scratchme1010

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Posts by scratchme1010

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  12

  Ritualistic behaviour within the JW faith

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was thinking about how the society criticises other faiths such as catholics because of their ritualistic procedures.. but couldn't it be said that witnesses have their own deeply ritualistic behaviours?.

  think about the prayers said at meetings.

  they all have to follow the same basic style and theme, and include the same basic content.. what about the ritualistic procedures of the memorial, and the passing of emblems - even to the servers and speaker (although they actually handle them more than everyone, they do their own special act of passing them to each other).

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  scratchme1010

  Can you think of more examples of ritualistic behaviours amongst witnesses?
  

  You can spot a JW adolescent in a crowd from miles away because of the way they dress and behave.
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  6

  Have you ever wondered why the confession of sins is encouraged ?

  by Chook in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it's because we don't need a hierarchy structure without this guilt trip.

  now my sins for this week are .... no i'm telling you unless you promise to forgive me..

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  scratchme1010

  It's because we don't need a hierarchy structure without this guilt trip. Now my sins for this week are .... no I'm telling you unless you promise to forgive me.
  

  I think that some elders get some morbid pleasure and sense of power over others by having people tell them in detail their intimate issues.

  Keep in mind that many of those people have no professional training, no basic people skills, and frankly no business getting into other people's private matters.
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  16

  Using violence to end violence?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it really is mind blowing when we think about it : witnesses have no problem with a deity who will use violence in order to end violence?!?!.

  armageddon will be gods war to kill billions of people...because it shows his love?.

  thoughts?.

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  scratchme1010

  Witnesses have no problem with a deity who will use violence in order to end violence?!?!
  

  Yes, and the NRA and the government of the USA either.
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  4

  Hi all (again)

  by TheLittleGuy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi everyone,.

  just wanted to reintroduce myself.

  i was minnow on jwr and when it got shut down i took the opportunity to go quiet as things were starting to get uncomfortable as far as trying to maintain 100% anonymity.. now i'm back and hoping to reconnect with my old friends, like helen travers, tony brock and others.. hope you are all well..

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  scratchme1010

  Welcome.
  
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  10

  So, you want to become a Jehovah's witness?

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok your bible study wants to get baptised.

  make sure he is aware of what's involved.

  here is a checklist.

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  scratchme1010

  Actually, I wouldn't say that those are the reasons why they aren't growing. None of those things are new. Under the right conditions you can pretty much talk anyone into doing and believing anything, including all those things and more.

  I believe the real reason is that the WT doesn't have the same interest in people because they don't rely on their preaching to survive financially anymore. So they can't care less about how well or not they do in terms of gaining coverts. Their real estate business is thriving and serving the purpose that once upon a time people did.
  
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  7

  Who has had most elders grilling them at one time ?

  by Chook in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  mine is 5 at a private table .

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  scratchme1010

  Who has had most elders grilling them at one time ?
  

  When they decided to have a talk with me about my homosexual tendencies they were 4. In their second attempt at having me confess that I am a flaming queen with better fashion sense than anyone in the congregation, they were 3.
  

  When they wanted me to marry a lesbian sister so we can both forget about who we can choose to love and form a family with, they were 3.
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  4

  Internal wars in Congs ?

  by Chook in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  can you relay some of the battles , who won and how did the loser cope ?.

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  scratchme1010

  an you relay some of the battles , who won and how did the loser cope ?
  

  To many to mention. Let's see...

  In the congregation where I grew up there was a fight between the three elders of the congregation, one of them being my father. Actually there were several arguments and political fights against those three morons. Looking back, I think they looked like the three stooges trying to lead a congregation, but back then it wasn't fun hearing them assassinating each other's characters and trying to make each other look bad in front of everybody. None of them went to school after sixth grade.
  

  The first fight I remember was over the 1975 thing. My father calling them insane for believing that the end was coming in October 1975. The other became a pioneer that month and trained himself on how to survive with eating just leaves.
  

  The other fight was over the virginity of the daughter of one of them. Once the guy brought to the KH a certificate from a doctor stating that his daughter was still a virgin.

  The other was over who was really being a true JW. The other elders started showing up in my father's house unannounced in attempts at catching him or any member of our family doing something wrong.

  Then the fights changed to become about coolness and having things and looking good. The entrance to the KH became a runway where people would make their fashion statement as they made their flashy entrance for everybody to admire and see how stunning they are. Same thing and attitude over having cars and things. Social events became very divisive and displays of power.

  Then as we grew up the fights were about us, the children in school doing, saying or being the right thing. Then about who was interested in who. They were just looking for anything anywhere to continue their stupid fights, even at the expense of causing harm to their own families.

  As a young adult, in a different congregation, it was a very passive aggressive fighting. The congregation was severely divided by social class. The territory covered both areas with very poor people and very well-to-do people. There were a couple of racist idiots, but at the meetings you'd see them acting as if they all were BFFs (is that term still cool?). It was very hypocritical, and honestly I wasn't prepared for that type of culture.
  

  One elder there went as far as not talking to me but talking to my brother. Apparently my brother was worthy of his acknowledgement, but not me. To this day I don't know why. Their get-togethers and planning meetings were displays of power from the "educated" elders over the rest of "them" in the congregation.

  I can go on with stories, but what I posted provides some ideas.
  
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  24

  have you noticed how the main Jw preaching message has changed?

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  years ago it was all about armageddon and getting out of babylon the great.

  then with the draw close to jehovah and is there a creator that care about you.

  it was all about building a relationship with jehovah.

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  scratchme1010

  The changes make strategic sense for them. The availability of so many ex-JWs being able to communicate, unite and compare notes has created a major problem in all the BS that they used to preach. Today it's way easier to find out who/how they really are since information now it's easily accessible, and communication and testimonials from other people are more easy to find.

  People now can have the complete pictures and all the information they need to make more informed decisions today. Before if at all, they would hear from one or two ex-JWs and would have been dismissed as people holding grudges or deserving of being shunned. That's not the case today.

  As sparrow down hints, they will change anything, not just what/how they say, to whatever fulfills their agenda better.
  
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  82

  How Far Up The Ladder Did You Go In JW Land?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i pretty much did it all.

  vacation pioneered as a youngster and became a regular pioneer out of school.

  i became a ms then an elder.....the organization pushes you to be somebody within the confines of their realm.

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  scratchme1010

  How Far Up The Ladder Did You Go In JW Land?
  

  You mean how far low you went in JW land?
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  35

  Are Jehovah's Witnesses Mind Numbingly Boring To You?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i honestly think they are the most boring people on earth!

  even when they produce their so called "new light", there's no excitement.

  jws just do their thing and refuse to think about their useless lives.

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  scratchme1010

  I honestly think they are the most boring people on earth! Even when they produce their so called "new light", there's no excitement. JWs just do their thing and refuse to think about their useless lives.
  

  Not really. They may talk about uninteresting things, but not all JWs have the same personality (or lack of).