Posts by TonusOH

12

things shelved, not looked into because of group think

by enoughisenough in

here are some things i never really believed the jw taught...i just didn't really examine it closely.

i shelved it, so to speak, thinking no one is perfect and they know more than me...if i ever thought about it at all.. i never believed that only jws would be spared at armageddon.

i never believed the where in james, you went to the elders to confess being spiritually sick-always thought that referred to a real illness.

TonusOH

enoughisenough: I never believed that only JWs would be spared at Armageddon.

I think that many of us figured that lots of non-JWs would make it for any number of reasons (not getting preached to, for example). But also, we could justify the belief because we felt like God could do anything and it would be okay. We believed that God could kill anyone at any time without a reason because He had given us life, so He could take it back and that was okay, that we should be grateful that we were able to live at all. And so on.

Thus, the idea that God would massacre billions of people in order to save a few million didn't really sound as horrifying as it should have, because it was okay- God was doing it, and He was incapable of doing anything bad.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

ForeverAlone: It sounds like she does not have any friends at all.

This is standard behavior from abusers. They will do all they can to isolate their victims, to keep them from reaching out to others and getting help. If Evans's wife had stayed in the congregation after he disassociated himself, she would have at least a few hours a week where she was not under his thumb. She could converse with others who could undermine his control, and she might just tell them things that he did not want them to know.

This bodes ill for his current situation, where she does not appear to be under his direct control anymore. So it's a question of whether her situation changes enough that she will be tempted to break away from him. I think that, in time, she will. Either through financial independence or simply having had enough of him, so that she decides she doesn't care about the consequences.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

7. You think being overweight is the only reason girls aren't throwing themselves at your feet.

28

Bait and Switch "Bible studies"

by Vanderhoven7 in

mark jones, a witness for over 30 years describes what jws call bible studies offered to the public.. .

"they (jehovah's witnesses) offer you a free home “bible” study - which turns out to be a study of a watchtower publication with the bible brought out as an afterthought to try and prop up whatever current idea the governing body are claiming is “the truth” this week.. i think it’s underhanded.. when my parents became jehovah’s witnesses and they offered people a free home “bible” study, this is what they brought to study with them:.

what, did you think they were going to study the bible with you?.

TonusOH

From almost the beginning, the WTS has pushed the idea that the leadership interprets the Bible and this interpretation is what must be studied. To study the Bible without that guidance is to wander about blindly in darkness. Russell himself explained that his Studies in the Scriptures were a better Bible than the Bible itself. Reading SitS without the Bible was effective, but not the other way around.

So, the GB considers itself God's editor.

43

Basic Blood Questions For Witnesses

by Vanderhoven7 in

basic blood questions for jehovah's witnesses.

where does the bible outlaw blood transfusions?

(acts 15:29 gen.9:4) .

TonusOH

Transfused blood is not absorbed. It is not ingested, and it is not consumed. Substances that are absorbed, ingested, or consumed are typically metabolized by the body and used up, with any byproducts used or discarded as a waste product. Blood transfusions do not trigger this response in the body, as they are used to replace lost volume and the added blood behaves the way blood always does, circulating throughout the body.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

Evans (12/27/2013): "My lie gets captured on YouTube forever, to be watched potentially by my children, and I would just rather not risk sullying my work with dishonesty just for the sake of extra views on YouTube."

How prescient.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

I haven't watched his video with Tibor. I don't watch his videos, so it's easy to miss. Nor do I plan to watch it, it sounds quite long and boring.

Anyway, I have no issue with him doing it, since it will only bring more attention to this topic. And however he tries to frame it, it's a pretty damning topic. Need we remind him that the issue is that he admitted, in his own YouTube livestream, to being an awful husband, father, and all-around shitty human being? His problem is not about what others are saying about him. It's about what he admitting to doing, and his lack of remorse.

So, by all means, please keep referring to this topic and this forum. Let's see how many of your followers will be tempted to read the thread and ask questions and discover who you really are. And how many of them will not be your followers after they learn more about you.

14

JW's: Research your beliefs..................

by BoogerMan in

w59 8/1 p. 458 par.

17-18 par.

w08 4/15 p. 6 par.

TonusOH

The approach of the WTS was always that you should put the claims of other religions to the test, but when it comes to their teachings, you are expected to verify that they are true.

For other religions: test the claims and see if they are true.

For the JW teachings: read the claims and you will see that they are true.

The GB considers itself to be the voice of God, essentially. To test/question their claims is to doubt God Himself, as far as they are concerned.

20

Watchtower is Run Like the Mafia

by Sea Breeze in

anybody else notice this?

the have a syndicate (governing body) regional bosses (district overseers), captians (circuit overseers), and elders are their "made men" that enforce policy at street level.

if you run your mouth too much, they wipe out your whole family (disfellowshipping).

TonusOH

Now I'm thinking about Godfather quotes...

Tessio : Barzini's people chisel my territory and we do nothing about it. Pretty soon there won't be anyplace in Brooklyn that I can hang my hat.

Tony Morris: Brooklyn's done. Buy some land in Ramapo. You'll thank me later.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

He lacks confidence. It might be the most glaring of his issues. This isn't all that uncommon; we all have varying amounts of self-confidence, and there is a threshold where we won't react very well. We either give in, or we lose control. For most people, this happens on a relatively small stage, since we do not seek out such broad attention.

If you're trying to be a public figure, the lack of self-confidence is a time bomb. Evans has dealt with issues by bullying people and trying to force them to back down. This is not the approach of a confident person. And when it doesn't work, he lacks the confidence to recover. Hence the continued attempts to either bully people or elicit sympathy from his dwindling support network.

And it will continue to dwindle. Once your lack of self-confidence is on display, it's very difficult to recover. No one wants to follow a person who doesn't believe in himself.