Posts by TonusOH

3065

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

I would assume that, like most people, he divulges very little on a first date. It's where you try to put your best foot forward and impress the other person. You don't start to lift the mask until you're comfortable and think there might be some chemistry. I don't know how many dates he is getting through with any one woman before they decide to part ways, though his comedy routine would imply that it doesn't take long for that to happen.

What I'm trying to say is, his bad luck is probably based on poor first impressions. I would imagine a date with him was like that scene in the movie Beaches where the two women meet after years apart. The first women tells the other all about her life, then ends by saying "but enough about me! Let's talk about you! What do you think of me?"

5

Westmoreland County man charged in latest Jehovah's Witness sex abuse case

by Tahoe in

link to article .

a westmoreland man was recently charged with sexually assaulting and molesting a young girl by a statewide grand jury that has been investigating sex abuse among elders in jehovah’s witness congregations across pennsylvania for years.. ronald w. mangone, 69, who was a member of the jehovah’s witness congregation in new kensington, allegedly abused the girl beginning at the age of 6 from 1991 to 1994, according to a police complaint filed april 2.. a second girl also was allegedly sexually abused by the suspect in the late 1980s, but law enforcement agents say they were unable to charge him because the statute of limitations had expired.. mr. mangone now faces three felony charges and five misdemeanor charges for sexually assaulting and endangering a minor.

he is the latest suspect in a wide-ranging investigation that has so far led to the arrests of at least 14 others from jehovah’s witness congregations on similar charges since 2022.. “what's going on in pennsylvania has much much broader implications,” said mark o’donnell, a longtime advocate for sexual assault victims in the congregations and a witness who has appeared before the grand jury.. the sweeping investigation in pennsylvania, launched by the attorney general’s office in 2019, is the first to target jehovah’s witness groups in what has been described by some law enforcement agents as a longstanding problem within the religious organization... “it’s groundbreaking,” mr. o’donnell said.

TonusOH

Investigations like this are slow and difficult in the best of circumstances. But when the events occurred so long ago and victims have to consider going through the trauma of recalling them (often multiple times over the course of months or years), it has to be handled very carefully. There is frequently a lack of evidence and the only eyewitness will be the victim.

We can read about a case from the 1980s that could not be pursued because the statute of limitations has expired. But the jury will not be allowed to hear anything like this. And there are many other details and information that will not be allowed at trial. Sometimes a case can seem very strong when presented to the public (and to a grand jury) but once you are in court things are very different. Prosecutors are understandably hesitant to move quickly on cases like this, because it feels terrible to put victims through the trauma of a trial just to watch a defendant celebrate a victory.

37

Did you suffer from not saluting the flag in school as a kid?

by Sea Breeze in

what happened?.

TonusOH

I was fortunate that there was usually one or two other JW kids in my classes early on. So I wasn't the only child who sat at his desk as everyone else stood, or who was asked to wait outside in the hallway while the rest of the kids recited the pledge. It wasn't traumatic, at least it didn't seem so at the time. But I did become a quiet kid who mostly tried to stay in the background, invisible.

I don't remember if other kids asked about it. For the most part, they probably thought we were wierd but didn't care much. I am pretty sure we weren't bullied for it. This would have been the mid-70s, and it was a different America from the 40s, 50s, and early 60s.

56

Can God Change his Mind?

by peacefulpete in

is 31:yet he also is wise and will bring disaster and does not retract his words.. 1 sam 15: furthermore, the eternal one of israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not man who changes his mind.. numbers 23: god is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind.

does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?.

when the god you worship pronounces judgement, is he, really just issuing a warning or has the matter been determined through all the godly powers of insight, foresight and perfect judgement?

TonusOH

I think there's a difference between changing one's mind and outright deception. God expressed regret at creating mankind before he unleashed a global flood. And didn't Moses get god to change his mind?

This is only an issue if you see god as so perfect that his every utterance is, itself, perfect and the optimal choice to make or action to take. But the god of the Bible sounds a lot like a regular human person- he expresses emotion and takes action much the same way we would. People change their minds all the time, or they revise plans and pronouncements all the time. Maybe the issue is that, over time, we have defined the Biblical god in ways that aren't consistent with his words and actions as described in the Bible.

7

Need old account deleted

by Test1 in

need old account deleted.will an admin assist me in this?

thank you in advance..

TonusOH

Two things will survive WW4: roaches and this website.

44

The org. Came out with a Christmas song!!!!

by nowwhat? in

holy nativity batman!

on jw broadcasting.

final song for this year's convention.

TonusOH

Hmmm. A gradual move towards actual Christianity?

18

Do JWs Really Say This?

by NotFormer in

i stumbled, via a google search, upon a part of jw space that is usually heavily defended against outsiders like my good self.

in a discussion, someone started their post with "i (started doing x)... when the slave began to suggest doing so"*.

do pimis really talk that way?

TonusOH

I recall many people using a similar phrase, but no one would use the word "slave." They would call them "the society."

I can remember one time, when my mother disagreed with how an elder had interpreted a letter from the GB to the congregation. She said that she would "wait for the society to clarify the matter." When I asked her what she would do if they did not provide this clarification, she simply repeated that she would wait for the society to clarify it.

It was an interesting experience. She was (and is) a die-hard hardcore JW. To her, the society (ie, the GB) is the first and final word on any issue. So she was going to wait for them to provide a clear understanding of whatever the matter was. But by doing so, she was also ignoring the advice of the GB to follow the guidance of the elders. I didn't press the issue, as she seemed a bit distraught and she doesn't handle cognitive dissonance very well. But it was an example of the kind of mindset that is created by their policies and doctrines.

20

For all JW's: Stop calling others "apostates."

by BoogerMan in

if you don't want to be thrown into gehenna, read what your own faithful evil slave & christ say:.

cj chap.

3 p. 110 chapter 3 - "jesus christ said: “whoever says, ‘you despicable fool!’ (apostate) will be liable to the fiery gehenna.” (matt.

TonusOH

They define an apostate as someone who opposes the organization, which is why they describe them as "opposers." They also use the term loosely, to describe anyone who leaves without being DF, especially if they then join another religion (or reject religion entirely).

Basically, an apostate is someone who was a JW and left of their own accord (or was removed for 'opposing' the org). If you believe that they are wrong, being labeled doesn't mean anything.

3065

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

I agree-- he is ignoring the lawsuit and hoping to string it along.

His problem is that he wears his emotions on his sleeve. I bet he is very bitter towards his wife now. He doesn't even pretend that he has any feelings for her, and he snipes at her through his song lyrics. I wonder if the clips of his comedy routine that he does not show are blistering attacks directed at her through the topic of marriage. If he hasn't done that yet, he eventually will.

The lawsuit is an albatross around his neck now. It's part of his fundraising pitch. He built up the stakes so high that he cannot afford to lose, but it's a lawsuit he cannot possibly win. What to do? Drag it out and hope for a miracle, I guess. Maybe the Croatian court will keep sending mail to his house for the next 38 years so that he can fulfill his pledge. I think that this is a lot like his livestream video-- he talked and talked and did not realize what he was doing until it was too late to take it back.

12

First Half of the Book of Hebrews (Study Edition) Now Available Online

by Wonderment in

april 11, 2024 (source: jw.org) .

first half of the book of hebrews (study edition) now available online.

the first half of the bible book of hebrews (chapters 1-7) is now available in the study edition of the new world translation of the holy scriptures on jw.org and in jw library.

TonusOH

Franz had a clear narrative to follow and was given a lot of leeway. I think he really believed that he was a modern-day prophet, guided by the holy spirit to lead Jehovah's people to the new world.

So, yeah... he was a nutcase. But he was able to promote his specific vision with little or no interference.

Today's GB is driven less by what they want to do and more by external forces and a feeling that they are trying to save the organization from financial decline. They're more worried about marketing. A consistent doctrinal vision is not high on the list.