NotFormer

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Posts by NotFormer

• 
  46

  August WT: DF'ing renamed "Removed." AKA: GB re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so: the mystery has been clarified as to more "new light" / clarifications of decades old doctrine and procedure.

  august watchtower has finally been leaked.

  disfellowshipping?

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• 

  NotFormer

  It could be argued that announcing that someone has been disfellowshipped could be defamatory by nature. In this jurisdiction, defamation was* defined as anything communicated to a third party that could lower that person's reputation in the eyes of their peers. A disfellowshipment announcement could certainly be seen in that light.

  The change in 2005 was probably to deflect a possible rise in defamation suits against elders and possibly the GB as heading up the whole defamatory machine.**

  *Current law is different from when I learned it

  ** There are probably still plenty of jurisdictions that would allow defamation suits over a disfellowshipping announcement, even though the principle I "quote" above isn't the current defamation law. I might have a look at different regimes to see if the WT's caution in changing the announcement was prudent, at least in the face of defamation suits, when I have time.
• 
  83

  Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

  by Ron.W. in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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!

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  NotFormer

  "Armageddon DID come in 1975. It had to because they actually said it would"

  It came "invisibly". 🙄
• 
  20

  Greeting a person(who was removed from the congregation) at the Kingdom Hall now becomes a matter of conscience

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the watchtower—study edition | august 2024. help for those who are removed from the congregation.

  14 does what we have considered mean that we would completely ignore a person who has been removed from the congregation?

  not necessarily.

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  NotFormer

  'A more accurate statement would be, “…In the past, you would be forbidden from greeting such a person…”'

  But the new kind and gentle WT never controlled or dictated behaviour within the congregations. 🙄 Those stoopid worldly governments keep trying to hold the leadership accountable! 😱
• 
  83

  Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

  by Ron.W. in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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!

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  3. 
• 

  NotFormer

  "What did Tony Morris do?"
• 
  46

  August WT: DF'ing renamed "Removed." AKA: GB re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so: the mystery has been clarified as to more "new light" / clarifications of decades old doctrine and procedure.

  august watchtower has finally been leaked.

  disfellowshipping?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NotFormer

  "Being “ removed “ actually sounds worse. It is like they have a mob hitman on stand by ready to kill you."

  Sort of like "dealt with" and other mob-like euphemisms.

  "Marking" as a term gives me bad vibes. It reminds me of "pointing the bone":

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdaitcha
• 
  2

  Lines You Never Used To Hear From A JW (But You Can Now)

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  inspired by ron.w.

  's thread:.

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5992982038183936/lines-you-would-never-hear-from-jehovahs-witness.

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• 

  NotFormer

  Inspired by Ron.W.'s thread:

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5992982038183936/lines-you-would-never-hear-from-jehovahs-witness

  In honour of the light getting ever brighter, post your examples of this thread's title.

  I'll start:

  "Nice beard, Elder Jones!"

  "Those slacks look so very practical for field service, especially in this weather, Sister Smith!"
• 
  83

  Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

  by Ron.W. in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NotFormer

  "What happens behind the bedroom door is none of our business". (Apologies if someone has said it already - the thread is getting rather long!)
• 
  83

  Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

  by Ron.W. in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NotFormer

  After the August Watchtower:

  "And now for the marking talk".

  "Oh, he was disfellowshipped!"

  "No, we can't talk about unspiritual matter X, you're disfellowshipped!"
• 
  46

  August WT: DF'ing renamed "Removed." AKA: GB re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so: the mystery has been clarified as to more "new light" / clarifications of decades old doctrine and procedure.

  august watchtower has finally been leaked.

  disfellowshipping?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NotFormer

  "Why all the cunning and lying about changes that are not real and thinking they're going to trick the Secular Authorities? JUST MAKE IT AN INDIVIDUAL CONSCIENCE MATTER. Most diehard JWs will follow tradition and shun dissenters and WT won't have to LIE about it all."

  This is my question too. Genuinely loosening the reins wouldn't cost them too much.

  At its core and at the top, the WT seems to be about how hardline they are. The rules seem over the top from the beginning. As in, not as harsh as is necessary to maintain order, but as harsh as they can get away with.

  And this is the case now. Instead of a genuine backing away from harsh and unkind rules, they are only lessening them in the minimum sense that they think can persuade governments that they have changed.

  As an outsider, I can see that the change is cosmetic. Governments are likely to see it that way too.

  Ironically, if the WT was consulting with the exes, they might get some good clues as to what genuine changes need to be made. After all, these are the people with whom the various governments are consulting. The governments will simply ask the exes whose testimonies they have on their books if this is a substantial change, and the exes will simply answer "No".
• 
  46

  August WT: DF'ing renamed "Removed." AKA: GB re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so: the mystery has been clarified as to more "new light" / clarifications of decades old doctrine and procedure.

  august watchtower has finally been leaked.

  disfellowshipping?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NotFormer

  "I was really hoping for the lifting of the ban on oral sex. I really was."

  The two witnesses rule is your friend.