Posts by Anders Andersen

4

WT beliefs keep somebody I know from suicide, any suggestions?

by EndofMysteries in

the religion is like being on a dangerous drug or major abuser of alcohol in which suddenly stopping it will kill them even though remaining on it is also killing them.

someone i know has poor health, on welfare and very poor, and unable to turn around and change their life.

they are very depressed and been on care and had several close calls and suicidal thoughts.

Anders Andersen

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Please get this person professional help before even starting on TTATT.

43

any JW construction going on other than Warwick?

by Magnum in

is anybody aware of any kingdom hall builds going on or any kind of ldc activity?

i've been wanting to ask this, and committeechairman's question at the end of this thread, http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/289353/ldc-semininar?page=4&size=20, moved me to go ahead and ask.. i've kind of wondered whether the org leaders got rid of rbcs and instituted the ldc arrangement because they wanted to be able to stop or slow down construction without it being obvious.

if the rbcs were still in existence, it would be obvious that there's nothing (or almost nothing) going on (if that really is the way it is) because rbc personnel would be idle when they were used to being busy.

Anders Andersen

In the Netherlands an auditorium that was used for circuit meetings is currently being expanded (existing building overhauled, new building next to it) to create more capacity so it's suitable for conventions as well.

Since currently this auditorium cannot be used, and the only other was already sold, they have to complete it. Renting is expensive, and you can't sell rented buildings (but they may try in future ;-))

For financing this project they sold an other auditorium, and calculated to us the money for renting venues for conventions that would be saved. Those combined more than financed the new building, and then they added a nationwide moneygrab resolution to finance it....

152

If YOU had to make the decision, would you respect a JW relatives wish to refuse a blood transfusion?

by nicolaou in

a few years after i quit the meetings my mum needed her medical directive signed and witnessed and she asked if i'd do it.

i was surprised to say the least!.

i think she was just angling to include me and maybe find some lever to get me involved again.

Anders Andersen

Don't know if someone else already brought it up, but this question is closely related to this one:

If you find someone who just slit his wrists and he tells you 'please just let me die', would you call an ambulance?

Now you can argue that this is not the same situation as with a JW who has his signed medical directive while (supposedly) completely sane.

And it isn't the same situation. The suicidal person states his wishes while dying, he makes an active choice when it really counts.

A JW medical directive however was signed while using armchair philosophy.

The JW doesn't really know what his decision would be at when he was really dying. If he were conscious, he might have changed his mind now he's really in the situation.

For those coming up with alternative examples, e.g. suppose you found someone whois not depressed but slit his wrists anyway, and tells you 'please just let me die. I am dying of a terrible painful disease anyway, and my whole family was just murdered'. Would you call an ambulance?

Now it's more likely you just let him die, right?

And what if you know that what he believes (terminally I'll, family murdered) is actually not true at all?

In the examples above, does the wish of the person trump he need to help him?

62

Umbertoecho here.

by umbertoecho in

hello people.. i'm tired and a bit sick at the moment but i can't let anyone think that this is going to go away.... i am able to tell you a few things in order to prevent any confusion in the minds of those who are thinking that nothing will come of this arc;that nothing will effect the wtbts in america and other places.. i have been there and given my testimony.

helen milroy and her assistants were there along with another group of people who are there to lend assistance if you crack up at any time during or after the hearing.

i did not crack up but can see how this happens.. security is tight and anonymity is sacred to them as they want to protect all who come forward.

Anders Andersen

Thank you Umber.

I can't possibly imagine what you have been through in life, and reliving it again.

If your experiences make experienced professionals cry, it can only be much worse for you.

Wish you strength and inner peace to process what happened so far.

152

If YOU had to make the decision, would you respect a JW relatives wish to refuse a blood transfusion?

by nicolaou in

a few years after i quit the meetings my mum needed her medical directive signed and witnessed and she asked if i'd do it.

i was surprised to say the least!.

i think she was just angling to include me and maybe find some lever to get me involved again.

Anders Andersen

Probably not anymore, but only if no alternatives available.

That's why I'm not my wife's legal representative in this matter :-(

15

Need advice on fade...

by StarTrekAngel in

the elder that was the coordinator of the boe has just left town to attend one of those infamous schools with this wife.

the view is that he will most likely return to be appointed co. not sure he is going to stick around here for a lot longer.. i am saying this because, despite them knowing he will return when the school is over, they removed him from the coordinator position and appointed someone else.

it was announced last night that the biggest jerk of the group of elders is now the coordinator of the boe.

Anders Andersen

Elders can only come on shepherding calls if you allow them to.

So don't allow them to come if you don't need or don't want it.

It's your mind, your faith, your life, your home.

If your wife doesn't agree with not having a shepherding call, she could always ask for one for herself if she wants (but I hope not)

15

Changed Will Watchtower You Get Nothing!

by Hadriel in

as i mentioned last week i'm a covert fade.

it dawned on me that i had the watchtower bible and tract society in my will.

i just changed it.

Anders Andersen

@Hadriel,

Now I'm really curious about your skill set ;-)

Do your younger kids already know you don't think it's The Truth anymore? If you would tell them, could they just quit if they want (and not be further indoctrinated) while you and your wife fake it a little longer for the sake of extended family? (As in let the children off the sinking ship first?)

Just throwing thoughts here....(personally I couldn't fake more than a week).

60

Those keenly following umbertoecho ARC Brief Update.

by MightyV8 in

i feel it is comfortable to say,.

yes her arc hearing has come and gone.. yes her hearing was so powerful, her allotted time was tripled!.

yes, information handed over "mind blowing" response from arc.

Anders Andersen

@UmbertoEcho

Thank you very much for standing up for the truth, all past, current and future victims of WT policies, and yourself.

I hope that what you have done does not only change others' life for the better, but also yours.

Big hug.

@MightyV8,

As I understand you have been a great support UE. While I don't know either of you personally, I really appreciate that. Thank you!

47

Since you left, have you become more moral?

by Coded Logic in

respect.

sympathy.

gossip.

Anders Andersen

@CodedLogic:

When I say "moral" I mean the process of critical (and sometimes heuristic) thinking we use to evaluate the actions and behaviors of ourselves and others.

Since the process of thinking if different for each person, doesn't that imply that morality is subjective?

Most generally, the metric we use for that evaluation is the well being of sentient creatures.

For those with a better developed sense of morality, yes.

For those (blindly) following sets of rules (such as homosexuality is immoral), the set of rules is the metric.

While the word "moral" may cover a broad range of concepts and ideas - it doesn't then follow that morality is subjective. People use the word "red" in a lot of different ways at different times. But it doesn't then follow that when I say something is "red" its color is entirely arbitrary or subjective.

For your example of colors, I agree. Someone stating that all cars are red doesn't make green cars red.

However, different reactions to the same situation can both be viewed as moral or immoral, depending on your viewpoint.

An interesting example of this is found in Heinz's dilemma.

A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged $2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: “No, I discovered the drug and I'm going to make money from it.” So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's laboratory to steal the drug for his wife. Should Heinz have broken into the laboratory to steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?

There are of course multiple reasoning as to why Heinz should or should not steal the medicine (see the article for more background).

Stage six (universal human ethics): Heinz should steal the medicine, because saving a human life is a more fundamental value than the property rights of another person.
Or: Heinz should not steal the medicine, because others may need the medicine just as badly, and their lives are equally significant.

Apparently depending on a person's viewpoint, an conclusion reached about the morality of (not) stealing the medicine can go both ways, even when contemplating fundamental values such as universal human ethics.

Hence my conclusion that morality is subjective (especially when compared to assumed absolute morality coming from any God(s) or sacred texts).

I first read about Heinz's dilemma when still in, and I was kinda shocked that apparently my moral compass was on the lowest level: obedience. Of course that is what you get from being raised to be obedient to parent, elders, GB and God.

Love this discussion, eager to see your viewpoint

37

My First post

by Simple Minds in

i have been lurking on this site for 3 years and this is my fist post.

i would like to thank everyone for helping me wake up.

i was baptized at 24, married at 25, ms for 18 years mentally in for 24 years but started to wake up 3 years ago doing research to give public talks, and the actions of arrogant and narcissistic brothers and sisters did not help.

Anders Andersen

Welcome!

Your letter is fine.

Be sure to include a remark that while you appreciate the effort, you cannot handle meeting with them.

If they want to meet, politely but firmly refuse every time.

Note that they don't have any authority over you, and you don't owe them any explanation ;-)

You can explain, but don't have to...

Good luck...Wish you wisdom in handling this...