Posts by Rufus T. Firefly

18

JWs under scrutiny in Finland

by Mickey mouse in

http://yle.fi/uutiset/ngo_calls_on_ministry_to_probe_closed_religious_groups_jehovahs_witnesses_under_scrutiny/7219755.

sorry i'm on a tablet so can't make the above clickable.

What role (witting or unwitting) did HAYDEN C. COVINGTON play in the Watchtower DF policy flip-flop?

by Terry in

what if i told you three presidents of the watch tower corporation at one time held the following to be true?.

excommunication (shunning/disfellowship) is used by false religion to stifle honest inquiry.. ironic?

well, duh!.

We do not burn people at the stake any more. But how far removed are we from that Dark Ages ritual when we tear families apart through the misuse of disfellowshipping by misapplying scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 2 John 9-11? With that thought in mind, please consider the following:

In her book, The Sociopath Next Door, Dr. Martha Stout’s working definition of a sociopath is one completely devoid of conscience. She refers to the conscience as the seventh sense. Under the subheading ‘Moral Exclusion,’ Dr. Stout suggests that whenever someone is excluded from our moral universe, ”interventions of conscience no longer apply to him. He is not human. He is an ‘it.’ And unfortunately, this transformation of a [person] into an ‘it’ makes him scarier as well.

“Sometimes people appear to deserve our moral exclusion. . . But in most cases, our tendency to reduce people to non-beings is neither considered nor conscious, and throughout history our proclivity to dehumanize has too often been turned against the essentially innocent. The list of out groups that some portion of humankind has at one time or another demoted to the status of hardly even human is extremely long.

“And once the other group has become populated by ‘its,’ anything goes, especially if someone in authority gives the order. Conscience is no longer necessary, because conscience binds us to other beings and not to ‘its.’ Conscience still exists, may even be very exacting, but it applies only to my countrymen, my friends, and my children, not yours. You may be excluded from my moral universe, and with impunity—and maybe even praise from others in my group—I can now drive you from your home, or shoot your family, or burn you alive.”

Under the subheading ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes,’ Dr. Stout writes: “When conscience falls into a profound trance, when it sleeps through acts of torture, war, and genocide, political leaders and other prominent individuals can make the difference between a gradual awakening of our seventh sense and a continued amoral nightmare. History teaches that attitudes and plans coming from the top dealing pragmatically with problems of hardship and insecurity in the group, rather than scapegoating an out group, can help us return to a more realistic view of the “others.” In time, moral leadership can make a difference. But history shows us also that a leader with no seventh sense can hypnotize the group conscience still further, redoubling catastrophe. Using fear-based propaganda to amplify a destructive ideology, such a leader can bring the members of a frightened society to see the ‘its’ as the sole impediment to the good life, for themselves and maybe even for humanity as a whole, and the conflict as an epic battle between good and evil. Once these beliefs have been disseminated, crushing the ‘its’ without pity or conscience can, with chilling ease, become an incontrovertible mandate.”

Interestingly, the Watch Tower Society once criticized the Catholic Church's practice of excommunicating Church members.

“The [Catholic] Hierarchy’s excommunication . . . is altogether foreign to Bible teachings.

“The Encyclopedia Britannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence. . . It was therefore after Catholicism adopted its pagan practices, A.D. 325, that this new chapter in religious excommunication was written.

“Therefore, as the *pretensions* of the Hierarchy increased, the *weapon* of excommunication became the instrument by which the clergy attained a combination of *ecclesiastical power* and *secular tyranny* that finds no parallel in history.” (January 8, 1947 AWAKE!)

It follows, then, that the manner in which JWs practice disfellowshiping “is altogether foreign to Bible teachings” and not without pagan influence.” Only by misapplying 1 Cor. 5:11 and 2 John 9-11 can the Watch Tower Society justify disfellowshiping conscientious Christians who are neither unrepentant sinners nor antichrists.

Furthermore, notice the phrase “as the pretensions of the Hierarchy increased.” Is it not the height of pretentiousness for the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses to declare themselves to be the faithful and discreet slave? Not even C. T. Russell was so pretentious; rather, when asked by others if he was the faithful and discreet slave, he would reportedly respond, “Some say that I am.”

52

GB's letter regarding UN membership - How Do You Prove Them Wrong?

by will-be-apostate in

i was reading brant jones' experience (published on jwfacts.com).

i read both letters: the one he wrote to the gb and the one he recieved from them.

link: http://jwfacts.com/watchtower/experiences/brantjonesunresponse.pdf.

Rufus T. Firefly

HOW DO YOU PROVE THEM WRONG? SIMPLE!

PLEASE SEE THE ARTICLE "Their Refuge—A Lie!" IN THE JUNE 1, 1991, WATCHTOWER, PAYING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO PARAGRAPHS 1, 10 & 11.

PARAGRAPH 1 CALLS CHRISTENDOM "that apostate religious organization." WHY APOSTATE?

PARAGRAPH 10 ASSERTS THAT "she insinuates herself into the favor of the political leaders of the nations—this despite the Bible’s warning that friendship with the world is enmity with God." TO SUPPORT THAT ASSERTION, PARAGRAPH 11 QUOTES AN UNNAMED “recent book” WHICH REPORTS THAT “no less than twenty-four Catholic organizations are represented at the UN." HOW WERE SUCH ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTED AT THE UN?

THE UNNAMED BOOK QUOTED IN PARAGRAPH 11 IS "NEW GENESIS" BY ROBERT MULLER. (See attachment 1.) THE SENTENCE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE PORTION QUOTED BY THE WATCHTOWER STATES: "All major world religions are accredited to the United Nations as non-governmental organizations." WHY DID THE WATCHTOWER OMIT THAT SIGNIFICANT STATEMENT?

IN THE SAME YEAR AS THAT 1991 WATCHTOWER ARTICLE, THE WATCH TOWER SOCIETY ALSO BECAME ACCREDITED TO THE UN AS A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION, AND SERVED ESSENTIALLY AS PUBLICITY AGENTS FOR THE UN FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS (RE-APPLYING EACH YEAR FOR ACCREDITATION) UNTIL THE ALLIANCE WAS EXPOSED BY THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER IN OCTOBER 2001. (The WTS admits its UN affiliation to its Branch Committee in attachment 2.)

NOTICE THAT THE WTS’ LETTER TO ITS BRANCH COMMITTEE REFERS TO THE GUARDIAN ARTICLE AS "published allegations by opposers," YET LATER STATES, "We are grateful that this matter was brought to our attention." NO MENTION IS MADE OF THE JUNE, 1, 1991, WATCHTOWER ARTICLE.

ACCORDING TO A PUBLIC STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE UN, NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS REGISTERED WITH THE DEPT. OF PUBLIC INFORMATION HAD TO "share the ideals of the UN Charter" AND "have a demonstrated interest in United Nations issues and a proven ability to reach large or specialized audiences." (See attachment 3.)

WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL WATCHTOWER POLICY REGARDING INDIVIDUAL JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES WHO DO WHAT THEIR ORGANIZATION DID?

“A person might renounce his place in the Christian congregation by his actions, such as by becoming part of an organization whose objective is contrary to the Bible, and, hence, is under judgment by Jehovah God. So if one who was a Christian chose to join those who are disapproved of God, it would be fitting for the congregation to acknowledge by a brief announcement that he had disassociated himself and is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” (Sept. 15, 1981, Watchtower, p. 23, par. 15)

“In joining the YMCA as a member a person accepts or endorses the general objectives and principles of the organization. . . Hence, for one of Jehovah’s Witnesses to become a member of such a so-called “Christian” association would amount to apostasy.” (Jan. 1, 1979, Watchtower, p. 31)

ACCORDING TO THE STANDARD BY WHICH IT JUDGED CHRISTENDOM TO BE APOSTATE, SHOULD THE WATCH TOWER SOCIETY LIKEWISE BE VIEWED AS AN APOSTATE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION?

34

There is law that can be applied to being DFed or DA

by Giordano in

jw
friends

http://church-discipline.blogspot.com/2008/01/marian-guinn-vs-church-of-christ.html.

liasobessa brought this site to our attention on another related topic.

as i began to read i found that the information was excellent and extensive.

Rufus T. Firefly

Sorry, Giordano, but your post is incorrect. If a JW resigns or disassociates, no disciplinary action is taken by the congregation. A simple announcement is made that so-and-so is no longer one of jehovah's witnesses. Family and friends who want to avoid being dis-fellowshipped themselves will necessarily shun the ex-jw. The WTS stands on solid legal ground regarding that, especially since 1985. That is what makes the practice so insidious.

15

Jason Cobb's posts documents on Internet

by Rufus T. Firefly in

jw
friends

be sure to read timelines 1 & 2 which include some interesting documents.

jason doesn't seem to realize that the course he has chosen has placed him completely at odds with the wts.

as much as he hates to admit it, he has become the thing he despises most...an apostate.

Rufus T. Firefly

Terry, your point is well taken; however, I wasn't talking about the official teachings of the WTS. I meant that the average JW will disregard the letter of the law if he perceives that it runs contrary to WTS purposes, and I feel that the actions of the elders in the Menlo Park support that conclusion. They clearly violated the law by opening new bank accounts using Jason Cobb's credentials and diverting funds into them.

In his book, In search of Christian Freedom, Ray Franz tells of a JW woman who worked in a doctor's office and who revealed a JW patient's private medical information to local elders which resulted in the patient being dis-fellowshipped. That was a clear violation of State and Federal laws, but the JW felt justified in doing so.

Island Man, I must admit I considered the possibility of your argument. However, the fact is that Jason Cobb has been dis-fellowshipped and by posting confidential memos on the Internet, he surely is considered to be an apostate by the WTS. In fact, he violated a judge's edict that bank records were not to be shared with persons outside of the investigation. So, now it appears that Jason is as guilty as those he is trying to expose.

Outlaw, I love the Mark Twain quote!

15

Jason Cobb's posts documents on Internet

by Rufus T. Firefly in

jw
friends

be sure to read timelines 1 & 2 which include some interesting documents.

jason doesn't seem to realize that the course he has chosen has placed him completely at odds with the wts.

as much as he hates to admit it, he has become the thing he despises most...an apostate.

Rufus T. Firefly

'a watcher' is correct from the JW point of view. JWs believe that Watchtower law supercedes the laws of the land, so Jason should have just held on to his documents, kept quiet and let the whole scheme play out. But I agree with all the other comments, too. Jason still believes the corruption is isolated, not systemic. Jesus said, "A good tree cannot produce worthless fruit. . . By their fruits you will recognize those men." The actions of the GB reflect Jesus' description of the evil slave.

15

Jason Cobb's posts documents on Internet

by Rufus T. Firefly in

jw
friends

be sure to read timelines 1 & 2 which include some interesting documents.

jason doesn't seem to realize that the course he has chosen has placed him completely at odds with the wts.

as much as he hates to admit it, he has become the thing he despises most...an apostate.

Rufus T. Firefly

See www.situation-blog.tumblr.com . Be sure to read Timelines 1 & 2 which include some interesting documents. Jason doesn't seem to realize that the course he has chosen has placed him completely at odds with the WTS. As much as he hates to admit it, he has become the thing he despises most...an apostate. Even the government officials seem to view him as a nut. Now he's added the local police and the District Attorney to his lawsuit, all but insuring it will never go before a jury.

24

Jason Cobb's new podcast explaining Menlo Park scandal

by Rufus T. Firefly in

jw
friends

https://soundcloud.com/jtv-16/jtv-podcast-ep1.

this podcast is very interesting, especially the latter half.

in a nutshell, the scheme is this: after determining that a complete kingdom hall remodel will cost the congregation $100,000.00, the regional building committee arbitrarily inflates the estimate to $250,000.00, fleecing the congregation and misappropriating the additional funds for other purposes.

Rufus T. Firefly

http://situation-blog.tumblr.com/

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LM9J3BS

24

Jason Cobb's new podcast explaining Menlo Park scandal

by Rufus T. Firefly in

jw
friends

https://soundcloud.com/jtv-16/jtv-podcast-ep1.

this podcast is very interesting, especially the latter half.

in a nutshell, the scheme is this: after determining that a complete kingdom hall remodel will cost the congregation $100,000.00, the regional building committee arbitrarily inflates the estimate to $250,000.00, fleecing the congregation and misappropriating the additional funds for other purposes.

Rufus T. Firefly

https://soundcloud.com/jtv-16/jtv-podcast-ep1

This podcast is VERY interesting, especially the latter half. In a nutshell, the scheme is this: After determining that a complete Kingdom Hall remodel will cost the congregation $100,000.00, the Regional Building Committee arbitrarily inflates the estimate to $250,000.00, fleecing the congregation and misappropriating the additional funds for other purposes. Money-laundering, plain and simple. Jason Cobb knows of another congregation in California Circuit 13 where the remodel estimate was $350,000.00!

Jason evidently assumes these are just a few bad apples in the organization; however, Jesus said, "A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit. . . By their fruits you will recognize those men." (Matthew 7:18, 20)

29

Blip! The radar has blipped. I'm on it. 'chat' booked in for Sunday.......

by Captain Blithering in

jw
friends

a young, progressive, kind elder wants to have a chat with me on sunday after the meeting.

we've talked before and been quite open about the judgemental attitudes 'we' have as witnesses, and he was completely in agreement, stating that he's never understood the beard thing among other issues, and wants to see the society moving forward by change..

i've no doubt he just wants to encourage me to up my hours or reach out again, but it's nerve wracking, as i know i'll say something i'll regret.

Rufus T. Firefly

If it is just you and him alone, I would not worry, especially if you ask him if the conversation will be kept in confidence. NEVER speak to two elders. I learned the hard way that they WILL lie and use one another as witnesses against you. I prefer requesting that the elder put anything he has to say to you in a letter. That scares them shitless, to put it mildly.