Posts by scratchme1010

the society has used that illustration at length to say we should avoid all influences of every part of the world.. but, as we know, the society has had a track record of errors, false ideas and doctrines.

scratchme1010

SO, even though they may appear like "a pure glass of water", shouldn't we avoid them because of the "one tiny drop of poison" they contain??

The WT does NOT contain a tiny drop of poison. They are poison. All of it.

OK, now that i got that out of my system, I'd like to add that such analogy is just one of the many examples of their simplistic, black and white way of thinking and teaching. The entire thing doesn't make sense at all. In fact, that analogy is quite faulty when you look at how much "in the world" the WT as an entity is. Just look at their real estate.

45

What has been your own personal experience of shunning?

by UnshackleTheChains in

i am interested in finding out on a small scale the extent of which shunning has impacted on you personally.. my own experience is that when i faded about 12 years ago.

the woman whose house the book study was held at (and who was virtually a neighbour) walked right past me in my own street.

i remember it so well.

scratchme1010

So what's your experience?

My family missed:

My marriage
My failed relationships
My successful relationships
Helping me when going to college
My in-laws
My career path
My travels
My creative projects
When i was given an award
Being there for me
Having me being there for them
My home
My hospitality
My cooking
My birthdays
My Christmas
My Graduations
My promotions
My husband
My successes
My failures
My illnesses
My health
Pretty much my entire life.

11

Which Religions Forbid Outside Research?

by AnonVet in

my definition of a cult is just this:if you are not allowed to research outside of your religion's published sources, you are in a cult.what other religions (cults) are there that absolutely forbid outside research on threat of punishment / shunning?

scratchme1010

What other religions (cults) are there that absolutely forbid outside research on threat of punishment / shunning?

Some people have mentioned Scientology and the Mormon church. I could mention a number of these groups, but I think it's the wrong approach. Based on what I know, the label cult doesn't describe exactly what you may want to convey, which is a practice that ranges from simply hiding facts, to discouraging members from researching, to have it as a rule not to do research, to shame, mock, shun or ridicule people who do research, to punish people for doing research, to kill people for doing research. If you see, there are degrees of severity in which such groups apply or enforce their control over others.

As such, it's not easy to just identify one group, hence, there are different opinions about the Mormon church falling into that category. Professionals in the area of those types of groups say that there's not such "list" of groups that take such actions due to labeling being misleading (hence, they may get in legal trouble for doing so), and also because the degree to which such actions are taken and applied to followers, along with the way those actions are applied considerably vary.

However, that said, here are some groups, some of them no longer existing, where people I know have mention had such strict rules against people researching what they claim/teach, or researching about who they really are:

The Westboro Baptist Church - I met one of the children of the founder of that church (those are the loonies that boycott military funerals and run the "gay hates fags" website), who left. He was completely isolated from the world and severely depressed. When i met him he was in the process of learning basic social skills and working on facing his fears around doing simple ordinary things that he was not allowed to do growing up in the family of the founder of that church.
Some Karate-based "school" in Pennsylvania (the name of it escapes my mid) - Members who questioned that "school's" methodology, "learning lessons" and coerced inappropriate physical contact between members were beaten by all the members. One of them ended up in a comma.
The Black Hebrew Israelites - Those are the loonies that stand in cities yelling nonsense about the "White Devil". If you join them and want to leave (or decided to make contact with your own family), or if you ask one too many questions, especially if shaming you doesn't work, you get punished. I met the woman who lost her son to them.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness - Those are the ones who dress in orange tunics and go around singing. People who questioned their leadership will go without food and/or water. They have rules around everything and nobody is to question them, or else.
The WT Bible and Track Society - They have judicial committees, a system of reprovals, and mostly manipulate and keep people at bay by gossip and rumors. They convince people that not doing as they are told will earn them living outside their "spiritual paradise" and will... well, I think you know the rest.
AAA - This group claimed to be a spin off of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous). They claim to have achieved excellent results with their improved version of the 12-step approach to people who are in recovery from alcohol and/or drug abuse, except for the fact that they (a) separate men and women from their spouses (b) physically punish people who are sinful (girls who are too pretty, boys who are not too masculine, etc.). They manipulate byhaving their members not question a single thing. If they do, they throw on their faces that "AAA saved you from drugs" and the shaming and manipulation goes on and on.
John Muhammad and Lee Malvo - those are the people later known as "the Beltway Snipers". - Lee, under the influence of John, Lee felt into a disassociate state when he became a co-perpretator in the crimes committed by them both. Lee was convinced that as his "child-soldier" he was going to be "dishonorably executed" if he did not follow the rules imposed by John.
Some paramilitary Christian Group in Virginia - Those who want to leave or question the leadership of that group get beaten, cut with knives and leaf in the woods to die. I met one survivor from that group who was left to die. Her story is heart breaking, especially since she still has people in that cult.
Some other Christian cult in New York and Florida - The consequences of researching or questioning anything was having you and your entire family sexually assaulted, all of them, including babies, children, males and females. I met a couple who escaped that group (and yes, they were both sexually assaulted). They were married when I met them, but the guy had a different wife while in the cult. He was in a bitter custody battle of his son. His former wife was still in the cult and allegedly wanted to keep the son there, but the truth was that the real reason was that she was going to suffer consequences in the cult if she lost the custody battle.
An organization I prefer not to mention - This group in New Jersey and Pennsylvania convinced parents that their children had severe discipline, drug and learning problems. They would be sent their children to them, parents will pay a lot of money to "help their children". The children were kept in captivity. Nancy Regan with her ridiculous, laughable "just say no to drugs" campaign visited that place in the early 80s where they put up a great show for her. A year later 3 children were dead, and all of them were malnourished and living in horrible conditions. The place was finally shut down and the owners were prosecuted. Being there was already reason to get punished, so no need to even do any research.
Eric Witte - under the influence of her mother, this guy killed his father and helps burying the dismembered body of his grandmother. The consequences of not "doing what mother said" were that everything bad in the family was his fault.

Then there are the ones that made the news:

Heaven's Gate
Free Domain Radio (considered the first Internet-based cult)
Jim Jones and his church
David Koresh and the Davidian sect
Jeffrey Lundgren

I hope this shed some light. Cults are not to be taken lightly.

13

Another Young JW dead during childbirth

by Lee Elder in

the latest young jehovah's witness mother to die in childbirth by following the terrible medical advice of watchtower writers.. https://www.niyitabiti.net/2017/02/nigerian-jehovah-witness-allegedly-dies-of-excess-bleeding-during-child-birth-because-church-doesnt-permit-blood-transfusion/.

scratchme1010

I agree with nicolau. Let's make sure that there are reliable sources of information. We non-believers don't need to use half news or unreliable information to state why we don't believe nor trust the WT. They themselves do a great job at making fools of themselves.

61

Or was it Designed???

by Slidin Fast in

awake!

1 2017 says on its back page.

the saharan silver ant (cataglyphis bombycina) is one of the most heat-tolerant land animals known.

scratchme1010

And it isn’t creation. What say you?

Good thoughts. They may come back to you stating that yes, their Jehovah indeed made it that way to show how amazing and powerful he is. In fact, Genesis blah blah blah, and so they go on a tangent.

7

If the RNWT is revised again...................

by The Searcher in

..................then proverbs 3:5 could read thus: "trust in the governing body with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.

" .

's have already reached this point!.

scratchme1010

Many J.W.'s have already reached this point!

Not many; that is required to become a JW. Every baptized person has at least agreed upon trusting the GB as the direct voice of their Jehovah.

19

Cyprus JW's Military Service

by snare&racket in

jw
friends

i work with a nurse who served for 2 years in the army of cyprus as is compulsory in that country.

i happened to ask about jw's and their consequential punishment for not doing it.

he laughed and stated that since 2009 they have to do it and that he personally knew several that 'served.

scratchme1010

i support necessary military interventions now as any sensible person would. I'm neither happy or sad at their change in position for military service. I am simply sad for the hypocrisy and lack of true authority the Watchtower have over and had over so many people and their lives.

I agree with you in this. I also feel good that many JWs today don't have to go through so much to server their Jehovah.

4

"New Light" explanations!

by stuckinarut2 in

most of us have listened to and enjoyed deborah frances white's fantasic comedy shows.. if you haven't yet heard her stuff, here it is:.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cqweuhh0qeq.

in it, she and ryan very cleverly come up with"new-light" descriptions.

scratchme1010

The ending is amazing! "Unlock the door, and let me out". I'm going to print that in t-shirts and try to sell them outside the next assembly.

"I'm free, living in the glow of a new light".