i was interested by the suggestion in a recent discussion that rutherford was in some way preferable to fred franz, because i’ve not come across this view before.
it made me rethink my assumptions and try to work out why i hold the opposite view and prefer fred franz to rutherford.
i haven’t done any additional research, so i’m only drawing on what i can remember off the top of my head, but i thought i’d list a few things where i reckon fred franz’s approach was preferable to rutherford.
Rattigan350: Why would Franz restore holidays?
I wasn't commenting on his motivations, just pointing out that he passed up the opportunity to make the religion more mainstream, an oversight that they appear to be slowly addressing now. I certainly won't dispute the idea that he was driven by a need to maintain control by demnding obedience. That's a lesson he learned very early in his life.
hi guys.
so this weekend the 2025 regional convention starts.
anyone who has access to the recorded versions or a streaming link?
I think the last convention I attended was in the mid or late 90s. It seems like a hundred years ago, not just 30. I can no longer fathom sitting there for hours listening to the talks, day after day after day. What an awful way to spend a beautiful Spring or Summer weekend!!!
The story about a person from a different Christian faith admitting that JWs "do the work that we won't" was a common JW trope when I was growing up. The WTS liked to play up anything that they did that was different, and how it demonstrated that they 'have the truth.' They did something similar by only ever reporting stories about blood transfusions that had adverse effects, to show that their stance on blood was the right one.
the governing body is now focusing on those that are pimos in the congregation, trying to wake up pimis.
they have a video series featuring a mom, dad, and son.
the mom is fighting cancer.
If you want to get rid of the free thinkers and only keep the diehard supporters in the fold, you make a video series like that.
i was interested by the suggestion in a recent discussion that rutherford was in some way preferable to fred franz, because i’ve not come across this view before.
it made me rethink my assumptions and try to work out why i hold the opposite view and prefer fred franz to rutherford.
i haven’t done any additional research, so i’m only drawing on what i can remember off the top of my head, but i thought i’d list a few things where i reckon fred franz’s approach was preferable to rutherford.
I can never figure out for sure if Rutherford was a true believer (who really beleived that he was God's chosen) or if he recognized that he was running a massive racket and just having fun with it. He seemed to make doctrinal changes for the sake of differentiating the organization from other Christian groups. I think Franz took the JW religion seriously and wanted others to do so as well. He didn't clean everything up (such as restoring a lot of holidays and religious observances) but he did try to roll back some of the more egregious stuff.
He probably should have scrapped Rutherford's penchant for predicting the end, but I suppose he couldn't help himself.
i knew a lady who was disfellowshipped for 20 years for smoking.
she finally went back to the kh and since they couldn't find her paperwork, (all the former elders were dead) she was allowed back in without reinstatement.
no one even remembered her.
Nathan Natas: Currently I'm doing Dihydrogen Monoxide
Careful with that stuff. It's used in pesticides and industrial solvents. Too much can kill you!
link to his announcement on www.jwchildabuse.org:.
https://www.jwchildabuse.org/news/jehovahs-witnesses-sue-editor-of-jw-child-abuse-website-for-millions/.
if anyone needed any further proof of how low and despicable this cult has become, here's more evidence.
As Pete said, they have to prove actual damages in order to get a judgment for any amount of money.
My guess is that they know this. The goal is to drain O'Donnell's bank account (via the costs of litigation, not necessarily a judgment), intimidate other exJWs, and track down the JWs who spoke to him. They are demanding a list of "every Jehovah’s Witness [he has] communicated with in the last five years regarding the faith of the Jehovah’s Witnesses." They want to clear out anyone who is providing information to critics. They know they have quite a lot of PIMOs who leak information, and they want to find as many of them as they can.
italy meets another bomb in front of the kingdom hall, after having caused a scandal on tv, now it is also dangerous to go to the hall.
here is the image of the press release.
The problem I find with that approach is that, once we agree to prosecute hate speech, the people in power suddenly become highly sensitized to hate speech. It gets redefined as "speech that I hate." And the desire --and ability-- to silence dissent is the hallmark of destructive authoritarian regimes throughout history.
https://www.investigatewest.org/investigatewest-reports/wa-law-mandating-clergy-report-child-abuse-to-be-investigated-by-trumps-justice-department-17882445.
investigatewest.
wa law mandating clergy report child abuse to be investigated by tr.... .
I just want to point out that clergy-penitent priviledge doesn't prevent a religious organization from encouraging victims of abuse to report it. One of the criticisms of the WTS is that they took the approach of wanting to keep things "in-house" to 'protect Jehovah's name.' This included discouraging victims from reporting crimes to the police.
They have since been forced to change this stance. I would hope that they continue to emphasize the importance of reporting crimes to the authorities, who have the personnel, procedures and training necessary to investigate them. Leaving something so serious in the hands of inexperienced and unprepared men whose only options are to ask "did you do it?" is not good enough. I daresay that allowing people to get away with CSA does more to sully the name of Jehovah than anything else.
here's the wt standard for lying: "while malicious lying is definitely condemned in the bible, this does not mean that a person is under obligation to divulge truthful information to people who are not entitled to it" - insight pp.
244-245. vs. websters dictionary:.
lie, noun.
Telling your wife "no, that dress doesn't make you look fat" is an acceptable lie, as it may prevent severe injury or even death. And, by the time you get to that part of your life, she probably knows you're lying and only asked the question to help to remind you of where you stand.
Telling a prospective Bible study target that they're not a prospective Bible study target is a good way to guarantee that, at some point, they'll realize you lied to them. And, if they ever have questions or doubts, they will not be able to trust a JW to help them, because they know JWs will lie to them to keep them in the fold. "Lying for the Truth" just doesn't have a very good ring to it.
