Posts by waiting

52

MAJOR AP ARTICLE ON JWs CHILD ABUSE ISSUE GOES NATIONWIDE IN USA

by hawkaw in

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- religion today

but a group called silentlambs has still gained visibility in its campaign to change the sexual abuse policies of jehovah's witnesses.. .

religion today.

waiting

Philip Brumley, Watchtower's general counsel, says his religion cannot alter its beliefs and doubts secular courts will demand this.

WTBTS has changed it's "beliefs" - even in the "two witness" belief - which is central to this huge problem. There was no two witness belief before the WTBTS instigated it .....back in the '70's - '80's? What did they do before then? Adulters, fornicators, abusers just ran rampant in the KH?
The two witness belief changed AGAIN recently because NOW it can be one witness at one act, and another witness at another act.
If the two witness belief is in harmony with the scriptures....then why wasn't it always that way? If a jw says "New Light!"......nooooooooooooo, because it's CHANGED AGAIN since it was instituted. That would make the Old Light, Newer Light, and New Now Light......which means that scripture INTERPRETATION & CHANGES by the WTBTS is done consistently over the decades.
There are sooooooooo many articles about the necessity of New Light. The famous "tacking" like a sailboat comes to mind. What about the one where CT Russell saw The Truth like a "hazy mirror" but since then, there's so many changes, jw's now have a bright mirror (paraphrasing that tripe.)

doubts secular courts will demand this. - Brumley

THAT is one misleading statement by Brumley. The courts (even xjw's, parents of molested children, and victims themselves) aren't demanding scriptural changes. Where does it say:

"Do not report child molestors to the police."
"Do not encourage parents to go to police (and it's the law btw) to report child molestors."

even if it's not in harmony with Scripture?" he asks.

Loaded statement!!!!!!!! What does "in harmony with Scripture" really mean? It means "going along" - it does NOT mean "the Scripture states.........."

"Do you change doctrine because someone feels something is more convenient, even if it's not in harmony with Scripture?" he asks.

O yeah. I'm just betting those "stiff necked" child molestor victims want the JW elders & parents to report child molestation because they "feel" it's "more convenient." Those "spiritually weak" kw parents who want to help protect other children........what a convenience!

The news reporter says "Brumley said".............but are they DIRECTLY QUOTING BRUMLEY?

(I edited this to make it smaller........it doesn't want to do that. sorry.) The post above me? GOOD POST! Thanks!

23

Updates on Silentlambs

by blondie in

i encourage you to check out the website or signup for the newsletter.

but i will be posting articles here and my comments on opportunities available to fight child abuse in your neighborhood.

posted on thu, apr.

waiting

A Methodist minister told me that the Methodist Church had the same policy as the Catholics - ALL sexual abusers are to be reported to the police.

JR Brown is wrong.

23

Updates on Silentlambs

by blondie in

i encourage you to check out the website or signup for the newsletter.

but i will be posting articles here and my comments on opportunities available to fight child abuse in your neighborhood.

posted on thu, apr.

waiting

Jehovah's Witnesses provide an excellent example of policy gone wrong.'' - Bill Bowen

This is a great - diplomatic way - to word this situation. The policy? Two witnesses. And works decently in *some* situations. But the policy is out of touch with the reality of child abuse......which is secretive to the point of threatening death to the child or their family, or their pets. And that works with abused, frightened, children.

Group renews charge that Jehovah's Witnesses indifferent to sexual abuse

03-26-04

By BRIAN LEWIS
Staff Writer

Local Jehovah's Witness leaders are ignoring requests to meet with survivors of sexual abuse and their advocates, an organization calling for change in the church's policies on sexual abuse said.

Bill Bowen, national director of Silent Lambs, said sexual abuse in Jehovah's Witness congregations is ''an epidemic that's got to stop. Jehovah's Witnesses provide an excellent example of policy gone wrong.''

He was speaking outside a west Nashville Kingdom Hall, as the Jehovah's Witness churches are called. Silent Lambs also is sponsoring a conference on combating ''ignorance and apathy when it comes to sexual abuse'' tomorrow and Sunday at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, 777 McGavock Pike.

J.R. Brown, a spokesman for the national Jehovah's Witness organization, said that while accusations had been made that the church was shielding pedophiles, they had not been proved. If members commit sexual abuse, they can be excommunicated, Brown said.

The role of a church leader is to help a person spiritually, not prosecute someone for a secular crime, Brown said. Consequently, church leaders report to secular authorities only in states where they are required to do so by law, he said.

''Generally, the purpose of a cleric or minister is to entertain confessions of sin the person has committed and try to help the individual restore their relationship with God,'' Brown said. ''I don't know of any religious organization that has required all of its ministers to report every case of child abuse.''

However, some religious organizations, including the Roman Catholic Church, do require clergy to report all cases of sexual abuse to the police.

Also at the news conference, Silent Lambs presented an award to Jeff Walden of Nashville for speaking out about the abuse that he suffered as a child in a Memphis Jehovah's Witness congregation.

''If you speak out in this religion, you have to leave your life behind you and move on,'' said Walden, who said his experience as a Witness had turned him off to organized religion.

Brian Lewis writes about religion, faith and values. He can be reached at 259-8077 or [email protected] .

(red, yellow, bold & underline added)

14

Scriptural Support Fo Disfellowshipping?

by sandy in

do the witnesses teach that god doesn't here a disfellowshipped person's prayers?

if so what scriptures do they use to support such an idea?.

is there any scriptures in the 4 gospels, matthew, mark luke or john, that the witnesses use to support disfellowshipping and shunning?

waiting

I find it hard to believe, based on Jesus example, that if he were here on earth he would encourage or counsel his followers to shun me or anyone else because I am practicing sin. - sandy

Hello Sandy,

I'm assuming that you are not a practicer of sin............(well, maybe, but what the hell - none of my business, eh?)..........my coming point being - to be df'd or da'd, it is NOT necessary to be a practicer of sin....just disagree with the WTBTS. Barb & Joe Anderson, Bill Bowen, and the couple who spoke out about the sexual molestation of their daughter on Dateline - all these people were df'd, and it was never shown that any of them sinned - ever.

Hello Danny,

Thank you for such excellent quotes and understanding of the cult thinking/comparisons. Lousy cults demonize whoever they wish - and we (I was a jw for 30 yrs) follow along because "well, they DO have God's spirit and have researched this matter."

waiting

17

Welcome chok!

by Valis in

jw
friends

greetings and welcome to the board.

look forward to hearing your story.. .

sincerely,.

waiting

wellllllll, if the Big V says welcome.........guess I better join in too, eh?

Welcome chok!

181

FORMER JW ELDERS, on JWD, 2004 LIST

by jst2laws in

jw
friends

it has been difficult getting my old database to accept new info and then there was no way to edit the old thread so this is it on a new thread.

this is a follow up from the older: .

yrs bethel

waiting

This is just a great post for all sides of the discussion. Thank you, Sabrina.

Our past experiences in the Organization were for many of us torturous and that torture was implemented by those who abused their authority as Elders. It was the abuse of their authority that brings to mind the horror of that experience, not the fact that they were men! The abuse of authority whether from men or women causes permanent harm and its that harm that echoes here not the fact that they were men.

Elder lists divide people who are leaving a place where titles like Elder, CO, DO, made many of us either feel worthless or worse, abused. I understand the reason for the list and I hope it serves the purpose that was intended but I think anyone who finds the list objectionable because of past abuses or for other reasons should not be castigated for it.

Having said that, I think this thread will be very good for lurking elders. It's good for them to know that former elders post here and its also good for them to see the amount of hurt and anger caused by the abuse of authority exercised by many Elders. -Sabrina

There is a reason that the novel, Animal Farm, has remained such a powerful book/lesson thru all these decades. It's human nature.

"We're all equals. It's just that some of us are more equal." - Animal Farm (paraphrased)

((((((((((((((((((((((((Chris & Talespin))))))))))))))))))))))))) - hope all goes well with you both.

84

I am sorry

by Big Tex in

jw
friends

i sincerely and unrservedly apologize for any condescending behavior on my part.

being an idiot, and expressing myself as poorly as i do, i am capable of the most outrageously stupid posts.

i look back on what i have said, and i cringe at how stupid i sound.

waiting

Hey Chris,

Don't know what's going on............but I've read your posts for many months now, Chris. You've grown up into a fine, intelligent, caring (and good looking legs) man. That's no little achievement - particularily for an abused child who also happened to be a victim of the WTBTS.

And you have a fine wife & lovely children. Good Lord Man! Some of us need to take pointers from you!

As for your past? Yeah, it's there. But you're not. You've accomplished a better world for you and your loved ones. Congratulations on your victories - you deserve them.

I hope you've received many hugs since this thread started from your family in Texas....and your friends here.

Oh. Could you have written things better sometimes? Well duh. Of course! It's the humanity in you that realizes that. Of course, if you're like the majority of humanity on these xjw forums, you'll come to the conclusion.....life goes on.....and it does. (I edited that conclusion, btw)

((((((((((((((((((((((Chris with the good lookin' legs))))))))))))))))))))))))

29

Send a great big G'day to an aussie visitor who needs sympathy right now

by ozziepost in

jw
friends

right now there's a friend who needs a friend in sydney.. you've all 'been there' and can help him thru' it.. what do you say to someone who knows in his head that the borg just isn't right, yet was brought up "in the troof" and so knows nothing else.. then the borg's inhumane judicial procedures can cause unspeakable mental anguish and emotional disturbance.

yet at this time there's simply no-one to turn to - a recipe for disaster.. so....would you give some words of reassurance to our new friend?

tell him what it's like to be free of the borg.

waiting

Hi Ozzie's Friend,

My husband wants to see Australia sooooooooooooo bad. We're in South Carolina, USA. Perhaps at one of y'all's infamous Bar-b-q's? If you've not gone yet....go! Even in usa, we want to go to them.

My husband was born a jw. - he's 57 now, quietly left about 4 yrs ago. Quiet because he wants to keep his relationship with his strong jw family. They don't like me now (more than ever) because they're sure I was the culprit that led his mother's "sweet son" to the devil. lol - I was the fool who kept him IN the org. all these years!

I was a jw for 30 yrs, left quietly with my husband. Thank gawd that my 3 kids didn't take to the WT Corp! We weren't Good Theocratic parents.....and I'm so glad now. And I can stop feeling guilty for "not being good enough."

It took us several years to think this situation through.....we've never looked at the world through "worldly" eyesight. In other words, like normal people.

But it's worth the effort.....freedom's ALWAYS worth the effort. The ending is so worth the effort.

53

Tips For People Who Visit the South

by Tatiana in

jw
friends

tips for visitors to the south .

if you are going to live, or visit in the south, you .

we stop when it's red.

waiting

10. Tea - yeah, we have tea. It comes in a glass over ice and is sweet. You want it hot - sit it in the sun. You want it unsweetened - add a lot of water.

ooooooooooooo, soooooo, true. I'm in South Carolina (22 yrs now.) We can always tell when we hit Yankeeland while traveling.........no sweetened ice tea. How barbaric.

Being a Hoosier originally, when I moved down here....I went back up *yonder* (means *there* in yankee) sometimes. Before going, one guy (a real bubba) would always comment "ewwwwwwwwwe, better take a sweater. gets cold in yankeeland."

He was right. We tend to put away our sweaters in mid March til mid November. Then it's jacket weather.

Hey April! Been passing thru "Beautiful Downtown Hemingway" (an inside joke) recently. Hasn't changed much.

waiting

13

Circuit assembly : The Window for Lying

by metatron in

jw
friends

over at channelc, you can find evidence of one of the valued reasons for having circuit assemblies.. they get to lie and deceive - away from the prying eyes of the public.. apparently, a brother novak informed the crowd that phil.

2: 9-11 - in which "every knee shall bend" to christ.

is a command to obey the elders.

waiting

The Watchtower is invoking a famous line of reasoning................

Catch 22