Posts by Anders Andersen

47

Hoping I can stay

by allyson in

i started studying with witnesses about 21 months ago.

started going to meetings in march 2017, went to the memorial and attended my first convention.

i love it.

Anders Andersen

I'll tell you what happens: the elders will call the branch office. The branch office then tells them what's written in their official correspondence guidelines.

It says you should dress and act as your biological gender. They leave no room to choose how you identify yourself.

They don't care about your feelings. They are appalled by your 'mutilating' surgery.

Sorry, but you're in for some heartbreaking...

Quote official JW branch correspondence guidelines:

If an individual considers undergoing a sex-change operation basically to bring the appearance of the sex organs into line with what the individuale emotionally and mentally feels himself or herself to be, that one should be advised to live in accord with the biological facts of the situation. (w97 6/15 18-19; w74 6/15 360) Mutilating the sex organs, such as having the male organ surgically removed and an artificial female organ created, does not change the facts or make the person into the opposite sex. Someone desiring to be baptized who has already undergone a mutilating operation of this sort (a transsexual) would be expected to take his or her place in life in accord with what the individual biologically is, not in accord with what the person has been mutilated to appear to be. This may even require that the person leave a “mate” to whom the person is “married,” since the mutilated one is actually (biologically) of the same sex as the “mate.”

An individual who dresses in the clothing of the opposite sex, practicing transvestism, should be helped to see that this is Scripturally condemned and may be related to homosexuality. (Deut.22:5; Ps. 26:4) It is a moral problem for which strong counsel is definitely needed. If the acts of the individual take on a gross aspect because of being publicly displayed, this can be reason for disfellowshipping, since such conduct can be loose, brazen conduct.—Gal. 5:19; w739/15 5746.

38

Is There Any Thing That Would Make A JW SERIOUSLY Question Their Religion?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i realize that jehovah’s witnesses have been dumbed down for long time now.

.

still, i think there must be something that would make them really question their beliefs, even their life.. i think that if witnesses were told they could take blood or that disfellowshipping was unloving, they might stop and take a hard look at everything they have sacrificed their lives for.. i know the organization has muddled these subjects before but the i think even die hard witnesses might start to second guess the governing body..

Anders Andersen

All of us questioned and got out, didn't we? We aren't Superior to anyone who still is a JW.... we're just in a different life phase and/or lucky that our right buttons were pushed at the right time...

87

California Elder Arrested

by James Jack in

crime.

daniel macias said.. investigators learned that ramos was an elder at a jehovah’s witnesses church in the 4000 block of west mckinley avenue.

there, he met a teen girl and her family three years ago.. .

Anders Andersen

If they were married it would have been legal.

It's immoral regardless.

And they are not married so it's illegal as well.

5

Russian Supreme Court - Parental rights to be denied those who involve their children in sects, extremist or terrorist organizations

by OrphanCrow in

jw
friends

the children of russian jehovah's witnesses face removal from their family if their parents continue to indoctrinate the children and engage them in religious activity.*.

*not yet in force but soon to be.

https://rg.ru/2017/10/17/verhovnyj-sud-rasskazal-za-chto-mozhno-lishat-roditelskih-prav.html.

Anders Andersen

Russia appears to become as scary as cult a JW are...

Putting rules in place to separate family members from each other because they have the wrong beliefs or religion...2 wrongs don't make a right.

12

Bank and ATM's..

by zeb in

jw
friends

i went to the atm to get out my housekeeping and budgeting money.

($650) this covers large bills and everyday shopping for food etc.. made the withdrawal and as i fumbled my wallet the atm took the money back.

a bank staff member was present helping another customer with the other atm and saw this.

Anders Andersen

Afaik almost all ATM everywhere grab the money back to prevent theft in case a person really forgets to take his money.

Of course the ATM will record that it took the money back, and make a note on your transaction. Quite likely the bank could see right away that your withdrawal was cancelled.

I guess HQ just wants to check these cancelled transactions to prevent fraud.

For example, I know there used to be a scam where one could carefully take only the middle bill(s) and wait for the ATM to swallow what's left, unaware of the missing bills. The person would still get the whole amount credited on their account.

Today they probably match your cancelled withdrawal claim with any accounting differences in that specific ATM after they refill it. And that would mean waiting for the regular refilling schedule....

4

Blood Transfusion & Loss of Salvation?

by Counter-Watchtower in

in my reading on this site ive read ppl in org were afraid of losing salvation if they had a blood transfusion.

like its the unpardonable sin or something (of course it is not, the bible never says not to have a blood transfusion).

ive read all i could find on jw.org but nothing about what would happen if you had one.

Anders Andersen

It's not an unforgivable act per session, but it's often very deliberate.

Can you imagine any other 'sin' where you first have multiple discussions with your spouse about whether you'd do it or not, talk to your doctors, the elders....already had a signed will in your wallet saying that other people shouldn't force you commit this 'sin'.....and then go ahead and do it anyway? It would take a very bold and 'brazen' attitude to be so deliberate about 'sinning'

On top of that, accepting blood is not a fun way to break the rules. Getting drunk or having sex with your hot colleague seems much more fun and tempting.

And while both genitals and blood are considered to be sacred, I guess most JW don't really view their genitals as such :-D

Oh and other sins are not 'trying to save your life', and JW have been indoctrinated with Jesus' words that 'everyone who tries to save their life will lose it'.

So their is a huge mental barrier that stops JW from accepting blood.

19

October 10, 2017 TO ALL CONGREGATIONS Re: Branch Relocation Newsletter (UK)

by wifibandit in

october 10, 2017 to all congregations re: branch relocation—newsletter.

britain branch relocation project edition 6 autumn 2017.

Anders Andersen

Sparrow made me lol :-D

44

Did you leave the JW RECENTLY? Really? Recently? WTF were you thinking?

by The Real Edward Gentry in

jw
friends

not to be overly harsh...but if you just left, what the hell were you thinking?

between 1995 and now, you never did an internet search of "jehovahs-witness" or "watchtower"?

good god.

Anders Andersen

They are trapped in a mental Prison. They build and maintain the bars of the Prison themselves, thinking they are doing the right thing.

That's exactly why I never really researched JW beliefs until I allowed myself to do so when I was already 35.

It takes time to chisel away those prison bars, especially when it's yourself who is building and maintaining these bars at the same time....

25

Who has a harder time leaving JW's - Born Ins or those who converted?

by HeyLittleGirl in

my freind (who is also out) and i were talking about this the other night.

i was a born-in, 3rd generation jw and she converted when she was in her late 20's.. when she left, she said that she knew the world wasn't as bad as she was told as a jw, so she knew she would be fine.

also, she still had lots of "worldly" family who welcomed her back with open arms.. it was harder for me - i had nobody in the "world", no family or freinds.

Anders Andersen

I guess it's much harder to adapt to life outside the cult for born-ins.

They never knew normal. They don't know how to behave socially, they have warped views of personal boundaries.

On top of that more likely than not a good part of their family is JW, and all of their friends.

Converts probably know how to behave outside the cult. They have non JW family. They may have retained some non-JW friends at the back burner.

However, 66% of born-ins eventually leave the JW, vs 33% who eventually leave JW over all members (if I recall correctly).

That would mean that almost all who leave are born-ins. Converts are apparently really really sure and blinded (maybe because the 'sunk cost' are much greater for them?).

Basically both are screwed, because it's a cult.

5

ARC—What's Next?

by Saename in

so as we know, the wt changed very little with regards to how they respond to child sexual abuse allegations.

they basically ignored the australian royal commission's report on how they could improve their policies.

the watchtower is left alone in australia to do as they please, or will there be some kind of follow-up?

Anders Andersen

The goals of the ARC is to provide the government with information and recommendations. The government can use all that to create or alter laws regarding mandatory reporting by institutions of abuse they know about, a joint redress scheme, etc. Of course this will take time....likely some years.

In the mean time, quite some JW abuse cases were handed to the police to investigate. These cases are likely to be followed up on.

But all of this takes time. Too much time for our taste of course....