Anders Andersen

Joined

• started 54 topics
• posted 1,668 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Anders Andersen

• 
  17

  What is the official stance on shunning family that "faded"?

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anybody have any quotes from watchtower literature or video that shows what their stance is on associating with family who have left the witnesses?

  or even what the unofficial stance is?.

  not disfellowshipped or officially disassociated, just "inactive" for say 15-20 years, but also openly living a "worldly" life birthdays, holidays, including attending another church?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  Not a direct answer to your question, might still be interesting:
  Do you regularly visit a church?
  According to the elders' manual:
  

  If it is learned that a person has taken up association with another religious organization and thus is identified with it, a committee (not judicial) should be selected to investigate matters and endeavor to provide spiritual assistance. If the individual has joined another religious organization and intends to remain with it, he has disassociated himself.
  [...]
  6. If members of the congregation are known to

  have undue association with disfellowshipped

  or disassociated relatives who are not in the

  household, elders should counsel and reason with

  those members of the congregation from the Scrip

  tures. Review with them information from the

  “God’s Love” book, pages 207-208; The Watchtower

  of April 15, 1988, pages 26-30; or the article “Dis

  play Christian Loyalty When a Relative Is Disfellow

  shipped” in the August 2002 Our Kingdom Ministry.
  

  If it is clear that a Christian is violating the spirit of

  the disfellowshipping decree in this regard and does

  not respond to counsel, it may be that he would

  not qualify for congregation privileges, which require

  one to be exemplary. He would not be dealt with judi

  cially unless there is persistent spiritual association or

  he openly criticizes the disfellowshipping decision.
• 
  14

  Noah's Ark crashes at sea!

  by Cornbread in

  1. social
  2. current

  please be advised that none of this is made up.

  a giant replica of noah's ark just crashed into a norwegian coast guard patrol.

  the ark was being towed to rio for the special olympics.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  Yeah...most of us know how it feels to spend years of our life building something in vain.

  At least this guy knew he was building a fake replica. We all thought we were building the realest bestest thing in all history of the universe....
• 
  67

  EdenOne, Mrs. Eden & Son: DISASSOCIATED!

  by EdenOne in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  great news!.

  we are free!.

  as of the 9th of june, me and my dear wife mrs. eden handed over our letters of disassociation at bethel in portugal, thus making official our departure from the jehovah's witnesses.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  Congratulations! Happy rebirthday ;-)
• 
  95

  Supreme Court Of Russia bans Jehovah's Witnesses as an 'extremist organization'

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  read the news here.

  the jehovah's witnesses lost their appeal to the supreme court of russia.

  bethel to be liquidated.. i bet the gb saw this coming ... here comes the persecution complex paranoia.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  However, to say that ALL JWs refuse blood because of fear of discipline is simply not true. You can't paint all with a such a broad brush.

  I never claimed all JW refuse blood because they fear the fallout l, and that is not the point either. My point is: (1) the Org is pressuring people into refusing blood, and that should be stopped.

  (2) The JW's who would have refused blood even if the Org would say you can accept it, are still free to do so if the Organization's no longer exists (as long as they don't pressure others to do the same).

  I assume you can agree with both of these points.
  

  Since when have government bans been effective in stopping JWs from promoting their message?

  Taking out one crime boss will only make the next one take his place. Yet we fight crime anyway. So why is this relevant?

  In my opinion bans in this information age might very well have a different effect than they had decades ago.

  Anyway, if a ban is not the answer, what is? Educating the people about JW? I think education should complement the ban, but it will also be perceived as persecution and Satanic influence.

  Would you propose governments ignore all extremist groups instead?

  They will possibly face real pain. Persecution, possible jail time, public humiliation and ridicule, beatings, constant searches and scrutiny from the authorities

  I don't think anyone here advocates beatings, humiliation and ridicule from the government. We're discussing a ban on specific literature and a legal entity here. For the sake of discussion, assume this ban would be in place in a bit more civilized country like France or Germany.

  If you break the law, for religious reasons or not, the consequences are there.

  Everyone is free to believe whatever they want, even in Russia. Is it so hard to worship your God without a specific forbidden magazine issue or book? Do you really have to preach that everyone but JW will be killed or that you should not answer the phone when your ex-JW daughter calls?

  
  

  Now I do see there is an issue in Russia. They are not very good with human rights. Apparently they are trying to get rid of any non-orthodox religions.

  There is a thin line between trying to fight extremism and stepping on the rights of non-orthodox or non-traditional groups or individuals.

  We can agree this is not an easy case either way.
• 
  95

  Supreme Court Of Russia bans Jehovah's Witnesses as an 'extremist organization'

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  read the news here.

  the jehovah's witnesses lost their appeal to the supreme court of russia.

  bethel to be liquidated.. i bet the gb saw this coming ... here comes the persecution complex paranoia.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  think back to when you were a JW (if u were ever one in the past). Would a gov ban have made u accept a blood transfusion had u needed one?

  Not after I had been indoctrinated from birth.

  But without the Watchtower indoctrination and false information, I most likely would have accepted blood like any other person (including almost all Christians)

  How many JW would refuse blood without being told to do so by Watchtower Inc.? Without being pressured by elders and Hospital Contact Gestapo Committees? Without fear of being shunned by all friends and family?

  My guess: almost none.

  Just like nowadays almost no JW would refuse an organ transplant on religious reasons, but some decades ago almost all of them would have...because Watchtower told them so.

  
  

  There is a big difference between an individual's conscience and rules and policies put in place by an organization.

  Already some JW are secretly accepting blood when needed. Guess what would happen if tomorrow the GB tells all JW that 'God prefers you to stay alive to preach, so please accept blood when needed'. Most would quickly follow that instruction. Apparently their refusing blood has less to do with their conscience, and more with mindless obedience to Watchtower.

  
  

  Through Watchtower Inc., the GB tells JW what to do, to their disadvantage. If a government wants to stop an organization/legal entity to issue instructions, it's fully within their rights.

  And if individual people want to refuse blood transfusions, they're still free to do so.

  
  
  
• 
  11

  Man I hate this F'ing cult!

  by oppostate in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the nicest and kindest jw's seem to be the ones who are the least connected and active in the congregation.. i've been trying to fade and been missing quite a few meetings.. of course my wife still loyal as ever if not more so since i've awoken to ttatt.. every mid-week and sunday meeting i miss she gives me the silent treatment.. she's become more and more friendly with a regular pioneer younger than she is and wife of an elder, this to the letting go of regular contact with best friends in the 0rganization, whom she was closest to but were and aren't as active and regular at meetings and field service.. it's a crying shame, i'm closer and kinder to her old friends, keeping in touch through facebook posts now and then, encouraging them through the hardships, rejoicing with them during happy moments, graduations, welcoming a new child to the world, marriages, new jobs and what-not.. she has become a serious shunner, staying away from a lot of folks we were close to because they're not good association.. she's drunk the whole cup of kool-aid and anything i say that's remotely negative towards the 0rganization is met with stern retorts and accusations i'm apostate sounding.. and yet, she's still the kind hearted, loving person she used to be.

  it's like she has a wt hat she dons and it changes her mind, her outlook, her behavior.

  when dealing with neighbors, with people outside the kh, she's as nice as could be and i know this kind-heartedness is genuine--but it's been hi-jacked by this f'ing cult.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  Same story here.

  And yes, I hate this fricckin cult as well. Problem is that a year worth of being able to see just how bad it is converts in a rage that will scare the still-ins as if we're possessed....sigh.
• 
  26

  Are the witnesses really False prophets?

  by MrTheocratic in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when you read the following statements from the wt.

  organization... do they satisfy you?

  or better stated...... should you be satisfied by there answers?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  From the Insight book:

  PROPHET
  One through whom divine will and purpose are made known. (Lu 1:70; Ac 3:18-21) Although the etymology of the Hebrew term for a prophet (na·viʼʹ) is uncertain, the use of this distinctive term shows that true prophets were no ordinary announcers but were spokesmen for God, ‘men of God’ with inspired messages. (1Ki 12:22; 2Ki 4:9;23:17) They stood in God’s “intimate group,” and he revealed his “confidential matter” to them.—Jer 23:18; Am 3:7; 1Ki 17:1; see SEER.
  The Greek pro·pheʹtes literally means “a speaker out [Gr., pro, “before” or “in front of,” and phe·miʹ,“say”]” and thus describes a proclaimer, one who makes known messages attributed to a divine source. (Compare Tit 1:12.) Though this includes the thought of a predictor of the future, the fundamental meaning of the word is not that of prediction.

  So when the GB claims and claimed they are not prophets, they are effectively saying they are not spokesmen for God, and their messages are not from a divine source. In short, they know just as much a you and I do.

  On the other hand, writing you never claimed to be am inspired prophet, while in fact you did so both explicitly (see Londo's post) and implicitly (by stating your message in from God, and your Spirit-guided) makes you a liar.

  There is no honor in defending liars.
• 
  17

  happy birthday.

  by zeb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just finished a walk today i came onto a happy family group of all the generations celebrating a tiny ones birthday.

  they all sang ..happy birthday and i sang with my bass baritone the chorus, .."why was she born so beautiful why was she born at all.." silly words but they are happy words.

  the family cheered their pleasure at this outsider joining in.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  Zeppy birthday to you! ;-)
• 
  95

  Supreme Court Of Russia bans Jehovah's Witnesses as an 'extremist organization'

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  read the news here.

  the jehovah's witnesses lost their appeal to the supreme court of russia.

  bethel to be liquidated.. i bet the gb saw this coming ... here comes the persecution complex paranoia.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  No matter how "pathetic" you think the religious doctrines are, it's every individuals right to follow their own individual conscience

  Yes...everyone should be allowed to follow his individual conscience (as long as that does not mean to inflict harm om others).

  But in Watchtowerland, your individual conscience is to be made obedient to Watchtower rules. Your conscience allows you (or even urges you) to accept blood, or continue associating with your DFed children? Watchtower will try force you to violate your conscience. If you don't, you'll lose all your friends and family.

  
  

  So shutting that organization down strangely might mean that a lot of people have more freedom of religion...

  
  

  Dissolving a legal entity does not stop anyone from following their conscience on worship. They can all still pray to Jehovah, read their Bibles and annoy their neighbors with their preaching.

  Just not in a KH. Or with forbidden literature.

  I wish no harm for the individual Witnesses anywhere in the world. But th organization should be taken down.
  
  

  
  
  
• 
  26

  Can a Person Resign From Being One of Jehovah’s Witnesses? (JW.org FAQ)

  by Da.Furious in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  found this in my rss feed of, as new faq on jw.org:.

  the answer was .

  a person can resign from our organization in two ways:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Anders Andersen

  Wow this makes my blood boil, so dishonest!

  Is this spiritual warfare? Leading people to believe you can just leave whenever you want?