Posts by Spiral

10

"Abuse of free will" - an Oxymoron?

by doubtfull1799 in

the society loves to talk about how adam and eve abused their gift of free will.

doesn't free will mean the freedom to choose?

how can exercising that freedom to choose then be classed as abusing the gift?

Spiral

I agree with all the posts above. The JW version of "free will" is just ludicrous.

Awhile back I was involved in a conversation where the JW was saying someone was "in trouble" with the brothers for something they'd done. (Not God mind you, but with "the brothers".) The statement was made that this person should have "known better" but they felt they were in the right, and we all have free will. My comment was "yes, but we all know what the real rules are (aka the unwritten ones you know you really have to follow)." This was met with a grumpy silence.

JWs don't have "free will" but they have been brainwashed into thinking they do. How sad is that.

13

Jehovah witnesses and life insurance

by Steel in

my wife was recently cornered by the elders about her blood card because she didn't have one.

so one elder witnessed her sign it and he signed it and one elder made himself her health care agent.. with the memorial coming up i am thinking of maybe having a life insurance policy drawn up, maybe in the amount of 300 or 400 dollars a month and i will ask these two dipshits if they would like to sign it.

it only seems fair they should be finicially responsible for my son since they made my wife sign a document endangering her safety.. what do you think?.

Spiral

I've seen this before, but really, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON for a brother to make someone designate him as their "health care agent" when there is family available.

I would visit an attorney, have the appropriate documents drawn up (it's not that expensive) and distributed among relatives, doctors, etc. as appropriate (unless they are JWs, of course) and tear up the other stuff.

Should an emergency happen and they show up at the hospital waiving papers around ask the nursing staff to call security.

If an emergency never happens, they'll never know.

BUT-it is OUTRAGEOUS that they would ask to be her "representative".

32

2017 Special Conventions.

by ToesUp in

jw
friends

jw special conventions.

who's going?.

are you "special" enough to be chosen?.

Spiral

Is this one of those occasions where you have to apply to go? Not everyone is accepted?

That was one of the first things that made me "check out" of being a JW, never being very "special" in the eyes of the elders, I just quit trying and never looked back.

But, a lot of JWs will scrimp to save up to go, so they can bring back trinkets and pictures and be special in the congregation.

Reminds me of a MLM company where people pay to belong, pay to attend, pay to...... do everything. I guess it must feel good to be a part of a group, but obviously it's just a moneymaker for the people at the top.

@FedUpJW, they said that people in your part of the US weren't invited? Harsh! How did that go over?

58

Just a quick Poll...Do you think the GB is sincere?

by NikL in

jw
friends

i've been thinking about this the past few days and curious what the honest consensus is here just for fun.. show of hands,.

is the governing body.... a: completely sincere.

they really do believe what they teach.. b: somewhat sincere.

Spiral

Perhaps at one time, but not any more. But why leave? You have people worshipping you and you have power (among the cult).

Plus, where else is one of them going to get a job? If they don't stay, it's poverty time. Look what happened to Ray Franz.

So, they are sincerely in it...... for their own good.

55

JW's And Their Education Level

by Yesu Kristo Bwana Wangu in

i was thinking about this.... in my congregation, i was literally the only one with universitary education, out of a cong from around 110 people.... and we're very close to a very big university, which makes it even weirder.. on the other hand... sooo many here with their own business, mostly small cleaning businesses.

cleaning windows, or cleaning somewhere else... painters.... all have jobs that do not require any education level, cos they never had a decent education.. how is the composition of the jw people/congs that you know about?.

how many painters... cleaners... compared to people with jobs that require higher education?.

Spiral

Hi Long Hair Gal,

Yes, it was worth it, although I have to say if I had felt I had choices when I was younger, I would no doubt be in a different (read: more interesting to me) field of work. But, I do take responsibility, I should have just "put my foot down" and gone to college as soon as I graduated high school. I still have bad dreams about feeling left behind when my high school friends all went on to college.

But, as bad as that is, I think as far as education goes, the JWs are sliding even farther downhill. Sad.

55

JW's And Their Education Level

by Yesu Kristo Bwana Wangu in

i was thinking about this.... in my congregation, i was literally the only one with universitary education, out of a cong from around 110 people.... and we're very close to a very big university, which makes it even weirder.. on the other hand... sooo many here with their own business, mostly small cleaning businesses.

cleaning windows, or cleaning somewhere else... painters.... all have jobs that do not require any education level, cos they never had a decent education.. how is the composition of the jw people/congs that you know about?.

how many painters... cleaners... compared to people with jobs that require higher education?.

Spiral

@LongHairGal,

I agree with you. The path of least resistance is very appealing, especially if you don't have a personal inclination towards higher education. Back "in the day" you could find a decent job.

If an adult doesn't want to get extra education, that's their choice (and frequently it is). I really do think a lot of people my age used religion as an excuse for lack of ambition. Their choice.

But, I hate to see kids not get an education because of lack of ambition on the part of their parents. If they try hard (like I did) they can make it up later. But it won't be easy, especially if they can't even read at a high school level, and have no math skills.

55

JW's And Their Education Level

by Yesu Kristo Bwana Wangu in

i was thinking about this.... in my congregation, i was literally the only one with universitary education, out of a cong from around 110 people.... and we're very close to a very big university, which makes it even weirder.. on the other hand... sooo many here with their own business, mostly small cleaning businesses.

cleaning windows, or cleaning somewhere else... painters.... all have jobs that do not require any education level, cos they never had a decent education.. how is the composition of the jw people/congs that you know about?.

how many painters... cleaners... compared to people with jobs that require higher education?.

Spiral

Well, I have to say that here locally no one has higher education.... beyond things like that quickie tax course you take to do people's taxes. (Personally, I wouldn't risk going to any of them to do my taxes.) Once April 15th is over, they have no work.

Almost everyone is "self employed"; window washers, cleaners, contractors (although, our local contractors in the congregation are really handy-men, several have been sued for poor work, but that's another story). I work professionally and am an exception (except, I'm really awake, so I really don't count). I noticed in one of the upcoming magazines (July study WT, study article, page 26, paragraph 15) it mentions to get a "short course" so you can pioneer. The best possible plan for a young person's future! Then get married! Success!

Many in the congregation did not graduate high school and yet are homeschooling their children. Many of these children can't begin to read at what should be their appropriate grade level. Appalling. But they go clean with their parents at night.

Meanwhile, the entire congregation suffers from poverty, many are on medicaid (what you can get), welfare, and food stamps. Everyone seems beaten down and depressed.

Blessings!!!

29

Local Elder Mentions this Site from the Platform

by James Jack in

a local elder had the part this week on the "good news" brochure.

he said: "if the householder has any questions, direct them to jw.org, don't say, just look up jehovah's witnesses on the internet(an older sister said this at the door), if you do they will be directed to a site visited by apostates and weak witnesses!

" "this mistake, would cause the householder to never accept bible truth".. i thought to myself, wow, i'm sure some listening to this part, will get curious now(many in the hall are just being exposed to the internet, and practicing with their new tablets) and do, just what they were told not to do..

Spiral

Yes, and it is a problem for them in this age of "tablet" witnessing. I have wondered how many people were curious after having the JWs at the door but ended up at this site instead.

25

here's a great jw brain stumper about noah

by nowwhat? in

so noah was a preacher of righteousness.

than how did he warn other pockets of civilizations that were hundreds or thousands of miles away?

and if they were destroyed anyway i thought jehovah only acts after he gives clear warning.. and if there were no other civilzations why the need to destroy the entire earth of every living creature?

Spiral

This was one of the first things that made me realize the Bible was just a collection of stories. Archaeologists keep coming up with more finds of early human inhabitation all over the world that predate the dating of the flood story.

I've asked JWs on occasion if Noah was able to travel to Eqypt and Africa, for instance, to preach to all those people before the flood.

You just get a blank stare, or they try to say that the dating of these civilizations is inaccurate (this is what the society has said, therefore it must be true).

Mostly, though, I have gotten no response. You can lead a horse to water....

14

Something that doesn't get discussed all that much...

by Vidiot in

...but i believe is relevant:.

just how much is the watchtower organization's "business model" dependent on its tax-exempt status?.

is it truly sustainable without it?.

Spiral

Good question. Of course they are keen on keeping it, being that it's also part of the whole "we're a real religion" sham. If governments ever started to really examine them and tax them, I think they might just fail, at least in any country taxing them.