Posts by smiddy3

32

Apostate - what does the word mean to you?

by Tallon in

over a period of time i got to thinking - what does the word 'apostate' mean to me.

having given it some thought, this is my view;.

the org has given the word its own definition and basically use it to demonise people and consider them pariahs.. however, the jw meaning of 'apostate' is a mere word and only has power if recognised as such.

smiddy3

Jehovah`s Witnesses have also claimed Christendom as Apostates because in their view they have turned away from Jesus Christ`s teachings .

And of course any baptised JW who has turned his or her back on J.W./W.T. teachings are also considered Apostates.

A thought just occurred to me : Do the G.B./J.W./ W.T. religion publicly state at meetings ,assembly`s ,conventions ,or in their publications either in print or over JW.Org T.V. programme`s that Islam the religion of Muslims are an Apostate religion ?

Jehovah`s Witnesses seem to have no problem publicly showing up Judaism / Christendom as Apostates in their publications / media , however have they ever gone on record as charging Islam / Muslim religion with Aposatacy ? in any of their publications or media ?

Because these three faiths have a common denominator with the Hebrew bible.

Why in all of these 140 years, have the Jehovah`s Witnesses been silent about the Islam / Muslim religion being an Apostate religion ?

2

My experience with a JDub pedophile

by Sour Grapes in

back in the early 1970's i was an elder and sat on a judicial committee that dealt with a male teenager in the congregation.

he was inappropriately touching his sister.

it was of course viewed as a sin, not a crime.

smiddy3

The J.W./W.T. religion and its teachings are wholly/solely based on the Bible ....?

Their are just so many things the G.B. teach today that have no basis in the Bible.

He was inappropriately touching his sister. It was of course viewed as a sin, not a crime.

And it has only changed now if indeed it has changed at all ,because of the growing amount of lawsuits all around the world and the publicity that its getting.

Would this sister have married this brother if it was publicly known he was a pedophile?

Who knows ? maybe and maybe not, personally I think she should have been told so as to make her own decision.its a tricky one ,if the police had of been involved in the first place it would /could have been public knowledge.

However the J.W. Organization should be held accountable for keeping these allegations of Child sexual Abuse in-house and not reporting them to the Child Protection Agency`s or the Law Enforcement Agency`s such as the Police.

During the late 1950's and early 1960's there was a 10 minute intermission between the public talk and the Watchtower study , and as you say bros & sis`s could go out and puff up between sessions.

I remember it well.

Its no good dwelling on the past on what we could have done or what we should have done Sour Grapes ,we did what we thought best at the time with the information / knowledge we had .

We need to forgive ourselves for wrongs we have done thinking it was in the best interest of others.

We have all been their one way or another .

Take care.

5

Yay, my heart does rejoice..

by zeb in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ianssd_yexs.

smiddy3

That was brilliant I love those flash mob performances by qualified performers .

Contrast that with some of the pathetic wannabe`s Jehovah`s Witnesses who have tried the same with their Kingdom songs that I have seen in obscure places.

15

My brain will explode

by Alex Bogdanov in

jw
friends

i am so tired to talk to jws that i know.

i think one day i will become rude and ingore them and avoid them.

every conversation ends like this-.

smiddy3

I go up to an orthodox jew who is praying at the wailing wall in Jerusalem and ask him how long has he been doing this and he reply`s all of my 70 years of life .

I ask him what does he pray for and he says peace among the Arabs and the Israelis and the Palestinians above all ?

And i ask him and how do you think your prayers are being answered ?

and he says sometimes I`m thinking I`m just talking to a bloody brick wall .

39

Hatred From My Children for Not Leaving the Organization Earlier

by new boy in

jw
friends

i'm not proud of the fact that it took me over 50 years to realized what the organization really was and to finally leave it.

not proud at all, i feel pretty stupid.

however i didn't lose my children.

smiddy3

I wouldn`t beat myself up too much about it new boy we did what we thought was best for our children at the time .

We are not perfect and we make mistakes like everybody else including our children

Their is no need for him to hold a grudge against you and try to make you feel guilty over what is past.Your son needs to take a chill pill and realize that what he does with his life now is what counts .

He, your son is in charge of his own destiny and nobody else ,not you ,or the religion .

How his life turns out is entirely up to him and the choices he makes in life.

28

The Attack by Gog of Magog: 2018 Convention

by jwdoctrine in

jw
friends

the attack by gog of magog with commentary watch to the end.

talk from the 2018 convention .watch till the end.

smiddy3

So Gog of Magog is the Anti-Christ that is still to be revealed at some future date ?

I suppose that is just around the corner too or maybe its coming soon.

Another carrot on the end of another stick

remember the book we studied that "Babylon The Great Has Fallen Gods Kingdom Rules" saying that false religion fell in 1919 which included all worldly religions of which Christendom was the principle part.?

Funny how in this day 2018 religion is stronger than it ever was around the world.

48

Healing & Rebuilding Your Life - Feedback Wanted

by jp1692 in

i have been invited to speak at an international cultic studies association workshop this fall.

i could use your help in focusing on my presentation subject.. these workshops are for former members of any cult or other high-control, authoritarian group, not just jehovah's witnesses.

last year, i spoke at one of their larger conferences in europe.

smiddy3

2 .Examining beliefs { Not just relying on cult information}

3. Psycho-Education { Getting professional help and tools to negate cult thinking}

5. Personal identity { Who is the real me without a cult influence }

1. Five stages of grief { What to expect when one realizes they have been misled for however how long }

6. Dealing with isolation and loneliness { Developing friendships and acquaintances outside of the cult }

4. Treatments / interventions { Whatever additional help is needed to bring the person back into the real world. }

Both my wife and I and our two sons and one D.I.L have been out for 25 years , and I D.A. myself a couple of years ago.

I am the only one that frequents this site ,the others have no need for it their just happy getting on with their own lives .

And that pleases me .

21

Direction to elders on handling rape

by purrpurr in

from the shepard the flock book.

"discernment is needed in considering claims.

of rape, taking into consideration such factors as the.

smiddy3

I just posted this on social media

40

Why are JDubs scared to death of apostate websites?

by Sour Grapes in

when i was an elder back in the 1970's i loved to debate and challenge ministers, preachers, and holy rollers.

now you can be a loyal jdub fully indoctrinated for 30 years but just take a peek at an apostate website and you are doomed.

yes, satan now has you by the gonads and all of the years of being at the meetings, all of the family worship nights, all of the conventions, and all of the personal study just go up in a cloud of smoke.

smiddy3

Simply because the so called Apostate sites speak the "TRUTH" and Jehovah`s Witnesses can`t handle the "TRUTH"

16

Jehovah`s Witnesses Do Not Have a Clergy Class.

by smiddy3 in

no , they have the governing body { some would say the popes of the religion }.

and you do not under any circumstance go against what they say./ .

they also have branch overseers , district overseers .circuit overseers , and elders in a congregation .. they are all up and above the rank and file of the average ordinary jehovah`s witness and they are looked upon as such by the rank and file member as equivalent to a clergy class.. oh and lets not forget the legal department that has a lot to say in how the jehovah`s witness organization responds to allegations of child sexual abuse around the world.. and when an allegation arises about child sexual abuse the w.t.

smiddy3

No , They have the Governing Body { some would say the popes of the religion }

And you do not under any circumstance go against what they say./

They also have Branch Overseers , District Overseers .Circuit Overseers , and Elders in a Congregation .

They are all up and above the rank and file of the average ordinary Jehovah`s Witness and they are looked upon as such by the rank and file member as equivalent to a clergy class.

Oh and lets not forget the Legal Department that has a lot to say in how the Jehovah`s Witness organization responds to allegations of Child Sexual Abuse around the World.

And when an allegation arises about Child Sexual Abuse the W.T. Organization pleads the Clergy Penitent Clause ?

To withhold information crucial to a trial that may incriminate themselves .

So do Jehovah`s Witnesses have a Clergy Class ?

Of course they do they just might not class it as such in their vernacular .