Posts by thinker

22

Practice of JW concerning Facial Hair

by Reborn2002 in

im relatively new to the board, but i wanted other people's opinions.. growing up in "the organization" i pretty much blindly adhered to all instruction as a teenager.. as i got a little older, as most here im sure, i began to see how some practices were imposed on the flock without any biblical backing.. one that bugged the living hell out of me was the restriction of being allowed to grow facial hair.. i was literally removed from carrying the mics and reading at bookstudy because my sideburns were too long and i wanted to grow a goatee, hence i often showed up with stubble.

i was taken to the back room and told i was being "too worldly.

" when i questioned the elders why it was unallowed by the society and that i wanted scriptural evidence and backing for their imposed regulations, i was scoffed at and told i should do as i am told.. i told them where they could stick their "priviledges" .

thinker

The whole thing with the beards and the clothes just shows that the WT is more of a corporation than a religion. It's all about public image!

13

If you believe it, is it still a lie?

by thinker in

jw
friends

i know of an active jw who lies.

the thing is, this person probably believes what they're saying is true.

they are basically lying to themselves first, then repeating it to my wife and me.

thinker

Jan H,
So far I'm in agreement with you. I don't feel like I've been lied to; I just feel sorry for the WT's victim. This person has adopted a way of thinking that changes the truth of everything into whatever is needed to get by. Just like the Org. has done for so long.

13

If you believe it, is it still a lie?

by thinker in

jw
friends

i know of an active jw who lies.

the thing is, this person probably believes what they're saying is true.

they are basically lying to themselves first, then repeating it to my wife and me.

thinker

I know of an active JW who lies. The thing is, this person probably believes what they're saying is true. They are basically lying to themselves first, then repeating it to my wife and me.
So, what do you think? If you believe it, is it still a lie?

1

KM comments (THANKS KENT!)

by thinker in

if there's only one talk you can download from watchtower observer,.

http://watchtower.observer.org/.

i'd recommend the one on blood.

thinker

If there's only one talk you can download from watchtower observer,
http://watchtower.observer.org/
I'd recommend the one on blood. Hearing the speaker trying to explain this insane policy is very entertaining! PLUS, there's snoring clearly heard in the background.
It would be amusing, if it wasn't so serious.
I'd also recommend "assisting inactives". It seems that any contact with "non-believers" can lead to a JW becoming inactive!

Thanks Kent.
thinker

22

McDonalds Prohibited?

by DakotaRed in

jw
friends

given how the org went after tobacco in the late sixties, resulting in it's total prohibition in the early seventies, based on the health communities claims of how bad it was destroying the body (a claim not disputed by me) and how they made it a disfellowshipping offense to smoke, chew or otherwise use tobacco, i wonder if they will now ban eating at mcdonalds?.

there is a group out there of health professionals (or claimed) that wish to heavily tax mcdonalds and other so called junk food places.

the taxes would be used to treat all the millions of people who are afflicted with the dreaded disease of obesity and to combat the rising costs of treating these poor misguided individuals that have been led astray, thinking they were getting healthy food at the loacl greasy pits.. will the elders start smelling everyone's breath upon entry to the kingdom halls for tell tale signs of mustard and pickles?

thinker

I've always felt that the prohibitions placed on witnesses have more to do with time and money (rather than health or the bible). Anything that takes time or money away from the WT is bad; ie. tobacco, sports, school clubs, etc...
McDonalds is cheap, so it's OK. That leaves more money to donate to the Org. It's fast so witnesses can spend more time in the field. Unless the WT is planning on opening a chain of fast food restaurants; then, of course, you'll see all other fast foods condemned. LOL.

16

What makes the GB different?

by thinker in

what makes the gb different than other wt members?.

this seems to suggest that because the wt has told you some truth they are worthy of your complete confidence that everything they say is the truth.

russell explained his "enlightenment" like this:.

thinker

Elijah,
Your post above is one of the most interesting I've ever read here. I hope you'll expand on it soon.
Thinker

5

Song for the GB?

by thinker in

jw
friends

this house is on fire!

kick off your boots, come and sit a spell.. listen to me worry, come and listen well.. all you better best come and lean in boys.. i don't dare raise my voice.. i've been sitting here for the longest time .

reading all the warning and danger signs.. i don't have the gift of prophesy, .

thinker

This house is on fire!
Kick off your boots, come and sit a spell.
Listen to me worry, come and listen well.
All you better best come and lean in boys.
I don't dare raise my voice.
I've been sitting here for the longest time
reading all the warning and danger signs.
I don't have the gift of prophesy,
telling everybody how it's gonna be.

Soon come, soon come the day
this tinderbox is gonna blow in your face.
I don't have the gift of prophesy,
telling everybody how it's gonna be.
You go passing wrong for right and right for wrong,
people only stand for that for just so long.

It's all gonna catch like a house on fire,
spark an evil blaze and burn higher.
Well, I don't have the gift of phophesy,
telling everybody how it's gonna be.
You go passing wrong for right and right for wrong,
people only stand for that for just so long.
I don't have the gift of prophesy,
telling everybody how it's gonna be.
There's a wild fire catching in the whip of the wind
that could start a conflagration like there has never been.
This house is on fire!

Natalie Merchant

comments or opinions welcome. Anybody find any more that are appropriate?

16

What makes the GB different?

by thinker in

what makes the gb different than other wt members?.

this seems to suggest that because the wt has told you some truth they are worthy of your complete confidence that everything they say is the truth.

russell explained his "enlightenment" like this:.

thinker

Elijah and Earnest,
Thank you for the information, but the quotes you referenced seem more concerned with WHO is being given insight. I was looking for an explaination of HOW it happens. The GB seems incapable of explaining, so they "pass the buck" to the anointed?
As I said earlier, Russell was the only quote I found which attempted to explain how it happened.

49

God is editor of the WT

by Earnest in

jw
friends

in an earlier thread reference was made to a court case in which fred franz stated that jehovah god was editor of the "watch tower".

as this quotation is often used to support the allegation that jws believe the wt is inspired of god i thought it would be of wider interest to provide the relevant court record for general consideration.. the court case itself was in 1940 and was olin moyle against fred franz and others and the wtbts.

just so that you know who is who, hayden covington was attorney for the defendants and walter bruchhausen was attorney for the plaintiff.

thinker

Hi Earnest,
You said:

We can only do what Knorr explained we need to do, namely "when we present the publications of the Society, we present with it the Scriptures, the Scriptures set forth in the Bible. The citations are given in the writing; and our advice is to the People to look up these Scriptures and study them in their own Bibles in their own homes."

This seems to imply that you are free to read the quoted scripture and make up your own mind. I don't believe a JW can do that and publicly disagree with the WT's current interpretation.
Also, just because a scripture is quoted means nothing. The INTERPRETATION of that scripture often changes; therefore the scripture itself is not the issue. The "interpretation" is.

Concerning the speading of the good news, did you know the WT used to have a radio program, used to print articles for newspapers? They stopped. Now, they stopped subscriptions to WT and Awake. How do these actions further the spreading of the good news?

As far as being lead by the holy spirit, as far as I know, Russell was the only one who attempted to explain this in writing. I have studied his explanation in this thread:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp? id=19324&site=3#243890

thinker

2

Child Abuse Cases and the WBTS strategy

by bj in

in child abuse court cases, i noticed that the wbts try to point out that elders are under confetional secrecy like the catholic church priests, therefore can't reveal things.. but when a jw is appointed as an elder:.

1) he don't take a vow or oath not to reveal things to the public,.

2) neighter put this in writing.. so how can the wbts try to compare her elders with the catholic priests?.

thinker

bj,
The WT arguement about confidentiality is a false one.
For example, a priest isn't supposed to talk about anything he hears in confession, but that doesn't mean he can't urge a victim of a crime to report it to the police.
I would not expect elders to testify against a molester who confessed to them. I WOULD expect them to urge the pervert to turn himself in. And they should also tell victims to go to the police. Anything less is taking the law into their own hands and jepordizing others.
ps
priests HAVE in the past broken their vows in cases of serious crimes.