Please keep in mind that whereas the JW are often branded a "church" in the US media, it is mostly referred to as a sect, cult or even "dangerous" cult in most European countries. It is mostly lumped to gether with the Scientology Church, the Moonies etc. (accidentally the same groups that covered by the CESNUR site).
InquiryMan
JoinedPosts by InquiryMan
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17
Should Jehovahs Witnesses be banned by our Governments?
by Brummie init worries me when i hear of governments discussing jws in their countries with the thoughts of banning them!
i disagree with banning them.
they are a determined people who will suffer greatly for their fanaticism, i think they should be closely monitored but not banned.
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InquiryMan
My guess would be a new "Listening to the Great Teacher" style-book (the last talk on Saturday, will feature a talk on children and parents). Last year it was told a revised Reasoning book should be published.
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InquiryMan
I support Minimus on this. (In fact we do have many similiarities in background) I, definitely, go here for facts. Of course, for a witness to come here in the first place, involves a certain amount of "independent thinking", "doubt" as far as the organization goes or just plain curiosity. The anger/emotional outburst might turn some off, although it is understandable that those who have experienced abuse or ill-treatment of other kinds need to vent. However, there are those though, that have had quite a happy, content life as a JW, that might want to investigate due to what is felt to be dishonesty/double standards or "secrecy" on the part of the Society. They need to feel that their newly found "gnosis" is epi-gnosis (accurate knowledge) and just not hearsay or half-truths. They might gather this information from various sources and thus makes a complete picture. Thus to me, newspaper articles exposing WTBS, or conflicting quotes from the literature itself (type Undisfellowshipped) etc are valuable. The more fluffy stuff (resembling "What is your favorite color/coke etc on witness sites, although with a more "daring content") is not of much interest, and even may turn some lurkers off. That also of course involved threads with profanity/etc). Some might even be put off from the very concept that various viewpoints are tolerated, having the JW mindset of "unity". One might respect one another, without agreeing on all points. Also people do have various experiences as being a JW, all not necessarly negative (at least all the time). Some witnesses sugarcoat every aspect of being a JW. I am not willing to go to the other extreme, putting a negative view on all aspects of JW life, although having lost all confidence in the WTBS. Also, some, whereas find it ok to question the WTBS, find it offensive to see downgrading remarks of God and/or Jesus, wanting to separate organizational discord and major tenets or core beliefs. However, for all this is a journey, and it involved different challenges along the way, both positive and some less positive.
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Tell me why I bother?????
by asleif_dufansdottir in(i used to be a truck driver.
trust me.
i have the vocabulary).
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InquiryMan
How do you evaluate my contribution at Beliefnet?
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16
WT Document Posted in Sweden (in Swedish) re Abuse
by blondie inhttp://www.silentlambs.org/education/documents/slswedishletter5-03.pdf
paste the link above in your browser and you will be able to see a scan of the.
document sent to all congregations and newspspers in sweden.. .
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InquiryMan
It was stated that 4-5 cases had been reported by the organization to the police. Swedish police on the other hand, stated in connection with the previous programme (aired in the beginning of April) that no cases involving JW had been reported to them by the org. The Branch Coordinator gave a pale, insecure and stuttering impression. When he tried to look up a bible passage for the third time, the journalist, just bluntly told him not to read the entire bible or something along that line. The coordinator was visibly shocked by the accusation that JW constitute a paedophile paradise, as stated by Bowen. On the programme prior to the debate programme, one of the victims where interviewed. A member of the branch committe hung up when he discovered that a journalist was along the victim during a telephone conversation. (That is the 2nd time in a month that Swedish TV viewers watch Watchtower representatives hung up the phone.). The victim also showed the viewers a letter from the Branch stating that the foundation of the facts published in several paid ads was based on information from the perpetrator.
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100
Kingdom Hall Spankings
by JH inmost meetings i went to, children were brought to the washrooms in the back to be disciplined.
often i could hear a child yell or cry due to the spanking given by the parent.
people in the hall would have that look on their face meaning that it was alright to discipline a child by spanking him.
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InquiryMan
I guess this is a culural thing also. I asked a sister who was living in the US for a while if they still spanked children there. Yes they did, and they were astonished why she did not. It is not accepted here, nor is it allowed by law. All references to corporal punishment is absent from watchtower literature as well. I have, however, heard children being beaten in other countries. That was horrifying.
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28
Did You Attend Meetings When You Were Away On Holiday?
by Englishman inmy parents did.
as a youth, i would accompany my parents to wherever they decided to holiday that year.
number 1 priority was to find the local kingdom hall!
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InquiryMan
Until some years ago, I always attended one meeting during the holiday. Mostly to satisfy my curiosity on how the KH looked like, how the congregations make-up where, and what kind of reception we got. I always attended the TS/TMS meeting, being the most "varied" meeting in a foreign language. Altogether I’ve been to 11 branch offices, to assemblies in 7 countries, meetings in 15 countries, and preaching in six countries. At the time, I did enjoy it... (On one holiday, we "forced" another elder to come with us. He did not understand the point at all of going to a meeting in another country. After all, we had holiday. That was the last time we went... (Getting our children disciplined from impolite attendants did not help either).
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47
WT's Billions $$$$$$$ & and NOT one Nursing Home for the Old
by JT inas i looked at these photos i could not help but to think of the $$$$$$ billions that they own around the world and they have not setup one retirement home for it's members.
outside of any members who are bethelites such as co, do, missionaries who have spent 40-60yr of service to the corp they have no where to go.
how sad.
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InquiryMan
On the video sequence: that was speeded up on the film, so it would be next to impossible to work in that speed, but who cares... I once read an experience in the WT over a home in Japan for retired missionaries. So at least they have one... I also once remember reading on a witness site of a private setup of a old age home in the US. I guess this is enabled due to the change of the generation doctrine...
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28
Epilsepy may B sign of demon possession
by badboy in.
so says the latest awake or was it wt.. mentioning the case of the demon possessed boy in matthew ????.
hearing voices isn't neccessary demon possession!
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InquiryMan
In fact that the conclusion was the other way round. That cases thought to be demon possession most likely is epilepsy, that is a medical condition in contrast to demons being involved. I guess you proved the WTBS wrong in this particular issue.
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7
Sweden uppdate
by happy man in.
jw leaders in sweden was very angry on the tv program about pedofile in org, they send out a bigg messege in evry sweed newspaper, wher they take upp one case and say this was a lie, so in public our leaeaders go out and say somone are lying, they never comment all other casese in tv program.. in my cong evry jw say well now we now it was all lies,they can not go out widh lies in all newspapers.. today i have a messege that very sensationel things going to take place in sweden soon, tv is not so happy about that jw go out telling that all they say was lying, before the tv show was send 3 lawyer chek this program and say it was okey.. so sudddenly the man behind this program a former jw ,have as he say some very sensationell info that he and tv will tell in a new program.
what will hapend now, we have give peopel this paper widh info, in service, if this show upp to bee untruth, i think jw in sweden not will have so happy days, if some of our leaders say lies, we have to take the result, depressing fore all of us.. i can also tell that evrything we have from our leaders is from broklyn , they say so in the letter we have to be read upp in the cong, it is turnig upp to tromb i think.
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InquiryMan
It is going to be a follow-up programme on Swedish television, lasting for some 15 minutes, that will most likely air next week. Also newspaper articles will follow, exposing the Watchtower coverup.