scratchme1010

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Posts by scratchme1010

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  40

  What if Fred Franz had never existed?

  by Magnum in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what if fred franz had never existed?.

  those of you who weren’t around in the days when he was the oracle of jwdom or who at least aren’t familiar with the deeper publications he was responsible for probably won’t be able to comprehend the significance of the question.

  i believe he influenced jwdom greatly, and the whole feel of jwdom would have been different without him.. during the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s (not sure about 50’s), he was considered to be almost superhuman by some (a lot?

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  scratchme1010

  But what would it have been like if Franz had never existed? What would the 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s have been like? What would the literature have been like? Would there have ever been a New World Translation? What about doctrine? I assume there would not have been a 1975 debacle. Would JWdom have had the momentum that it did in that period if Franz hadn’t been in the picture? What would have been the look and feel without him?
  

  So many possibilities. I tend not to indulge myself in this hypothetical scenarios as they are, well unreal and pure speculation, but in this case I'll speculate that we just don't know. As Finkelstein points out, Franz was just one of the many BS-ers around. There's no way to know is things will be different, the same, better or worse.
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  20

  Witness weddings

  by dothemath in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  recently went to a witness wedding, and after the vows the bride and groom were introduced as "brother and sister".....(then last name).....(then the big kiss).

  this is likely not unusual (i've heard it before), but with lots of "worldly" people in attendance it seems out of place to me.. i was just wondering if that's the way it is most places?.

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  scratchme1010

  I was just wondering if that's the way it is most places?
  

  I never saw that in the KHs I grew up, but that may be due to cultural differences. In my culture they don't get introduced that way.

  That said, it is a cult. As such they will use every single opportunity to push their agenda. Look at how they use funerals to preach to people who are mourning.
  
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  17

  Flip Flops to Nowhere

  by Lostandfound in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how long until wt has flip flopped its way back to anything of the faith many of us knew?

  who are the now dead ones giving evidence of their non captivity to babylon etc?

  i would not recognise what goes on in a kh now and i was in since 60s when we had firm beliefs, now being eroded little by little.

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  scratchme1010

  Or is this a plan to constantly adjust things to keep faithful busy so constant money fraud can continue in new circumstances.
  

  You got it.

  Yes, i remember the books from the 60's and 70's and how it used to be. Personally I don't see the changes as anything outrageous. What I see is an overreaction to the changes based on the fact that people have been indoctrinated and brainwashed to accept and believe everything and anything that comes from them. It's obvious that they have always been about their own interest and never about their people, but that's only evident to those who are well aware of how it used to be.
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  47

  What did you regrettably not do because you were a Jehovah's Witness ?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jehovah's witnesses cannot do a lot of things.

  i remember pioneers having to quit their jobs because they could not work in a convenience store and sell cigarettes.

  i know of a young man who was offered a scholarship to any college or university if he wanted to go to because of his football abilities.

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  scratchme1010

  What have you given up because of being a JW??
  

  Getting my father arrested.
  
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  23

  Internally rolling my eyes.. Get this

  by raven in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  a bit of an update, last weekend was my great grandmothers funeral, now, she was never a jw, and never was going to be, no matter how hard my mother, and grandmother tried to preach to her, she was the type of person that would kindly accept a wt or a book, but she wouldn't bother reading them.. anyways, she was a great wonderful and inspiring woman, the funeral was extremely sad, she had been a school teacher for over 35 years and a member of various clubs, so there were a lot of folks besides family that attended.. well, anyways i was there and so was my jw mother, stepfather, and grandmother, we were cordial, didn't talk about anything jw related because, it was great grandmothers funeral, not really a time to discuss how i am an evil sinner, or how i've escaped the org by avoiding df'ing, right?

  wrong, as i'm sitting waiting for the service to begin, a lady shows up, now- i have known this woman for a long time, apparently she baby sat me as a small child, (like i remember?

  ) so she isn't someone i was ever close with, but knew of her or when she was around would say hi to and make small talk.. to give you a tid-bit on her personality though, she is one of those crazy jw's.. she claims to have been possessed by a demon, very very wacky on the prophesies, or gb talks, etc.

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  scratchme1010

  ...as I am standing there in complete disbelief, this lady seriously has the guts to pull this crap at my great-grandmothers FUNERAL?..
  

  First, my condolences. Seems like you will be missing your grandma. Maybe you have some of her in you. Second, I'm so sorry that your mourning got so disgustingly interrupted by all that nonsense. Feel proud, though, that you handled yourself with grace.

  Many JWs truly believe that preaching to people in mourning is supposed to make them think that they can see the person they are mourning again in their stupid "paradise on Earth". I consider what they do at funerals to be the most disgusting, truly irresponsible, tasteless, classless action.

  I'm so sorry you went through that. Again, my condolences.
  
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  23

  No Longer a JW Expert But Starting to Figure Out Life

  by AllTimeJeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  consider this an update for those that remember me here.... when i left in 2006, it started a 10 year journey into a new phase.

  no more "safety".

  some people want to be their own person.

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  scratchme1010

  ...I don't have a whole lot to offer on what the current teachings are from the deluded idiots running the place. But I do have some years of healing and growing. I will try to share if it seems appropriate. Peace and love to you all.
  

  I find this part of your post precious. Thank you for sharing and caring for the ones still in.
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  5

  pre historic man..

  by zeb in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a poster had a line about early man before humans... i recall a doco sorry cant remember details where neanderthal graves were found in spain.

  these graves had been laid down with artefacts' and care by the way the deceased were positioned.

  now the finders took material and from the graves and come up with dna.

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  scratchme1010

  How interesting.
  
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  5

  Is your "diet" a balanced one??

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  an illustration came to mind.

  we know that the society often talks about the need to "eat healthy spiritual food".

  but imagine that we are speaking of literal food.

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  scratchme1010

  What a sad situation!
  

  It's harder for born-ins like me and others that were raised being told that that's all the food there is in the world.
  
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  14

  Why is this blind allegiance to the anointed ones?

  by anointed1 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  even when they know that certain things are not right with the organization the flocks are blindly following their leaders viewing them as the future “kings and priests” (originally a sumerian concept).. greed for a “land of milk and honey” (either in this life or the next) is at the root of their allegiance.

  interestingly, greed is something the flocks are warned against: ‘be on your guard against all kinds of greed which is idolatry.’ (luke 12:15; colossians 3:5).

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  scratchme1010

  Even when they know that certain things are not right with the organization the flocks are blindly following their leaders viewing them as the future “kings and priests” (originally a Sumerian concept).
  

  Again, people keep looking at the face value of what the JWs say. For some bizarre reason, people still fail (refuse?) to address what their allegiance is about, which is nothing related to any of the crap that the WT teaches, but about what it gives them, what makes them feel, what's in it for them.

  It's not allegiance to anyone, not even the GB; it's allegiance to what they get from being a JW. Those things typically are:

  • Sense of certainty about the future
  • Answers to questions
  • A sense of community/belonging
  • A place where they can make healthy life decisions
  • Structure for them and their families
  • An explanation for everything

  That's what they are loyal too. The GB can tell them that Jesus reincarnated in a two-headed cow in Arkansas and they will believe it for as long as it keeps giving them what they feel fulfills them.
  
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  25

  If the Org. confessed they were not God's org. Would you still be there and was that the main reason you stayed

  by tor1500 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know you know who i am by now...the one that forgets to use paragraphs...anyway, all over all the jw sites (not jw.org).

  it's been asked if you knew this or that why did you stay...it's been discussed how no matter what you hit the friends with, failed dated, new lights, pedophiles, etc, yet they stay and you can't reason with them....so what i've come up with is that most stay because they feel it's god's org.

  and they were chosen in place of the jews.

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  scratchme1010

  If the Org. confessed they were not God's org. Would you still be there and was that the main reason you stayed
  

  That's never going to happen so I think speculating about some If situation that is not plausible is futile.

  My thoughts are that, again, people keep talking about showing JWs "the light" about what the WT teaches, and fail to address the real reasons why people remain JWs. It has nothing to do with what they teach; it about what the WT gives them that makes them feel comfortable.

  Address their feelings instead of nonsensical what-ifs, and you will obtain better results in making your point.