Posts by scratchme1010

37

The story of a secret Apostate Anointed

by TerryWalstrom in

the remarkable sister pettifog.

this morning i arrived on my bicycle at the local starbucks early, before the intensity of the texas sun boiled to full blaze rendering me a soggy, wrung out mess.. i took up my perch on the outdoor patio in the shade, eager to work on my book of short stories.

this will be my 3rd book and i’ve been enjoying the process daily.. .

scratchme1010

I wish I met that lady. Great story.

15

Article: Jehovah’s Witnesses Promote Police Hatred at Summer Conventions

by freemindfade in

bad timing for the bunker video with all the police drama going on.. https://www.the-newshub.com/general/jehovahs-witnesses-promote-police-hatred-at-summer-conventions.

recently one member after viewing the video material was triggered into climbing a bridge in australia and screaming about the ‘great tribulation” coming at any minute.

see picture above..

scratchme1010

I don't think that JWs need any of that to have a bad name. They do a great job at that on their own. I don't need that kind of news to have the opinion I have about them.

23

1914.... current significance?

by NeverKnew in

it seems that when i ask witnesses questions about 1914, they really don't understand the relevance to their message today.

i am told that they preach about the coming kingdom and that they don't preach a message of 1914. if a person doesn't understand 1914 then i can clearly see how showing them the inaccuracies of the doctrine wouldn't matter.

can we compile a list of ties 1914 has to their current beliefs?.

scratchme1010

The 1914 thing, IMO, is now being toned down. Historically they have used (abused?) that year as the basis for many of the things they used to preach that now are trying to pretend they never said. Back in the late 1800's they claimed that the new order was going to come in 1914. Then "new light" showed that ridiculously convoluted story about Daniel and the 7 times and the Revelations, and 607BC.

The thing is that all that nonsense is based on Babylon being destroyed in that year, 607 BC, but the JWs are the only ones who claim that that's when that happened. All you have to do is go to any library and find that no reputable, credible historian points at that year. Of course, their calculations of the seven times thing miserably fails if things didn't happen in that year. If you ask me, all their calculations fail miserably, period.

16

JW Acumen & Education = NO VALUE IN THE REAL WORLD

by Black Man in

jw
friends

having been out of the cult for a few years now, i can finally sit back and accurately access the good, bad and the ugly, especially as it relates to education and having a sense of self-worth and realizing your potential.

in my opinion, religion is a total crock, but at least in some religions there is at least some value that you can translate your experiences and education gained in such into the real world.

for example, the mormons have their own accredited university where you can obtain a degree and you can actually put that down on your resume and use it in the real world.

scratchme1010

IMO, that's one of the things that makes the JWs a cult, the fact that all the efforts people put into that organization serves no other purpose but their interest.

One of the things I realized very earlier when I was ready to start my fade was precisely the fact the the JWs take a very convenient and selfish position. They are "not part of the world" at the time of doing something for the community, but they are in the business of real estate, and use every possible resource that this world has to offer.

I find that disgusting, criticizing everything bad that happens in the world at the same time they do nothing to make it better with the excuse that this world isn't worth saving.

6

NYC cart people

by lrkr in

i recently started working on a project in manhattan- in a very nice neighborhood.

just want to share a few observations on the cart witnesses in this area.. this is an area flush with dinero.

so every respectable non profit is out there hustling for donations.

scratchme1010

In one of my cities they are everything but bored. They are talking to each other and can't care less about any passersby. I actually passed by their cart three times back and forth and not a single one of them even noticed.

83

Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go

by Sevan in

jw
friends

hey all, .

so i recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.. i have been spending time reading various posts.

some informative, some not so much.. since i've been reading on here, i've read a lot from atheists.

scratchme1010

I am not here to be converted to Atheism, nor am I here to convert anyone to Theism. I am simply looking for a little support and friendship.

Hello. I am not going to share my believes or non-believes. So as a person who may or may not be a believer, I can give you support and I hope you don't judge what I share as an attack to one way of thinking or another. I can say that what I know about atheists is that they have absolutely no interest in converting people. Believer, on the other hand, tend to proselytize and gain converts, furthermore, try to make atheism fit into their mentality that atheism is some kind of organization or denomination. Have you ever seen an atheist temple? Literature trying to gain converts to atheism? Atheists are not organized and are not a group of the same crop, so there isn't such thing as "converting" people to atheism.

Believers do love to preach, convert and "share their wonderful experiences" with others, many times try to force them on others. Many belong to religious organizations with strict rules and guided by some kind of leadership.

So my first suggestion to you is that if you have any interest in being a believer, please be aware that classifying people as "believers" or "atheists" is just faulty. "believers" put every single person who has any sort of believe in some god together, from religious cults to every single denomination. Are you going to say that you can just bundle up all people who has a belief in a higher power exactly the same and put them in the same pile that fits them all?

On the other hand, if you want to "explore" atheism, know that there isn't a place to look for it or study it; it is not a religion, nor a belief, nor an organization, nor something that should be processed the same way that people who have a belief in some god handles their belief system.

Now, based on what I have read, I do not see any "hostility" towards believers. Please understand that many religious people come to forums and places like this looking for reassurance of what they believe, and convinced of things like "Jesus is the way". When those people get hit on the face with the fact that there is a wealth of believe and non-believes, and that their way is not necessarily the right way for everyone, many play the victim card and claim hostility, prosecution, attacks. The second that their believes are challenged they tend to be quite reactive. Atheist, many are fed up with having to put up with such attitudes from believers.

Something interesting is that apparently you seem to see a problem when there are more atheists than believers. Why? How is that a threat to the support you may need? You can get support from atheist, just don't expect them to say to you to "trust god" or "leave it on Jehovah's hands" or "god has a plan", which is what many believers rely on. They may suggest you to look for professional help instead. That is support, maybe not the one you'd prefer to hear about.

28

I'm back

by phats in

jw
friends

hi everyone, phats here.

i haven't posted for about 2 years as things have been so busy with work + a nervous breakdown along the way so been on meds & all sorts but things but are now beginning to get stronger & the mists are clearing.

business is great with loads of work.

scratchme1010

I just joined, but welcome back. There's a post of me introducing myself.

15

Letter # 4 to the Governing Body of Jehovah's witnesses

by WITNESS-FOR-WATCHTOWER-REFORM in

the governing body.

service department of jehovah’s witnesses.

2821 route 22. patterson.

scratchme1010

I have to echo those who say that it's a great effort and comes from a good place. I also believe that from the biblical point of view that you're coming from, you are absolutely right.

I also have to agree with thinking that it's not going to make a dent. That said, it's still a guess. Who knows, it might spark some interest and inspire some change.

But the bigger point is why? Even if the letter is 100% effective, say that they read it, find it useful and they start making changes, what is that supposed to accomplish in the end? Having more people believing that they are going to live 1000 years? More people shunning their loved ones who don't share their believes? More people doing absolutely nothing for their communities because they believe that there's a "new order around the corner"? We need less of that, not more.

13

physical and emotional abuse from JWs

by 060702015 in

is physical and emotional abuse taken seriously in jws ?

do they address this form of abuse that their members inflict on others?

.

scratchme1010

Is physical and emotional abuse taken seriously in JWs ? Do they address this form of abuse that their members inflict on others?

I was born and raised in that organization, and no, they do not address any form of abuse. What is worse, which is the worst kind of abuse, they mislead people to believe that they do.

Those people try to control their followers as much as possible, and they address something only when they are legally bound to do so, or when it suits (or is within) their purpose. Other than that, people can get away with all kinds of abuse (trust me I was submitted to plenty, I saw others being abused, and no one said or did anything about it). They do nothing or care about nothing but their own interest.

17

spiritual crisis

by indi7 in

two years ago i had a kundalini experience.

i felt energy or chi pulsate through each of my chakras, from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, then back, after that i felt like a newborn for three days.

i felt like i was reborn spiritually and god gave me a new name - indi.

scratchme1010

I don't think I have to be nasty to you, indi7, and I don't think anyone should either. What you shared, however, doesn't come across as something you hear every day.

I can't (and I don't think anyone else can either) tell you anything about that voice that you hear that turned out to be telling you lies. Before dealing with your spiritual crisis, I think you should look into why are you hearing a voice that no one else (or very, very few people) hear in the first place. Your post seems based on the premise that hearing such voice is supposed to be some kind of given, where the reality is that to most-to-all of us, that is not a normal occurrence.

I don't believe that making fun of your post is normal either, but to keep it about you, I wonder if you will consider examining how real that voice is, maybe with the help of a professional who knows how to deal with hearing voices. If the voice is in fact real, then you have nothing to lose. If it turns out to be something else, then take care of it properly.

Yoga, meditation, leveraging the power of all your chakras are supposed to bring you peace, not to put you in a spiritual crisis, so if it's not serving its purpose, it may be time for you to examine that voice from a different angle.