Posts by Jofi

43

Dumb Elders

by minimus in

jw
friends

i knew a few pretty intelligent elders .

sometimes i would wonder why they remained as elders or even witnesses because they were successful men who made a good living and were highly respected because of their qualities.. that is a rather small group.

most elders that i know of aren’t the brightest bulbs in the sky.

Jofi_Wofo

I've known some smart elders, but like just about anybody on earth, they were smart on some things but dumb on other things. Of course, we were all dumb to accept the nonsense that the JW religion expected us to believe, and the absurd direction we blindly followed.

Some posters above have made some great points RE: born-in elders vs. converts. I was not a born-in, but I came in as a teen. I found that the born-in elders were much more likely to think of spirituality as equating to compliance at all costs, whereas the non-born-ins were more likely to emphasize spirituality as the ability to perceive Jehovah's thinking and make decisions based on principles rather than rigid rules. Born-ins always needed to consult a publication or someone with higher status before doing ANYTHING about ANYTHING.

In my congregation, most elders were born in and that is probably why I was never appointed as an elder myself. Sure, they liked me and had glowing things to say about me, but they were hesitant to appoint someone who thought too much outside of the box, questioned things, disagreed with things, and didn't pretend to be happy when he was having a rough time.

Unfortunately, all that "humility" wound up rubbing off on me in certain notable ways. One particular time, I asked an elder a question about grooming, to see what his opinion was before I made a change to my hairstyle. Not because I thought anything I was doing was wrong, but because it's often times extremely difficult for someone who is not born in to figure out what the congregation around you will find offensive. It seems that born-ins all have this innate sense about what all the unwritten rules are. Those who weren't raised in the religion, even if they've been in it for a decade or more, just have to tip-toe around the minefield of perpetual offense-taking by the born-ins.

10

Answer to Robert Luccioni's Lies and Misrepresentations

by Vanderhoven7 in

here is the video, "strengthen your core" by robert luccioni.

https://href.li/https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/vodpgmevtmorningworship/pub-jwb_202011_11_video.

here is the response by jason wynne .

Jofi_Wofo

They'll never read it.

I don't support criminal activity in any way, but I think the only way anybody who matters in the JW organization would hear it would be if someone hacked the morning worship sound system and played it over the speakers.

Again- I don't support anyone actually doing this!

But... I can't say I'd feel bad for anyone at Bethel if it actually happened one day. Imagine the HORROR of thousands of Bethelites having to listen to *GASP* a different opinion that is *GASP* supported by facts!

4

An illustration of obeying the Governing Body when it makes no sense from a human perspective.

by BourneIdentity in

.

Jofi_Wofo

lol

It follows an insight I came to recently- one that I think I'm probably very late to figure out since my leaving the religion. WT claims that Jesus is the leader of the Christian Congregation, but that can't be true because the Governing Body has the absolute authority to interpret Jesus' words (and in fact, the Bible as a whole).

To a Jehovah's Witness, what Jesus' words mean, and what the Governing Body says Jesus' words mean, are one and the same. This gives the Governing Body authority OVER Jesus. It doesn't matter what Jesus says, all that matters is what the Governing Body insists he meant.

Of course, this leads to the absurd proposition that one could be considered an apostate for believing teaching what Jesus "really" meant before the Governing Body finally catches up with you. Somehow, they aren't apostates for teaching the wrong thing, but you are an apostate for teaching the right thing.

11

looking for Jw infomation about the bible being changed etc?

by Aposta-Fish in

in one of mike and kim's latest videos they claim that the borg wrote in the 1960's that the book of revelations wasn't even finished until a much later date.

they have also stated that apostate christians changed the bible> i've also read years ago they trashed the bible or at least the king james years ago after another one of their fail predictions and right before they made their own bible> .

i'm looking for these writings and any other that where the borg is criticizing the bible?.

Jofi_Wofo

@vanderhoven7

Further, in Matthew 5:18 & Luke 17:16 Jesus is recorded as saying that not even one stroke of one letter of the law would fail to be fulfilled. In that case, would it be out of order for us to expect that, of all things, GOD'S VERY OWN NAME wouldn't be stricken from it????

It may not be the actual plan, but I think that this tactic could be a feather in the cap of Watchtower in the next coming years, especially as they face more prepared opposition online and on the streets. If you can convince millions of people that the Bible is missing words, and that Watchtower's leaders know exactly what those words are and where they belong, there is no end to what kinds of new light you can derive while still claiming to "let the Bible interpret itself."

23

QFR- Is the use of Toilet Paper appropriate for True Christians today?

by Theocratic Sedition in

jw
friends

4/1/1967 wt.

for years, modern civilization has used the commercially available product known as toilet paper to cleanse one's rear posterior.

it is a common practice that has permeated almost all** of the inhabited earth.

Jofi_Wofo

@FatFreek 20053 days ago
My WT library has absolutely no reference to "toilet paper" or wiping the posterior.

We better write a letter to the branch. In the meantime, let's hold off on using toilet paper until we get further instruction.

23

QFR- Is the use of Toilet Paper appropriate for True Christians today?

by Theocratic Sedition in

jw
friends

4/1/1967 wt.

for years, modern civilization has used the commercially available product known as toilet paper to cleanse one's rear posterior.

it is a common practice that has permeated almost all** of the inhabited earth.

Jofi_Wofo

Absolutely hilarious, and 100% accurate to the logic, verbiage and tone of the WT.

9

Fear > Facts (WT Study Article 12/6/2020

by Jofi_Wofo in

a doozy in today's study article brought me to post here for the first time in a while.

once again, watchtower leadership is doing its level best to make their adherents as fearful of inconvenient facts as they, themselves, are.. "like timothy, we must also discern the danger of false information spread by apostates.

(1 tim.

Jofi_Wofo

A doozy in today's study article brought me to post here for the first time in a while. Once again, Watchtower leadership is doing its level best to make their adherents as fearful of inconvenient facts as they, themselves, are.

"Like Timothy, we must also discern the danger of false information spread by apostates. (1 Tim. 4:1, 7; 2 Tim. 2:16) For example, they might try to spread false stories about our brothers or raise doubts about Jehovah’s organization. Such misinformation could undermine our faith. We must avoid being fooled by this propaganda. Why? Because these types of stories are spread “by men who are corrupted in mind and deprived of the truth.” Their goal is to start “arguments and debates.” (1 Tim. 6:4, 5) They want us to believe their slander and develop wicked suspicions about our brothers."

If the needle-in-a-haystack Jehovah's Witness religion really was the truth, then it should follow that those who believe in it are especially adept, maybe even the best in the world, at determining what is false versus what is true. If the Watchtower needs to steer the best and brightest truth-seekers away from listening to those who do not agree with them via emotional manipulation (appeal to group loyalty, guilt tripping, the threat of the punishments of ostracism and eventual destruction), then what does that say about how confident Watchtower is in the evidentiary foundation of its doctrine? Or the morality and honesty of its organization? What else can we possibly conclude here other than that Watchtower knows that lovers of truth would have their faith shaken, if not completely destroyed, the very moment that they allow themselves to hear a second opinion? The foundation of the faith is weak, but they gaslight members into believing that it is their own personal faith that is weak if they question the truth of what they are being told by the organization. Thus completes one of WT's favorite conflations- claiming that "faith" is not credulity, and is arrived at by looking at the facts, but also claiming that faith is a virtue that must be sustained by avoiding, at all costs, the facts that they don't want you to know.

"In the same way, we can rehearse beforehand which “exit” we will take if we suddenly encounter an immoral scene, graphic violence, or apostate material while using the Internet or while watching a movie or TV program. If we prepare for what might happen, we can act quickly to escape spiritual harm and remain clean in Jehovah’s eyes"

I've never once known a geologist to say "Don't even listen to the dangerous flat-earthers, or you might start to believe them!!!". Nor have I ever known an atheist to say "Don't read the Bible! It might turn you into a Christian!"

What's more dangerous- to listen to what opposers have to say, or to be a part of an organization that coerces you into NOT listening to what opposers say?

29

Possible other names for Jehovah's Witnesses

by Clarkey in

world wide association of liars.

organization of delusional sociopaths.

jehovah's publishing corporation .

Jofi_Wofo

100% not mine, but I read someone on this site call it "The Watchtower Libel & Crap Society".

Still makes me chuckle when I think of it.

24

1914 Dropped

by pale.emperor in

so i was observing an online conversation between a jw and a former-jw.

the non-jw pointed out that wwi cant have had anything to do with satan supposedly being "cast out of heaven" because wwi was already well under way in oct 1914.. the jw proceeds to explain that satan was actually thrown down to the earth in 1915 and that he started to wreak havock on the earth from heaven knowing he was about to be cast out.. so 1914 is officially old light now?

does anyone have a source for that or was this brother lying through his teeth?.

Jofi_Wofo

Oddly, this is something I realized before I was even baptized, but it still didn't hold me back... yes, I'm apparently a complete moron.

Even the WT literature, if you look deeply enough, acknowledges that satan was cast out DURING WWII, not before, and yet still pushes the claim that satan's casting out was what CAUSED WWII. it's one of those "mysteries" that they never explain.

6

That escalated quickly... (Quote from today's Zoom public talk)

by Jofi_Wofo in

jw
friends

the speaker at my wife's meeting: "a discouraging word can lead to inactivity, apostasy and death.".

i mean, what the...??????

.

Jofi_Wofo

Later in the talk: "Please remember that apostate literature is dangerous to our spiritual health. It exists only to deceive us, and should not be looked at under any circumstances."

Makes me wonder how anyone in the org can be trusted to know what "apostate literature" is all about if they're not supposed to be looking at it...

I've never seen The Village, but I'm familiar with the story. It seems that the dear JW spiritual paradise is a secondary fulfilment of that movie's twist ending.

Jofi_Wofo

Posts by Jofi_Wofo

@FatFreek 20053 days ago