There seem to many seemingly political topics started in this section. It's usually something controversial and not related to this subject area. It would be nice to have this area reserved for it's appropriate subject. Just my opinion. Who agrees with me? Who disagrees?
wisdomfrombelow
JoinedPosts by wisdomfrombelow
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7
Politics Aside...
by wisdomfrombelow inthere seem to many seemingly political topics started in this section.
it's usually something controversial and not related to this subject area.
it would be nice to have this area reserved for it's appropriate subject.
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wisdomfrombelow
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40
we have a laid off bethelite with an engineering degree!
by nowwhat? inthis guy have been at bethel for 25 years when he could have been making 75-100 thousand a year as an engineer.
so they kick him to the curb so they don't have to house him and his wife anymore.
they run into a problem at warwick and they ask him to come back for 3 weeks.
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wisdomfrombelow
Like Magnum, I know a lot of JWs with Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees and most of them are doing well in the job market. I know some Bethelite's with engineering degrees that did just fine when they left Bethel because if their volunteer work was related to their degree they would have experience working for a multinational company and that counts for something.
Most of them are deserving of the degree they got and worked very hard at prestigious universities to get them. To think that just because they were a JW they somehow don't think is really unfair. Is everyone who is is religious and idiot because they accept things that others think is unnecessary or foolish? I can't make that assessment.
If they choose to remain or enter the full-time ministry as a JW then that might limit their job opportunities as often the job offers are for full-time work. But I dislike the blanket statements about not being worthy of graduating. Some people I know who are very bright don't have the self-discipline to finish a course they find "boring" and hence don't graduate. That's just as unacceptable in my book.
There are smart graduates and their are less-bright graduates. Some have good people skills and some don't. But I'd rather have the degree than the same knowledge and intelligence without the degree as sometimes that can help in getting the job when all other things are equal.
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Serena Williams Pregnant
by wisdomfrombelow innow that she has announced that she is 20 weeks pregnant and not married, what is her status in the cult?
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wisdomfrombelow
Now that she has announced that she is 20 weeks pregnant and not married, what is her status in the cult?
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In praise of Randall Watters
by nicolaou inexjw's of a certain age will remember randy's site well.
freeminds was instrumental in waking me up along with ray franz's books.
if net soup and armageddon okies mean nothing to you you're probably under 30.. whatever caused randy to post what he did recently is something i can only guess at but it won't be what i remember him for.. randy, i wish you well and thank you for all you've done over the years .
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wisdomfrombelow
What happened? The links are all gone on the freeminds website.
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Looking for a bit of advice in a difficult situation
by Oversteer ini'm looking for a bit of guidance here and not really sure where to turn.
maybe someone has been in a similar situation and can help me out.. currently i'm an awake, baptized jw.
have been for a few years.
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wisdomfrombelow
You should find out your compatibility first. Then you can offer your transplant. I would not discuss your medical plans with your sibling and only with the doctor. If you are a match and the recipient chooses blood free surgery perhaps you, if you are the donor, could choose surgery without that restriction. In the USA confidentiality laws limit what can be told to anyone so you could keep your decision confidential.
No need to "out yourself" or discuss it with anyone else either before or after the surgery. Learn to keep quiet and perhaps you can save your sibling.
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Impact of NWT
by menrov inhi all, just recently i was thinking about the period of my study and eventual baptism as jw.
it took many years, i guess in all about 10 years.
various times i stopped the study but after a while it started again.
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wisdomfrombelow
I agree with oldhippie on this. If you want to use another translation it might be viewed as odd but that won't stop you from being baptized. The focus of the meetings is not the bible but their bible study aids. That is what they care about. If you can agree with the baptismal questions then you can get baptized no matter what version of the bible you use.
As regarding the "need to get baptized" that is a requirement for Christianity. Almost universally it is done but the method and prerequisties vary amongst the denominations. Some people have many doubts but get baptized anyway in hopes of getting the "prize"
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Why Marrying An Outsider Is NOT A Disfellowshipping "Offense"
by Divergent inso yeah, i was thinking about this.
marrying an unbeliever is considered to be wrong, but at the same time, it is not a disfellowshipping "offense".
well, the reason is simple: there is more to gain than to lose by not disfellowshipping.
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wisdomfrombelow
You can get disfellowshipped for marrying an unbeliever. And it is automatic if the unbeliever is a disfellowshipped witness. I think the branch manual said that if a person would willfully remarry their disfellowshipped former mate, that would be grounds for their disfellowshipping. Someone can "fact check" that but I believe it is one of the only instances where it is automatic disfellowshipping and not automatic disassociation.
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Why Marrying An Outsider Is NOT A Disfellowshipping "Offense"
by Divergent inso yeah, i was thinking about this.
marrying an unbeliever is considered to be wrong, but at the same time, it is not a disfellowshipping "offense".
well, the reason is simple: there is more to gain than to lose by not disfellowshipping.
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wisdomfrombelow
So why not allow polygamy?
Where is polygamy shown to be unacceptable for Christians? It used to be permissble for a Jehovah's Witness to have more than one wife in countries where the practice was legal. I think Knorr changed the policy in the 50s so that it became a disfellowshipping offense. But I believe there was a "grandfather clause" where those who had multiple wives were allowed to keep them.
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The bOrg Cult Tactics
by pale.emperor ini'm wondering if the borg actually studied mind control and coercion tactics deliberately or wether they just evolved over time through trial and error.
from reading steve hassans books, studying hypnosis and methods psychopaths use it all seems very complex.
like it would never occur to me to do a, b and c in the right order at the right time in order to get control of someone or control their lives.. for example, repetition of words (the word "loyalty" was a big one in the last convention), using loaded language, encouraging people not to trust their own thoughts, restricting their information, demonising those who leave etc.
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wisdomfrombelow
I'm wondering if the bOrg actually studied mind control and coercion tactics deliberately or wether they just evolved over time through trial and error.
I believe that the methods evolved over time. It is just "see what works" and then the methods that work most effectively are the negative ones. Just look at how some of the early decisions were made in the organization versus how they are made now. A heavy hand is used for everything because that is found to be effective.
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What's Is The Goal Of This Religion?
by pale.emperor inwhat's is the goal of this religion?.
i mean, if it's for money they could do a lot more like other religions do: tithing, paying for prayers from the gb, selling "miracles", selling "blessed" items, selling courses.. if its for power then what are they hoping to do with that power?
they dont seem to do anything.
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wisdomfrombelow
The goal of this religion hasn't changed since it began as a religion. To financially support the Watch Tower Society in any way possible. Previously it was primarily though literature sales and now that has changed to other means. The Watch Tower organization's one goal is to continue to exist.