Posts by ThomasMore

45

Advice to reduce hours earn less and spend more time on the ministry

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

the advice to reduce work and earn less to spend more time preaching has not aged well.. the cost of living crisis means many have more going out on necessities than they have coming in.. so many asked their employer to reduce their hours and refused promotion only to see their colleagues go up the ladder when they stayed lowly position with rubbish jobs thinking the end will be here soon.

next week midweek meeting is all about preparing for an economic crisis.. they say have a go bag and new advice for all jws to store food and water at home and grow a vegetable garden, i kid you not.

this is the new direction..

ThomasMore

Of course some JWs are still chasing pyramid scemes that scam everyone involved. Some that I know were propositioned by fellow "brothers" wanting "help" them make "ginormous" amounts of money.

JWdom is in trouble as the chickens have come home to roost. Those who didn't follow the narrative considered the real future and learned a trade or went to school and are now able to provide for themselves. All the while, they were pariahs to the rest of the faithful who are now up a creek without a wing and a prayer.

LHG won't be at anyones door begging them to erase mistakes of the past, so I'm calling her a winner. All the others... they might be on the losing end of the stick, not the carrot.

207

Scholar and Fisherman

by Jorden in

scholar and fisherman, i started this thread because i didn't want to highjack the one in regard to 588/568.. i just wanted to ask if you were both current active jw's that believe the jw's beliefs?.

do y'all believe the gb are the f&ds?

if the answers are no, then why do y'all defend so passionately the date 607?

ThomasMore

Scholar and Fisherman - my favorite apostates - are both on the fringes of JWdom, in that they debate on this forum, which is "verboten" to faithful JWs. I can only assume that neither believes in shunning or DFing since they spend a large amount of time associating with Inactive and DF'd human beings as they attempt to establish positions on WTC positions while dodging CSA and other issues where WTC is squarely in the wrong.

Let's break bread as soon as possible. But please, no weed or heavy drink, or kiddie porn - I am against that. Thanks for not offending my conscience.

Welcome to the world of apostasy fellows!!! All the best to you!

Jorden - question #4 - how did their elders respond when they learned that both brethren were regulars on this forum. They surely told them.

169

Rich Man and Lazarus

by Ding in

i have never understood the watchtower's explanation of the rich man and lazarus story jesus told in luke 16. of course, they don't believe jesus is talking about what happens in an "afterlife" after people die.. but from the watchtower's point of view:.

1. who are the five brothers?.

2. why can't lazarus go witness to them?

ThomasMore

Rick - your video was enlightening. Thank you.

22

"Apostasy"

by Zilgee in

the so called apostates of first century later became the catholic church.

these apostates like saint athanasius, theologian, ecclesiastical statesman, and egyptian national leader decided which books would be part of the bible.

we are now following what they decided.

ThomasMore

aqwsed12345 - Thanks for the research. JW's believe what they believe because it provides them with a time to enter and re-establish true Christianity. It fits their narrative.

In reality, they have metamorphed into something foreign from the scriptures they claim to be patterned after.

As for the Bible Canon, they support the work of early organizers who picked the writings that would be recognized (for the most part) as the authentic Bible canon.

I offer no opinions on whether some are illegitimate or missing. Having seen the blatant hypocrisy of WTC, I wonder if any organized religion can adequately represent the teachings of Christ.

7

What do the Org. And the Catholic Church have in Common?

by Vanderhoven7 in

"the governing body of jehovah’s witnesses are like the pope is to the catholic church.

they too claim to be god’s mouthpiece or the voice of jesus.

they also demand unquestioning obedience for their members salvation.

ThomasMore

Your list is right on target Vanderhoven. Why?

Because WTC studied the organizational structure of the Catholics and gradually began to emulate it. This started around the time that they joined the UN as an NGO. They wanted to gain insight into the Catholic structure in particular so that they could manage funding, growth, assets, control and all the other aspects of running a large multi-national religious organization. The Vatican had the playbook.

Without giving too much away, WTC implemented changes in the 90's that would help them "get organized". Their ship was in such disarray that some feared it would sink, and it came close a few times when policy changed, donations failed to keep up with expenses, spending veered out of control, etc.

Still, WTC chases the business model of the Catholics. Even now, they are employing the same legal guns that the Vatican uses. They know that dioceses went bankrupt, but they still believe in the Catholic business model and will follow it doggedly. What other choice do they have? Afetr all, it's not about religion - it's about business.

22

Official WT 800-page Shunning Manual ??

by Chevelle in

does anyone have a pdf copy of the 800-page book (or reference manual?

) "jehovah's witnesses and disfellowshipping"?.

https://youtu.be/fxpdodqlut8.

ThomasMore

Jeff and Enough - You are spot on.

Atlantis - Thanks you for your diligence.

WTC did create this verbose word salad for govt officials and for use in court cases as a reference. Thie strategy is to use as many words as possible in the hope that it will bolster their case. In this case, it was just another mess. I took the time to go through it - embarassing!

As usual, they have adorned a pig with lipstick.

10

TV report-May 3, 2023-The Pa. grand jury investigation into alleged cover-up of child sex abuse within Jehovah's Witnesses

by AndersonsInfo in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds3q289vwok.

the link is to the tv report - may 3, 2023. .

below is a transcript of the tv report.. a pennsylvania grand jury has recently brought child sexual abuse charges against nine men—all jehovah’s witnesses—in what some are calling the most extensive investigation into the group in history.

ThomasMore

Some of the statements by Shapiro and others indicate that:

1. The AG was given the cases - no victims came forward to tell their story

2. The information was expansive - larger than just cases in PA

3. The information was current until 2019 - not after

I am convinced that the databases that the Legal Department fondles, have been leaked - probably in 2019. News reports keep pointing to a trove of information, implying that these 9 cases are just the tip of the iceberg. They have indicated that a network of abusers exists. This correlates with how abusers share stories and even victims. It also explains why the AG in PA is so incensed at JWs - determined to pursue them.

I knew someone who had intimate knowledge of the databases. This person was so repulsed - it shook his/her faith and confidence in the GB. If the databases have been leaked - IT IS OVER FOR WTC.

773

Breaking News: Anthony Morris III no longer serving on the Governing Body

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

this has been announced on the jw's official website, in the "jw news" section.

this is not a joke.

anthony moron da turd is out as a gluttonous body member!

ThomasMore

I could be wrong but there are only a few reasons that WTC might have for keeping the secret this long - and GOD knows they have never been good at keeping secrets. I have heard some rumblings, but they are still unconfirmed so I won't share - not until they are substantiated.

Honestly, the average JW does not seem to care. They don't talk about it, as if it will just go away and they won't have to face the letdown of what he might have done. I think they want it to remain a secret, just so they can imagine that the GB are flawless, spiritual towers who can be relied upon. Let me say that having known a few - they are not. I could be really angry at them if I didn't feel so very sorry for them.

23

All the Old JW Acquaintances Passing Away

by StephaneLaliberte in

yesterday, my dad told me an older sister passed away.

she wasn't too old (in her 60s), but i knew her 30 years ago and haven't seen her in 15 years; the main reason being that i faded 10 years ago.. yesterday, i seriously considered attending the funeral and catch-up with old jws i used to know.

after thinking it over, i decided against it.

ThomasMore

I have passed on going to funerals like so many others who escaped the religion and its control. I found the memorial talks had little to no spiritual value, and seldom related anything meaningful about the deceased. Most of all though, I came to realize that the toxicity of many in the crowd was just not worth the stroll down memory lane. I left and I am NOT going back. I have gotten "out of her" (Babylon the Great) and I just cannot venture back inside her walls.

AND - I am happy now. I want to stay that way.

20

JWs don't consider older WT as revelant

by enoughisenough in

i am relating this happening.

i shared some thoughts from the 1989 question from readers concerning christ being mediator between god and man ( the wt spinning that he isn't ) and also the paragraph in that same article that plainly says: clearly, then the new covenant is not a loose arrangement open to all mankind.

it is a carefully arranged legal provision involving god and anointed christians.

ThomasMore

If you don't know where you came from, you have no idea where you are going. Such is the case with JW's now. Most have NO IDEA where they came from and have little interest where they are heading as a religion.

A news segment on the PA CSA investigation stated that WTC has argued in court repeatedly that elders are clergy.

Hmmm..... I recall when they taught that JW's HAD NO CLERGY.

They have no idea what they used to be and no idea what they are becoming.