Posts by TonusOH

33

Museum Pic

by peacefulpete in

a lot of ink has been spilled on the topic of the cross.

the wt felt it had uncovered some deep conspiracy when they found a number of words were used to describe how jesus was understood to have been killed.

there was an extensive thread many years ago that in short strongly supports the conclusion that at least some nt writers envisioned a cross, while others had a tree in mind.

I think we still heavily depend on mythology and folklore for our stories today. But I think we are finally past the point where those can become more than just stories told for entertainment or teaching purposes. But I'm not sure about that, given that Mormonism and Scientology are quite recent and have become established religions with small but devoted followings.

It might be more difficult today to create a new religion, even one built on the framework of previous ones. But I might be overestimating just how powerful such ideas can be, and just how badly people want them to be real.

3121

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

by Simon in

jw
friends

uh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.

TonusOH

T5: So who would care ,must be the one that give more $$$ each months

That's a good point. I wonder how much of his remaining support is people pledging high amounts versus people on the lower tiers? Maybe that is why his enthusiasm is waning; I think he would feel insulted at having to produce anything for anyone but the most generous. Or did you lower-tier people think that he is actually grateful that you give $1 or $5 every month?

68

Lloyd Evans Patreoff Pool - December 2023

by DerekMoors in

put in your bets as to where you think lard i mean lloyd evans will land after december's drop in his patrons.

in september he started at 457 patrons, did his whiny begging fest and peaked at 478, but then dropped down to 439 at the beginning of october.

as of this moment (nov. 6), he's at 427 paid members.. so, where do you think he'll be on december 2nd?

TonusOH

Congrats, Kim!

I have to say, it looks like his support might be reaching a point of equilibrium. Mostly the die-hards are left, perhaps? On the other hand, he would still need to make an effort to keep the number stable, and lately he does not seem interested. So this might be where the slow bleed begins.

But I'm still going to guess around -25 for next month.

45

How Do Jehovah's Witnesses View Education?

by southyukon in

i have a question about this article.. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-education-school/.

higher education can lead to moral and spiritual dangers.

a bible proverb says: "the shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself.

TonusOH

Yeah, if you can boil your worldview down to "thinking is bad," it's time to re-evaluate your worldview.

45

How Do Jehovah's Witnesses View Education?

by southyukon in

i have a question about this article.. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-education-school/.

higher education can lead to moral and spiritual dangers.

a bible proverb says: "the shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself.

TonusOH

Vidiot: Suspiciously?

This. The WTS is concerned that college will lead young people astray. Keep in mind that JW parents are taught to monitor and manage their children to keep them safe from spiritual dangers. Once they head off to college, it is almost impossible to keep a close eye on them. Plus, they may learn things that don't come from the nutcases and quacks that the WTS often quotes from in their literature. Worst of all, they might learn about evolution!

Better to get a low-grade job that pays barely enough to keep a roof over their heads. Then the WTS can gripe about how little they contribute financially during tough times.

15

Are Jw's God's Organization?

by wantingtruth in

here i will quote a post written by "littleone" on another forum:.

when that original congregation apostasized, it formed the roman catholic church.

was it that the roman catholic church was jehovah's organization?

TonusOH

God will hear and listen to prayer, and wants a personal relationship with each of us. So if we pray and study the Bible, an organization is superfluous. The idea of god only allowing salvation through one specific group of people and rejecting everyone else on what amounts to a technicality is dumb.

3121

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

by Simon in

jw
friends

uh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.

TonusOH

And also: please please PLEASE take on Scientology next. Those assholes love to dig into people's past and stir up trouble whenever anyone criticizes them. Gee, I wonder what they could use again Evans...

52

Manners and Respectfulness

by IWant2Know in

i would like to know if there are any ex's or formers who still appreciate good manners and respectfulness?

but i hope this question isn't offensive to this forum.

.

TonusOH

IWant2Know: Well, from what I recall, a lot of them are not.

That's true, but it reinforces the point- no JW is going to see that handful as representative of the whole. But they will do the opposite if they happen to read this site or any other exJW forum.

65

Just had a thought…

by Vidiot in

i been reading quite a few experiences on reddit lately, and their seems to be a common theme coming up….

…dialed-up-to-eleven shunning of xjws by their witness relatives.. it reminds me of back in the day, listening to some of the over-the-top vitriol displayed by hard-core loyalists when the topic of evolution or apostates came up….

…i was gobsmacked when i finally realized these guys weren’t offended and indignant because they thought it was lies….

TonusOH

Phizzy: That is so sad Ron.W, minds not just closed, but welded shut. That is a condition that is unlikely to change as long as they live.

It sounds that way, but I have to wonder. I think they say that to get people to stop talking about it. If they can convince you that they cannot be reasoned with, then perhaps you will stop and they will not have to deal with questions or arguments that they fear might 'stumble' them.

For as long as I was PIMI, I was convinced that I had the truth. Anything that might seem like a reasonable counter-argument had to be some form of deception, a bad argument intentionally dressed up to fool me. Once I was outside of that bubble, I realized that I simply hadn't wanted to hear anything that could chip away at my beliefs. The human desire for certainty makes it easy for us to fool ourselves.

But we can still have that epiphany --that moment of clarity-- that shakes our worldview and forces us to reevaluate what we believe in. It won't happen for everyone, but I think that even the most stubborn person can go through an experience that frees them from their self-imposed mental prison.

26

Did Geoffrey Jackson lie under oath at the ARC?

by Vanderhoven7 in

i understand he intimated that the faithful slave was not the only spokesman for jehovah god.

he also intimated that corporal punishment was not advocated by the wts.

we're these lies or deception or did they represent the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?.

TonusOH

Indeed, it looks like their guidance changed as societal attitudes towards spanking changed. Good for them! But it would have been nice for Jehovah to give them the info a bit earlier. Would have saved me from a few whippings.