Rivergang

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Posts by Rivergang

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  8

  Losing My Religion - America's progressive estrangement from organized religion

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this article on the latest gallup survey:.

  https://www.yahoo.com/news/america-losing-religion-effects-long-093028404.html.

  in 1937, 73% of americans would be affiliated with some organized religion; that number remained steady until 1999: (70%); the 21st century brought about a major shift: 50% in 2018; 47% in the latest survey.. children who grew up in households without organized religion are less likely to affiliate to some form of organized religion.. it's not only a generational difference; the growth in those who express no religious preference is also on the rise in generation x (those born between mid 1960's and early 1980's).

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  Rivergang

  Humans are wired for religion

  Sad to say, that would be correct.
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  66

  Jw spokesman Says door to door preaching not coming back!

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://youtu.be/uaaztatkhkg.

  hope link works.

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  Rivergang

  That would be an easy way for them to avoid meeting attendance while still being counted as attending the meeting. What do you folks think of that?

  Holding any sort of meetings on line definitely has its limitations! (I think that I can speak from some experience, having been working "remotely" for the last three weeks).
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  66

  Watchtower fined in Belgium

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jehovah's witnesses in belgium have to pay €12k fine for shunning policy.

  news.

  you have probably heard of the trial going on in belgium about the shunning policy of jws.

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  Rivergang

  I don’t recall much being made about 1984.

  However, my perception might have been coloured by the fiasco of 1975 (of which much was made - and anyone who tries to say otherwise is an artist of the bull variety - either that or they haven’t a bloody clue what they are talking about!)

  As to “favouring” 1944/1844 over 1914, they present a case that there might be a better case for 1844 - while acknowledging that all dates are total nonsense.
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  66

  Watchtower fined in Belgium

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jehovah's witnesses in belgium have to pay €12k fine for shunning policy.

  news.

  you have probably heard of the trial going on in belgium about the shunning policy of jws.

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  Rivergang

  There is a misconception here that this Belgian court decision is dictating to people whom they must associate with.

  Rather, it is upholding the right of individuals to choose for themselves whom they want to associate with or not; and reminding religion that it may not take that right away from the individual.
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  66

  Watchtower fined in Belgium

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jehovah's witnesses in belgium have to pay €12k fine for shunning policy.

  news.

  you have probably heard of the trial going on in belgium about the shunning policy of jws.

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  Rivergang

  Well said, Phizzy.

  There are "Voluntary associations", and there are "Voluntary associations". Extricating oneself from a high-control group such as the Jehovahs Witnesses is not nearly as straight forward a process as it may first seem to be (particularly to those whose understanding of such matters is of a more superficial nature).

  Sadly, too, you are quite correct about the number of suicides which result from their cruel policy of shunning. Sad as it is, it shouldn't be any great surprise, and is also seen amongst other high-control groups who similarly practice shunning (such as the Exclusive Brethren). Each one of those persons who thus commits suicide is just as dead as anybody who in previous centuries was burned at the stake or stoned to death.

  Religious freedom is not absolute. That is the only reason why heretics are no longer burned at the stake for infringement of "theocratic" rules.
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  47

  Do You Support The Death Penalty ?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you support the death penalty or do you think the worst punishment should be incarceration?.

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  Rivergang

  If the courts could be guaranteed to get their act together and not convict the wrong person, I would say "go for it".

  All too often in this country, a person sentenced to "life" for murder walks free after just ten years of imprisonment.

  That surely cheapens human life.

  However, our courts are almost by-words for incompetence, so I do have reservations about entrusting the judicial system with making life and death decisions. It would be just like them to send the wrong person to the gallows!
• 
  66

  Watchtower fined in Belgium

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jehovah's witnesses in belgium have to pay €12k fine for shunning policy.

  news.

  you have probably heard of the trial going on in belgium about the shunning policy of jws.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Rivergang

  
  

  There are a lot of similarities between what George Orwell wrote about, and the Jehovahs Witnesses.
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  66

  Watchtower fined in Belgium

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jehovah's witnesses in belgium have to pay €12k fine for shunning policy.

  news.

  you have probably heard of the trial going on in belgium about the shunning policy of jws.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Rivergang

  becoming a JW is a voluntary association.

  How can that possibly apply to those born into the religion?
  
  
• 
  66

  Watchtower fined in Belgium

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jehovah's witnesses in belgium have to pay €12k fine for shunning policy.

  news.

  you have probably heard of the trial going on in belgium about the shunning policy of jws.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Rivergang

  Big Brother is watching you if you are a JW!
• 
  47

  What is the most insensitive thing an Overseer or Elder has ever said and done to you?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  what is the most insensitive thing an overseer or elder has ever said and done to you?

  i have had many insensitive things said to me by some elders, but for some reason one self-righteous elder was always on my case.

  he didn't like the fact that i missed meetings, didn't like that i never went out in field service, that i didn't answer at the weekly meetings and he didn't like that i carried my books and magazines in my hands and not a service/book bag.

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  Rivergang

  He became an elder and completely changed. He went from encouraging to judgemental pretty much overnight.

  A general rule - which applies in the JW World just as much as anywhere else - is "If you want to know what a person is really like, place them in a position of authority".
  

  I recall one brother who even affected a visible bantam rooster strut after being appointed an elder.