Unfortunately, as a bible student, I was not made aware of a certain "lex non scripta", where principles and ethics are dogmatic laws for the rank and file members, but flexible, convenient and accomodating for those "taking the lead".
Hypocrisy, selfishness, politics and greed always expose themselves eventually, and sure enough many leaders in the borg behaved exactly like ancient jewish money loving pharisees.
Utopian Reformist
JoinedPosts by Utopian Reformist
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27
Do you have a 'turning point' memory that started you to question?
by Steve Lowry inmine was when i was about ten years old or so back in the mid sixties.
we had a guy in our k.hall who actually lived through the 1914 experience (earl senior).
he was well into his seventies i guess even then and was one of the annointed.
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Utopian Reformist
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If You Ruled Your Own Country......
by Frannie Banannie in.
what would life be like for everyone who lives there?.
frannie b
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Utopian Reformist
Zion Lover:
Anyone who cannot avail themselves of any of the rights guaranteed by the bill of rights and constitution is not being represented.
How naive are you or willfully despondent? The votings rights for many are less than 40 years old. How do you register to vote if you are homeless? What address will you use? How will you prove your identity?
Have you been to a veteran's home lately? Remember the smell? Have you volunteered at any food banks, or delivered meals to the elderly lately? If so, you would be aware of a totally different America than what the moron in office talks about when he is visiting aircraft carriers.
You should make an effort to experience and examine as many segments of society as possible, if you are truly interested in acquiring a broader perspective. -
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What a waste of money!
by Undecided inwe went out to eat with my daughter and husband tonight and on the way back i counted the churches on the 16 mile streach of road home.
there were 18 churches that were on this one road.
can you imagine the money that goes to pay the preachers and buy the buildings?
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Utopian Reformist
Merci beaucoup, mon ami!
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46
Preaching Slowdown
by cornish in.
i can remember numerous talks and study articles about how the preaching work would get more and more intense as we near the end.. one so called prophetic illustration that stands out in my mind was when joshua and his men marched around the city each day and then just before the city fell they marched seven times signifying a quickening of the preaching work.. it seems starkingly obvious that the preaching,is in decline amonst jw's,the jw's are seen less and less often in my neighbourhood,it is very rare to see them out street witnesing around the town centres and railway stations,the average jw spends far less time preaching than a decade ago.. it seems like their chief brag is definately on the wain,in favour of other recruitment methods.
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Utopian Reformist
One thing is certain, the WTBS cannot control the free flow of information through the internet, despite their best efforts.
Due to the bravery and courage of many witnesses, former witnesses, and relatives/friends/victims of witnesses, the truth about the "truth" is getting publicized.
Combine the flow of information with the ever changing trends and technology in modern society, add multi-culturalism/globalism and you have a recipe for instant reduction and unpopularity of religion in geenral, and of course, a noticeable decrease in field service and attendance.
The WTBS can only re-tool and re-work the dubious figures they are given by the rank & file and then attempt to project some sort of increase in activity. I am sure they are almost as adept at numerical "tweaking" as Enron, Halliburton, WorldComm, Tyco, Arthur Andersen or Wall Street.
Pity the older membership is still swallowing the party-line propaganda and wasting precious golden years. -
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How many of you had the jw double life?
by obiwan ini was the prime example, if you looked in the dictionary under double life, my face would be right next to it!
i would party on saturday night, and drag my butt to the sunday meeting hungover.
does anyone here know how hard it is to answer a question during the wt study hungover?
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Utopian Reformist
Nowadays, after reading and researching a plethora of information, I realize it really was NOT a double-life as chracterized by the WTBS literature. I believe in most cases, you will find that the natural born personality of the individual before infection from the WTBS is simply trying to surface again and regain it's place.
Adding a new personality that subjugates and squelches your natural individual self is the destructive action that causes a double-life. You are already someone with thoughts, opinions, desires, dreams, flaws, quirks and a world of many other things. Allowing external mandates to drown your true self with tyrannical self-righteous destructive behavior is the actual danger in the equation.
All humans, including the most hideous criminal understands some degree of peace and love. Had they received enough, they might not be damaging themselves and others. Religion is not necessary or required to find the natural good, peace and love that is available in all humans if you invest the effort to find it and harvest it and reward it. -
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return of the prodical son (daughter)
by thebeliever ini left the jw's when i was 19. it was not easy.
my father was an elder, i had an older brother who didn't seem that "spiritual" who was just very frightened by my father.
my father and i were especially close and no one expected me to leave.
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Utopian Reformist
What an incredible story! Many digital hugs to you and all the support you can handle! May all the happiness, satisfaction, peace, love and adventure available come your way! Best wishes!
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Stupidest thing a JW ever told you
by Nosferatu inwhat is the stupidest thing a jw ever told you?
we all know that they say a lot of stupid things, but what really topped the cake?.
for me, it was an elder telling me i was progressing really well when my meeting attendance was down and my field service hours were slipping.
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Utopian Reformist
I was in a barber shop during my pioneering days, and a brother told a story that revealed the reason why so many youths were "falling" out of the "truth". He explained that during the flood, Jehovah had really dealt Satan a cruel blow by killing off his hybrid children known as the Nephilim. Satan has never gotten over it and has been directly attacking the youth in God's organization and concentrating his efforts on them for revenge.
I can't believe I used to repeat that garbage at gatherings. Thank God I never mentioned it to someone sane (worldly) outside of the borg. -
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What a waste of money!
by Undecided inwe went out to eat with my daughter and husband tonight and on the way back i counted the churches on the 16 mile streach of road home.
there were 18 churches that were on this one road.
can you imagine the money that goes to pay the preachers and buy the buildings?
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Utopian Reformist
I have often wondered what the statistics would reveal if all judeo-christian-islamic religions were surveyed to find out the ratio of actively humanitarian charitable members versus the self-righteous, organizational, ambitious, pious, zealotic, hypocritical members who make association with any religion insufferable, miserable and overbearing.
I believe that truly spiritual, humanitarian and charitable humans have or will eventually come to the relevation that spiritual fulfillment and satisfaction is more of a personal/natural experience that is enhanced in private introspection. Truth, reality, along with fear and happiness sometimes lie beneath the image we see in the bathroom mirror! It is hard to stare at oneself while asking life's most difficult questions and not avert our eyes elsewhere!
I believe that mankind will continue suffering while seeking to find and place the responsibility and causes of fulfillment and happiness upon other humans. If we are created in someone's image, it must be a single image not a kaleidoscope.
Someday, influential and powerful leaders will realize religion is an empty resource and just a parasite. I say start taxing everything related to religion and drive them to bankruptcy, all of them, epsecially the judeo-christians! -
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Confession.
by Englishman inis it really good for the soul?
does it make us clean and pure again?.
or is it the easy way out, a way of shrugging off our misdoings and leaving us free to behave badly again, for example by visiting a confessional box each week?.
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Utopian Reformist
I find that confessing directly to someone I have injured is helpful. I feel better/relieved when I truthfully explain what I did, why I did it, and ask for help in rectifying any damage.
However, over the years I have noticed (from WTBS lifestyle) that discussing certain situations numerous times with numerous parties leads to frustration. I prefer to deal directly with an individual, and if I need help or information, I prefer to research that on my own. -
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People of misery
by Elsewhere inin my life i have noticed that there are some people who's lives seem to be filled with nothing but misery.
constantly loosing low skill low pay jobs, one after another
frequent run-ins with the law
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Utopian Reformist
What an interesting topic! I have no research to offer, but I do empathize for individuals who need assistance, any kind at all.