Posts by Oubliette

46

WT addresses the "rapture" teaching.

by wifibandit in

look at paragraph 15 of the 2015 july 15th study edition pg 18-19.. http://imgur.com/3wparys.

.

basically they admit to teaching the rapture (for the anointed remnant), just don't call it that!.

Oubliette

Blondie, what is the source of that definition of the rapture which you posted?

As far as I can tell, it is completely consistent with current JW "theology."

44

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Happy?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i know of the local congregation's issues, per an elder i know quite well.

he has said that nearly everyone in the congregation is suffering emotionally and mentally.

he said he has never seen so many witnesses with so many problems.

Oubliette

Of course they are, just ask any one of them: They are the happiest people on Earth!

46

WT addresses the "rapture" teaching.

by wifibandit in

look at paragraph 15 of the 2015 july 15th study edition pg 18-19.. http://imgur.com/3wparys.

.

basically they admit to teaching the rapture (for the anointed remnant), just don't call it that!.

Oubliette

Therefore, while we do not use the term “rapture” here because of its wrong connotation, the remaining faithful anointed will be gathered together in an instant of time. - w2015, 7/15, p. 19, paragraph 15

So what is the "wrong connotation" which they wish to avoid? I know, other religions have been teaching this for over a century and they don't want to admit that the other folks got there first!

Also, ol' Chuck T. Russell apparently believed in it too:

See:

51

NEW 2012 Elders book with 2015 Amendments

by Newly Enlightened in

thanks to jw archive wiki we have a pdf of the new elders book.. https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz9z38909t3fh7c/2012-shepherd-the-flock-of-god-ks10_e.pdf?dl=0.

Oubliette

confuzzled: SO does this mean that one can watch porn with only a man and a woman and that is ok? Just wondering...

Yes, as long as it's not:

An entrenched practice
Over a "considerable period of time" (whatever THAT means)
Not "abhorrent" and/or "sexually degrading"

Enjoy!

BTW, aren't you glad the GB defined homosexuality for us, just in case we were confused on that point!

How happifying!

9

Toss a smart bomb

by Giordano in

i meet regularly for a bro lunch with a couple of friends of mine.

the conversation is usually first rate and free flowing.

one day we were talking about education and i mentioned that having been raised in a cult i had passed on college...... to pioneer.. .

Symptoms of Spiritual Weakness - Elder's Manual

by cappytan in

lack of self-control in eating, drinking, and pursuit of pleasure;.

so, let me get this straight.

enjoying a fancy meal, appreciating the finer qualities of libations and deciding to enjoy life by pursuing pleasures (bike riding, hiking, camping, fishing, reading, movies, golfing, etc.

Oubliette

Morpheus: Once they are labled they can be dismissed and their ideas dont have to be consodered [sic] as valid.

Yes, it is this dismissiveness that is essential to their manipulation and control.

It is a passive-aggressive assertion of authority.

30

Symptoms of Spiritual Weakness - Elder's Manual

by cappytan in

lack of self-control in eating, drinking, and pursuit of pleasure;.

so, let me get this straight.

enjoying a fancy meal, appreciating the finer qualities of libations and deciding to enjoy life by pursuing pleasures (bike riding, hiking, camping, fishing, reading, movies, golfing, etc.

Oubliette

It's informative to analyze this as the manipulative tool that it is.

The WT leaders make a list of behaviors that they don't like and label them with a denigrating term: spiritually weak.

Note that the list includes a variety of behaviors and attitudes that an individual might have. These are indiscriminately lumped together as if they might have the same root cause. This is clearly NOT the case.

A person that has a drinking problem should not be categorized with someone that has doubts (lingering or otherwise) or someone that has legitimate complaints about the actions of the elders or the WTBTS.

And yet they just lump them all together. Why? Because the WT leaders have learned the power of conflating different issues as a means to manipulate and control.

This expression can then be used to paint someone unfavorable. When a JW calls another JW "spiritually weak" it frames the situation such that the one doing the labeling is assuming a position of strength and authority.

Usually, the one so labeled will not contest the phrase. They may even believe it themselves due to their indoctrination. But even if they don't, they know that arguing the point will only cause them more trouble.

The reality is this: when an individual realizes that JWs do NOT have "the Truth," and that they religion is a sham led by hypocritical cowards and liars, they have some serious decisions to make. A person that is emotionally and spiritually strong will leave the religion.

Often, what the WT labels as "weakness" is actually strength. The heroes of the Bible stood up against wrongdoing, hypocrisy and lies. Those in power never like that.

Some things never change, just the names ...

BTW, apparently the phrase, "spiritually weak" does not appear in the rNWT. I did a search on jw.org and got this result: Sorry, the search returned no results.

30

Symptoms of Spiritual Weakness - Elder's Manual

by cappytan in

lack of self-control in eating, drinking, and pursuit of pleasure;.

so, let me get this straight.

enjoying a fancy meal, appreciating the finer qualities of libations and deciding to enjoy life by pursuing pleasures (bike riding, hiking, camping, fishing, reading, movies, golfing, etc.

Oubliette

Cappytan, great thread!

So I wanna know one thing. Since I'll be labeled as "spiritually weak" if I am "overly critical of elders and the organization," what amount of criticism is acceptable?

How critical can I be without it being "overly"?

lol

51

NEW 2012 Elders book with 2015 Amendments

by Newly Enlightened in

thanks to jw archive wiki we have a pdf of the new elders book.. https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz9z38909t3fh7c/2012-shepherd-the-flock-of-god-ks10_e.pdf?dl=0.

Oubliette

Millie, I'm not sure I understand your questions as they seem to be asking different things.

Let me take them one at a time:

doesnt that have the potential to be stabbing themselves in the foot?

Well the WTBTS and their leaders are always doing that, aren't they. They don't really know how to motivate, but they do know how to manipulate, so that's what they do.

Less men reaching out?

This is always a problem in pretty much every congregation.

When I was an elder, I always wondered why so many long-term "brothers" simply coasted along at the status quo and wouldn't "reach out." Although they didn't seem content to just coast, they would never "do enough" to be appointed as a MS or elder.

Now I believe it that they actually do NOT want to be actively involved. Probably they have serious doubts, maybe they don't believe any of it at all, but they are not willing to take a stand and quit the religion. I'm sure it's usually the family pressure, but likely most of them have not sorted through all the psychological manipulation and control. They simply know they just don't want to do it and are ok being labelled as "spiritually weak" as long as they don't have any "responsibilities" in the congregation and they aren't getting disfellowshipped. It's JW limbo.

Is the new light on brothers not being MS =not being marriage material going to be enough of a carrot to counter the general apathy and lack of reaching out?

I doubt it. It might work on a few individuals. The WTBTS is forever making silly little rules and then saying, "But we aren't making a rule about it!"

Let's review: It's a cult!

51

NEW 2012 Elders book with 2015 Amendments

by Newly Enlightened in

thanks to jw archive wiki we have a pdf of the new elders book.. https://www.dropbox.com/s/mz9z38909t3fh7c/2012-shepherd-the-flock-of-god-ks10_e.pdf?dl=0.

Oubliette

Splash: So you CAN associate with disfellowshipped relatives without fear of being DF'd yourself, so long as you don't discuss spiritual things!

Yes, but anyone that does that "would not qualify for congregation privileges, which require one to be exemplary."

So the elders have a tool of manipulation to hold over anyone that breaks their precious rules: don't let them give talks, hold the mic, pioneer or whatever. Although to most of us here, those things are not important, we know that status is everything in the KH.

Only recently, one of the GB members said in a talk that if a young man was 23 and not yet a MS, then he was not marriage material. Just imagine how congregation members view someone not even qualified to carry a microphone. It's social death.

Let's review: It's a cult!