Posts by Oubliette

35

Before knowing TTATT did you really believe in things as...

by roberto avon in

jw
friends

did you really believe in things as ;- the earth is only 6000 years old- the 144.000- 1914, based upon the destructiono of jerusalem- harmagheddon or the end of the world coming soon???

?i married a jw when i was an interested person and studying with the jw's ( not the way they wanted) but i told my wife before marrying her that " most probably " i would never have been a jw.she accepted me as i was and married me.

after that i had interrupted the study for one year, i started all over again with an elder of my wife's cong.

Oubliette

The idea that the earth is only 6,000 years old is not a WTBTS doctrine or teaching.

I was, however, persuaded to entertain the other ideas you mentioned because I was persuaded to believe that JWs had "the Truth." And when I say, "entertain," I mean that I tentatively accepted that they MIGHT be true because I accepted that the religion was true.

I have since come to know that these are demonstrably false premises. No one individual or group can possess "the Truth" to the exclusion of others. Truth is not a tangible, concrete item which can only be in the physical possession of a single entity at a time. That is just ridiculous. Also, even if a group does have SOME ideas right, it does not follow that they have ALL ideas and teachings correct.

My reason for tentatively accepting the various JW doctrines was that, for a time, I really believed that Jehovah's Witnesses taught truth and were God's visible organization on Earth. Once I saw the WT leaders and the entire religion for the scam that it is, there was no longer any reason for me to believe tenuous doctrines that never had any independent basis in the first place.

In other words: I accepted JW beliefs because I was duped into believing JWs were special. It was NOT the case that I became a JW because I a priori believed their unique and often bizarre beliefs and unusual interpretations of scripture.

It all flows from buying into the idea that there is only "one true religion." There is not. That is a fallacy.

Let's review: It's a cult!

16

Watchtower in local newspaper

by lostinthought in

jw
friends

forgive me if this has been posted already but this was in my local paper today.. http://m.recordonline.com/article/20150307/news/150309486/0/wap&template=wapart.

if you have time to read, this is an interesting article talking about watchtowers property in ulster and orange county ny and how much the properties are worth.

it also goes on to show how the tax exempt stays is hurting the communities..

Oubliette

rebel8 said it best.

Living in that area must be like living in a dystopian nightmare.

The poor, hardworking average Joes pay for everything and the big, powerful entities take advantage of everyone and everything.

11

Injected Buddhist teachings into Watchtower Study today

by cappytan in

on the paragraph about meditation in today's study, i gave a comment about "meditating with a view towards mindfulness and awareness of the positive things in our lives.".

afterwards, about 8 people that i rarely talk to in the congregation came up and expressed how much they appreciated that point.. wanted to say, "thank the buddha.

" but didn't have the guts.

Oubliette

CT, they no doubt appreciated it because it was fresh and interesting, not the same ol' rehashed tripe.

24

Jehovah's Witnesses Are Believers But Know Not What They Teach

by minimus in

jw
friends

they simply belong to a religion.

they cannot explain why they follow all the dictates of the organization.

they live in blind faith.

Oubliette

When I joined the religion back in the early '80s, it at least felt like we really were Bible students.

Of course, Crazy Freddy's ideas were whacked and false, but at least they were interesting and had the feel of scholarship, albeit a cheap imitation of the real thing. I actually enjoyed the rare but challenging discussion with someone when we would pull out the Bible and go over various scriptures and discuss and debate their meaning.

Now, all JWs are simply followers of whatever the WTBTS decides to print in their latest publications, in print or virtual.

Now JWs stand on the street by a literature cart and if someone is curious enough to approach them, they'll use their iPads to direct this bored or lost soul to a website. The Bible is little more than a prop.

29

I Haven't Missed a Meeting in Years!

by Oubliette in

i recently ran into a jw i knew from a few years back.you know how it goes, a few pleasantries that always seem much more awkward than they really should (not for me, mind you--for him).and then the question, "so what congregation are you attending?

are you able to make the meetings?

"i'm thinking: do you always start conversations this way?so anyways, knowing full well the jw-mindset, i decided to have a bit of fun.furrowing my brow, i said, "that's an odd question!

Oubliette

I recently ran into a JW I knew from a few years back.

You know how it goes, a few pleasantries that always seem much more awkward than they really should (not for me, mind you--for him).

And then the question, "So what congregation are you attending? Are you able to make the meetings?"

I'm thinking: Do you always start conversations this way?

So anyways, knowing full well the JW-mindset, I decided to have a bit of fun.

Furrowing my brow, I said, "That's an odd question!" which threw him off a bit. Pausing just long enough for the full-effect to sink in, but not long enough for him to actually respond, I quickly continued, "I bet my meeting attendance it better than yours! I can honestly say, 'I have not missed a single meeting in over a year!' Can you say that?"

Puzzled and completely caught off-guard, he sheepishly said, "Well, no. I do miss the occasional meeting, ..." Adding a little too quickly, "But only when I'm really sick or it's completely unavoidable. You know how it is, don't you?"

"I understand, I understand," I said all the while shaking my head as if in disbelief. Pointing skyward I added, "You don't owe me an explanation!"

Keeping the momentum going, and really just wanting to go about my business, I concluded, "Anyways, it was really good to see you again. We should get together sometime. And, hey: work on that meeting attendance!"

"I will," he weakly replied.

"Good!" I clapped him enthusiastically on the shoulder and walked away.

What he didn't know was this: although I was completely truthful in every word I spoke, I did not mean them the way I know he took them.

You see, I haven't been to a meeting at the Kingdom Hall in over a year, and I can honestly say, "I have not missed a single one!"

-

21

Zone visit meeting Australasia region 7th march...

by stuckinarut2 in

i'm sitting here now going insane with this program of fear, obligation and guilt!.

oh man....seriously mind numbing.. i can't bring myself to share too much of it all now.... but i just want to get out...... tell you all more soon about the manipulative trash..... .

anyone else go to this?

Oubliette

stuck: Did I miss anything?

Yes, your freedom!

Thank you. You just inspired a new thread.

12

Zone Visit - Sri Lanka Governing Body member David Splane

by Liyanage in

last sunday (23rd february 2015) we had our zone visit ( visit headquarters representative).

this time governing body member david splane and brother john ekrann came to sri lanka.

and they spent almost one week in sri lanka.. .

Oubliette

Next time you see one of the GB members ask they why don't they get a job like everyone else? The apostle Paul had one. Do they think they are better than he was? - Acts 18:3

Effin' hypocrites! Lazy bastards sponging off of their followers. Talk about fleecing the flock!

21

Effect of reading here.

by New day in

jw
friends

saomebody mentioned in a recent thread here i think that the more they read here the more they feel angry at the wt.

personally, as an ex-elder (only resigned a few months ago) i feel that it is more like suddenly being on the outside looking in at a whole group of people playing parts.

the zealous pioneers answering all the time.

Oubliette

Most people assume roles all the time, and it is not necessarily a conscious thing.

Read about Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment and you'll learn about one of the most powerful scientific studies done on the subject of individuals assuming the role they are assigned.

16

Is the rule of the "two witnesses" always applied in cases of apostasy?

by Judge Rochefort in

hello there.

this is my first thread here.i was wondering if anybody here could help me with a question that i have.my question is this: is it always applied the rule of the "two witnesses" in cases of apostasy?

i'll put an example:if a jw is working with another jw and one of them is continuously talking about teachings contrary to the bible truth as taught by jehovah's witnesses, would the testimony of the other jw be enough to form a judicial committee?thanks!

Oubliette

Judge Rochefort, ironically, the WTBTS loves having apostates. They need a bogeyman. Their entire "theology" falls apart without them. So every once in a while, they need a lamb to sacrifice publicly as an apostate to keep the "fear of God" going among the flock.

On the other hand, they really do NOT like having it widely known that there are pedophiles essentially running free in amongst the sheep. It conflicts with their self-image and their PR campaign.

16

Is the rule of the "two witnesses" always applied in cases of apostasy?

by Judge Rochefort in

hello there.

this is my first thread here.i was wondering if anybody here could help me with a question that i have.my question is this: is it always applied the rule of the "two witnesses" in cases of apostasy?

i'll put an example:if a jw is working with another jw and one of them is continuously talking about teachings contrary to the bible truth as taught by jehovah's witnesses, would the testimony of the other jw be enough to form a judicial committee?thanks!

Oubliette

jwleaks, funny story. I know it's fictional, but it makes good reading!