Posts by FFGhost

8

How to make memorial bread

by road to nowhere in

video in the meeting part.

i love the stereotypical jew actors, old world kitchen, yiddish accents.

reading the greatest man book instead of bible.. they did give a nod to non wheat flour but corn and rice would have been unknown at memorial no.

FFGhost

yiddish accents

That was Yiddish???

I would categorize it as "Yiddish as imagined by someone whose only exposure to the language was watching Fiddler on the Roof a few decades ago."

I love how they make such a big BIG BIG deal out of making bread with literally 2 ingredients and whose recipe can be accurately and completely written out in literally 10 words.

"Mix ingredients, flatten dough, bake at 450 for 8 minutes."

I love the insipid conversation too.

(Remember there are literally 2 ingredients)

Mom, after taking handful of flour, to daughter: "Do you remember what comes next?"

Daughter: "Corn starch? Oregano? Poppy seeds? Agar agar? Orange rind? Granola?..."

"....Tripe? Soy sauce? Basmati rice? Haggis? Eye of newt?..."

<10 minutes later>

"I know! WATER!"

"Very good, little Yiddish daughter of mine."

3

Alternative Military Service

by Sea Breeze in

"what, though, if the state requires a christian for a period of time to perform civilian service that is a part of national service under a civilian administration?

… that is his decision before jehovah.

appointed elders and others should fully respect the conscience of the brother and continue to regard him as a christian in good standing.

Yeah, this is one of the more egregious reversals they sneaked in, with scarcely a thought (much less an apology) to the thousands, or tens (hundreds?) of thousands of young men who suffered, or were even killed, because of the particular interpretation of Biblical thought by a group of old men in an ivory tower.

The change in organ transplant policy (was considered "cannibalism" and was a judicial offense from 1967-1980, then became a "conscience matter" afterward) was another big one, though the number of JWs affected likely numbered only in the dozens, perhaps a few hundred.

For any lurking JWs out there: Did Jehovah's view of alternative military service, or organ transplants, change? Did he change his mind?

No, you say? Then what must he think of an organization that presents their own interpretations as "Jehovah's thoughts", when those interpretations were in fact exactly the opposite of Jehovah's view? And who then refuse responsibility, not even so much as offering an apology?

Or maybe the organization was right in the past, and is wrong now?

Those are your choices: Either they (a) were wrong and misrepresented Jehovah's thoughts, reproached his name and are unrepentant (not even asking for forgiveness from their victims), or (b) they are wrong now, actively sinning by ascribing to Jehovah thoughts which are not his. There is no middle ground. Either way, they bring "reproach on Jehovah's name".

Tell me why, exactly, are JWs "a people for his name"?

140

Why So Many Young People Are Leaving The Watchtower

by Jeremy C in

i have been giving a lot of thought to the young people who are leaving the watchtower organization in recent years.

last night, i was reading the thread posted by jwfacts a while back in which he provided some statistics and graphs showing the rapidly declining growth in the watchtower.

one factor that was discussed at length was the high number of young people who do not stay in the organization.

FFGhost

Excellent post from 10 years ago.

Not much has changed in the intervening time. Lots more videos, including the "Caleb and Sofia" cartoons.

Same disparagement of anything beyond high school education. The only "approved" further education is learning a trade.

So anyone with a brain is firmly encouraged to make a choice: turn off your mind for the rest of your life, and work for free to get "spiritual privileges", or get the fruck out now.

47

What is the most insensitive thing an Overseer or Elder has ever said and done to you?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

what is the most insensitive thing an overseer or elder has ever said and done to you?

i have had many insensitive things said to me by some elders, but for some reason one self-righteous elder was always on my case.

he didn't like the fact that i missed meetings, didn't like that i never went out in field service, that i didn't answer at the weekly meetings and he didn't like that i carried my books and magazines in my hands and not a service/book bag.

FFGhost

He became an elder and completely changed. He went from encouraging to judgemental pretty much overnight.

I've seen this countless times. The most mild, meek, generous person, then give them a smidgen of authority, and whammo! SS officer material.

33

Would you leave the Watchtower if you woke up at age 80 plus, or just stay in for the rest of your life.

by pistolpete in

so yesterday while i was doing some work for a customer, i noticed the wt mags on the sofa.

and i asked the elderly man if he was a jehovah witness?.

he said that he and his wife and all his children were raised in the religion, but only he and his wife attend the meetings or zoom.

FFGhost

I suspect there are 10s if not 100s of thousands of JWs in exactly the same position - they know it's all bunkum but it's the only life they know. It would be horrifically daunting to build a new life from scratch, so why not just stick around with the life you know and do as little damage to others (token field service, no contributions, no congregational responsibilities) as you can?

55

Ban on Independent Meetings

by lssjr in

source - march 2021 announcements - - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5085868283920384/2021-march-147-english-german-announcements-reminders.

this is a sobering reminder of what happened some 40 years ago when raymond franz and others were literally kicked out from the jehovah's witnesses for having pre-arranged private spiritual discussions.lesson: paragraph 7 is another example of the i and t in dr. steven hassan's bite model of the 21st century cult - information and thought control at its best!!!!

"my gosh, there must be a lot of independent meetings these days.

FFGhost

Oh, and I forgot the even more indescribably wackadoodly bizarre image of people dressing up as if they were to attend a corporate board meeting.....to watch TV in their own home.

Oh, and the lady has a Bible in her lap...so she can follow along in her own copy of the Bible....even though the quoted text from the verse they are dithering about will appear on the screen....cuz somehow it's more holy if you your fingers touch the Holy Bible....

These images of idealized JW life have always been unrealistic. Now they are painfully so.

55

Ban on Independent Meetings

by lssjr in

source - march 2021 announcements - - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5085868283920384/2021-march-147-english-german-announcements-reminders.

this is a sobering reminder of what happened some 40 years ago when raymond franz and others were literally kicked out from the jehovah's witnesses for having pre-arranged private spiritual discussions.lesson: paragraph 7 is another example of the i and t in dr. steven hassan's bite model of the 21st century cult - information and thought control at its best!!!!

"my gosh, there must be a lot of independent meetings these days.

FFGhost

Good lawd-amighty, where is that photo from in R&R's post? It has all the hallmarks of being a legit WT publication photo.

Their photos always model "ideal" JW behavior.

They want people to clap....for a broadcast....that they saw on TV....sitting in their living room....with a total of 3 people there to hear it?

And the people you are clapping for....can't hear you....don't know you....don't know you exist....?

Every day, you say, "they can't get any nuttier".....and every day they prove you wrong.....

55

Ban on Independent Meetings

by lssjr in

source - march 2021 announcements - - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5085868283920384/2021-march-147-english-german-announcements-reminders.

this is a sobering reminder of what happened some 40 years ago when raymond franz and others were literally kicked out from the jehovah's witnesses for having pre-arranged private spiritual discussions.lesson: paragraph 7 is another example of the i and t in dr. steven hassan's bite model of the 21st century cult - information and thought control at its best!!!!

"my gosh, there must be a lot of independent meetings these days.

FFGhost

Wow - there's a lot going in in just this one sentence:

While the individuals organizing and participating in such meetings are likely well-intentioned, there is no provision for such arrangements.

likely well-intentioned

Just wow. The passive-aggressive negativity positively gushes out of this.

"Likely well intentioned"?

Whatever happened to "love believes all things, hopes all things, etc. etc." Thinking the best of our brothers?

"LIKELY"???

As in, "yeah, we're pretty sure there's a good number of you guys out there doing this for, I dunno, some bad reason".

There is no provision for such arrangements

Who the cluck cares?

There's no "provision" for my eating avocado toast on Sunday mornings. So should I stop?

Are JWs only supposed to do things for which there are "provisions"?

The sheer, utter hubris and pomposity of these proclamations - sheesh.

As I noted, I really shouldn't be surprised by now, but still....holy crap.

137

Masks Are Coming Off

by minimus in

jw
friends

a number of states are allowing people to not wear a mask.

some think this is disastrous!

what’s your view?.

FFGhost

what we all know is morally wrong

And there's the issue.

What, exactly, do we "all know"?/

My neighbor thinks it's "morally right" to take my car because, in his universe, he deserves it and I don't.

That is perhaps a silly example, but you don't have to travel far to find examples of moral gray areas where there is a wide range of what people consider to be "moral".

So, we elect people to write laws, we elect people to enforce the laws, and we elect people to judge actions according to the laws.

It makes for a far more efficient society, to delegate these powers. So long as the people they are delegated to are accountable, it works. Not perfectly, not always fairly, but most of the time it works well enough.

137

Masks Are Coming Off

by minimus in

jw
friends

a number of states are allowing people to not wear a mask.

some think this is disastrous!

what’s your view?.

FFGhost

You really believe that you need a “government” to tell you not to murder.

Not to tell me! I know not to. It's the OTHER GUYS I'm worried about.

And regarding "how justice is best served", frankly, I'd rather take my chances with the government than with armed vigilantes. Ever see the old movie "The Oxbow Incident" with Henry Fonda?

The Rule of Law works. Not perfectly, not in all cases, but close enough. But it only works if you grant a segment of society the right to enforce it and impose consequences for those who break it.

You really believe that you need a “government” to prevent YOU from buying rotten fruit.

No. I want someone with authority to at least occasionally inspect fruit THE OTHER GUY sells with its rottenness disguised as he tries to make a quick buck. And with the authority to disincentivize Joe Rotten-Fruit-Seller from trying it again.

Again - the Rule of Law.

You believe that you need the “government” to put out fires.

I believe that trained firefighters would do a much better job than I would. And I believe it is in human society's best interests to have first responders operating on something other than a profit motive.

You seem to be advocating more for anarchy than libertarianism.