Posts by Spiral

15

Holy spirit indwelling

by Ding in

is it your understanding that any jw can have holy spirit indwell them or is that an experience a part of the anointing that the wt teaches is reserved for the 144,000?.

please provide references if you can..

Spiral

No, only the very special can have HS, namely the (really, truly, verified) anointed.

The regular JWs have nothing, they just have to follow along.

No references, just what I learned as a JW growing up.

19

watchtower's ignorance around the historical background to many biblical directives has had a very negative effect on the lives of witnesses.. for instance paul said women should cover their heads because in corinth prostitutes walked the streets plying for business with their heads uncovered.

hence head coverings were never a symbol of headship but a directive very specific to that period, as was the blood directive!!.

watchtower leaders have been lawyers, businessmen, civil servants and door-to-door book salesmen, never, ever historians or biblical scholars.

Spiral

Well, there's no way of telling at this point in history if Paul even wrote all of that, and if so, in what context. He doesn't come across as someone who respected women as equals, but really we can't tell from this distance. Many writings were in circulation at that time under many different names. No way to verify anything.

In any case, personally, it doesn't matter to me what was written or decided 2000 +/- years ago. I don't think anyone, man or woman, should be held to those rules, however they might be interpreted.

That's the essence of it for me.

44

Money! How much did you "Contribute" To The WTB@TS When You Were A Member

by The Bethelite in

jw
friends

i was in full time service for six years including bethel.

once i got out of bethel, i figured i had already given them six of the best years of my life (ages 18-24) working as a slave/drone in their factory, so i rationalized that i had given them enough... so over the next 27 years i would say maybe $200 bucks is it.

i think their whole "voluntary contributions" idea is biting them in the ass, because over all jehovah's witnesses are a cheap group people with a few exceptions.

Spiral

Not much, we were always too poor to give much.

25

New HuB logo

by MrHappy in

so the organisation has developed a new software for the coordination of nearly everything!

i just want point out a few things i notice about the new hub icon logo.

the image contains twelve pillars with the 2 at the front being the prominent.

Spiral

Well, I don't know about all the Masonic theories, but I find it a bit creepy that they have software for reporting everything. Goodbye, happy little local congregations, hello overly controlling mega-church.

9

14 kids from the same old congregation

by StephaneLaliberte in

this week, while talking with some old friends, i realized that there were at least 14 kids from a congregation in which i grew up that all left the jws.

that is, 30 to 35 years ago, there were at least 14 kids going to the hall that were of the same “generation” (5 to 13 years old).

in the last 30 years, they have all left “the truth”.

Spiral

I know - Jehovah's "happy people" are wrecks. I'd like to know how many people from my generation are still in, but none of us are in touch. (Well, actually, that's not true, one turned in to a rabid elder who emailed from time to time. We ignored him and he stopped.)

Looking at a congregation today and tell them that most of their kids will not stay in?

Where I am right now they do know - but no one's discussing it. Head in the sand to the end!

69

Don't count on witnessing Watchtower's demise anytime soon.

by Roger Kirkpatrick in

jw
friends

the fact that there are pomi ex-jws who have been disfellowshiped or inactive for years who still live in constant fear of armageddon indicates that watchtower will manage to exist in one way or another for years, if not decades, to come.

watchtower, like all other religious cults, operate on the premise that "you can fool some of the people all of the time...and that's enough!

".

Spiral

I don't think they are going to fold any time soon, but I'm hoping that what's left is less charged up about going after people who want to leave. I know the vitriol that's coming out of JW.Borg, but here in this area, the pubs are just worn out. Local second language congregation is folding. No one is going after the faders. People are in contact with DF/DA family. ("Don't ask, don't tell" is the rule of the day.) That in itself is a relief. Sure hoping that trend gets traction throughout the bOrg. It's one thing the whip the horses in videos to go after "lost ones" and shun DF'd people, it's another thing to actually make it happen. I'm hoping that people who are being mistreated by their JW families will finally get some relief.

I think over time they'll become just another TV church with some dedicated followers, a few hangers-on, and much less visibility on the street.

25

Greenland For Sale

by Poztate in

the donald has recently suggested that he would like to look into buying greenland from denmark in the same manner that alaska was purchased from the russians.

i think the danes would be smart to look into selling it as it is costing them money every year with very little returns for their investments so far.. the alternative might well be that donald declares greenland a national security threat and invades them so that the world remains safe for democracy.

i would suggest to the danes that as any other real estate transaction that they put it on the open market and see how much russia or china are willing to offer .

Spiral

The Donald seems to think everything is for sale, just like what little may be left of his soul is.

10

NY Legal Floodgate Opens, Hits Watchtower and Boy Scouts

by GLTirebiter in

an article at churchmilitant.com [known for hard-core catholicism] discusses lawsuits filed against jw.org and the bsa as soon as new york's child victims act opened a one-year suspension of the statute of limitations.

the attorney cited in the article, irwin zalkin, has a track record of success against catholic dioceses.. "now most of you have probably heard about priest abuse and clergy abuse within the catholic church," said zalkin.

"but the jehovah's witnesses have been flying a little bit under the radar.".

Spiral

@GLTirebiter, do you know why the New York Times hasn't given coverage to Mr. Zalkin's lawsuits yet? Or have they, and I'm just not seeing it?

25

What Biblical message should be proclaimed now according to Jesus himself ?

by Alex Williams in

this is what jesus said.

matt 24-14.

14 and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.. looking at this verse what is the central theme?

Spiral

Religion is a snare and a racket!

52

Can this be true: GB to court - NBC ??

by Festus in

is this a bad joke or "fake news"?.

nbc new york is claiming "attorneys are expected on monday to announce the filing of lawsuits in king's county supreme court against eight members of the governing body of the jehovah's witnesses for alleged child sexual abuse claims.".

eventhough i would enjoy to see this happen i am very suspiciouse concerning nbcs reliability with this case.. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/happening-today-nj-water-cosby-appeal-epstein-probe-536740491.html.

Spiral

We used to be taught that the bOrg would be persecuted, but that would be persecution based on righteous reasons, that they were God's organization and that the worldly rulers (and Babylon the Great) would hate that they had God's approval.

This is different. They are being "persecuted" because there is so much child sexual abuse in the organization, covered over and allowed for years. THAT is not a valid reason to say you are being persecuted because you are following God's commands.

Just sayin'