https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-20/former-jehovahs-witness-elder-to-stand-trial-accused-of-rape/103612422.
Diogenesister: "Maybe not in an appointed position "of power" at the time the incidents that have enough evidence to be taken to court took place, but you can bet your bottom dollar they started when he was an elder. Probably deleted him when complaints started piling up...."
Wouldn't the two witnesses rule be at play, even where an elder is involved? Could they delete him without the testimony of two witnesses. Or does more than one complaint equate to more than one witness?
all the big changes for jws since this last fall brought me back to this site, and got me and the wife talking.
just how many things were we not allowed to do growing up as jehovah's witnesses?
we were so used to all the rules, customs, and traditions, that we became used to them.. one site i found claims there are 141 unique rules!!
"You can get disfellowshipped for what ever the elders decide. By ones 'apparent' lack of remorse.
"With the shunning to ensue brought on by the kangaroo court."
That's my understanding. Whatever "real" rules exist, the soft ones will be enforced by a BOE that's out to get you.
Reminds me of the Torquemada sketch:
all the big changes for jws since this last fall brought me back to this site, and got me and the wife talking.
just how many things were we not allowed to do growing up as jehovah's witnesses?
we were so used to all the rules, customs, and traditions, that we became used to them.. one site i found claims there are 141 unique rules!!
"And you can get disfellowshipped for breaking any one of them."
Is that absolutely true? Some of those look like padding, rules that you have because you expect to have rules in any large group of people. Loss of privileges or being considered "spiritually weak" for some of them, surely?
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.
Ron.W. How is that ridiculously petty and crappy behaviour supposed to give glory to God? No outsider visiting and observing such a scene would think that these are God's special people. 🙄
probably everyone else thought of this long ago, but i, being an "independent thunker" thunk of it just a coupla weeks ago.. we all know that since the year zero (on the fredfranzian calendar) the wtb&ts has defied archaeology and insisted that jerusalem was destroyed in 607 bce, even though the physical evidence shows that 587 bce is a more likely date.
in fact, the book "the gentile times reconsidered: have jehovah's witnesses been wrong all along about 607 bce?
" by carl olof jonsson and rud persson made this conversation public.. it is a difference of 20 years.
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.
The biblical verse that covers the carrying of the microphone must be a doozy! 😱🙄
probably everyone else thought of this long ago, but i, being an "independent thunker" thunk of it just a coupla weeks ago.. we all know that since the year zero (on the fredfranzian calendar) the wtb&ts has defied archaeology and insisted that jerusalem was destroyed in 607 bce, even though the physical evidence shows that 587 bce is a more likely date.
in fact, the book "the gentile times reconsidered: have jehovah's witnesses been wrong all along about 607 bce?
" by carl olof jonsson and rud persson made this conversation public.. it is a difference of 20 years.
"Switch out 1919 for 1939 and focus on the start of WW2 and presto! You have a momentous world occasion to mark your "Biblical Chronology." Problem solved!"
Except that the leadership is completely US-centric. Thus WW2 wouldn't have started until December 7, 1941. 😉😺
Somewhat off topic, I remember arguing with an old JW lady about 1914. She declared that WW1 was unique in that all the nations of the world were involved for the first time. I disputed that claim, saying that the Napoleonic wars were pretty vast in scope, involving a lot of nations of the time and their colonies, and battles associated with it were happening way outside of Europe's borders.
there's a lot going on, and a lot of saying.the interpretation of the scriptures, their internal doctrine and their policy change.. the 1914, 1919 and its consequences.. the birthdays and other holidays.. the beard, the tie, the slacks.. the "hi, nice to see you here".. but at the end of the day, what they're in control of, is a community.
a society of people.
and a corporation as well, that controls all this.. many of them don't even really mind about those changes.
Preaching isn't meant the way the JWs would mean it. How would that occur, anyway? We can't actively seek out JWs and knock on their doors. There are Reddit and quora threads, but there are veterans on both sides who aren't going to be easily swayed by the other side's arguments.
Occasionally someone with doubts will find this place and ask advice, and the exJWs who've been through something similar can provide that advice and some encouragement. The "preaching" that happens here is therefore more reactive than dynamic (hat tip to Vidiot).
Also, it is quite possible to be entirely passive and the anti Watchtower message will get through. This discussion board has been around for decades and has a vast number of threads on pretty well every topic that a questioning JW could possibly have thoughts about. The search function is pretty decent as well.
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!
"Knocking on doors is way more fun than the coffee break afterwards".
attacks in the usa, germany, india, and now austria.
is it becoming more dangerous to attend jw meetings?
explosive device found at jehovah's witness meeting in austria.
Anecdotally this can look significant, but I wonder how this stacks up statistically against other worldwide high control religions, especially of similar size? Do similar terrorist attacks occur with similar frequency to Mormon groups, for example?
BTW, it's terrible that someone is targeting the R&F. The GB are the ones hiding in bunkers and are the ones responsible for whatever beef the perpetrators of these atrocities have.
