I was driving past the local Kingdom Hall a couple of Tuesday evenings ago, on my way to a bible study in someone's home (different denomination). A lot of cars were pulling into the carpark; physical meetings are not dead, at least in this country town. I'd be curious to see what attendance is like on Sunday, but I've got my own service to attend.
NotFormer
JoinedPosts by NotFormer
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19
The "Problem" With Zoom
by XBEHERE inhere is the org's problem with zoom, attending this way does not fit with their "scriptural definition" of a christian gathering.
at least not anymore, one thing my pimi wife is fine with is attending on zoom occasionally, even 2-3 times a month or so.. if some of you recall, during covid there were break out rooms setup for people to stay on and associate.
many would also stay in the main meeting and talk over each other trying to say hello, etc.
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Holiday Humor
by GLTirebiter inhas this ever really happened?
it's in the bee, so you never know!.
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NotFormer
"Arnold later admits he briefly panicked because no one alive even understands the 1914 prophecy"
Hence the drift away from it. Well spotted by the Bee! 👏🎁🎄🎀
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Japan Probe into Child Rearing Practices of JW's
by Sea Breeze inapparently in response to the probe of jw's in japan, the wt is seeking positive stories of jw's child-rearing practices:.
from reditt: .
re: urgent: request for assistance.
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NotFormer
The sleaze is palpable! 😡
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Jehovah's Witnesses are suing the Dutch state for discrimination
by jochie injehovah's witnesses believe it is unfair that the state only investigated their handling of abuse cases, and not other religious organizations.jehovah's witnesses have sued the dutch state for discrimination, the national government told trouw.
the reason: only their handling of sexual abuse has been scrutinized by the government, while other religious groups remained unaffected.
they find the fact that only they were the 'target' unfounded and therefore discriminatory.. the fact that a religious organization is suing the state is 'fairly unique', says special professor of law and religion paul van sasse van ijsselt.
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NotFormer
"Sander Dekker ordered this investigation because Jehovah's Witnesses themselves refused to have their dealings with abuse investigated, as the Catholic Church did at the time with the Deetman Commission"
So they're not being singled out; they singled themselves out!
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Jehovah's Witnesses suing Dutch State for discrimination
by Tahoe inhttps://nltimes.nl/2023/12/11/jehovahs-witnesses-suing-dutch-state-discrimination .
the jehovah’s witnesses have sued the dutch state for discrimination, the religious organization informed trouw.
they consider it discriminatory that the government investigated them, but no other religious organization, for their handling of sexual abuse cases.. utrecht university conducted the investigation involved, following publications in trouw in which sexual abuse victims within the jehovah’s witnesses described what happened to them, and published the results in january 2020. utrecht university concluded that 60 percent of sexual abuse victims were very critical of how the jehovah’s witnesses handled their cases, scoring the handling a 1 out of 10. many victims were traumatized by how things were handled, the researchers said.. sander dekker, then the minster for legal protection, ordered the investigation at parliament’s insistence because the jehovah’s witnesses failed to arrange an investigation themselves, as the catholic church did at the time with the deetman commission.. the jehovah’s witnesses cooperated in the utrecht university investigation but unsuccessfully tried to stop the publication of its results.
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NotFormer
I love the logic: "All those other religions, that we maintain our moral superiority to, were doing it too!"
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Those cringey demo’s 🙄
by MissDaSilva injust remembering those awful demonstrations that sisters were doing a couple of years ago.
the setting?
waiting in the queue at the covid vaccination centre.
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NotFormer
Allotment? As in a garden plot set aside somewhere within a city? How was that conversation meant to go? 🤔
Actually, the vaccination centre one sounds like it would be a real scream (or at least an eye-roller).
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Judicial Committees asking Details of Sex acts
by blondie ini remember knowing that jcs would ask very personal questions about sex activities.
this article addresses this: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15074595 .
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NotFormer
blondie, this Japanese situation is proving to be interesting. The WT is obviously on the radar over there. I wonder if there will be any formal government investigation into the practices of the organisation? The main problem is that this survey seems to have been commissioned by the parliamentary opposition. Unless the government picks this up, nothing much will come of it.
Positive aspects of it are that it has been highlighting issues like the shunning and harsh discipline of minors and CSA. Perhaps Japan, once the golden child of WT mission fields, is beginning to take stock of what the organisation is really about.
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Judicial Committees asking Details of Sex acts
by blondie ini remember knowing that jcs would ask very personal questions about sex activities.
this article addresses this: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15074595 .
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NotFormer
BluesBrother, the book may very well say that, but isn't it meant to be secret? So R&F JWs being grilled by the BOE are not going to be aware of their "rights". And if they are, they've been reading stuff they shouldn't have. Plus, resisting any line of questioning by an intrusive JC would surely be seen as demonstrating an attitude problem.
BluesBrother, your own testimony shows you to be an honourable man, and I'm not surprised that your fellow elders were too. The reputation of most JCs, at least as reported on here and elsewhere, is of a kangaroo court, where rules are made up on the spot, and with very few avenues for appeal.
The part you quote is quite short, and probably of little effect in the face of people who like taking liberties with their authority. It probably only really exists so that they have something to point to in the face of something like the RAC. It's an arse-covering clause at worse, and at best, a guideline.
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The ''dreaded'' birthday cake
by RULES & REGULATIONS inthe watchtower—study edition | september 2023. study article 39. let mildness be your strength.
11 if a workmate asks, for example, why we do not celebrate birthdays, consider: could he be wondering whether we are allowed to have a good time?
or might he feel that our position will dampen the company’s team spirit?
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NotFormer
DisgruntledFool, that article is written by Martin G Collins, who seems to be a pastor/minister/whatever* at Church of the Great God. They are a remnant of Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God. A bunch of curmudgeons and killjoys, by the the look of things. Some of those breakaways and holdovers despise the same holidays and celebrations that the JWs do, while believing that the old testament festivals should be observed.
Interestingly, that church website doesn't have a problem with mother's Day or father's Day; apparently it's only kids that aren't allowed an annual appreciation day. 🙄
*"elder", apparently.
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I hate the way they talk.
by Riley inwhat is with the jw cadence when they speak.
do they think they are teaching people ?
they sound like pro wrestlers doing promos or shakespearean actors.
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NotFormer
To the tune of "If I Could Talk To The Animals" from Dr Doolittle:
If we could talk like the Witnesses, just imagine it
Chatting to a Circuit Overseer
Imagine talking like an elder, chasing up a cheater,
What a neat achievement that would be.
If we could talk like the Witnesses, learn their languages
Maybe take a TMS degree.
We'd study theocratic jargon, how to doorstep bargain,
Bethelite, and MS, and GB.