Posts by Anders Andersen

95

slimboyfat joins the Mormons!

by slimboyfat in

i know that some people on the board have experience of being mormons, so i would be interested in your feedback.

at church this afternoon it was an uncanny experience.

in the past i've read a lot about mormons, so i thought i was prepared in general for what it would be like.

Anders Andersen

I found this very interesting answer by an ex-Mormon on Quora.

Replace 'LDS church' with 'WBTS' and it reads exactly like our stories.

Do all former mormons despise the church? This is an obvious no. Just like there are those few people at church that are rude, and ignorant. Most people at church are pretty nice, but the jerks take center stage because they are the loudest. Since the exmos that don't hate the lds church are pretty much silent, it's the ones that do, and speak out, that you hear.
Why do people who leave the LDS Church have such angry feelings about it? I can't speak for all exmos, but I'll give you my opinion.

1. I hate that I was lied to. About church history, about the restoration, about LDS Church history in general, about the doctrine, and about just everything. So many lies, changes, edits, and word twists that the truth is so far off what is being taught. And their answer? Just have faith that it's true. So when you love something, and devote your life to something, and find out you were duped. It hurts. Like getting cheated on by someone you love and trust X1000. It truly hurts.

2. Their are two LDS Churches. The church for the members which is a show. A playright if you will. And then there is the LDS Church itself which is a corporate structure that stays in business by putting on that show. It exists to make money. (Wanna test it? Just go to your bishop, and tell him you can't make the mortgage payment this month. Watch as your social status goes from a 9 to a burden.)

3. They hold your family hostage against you? Families can be together forever right? Sure, so long as everyone behaves, and follows the rules. So families are pitted against each other. Which comes first, The LDS Church, or your own family? Sadly, there are so many people who have been disowned, and are without a family. Christmas is lonely.

4. We love our families too, and to watch them get taken advantage of, and exploited for quite a bit of their free time, and 10% of their income is tough to watch. Sure, we try to warn them, and show them, but they view us as angry exmormons that despise the LDS Church. To them, we're just angry, and shouldn't be listened to. Would you warn your family if you knew they were being taken advantage of by a con artist?

5. People are excommunicated, and ostracized for studying LDS Church History. They throw good faithful members away for being studious. If you learned something about Nephi that blew your mind, wouldn't you share? OMG, did you know that Nephi Parallels Daniel from the Bible? They might have hung out. (Old rumor, but I'll keep non-anti-mormon just for you. ;)

Those are just off the top of my head, but I could research a little more for you if you really want specifics.

The fact is, we're NOT angry. We're hurt, and we see other people being hurt. And that hurts. The most frustrating thing about it too, is the people we see being hurt think they're being helped, and ask for more.
http://qr.ae/1hI0SE

5

From Our Archives (10 years ago)

by berrygerry in

wt - may 15, 2006 - p. 31. the worldwide preaching of the established kingdom of god done by jehovah’s witnesses has become just such a threat to the nations.

after all, the messianic kingdom of god in the hands of jesus christ is going to “crush and put an end to all [man-made] kingdoms.” (daniel 2:44) the message of judgment included in our preaching work is sending out a tremor among the nations.

(isaiah 61:2) .

Anders Andersen

Made me lol :-D

22

String Theory Co-Founder: Sub-Atomic Particles Are Evidence the Universe Was Created

by Tenacious in

(cnsnews.com) -- dr. michio kaku [1], a theoretical physicist [2] at the city college of new york (cuny) and co-founder of string field theory [3], says theoretical particles known as “primitive semi-radius tachyons” are physical evidence that the universe was created by a higher intelligence.. after analyzing the behavior of these sub-atomic particles - which can move faster than the speed of light and have the ability to “unstick” space and matter – using technology created in 2005, kaku concluded [4] that the universe is a “matrix” governed by laws and principles that could only have been designed by an intelligent being.. “i have concluded that we are in a world made by rules created by an intelligence.

believe me, everything that we call chance today won’t make sense anymore,” kaku said, according [5] to an article published in the geophilosophical association of anthropological and cultural studies.. “to me it is clear that we exist in a plan which is governed by rules that were created, shaped by a universal intelligence and not by chance.”.

“the final solution resolution could be that god is a mathematician,” kaku, author of the future of the mind: the scientific quest to understand, enhance, and empower the mind [6], said in a 2013 big think video [7]posted on youtube.. “the mind of god, we believe, is cosmic music, the music of strings resonating through 11-dimensional hyperspace.”.

Anders Andersen

Have you seen the video?

The 'quotes' mentioned in the article are not in it. On the contrary, it more sounds like he is referring to the same 'god' that Einstein referred to. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_Albert_Einstein

Kaku's website doesn't mention anything like what is claimed in the article.

To me it looks like this is another case of believers misunderstanding, misquoting or misappying.

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/34234/does-michio-kaku-claim-he-has-found-proof-of-gods-existence

21

Intro

by Exjwme in

jw
friends

you can all call me jess, i guess you can say i'm a "refugee" from jwr.

i'm going to try and keep this short for now, i'm in my early 20s, i was born in but never baptized, i've been mentally out for 7 years and fully out for about 5ish.

despite never having been baptized my fading took quite a bit of time and work.

Anders Andersen

Welcome!

2

More So Than Ever

by berrygerry in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmdcrcsvoiu.

Anders Andersen

Awesome!

Only the default low pitch trailer voice over is missing :-p

9

Love is Greater than Hate

by Coded Logic in

this week has been a really difficult past couple of days.

waking up to the news on sunday that some jihadist jackass had slaughtered so many of my lgbt brothers and sisters left me reeling and in tears.

we're a community with common cause and a common struggle and it's immensely painful to see the loss of so many young and beautiful lives.

Anders Andersen

Wow. It's hard to imagine how you would feel right now, but you put it down in writing very eloquently.

At some level some of us might know part of the feeling of having to hide your true identity and feelings as awake/former JW, but for us is only when we're around dubs. You have to do that at some level always and everywhere you go...except there were you would feel safe. And know your safe haven has been attacked and compromised as well.

I hope the protest rally is a success: love trumps hate.

Hug from across the big pond.

8

Who was more selfless? Jesus or Brenda Lee Marquez McCool?

by Wasanelder Once in

jesus was a perfect sinless human (they say) who came to die for mankind.

he gave up his perfect life for all.

selfless?

Anders Andersen

Ooh Norah Jones

Where can I sign up?

Can I have O'g3ne to wake me up?

https://youtu.be/flhbl9w_ul0

But good analogy Simon!

11

Absolute blind obedience. No accountability.

by stuckinarut2 in

it's interesting to observe that in all aspects of life, leaders are accountable to those they lead.. politicians must fulfil their promises, or they are replaced from government.. business corporate leaders like ceos must perform, or they are replaced.. sports coaches and trainers must win, or they are replaced.. yet there are leaders who have often been wrong, have made serious ,mistakes and failed predictions that have impacted the lives of millions.. they have dictated decisions for the lives of millions, yet they can't even be questioned...even in a sincere or polite manner..

Anders Andersen

@Lost Gen,

That's not blind obedience!

Many of the dubs have 'thoroughly researched' the topic in WT literature, and concluded for themselves that God wants this. And there's also a lot of 'evidence' in there that shows it's beneficial for your health!

This is 'following their Bible trained conscience'.

Of course, if next week the GB says taking blood is ok, most of those Bible trained consciences will quickly be retrained to do the opposite of what it had always done.

Isn't it great that blind obedience has been thinly veiled as following your own conscience? Keeps the dubs subdued, and it's a perfect defense in the courts of law and public opinion. "We never make anyone do anything. They are all following their own Bible trained conscience."

17

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

by Wild_Thing in

jw
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?

Anders Andersen

Another quote from the elders manual, more to the point:

41. Depending upon length of inactivity and other factors suggested above, elders may determine to hold the matter in abeyance. In such a case, they would make a record of the person’s questionable conduct for the congregation file. When the individual again shows interest in returning to the congregation, they can clarify these matters.
42. If the sinful conduct is known only to believing family members and no congregation action has been taken, believing relatives will likely determine to curtail family association severely, viewing the relative as bad association.—1 Cor. 15:33; w85 7/15 p. 19

17

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

by Wild_Thing in

jw
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?

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.