Posts by Della Street

15

Thank you F&DS @ the Watchtower Corporation! Thank you! Thank you!

by Solzhenitsyn in

this sundays 11/18 wt p.18 pp.3.

/ happy are those who serve "the happy god".

"stressful events-such as when a loved one dies or is disfellowshipped...".

Della Street

That article is messed up!

Under "Qualities of Happiness" - the first quality is mourning....their ability to twist the scriptures is worse than I remember....

"Happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matt 5:4

Jesus did not have in mind all who mourn for any sort of reason. Even wicked people bemoan the distressing difficulties that characterize these “critical times hard to deal with.” (2 Tim. 3:1) But their self-centered mourning does not draw them closer to Jehovah; hence, it does not lead them toward happiness. Jesus must have had in mind people who are conscious of their spiritual need and therefore mourn the appalling spiritual conditions that prevail. They may recognize their own sinful state and the heartbreaking circumstances that have resulted from human sinfulness.

So we can be happy because we are sad that we are sinful? It really demonstrates that underlying not just the JW dogma, but Christian dogma is the belief that people are innately bad.

Not a point of view I support. Imperfect? Of course. Bad, nope. They really feed off people feeling like POS and having a low opinion of themselves. I remember how that felt and I'm SO HAPPY I don't feel that way any more. Everything with them is so dark and depressing and desperate. And we wonder why people get trapped in there... it's emotionally sticky. UGH.

Thanks for posting this so I can remember why I left. Congrats to all of us who are out and free.

54

What Do You Think Will Be The Next Big Change In The Watchtower?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think there will be a change in the 144000 belief.

too many witnesses think they have a heavenly hope.

maybe 1914 will be discarded too.. what is your watchtower prediction?

Della Street

I just talked to my mom yesterday, and she mentioned some major changes in how they are doing their ministry.

Not offering literature
Bible only - share an encouraging verse
Visit 2 - 3 minutes at each door
Bible Study Lessons online

There is less and less for them to do it seems. And with the WT cutting down on the amount of magazines they are writing every year - I could see them make these changes: meetings once a week on Sundays, giving up 1914 (100+ years after the fact, it gets harder to justify), being more vague on who has a heavenly hope...

I think they hang on to the blood issue for a bit longer and they are going to have to get slammed some more on how they handle reporting child abuse before they change.

It would be nice to see them become more like any other Christian religion and less cultish. Focus on personal development; less conforming to arbitrary rules that are not in any way reflective of what is scriptural; more social support less judgment,...

so we'll see. If they give all that up, what is left?

92

Montana jury awards two women $35M in sex abuse lawsuit against Jehovah's Witnesses

by AndersonsInfo in

https://missoulian.com/news/local/montana-jury-awards-two-women-m-in-sex-abuse-lawsuit/article_1bcabb7c-7381-574b-a2ba-e011cc0250a6.html.

montana jury awards two women $35m in sex abuse lawsuit against jehovah's witnesses .

a jury in northwestern montana awarded two women $35 million wednesday in their lawsuit against the local jehovah’s witnesses congregation and its worldwide headquarters.. .

Della Street

Are there any states where Mandatory Reporter Laws were successfully amended to include clergy or spiritual advisors? I'm in Oregon, and I'm thinking I'd like to see what can be done here to include even "lay" clergy like the Elders. Any ideas what the language for that would look like?

25

Elders' new direction.

by lastmanstanding in

there's been a change.

a rather big one.

and the kevin bunkers of the world beware.. jw elders no longer need to "turn the other cheek".. in the governing bastard's desperation, they have given a new directive to elders.

Della Street

I am actually not sure this is really new. It seems to me this has been the direction for some time. Do you have a letter??

11

Why is the watchtower tight fisted

by pepperheart in

why when i can get many books and magazines sent through the post from many other cults does the watchtower make a big fuss about a little 16 page magazine.

Della Street

Just download it from the website. Print out as many copies as you want. Why should they mail it to you?

37

Possible leak from Annual Meeting 2018

by Listener in

i'm a member on jw talk (until now at least) and have been regularly checking up on their thread regarding the annual meeting.

there hasn't been a great deal to report on except for this recent post that has been made.

i may get outed but that's no loss.

Della Street

@FedUpJW

In order for the GT to start, doesn't Babylon The Great have to Fall??? When and how did that happen??

37

Possible leak from Annual Meeting 2018

by Listener in

i'm a member on jw talk (until now at least) and have been regularly checking up on their thread regarding the annual meeting.

there hasn't been a great deal to report on except for this recent post that has been made.

i may get outed but that's no loss.

Della Street

Some of you may recall I have a friend who just got back from the Annual Meeting and was eager to tell me the "historic and exciting" information that she learned...I had lunch with her today....so drum roll please......

The King of the North is.....Russia!!!.... I KNOW... didn't they already think that? And the answer is yes. But they now also think the prophecy of the "pushing" between the King of the North (Anglo-American world powers and their allies) and King of the South (Russia and their Allies) is being fulfilled now as evidenced by the persecution (banning of JWs and their bible being labeled "extremist" material) .... and of course the interference of Russia in the current political cycles of the US....

Plus the Ezekiel book, the cartoon, and the new book for the giving speakers counsel for their talks.

So, that was the earth shattering information. (YAWN).

She did however tell me something that I've never heard or read, and I wondered what anyone else know about it...WT owns a fiber optics company that was developed by graduate students at a university - lead by a JW professor. This company is owned by WT and has Bethelites working along side non-JW employees. The person who hosted them for the Annual meeting is a "supervisor" of this project.

Maybe this is no big deal, but it makes me wonder what other companies like this the WT owns and how this plays into how they shift their money around to avoid detection.

Frankly, it was the most interesting thing she said about the JWs during the whole lunch.

Anyway....eagerly awaiting your comments. :-)

42

February 2018 Watchtower - Addressing abuse Victims

by Listener in

there's a preview note on one of the articles in this newly released watchtower.

the note can be found on an article titled "part 1 of 4 love and justice in ancient israel".the note states -.

this article is the first in a series of four that will discuss why we can be sure that jehovah cares about us.

Della Street

Stillin,

The amount of false accusations is statistically very small. Most of the time victims do not lie about what happened to them. By referring every accusation to the authorities, each situation can be properly investigated. As it stands now, predators are able to abuse multiple children, often moving congregations without detection because proper procedures of reporting to the police and investigation are not followed. Personally, I'd rather error on the side of caution with a few wrongfully accused than to let a perp rack up victims under the cover of the elders.

38

A question for you women; what was it really like for you being in the Org?

by Tallon in

hi there folks.. i took a bit of time out from the forum, however i'm back again.. what was it really like for you, your experiences good or bad, etc, in the org?.

if you were granted a listening ear by the gb, what changes would you like to see implemented?.

Della Street

As a capable woman who owned a successful small business, was not interested in pioneering and was not pining for a man - I did not fit the mold. There is no template for that in their social structure.

The expectation as a single woman was work part-time, pioneer and wait to get married. Once you are married, you pioneer and/or become a servant's wife. These are the only two pathways to any sort of social standing.

If the elders tried to correct me on anything that I thought was unscriptural, I reminded them that as a single sister I appreciate their "concern" but Jehovah was my head - so if you have an issue with something, take it up with him. That usually shut them up for a bit. :-)

Since I was not on either of the approved paths and had a strong personality, I was 'shunned' without being shunned.

As my business grew, and I developed more as a person, I had less and less in common with any of them and I faded out.

I've returned to attend a few memorials and I have to really prepare myself for the amount of sexist and mysoginistic comments that come flying out of their mouths from the stage. If I ever lost my mind and went back, I don't even know what my responses would be to some of the shit they try to pull.

It is pretty clear to me that because the men are not allowed to fulfill their desire for achievement secularly, then when they get a position in the organization, they use what little power they are allowed and run with it to satisfy their ego. The abuse of power is endless and mostly unseen.

Today, I'm finishing my BA degree in psychology, planning on graduate school and attending a secular buddhist community. I feel more intellectually stimulated and emotionally grounded than I have in a very long time. Fading out was the best thing I could have ever done for my self - well, that and A LOT of therapy. :-)

Leave if you can see the way out - especially if you are a woman.

DS

13

What would be just enough so they can guard themselves as they grow up?

by Tameria2001 in

i wasn't sure which topic to ask this question under.

three days ago my very first grandbaby, a boy was born.

so i still have time to think about stuff, and not royally screw up things.

Della Street

If you are going to inoculate them from any dangerous thinking, do it by setting the example. When you discuss things - ask their opinion, ask them why they think that way, encourage them to question, contradict and doubt you (respectfully of course). Empower them to be confident in their choices and opinions and to think for themselves. Teach them that being kind, respectful and loving towards people does not require agreement.