NotFormer

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Posts by NotFormer

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  30

  CIVILIAN SERVICE

  by blondie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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.

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  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?
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  28

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

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2023-10-17-legal seminar.

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

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

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  NotFormer

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

  This can't be real; surely, this is a joke!
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  50

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

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  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.

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  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!
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  13

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

  by EasyPrompt in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  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.. .

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  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.
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  12

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

  by Tahoe in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  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.. .

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  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? 🤔
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  7

  Disfellowshipped, Seeking Reinstatement

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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?.

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  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?
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  8

  "Watchtower" vs Jehovah's Witnesses

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  rattigan350, whenever someone brings up the failings of the organisation we refer to as "the watchtower", tries to define the argument away by saying that the watchtower is a corporate entity and has very little to do with the kingdom halls, the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses.. could someone who knows their stuff please explain if this is a false dichotomy, using the literature which is used by r&f jws, if possible?.

  it gets kind of tiresome when someone makes a point about something that the watchtower said and mr. apologist comes along and tries to define away what is usually a very good point..

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  NotFormer

  Thanks for the clarification. Your post provides me with much useful information.

  As you say, present day events and suffering are more important than distantly historical stuff. And a lot of people here have been damaged in recent times by their trust in the GB or by those following the direction of the GB. Because the GB told them to trust them. And then changed the things that they are supposed to trust about.

  What to do about it all? For every complex problem, there is a simple solution. And it is always wrong! So discussion between many people of different backgrounds and experiences can be useful, as on here. Proverbs 11:14 "...there is success in the abundance of counsellors."
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  63

  Leaked. Nov 6th Secret Boxes

  by Beth Sarim in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  self-aware npc has an upload that the ""top-secret"' elders only secret boxes is a drum roll here......a new brochure.....ta dahhhh🤪.

  i mean how more dramatic can we get..

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  NotFormer

  Blondie, the judgement message, the hailstones thing has been effectively nullified by the recent announcement that outsiders might still be saved at the last minute, or at least that's this outsider's understanding. Was the hailstones message some sort of fallback position that was always in the GB's quiver that the R&F expected them to one day use? If so, where to from here and what do they have left?
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  37

  Can the Watchtower Society survive without time reports?

  by DT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there has already been much discussion about how the watchtower society has declared in australia that going door to door is part of a personal ministry.

  this seems to be a lame attempt to avoid liability considering that they require time reports and have formal meetings for field service at the kingdom hall.. this is a bit of a dilemma.

  reporting time and formal meetings for field service are important methods of control, however it's not clear if the organization is willing or able to handle the potential liability that may come from this.. imagine what would happen if they lost these methods of control.

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  NotFormer

  Watch the Tower fall!🎊🎉🎇🎆
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  33

  THIS is how Jehovah operates? Examining GB Jefffrey Winder's words

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  governing body member jeffrey winder on jw dot org:“we are not embarrassed about ‘adjustments’ that are made; nor is an apology needed for not getting it ‘exactly right’ previously.

  we understand: this is how jehovah operates.”

  1952 no wt 6/1/52 p.338 1965 maybe they will be resurrected .

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  NotFormer

  Ah, God keeps changing his mind! 🙄 You'd think God's sole channel would be given the updates regularly, rather than having to muddle through and figure it all out at their GB meetings.