This year there were only two conventions in Texas. An International Convention at AT&T (Cowboy) Stadium in Arlington, and a Regional Convention in Houston. Projections for the Arlington convention ranged from 60-85K, with attendees coming from OK, AR and LA, no to mention the international delegates; however, the peak attendance on Sunday was 50,000.
Rufus T. Firefly
JoinedPosts by Rufus T. Firefly
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International Convention in Arlington, Texas
by Rufus T. Firefly inthis year there were only two conventions in texas.
an international convention at at&t (cowboy) stadium in arlington, and a regional convention in houston.
projections for the arlington convention ranged from 60-85k, with attendees coming from ok, ar and la, no to mention the international delegates; however, the peak attendance on sunday was 50,000..
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Australian Government publishes on official web site the current Jehovah's Witnesses "Handling of Child Abuse" confidential letter to all bodies of elders (October 1, 2012)
by jwleaks inthe current jehovah's witnesses official child abuse handling procedure letter to all bodies of elders (october 1, 2012) has been placed into public domain by the australian (victoria) government "inquiry into the handling of child abuse by religious oganisations".. official government web site link to letter:.
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/fcdc/inquiries/57th/child_abuse_inquiry/submissions/steven_unthank_supp_a_appendix_1.pdf.
short link:.
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Rufus T. Firefly
"By your words you will be condemned." (Matt. 12:37)
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MATTHEW 18:14-17 What do Jesus' words teach ?.......ostracism
by LaFrancia inwhat do jesus' words teach ?.
15moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go and reveal his fault between you and him alone.
if he listens to you, you have gained your brother.. .
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Rufus T. Firefly
Below is a link to an article about ostracism being worse than bullying. Many have seen/read the 1947 AWAKE! article entitled 'Are You Also Excommunicated?' in which the WTS denounced the Catholic practice as being of pagan origin and having no basis in scripture. Five short years later, the WTS began its practice of disfellowshipping/ostracism/shunning. There is a scriptural basis for Christian disfellowshipping, but not the way the WTS practices it. Christian disfellowshipping serves ONLY to protect the reputation of the Christian congegation, not to sever family bonds and social friendships. JWs misuse disfellowshipping and misapply scriptures such as 1 Cor. 5:11 (dealing with unrepentant evildoers) and 2 John 9-11 (dealing with antichrists) in order to do so. I am of the opinion that the JW form of disfellowshipping actually fosters sociopathic attitudes and behaviors among JWs who conform to it.
http://news.ubc.ca/2014/05/29/better-to-be-bullied-than-ignored-in-the-workplace-study/
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JWs should have listened to Mark Twain
by Rufus T. Firefly in.
"jws: frequently wrong, but never in doubt.
" ~ rufus t. firefly .
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Rufus T. Firefly
"It's not what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." ~ Mark Twain
"JWs: Frequently wrong, but never in doubt." ~ Rufus T. Firefly
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Jason Cobb on the new tithing arrangement (this is good!)
by Rufus T. Firefly inhttp://jtv-podcast.tumblr.com/post/87641202438/the-wheat-and-the-weeds-updates-on-the.
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They are more focussed on the EVENT or ACTIVITY, rather than the substance of the information presented
by stuckinarut2 inhave you noticed how the org, and individuals are more concerned about the actual event such as the international conventions, rather than the content of the program?.
i often shake my figurative head (ok, literal one too!
), as i see the all the hype being generated by the act of attending, and think that most are not actually interested in the stuff that will be presented, but are more concerned about simply being there or getting there..... and, they are more focussed on the activity of a campaign, such as a tract work, or invitation hand out, rather than the actual content of the material.. .
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Rufus T. Firefly
Good observation, stuckinarut2. Even while I was engaging in distributing invitations to conventions or to the Memorial, I frequently observed to my fellow JWs that the act of inviting was more for US than for the ones to whom we gave the fliers. It built up anticipation for the JWs, and it probably ensured a larger turnout. But I always left the event feeling let down, and I sensed that others did, too.
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Scriptural Basis for Obedience to GB?
by mrhhome ini have a genuine question for the jw apologist.
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what is your scriptural justification for your unquestioning obedience to the governing body and your unwillingness to question their intepretation of scripture?.
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Rufus T. Firefly
Nevermind the scriptural basis for OBEYING the GB. I'd like to see the scriptural EVIDENCE that the GB is the "faithful and discreet slave." Where did Jesus say the "faithful and discreet slave" should be obeyed? "Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Heb. 5:14)
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Misquote in the Creation Book
by ILoveTTATT inmy dad came into the jw's because someone studied the "creation" book with him.
it pains me deeply that he sent me an e-mail recently saying that to keep the peace with my mom, he will stop communicating with me as much as possible.
i should communicate with him only if i have an emergency.. it upsets me to no end, but i cannot do anything or much about it.
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Rufus T. Firefly
Hey, ILoveTTATT, send me your father's mailing address in a private message, and I will mail him some information that will start him to thinking. It's not apostate litarature, either, but something which was printed in the Watchtower. Just an idea. In any event, I wish you well!
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JWs under scrutiny in Finland
by Mickey mouse inhttp://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.
more at link.
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Rufus T. Firefly
Incredible! Thanks for posting this!
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What role (witting or unwitting) did HAYDEN C. COVINGTON play in the Watchtower DF policy flip-flop?
by Terry inwhat 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!.
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Rufus T. Firefly
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.”