Posts by undercover

15

Not on jw.org : Jehovah's Witness van driver arrested for ignoring rape of child

by JimmyPage in

jw
friends

http://5newsonline.com/2016/06/23/report-van-driver-arrested-for-not-stopping-rape-of-child/.

i don't believe the article says he's a jw, but he is..

undercover

Jimmy,

Is there a way besides pms to whoever asks to show some kind of verification that this guy was a dub?

and BTW, congrats on keeping the rights to Stairway to Heaven. You were great on the witness stand :)

135

I've been found out!

by pale.emperor in

well, thats it folks.. my identity on here has been rumbled and reported to the elders.

someone, somehow, has figured out that im a member of this site and - rather than speak to me - has promptly reported me to the elders.

i just feel sad for my daughter.

Seriously, we really are, or were at one point. The vast majority of us have been, maybe still are in, a position that if the wrong person found out who our real identity they could wreak havoc in our personal lives.

The fact that you have to go cloak and dagger just to visit, and partake in, an Internet discussion board to avoid punishment, persecution, being shunned and ostracized proves that we are in, or have been, in a cult.

98

Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

by Listener in

the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

undercover

I'm kinda surprised they didn't snark on 'hipsters' much like they did on metrosexuals.

Just take Tony Tightpant's script and change the words 'metrosexual' and 'tight pants' with 'hipster' and 'beard'.

33

Field Service Privilege Can Be Taken Away Due to Hairstyle and Tight Pants???

by Wild_Thing in

jw
friends

millie2105 hours agohere is something i just found out this week.former belief - field service is a publishers inalienable right new belief - field service privilege can be taken away if person styles hair or wears clothing in a way that is deemed metrosexual.i was pretty much dumbfounded.. this was posted on another thread, so i decided to start a new topic about this.

i think this is amazing!

i wish this was in place when i was a kid.

undercover

If a guy dresses as a "metrosexual" just going down to the local Piggly-Wiggly to pick up a case of PBR...

That's funny as hell... though somewhat mixed up. I imagine a guy who goes to the Piggly-Wiggly to pick up a case of PBR is going to be dressed more like the guys from Florida Georgia Line than a 'metrosexual'. Your 'metrosexual' types are going to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and purchasing a case of Pinot Grigio

But, I digress... your overall statement is correct from what I recollect. I remember guys getting sent home to shave (one brother was told to take one step closer to his razor), several of us were counciled over the style of overcoat we were, or weren't I should say, wearing. But to bar someone one from participating in the preaching work based on overall grooming is a new wrinkle.

I think there's a connection to the preaching work becoming more robotic than personal. As they move more and more to the literature cart, all a dub has to do is stand there, and answer questions... meaning, all they have to do is stand there. First impression is important, so instead of freedom of choice in style or personality, they want a bunch of Stepford Wives to man the carts. Dress in cult approved attire, your hair and jewelry all approved by the cult wardrobe dept, and you stay on script, repeating the cult mantra, never deviating from the approved playbook.

57

RUSSIA: Jehovah's Witnesses face possible liquidation

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2181.

24 may 2016. russia: jehovah's witnesses face possible liquidation.

by victoria arnold, forum 18. if prosecutors proceed with their threat to liquidate the jehovah's witness headquarters near st petersburg, thousands of local congregations across russia could also face prohibition of their activities and individuals could be vulnerable to criminal charges for expressing their beliefs, forum 18 notes.. the jehovah's witnesses' principal body in russia is under threat of dissolution as an "extremist" organisation after the deadline in an official warning from the general prosecutor's office expired on 10 may, forum 18 notes.

undercover

It's a conundrum for sure. You have a totalitarian style government looking to ban a totalitarian style religion.

While the dubs will definitely play the persecution card should this happen, and get exposure in the West, it is an opportunity to point out the flaws of the WTS to JW family/friends.

When a JW carries on about being persecuted/banned in Russia, agree with them. Yes, it is a humans right violation. Every human should have the right to believe and serve the religion of their choice - without persecution or punishment. Any organization, be it governmental, or religious or private, that looks to punish, black list or shun someone who chooses to worship differently than their collective should be held accountable for their human rights violations. Emphasize the word 'shun', and leave that thought hanging.

4

Should all the JW`s who ever took part in a quick build/renovations take out a class action against the WTB&TS for compensation ?

by smiddy in

let`s face it , the people who took part in quick builds / renovations of kingdom halls , etc, never expected the wtb&ts to sell off the buildings they were so sure was for furthering kingdom interests in this system of things .. they gave their time, effort, money, labour ,free of charge , and then some years later the society sells it off for a profit ?

to the wt ?.

kingdom halls , assembly halls , etc.

undercover

Nope. Waste of time and effort. You volunteered your time to an organization. They fact that they sold that properly later is just business. Lesson learned... make sure of the organization and how their set up before volunteering time and/or money.

What a lot of JWs didn't know, and I didn't either when I first started working on quick build projects, is that some 'brothers' are hired as contractors to provide services. I volunteered to help build items that were installed in KHs, and helped install them. I found out (thru an elder who knew the real scoop) that the brother in charge of this area was contracted and being paid to provide and install the items. This guy had over half the KH helping him construct the items in his shop, and installing at KH projects. He was getting free labor, and pocketing quite the profit. Once I learned this, I stopped volunteering. In fact, I stopped helping in any of the building projects, and this was when I was still active and mostly believing. If I could volunteer my time to help, why couldn't these so-called skilled 'brothers'.

It was a racket. The biggest racket was the WTS getting free building labor from thousands of people, but on the local level some 'brothers' found an angle on how to make a profit themselves and fleeced congregations. I knew one brother who was kicked out of the building committee because he found cheaper quotes from 'worldly' sources for renovating a KH, but the committee said it had to be done by approved contractors (read: fellow JWs). The JW contractors were quoting up to 50% more than non-JWs. The brother complained and was subsequently booted. But in time, the committee brothers were found out by the WTS and the committee was disbanded and some of them DFd. I guess they didn't like small timers weaseling in on their turf. It's like a bad Mafia movie...

71

2016 Regional Convention - Sunday Morning synopsis

by Jehalapeno in

jw
friends

via reddit.

here are the morning program highlights.

will update for the afternoon once it's all over.

undercover

If I had the time, I'd like to make one of those, 'Hitler hates....' videos, named 'Hitler Hates the JW Bunker Scene'

So many jokes to be made...

24

Why it's a waste of time talking to JW's

by Phizzy in

i believe it to be a waste of time talking to, reasoning with, jw's if you expect any kind of quick result.. many of us when we first wake up think that 'coz ttatt is blindingly obvious to us, it will soon get through to our jw loved ones.. this simply isn't so for a couple of important reasons.

the first is that, if someone believes something is true, or the truth, to them it really is, without doubt, true.

so whatever you say must be wrong somehow.. the second problem is that jw's simply do not have to use, or pay any attention to facts and logic.

undercover

Substitute JW with Mormon, Catholic, Baptist. It's all the same when it comes to faith and belief. One believes what one wants to believe, despite the facts and the logic. Until a person gives voice to the doubts or questions his faith, then you're not going to convince them they're wrong. Just like us at one time. Until we admitted to ourselves that something was wrong, we ignored all the criticisms, evidence against our beliefs. We thought we had the 'truth'.

Now, that's not to say it's a complete waste of time trying to enlighten a JW. You have to know and accept that you're not going to convince them in a relatively short time period. You have to plant the seed, and maybe water it from time to time. And it may never take root, but maybe one day, something triggers deep in their mind, and that doubt creeps to the surface, and they give it voice. And they research on their own. They're on their way then...

26

Now finally Caleb & Sofia Anti-Gay Video going viral in Germany too

by Daniel1555 in

today spiegel online & bento have an article about the anti-gay video.. spiegel is one of the biggest and most serious news media in germany.. they also report and show that youtubers cut the video and changed it in a funny way.

sofia tells her mother that the teacher said it's fine if they live each other.

then sofia's mother says: "thats wonderful.".

undercover

I agree that the video isn't really shocking. It presents the JW belief, based on the Bible, that being gay is a sin, and not acceptable behavior in order to reach paradise. Most fundamentalists accept the same teaching, substituting heaven for paradise. It's standard MO for religions like this.

But this comment lets slip your prejudice:

The cat has been out of the bag a long time ago regarding the biblical stance on this deviant behavior.

Deviant? This is where people take offense at the WT video, or other anti-gay propaganda. That it's presented as a learned, perverted, deviant lifestyle. Which is not the case. It's something one is born with. One is born gay the same way one is born with whatever skin color they have.

So while I don't take offence at the WTS using a video to further their doctrine, I do understand that it is propaganda pure and simple...but to be expected from a religion like this.

5

Finally watched the anti-gay WT video

by undercover in

jw
friends

i avoided watching the wt video where the daughter/mother discuss 'leaving' gaydom behind in order to reach paradise for as long as i could, but finally gave in and watched it; just so i know exactly what it says and how it's presented, should it come up in conversation with jw family.. it wasn't as shocking as i expected, having read some of the angst filled posts here and on facebook (thanks to george takei).

they're presenting their beliefs as supported by scripture from the bible.

and if you're a true believer in that book, then you would find yourself having to at least give some thought to what is said.

undercover

I avoided watching the WT video where the daughter/mother discuss 'leaving' gaydom behind in order to reach paradise for as long as I could, but finally gave in and watched it; just so I know exactly what it says and how it's presented, should it come up in conversation with JW family.

It wasn't as shocking as I expected, having read some of the angst filled posts here and on Facebook (thanks to George Takei). They're presenting their beliefs as supported by scripture from the Bible. And if you're a true believer in that book, then you would find yourself having to at least give some thought to what is said.

However - if you're beyond accepting early bronze age allegories, legends, and myths, as the actual Word and Law of God then you just shake your head at the ignorance and backwards thinking presented in the video. It's easy to pick apart, starting with the belief of Adam being the first created man, to the silly illustration of dropping that 'gay' bag in order to take the plane to paradise (that's the most propaganda part. You can't just drop what you were born with or as. It's still presented as that it's a choice, and a perverted one, therefore you're not allowed to share in the paradise God has reserved for heteros only). But try changing a true believer who accepts the Bible as final authority, and you're pretty much wasting your time.

In the overall scheme of things, it doesn't really matter if it's a WT video, a Mormon one, or even from a local Baptist church. It's a fundamentalist belief, based on the Bible, and as long as there are conservative fundies who accept the Bible as the final say in how they think and believe, this thinking is going to trump any progressive, modern (no matter how factual they may be) ideals anyone else may have.

But I am glad it was the WTS that got lambasted and lampooned over it. Hopefully it helps any fence sitters, or doubters, question a little harder.