Posts by Oubliette

posted

233
What is BELIEF ?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

what exactly is "belief"?.

is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Oubliette

Simon: we don't believe the pope is some divine representative of an imaginary super-being.
But some people do.
25
Today's (4/12) WT study - all about Jesus
by OneEyedJoe in
1. watchtower
2. bible
today's watchtower study article is all about jesus.

this stuck out to me after a year of hanging out on here where one frequent point of criticism is that jws claim to be christians but never talk about jesus.. anyone think it's a coincidence that today was the "special talk" follow-up to the memorial?

i think not - this is the most attended sunday meeting of the year, complete with many ubms, studies, and miscellaneous other potential victims who have been subjected to a coordinated effort to pressure them into attending.
Oubliette

OEJ: Anyone who doesn't think jws use deceptive recruiting tactics should think again.
I don't think there are many of those people on this forum.
233
What is BELIEF ?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

what exactly is "belief"?.

is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Oubliette

Note in the above definitions, it is not a requirement that something be TRUE for it to be a belief, only that an individual accepts it as such.
Words have meaning based on context.
In communication, it is the obligation of the originator of a message to ensure that they say what they mean. They should also be sure that their message is worded clearly and in a form understandable by the person(s) they are communicating to. Most people are not very good at this.
It is also the obligation of the receiver of a message to try to, in good faith, understand what the communicator is trying to say. Most people are also not very good at this.
When you consider these facts, it's amazing that we ever get anything straight.
233
What is BELIEF ?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

what exactly is "belief"?.

is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Oubliette
be·lief
bəˈlēf/
noun: belief; plural noun: beliefs
1. an acceptance that a statement is true or that something exists.
  "his belief in the value of hard work"
  something one accepts as true or real; a firmly held opinion or conviction.
  "contrary to popular belief, Aramaic is a living language"
  synonyms:
  opinion, view, conviction, judgment, thinking, way of thinking, idea, impression, theory, conclusion, notion
  "it's my belief that age is irrelevant"
2. a religious conviction.
  "Christian beliefs"
  synonyms : ideology, principle, ethic, tenet, canon; More
  doctrine, teaching, dogma, article of faith, creed, credo
  "traditional beliefs"
3. trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something.
  "a belief in democratic politics"
  synonyms: faith, trust, reliance, confidence, credence
  "belief in the value of hard work"
29
Mystery Letters of "Human Apostate" talk 2013 summer convention and its connection to Lev.5:1
by Bill Covert in
1. watchtower
2. scandals
greetings from redding calif. my name is bill covert.

i am one of those viet nam war felons for having to refuse communtiy service in lieu of military induction per direct instructions from ny, so i have been around for a while.

i am the writer of the letters mentioned in the human apostate talk of the 2013 conventions.
Oubliette

Hi Bill,
Your OP is confusing.
Your write about a particular comment in an old WT which was changed when the bound volumes were made:
It was removed when that WT was made into the bound volume, thus a deception being made.
Posters on this site have pointed out countless examples of such WT revisions. They're as common as dandelions in a summer field.
THERE IS ABSOLUTLY NO BIBLE basis for the WBTS 'Gestapo' policy of having brothers inform on their brothers, this is a DECEPTION.
Correct. Did you not know: It's a cult!
But I gotta' say, I'm really unsure why you would write this:
And you have an entire elder body refusing to honor the instructions of Lev.5:1.
First you say there is not "Bible basis" for JWs to turn other JWs in and then you get upset that some JWs won't do it.
It appears you want it both ways.
That being said, that this religion is filled with and run by corrupt individuals is well-known to all of us here. You're preaching to the choir, buddy.
You are apparently very angry over what you've seen and what has personally been done to you. I get that. You're not alone. Many of us here have suffered similarly.
Oubliette
3
Have we been affected by a "cult"?
by stuckinarut2 in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
here is a great list of questions that help identify if we have been affected by a cult..... does any of it sound familiar?.

this has been taken from an interesting and informative site called:.

as a general outline we use the following criteria that defines a cult or mind control situation:.
Oubliette

-
The distinction between cult and religion lies squarely in how those leaving or those wanting to leave are treated - Eliyahu Federman
-
233
What is BELIEF ?
by EdenOne in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
stemming from the 'absentheism' thread, an old question came to my mind.

what exactly is "belief"?.

is it the same to ask: "do you believe in god?
Oubliette

“Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer.” ― W.C. Fields
45
Being in a cult - what good did it do?
by Garrett in
1. jw
2. friends
so, here's a bit of a different point of view.

while most of us will agree that our time within the jw cult was rather terrible, however, i'd like to look at another aspect.

did anything good come out of being in a cult and then waking up from it?.
Oubliette

I'm sure most, if not all of us, would agree that we did have good experiences while we were JWs.
But those were in spite of being in a cult, not because of it.
Also, many, if not all, of those experiences can be had outside of JW-land.
For example, I gained experience in public speaking and realized that I enjoyed teaching as a result of being an elder and conducting the TMS for over a decade. This encouraged be to get a BA and a teaching credential.
This was something I wanted to do BEFORE I became a JW but put aside for the obvious reasons.
It should also be obvious that most teachers do this without ever being a JW. Also, as you no doubt know, getting any kind of higher education is strongly discouraged by the WT leaders. I received a lot of flak as a result, from fellow elders and even my wife at the time.
So really, the best thing I got from being in this religion was affirmation that I should never have joined it in the first place. The next best thing I got was out.
The short answer to your question the in: No.
12
Paranormal activity in a room at Ohio University
by economy in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
why this room (no 428), located at ohio university, is unavailable to students?.

it has been boarded up and closed off because of various paranormal reports regarding the room.

poltergeist activity has been felt: objects flying across the room, doors that open and shut by themselves, and dark shadows appearing and disappearing without explanation.
Oubliette

The majority of Carl Jung's most interesting ideas are decidedly unscientific.
44
Hebrews 10:25
by millie210 in
1. watchtower
2. bible
i was asked recently by a still in friend (it was meant sincerely not sarcastically).

"but what do you do with that scripture so far as not attending meetings?".

i typed hebrews 10:25 in to the search bar but didnt get much.. .
Oubliette

Bumpin' it for newbies and lurkers!