Richie

Joined

• started 23 topics
• posted 546 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Richie

• 
  25

  When does it become a cult?

  by SpiceItUp in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  matty and i have gotten several books lately.

  right now we are both reading "30 years a watchtower slave" and "awakening of a jehovahs witness".

  both we highly recommend.. anyway in the midst of it all he asked me: when did it turn into a cult?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie
• 
  15

  Is a University or College education still frowned upon today?

  by Richie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after about 8 months of "silence", i took the initiative to visit my daughter, who is an active jw - i wanted to see her, as i bought some good nutritional supplements which i wanted to give to her for her children.

  she was kind but somewhat distant - we embraced each other and then talked a little bit about non-essential things.

  she showed me my granddaughter, who is about 10 months old - very cute and so pretty.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  Thank you so much Blondie for the reply - I would prefer if you could show me articles around the late eighties, early nineties. What exactly were their comments on education at that time?

  Appreciate it immensely!

  Thanks,

  Richie
• 
  15

  Is a University or College education still frowned upon today?

  by Richie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after about 8 months of "silence", i took the initiative to visit my daughter, who is an active jw - i wanted to see her, as i bought some good nutritional supplements which i wanted to give to her for her children.

  she was kind but somewhat distant - we embraced each other and then talked a little bit about non-essential things.

  she showed me my granddaughter, who is about 10 months old - very cute and so pretty.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  After about 8 months of "silence", I took the initiative to visit my daughter, who is an active JW - I wanted to see her, as I bought some good nutritional supplements which I wanted to give to her for her children. She was kind but somewhat distant - we embraced each other and then talked a little bit about non-essential things. She showed me my granddaughter, who is about 10 months old - very cute and so pretty. I saw that my daughter was not comfortable, as I was bringing up different subjects (not letting her know of course that my wife and I are now actively involved with a church (very loving body of Christians I must say), but along the way I brought up the importance of college education....She completely stunned me by saying that the Society never had anything against going to college at all; she said that they even encouraged "education", but never did the Watchtower condemn someone from going to university or college. She even said that I did not want her to go to college (that was about 14 years ago) and I told her that the Society suggested that it was NOT a good thing to have higher education - Can you believe that? I argued high and low with her, telling her that JW-policy was very clear on that matter at that particular time. She just denied it and said that it was not true at all. It reminds me of 1975 where the Society was quite clear that it was a special year about the end - then they turned around and indirectly blamed the brothers for being "weak and not relying on Jehovah". Are they now saying that they never said that higher eduaction is not recommended? Of course, if that's the case, then it's the same scenario: "you apostates say something that the Society never printed" and they have the gall to believe the Watchtower. It makes me sick to my stomach to observe how my daughter is so manipulated by this group of manipulators, who in the name of the "truth" are guided by another spirit full of deception...

  Could you please help me with some articles where the Society was clear in condemning higher education as a norm? I would appreciate this, so I can cut and paste the articles and give them to her to read later...

  Thanks so much!
• 
  46

  They're turning up the heat

  by Winston Smith :>D in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well, after four elder meetings at 2 hours a pop, they sill want to get together with me.

  the last meeting i told them to give me scriptural backing that disproves that the 70 years ended when babylon fell as spoken of at jer 25: 10,11. i also asked for scriptures to prove why they insist on 607 rather than 587 as the fall of jerusalem.

  they said they would do that and get back to me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  Winston, why don't you get the Greek Interlinear Bible, which brings out the literal translation from the original Greek to English, after which it was translated into the NWT - You will see so many discrepancies, misquotes and deliberate changes, that your wife has to admit the Society to be less than honest in these matters. Show proof from a publication printed by the Watchtower and compare this with the New World Translation.... Try it, then she will believe you...

  Good luck and let me know.....

  Richie

  PS: If it's possible, try to get the Greek Interlinear from the 1960's - there are so many more mistakes and deliberate changes...
• 
  22

  JWs - What Proves That They're a Cult

  by Black Man in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think one major point that proves that the jw's are a cult is that you can't leave without being stigmatized.

  all you have to do for other religions is take your name of the membership log or just resign.

  for jw's you can't leave unless you're df'd or da'd.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  An exhaustive study has been done on the behavior of cult groups - In several books about "cults", they enumerated 21 major points where you can identify the traits of a cult-like organization. Bear in mind that the authors did not target Jehovah's Witnesses as a specific group at all, which made it all the more frightening! But this dissertation generalized all cult-groups existing in the world...

  1. Control-oriented, arrogantly assertive, power-posturing leadership.
  2. Authoritarian and legalistic with dictatorial, dogmatic doctrines that are proclaimed to be "the Truth".
  3. Claims of being the channel of communication between God and humankind; having unique knowledge that makes them special. If members do not submit to its dictatorial rule, the leaders emphasize that any waver of support to the organization or church is evidence of waver of faith in God.
  4. Manipulation of members by guilt, shame, blame, and fear.
  5. An "Us-versus-Them" view, a perception of being under persecution.
  6. Demanding, rigid lifestyles and overwhelming service requirements.
  Members' lives are controlled by both spoken and unspoken rules.
  7. Loss of focus on God, replaced by a complicated process of furthering the church or organization and its rules.
  8. Followers "in pain", hiding real feelings that oppose or disagree with the religious system.
  9. Intolerance of individual thinking, and of criticism of the religious system by its members. Fosters an unhealthy dependency by focusing on themes of submission, loyalty, and obedience to those in authority.
  10. Severe discipline of members.
  11. The religious system puts down other religions.
  12. Closed communication: Information is only valid if it comes from the top of the religious system down, and from inside the system to the outside of it.
  13. Leaving the religious system is painful and difficult.
  14. Labeling: a technique used to discount a person who opposes the beliefs of the religious system, i.e., "apostates".
  15. What you do is more important that who you are.
  16. Love and acceptance are earned by doing certain things.
  17. Scripture-twisting.
  18. Scare tactics; focus on demons.
  19. Threats to remove members from the group.
  20. Members are misled into thinking the only safety is in the religious system.
  21. A view that education is bad or unnecessary.

  Richie :*)
• 
  46

  They're turning up the heat

  by Winston Smith :>D in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well, after four elder meetings at 2 hours a pop, they sill want to get together with me.

  the last meeting i told them to give me scriptural backing that disproves that the 70 years ended when babylon fell as spoken of at jer 25: 10,11. i also asked for scriptures to prove why they insist on 607 rather than 587 as the fall of jerusalem.

  they said they would do that and get back to me.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  Winston, what I would suggest is to be a "peacemaker" by telling them what they want to hear and that you are sorry for all the trouble you caused them. Otherwise they WILL find ways to df you - even if you keep postponing the judicial meetings. If you always find excuses not to attend their meeting, they will turn around and say (by a majority of votes and according to the instructions in their "elders-handbook") that you are rebellious by not submitting to their "reasonable" requests to meet with them. I know for sure that they are planning that and you can be rest assured that they are not going to help you find the biblical answer you asked for. The elders will only go along the lines of what the Society prescribes in terms of understanding their interpretations. They are not allowed to do personal bible research on their own volition - they must be obedient to the Watchtower, otherwise they will go "against Jehovah".

  Just play along with them Winston - remember you have to look at the bigger picture: to be reconciled with your wife is much more important - afterwards just slowly fade away and make sure that you "feed" your wife the real truths found in the bible (not with the Society).

  What I did, I started to read other bibles and you'll be surprised to find out that you will be able to understand it better with the help of God's Holy Spirit. Also check the Greek Interlinear Scriptures (printed by the Society) with the New World Translation and you'll find hundreds if not thousands of discrepancies where the Society fraudulently changed the wording and/or contents of the scriptures ever so slightly in order to fit their own ideologies! If you can get a Greek Interlinear from around 1960, you''ll be pleasantly surprised and utterly disgusted how the Society has been deceiving you. The later editions of the Greek Interlinear were modified somewhat by the Society as too many people started noticing these deliberate errors (mistranslations).

  Can you now see why it is necessary to disfellowship Witnesses when they start doing their own research and find out the real truth about the bible? They will force out any member who attempts to investigate the scriptures with earlier translations intelligently, otherwise there would be a large exodus of people leaving the Society for good...

  Let me say this: The Watchtower Organization is guided by "another spirit", certainly not the "Holy Spirit" and this "other spirit" deceives people ever so smartly, and no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. (2 Cor. 11:14,15)...
• 
  113

  Why Aren't Jehovah's Witnesses Allowed To Freely Express Themselves?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's a simple fact.

  jw's cannot freely express themselves.

  they can't freely tell another about a doubt or a question that they might have for fear they could be exposed to the elders.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  Is Scholar from Australia? I thought he was, but then when I read his posts, I started to wonder whether Australians (or New Zealanders for that matter) speak English as their mother tongue.... Well, to put it bluntly: Scholar's English is very poor indeed, if not embarrassing to say the least... and then come to think of it - his "titles" speak for themselves. In my humble opinion: an enormous inferiority-complex...

  Just an observation....!
• 
  29

  Shunning your Children

  by missylissy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i dont know if im putting this in the rite place.... .

  when a young jw teen ( 13-16) disassociates themselves, or is disfellowshipped, will the parents kick them out of the house?

  or are they required to let them stay?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  My experience on being disfellowshipped is plentiful, as can be read in my previous threads. I decided not to post for a long time, as (in my opinion) it would not serve a rightful purpose except to vent one's anger, which I wanted to avoid anyways. I do agree that to vent one's frustrations in the beginning may perhaps be a useful outlet but only for a short time. Life has to go on and one has to "deprogram" oneself eventually. I know that all of my so-called Witness-"friends" are lost and gone once you're df'd, but then again - we can change for the better through a temporary "therapy" on this board and then afterwards going forward in the world by meeting and developing new (and real) friends...

  I am df'd for about 3.5 years - my 2 daughters have hardly any contact with me - Carrie, my oldest daughter hasn't spoken or seen me since, whereas Michelle had spoken to me occasionally. I have attempted to "normalize" our relationship on the basis of her being my daughter and I being her father (sounds normal?) and especially after she got 2 children (my grandchildren) - I even went to a lot of meetings just to see them and have "eye-association" with them. To make a long story short: I was not welcome at Michelle's place and was not able to freely associate with my grandchildren Cole and Emma either - Since about 8 months ago, I severed all contact, as I refuse to be treated like an outcast or second-hand person, because of the unbiblical "rules" by an organization which claims itself part of God. (The Pharisees did exactly the same). They know that I love them very much, as a father should naturally.

  Incidentally, my life has changed so much; having acquired many friends - I am attending an evangelical church, where I find a caring body of people, showing a genuine love, which I never experienced before - I now believe in God wholeheartedly and have accepted Christ as my Saviour and Lord in my life. At last I have grown closer to God and have an intimate relationship with Him and I could only have done that by leaving the Watchtower. If I ever go back to the Witnesses, it would mean that I desert my God and that I would never dare to do!!!

  Richie :*)
• 
  29

  Shunning your Children

  by missylissy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i dont know if im putting this in the rite place.... .

  when a young jw teen ( 13-16) disassociates themselves, or is disfellowshipped, will the parents kick them out of the house?

  or are they required to let them stay?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie
• 
  68

  Sheila Bowen's Letter To the GB!

  by Ranchette in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i knocked on the locked door of the appeal hearing last night after they had dismissed bill and told the six elders that i had something to say to them and told them it was summed up it a letter i had written.i then asked them if i could read it to them and they could have their own copy when i was finished.they said that would be fine.. here it is.

  governing body,.

  25 columbia heights.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Richie

  Sheila....,

  A letter so true, so heart piercing, so to the point! Your letter reinforces my belief that the Watchtower Organization is indeed an exact replica of the Pharisaical Jewish class, where they burdened down their followers with heavy loads of rules and regulations at the time. The WT is guilty by comparison as they likewise manufactured their rules to the letter of the law as prescibed by the bible, but they fail to administer the spirit of the law, which in the case of child abusers should not cold-heartedly be a matter of "how many witnesses are testifying to the crime", but more importantly, how genuine love and concern can be shown to the victims by helping them from the standpoint of Christian love based on the 2 commandments instilled in us by deeply loving your God AND your neighbor as yourself!

  My heart goes out to you and your husband and to all the poor victims who cry out for help.....a cry that is heard by a loving God who will never forget the innocent ones.....and likewise will also not forget the guilty ones.....

  Deepest regards,

  Richie :*)

  Edited by - Richie on 12 August 2002 21:34:53