Posts by no-zombie

16

Depression and big pharma drugs

by Anonymous666 in

i'm going to drop a bomb shell here for all you who think you know something about depression.

most depression cases are being cause by the food and drug administration.

they are putting things in certain foods that they know will affect certain people especially those who have gluten problems.

no-zombie

For those who are really interested (as compared to those who just like to repeat the anti-medication mantra) ... Lithium is only prescribed for those who have been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression). For the other kinds of depressive illnesses (like Major Depression) doctors prescribe SSRIs. Other people with anxiety based disorders, they have their own specific medications.

On the topic of what causes these problems, the medical evidence clearly lays it out as a nature/nurture issue. Some have a genetic tendency to be susceptible depression (much like some do towards alcoholism), others do not. BUT under extreme circumstances, almost everybody can be driven into a state of very poor mental health when medical intervention is the only way recovery is possible.

Praying, going to yoga classes, having magic crystals or thinking happy thoughts does not cure depression. You can try them if you like, but you'll only get worse ... no matter what you think.

19

On the anniversary of Anthony Morris' Resignation

by Vanderhoven7 in

strange that after 2 years we still don't know the facts about anthony's resignation.

grant davus writes:.

the announcement.

no-zombie

Its relevant to recall that when Ray Franz was removed from the Governing Body, all the books he had either co-wrote or organized were immediately removed from global circulation. Remember too, how the Society has gone to the effort of modifying publication covers, just to remove one individual from its art work. Why? To clearly unperson them. Thus demonstrating that it has been a long standing GB policy, to remove (or rather scrub away) anyone or anything that is perceived to embarrassment to their reputation.

25

HER HANDBAG TOLD HER TO STOP PREACHING

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/qzpj3kzgidi?si=x1xazpqmed1zq5h2.

ah, yes, another shining example of the watchtower’s *unmatched* commitment to rational thought.

forget logic, science, or even basic common sense—just blame that suspiciously cursed handbag for all your troubles!

no-zombie

Yep ... in Australia it was a thing around in the 80's too. I used to hear these kinds of 'experiences' in public talks all the time, used as another proof that we had the Truth. It was drilled into us so much, that none of us used to go thrift shops, just in case those secondhand shoes came with a free demon.

5

Is the US a democracy or a republic? Yes

by blondie in

jw
friends

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/10/1122089076/is-america-a-democracy-or-a-republic-yes-it-is.

throughout our history we have functioned as both.

put another way, we have utilized characteristics of both.

no-zombie

How can the America be a Democracy, when the ONLY way you can become President is, if you are either mega-rich or mega-influential? As there is not a Democracy in the world, where presidential candidates have to be willing to raze and spend $1.4 billion USD (as in the case of Trump did last year) to win in it AND have the right social and business connections.

Don't fool yourselves. The US is not a Democracy ... is a Plutocracy ... and has been since the late 1800s.

17

JW internal culture is destroying everything that makes a Jehovah’s Witness

by ukpimo in

the entire internal religious culture of the watchtower organization is harmful for its current members.

the culture seems to traverse ethnic and national barriers.

however, the worst of each culture all around the world appears to have a symbiotic relationship with the religion in an attempt to make the org fanciful in every nation and locality.

no-zombie

I believe that the turning point for Witness culture was in 1980, when the Bethel purges began after the Disfellowshiping of Ray Franz.

Much like the advice given to King Rehoboam in 1 Kings 14 ... a rod of iron began to pelt the backs of the Brotherhood, seeking to stamp out any form of disloyalty. This (as most here will remember) took to form of hard-line WT articles on apostasy, increasing the oversight by the COs, a ban on independent bible study groups and an direct instruction to stop elders from arranging social gatherings.

Not that there was problems actually, but the fear to loosing control was enough to remove any form of locally organized activities and recreation, which directly contributed to the splintering of the collective spirit congregations generally bring.

And while it has take some time, its now quite clear that the very thing Governing Body didn't want back then ... has now quietly but fully been manifested in the form of lip service by the rank and file, with Publishers doing basically whatever they want.

8

Struggling

by Kelley959 in

i hope this is the right place to post this.

if not, please remove.

this is a long post, sorry for the rant, but i have been debating posting this for a while.

no-zombie

to Kelley959

Its ok to rant and complain here ... as most of us had done so over the years. And while you will end up seeing that we've have come to this forum for different reasons, the one thing that you will find (something that will not be able to have in any Kingdom Hall) is the freedom to speak your mind, without being negatively judged. So just do it and unburden your soul.

Welcome aboard.

52

They are running out of people to do their stuff.

by liam in

this is the watchtower study article being studied today.

so it’s the current new light!.

what are the new qualifications to be an “elder-aka older man...and circuit overseer?.

no-zombie

As I have said for years ... demographics is everything ... absolutely EVERYTHING. Whole nations, whole empires have disappeared due to inevitable reality of demographic forces.

So when there is no young people left in a congregation, you can't magically create them, no matter what you now do or promise. Why ... because you have to give birth to them and grow them, as a part of a 20 year investment ... and they should want to stay.

Which of course means the Governing Body has killed its own future and the future of the Organization by making the religion so fucking boring, everyone wants to get out as soon as they can. Even the so-called 10 year plan, is now far too late to have any impact upon our rapidly aging religion.

The bus for meaningful change, left the station a long time ago.

27

Making Friends with Babylon the Great: Watchtower’s New Goal

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/iv_uifab-qg?si=ttnajiuizmtqlte9.

it began during the last annual meeting of 2014 and now is trikling down to their watchtower magazines, this new "live and let live" attitude towards people of other faiths, or as they were known as babylon the great soon to be dead in the hands of god members.but it is a new different story, so let's read paragraph 15 from study article 15:.

"jehovah is kind to both the righteous and the unrighteous.

no-zombie

While I applaud the wishful thinking of others, I do belief that many read into Watchtower articles too deeply, to see in effect what they want to see.

For example, hoping that Governments will see a softening of this or that teaching, is just not going to work, as the Australian Royal Commission proved. Meaning that, unless something is clearly stated in (or removed from) the KS book (yeh I do know that it's now called the Shepherd the Flock Book) it will not be admissible in court or taken as a serious doctrinal redirection.

Thus until that publication removes the Interfaith paragraph from the section dealing with Apostasy, as a disfellowshiping matter ... it is pointless to get overly excited about this thread.

Sorry.

40

How Do JWs Understand Salvation & What Is Needed to Obtain It?

by LauraLynn in

from my experience within the jw organization, i understood that salvation meant a person accepted the teachings of the wbts without question as the "faithful and discrete slave," thereby placing their trust in them, not jesus christ.

salvation consisted of being found "righteous" by jehovah and resurrected to everlasting life in an earthly paradise.

to obtain this salvation, one needed to obey the organization's teachings, remain a faithful jw, and lead a moral life.

no-zombie

Unfortunately, this statement ... Those who will not be resurrected for a crack at life will include those who rejected the life-saving message of Jehovah’s Witnesses advertised since 1919 ... is not correct. As, all who died before Armageddon will have a resurrection. And the expression often quoted as to a resurrection of life or a resurrection of judgement, refers to the outcome of a resurrected person because of their post-Armageddon's conduct only.

40

How Do JWs Understand Salvation & What Is Needed to Obtain It?

by LauraLynn in

from my experience within the jw organization, i understood that salvation meant a person accepted the teachings of the wbts without question as the "faithful and discrete slave," thereby placing their trust in them, not jesus christ.

salvation consisted of being found "righteous" by jehovah and resurrected to everlasting life in an earthly paradise.

to obtain this salvation, one needed to obey the organization's teachings, remain a faithful jw, and lead a moral life.

no-zombie

If this question is asked in all seriousness, my answer would be that the specifics of salvation (for either the heavenly or earthly hope) from successive generations of Governing Bodies, is rather vague. Whether is is a deliberate attempt of maintaining a dependency on the Organization or not, I don't know. However the official position lies somewhere between being a faith based justification and a works based one.

Like many things in our faith, much is short on details ... I guessing because ultimately its easier for them, being not pinned down.