Posts by Island Man

7

Talking to the Mormons, then the JWs

by Giles Gray in

i have been very lucky in the past month or so.

i have had both the mormons and the jws call on me.. .

the mormons called first.

Island Man

Nice conversation. It would be good if you can secretly record the conversation, maybe with a smart phone, not necessarily so that you can upload the audio online - because I know that publishing such secret recordings might be illegal in some areas - but so that you can give a more detailed, virtually word-for-word transcript of the conversation, without being confined by the limitations of human memory.

17

The insanity continues

by FedUpJW in

as if anymore proof were needed that what used to be the religion i was baptized into has ceased to exist i was asked this insane question, when i mentioned to a jdub that someone i knew was celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

are they witnesses?".

i didn't used to really think about that insane question in the past, but now that i have woke up to ttatt it is glaringly obvious that they think there can be no chance of actually knowing and getting along with anyone outside their tiny circle of conditional friends.

Island Man

"How do you know them? Are they Witnesses?"

I think the best way to respond to this question in a way that would shame the JW and shake some moral sense into him is to say:

"No, he's not a JW. He's a good friend of mine. We met at [such and such]. He is a really good person. What I really appreciate about him is that he doesn't think less of me, or prejudicially judge me as bad association or a danger to him spiritually, just because I'm not a member of his religion. He also does not try to push his religion on me. It's so refreshing to have a friend like him who values me for my personality and does not prejudicially judge me just because I'm not a member of his religion."

26

The bOrg Cult Tactics

by pale.emperor in

i'm wondering if the borg actually studied mind control and coercion tactics deliberately or wether they just evolved over time through trial and error.

from reading steve hassans books, studying hypnosis and methods psychopaths use it all seems very complex.

like it would never occur to me to do a, b and c in the right order at the right time in order to get control of someone or control their lives.. for example, repetition of words (the word "loyalty" was a big one in the last convention), using loaded language, encouraging people not to trust their own thoughts, restricting their information, demonising those who leave etc.

Island Man

Yes and no.

Yes they deliberately use psychological manipulation. Why do I say this? Look at the BE book that was used in the theocratic ministry school. Look at the many speech counsels that are used in there that involve psychological tactics of persuasion. Look at the use of images and drawings in the literature and the great attention to detail that go into them. Look at how these images are designed to appeal to the emotions and reinforce stereotypes about worldly people. It is very plain to see that much deliberate effort goes into brainwashing rank and file JWs.

However, the leadership does not consider their psychologically manipulative tactics as being nefarious or unethical. They are not using these tactics with the guilt and knowledge that they are using unethical cult tactics. In their own minds, they are just using very effective methods of reaching the hearts of people. If it is pointed out to them that their methods amount to brainwashing then they dismiss the claim as being nothing more than hateful rhetoric by worldly opposers and apostates. They will even say that the members minds are washed clean of the satanic filth of the world. See Samuel Herd's first hosting of JW broadcasting, as an example of this. Call them a cult and they say Jesus' followers were labeled as a sect.

So I believe they are deliberately using tactics of manipulation, but without realizing that these tactics are actually unethical cult tactics. They have convinced themselves that they are very effective teachers using very effective methods of persuasion and reaching the heart. If it is pointed out to them that they are using unethical cult practices then they go into denial and say that they're being maligned just as first century christians were maligned.

21

Why aren't there windows in the KH?

by longgone in

the last kh i attended, (faded) was built in 2014. there are no windows anywhere, although the front doors are glass.

.

it's nothing but a brown brick rectangle, as nondescript as possible as well.. any thoughts about why?.

Island Man

I think its a security and cost reduction issue. Here in the Caribbean (at least in my country) where the incidence of break-ins is low and the climate is warm year round, all the kingdom halls have lots of windows.

I believe windowless KHs are a feature in temperate countries (windows result in greater heat loss in winter, increasing heating costs) and where there is a higher incidence of break-ins.

21

By Way of Announcement, Darlene Jefferson Has Been Disfellowshiped

by Cold Steel in

i was watching a jw video where the announcement was made of a young lady's being disfellowshiped, and it happened in a regular kh sunday meeting.

this struck me as being a bit...cold.

is this when the shunning begins?

Island Man

"Who wants to be DF'ed and treated like crap when they could keep it between themselves and God?"

Many do. Those that get DFd are mainly those that get caught by other JWs doing "serious" sins. They are then reported to the elders if they don't go themselves and confess their sin. A few sinners are plagued by guilt and voluntarily go and confess their sins without being caught by anyone. But they are probably in the minority.

The number of people who are DF'd and reproved is not representative of all the "serious" sinning going on. Many JWs secretly carry on "serious" sins like smoking, celebrating holidays, fornication, etc. Those that are reproved or DF'd are only those that have been found out.

There is even a JW expression - "living a double life" - to refer to a JW who is a good JW in the presence of other JWs, but is breaking the rules when not around JWs.

14

Oct 2021 Time Capsule

by LevelThePlayingField in

what do you think the jw religion will be like in oct 2021?

if we go back five years from oct 2016 you get 2011. there was no jw.org, really pretty much no tablets, most people were using paper copies for everything.

now that's all changed.

Island Man

I think we will see larger congregations. With the consolidation going on where they sell kingdom halls and incorporate the members into other congregations we can expect to see bigger congregations.

Also, I think they will start lightening the load of the elders at the meetings by having meeting parts video recorded. Maybe they will start it with the annual special talks. They'll have them pre-recorded by a GB member or one of the helpers, then have it shown at the kingdom hall.

Because of the shortage of brothers, they might also have convention parts/talks video-streamed to multiple convention sites simultaneously.

In short, expect to see more emphasis on the use of technology to impress the membership, keeping them focused on Watchower's modern, impressive packaging and distracted from the vacuous, illogical and downright erroneous message.

I think the Awake magazine's days are numbered. I think we will eventually see a single, 20-something page quarterly magazine instead of the 11 page monthly alternating Watchtower and Awake magazines.

101

Are Gods true worshippers on Earth today? If they are not JWs then who are they?

by Formerbrother in

is there gods true worshipers on earth today as jesus said there would be?

if they are not jws then who are they?.

who else comes close to being gods true followers today?.

Island Man

If the god of the bible is real and the NT is to be believed, then God's true worshipers are scattered among weeds and will remain that way until the very end when the angels come to separate the weeds from the wheat at the great tribulation/armageddon.

There is no one true organization. There are only true individuals. Perhaps these true individuals, in obedience to the Bible's strong words against sectarianism, rightly refuse to align themselves with any of the named denominations in existence today.

I think true christians who really love God and Christ, would not be involved in the kind of petty sectarianism and promoting one denomination over all others the way sports fans back their favorite team at all cost. The true worshipers would not be promoting and drawing attention to a sect or an organization. They would be promoting and drawing attention to God and Christ.

Furthermore, I would say that those looking for a one true group to follow are looking for the easy way out. They are looking for the broad road of convenience and are avoiding the narrow difficult road of personal responsibility to study, understand and apply the bible on their own with the help of god's spirit. They also lack true faith in the power of God's spirit to lead them. They need visible men to lead them and tell them what to do. They are unable to worship without having an imposing visible organization to look to and depend on. Deep down, they are lazy idolaters who don't want to do the hard work of worshiping in spirit. They want to set their focus on things seen instead of focusing on the things unseen. These are the ones that get sucked in and misled by the weeds because they have not taken Jesus' illustration of the wheat and weeds to heart, but choose instead to believe the false, self-serving interpretations of this illustration that is given them by religious organizations intent on exploiting and manipulating them.

If there is no God, then the confusions, factual errors and logical fallacies so rampant in the Bible and all religions, make perfect sense.

11

Another WT quote taken out of context from Author

by LevelThePlayingField in

in this weeks mid week meeting the society is trying to explain why humans are a higher level of being than animals and then they say this: .

12 “so, to me how precious your thoughts are!

o god, how much does the grand sum of them amount to!

Island Man

I wouldn't say the quote was taken out of context. The purpose of the quote was to lend credence to the idea that humans have special abilities that other animals lack. I think that all evolutionary biologists will agree with that. It is not like they were attempting to suggest that the textbook promotes creation or is anti-evolution. This is not like the quotes in the Creation book where they chopped up quotes and took them out of context to make it seem like the scientists were doubting evolution. I think the quote made here was fair.

But I would say that they were a bit sneaky in not stating the source for fear that JWs would find the actual book and read it. I would also say that the quote shows Watchtower's intellectual dishonesty in the way it cherry-picks information quoting only what suits its purpose while ignoring, discrediting and denying what doesn't. It's a remarkable example of cherry picking information. But I wouldn't say it is out of context.

4

Using Pokemon Go to spread apostasy!

by slimboyfat in

i tried to post this yesterday but the picture must have been too big.

i don't know how to choose a smaller option.,.

anyway, for any pokemon go players here: i noticed there is a pokemon go gym in the city right next to the where jws have their trolleys.

Island Man

Good idea.

12

At last something about JWs on a German news site.

by Driving Force in

for anybody who understands german.. http://www.n-tv.de/panorama/masha-16-jahre-zeugin-jehovas-article18689741.html.

it is quite rare that a german news site actually puts something up about jws, after all they are insignificant from a newsworthy point of view.

but i like the fact that they have put this up..

Island Man

If you visit the site with Google Chrome browser a little box will pop up to the top right of the page giving you the option to translate it. If you don't have Google Chrome browser installed on your computer, WTF is wrong with you?!