Posts by NotFormer

29

FRANCE IS AFTER THE WATCHTOWER WITH NEW ANTI-CULT PASSED IN THE ASSEMBLY

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/uvdmjpmgxk8?si=qdvgimktegx4fepm.

the watchtower's nightmares have just began in france.

on april the 9th the french senate passed a new "anti-cult" law that will basically strengthen the hands of miviludes, the french agency, the official anti-cult agency that is cracking down on dangerous cults.

NotFormer

"Remember the one full page WT declaration against France in the NYT."

I wonder what they were thinking that that would achieve. It would have been back in the days* when they were still winning their court cases based on the right to religious freedom and so on. So, was this an open letter, designed to get their sugar-daddy, the US government, to come in and champion their cause against France? If there is even a smidgeon of truth to my conjecture, the hypocrisy is palpable. Expecting the evil worldly government to be their white knight? What happened to "waiting on you-know-who"?

*I too was unaware of this; waiting on a link as well.

83

Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

by Ron.W. in

a slightly tongue in cheek, but also serious roundup of jw speak and why trying to reason with them is like trying to chip through concrete with a plastic spoon.. how many can you think of??.

elder: 'yes.

i read through the material you asked me to at your judicial meeting - you're right we're both in a cult!

NotFormer

A Christmas song.

Oh, wait!

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/4864613443698688/org-came-out-christmas-song

12

Jehovah's Witnesses' "disfellowshipping" examined in Psychiatric Journal. "How Religious Shunning Ruins Lives".

by Balaamsass2 in

if it is illegal for minors to get married, enter into contracts, drink, and smoke, why is it legal for them to enter into lifelong religious contracts they can not break without family shunning and community ostracism????

how religious shunning ruins lives.

a form of institutionalized estrangement, shunning hurts health of the excluded.. updated march 27, 2024 |psychology today magazine.

NotFormer

This is great! The more the mainstream media notices these bastards (WT GB), the more government attention will be attracted and hopefully more pressure will be brought to bear, reducing what the arseholes can get away with.

18

Apostate lies are NOW fulfilling BIBLE PROPHECY 😅

by raymond frantz in

the new study article 28 watchtower that has just been published on jw.org is about apostate lies and introduces new concepts in their effort to compat apostasy in the congregations.

so despite the loosening of their recent disfellowshipping rules their fight against apostates is still raging hard.

according to the foreword of this article, they will concentrate on :.

NotFormer

"Didn’t you know?

"Everything apostates say is, by default, a lie. Even the stuff that’s true."

Reminds me of Garak's "Especially the lies" quote.

https://youtu.be/4n8j6z8fQ_c?si=qvzfz0AVB-0EN4R2

86

Prediction: no more changes for a long while

by slimboyfat in

i’ve noticed a pattern where things don’t go the way i expect them to go and/or whenever i realise there is a trend and, i mentally adjust for the idea that the trend will continue, the trend stops in its tracks.

so on that basis, and given many people, including myself, and active jws, have been asking ‘what changes will the governing body make next?’ perhaps the (disappointing) answer is: ‘nothing much for a while to come’.

maybe they’ve made the changes they want for now, and will wait a while and see how it’s received.

NotFormer

ThomasMore: "I don’t actually believe WTC has a 10 year plan. Most of the decision makers don’t have a 10 day plan."

The only long-term plan the GB has is to stay in power. The same as any head of state or government. You're right that the decision making is day to day. They are only driven to change by changes in external factors. Vidiot often makes the point that none of the changes are ever dynamic (that would allow for the concept of a plan) but that they are always reactive. They only change when survival is at stake.

85

Disaster preparedness

by ElderBerry in

as your family considers its disaster preparedness plan, please ensure that the secretary has up-to-date contact information for you and your emergency contact.

also, we have re- peatedly seen good results when brothers and sisters are prepared with go bags and are ready to obey direction when they face various kinds of disasters.

please be sure you have a go bag, and review its contents at least once a year.

NotFormer

"The elders don’t know what to do they keep asking the branch but only get directions to lovingly take care of the refugees."

The elders should threaten to stop sending congregational donations to the Branch, and use them to lovingly take care of the refugees instead.

18

Apostate lies are NOW fulfilling BIBLE PROPHECY 😅

by raymond frantz in

the new study article 28 watchtower that has just been published on jw.org is about apostate lies and introduces new concepts in their effort to compat apostasy in the congregations.

so despite the loosening of their recent disfellowshipping rules their fight against apostates is still raging hard.

according to the foreword of this article, they will concentrate on :.

NotFormer

"Soon the Devil will use powerful propaganda to mislead entire nations into taking sides against Jehovah."

Snarky reference to Norway, perhaps? And to inoculate JWs against future government crackdowns on WT excesses?

Powerful propaganda? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! 🤬

8

Was Anyone Ever Disfellowshipped For Having a Beard?

by NotFormer in

i read a comment somewhere that having a beard ( before such was allowed) was never a disfellowshippable offence.

but does that mean that no-one who grew a beard was ever eventually disfellowshipped?.

growing a beard when such was frowned upon would surely attract the attention of those with nothing better to do, and possibly lead to sniffing around to try and find things that the "disobedient" one was up to.

NotFormer

I read a comment somewhere that having a beard ( before such was allowed) was never a disfellowshippable offence. But does that mean that no-one who grew a beard was ever eventually disfellowshipped?

Growing a beard when such was frowned upon would surely attract the attention of those with nothing better to do, and possibly lead to sniffing around to try and find things that the "disobedient" one was up to. And I imagine that such "weak ones" were subject to "soft shunning" ; not officially shunned, but avoided anyway.

And it wouldn't be just be beards. It'd be all those areas that aren't rules, but you know for damned sure that they are rules. For example, LongHairGal suggests that her refusal to quit her job and further refusal to pioneer lowered her "worth" in the congregation. There'd be more examples. Women who refused to wear skirts in field service in Winter and so on.

So when is not disfellowshippable actually shunnable?

46

New light: the GB are infallible

by AEnEm in

amazing new light in the latest morning worship by gary breaux.

the gb "never lie or deceive us.

we can have absolute trust in the governing body".. he then makes a very helpful point, so as to avoid being deceived and avoid lies.

NotFormer

They're doubling down. This can't be a good sign.

For all the talk of a kinder, gentler approach, it ain't gonna happen. Unaccountable people who consider themselves infallible rarely become nicer. They just keep telling you how much more you should be able to take, and keep ramping up the demands.

If that happens, say goodbye to their hope that some will come back. The harder they squeeze, the more who will leave.

44

The org. Came out with a Christmas song!!!!

by nowwhat? in

holy nativity batman!

on jw broadcasting.

final song for this year's convention.

NotFormer

My contribution in song:

Let us gather to celebrate, upon this wint'ry morn,

The holy blessed day, Judge Rutherford was born,

The sheep were disobedient, God didn't hold a grudge,

Instead of Armageddon, Jehovah sent da Judge.

He winnowed out the chaff and sent them door to door,

He changed their name to publishers, from now 'til evermore,

God's work is now more business-like, professional and choice,

Jehovah took da Judge away, the sheep did much rejoice.