Posts by NotFormer

27

TODAY is my 56th anniversary of GOING TO PRISON as a Jehovah's Witness Conscientious Objector

by Terry in

jw
friends

what happened to jehovah’s witness young men and why did it happen?______in the 1960s men of draft age were called upon to either serve in the military (during the vietnam war) or to comply with the alternate service option: serving in a hospital or community in need.. non-jehovah’s witnesses were faced with only one refusal: military service.jw boys and young men were instructed (in private) to refuse the alternate civilian service as well.

the superior authorities had made this exemption for people of conscience.the law was clear on this.

if we worked in a hospital community we would be free to go about our witnessing ministry - if we double-refused: we would languish in prison.a no-brainer to them.

NotFormer

They could always have allowed conscription, or at least civilian service in lieu, based on Matthew 5:41. Being compelled to carry a Roman soldier's pack for a mile was a form of conscription.

But the GB wanted martyrs. Just as in the 90s they gloated about the deaths of children who refused blood transfusions, they wanted loyalty to the point of being imprisoned by young, healthy adults. It was also apparently a great way to recruit Bethelites.

After people like Terry sacrificed their youth and gained criminal records for themselves, the WT never acknowledged them or rewarded them in any way for their faithfulness. Then they quietly changed the rules...

27

Selena Vertolomo "The Mower" and her sister Sherrie call into The Six Screens TIME STAMP 2:53

by RESPECTFUL OBSERVER in

jw
friends

selena vertolomo, former jehovah's witnesses who was sexually abused in watchtower, went to visit tony morris in north carolina.

selena and her sister call in and explain their position.

callers dial in from around the world and ask plenty of questions.

NotFormer

BTW, I find it interesting that the blood doctrine came in not long after Rutherford's death from illness. Was he having blood transfusions as part of his treatment?

27

Selena Vertolomo "The Mower" and her sister Sherrie call into The Six Screens TIME STAMP 2:53

by RESPECTFUL OBSERVER in

jw
friends

selena vertolomo, former jehovah's witnesses who was sexually abused in watchtower, went to visit tony morris in north carolina.

selena and her sister call in and explain their position.

callers dial in from around the world and ask plenty of questions.

NotFormer

I agree with Diogenesister that, metaphorically, the GB demands the sacrifice of babies. When this Selena first made that claim I thought, "Well, she's technically correct".

I think it was in the 90s that a bizarre issue of the Watchtower was published, featuring pictures of children on its cover. When you read the article, it turned out that these children had all died from refusing blood transfusions*, in obedience to the GB's blood doctrine. Those arrogant mofos were gloating over the deaths of children, sacrificed to the blood doctrine!

I don't for a minute believe that the GB holds satanic rites where they murder babies, if that's what's being asserted.

* It's possible that a few of those kids may have died anyway even if they had had transfusions, due to the severity of the illnesses which they had, but the GB were sure as shooting happy that those children had been obedient unto death, and lauding their own blood doctrine for it. They seemed pretty convinced of cause and effect in these deaths.

27

Selena Vertolomo "The Mower" and her sister Sherrie call into The Six Screens TIME STAMP 2:53

by RESPECTFUL OBSERVER in

jw
friends

selena vertolomo, former jehovah's witnesses who was sexually abused in watchtower, went to visit tony morris in north carolina.

selena and her sister call in and explain their position.

callers dial in from around the world and ask plenty of questions.

NotFormer

Yeah, nothing I've heard about her passes "the sniff test", as far as I'm concerned.

The idea that there is a secret society operating within the organisation is a fun one, though 😸👍.

30

CIVILIAN SERVICE

by blondie in

how many remember when the wts changed their policy on alternative service; changed it to alternative civilian service so jw men could choose it because it was not supervised by the military.

shows how the wts quibbles with words to advance a "new teaching.

" flag salute, voting, civilian service p. 212. civilian service.

NotFormer

Is there a traceable sequence of events that led to the change, a credible timeline? For example certain governments were starting to ask questions about the subject, in a similar way that the Norwegian government began to ask questions about the shunning of children?

I would assume that an external paper trail wouldn't exist because if the legal department became aware of any government interest that could result in negative impact if not addressed, and they were sensible, they would be advising the GB to change the rules post haste. That assumes rational thinking.

On other threads people have suggested that the GB and other Bethelites really believe the "God's chosen people" thing, and that God will protect their way of life and how they do things, so it is possible that the Norway thing took them by surprise.

Is the shunning policy more important to them than the whole military/civilian service issue was?

28

2023-10-17 and 2023-10-20 Letters!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

2023-10-17-legal seminar.

page 1. https://imgbox.com/cm4qip9v .

page 2. https://imgbox.com/rvnapwrq .

NotFormer

"Have you ever had a homosexual relationship?" "If 'yes', please explain".

This can't be real; surely, this is a joke!

50

The Watchtower—Study Edition | December 2023 ...Are you marriage material?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

the watchtower—study edition | december 2023. study article 52. young sisters—become mature christian women.

18 you may choose to get married.

the qualities and skills that we have discussed will help you to become a capable wife.

NotFormer

FedUpJW: "Scheduled for 7:00 P.M. He and another elder showed up finally about 7:30 P.M. and as we had never met he introduced himself with he words, " My name is ______ ________. I'm sorry we are late, but when I got home from work I found my wife had bought a new cook-book without my permission so I had to take time to chastise her."

What a dick! Especially when you consider that she probably bought that cookbook to be a better housewife and mother!

13

Norway JWBorg news - WTBT$ demands subsidy despite their loss of religious status

by EasyPrompt in

https://cne.news/article/3755-norwegian-jehovah-s-witnesses-demand-subsidy-despite-their-loss-of-religious-status.

jesus never demanded "subsidies" from the government to share truth.

wtbt$ leaders love the god of their bellies/selfishdesires - having others provide communes for them in opposition to christ's direction.. .

NotFormer

I hope that they lose the case. And that the Norwegian government double down and remove their charitable status (if they have it, that is!)

The Norwegian government has made it clear that this is a "pay for play" situation; don't play nice, i.e. shun children, you lose the pay.

I think Vidiot is right, that if they really do believe their own press about being God's organisation, that this took them completely by surprise.

This was one of the few bright spots that brought hope that perhaps governments were beginning to get tired of WT shenanigans. The Spanish courts' decision about the El Mundo article is a disappointment. I hope that the Norwegian courts aren't fooled similarly.

12

Article: Spain: Jehovah’s Witnesses Win Important Case Against “El Mundo”

by Tahoe in

link to article .

a spanish court ordered the newspaper to publish the reply of the jehovah’s witnesses to a defamatory 2022 article.

the court found the newspaper has been fed false information by an association of disgruntled former witnesses and has uncritically published it.. .

NotFormer

This is a bit of a blow, really. I can't see a single lie in the list of things that the article supposedly lied about. Is it really just that they used the word "cult" that the court is ruling on?

As for "millions" of exjw activists, that's just the cult's paranoia being aired. They want to believe that the people who have left are actively their enemy. Interesting that they are admitting that millions have left them, though. An own goal, perhaps? 🤔

7

Disfellowshipped, Seeking Reinstatement

by NotFormer in

do disfellowshipped ones who want to be reinstated still have to sit up the back of the kingdom hall, away from everyone else, not allowed to speak to anyone?.

when did you realise that it wasn't worth it and finally decided to stop playing the game?.

is your life better now?.

NotFormer

I want to bring this topic BTTT because I have another question about disfellowshipped people seeking reinstatement: are disfellowshipped people expected to go out in field service? I think that the answer would be no, but I don't know. If not, then I assume that attending meetings is the only way to show that you are keen to rejoin.

Is someone reinstated ever held in the same esteem by the congregation as they were before disfellowshipping?

Has anyone disfellowshipped ever risen through the ranks to greater heights?