pale.emperor

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Posts by pale.emperor

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  28

  2019 JW Statistics

  by Attewc in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is the updated chart based on jw.org provided statistics found here: link to 2019 statistics.

  anything that stands out to you ?.

  .

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  pale.emperor

  Over 5000 more memorial partakers in just 4 years?

  I remember in the 90s when we were bragging that the numbers were going down - a sure sign that the big A was close at hand.
  
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  30

  If you're "anointed" don't seek out other "anointed" so says the Watchtower January 2020

  by RolRod in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i was affiliated with the witnesses, there were barely 6,000 who profess to be of the anointed remnant.

  i recently read somewhere that today there are over 20,000 who profess to be anointed.

  that figure may be more when you consider those who meet and partake privately for fear of the stigma of claiming to be anointed.

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  pale.emperor

  It always creeps me out how the literature tells the members how to think, as if what they say is law:

  Anointed Christians do not feel that they should spend time only with other anointed ones, as if they were members of an exclusive club. They do not search out other anointed ones, hoping to discuss their anointing with them or to form private groups for Bible study.

  And yet, some do. So what does that tell you?
  
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  4

  5 Letters From the UK Arrived!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  all the letters are about fire alarm stuff except the announcements and reminders.. 2019-12-26-2020--kingdom hall fire alarm survey (gbr) great britain.

  https://docdro.id/uascztp.

  2019-12-27-2020--kingdom hall fire alarm survey (irl) ireland.

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  pale.emperor

  Oooh! A new Sheperd The Flock Of God book in April 2020? Just in time for Easter.
  
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  19

  First Proper Chat With the JWs in Almost 11 Years

  by passwordprotected in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  since disassociating in october 2008, i've had little to no direct contact with the jws, apart from immediate family members (ie my parents).

  i've lived in my rented flat since may 2014 and haven't had a knock on the door in that whole time.

  until saturday morning.

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  pale.emperor

  I think you handled that perfectly.

  I like to think i'd take the same approach. On the (very) rare occasion I speak to a JW on the cards I pretend I dont know anything about their religion.

  So, is Jehovah like, your prophet?

  Do you have a pope?

  What book do you use?

  Then casually mention my former religion, Scientology, making my family shun me for simply disagreeing with David Miscavige.
  
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  8

  JWs In The UK: Jehovah's Witnesses sued over 'historical sex abuse

  by pale.emperor in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51006771.

  according to my older brother, my mother now refuses to watch the news in case they mention this story.

  funny, when the news exposed the catholic church she turned the volume up.. at least 20 former jehovah's witnesses are suing the group over historical sexual abuse they say they suffered.the group has a policy of not punishing alleged child sex abuse unless a second person, alongside the accuser, has witnessed it - or an abuser confesses.it says its elders "comply with child-abuse reporting laws even if there is only one witness", though, and always tell police if a child is in danger.but one former elder said it had been failing to involve the authorities.john viney, who says he was abused between the ages of nine and 13, by "a distant family member who was an active jehovah's witness", added children were still being abused and the religious organisation was "inadvertently" protecting their abusers.

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  pale.emperor

  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51006771

  According to my older brother, my mother now refuses to watch the news in case they mention this story. Funny, when the news exposed the Catholic church she turned the volume up.

  At least 20 former Jehovah's Witnesses are suing the group over historical sexual abuse they say they suffered.
  
  The group has a policy of not punishing alleged child sex abuse unless a second person, alongside the accuser, has witnessed it - or an abuser confesses.
  
  It says its elders "comply with child-abuse reporting laws even if there is only one witness", though, and always tell police if a child is in danger.
  
  But one former elder said it had been failing to involve the authorities.
  
  John Viney, who says he was abused between the ages of nine and 13, by "a distant family member who was an active Jehovah's Witness", added children were still being abused and the religious organisation was "inadvertently" protecting their abusers.
  
  "The way that Jehovah's Witnesses handle matters within the congregation, it's a closed shop," he told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.
  
  "I know for a fact now that there are parents that haven't done anything about the abuse of their children by others because they don't want to bring reproach on Jehovah's name."
  
  Mr Viney's own daughter, Karen, was abused as a child - and has since spoken out about it publicly.
  
  But when she left the organisation, Mr Viney disowned her - something he has regretted ever since.
  
  "When I was an elder and a dad, I put being an elder absolutely first," he said. "And that was a mistake."
  
  Mr Viney said he had eventually reported his own abuser to the police, in 2019, after years of being too "ashamed", only to be told the man had gone on to abuse other children and died in prison.
  
  "What would have happened if I had had the courage and common sense to come forward [at the time]?" he said.
  
  Thomas Beale, a solicitor representing some of the former members, said they had decided to seek compensation after asking the group for an apology only to find it "denying what has happened or refusing to engage".
  
  Those taking the legal action say the organisation is "vicariously liable" for the abuse they say they suffered. Some claim it was negligent.
  One woman, Emma - not her real name - said after she had been abused she had been visited by elders who had repeated scripture "about why we should keep it in-house, not follow the laws of the land".
  
  And she had been asked to recount explicit details, with the elders "glaring at me".
  
  Several former members have also told BBC News they were made to discuss their allegations with elders at a "judicial committee", while their alleged abuser sat next to them.
  
  Emma's abuser was jailed for two years.
  
  But, she said, following his release, he had been welcomed back into the organisation.
  Labour's Sarah Champion, the chair of a cross-party group of MPs looking at adults who experienced child sexual abuse, said she had "very serious concerns" about a convicted child abuser being allowed "back into a community where they have access to vulnerable people".
  
  She said she had met elders who "believe that there is more than enough safeguarding in place... [but] couldn't think of an example when they would go to the police about their concerns".
  
  And the group saw child abuse as "a sin that they need to deal with internally".
  
  "That's really concerning to me," she added.
  
  The Charity Commission has been investigating the Jehovah's Witnesses organisation since 2013.
  
  A spokeswoman said the inquiry remained ongoing, but would not comment further.
  'Educated parents'
  
  A Jehovah's Witnesses spokesman said: "The only way that a child abuser can gain access to children in a religious organisation like ours, which does not have any programmes that separate children from their parents, is through parents themselves."
  
  He said that for "decades", the organisation had educated parents "about the dangers of child abuse and how they can protect their children" and parents and victims were informed they had the right to report the matter to the authorities.
  
  "If a congregant has been guilty of child sexual abuse, our elders inform parents with minors so that they can take measures to protect their children," he added.
  
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  37

  Were You Willing To Die For Jehovah?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we were supposed to be dedicated unconditionally to jehovah god.

  we were willing to be persecuted to the death if need be.

  if it came to taking a blood transfusion or dying, we were loyal to jehovah and would be a martyr for god.

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  pale.emperor

  There was a time where I actually looked forward to the day when I could “prove my loyalty” by dying for Jehovah. I used to liken it to Christians dying in the Roman arena. It was a guaranteed pass into “the new system”.

  i was also convinced that I’d go to prison one day during the great tribulation.
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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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  pale.emperor

  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! I’ve tried pretty much everything I wanted to try and now have my own legitimate reasons for doing or not doing certain things. No Watchtower magazines required.

  I’ve met a few ex-JWs and told them about this site. There’s quite a few lurkers so I’m told. Some have since left and told me they’ve been visiting this site even when they were believers to see what we talk about.

  Who’dve thought that only 4 years ago I was the stand-in talk guy in the congregation for when the speaker didn’t turn up. I was stuck in a co-dependant marriage to somebody who – in all fairness – we both were not suited for. She’s since left and engaged to someone else and we get on just fine.

  I honestly can’t believe I used to be a JW, my personal tastes, opinions, character and values have all been explored and allowed to grow until I know who I am and am completely comfortable with myself.

  I no longer need validation from other people and I certainly don’t base my life choices by consulting 8 men in America I’ve never met. I don’t tell people what to do, not do I stop them doing what they want to do (unless it’s harmful to others). I have real goals and can honestly say I’m a much kinder, understanding and reasonable person since leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

  And that’s not all folks…

  
  

  2020 if off to a great start already.

  I just want to say thanks to all of you for getting me through the difficult first year when I woke up from the "religion". Without this forum I would have been at my wits end.
  
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  12

  My Grandmothers Funeral

  by Enrique Tomlinson 1 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my beloved grandmother has passed away and her funeral is next week at a kingdom hall.

  she was a loyal jw, and unfortunately i am not understanding of the funeral procedures.

  please could you kindly explain what what will happen in the funeral?

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  pale.emperor

  My condolences to you.

  Adding to what others have said here, they wont let you read a poem up on the platform in the Kingdom Hall. But it would be possible in the crematorium or burial site if you make your intentions known beforehand.

  Also be aware that in this time of grief, some well-meaning Jehovah’s Witnesses will more than likely use it as an opportunity to try and offer you a “free home bible study” and inform you that, as they believe, god promises an earthly resurrection where you can see her again.
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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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  pale.emperor

  Yh, cheers Simon.

  This forum was practically therepy for me when I woke up. I still remember writing my first post with my heart pounding in my chest.
  
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  107

  Do You Trump Should Have Exterminated That Poor Iranian Fellow?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good move or bad?

  ?.

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  pale.emperor

  That poor Iranian fellow

  - gosh, that gave me a chuckle!