Anna Marina

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Posts by Anna Marina

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  15

  2--New Talks--If you Want them!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  2 new talks if you want them.. .

  2019-s-34-e-38--how can you survive the end of the world.

  https://docdro.id/knfjplo.

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  Anna Marina

  Hi Menrov

  Would have been better if they had put qualified men in quotes.

  Optional - Use the art work provided to illustrate the two points that follow

  He has appointed qualified men to care for the congregation (Mt 24:45; Eph 4:11,12; jllesson19)
  
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  6

  Underming the Watchtower Video Clips

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  there are a few video clips or short videos that serve to undermine watchtower beliefs and practices.

  i'll post one animated one that hits home rather successfully regarding baptism.

  there is another one that shows a cartoon jehovah changing his mind again and again about whether or not he will resurrect the people of sodom and surrounding cities.

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  Anna Marina

  Problem is what does psychological abuse mean? Just like a GP can carry out malpractice, so a psychiatrist can carry out psychological abuse.

  You have freedom of religion and freedom of conscience - these two things can mean the same thing in one sentence, then they mean something different in another. Also your audience can interpret those phrases according to their understanding.
  

  Psychology isn't a exactly a scientific thing. You think of it being such but just as there are different denominations of a faith, so there are different branches of psychology and different values sytems and priorities believed in by psychiatrists.

  Some fields of psychology are aimed at getting people to adjust to a loveless corporate system. I think that is what WT is doing.
  
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  10

  The internal conundrum of opposing ideologies with the Jehovah's Witnesses religion.

  by Finkelstein in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  one might look at the jws in two engaging parts, one part being the activity orchestrated by the top men who create the doctrines which get printed out into many pieces of literature the wts publishes, call it dogma if you will.. the other might be long extenuating rules of conduct of behavior the wts enforces and regulates to its following devoted members in an all out effort to make the organization the most righteous and clean among all other christian based organizations.. the doctrines created by the top leaders of the wts have put forth many doctrines which weren't particularly bible supported, one could even say they were apostate in their expressive originality.. pushing the theology that jesus has returned and has taken to his heavenly throne as of 1914 thereby proclaiming that mankind is living in the last days or "this generation" spoken about in the bible was propagated by the wts for over 100 years now, going as far back as the late 1800's.. there has been a major effort by the organization's leaders from the top down to watch for any behavior by the adjoined members that would ruin the over all righteous image of the organization.

  personal appearance is closely watched and monitored, social behavioral activities on various matters are also closely monitored over the avowed members.. there is so much scrutiny going on over the members and critical judgments being imposed on a personal level to the members but what about the very doctrines to which these members are to uphold 100 % less they be punished for openly investigating and being critical of ?.

  it seems the men at the top have the control over the doctrines they make and also the power to kick out and condemn anyone who honestly investigates these doctrines to their honesty and viability .

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  Anna Marina

  I've just read through this thread and nodded at what everyone has said. All so simple and easy to understand. Then I think about those still believing the Watchtower is God's Organization. They'd not get what has been said.

  None so blind as they that won't see.(Jonathan Swift)

  (Jeremiah 5:21) “Hear, now, this, O unwise people that is without heart: They have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear.
  
  
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  10

  ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES VIDEO

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  atlantis posted: 2019--16 leaked videos!.

  here is my review after watching the ''roles and responsibilities video''.

  the video begins with ''congregation members willingly contribute their money to ''jehovah'' to advance kingdom interests.''.

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  Anna Marina

  Can't give all the details - suffice to say a donation was made which was larger than intended. Urgent requests were made to return the money as the one who gave it was in need. As far as I am aware the money has not been returned.

  Shame on you Watchtower Society - I second that!
  
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  16

  Ray Franz - Why The Watchtower Cannot Reform

  by Anna Marina in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is me reading a letter ray kindly sent to me in 2008 explaining why the watchtower was not capable of reform.

  the letter is full of wisdom and is very informative.. ray franz's letter to me - why the watchtower cannot reform.

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  Anna Marina

  And one of the founders of the Mormons was called Brigham Young. Just stick an 'n' in his first name and it sounds like a WT policy.
  
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  39

  The real dividing line isn’t between apostates and apologists it’s between...

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  excellent observation from zizek about communist regimes: they didn’t care if people accepted the ideology or took it seriously, so long as people acted as if the ideology was true, that was the important thing.

  in fact the regimes were deeply suspicious people who took the ideology too seriously.

  people who took the ideology seriously were dangerous because they were prone to noticing the inconsistencies and flaws in the system.

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  Anna Marina

  The OP reminds me of a point made by Jonas in his video about life in the Russian Bethel. The particular bit I am thinking of is at 24:00-30:00. Jonas explains that an unwritten rule about Bethel is, do what you want but don't harm the brand. Ie keep unchristian behaviour out of sight.

  My ExJW Story: Working In The Russian Bethel
  
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  39

  The real dividing line isn’t between apostates and apologists it’s between...

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  excellent observation from zizek about communist regimes: they didn’t care if people accepted the ideology or took it seriously, so long as people acted as if the ideology was true, that was the important thing.

  in fact the regimes were deeply suspicious people who took the ideology too seriously.

  people who took the ideology seriously were dangerous because they were prone to noticing the inconsistencies and flaws in the system.

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  Anna Marina

  I left because I could see the most elementary of mistakes in counting. Such as 19 followed by 2 not 20. I did all I could to raise such issues only to be consistently met with a refusal to even open the Bible.

  Plenty of others I know have left. and what a number of these ones say is that the environment is loveless and cruel. It was the lack of love thy neighbour (a basic Christian principle) that troubled them. Also, lack of integrity, seeing sin practiced but hidden (if you were in the favour with the right people). The current child abuse issues are a good example of this. But wife beating has gone on along with adultery and fraud. Sadly these and other unchristian practices haven't achieved the same level of publicity as child abuse.

  Other reasons for leaving is that ordinary people can clearly see that attempts are being made to dumb them down. I have heard it said, "do we really need our brains removing to remain part of this organization?"
  

  An ex-elder explained to me what he had seen happen. He said, say you have a body of Christian men but one turns against Christianity. But he hides it. When the body of elders come to appoint another elder, the anti-Christian one will seek to appoint another anti-Christian one because a Christian would see through him. So gradually over time, the body of elders becomes anti-Christian. And that pattern goes on all the way to the top, so in the end the top is anti-Christian.

  Possibly those at the top were always anti-Christian and were seeking to elevate those of a particular persuasion to make it difficult for those at the bottom (who might be believing Christians) and attempt to silence them.
  
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  16

  Ray Franz - Why The Watchtower Cannot Reform

  by Anna Marina in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is me reading a letter ray kindly sent to me in 2008 explaining why the watchtower was not capable of reform.

  the letter is full of wisdom and is very informative.. ray franz's letter to me - why the watchtower cannot reform.

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  Anna Marina

  Hi Vidiot - oh I see.

  You may be interested to know that a friend of mine who is fading has met up with her extended family, some of whom are Mormons. Comparing what she has been through at the hands of JWs with her family she says the Mormons use the same methods of control as JWs.
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  16

  Ray Franz - Why The Watchtower Cannot Reform

  by Anna Marina in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is me reading a letter ray kindly sent to me in 2008 explaining why the watchtower was not capable of reform.

  the letter is full of wisdom and is very informative.. ray franz's letter to me - why the watchtower cannot reform.

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  Anna Marina

  Hi Careful

  Yes I realise I come at this from what might be a unique angle. Also, I wasn't looking for failures in their doctrine, I found out about the self-evident doctrinal errors through be pleasant and helpful. I was lied to about their doctrines. Then I came to realise that just about everyone else had been lied to and no one quite realised it.

  I can only speak of the congregation I was in - not many were equipped to effectively challenge the literature writers. Very few publishers could even distinguish between World War I and World War II. It wasn't that they were stupid, they were too trusting and were not supported with access to accurate facts to which they might have given due consideration. Many in my congregation had very good natures. They were kind and generous but they were being misled and were unable to challenge it. I could not challenge the quasi-intellectual spin either BUT there were some really silly inconsistencies such as the 7th trumpet being handed out in 1919 when 7th one was supposed to have blown in 1914. I went up to a district overseer and asked him about it and he said, "I never realised that before you have two options, either write to the Society or wait on Jehovah to correct things." I said, "I've tried writing, they don't do anything."

  Shortly after that exchange there were no more district overseers.

  Incidenatlly, it took a few years but after I pointed out that Appendix 5B in the NWT Bible entirely contradicted the 1914 doctrine (2006), they came up with this Revised NWT (2013). They removed Appendix 5B. I don't know if what I had said had any influence on their actions. But I could see how insightful Ray's words were, when he said that the idea of them reforming was wishful thinking.

  Hi Vidiot

  I appreciate its not news to everyone, just information in an easy to understand format, which I hope helps others to grow in confidence to stand up to these people who mess with language and numbers. Although I was lied to in my study, I never lacked the confidence to speak up. I had freedom of speech. Sadly, I know this is not the case for many.
  

  The way I view it - they took the identity of the House of Jacob in order to pretend they were Christians. I was told that Jesus was the greatest Jehovah's Witness. Well because the Messiah came from the House of Jacob, that seemed quite a reasonable. But the Watchtower was never Jehovah's Witnesses, not in the proper scriptural sense that they wanted you to believe.
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  21

  cart witnesses

  by stan livedeath in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i drove through a nearby seaside town today.

  it was starting to rain.

  it was cold.

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  Anna Marina

  Sad. So cruel to mislead people like this.

  I look at them standing there in the rain shunning me. Sigh.