doesn't worry about money." - i'd like to hear that talk again. Receiving physical books at the convention was at least something to look forward to. I mean, they were the same re-cycled crap but it was something to expect. I read eBooks but i still prefer the real thing in my hands. Im sure we all do. And what of the old dears that dont like or don't want to use eReaders? Order one through your literature desk? We all know how long that takes to arrive.
Hmmm.... it's almost as if "there's more money going out, than there is coming in..."
Nice to hear. Long may they be sued and hemorrhage money.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/former-jehovahs-witness-jailed-for-historical-sex-offences-against-young-sisters-20170724-gxhjcb.html.
sentences in bold are mine:.
a canberra man has been jailed for historical sex offenses against two teenage girls in his church in 2004.. the 56-year-old former jehovah's witness pleaded guilty to touching one's backside as she leaned in to log on to their home computer for him.. he also pleaded guilty to lifting another girl onto his lap and placing his hand on her genitals for two to three minutes.
Sentences in BOLD are mine:
A Canberra man has been jailed for historical sex offenses against two teenage girls in his church in 2004.
The 56-year-old former Jehovah's Witness pleaded guilty to touching one's backside as she leaned in to log on to their home computer for him.
He also pleaded guilty to lifting another girl onto his lap and placing his hand on her genitals for two to three minutes. The sisters were at his home after his wife had offered to babysit for their parents.
After the incidents the church launched an investigation and the man was "reproved" - disciplined within the church, the ACT Magistrates Court heard. He wrote a letter of apology to the girls and delivered it to their home. He did not return to the church.
It wasn't until 2014 that one of the victims approached the police and made a complaint.
Sentencing magistrate Bernadette Boss said it was "most unfortunate" that, as has happened before, a church failed to notify the authorities about an allegation of sexual abuse.
It made the church complicit and "appears to have exacerbated the effect on the victims of the offense," Dr Boss said.The two women provided victim impact statements to the court that were read out by the prosecutor. They described moving away from Canberra and struggling with their health and relationships with friends, family and God.
The elder sister said she took medication to sleep and would into the future, and even though she wanted a family it was dangerous to fall pregnant while taking the drugs.
The younger sister said she feared older men and had to end a serious relationship because the man looked similar to the offender.
"I was young and innocent and unable to defend myself," her statement read.
Dr Boss sentenced the man to a two-year good-behaviour order and 200 hours of community service for the first offense.
He was jailed for nine months for the second, more serious offense, with two months of that to be served in full-time custody and the rest suspended on another two year good behavior order.
The magistrate noted that as a result of the convictions the man would lose his job working in IT in the public service and had already lost his security clearance. He would be listed on the sex offender registry.
She noted the man had no criminal history. But she said that was unfortunately not unusual in this kind of offending where often it was a person's good character that gave them access to positions of trust.
"Our children are the most valuable asset of our community," Dr Boss said in sentencing. "They must be protected almost at all costs."
