Posts by john.prestor

23

What Are Ways You Can Tell Someone is a Jehovah’s Witness?

by minimus in

jw
friends

is it something they do?

how they say things?

how do you spot a jehovah’s witness?.

john.prestor

I'm with minimus, some Jehovah's Witnesses do come across as smug. I've had Witnesses sorta smirk at me in discussions when they thought they had the upper hand.

I've also been able to pick them out at a coffee shop or diner by their outfits, in Upstate New York Brothers always seem to be wearing grey pinstripes with colorful shirts and ties (don't know if that's true elsewhere). Then I'd listen in as I was having breakfast with my family and hear them talk about the latest Watchtower or someone going out west to "unassigned territory" and now I'd guessed correctly.

I've never figured out someone was a Jehovah's Witness by what I'm about to say but it's worth mentioning that in my experience no one but Jehovah's Witnesses talk about "Bible books" or use "Bible" as an adjective for that matter ("we learn Bible truths"), other Christians tend to say "books of the Bible" and "biblical truth."

13

Coming out of the Woodwork

by Solzhenitsyn in

jw
friends

who was i to think that we would be left alone?

it has been a dream for 2+ months.

a few calls i let go to voicemail but now the wife and i are getting bombarded with text messages.. this isn't going to be easy.. since we're not looking to throw a grenade into decades of relationships, text replies thus far have been..."thank you so much.".

john.prestor

Just know this: if you don't want to respond, don't. You don't owe them anything. It's hard for me to take that kind of advice even as I'm giving it but it's something I've gotten better at and trust me, it helps.

61

JW Phrases

by Holden Caufield in

jw
friends

what some jw phrases that you hate?.

john.prestor

Whenever I hear that phrase, "Jehovah's loving organization," it creeps me out. People love. Corporations don't and can't by definition.

21

New Bethel in Bologna (It.)

by LaFrancia in

the new bethel is in bologna city.

rome be for sale.

the new bethel not ready until 2020.

john.prestor

breakfast of champions, you're lucky I wasn't drinking coffee when I read your post, hahaha. That's great.

21

Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a Cult?

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

i realize this is an older posting on jw.org, but i’d come across it again after reading holden’s thread.

quoted below, so no need to visit the website.. _______________________________________________________.

no, jehovah’s witnesses are not a cult.

john.prestor

Just on the scholarly side we avoid the term cult because people abused it and threw it around in the 80s and made absurd claims (I can go into it if anyone wants). But... this organization is deeply authoritarian, repressive, threatens and shames people, and creates and sustains a cult of personality about unquestionable leaders, the Governing Body

High control? Very.

38

Child sexual abuse suspect arrested in T.O.

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/12/13/child-sexual-abuse-suspect-arrested-t-o/2305199002/ .

a 69-year-old thousand oaks man facing multiple sexual abuse charges by the ventura county district attorney’s office was arrested last week, authorities said.. steven skyler abbott was arrested dec. 6 after months of investigation into the reported sexual abuse of two thousand oaks girls, according to the ventura county sheriff’s office.

in november, the ventura county district attorney’s office filed multiple felony sexual abuse charges against abbott, including two counts of continuous sexual abuse, one count of lewd acts upon a child and one count of forcible lewd acts upon a child.. he is also facing multiple felony enhancements and special allegations related to his charges.. the investigation began in september, when the sheriff’s agency received a report of suspected child crimes.. a 16-year-old victim alleged that she was sexually abused by abbott when she was between the ages of 5 and 11, sheriff’s officials said.. sexual assault unit detectives subsequently identified a second, 24-year-old victim who reported that abbott had abused her when she was between the ages of 3 and 7, authorities said.. the sheriff’s agency said the victims and their families had come into contact with abbott through the kingdom hall of jehovah’s witnesses in newbury park.. investigators submitted their findings to prosecutors, who filed felony sexual abuse charges against abbot on nov. 16, officials said.. on nov. 28, an arrest warrant was issued for abbott.. the suspect was eventually arrested at his home on dec. 6 and booked into ventura county jail.

john.prestor

I'm not religious, haven't been for years, but 'by their fruits you will know them' indeed. For a religion that abhors child sex abuse they sureas hell cover a lot of it up.

38

Child sexual abuse suspect arrested in T.O.

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/12/13/child-sexual-abuse-suspect-arrested-t-o/2305199002/ .

a 69-year-old thousand oaks man facing multiple sexual abuse charges by the ventura county district attorney’s office was arrested last week, authorities said.. steven skyler abbott was arrested dec. 6 after months of investigation into the reported sexual abuse of two thousand oaks girls, according to the ventura county sheriff’s office.

in november, the ventura county district attorney’s office filed multiple felony sexual abuse charges against abbott, including two counts of continuous sexual abuse, one count of lewd acts upon a child and one count of forcible lewd acts upon a child.. he is also facing multiple felony enhancements and special allegations related to his charges.. the investigation began in september, when the sheriff’s agency received a report of suspected child crimes.. a 16-year-old victim alleged that she was sexually abused by abbott when she was between the ages of 5 and 11, sheriff’s officials said.. sexual assault unit detectives subsequently identified a second, 24-year-old victim who reported that abbott had abused her when she was between the ages of 3 and 7, authorities said.. the sheriff’s agency said the victims and their families had come into contact with abbott through the kingdom hall of jehovah’s witnesses in newbury park.. investigators submitted their findings to prosecutors, who filed felony sexual abuse charges against abbot on nov. 16, officials said.. on nov. 28, an arrest warrant was issued for abbott.. the suspect was eventually arrested at his home on dec. 6 and booked into ventura county jail.

john.prestor

Hey Morph, we're all on the same side here, aren't we? We all want children protected. Let's see each other as allies, because we are allies.

Just antiwitnessed with this article by the way at a cart outside a bus station manned apparently by a married couple. The man said pedophilia is everywhere and there's nothing to do about it, and that Elders get asked if they're into kids before they get appointed... because a pedophile is just gonna come right out and admit that. The naivete. I was pleasant and we weren't arguing, I kept it brief.

38

Child sexual abuse suspect arrested in T.O.

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/12/13/child-sexual-abuse-suspect-arrested-t-o/2305199002/ .

a 69-year-old thousand oaks man facing multiple sexual abuse charges by the ventura county district attorney’s office was arrested last week, authorities said.. steven skyler abbott was arrested dec. 6 after months of investigation into the reported sexual abuse of two thousand oaks girls, according to the ventura county sheriff’s office.

in november, the ventura county district attorney’s office filed multiple felony sexual abuse charges against abbott, including two counts of continuous sexual abuse, one count of lewd acts upon a child and one count of forcible lewd acts upon a child.. he is also facing multiple felony enhancements and special allegations related to his charges.. the investigation began in september, when the sheriff’s agency received a report of suspected child crimes.. a 16-year-old victim alleged that she was sexually abused by abbott when she was between the ages of 5 and 11, sheriff’s officials said.. sexual assault unit detectives subsequently identified a second, 24-year-old victim who reported that abbott had abused her when she was between the ages of 3 and 7, authorities said.. the sheriff’s agency said the victims and their families had come into contact with abbott through the kingdom hall of jehovah’s witnesses in newbury park.. investigators submitted their findings to prosecutors, who filed felony sexual abuse charges against abbot on nov. 16, officials said.. on nov. 28, an arrest warrant was issued for abbott.. the suspect was eventually arrested at his home on dec. 6 and booked into ventura county jail.

john.prestor

Morph, I say this in the nicest way, but you can be a real dick sometimes. Like you have really good things to say usually, the cautionary advice is helpful, but:

But by all means keep practicing your cantankerous old man routine. Im sure it will serve you in good stead as you progress into your twilight years :)

Why would you say that? What are you trying to accomplish?

4

This is the kind of thing that keeps JWs from looking into important matters

by neat blue dog in

https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/respond-to-accusations/.

john.prestor

That article is sophistry, nothing more.

38

Child sexual abuse suspect arrested in T.O.

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2018/12/13/child-sexual-abuse-suspect-arrested-t-o/2305199002/ .

a 69-year-old thousand oaks man facing multiple sexual abuse charges by the ventura county district attorney’s office was arrested last week, authorities said.. steven skyler abbott was arrested dec. 6 after months of investigation into the reported sexual abuse of two thousand oaks girls, according to the ventura county sheriff’s office.

in november, the ventura county district attorney’s office filed multiple felony sexual abuse charges against abbott, including two counts of continuous sexual abuse, one count of lewd acts upon a child and one count of forcible lewd acts upon a child.. he is also facing multiple felony enhancements and special allegations related to his charges.. the investigation began in september, when the sheriff’s agency received a report of suspected child crimes.. a 16-year-old victim alleged that she was sexually abused by abbott when she was between the ages of 5 and 11, sheriff’s officials said.. sexual assault unit detectives subsequently identified a second, 24-year-old victim who reported that abbott had abused her when she was between the ages of 3 and 7, authorities said.. the sheriff’s agency said the victims and their families had come into contact with abbott through the kingdom hall of jehovah’s witnesses in newbury park.. investigators submitted their findings to prosecutors, who filed felony sexual abuse charges against abbot on nov. 16, officials said.. on nov. 28, an arrest warrant was issued for abbott.. the suspect was eventually arrested at his home on dec. 6 and booked into ventura county jail.

john.prestor

Despicable. Lock him up and throw away the key.

Also, just to chime in: Morph, you're right that that's the formal procedure established in Shepherd the Flock of God, the Elders' handbook. But I've read enough stories on this site to know that Elders don't always look for two witnesses when they learn of (supposed) premarital sex or homosexuality. It's not like that with child sex abuse: they always want two witnesses, and when there inevitably aren't (what child molester molests a child in front of someone?), they shrug their shoulders and do nothing.