Anders Andersen

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Posts by Anders Andersen

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  28

  What is Nature's most perfect food?

  by compound complex in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  greetings, gourmands of the forum!.

  i agree with garfield, but mayo comes in a close second.

  slathering my pasta with an inch of best foods real mayonnaise (hellman's, east of the rockies) is close to heaven for me.

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  Anders Andersen

  • Chocolate
  • Alcohol
  • Garlic
  • Cheese
  • Well....just about anything else too...
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  8

  Canadian Court Protects JW Minor

  by Lee Elder in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/jehovahs-witness-blood-transfusion-1.4299992.

  clearly the right move by this doctor and court.

  unfortunately, the watchtower continues to try and argue that so called "mature minors" (11-17 years old) should be allowed to follow their irrational policy on blood, even if death could result.

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  Anders Andersen

  I praise that judge. In some years or decades that girl will realize he saved her life. Or she'll live to be mad at him.

  If Jehovah exists and JW are true, the judge (unfortunately) helped the girl to spread The Truth.

  If JW are not true, that judge may have saved a life.

  In any case the judge was right and the girl won.
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  13

  What's Happening in Italy? Bethel Relocating Departments to Bologna?

  by Room 215 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  according to some websites, it appears there's going to be a transferral of several departments out of rome and to imola (bologna) in november, along with the sale of some property in the capital.. are they downsizing?

  anyone know what's going on?.

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  Anders Andersen

  During my first visit to Rome I tried to visit Bethel at Via della Buffalotta*. Couldn't find it. Will never forget that street name though. Neither will my friend Gorby apparently :-)

  We did manage to locate the Vatican, but didn't visit their museum as that would violate our conscience. Whatever.

  And we chatted up an inactive American exjw (Jesus the world is small innit). I hope he didn't return to the cult because of us.

  But otherwise, I have no info on Italy branch...

  *) Lol. On first post, autocorrect changed this to Via Sell a Buffalotta....
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  10

  What would be most likely...

  by The freewheeling in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what statement to the elders would get you disfelloshipped fastest?

  saying.... a) that you don't believe in god anymore.

  or saying ... b) that you don't believe that the governing body is god's canal and mouthpiece anymore.. what opinion is most serious in there eyes?

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  Anders Andersen

  B

  An atheist is not a threat to JW hive minds. The idea that Jehovah does not exist is preposterous, and cannot be proven. The limited logical reasoning skills and lack of knowledge of fallacies and biases make the average JW (and any other theist) immune to the argument 'there is no compelling reason to believe in gods'.

  A (God believing) exJW who doesn't believe the GB anymore most likely has arguments and evidence that strongly support his position. JW might be swayed (but unfortunately not nearly often enough). These people are a threat to the GB themselves, and they need to be eradicated.

  In addition, the atheist exjw generally doesn't care what others believe (although they might not like cults like JW much) and thus don't feel the need to preach their position to JW (and get themselves DFed in the process).

  The still believing GB-denier is likely convinced that JW are sincere but misguided, and need to be saved from their false religion in other to gain divine salvation. These exjw are more likely to preach to JW (and get themselves DFed in the process).

  Anecdotal evidence: I'm a known atheist exjw who hasn't been DFed :-)
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  22

  How do the foreign language Congregations find people to call on?

  by UnshackleTheChains in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok. i had a fascinating conversation with one of my polish colleagues at work.

  she knows i'm a jdub and an activist as have filled her in warts and all about watchtower.. she came up to me today explaining how a couple of polish witnesses came to her door.

  she was curious as to how they knew to call on her door knowing she was polish.

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  Anders Andersen

  The dubs might also just take a phone book and search for family names that are common for the targeted language group (but not for the natives in the country).

  And foreign language groups dubs are encouraged to ask any person that speaks the target language for contact info on any others they know that speaks their language.
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  9

  some thing i said..?

  by zeb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone had this experience.

  that once some contact is made with others here they never write again?

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  Anders Andersen

  Yes, I'm one of those people who probably respond once or twice, but let things be as they are as soon as the conversation about the topic at hand is finished. As a matter of fact you and I exchanged some friendly messages about a year ago (I had to look that up though).

  It's not malice, it's my way of being. I don't feel a need to expand my circle of friends (mind you: I basically have none...just some left over JW semi-lost friends, and two old jw now exjw friends with whom I must push myself to rebuild the friendship), nor do I (claim to) have the time to.

  In fact, I strongly believe being raised as a JW is a root cause for this behaviour. Being raised as a JW you'll have insta-friends wherever you go. You'll never learn to properly start and maintain friendships.

  Others here simply move on; some members whom I had pm contact with here appear to be gone from this forum.
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  61

  Saying hello for first time

  by pimojw in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been sneakily looking at this forum, almost every day, ever since it began!

  it has taken me till now to actually register and contribute.

  (actually i did register with a different name in the beginning but never commented).. i am a pimo elder with a fairly long history of senior "positions" in the organization.

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  Anders Andersen

  Welcome! I hope you have a good journey out of the Watchtower and into control of your own life, thoughts and decisions.

  You've been here a lot longer than I am :-)

  I'm here since about 2 years. After reading a sentence that triggered me regarding why I believed in God in the first place (Heb 3:4), I set out to prove to myself that

  • God exists
  • direct creation is true (and evolution is not)
  • the Bible cannot merely be the product of human wit but is unlike any other book ever written and divinely inspired
  • and evidence shows JW are the one true religion, while no such evidence exists for other religion's claims.

  Well after thorough research I was forced to conclude none of it could be supported by evidence except the opposite of what I believed. Thus I exited JW. Of course, your mileage may vary ;-)

  watching evolution v creation debates (and haven't decided which side I'm on)

  Be aware that debates aren't exactly suited for presenting the overwhelming amount of evidence that exists in support of both the fact of evolution and the scientific theories that explain those facts.

  And in many debates tricks are used to win the debate regardless of whose position is better supported by evidence.

  Many scientists simply refuse to debate creationists because of that.

  You be better informed if you simply started reading on the subject.

  Pick up a book that does a good job explaining what evolution is, how it is understood to work, and what evidence exists to support it. You can only evaluate what you understand and know.

  Then review the arguments and counter-arguments presented by each side. See what (physical) evidence exists in support of each argument. Evidence is more compelling than conjecture and empty claims.

  Check sources and quotes! I have noticed that most creationists (including Watchtower!) quote scientists completely out of context. One can only wonder why they would need to resort to such dishonesty if their position is strongly supported by evidence?

  Ah well, just 2 cents on my pet peeve :-p

  I'm still unpleasantly surprised by how dishonest Watchtower is when discussing their views on this subject.
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  21

  Orwellian change of the history(Again)

  by Ray Frankz in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well, this month's jw broadcasting had a curious piece of history class.

  samuel herd was there, but i don't remember if it was him that presented it.

  the theme was "how it was to be a jw in the years 1900.".

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  Anders Andersen

  @blondie,

  Interesting quotes! Watchtower basically claims they gradually bring up new ideas before going all in...slipping the idea in quietly, hoping nobody notices or gets upsets.

  No doubt they do the same when changing doctrine: drop the subject for some time, then imply their may be more than just the existing (but muted) interpretation, and finally introduce the new idea completely.

  Boil the frog slowly.
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  5

  So many companies with so many names....

  by Tahoe in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  just ~one~ company changed names 27 times??

  jws have many llcs, makes my head spin.

  company info.

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  Anders Andersen

  • Option one: in early years this LLC was registered with the names of the brothers responsible for it's tasks. Whenever the brothers in charge changed, the registration changed too. Then they finally imagined it'd be better to have a generic name.
  • Option two: the address listed is the address for Watchtower Farms. Multiple legal entities are likely registered at that address (including private businesses of bethelites). The registry may present info on different LLC in a mixed up way.

  Disclaimer: I use common sense only, I have no knowledge of this particular situation nor of the American way of registering businesses and LLCs
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  28

  What is sin?

  by sinboi in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what do you consider sinful?

  okay, i know many of you no longer believe that there is a god.

  just bear with me a little, just assumed that there is a creator or god.

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  Anders Andersen

  @deegee, excellent questions and points!

  @sinboi

  I still can't

  Good, it means you're human :-)

  Adapting your worldview is life shocking as you and most of us here are (or have been) experiencing.

  Your thoughts and emotions need time to catch up with this new situation. Take it step by step, day by day. Don't force yourself to be, think or feel anything you're not ready for yet.

  Over time you'll discover new questions for yourself to answer and things you never thought about before.

  At your age it will be double the challenge: while you are discovering yourself and life in general (like all teenagers go through) you're also challenged by discovering completely new universe: a universe outside the JW religious fundamentalist narrative.

  You'll discover that life outside JW is not at all what JW say it is.

  You'll discover that life is worth living either with or without religion, with or without god(s).

  You'll discover that what you think may be just as true as what anyone else thinks.

  You'll discover JW claims to know THE TRUTH work very polarizing, but that it's very well possible (and advantageous) to freely discuss, agree, agree to disagree, and be friends with people who believe completely different things than you do.

  You'll discover the world isn't black and white.

  You'll discover life is beautiful, wonderful, and very much worth living!

  
  

  Keep looking, keep asking, keep thinking, keep wondering, keep appreciating.

  And be cautious for (no, run from!) everyone who claims his or her opinions or beliefs are THE truth.