Posts by apostatethunder

24

CONVENTION FALSE INFORMATION - STOP IT BROTHERS!

by The Searcher in

we are always urged to "make sure of all things", namely, that anything we preach or teach is verifiable and true.

especially when we are referring to the bible.. at our convention, two things which came from the platform made me cringe, especially as one of the statements came from a regular and experienced convention speaker.

first; "over a quarter of a million new brothers and sisters were baptized last year - doesn't this show love on jehovah's part that he is allowing time for such ones to get to know him".

apostatethunder

Hi Searcher, thanks for explaining this. I think a lot of people just ignore most of the program they hear from the platform, between what they don’t understand and what they don’t agree with.

Numbers 26:10 suggest Korah was struck with fire from heaven with the rest of the assembly but Numbers 16:33 says they went down alive to Sheol.

About the new scrolls, I think I read it somewhere, but I can’t find it in the Bible now, maybe it was in the Apocalypses book and I just took it for granted. Never liked that book, so didn’t go very deep into it. Probably the same for most people.

11

History of Disfellowshipping

by daringhart13 in

i'm looking to compile a real history of how this heinous practice came into existance.. i've read the 1947 article condemning it and i believe knorr instituted it in 1952 when frustrated with a wife swapping ordeal at columbia heights.. can someone confirm?

post information?

the more the better.......thanks!.

apostatethunder

Rutherford took over the WT by disfellowshiping the ones designed by Russell in his testament and anyone that didn't agree with him. He claimed to be one of the anointed, and it took him 12 years to get baptized.

Before him they were only Bible Students, I think the persecution from the clergy also started after he took over, and started writing articles against the Church.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/121480/1/The-history-of-disfellowshipping-in-the-WTS

13

The craziest thing I have ever read...stunned!

by Qcmbr in

not certain whether to be horrified or laugh - .

why marriage and family commitment sucks - a response to the traditional christian by rock jagar.

preamble.

apostatethunder

I think the Bible can be used for supporting almost anything. It’s full of good and bad examples, you can learn from both, and don’t let anyone use it to manipulate you.

13

The craziest thing I have ever read...stunned!

by Qcmbr in

not certain whether to be horrified or laugh - .

why marriage and family commitment sucks - a response to the traditional christian by rock jagar.

preamble.

apostatethunder

Qcmbr, I appreciate your point of view, personally I do not take the Bible literally, but try to understand the principle.

5

A Weekend with Thousands of Jehovahs Witnesses

by betterdaze in

posted by rabbi john rosove @ jewishjournal.com.

their families are patriarchal and their denomination is autocratically led by an all-male religious leadership that maintains discipline, demands obedience, compels commitment, forbids independent thinking, and insists on conformity.

those who violate communal belief and behavioral norms risk disfellowship and shunning.

apostatethunder

First of all, witnesses are manipulated into entering the cult, none of them has all the facts when they join, and don’t have a clue who and what agenda is running this corporation. As far as they are concerned they have just being offered a free bible study, no strings attached.

From then on they are being subjected to propaganda, manipulation, and strong social pressure. Some leave but some are not strong enough, don’t have enough support, or just can’t for various reasons.

The fact that they are not allowed to voice them, doesn't mean that they don't have any doubts, and personally I never met anyone that was truly happy in this cult. What keeps them in is the fact that they are trapped in, in one way or another. It’s not that they enjoy being enslaved as this rabbi seems to believe.

13

The craziest thing I have ever read...stunned!

by Qcmbr in

not certain whether to be horrified or laugh - .

why marriage and family commitment sucks - a response to the traditional christian by rock jagar.

preamble.

apostatethunder

Qcmbr, this author is taking Jesus words literally. He was obviously not talking about literal swords, or plows, and he did care about his own family.

The principle of loving your neighbour as yourself starts with those closer to you, usually your family members. Normally nobody needs to remind you to love them, in normal families and for normal individuals that happens naturally.

What is behind Jesus’ words is the principle of justice, as in for example, let’s say your son is a serial killer, you know it, but out of loyalty, you say nothing, you shelter him and help him as much as you can, because after all he is your son. If he kills hundreds of innocent people, tough.

The fact that some religions like jws abuse this principle doesn’t make it any less valid. There needs to be a balance as with everything and this author is taking his point of view to an extreme to discredit the whole of Jesus message.

What he is saying has nothing to do with what Jesus taught his followers.

21

Education is the Key to Everything

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

education (not necesarily structured classroom and not necessarily college) is really the key to everything.\.

skyrocketing birthrates go down when the women get educated about birth control and disease.

even where such education is freely available, birthrates go down further when the women go to college and wait to have babies.

apostatethunder

I worry about educators, and the principles they are teaching to those they have under their care.

They are role-models, and some of them seem to have a lot of hang ups. The subjects studied are also a substitute of the real thing. If you think about it, it’s not the same studying the Bible or a Watchtower, studying history, or a pamphlet, studying the classics, or the work of some unbalanced author, that will shape a young person with all the wrong values.

It doesn’t seem to be a real interest in improving education. Any computer can have much more data than any of us, but it is not, and never will be a human being.

I think there is a deliberate degradation of the education system, and unless this trend changes, we are not progressing as a society. We should ask ourselves who is benefiting from this.

21

Education is the Key to Everything

by OnTheWayOut in

jw
friends

education (not necesarily structured classroom and not necessarily college) is really the key to everything.\.

skyrocketing birthrates go down when the women get educated about birth control and disease.

even where such education is freely available, birthrates go down further when the women go to college and wait to have babies.

apostatethunder

Education that doesn’t teach people to think critically and independently is just indoctrination. An educated fool is still a fool.

The most important education is that which develops you as a human being, and teaches you to distinguish right from wrong. Educators have a huge amount of power.

Anyone that aspires to control you knows that your education is bad business for them.

The level of education of today’s children is what is going to shape the society of the future, we should ask ourselves who benefits with a high percentage of uneducated citizens.

Probably the same reason why the WT discourages academic education.

44

Those who WERE or ARE Elders (Re: Molestation Coverup)

by dontplaceliterature in

i'd like to hear from those who are currently elders or were formerly elders on your honest feelings about the charges brought against the society and their general policy in handling these matters.

do you think that the society handles child abuse accusations fairly?

or, do you think their policy is abusive?

apostatethunder

I think what is a stake for them here is that their claim that the appointments are made by holy spirit would crumble, and that would have a knock out effect all the way up to the GB, as they approve all appointments. That would open the door for witnesses to start criticising other elder’s decisions.

75

From a currently serving elder: an open letter to the organization

by elderelite in

there are 1000's who who hate this religion who are stuck ....inside it.

we work against you, we use our position to convince and sway those that still drink your koolaid.

we feed info to authorities who chase you, we warn off potiential converts by directing them to the real truth.

apostatethunder

In my last congregation, I felt the elders and even the last CO were working hard to open my eyes to the TTATT, I didn't understand their behaviour, but this may be an explanation.

They definitely should be watching their backs. A system based on lies and faking, can be infiltrated much easier that one based on honesty. They are being sabotaged from the inside.

Termites are very powerful. Good job elderelite.