Posts by TonusOH

32

Do you play the LOTTERY?

by Fisherman in

jw view gambling as a sin and sadly people get addicted to gambling causing them financial and health problems.

but is playing a couple of bucks a week on some lottery tickets actually gambling?

what do you have to lose?

I played the lottery a few times several years ago. Since I was out, it seemed like a bit of a guilty pleasure. I don't know if it was a DF offense, but I know it was discouraged. Whether it's a sin or not, I don't know. I'm not sure there is clear Biblical guidance.

I do recall a news story many years ago, where a local (NYC) pastor's wife played the lottery and they won $250,000. The pastor was notorious for his anti-gambling and anti-lottery sermons, and so it was an embarrassing turn of events. But he did not even flinch. He called it "a gift from god." I suspect that he dropped the topic of lotteries in any future sermons, though.

5

Trish Fancher, shunning experience, HuffPost article 9/3/2023

by EasyPrompt in

trish fancher experience.... .

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/i-flew-across-the-country-for-my-mums-wedding-when-i-arrived-she-uninvited-me_uk_64f1b6cce4b0fe066b17f93b.

from article.... .

TonusOH

Based on what she wrote, you cannot help but get the impression that this is also traumatic for her mother, who feels forced to choose between god and her daughter. Would salvation grant her release from this pain? Would she really spend an eternity in paradise as a happy person, knowing that her daughter was sentenced to death by that same god?

23

How to Legally Dissolve a Religious Organization

by EasyPrompt in

regarding the state dissolving a church organization.... .

as posted in another thread, here is what is happening in japan, filing a court order to dissolve the unification church.... .

https://www.eurasiareview.com/06092023-japan-seeks-court-order-to-dissolve-unification-church/.

TonusOH

That article appears to be saying that Japan wants to dissolve that church for financial reasons. That's a bad look. You could squeeze any religion for additional funding with the threat of shutting them down?

11530

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

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

LMsA: Something REALLY made him irate

Didn't he post that rant in response to Kim calling him out (in this topic, I am pretty sure)? He quoted her challenge to him and then posted his lengthy ~~screech~~ screed.

I don't remember if she posted her comment before or after his filing. I guess that, after filing a large stack of pages explaining how "Kim committed a crime by pulling back the curtain on my charade of a life" he was easily triggered by her post. Mental health is like balancing on a razor's edge, especially for gifted musician/comedian/activists doing the lard's work.

125

Mandated Shunning is a Crime

by Lee Marsh in

mandated shunning is on the rise around the world with devastating effects on millions of people.

shunning that is mandated by organized groups to its members is a form of both physical and psychological violence against those people being shunned and cut off from their family and life-long relationships.

mandated shunning means that the shunning is ordered from the top down.

TonusOH

jhine: So , if a member of someone's family does something that warrants shunning and their family doesn't shun would there be no comeback on them ?

When I was in, they judged this depending on a few factors. If it was a close family member who was living in the same home, then they were expected to avoid spiritual topics or discussion, but otherwise could interact as normal. For those who had relationships that required some contact (business dealings, health issues, etc), they were allowed to communicate only as necessary, and also avoid spiritual discussion.

Aside from that, members were expected to avoid any interaction with disfellowshipped persons. If you were found to be talking with someone who was DF, you probably got a 'reminder' the first time, with the understanding made clear that continuing on this course of action could lead to you being DF as well.

If it seems odd that they specifically forbid spiritual discussion, remember that they expect such guidance to come from the GB and through the elders and ministerial servants. I don't think the WTS trusts the rank-and-file to handle such matters.

125

Mandated Shunning is a Crime

by Lee Marsh in

mandated shunning is on the rise around the world with devastating effects on millions of people.

shunning that is mandated by organized groups to its members is a form of both physical and psychological violence against those people being shunned and cut off from their family and life-long relationships.

mandated shunning means that the shunning is ordered from the top down.

TonusOH

I agree with Vid- reduce/withhold subsidies or tax breaks for any group that enforces a shunning policy.

As for 'shunning is a crime,' I don't think it's possible to make it a crime on an individual level. Perhaps you could make it a crime for it to be an official/documented organizational policy, and require organizations or businesses to remove/amend such policies or rules. But individuals shun one another all the time, for any number of reasons. It would be impossible to legislate.

165

Lloyd Evans Patreoff Pool - October 2023

by DerekMoors in

it's not too early to place your bets for how many patrons his royal thighness will lose in october.

as of this writing, his tally stands at 457. so, where do you think he'll be on october 2?

lucky number 420?

TonusOH

Nice! Put me down for 430, a slightly more modest drop after Evans decides to go door-to-door to ask for Patreon support.

11530

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

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

T5: Congatulation TonusOH !

LOL thanks! I am still stunned at the size of the drop, I thought I was being a bit silly by going as high as I did with my guess(!). I wonder how many of them are people who signed up after his 'things are bad' video and then felt like they had been scammed when Evans got the support he asked for and then failed to do his part for his patrons.

As always, I blame Kim.

60

Sign of the Last Days

by Fisherman in

in the sermon on the mount, jesus foretold that earthquakes “in one place after another” would be part of the sign of the last days clímaxing in the great tribulation.. what could jesus possibly have meant?

using a phone app nowadays, there are earthquakes detected in one place after another but is this what jesus meant and did they have so many earthquakes throughout the centuries affter his prophecy or are these modern day detected earthquakes unique to this epoch?

how can we be sure unequivocally that modern day earthquakes are part of the sign fulfilling bible prophecy?.

TonusOH

I guess if the sign doesn't manifest in any notable fashion, one must reinterpret the sign.

124

Lloyd Evans Patreoff Pool - September 2023

by DerekMoors in

come join the fun and place your bets for how many patrons lloyd evans will lose for september 2023. .

this month, we start the count at today's tally, 487. we'll check his stats on september 4th (to allot for the weekend after the 1st) and see who gets the closest.

your prize is bragging rights for a full month!.

TonusOH

I thought I was pushing it by going as high as 29.

So, on the bright side for Lloyd, he proved a lot of us wrong.