Posts by WinstonSmith

336

The New Diary of Winston Smith

by WinstonSmith in

we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.

fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.

i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.

WinstonSmith

So, after driving around to several places, I finally got my hands on a copy of the paper! Oh boy. Its a full one pager with an extra two columns on the following page. This link here is the same article that has appeared in the paper:

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/slamm ... 2g6fo.html

All of the people interviewed are exJWs which will mean JWs will write it off as bitterness and sour grapes. The only JW interviewed was Toole. Again we see deception from him. He says shunning is a myth then he shows the writer the FAQ section of JW.org as proof. What he has shown is the opening paragraph which says that those who have drifted away are not shunned. He ignores the following paragraph in the FAQ section that clearly states that those who willingly break "God's" law are shunned.

Hopefully it will get people on the inside asking questions, especially about the two witness rule which is mentioned in the article, and how this applies even for sexual abuse claims. Maybe even non-JWs who read it might ask the next JW who comes to their door about it, which might lead to the JW asking more questions.

Most JWs will write it off as either apostate (this word is even used in the opening sentences) or as hurt feelings by those who have 'left Jehovah' and been interviewed.

In fact here is the gist of a text exchange I'm in the middle of with a brother in our congregation. I texted him the link this morning and said "Wow, keep this in mind if you are out in field this morning." His response was to say "It sounds like the start of persecution!" I asked he thought it was weird that what the WT lawyer said didn't match up with what is on JW.org. "Must be a misquote, typical media" was his reply. We then talked about some other things, and then he says "I'm not going to look at that article, it sounds apostate." I just said that I would read so I know what it's about if someone brings it up while we are out witnessing.

68

Raphael Aron in The Age newspaper: Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

by WinstonSmith in

this popped up on the age website today, might have to buy the paper tomorrow..... http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html.

WinstonSmith

I finally tracked down a copy of the paper today. It is a full page article with a couple of extra columns on the following page. It does not put JWs in a positive light in any way.

The link that Refriedtruth posted above is the same as what has appeared in the paper.

32

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA | The Age newspaper | March 15, 2013 | Jehovah's Witnesses a 'cruel cult'

by jwleaks in

the age newspaper | fairfax media | friday, march 15, 2013. jehovah's witnesses a 'cruel cult'.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html.

christian sect the jehovah's witnesses - with 64,000 active 'disciples' in australia - are a cruel religion with no soul, according to melbourne cultbuster raphael aron.. his warning comes as the federal government considers tightening the definition of a charity to prevent some cults and quasi-religions keeping their tax free status.

WinstonSmith

@LeavingQuietly: The part where it says that JWs don't celebrate birthdays because it's not in the bible is not a quote from Aron. The quote from Aron starts with "There is no Moomba...."

68

Raphael Aron in The Age newspaper: Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

by WinstonSmith in

this popped up on the age website today, might have to buy the paper tomorrow..... http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html.

WinstonSmith

I just refreshed the article's page on the website and it says there are 99 readers on there at the moment. Sadly there does not appear to be a comments section available. I'd love to post in there the statement on JW.org that contradicts the WT lawyer.

Phizzy, we can get The Age in a couple of places in our area so I will pick up a copy tomorrow. I'm very interested in seeing what "the full story" is.

Gotta love the parting comment about predicting the end of the world five times and believing that Satan rules the world. Makes them sound all nice and culty.

I think it is reprehensible that they get away with tax exempt status. Handing out magazines with poorly written articles hardly qualifies as charity...

On the flip side, I do feel sorry for those genuinely nice JWs who may get affected by backlash from this and the child abuse enquiries. However, if it leads them to asking questions, and doing some research, then it may be a good thing.

336

The New Diary of Winston Smith

by WinstonSmith in

we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.

fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.

i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.

WinstonSmith

Great article in The Age newspaper. Its promise of more in the printed version tomorrow has me intrigued!

http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html

Interesting that the WT lawyer is quoted as saying that he "dismissed the allegations and said shunning was a"myth." "

JW.org on the other hand says: "If, however, a baptized Witness makes a practice of breaking the Bible’s moral code and does not repent, he or she will be shunned or disfellowshipped."

WOOPS!

32

VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA | The Age newspaper | March 15, 2013 | Jehovah's Witnesses a 'cruel cult'

by jwleaks in

the age newspaper | fairfax media | friday, march 15, 2013. jehovah's witnesses a 'cruel cult'.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html.

christian sect the jehovah's witnesses - with 64,000 active 'disciples' in australia - are a cruel religion with no soul, according to melbourne cultbuster raphael aron.. his warning comes as the federal government considers tightening the definition of a charity to prevent some cults and quasi-religions keeping their tax free status.

WinstonSmith

Beat ya to it! http://jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/249211/1/Raphael-Aron-in-The-Age-newspaper-Jehovahs-Witnesses-a-cruel-cult

Such a great article. I hope this gets spread far and wide!

Did you spot the lie from the WT lawyer? He said that shunning among Jws is a myth, yet jw.org begs to differ in the FAQ page...

68

Raphael Aron in The Age newspaper: Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

by WinstonSmith in

this popped up on the age website today, might have to buy the paper tomorrow..... http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html.

WinstonSmith

"A spokesman for the church in Australia, Sydney solicitor Vincent Toole, dismissed the allegations and said shunning was a"myth." "

From jw.org: " If, however, a baptized Witness makes a practice of breaking the Bible’s moral code and does not repent, he or she will be shunned or disfellowshipped."

Someone's lying!

68

Raphael Aron in The Age newspaper: Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

by WinstonSmith in

this popped up on the age website today, might have to buy the paper tomorrow..... http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html.

WinstonSmith

Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

Christian sect the Jehovah's Witnesses - with 64,000 active 'disciples' in Australia - are a cruel religion with no soul, according to Melbourne cultbuster Raphael Aron.

His warning comes as the federal government considers tightening the definition of a charity to prevent some cults and quasi-religions keeping their tax free status. Independent senator Nick Xenophon has renewed calls for a national cult-busting agency.

Mr Aron, a psychologist, counsellor and director of Melbourne's Cult Counselling Australia, said the Jehovah's Witnesses had a policy of "shunning" members who left or wanted to leave by cutting them off from family members who remained.

"I am still waiting for a justification for someone to be able to rip away a five or six year old child from their extended family because Mum or Dad have decided to leave the Jehovah's Witnesses," he said.

Former members say shunning can involve bullying, threats, harassment and stalking to lure the 'apostate', or lapsed member, back. The religion's scripture magazine The Watchtower describes 'apostates' as "mentally diseased" outcasts who "seek to infect others."

Mr Aron says shunning is "draconian, cruel and callous." Religion and faith were supposed to provide support, comfort and warmth but shunning could crush self-esteem and give feelings of guilt, especially in children.

Late last year the federal government set up a body called the Australian Charities and Not For Profits Commission (ACNC) to regulate charities with tax-exemptions. It can de-register charities. A treasury spokesman said the government could soon redefine charities and boost their requirement for 'public benefit.'

"At the moment groups like the Jehovah's Witnesess and Scientology are subsidised by the taxpayer," Senator Xenophon said. He said the French government's cultbusting agency Miviludes had been effective.

Victoria's current state inquiry into how churches handle child sex abuse has submissions from former Jehovah's Witnesses. One includes allegations of rape, sexual assault, blackmail and death threats. Others include allegations of paedophilia.

A spokesman for the church in Australia, Sydney solicitor Vincent Toole, dismissed the allegations and said shunning was a"myth."

Mr Aron, who has written two books on cults and has investigated them for thirty years, said the Jehovah's Witnesses were an outwardly benign group but they withheld information from potential recruits. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot celebrate Christmas, Easter or birthdays. They are not allowed to have blood transfusions, sing the natiuonal anthem or salute the national flag.

"They come to your door on a Sunday morning and you have a wonderful discussion about God but they never tell you that once entrenched in the religion you may never be able to say happy birthday to your children again."

They don't celebrate birthdays because they say there are no birthdays in the Bible, which Aron, an observant Jew, maintains is not true. "There's no Moomba in the Bible either," he says. "And no football. Does that mean we shouldn't do those things either?"

Jehovah's Witnesses believe they have God's messages to themselvces, that all other religions are wrong, that the end of the world will come and only those in 'The Truth' will survive. They have predicted the end of the world five times. They also believe Satan has ruled the earth since 1914.

Read the full story in tomorrow's Saturday Age.

68

Raphael Aron in The Age newspaper: Jehovah's Witnesses 'a cruel cult'

by WinstonSmith in

this popped up on the age website today, might have to buy the paper tomorrow..... http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html.

WinstonSmith

This popped up on The Age website today, might have to buy the paper tomorrow....

http://www.theage.com.au/national/jehovahs-witnesses-a-cruel-cult-20130315-2g5x3.html

24

An elder called me.

by Julia Orwell in

jw
friends

an elder who handled the minor matter with my husband a few weeks ago called to see how we were doing.

this guy genuinely is a gentle, kind, man whom the congregation loves.

he's the one everyone approaches because he never judges or condescends.

WinstonSmith

Hello Julia,

Sorry to hear you have not been the best since you got ambushed the other week. These guys have no idea what kind of effect they have on people. Shame on them.

That was very nice of that elder to call you and check in on you. This is what shepherding should be all about - checking up on the health of the flock. If they were all like this, and motivated by love, and a genuine care for the people, the organisation would not be haemoragging followers. Brothers like this can indeed be like a crag for shelter.

Telling him how you feel as a result of those other two morons is the right thing to do. If the subject of missing meetings comes up always fall back on being stumbled by these brothersas a reason.

It's a tough road, but we are all here supporting you.

Take care :-)