Oubliette

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Posts by Oubliette

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  35

  New BOE letter: Re: Survey on Use of Printed Publications

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to all bodies of elders in the united states branch territory re: survey on use of printed publications .

  dear brothers: .

  the branch office is working on arrangements for the 2015 regional conventions.

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  Oubliette

  A printing company that doesn't print anything.
  
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  108

  "Jehovah ALWAYS had/used an organization". How would you reply?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in a recent meeting with elders, an argument was used to the effect that jehovah has always [= throughout history] used, or operated through, an organization; therefore, the wts must be that organization today, since god must be using one.

  naturally, i know what arguments i've used to counter that argument.

  but i'm interested in hearing yours.

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  Oubliette

  EdenOne, Stop making sense, Oubliette!

  Sorry, can't do that!
  
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  68

  What I Saw & Heard in the Oral Argument Hearing on January 14, 2015

  by ABibleStudent in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  im not an attorney and i could not record the hearing, so please forgive me if i make mistakes in relating what i remember of the oral argument hearing for jane doe (i.e., candace conti) versus the watchtower bible & tract society on january 14, 2015 and the length of this post.. i arrived at the civic center/union plaza in san francisco, ca about 7:30. the area is very nice with a few homeless people sleeping in the park across from the courthouse.

  it took me about 10 minutes to find the clerks office for the court on the first floor, which opened at 8:00.. once the clerks office opened, the two clerks who i talked with were very polite and helpful.

  the arguments for jane doe (i.e., candace conti) versus the watchtower bible & tract society were scheduled 5th out of (i think) 8. while i was in the office a cameraman and another person for nbc arrived asking about the hearing for candace contis case.. the courtroom for the 1st appellate court is on the 4th floor and takes up most of that floor.

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  Oubliette

  Thanks for the first person reporting!
  
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  108

  "Jehovah ALWAYS had/used an organization". How would you reply?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in a recent meeting with elders, an argument was used to the effect that jehovah has always [= throughout history] used, or operated through, an organization; therefore, the wts must be that organization today, since god must be using one.

  naturally, i know what arguments i've used to counter that argument.

  but i'm interested in hearing yours.

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  Oubliette

  What organization was that during:

  The middle ages? Surely it wasn't the Catholic church!
  

  After Noah and before Abraham? A random guy here and there is not an "organization."

  This is an absurd notion that just doesn't stand up to even a few moments of intelligent scrutiny.
  
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  12

  Waking someone up using WT Article on "Doubts"?

  by cappytan in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  has anyone had success in using this article to convince their family member or spouse that critical research of what the society presents is important to build faith?.

  this article has this passage that jumped out at me:.

  of course, not all doubt is bad.

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  Oubliette

  Blondie,

  I'm sure most of us get that point, but that is exactly why it is so ironic. The arrogance that JWs have to hypocritically condemn all other religions when they are scrupulously unwilling to examine their own beliefs or to apply their own advice to themselves is simply stunning!
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  12

  Waking someone up using WT Article on "Doubts"?

  by cappytan in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  has anyone had success in using this article to convince their family member or spouse that critical research of what the society presents is important to build faith?.

  this article has this passage that jumped out at me:.

  of course, not all doubt is bad.

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  Oubliette

  Years ago, I put this advice into practice and quickly realized that I was in a cult.

  It's great to be free, but I really miss my children that are still stuck in the cult.
  
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  53

  Need to vent: Wife just went in full cult mode, huge fight. she is so brainwashed

  by goingthruthemotions in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  out of the blue my wife started to ask me about my feeling about the borg.

  i told her i didn't want to talk about it...she persisted.

  she already knows how i feel, i told her that my biggest beef is that they use mind control, and yep she went in to how i was an apostate and how she doesn't want to be married to an apostate.

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  Oubliette

  GTTM,

  Next time she calls you an "apostate" tell her that you resent that term and that name-calling is juvenile and hurtful.

  Tell her as you do not want her to talk to the elders about your private marital relationship and that no matter what, YOU will not talk to them. (As you correctly said, they have no legitimate authority over you.)

  Finally, reassure her of your love for her and love of truth (the real truth).
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  19

  Layoffs at Canadian Bethel

  by wannaexit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  looks like the canadian bethel is following in the footsteps of big brother from new york.

  i heard through the grapevine that a number of couples have been given their notice.

  some of these folks have been in bethel for over 30 years.

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  Oubliette

  I wonder what their pension will look like? 

  Zero, zilch, nada, nothing, empty, void, null.

  Imagine an sealed empty void that is black--an occult prohibition preventing any and all light from entering--and from which all matter has been removed by an intense vacuum. Then delete that thought from your mind. What remains would be exponentially larger than the pension of the most devoted long-term Bethelite.

  Now then, does "Tight Pants" Tony or Stephen "Ol' Rubberface" Lett have to worry about their retirement? No.

  Why not? Because they are the ones running this scam. At the very least, they are--as the visible spokesmen--the recipients of fantastic wealth by continuing to spout the vitriolic lies of this destructive, hypocritical cult that manipulates and exploits their members for their own selfish gain.
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  111

  Conti Appeal Preview - Oral Argument Jan 14

  by Chaserious in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  with hopefully a good deal of interest here in the conti appeal tomorrow (or later today, depending on where you are), i thought that on my ride home from work tonight i'd preview what to expect and what i think the key issues are for any who are interested.

  i have had a busy few weeks and haven't had time to read everything, but i had some time to look at the appeal briefs during my work commute the past couple days.

  it'll be interesting to see what develops out of the network news coverage of this case.

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  Oubliette

  The thing is it is not up to elders (or at least it isn't the law everywhere) to report a crime such as child molestation to the authorities unless they have personally been a witness to it, or have been specifically asked to do so by the victim and/or parents who will then have to accompany them.  It is up to the victim or victim and/or parents. They are the ones who have to do the reporting.

  What is legal/illegal and what is right and/or moral are often very different things.

  The WTBTS/JWs assert that they are the most righteous people on Earth because they worship Jehovah. If that is true, then their practices should always--AND I MEAN ALWAYS--be superior to human laws.

  And yet clearly they are not.

  This is conclusive evidence that the policies and practices of JWs are NOT informed by the creator of the Universe.

  End of story.

  It's really not that difficult a problem if one isn't married to the idea that JWs "have the Truth" to the exclusion of all other people.
  

  Let's review: It's a cult!

  
  
  
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  14

  Why a doubter/fader CANNOT participate in Family Worship/ How to get out it," WT Style."

  by DATA-DOG in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  family worship night is a boring, depressing, stifling, watchtarded indoctrination/brainwashing session.

  it never ends.

  like all things wt, there is no end in sight.

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  Oubliette

  Um, I don't think you really understand how this works: To be a good and faithful JW you just need to OBEY whatever it is that the WTBTS Leadership (aka "The Governing Body") is saying now.

  Whatever they said in the past is irrelevant. Arguments based on reason and/or logic are irrelevant. Pointing out inconsistencies in doctrine will only get YOU in trouble.

  A much simpler and much cleaner approach is this: Just stop going. 

  If, and when, anyone asks why, reply, "I don't want to."

  If they say, "Why not?"

  Say, "It's none of your business."

  Done and done.