Posts by scratchme1010

30

I'm 90% PIMO but events in Russia made me stop and think maybe Jehovah is real and helping

by Isambard Crater in

jw
friends

i'm at the stage where i'd love a big scandal to come along showing clearly that the j.w's are not the true religion, but sometimes i get touched inside by various thoughts or events, the russian court trial being one of them.. i mean, j.w's are understandably fixated with attending the memorial, so why didn't the court say it will resume on monday or tuesday, instead setting wednesday 12 april as the date?

part of me believes the comments from pro-j.w's that jehovah moved events so they could attend the memorial.. it seems the j.w's will not be banned, which makes my mind and heart wrestle between thinking jah's behind it, or maybe the ministry of justice is just woefully prepared compared to the superb australian royal commission team who did their homework.

it surprises me the russians seemingly haven't done any homework..

scratchme1010

It seems the J.W's will not be banned, which makes my mind and heart wrestle between thinking , or maybe the ministry of justice is just woefully prepared compared to the superb Australian Royal Commission team who did their homework. It surprises me the Russians seemingly haven't done any homework.

I could reason with you, pointing that in the same paragraph where you state that "Jah's behind it", you also mention the state of preparedness of the ministry of justice and the Royal Commission (which hints no divine intervention at all). OK, I just did, but regarding of how much it makes sense (or doesn't) to gauge the level of involvement of "Jehovah" based on the different outcomes, what I get from your post is something that I find more relevant.

I may be wrong, but I get the impression that even with doubt, you still care for the WT and what they say about their "Jehovah" being true. I wonder what exactly makes you feel that way, that is, on one hand you have reasonable proof (that works for you) about the WT not being what they claim they are, but on the other hand seems like you want to reinforce it by some kind of unequivocal proof (by means of a scandal). I wonder why would you need something like that, or, actually, what result do you think a scandal will cause? Is it for you, for your own reinforcement of what you know, or is it for the world to know that you are right about how you feel?

To me that's important because things like that are among the reasons many people stay in their congregation (or leave) and continue making important life decisions judged based on what they say. That's not something to be taken lightly.

70

Apologists saying that the JWs shouldn't be banned, what the hell!??

by Crazyguy in

it's been brought to my attention that there are xjw that say they support the witnesses and don't think russia should ban them.

i would just like to remind all of you that jws are guilty of murder, causing higher rates of suicide, covering up child molestation, and keeping members in prisoned because if they leave they loose family, financial support, possible employment etc.. sure their not strapping bombs to their chests but they easily get members to kill themselves with their blood policies.

they are an extremist group!

scratchme1010

It's been brought to my attention that there are xjw that say they support the witnesses and don't think Russia should ban them. I would just like to remind all of you that JWs are guilty of murder, causing higher rates of suicide, covering up child molestation, and keeping members in prisoned because if they leave they loose family, financial support, possible employment etc.
Sure their not strapping bombs to their chests but they easily get members to kill themselves with their blood policies. They are an extremist group!!

First, no, they are not an extremist group, trust me, I know very well what I am talking about. If you don't want to take my word for it, please look at reliable sources of information on extremist groups. In no way am I defending the WT, nor saying that they are harmful. They are very harmful, but they are not extremist.

Second, they do have the right to exist are a religious organization. They are a legitimate religious organization, and they make sure that when/if they violate the law, they are well protected. Personally what I advocate for is for them being held accountable for their illegal practices and coverups, and of course, to stop such practices, but for as much as I don't want them to exist as a religious organization, I cannot legally do that. Doing that is giving others the rights to remove me from existing as a non-believer.

Immoral and illegal are not the same thing. Ask any rude subway rider in New York.

24

I finally get why people like to shun.

by poopie in

jw
friends

it finally hit me today.

why do religions enjoy shunning.

because many people feel like being close to god makes them special however just being special is not enough for many religious people that shun they must feel extra special how?

scratchme1010

It finally hit me today. Why do religions enjoy shunning. Because many people feel like being close to God makes them special however just being special is not enough for many religious people that shun they must feel extra special How? By not speaking to someone they feel has been abandoned by God himself so if my religous leaders tell me that John has been abandoned by God and you want to feel close to God you must also abandon John or you will not be close to God . That's the reasoning wow and it works psychologicaly.

Great! It's about progress, not perfection.

31

Why more highly educated people are less into conspiracy theories

by Mickey mouse in

jw
friends

i've seen discussions here about how jehovah's witnesses seem to be prone to believing conspiracy theories... https://digest.bps.org.uk/2017/04/05/why-more-highly-educated-people-are-less-into-conspiracy-theories/.

this last paragraph seems particularly relevant:.

importantly, van prooijen said his findings help make sense of why education can contribute to “a less paranoid society” even when conspiracy theories are not explicitly challenged.

scratchme1010

Importantly, Van Prooijen said his findings help make sense of why education can contribute to “a less paranoid society” even when conspiracy theories are not explicitly challenged. “By teaching children analytic thinking skills along with the insight that societal problems often have no simple solutions, by stimulating a sense of control, and by promoting a sense that one is a valued member of society, education is likely to install the mental tools that are needed to approach far-fetched conspiracy theories with a healthy dose of skepticism.”

...that is, until election year in USA happens.

17

The Son of God? An Atheists view please.

by Miss Worldly in

jw
friends

please bare with me on this.. firstly, i do not intend to cause offence to anyone.

i apologise if what i am saying is blasphemous to some.

i appreciate your views and mine may differ.

scratchme1010

For what reason do you think the bible was written?

I don't think much about it to be honest. I don't feel like I have to have any justification for any of it simply because I don't believe in the Bible as "the word of God" or "sacred" or any of that. To me, asking for a reason for the Bible to be compiled (and it's a compilation of writings, not some one-time deal by one author), is like asking why today's supermarket shopper was printed. Who knows, who cares. I see no difference.

Jesus did exist. A man who either wanted power over people or had some sort of psychosis or other mental health problem that lead him to believe he was the son of the creator of all things.

It is well documented and never refuted by me (as an atheist) that Jesus of Nazareth was a real person. He existed. Before anything else, please bear in mind that I am just one atheist. There's a wide misconception that atheists are all somehow united in the same way of living, thinking, acting or believing. That's very inaccurate. Atheism is not a religious denomination and should not be thought of or dealt with as such.

With that out of the way, historians, archaeologists and all other related scientists have confirmed that Jesus of Nazareth did live where the Bible and other writings from his era say that he did. To me that's indisputable. Now, Jesus the son of God, turning water into wine, resurrecting people, resurrecting himself, reigning Earth for 1,000 years, none of that is true to me. Furthermore, and actually even the WT wrote something about it, during that time, there were many others claiming to be the "Messiah"; it was a trend at that time. Jesus of Nazareth happened to be the one who became famous for it.

If someone today believes they are the son of God or Satan or whoever, no one would believe them. They would be treated for mental illness.

Actually, I wouldn't say that categorically. In fact, the reasons why organizations like the WT exist is precisely because of their claim to be directly connected with their Jehovah, and because of them claiming that they are the one and only organization directly connected with their Jehovah.

Furthermore, those and similar claims are textbook cases of manipulation and control of the masses. As crazy as it sounds, there always is(are) someone(s) who believe whatever claim some person makes. That's the oldest trick in the book.

Without getting into the science and research for that effect, I can assure you that there are in fact people out there who, with and without any type of mental health issue, claim to be Jesus, or "chosen" by Jesus, etc. Gazillions of books have been written on this specific matter.

Thank you for your post. It's a very interesting topic.

17

so much for babylon the great falling in 1919

by nowwhat? in

suposedly babylon the great lost her power and influence over the people and government rulers back in 1919. flash forward to today the russian orthodox church is behind the banning of witnesses in russia.

yet another failed prophecy!

have these guys gotten anything right?!

scratchme1010

Have these guys gotten anything right?

No.

10

Young Couple Stopped with Invitation

by mrquik in

i had a young couple stop by yesterday to drop off an invitation to the memorial.

i told them i was a bible student & had studied a number of religions.

i got into all the hot topics.

scratchme1010

I feel bad that another young couple will waste their lives serving men.

That's the heartbreaking part. However, I'd say that maybe that conversation could stay there. There are many now ex-JWs who start remembering that type of encounters when they start learning TTATT. You never know what wakes people up. Maybe the abrupt "goodbye" is a sign that you hit a nerve. You just never know.

34

Regarding Correct Understanding of Bible Prophecies Have JWs EVER Been Right?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i seriously doubt that any jw understanding of prophecy has ever withstood the test of time.

how can anyone trust them when they are always wrong?

?.

scratchme1010

Regarding Correct Understanding of Bible Prophecies Have JWs EVER Been Right?

No.

27

Jehovah's Witnesses and Love

by Cold Steel in

comments?

stories?

reminiscences?.

scratchme1010

I relate to the third paragraph. Being born and raised in that organization, it took some time for me to learn about real relationships, real connections with people, etc. Very interesting thoughts.

When people are removed of their own capacity of thinking and making decisions for themselves, it shouldn't be surprising that they will not be capable of having real relationships with their loved ones or show love properly, even if they truly love.

They are told that their own feelings for their loved ones are secondary, that their stupid Jehovah (and somehow they get convinced that anything and everything that the WT says is their Jehovah's word) supersedes everything and everyone. They are to let loved ones die before taking proper care of their health as per their own Jehovah nonsense. Of course, they would be unable to express or act upon the love they feel for others.

It's not that they don't love; it's not that they don't have the capacity to love; it's that they can't love because of their brainwashing.

33

Has Anyone Ever Just Gotten Mad and "Popped" an Elder?

by Cold Steel in

it has to have happened.

people get stressed out, an elder or overseer takes just two steps over the line and gets a fat lip for his trouble.. does that ever happen?

or maybe someone "counsels" a brother at the wrong time and tempers flare at the old kingdom hall?.

scratchme1010

We're all people and are sometimes given to reacting in anger. What would be the disciplinary action for such a thing?

Way back when my father who was an elder didn't get along with the other elders. One of them started showing up in our house to see if he could catch anyone in my family doing something (I have no idea what exactly). Funny thing is that every time that he showed up unannounced, we were doing something JW-y. Either we were studying for the WT study for the next day, or preparing for revisits, or something like that. That's the one thing I have to give to my father. He was a true believer and was living his life as per the WT's interpretation of rightful living, so the other elders didn't have anything on him. Meanwhile all of us, elder's children were living the consequences of their stupid political power struggles.