Posts by Anders Andersen

15

Android browser: search and edit don't work.

by Anders Andersen in

hi simon,.

thanks for maintaining this forum.. i use this site almost exclusively on my android phone and tablet.. there are 2 annoying issues there:.

search doesn't work.

Anders Andersen

Hi Simon,

Thanks for maintaining this forum.

I use this site almost exclusively on my Android phone and tablet.

There are 2 annoying issues there:

Search doesn't work. I can click in the menu so the search bar pops up, but as soon as I tap the input field to start typing, the menu collapses.
Editing posts doesn't work. Edit button works, post is shown in the edit box, but clicking save doesn't have any result. Clicking cancel does work.

Would be great if those issues can be solved.

I am willing to be provide any info or be beta tester for anything you throw at me.

Haven't tested the forum in non stock browsers yet. Will do that and post results here.

Cheers!

A.

13

"Marked" for association with "worldly guy"

by Anon_SA1 in

jw
friends

my best friend has recently been "marked" for associating with a "worldly guy" what advice can you give me to pass onto her?

i am not a jw, never been one, so looking for guidance.

thank you in advance.

Anders Andersen

Unfortunately there is not much you or your friend can do.

The system of being marked, disfellowshipped or disasociated are set up in a way that is impossible to fight.

When specific behaviour (having a wordly friend) is discussed as bad in a talk. Any JW who knows a JW displays that behaviour, will stop socializing with them until they stop their bad behaviour. They will still talk to them in the kingdom hall tho, but preferably just to encourage them to give up their bad behaviour.

When disfellowshipped or disasociated, a announcement is made: "X is no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses". Now all good JWs will never talk to X again unless they repent and are offficially reinstated, or when X is a close relative and important family matters come up.

As you can see, being marked means less socializing from JW.

To fight this, your friend should either give up their wordly friend and be 'unmarked' (so JW blackmailing worked) or try to convince selected JW friends to ignore her being marked, and still socialize with her.

Or she could recognize this really is a controlling cult that doesn't let her make her own decisions, and walk away.

I recommend her the last option.

As a real friend, stay with her, she needs it. Ask her who show real friendship: the JW friends that ignore her when they are told to do so? Or wordly friends that are friends regardless of her personal choices? Who shows greater love?

No need to pressure her into answering. The idea is to make her think. Really think.

Btw I assume she is marked for having a wordly boyfriend, not just a friend?

52

Time to Spill my Guts

by Hadriel in

been lurking around here for several weeks.

posted once or twice but not too much.

i'm a covert fade at the moment.

Anders Andersen

I now see I apparently missed a page of posts.

You seem to do just fine ;-)

Keep it up!

52

Time to Spill my Guts

by Hadriel in

been lurking around here for several weeks.

posted once or twice but not too much.

i'm a covert fade at the moment.

Anders Andersen

Thanks for your post, and welcome to the bright side!

Wish I had been as smart and lucky as you are with regards to the wife, you did that in very excellent way. Making here research to prove you wrong

As for your kids, here are some thoughts:

Parenting is leading by example. Think of your actions now as one of the most important lessons you'll ever teach your kids. A lesson that might heavily influence their view of you (no pressure here). The way I read your post, you'll want them to be honest more than being able to fake something? Show them you are honest.
Unless you'll tell them it's ok to make nonJW friends, they probably won't, and in the mean time their dependence on JW friends grows.
If you do tell the kids it's ok to make JW friends, they'll wonder why?
Depending on their age, they can probably handle the real truth. At least they deserve it just as much as you think they deseved the fake truth. No need to pressure them either way, but maybe at least let them know some things?

Kids that move, survive the shock of having to make new friends. So whether you physically move, or ideologically move, your kids will survive that.

Giving them the opportunity to choose, and weigh in on the family decision will probably help a lot in them not resenting you and your wife (this is not only on you ;-) )

FYI my kid is not even 1 yet so I am not hindered by any real experience with teenagers ;-)

Good luck.

Your family (including your teenagers) is already in a better place than it was before.

You have bestowed upon them the gift of real, free thinking for themselves instead of blindly following any good or bad meaning person with a seemingly good story (like WTBS, husband/dad, Nigerian email scammer, Fox news, etc).

Ps. I agree with person posting about the "Goat herders guide to the galaxy".

Once you know WTBS (there is BS in that abbreviation for a reason) is dishonest in everything they write, you might want to investigate the real evidence with regards to human existence starting with Adams creation in 4026BCE, the flood, and evolution. It says a lot about both JW and the Bible. It also says a lot about God.

46

Thinking about disassociating yourself - STOP!...at least for a moment

by rory-ks in

(this recent forum post about a letter of disassociation encouraged me to post this new topic.

it's been sitting in my drafts folder for a little while, but now is as good a time as any.).

my suggestion would be, try not to go down the route of disassociation.

Anders Andersen

Giordano,

I agree. Only be truthful about your feelings and beliefs to your spouse.

Spouses deserve to know the real you.

Even if they run to the elders, that's only 1 witness out of 2 needed.

No need to write a DA letter, just stop going, walk away and never meet/talk with 2 or more elders.

24

Money Grab started in India

by cognitivedizzy in

jw
friends

i don't know how the fellow who made the resolution from stage to send 80% of the congregation funds to the indian branch as an outright donation made it with a straight face.

and all the sheeples nodded like they understood the shit he were spewing.

i'm so mad at this cult .

Anders Andersen

Don't blame the Indian government.

This is Jehovah setting up a perfect way to show whether JW are backed by him.

If they are, JW in India will surely have rapid expansion. The little one will grow into thousand (or something like that).

Or....no God is backing them and they can't survive without HQ money...

20

Is Religion dying out? An exaggerated view from the WTBTS

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

awake!

november 2015. is religion dying out?

millions of people with differing viewpoints have chosen to take an identical action.. .

Anders Andersen

About the perceived paradox between atheists having a low retention rate but are still growing: these are USA statistics.

Atheist are only a very very small % of the population. This group grows quickly because of all the believers turning atheist, not by forcing their kids to not believe.

Besides, there is a difference between being raised an atheist ('here are arguments to not believe in any gods') vs not being raised as a believer ('...'). The last group might be easy prey for religious smooth talk.

And... guess what happens if you were raised without getting an aversion against religion, and you find a nice significant other with strong religious feelings who asks you to join their church? (Which is a likely scenario as almost whole population is religious).

Thank God I live in Europe where much more people are unaffiliated and/or atheist :-)

10

Next year will be a very tough year for me

by never a jw in

jw
friends

my new year resolution is to invest more of my time with my family and friends.

also, as i approach retirement ( i am 50), i need to make sure there's enough to keep me and my wife going beyond our eighties.

i want to thank all of you because my time here, posting and reading, have been a great learning experience.

Anders Andersen

Wasn't 2016 already started Down Under when you posted this? :-D :-p ;-)

Have a good year!

20

Really beautiful Watchtower article about truth

by Anders Andersen in

this is the singlemost best watchtower article i have ever read.. it almost brought tears to my eyes (please note the almost ;-)).

"what is truth?

"this question is one which every sincere christian should ask and seek to answer.

Anders Andersen

This is the singlemost best Watchtower article I have ever read.

It almost brought tears to my eyes (please note the almost ;-))

"WHAT IS TRUTH?"
This question is one which every sincere Christian should ask and seek to answer. We should learn to love and value truth for its own sake; to respect and honor it by owning and acknowledging it wherever we find it and by whomsoever presented. A truth presented by Satan himself is just as true as a truth stated by God. Perhaps no class of people are more apt to overlook this fact than the Christian. How often do they in controversy overlook and ignore truth presented by their opponents. This is particularly the case when arguing with an infidel. They feel at perfect liberty to dispute everything he says on religious subjects. This is not the correct principle. Many infidels are honest— as anxious to speak and believe the truth as are Christians— and if in converse with them we ignore truths which they may advance, we not only fail to convince them of our truths, but put an end to all hope of reaching them; for our failure to admit the evident truth which they advance begets in them contempt for the one who is not honest enough to admit one truth because he does not see how it can be reconciled to another. Accept truth wherever you find it, no matter what it contradicts, and rely for ability to afterwards harmonize it with others upon "The Spirit of truth, which shall guide you into all truth," as Jesus promised.
Truth, like a modest little flower in the wilderness of life, is surrounded and almost choked by the luxuriant growth of the weeds of error. If you would find it you must be ever on the lookout. If you would see its beauty you must brush aside the weeds of error and the brambles of bigotry. If you would possess it you must stoop to get it. Be not content with one flower of truth. Had one been sufficient there would have been no more. Gather ever, seek for more. Weave them together as a garland —"Bind them on thee as a bride doeth." "Bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man." Prov. 3:3.
C. T. R.
Zion's Watch Tower, July 1879

If only more Witnesses would be really looking for truth, instead of instantly rejecting everything that is not written in JW literature....

If only the WTBS would treat 'infidels' as C.T. Russell wrote: engage in conversation with them, and really listen. Accept facts and truth, regardless of the source.

PDF scan of the original issue

Full (searchable) text of this WT on archive.org

33

Spreekt of schrijft iemand hier Nederlands?

by fulano in

ik wel.

Anders Andersen

I speak Dutch as well ;-)