Posts by scratchme1010

The year book tells us that some activity in FS is being performed in countries that are banned, Is this accurate? How on earth is it accomplished? Do anyone have any experience?

Illegally. I don't know how it is now, but I remember the yearbook from, say 1974 where they had a lot of stories about JWs in Nazi Germany, as well as many WT stories from people getting arrested, jailed and prosecuted for preaching. The WT trains people to believe that losing their freedoms and lives over their agenda is a good thing.

25

And then it hit me: we were abused

by Anders Andersen in

from a psychcentral (run by mental health professionals): a familiar item on a list of 7 types of parental abuse :.

spiritual abuse.

has the child experienced:dichotomous thinking – dividing people into two parts: those who agree with the parent and those who don’t.

scratchme1010

No, I feel I shouldn't have said anything as I was merely comparing being raised as a Witness without beatings, etc and saying that alone was not abuse. But if others believe that such is abuse, even without such things then I am not going to deny that of them. Apparently how I wrote things show, as dubstepped wrote, that there is something that even the people I work with should fear of me. I will seriously take that into consideration.
I feel very bad now for participating and the mistake I've made. Please accept my apology. I will move on to other subjects now, but thanks again for the correction.

You shouldn't feel that way. You started a great conversation on a topic that all of us have something to say (or are afraid of saying something). You can express yourself and we can all disagree. This isn't a congregation, nor the KH. Here we don't have to same way of thinking, nor the same believes, and that's perfectly ok.

Again, this topic is a very good and important one. Not a lot of people have the opportunity to talk and express themselves about the issue of abuse of any kind.

43

2520-607 = 1913

by schnell in

jw
friends

i love math, i love calendars, and somehow, this always gets me.. 2520 - 607 = 1913. not 1914.. 2520 - 606 = 1914. from what i understand, russell realized this.

he had previously used 606 bc, of course, but then he switched it to 607 bc.

i know there was something about no zero year, so it actually should be less one, correct?.

scratchme1010

I love math, I love calendars, and somehow, this always gets me.
2520 - 607 = 1913
Not 1914.
2520 - 606 = 1914
From what I understand, Russell realized this. He had previously used 606 BC, of course, but then he switched it to 607 BC. I know there was something about no zero year, so it actually should be less one, correct?
2520 - 607 - 1 = 1912
???
Okay, so 2520 years after NOTHING HAPPENED, the Titanic sank. *shrug*
Am I wrong here? What am I missing? If anything else, let's explain it for posterity.

I don't know if you know this, schnell, but the JWs are the only people who claim that Babylon was destroyed in 607. Of course, the WT claims like with the 1914 thing, that "it depends on your definition of destruction". Historians place the destruction of Babylon at different years, none of them even close to 607 (or 606) BC.

But most importantly to me is this: REALLY? You need such convoluted, contrived set of history, prophecies, visions, revelations happening through long periods of time to communicate such important message that is supposed to save lives today? To me, using those 7 times tied up with the history of Babylon, the revelation of John and World War 1 is the most ridiculously ineffective way of revealing events that affect the entire planet. it's all a load of --it.

14

THE AGEING OF STILL-ACTIVE WITNESSES

by steve2 in

several years ago i started a thread on this forum in which i asserted i had not seen witnesses door-knocking in my village for at least two or so years.

years before that - in pre-trolley times - in going about my business (or pleasure), i'd catch sight of them on the streets as they shuffled in their groups from door-to-door: sometimes there'd be contingents of witnesses, including young couples, parents and their kids and middle-aged and older ones.

in other words, a good cross-section of ages and stages in life.. in fact, i can remember times when witnesses were so visible in numbers when going out in their car groups, you literally couldn't escape them.. then, in more recent years, i've seen very, very little...if not anything (and i count myself sensitive to noting whether jws are out and about).

scratchme1010

What have you noticed in your locality? Any shift in the frequency of door-knocking, numbers door-knocking and/or age groups of those doing "the work" (excluding the trolley work)?

In the past 14 years (which is the time I've been living where I live) I've seen them only twice. The first time they never knocked on my door, and the second time they wanted to know if I speak Spanish (my reply was "Parlez-vous français?").

6

My first paid comedy gig

by usualusername1 in

jw
friends

after 5 months of struggling, yesterday i was paid to perform.

for those who saw the last video i hope you see an improvement.. would love feedback as always.

the first 2 minutes is on my life as a former jw.. cheers.

scratchme1010

LOL! Love it! Great job.

25

And then it hit me: we were abused

by Anders Andersen in

from a psychcentral (run by mental health professionals): a familiar item on a list of 7 types of parental abuse :.

spiritual abuse.

has the child experienced:dichotomous thinking – dividing people into two parts: those who agree with the parent and those who don’t.

scratchme1010

David_Jay, thank you for sharing that.

I want to add that aside from the well know forms of child abuse inflicted in children way too many times by way too many adults, there is such thing as spiritual abuse. It's important to recognize that not only it exists, but also affects both adults and children.

A good book on the subject is one written by a ministers named Leo Booth, entitled "When God Becomes a Drug: Understanding Religious Addiction and Religious Abuse". I like his description and also how religious abuse is manifested based on the different social classes in families.

He goes on explaining that in what he calls "blue collar religious families" there are more incidents of violence and physical and emotional abuse using god or the bible as an excuse, whereas in what he calls "country club christians" the abuse is more covert as those families tend to be more into saving appearances. Either way, the religious and spiritual abuse happens in the families and is very damaging. In fact, the reasons why so many people can't leave religion altogether is similar to battered people who are submitted to domestic violence and still don't leave the abusive relationship. However, it's a lot more difficult since it is accepted/expected that people are supposed to want to remain in a religious organization than in an abusive relationship.

This is a great topic, Anders Andersen.

Personally I know that some people react strongly to some of the things that I post but I believe that many (not all, I admit I have been a little bit of a jerk in some of my posts and replies) of those times people are just under the influence or religious abuse, a similar reaction to what they would have if I punch the domestic violent person who is abusing them.

7

A new way to boost hours

by neat blue dog in

it seems that metro witnesses have beeen directed to now have a total of 5 people at each location, as well as 'encouraged' to witness on their lunch breaks, (thus being able to count their time all the way through).

these 2 things should help boost the yearly hours..

scratchme1010

I'm feel sorry for those current active JWs who are starting to see and feel what they are really all about.

13

US vs THEM

by Anders Andersen in

i still remember that feeling.

thank god it's gone for good.

i used to be part of us witnesses.

scratchme1010

For a drunk non-poet that was fabulous. Great. Hope the hangover isn't too much.