When I was going to Book Study meetings in the late 80s, the hosting Elder had a boy who was maybe 4 years old. The child was forced to sit perfectly still during the study. If he so much as squirmed the Dad would tAke him to the back room to whip him. Even at that time I felt it was child abuse. Years later, when that child was a late teen, I heard that he had grown a beard and long hair, and refused to be a JW. Since he still lived at home, that prevented the Dad from serving as an Elder, because he had a rebellious son. My thoughts when I heard this: Good for the kid. It serves his Dad right for the harsh discipline he used. I was glad he was barred from being an Elder. What goes around, comes around.
NAVYTOWN
JoinedPosts by NAVYTOWN
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22
Since The Bible Sponsors Disciplining Your Children Do JWs Say It Is OK Spank A Child?
by minimus inis it ok to spank your kids?
is it ok to discipline them using any force?.
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Funny about me and College
by whatzup ini have woke up for almost 2 years now.
i'm still a jw.
actually i'm a regular pioneer ready to quit it and just become a publisher and go to back to college.
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NAVYTOWN
First of all, go to the college where you were accepted and ask to see a guidance counselor. Then tell that person exactly what you have told us. There are ways they can test you to see what fields of study you would do best in. Also consider any classes from high school you may have enjoyed and excelled at. Maybe begin with similar college classes as a way to get started. If there is a school psychologist you might make an appointment to see him or her for additional help in sorting things out. Start out slowly by taking a few classes at a time, so as to not get overwhelmed. Mainly, STOP attending any Witness-related meetings. If asked, just say you are having personal issues that are between you and Jehovah. Thank them for their concern and say you will contact them when you require their help. Of course, it's imperative that you NOT tell any Witnesses that you are going to college. They would only tend to have negative, discouraging reactions. Wishing you all the best!!! Keep us updated on how things are going.
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can anyone tell me how to fly under the radar of the elders?
by purrpurr ini have all my family in the cult and was brought up in it myself.
although mentally i'm out if i leave i loose all my family and that would break my heart.
i've somehow got to fly under the radar and not be detected.
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NAVYTOWN
I agree with everything that has been said. One other option is to just choose several congregations in your general area and rotate meeting attendance between all of them. So that way if you are asked ' where were you last Sunday?' you can simply say that you 'had' to attend elsewhere. Then say the same thing at every meeting you attend. Since you are still attending meetings what can they say?? Then after while your original congregation Elders will stop 'expecting' you to be there. They will just assume you are attending at another congregation. And since you are still 'attending' meetings elsewhere what can they really say about it?? Then after a few months just gradually stop attending any meeting regularly. Skip more and more meetings and your fade will be a success. Maybe still attend a meeting every few months just to show you are still involved. That should keep your family off your back. Anyway, those are my suggestions. Good luck.
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Do you have hope for mankind?
by noontide inlet me start off by acknowledging that my current mood/thoughts reflect the fact that ive watched a few documentaries recently (blackfish, surviving progress, etc.
) and they got me thinking about the future of mankind.
mainly the question, do i hold out hope for the future of mankind?.
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NAVYTOWN
I'm very surprised when people fail to mention Artificial intelligence as THE biggest future threat to humankind. At the rate AI research and development is going, by the end of this century at the latest, there will be artificially intelligent humanoids FAR more intelligent than any human being. Once these have been created and become self-replicating, humans will then be second on the IQ rankings. And how long will it be before these super- intelligent 'beings' decide that 10 billion humans are WAY too many for the Earth to support. And with the humans now being second in intelligence, why keep them around at all?? This is to me the biggest threat humanity as we know it will face in the next 100 years. Some may call this too far-fetched. But, wouldn't the Internet have been considered equally impossible to people who were living back in 1900???
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I AGREE WITH THE JWs: THE 'SOUL' DOESN'T EXIST
by NAVYTOWN ini agree with the witnesses about almost nothing, but i do think they have the right idea when it concerns the 'soul'.
it is my belief that there is no such entity as a 'soul' that resides in a human being.
the idea originated in ancient, pre-scientific eras.
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NAVYTOWN
I agree with the Witnesses about almost nothing, but I do think they have the right idea when it concerns the 'soul'. It is my belief that there is no such entity as a 'soul' that resides in a human being. The idea originated in ancient, pre-scientific eras. The Bible is inaccurate about so many things, why should we believe it's references to there existing a so-called 'soul'? Our consciousness is a product of our physical body, which is a biological organism with a finite beginning and a finite ending. When our bodies cease to function, our brain and our senses cease to operate. Without these, we are not 'conscious' of anything. We are dead...forever. There is no 'soul' to 'live on' and go to Heaven or a Paradise Earth. Contrary to the Witness belief, our physical bodies do not somehow reappear in order to 'live forever'. That is called Magical Thinking. There is ABSOLUTELY ZERO EVIDENCE of there being an entity such as a 'soul'. We are born, we live, we die. Like it or not, that is the way it is. Exactly why we should make the most of the ONE LIFE we now have. After we die we are gone...forever. But, I will be willing to consider any concrete evidence that a 'soul' exists.
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Pope Francis declares evolution and Big Bang theory are real (shows the way to JWs?)
by exWTslave inpope thus admits that every verse of the bible is not literally inspired.
it is like a story that is built to awaken the readers to some principles (not to educate the readers the historicity with all the minute details).. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-declares-evolution-and-big-bang-theory-are-right-and-god-isnt-a-magician-with-a-magic-wand-9822514.html.
if gb is wise enough, they can come out of the mess they have gone into, making use of this opportunity that pope has opened saying bible is not to be taken literally.
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NAVYTOWN
I'm happy with what the Pope said about the Big Babg and Evolution. But I disagree with the Catholic Bible about 'Adam' being the first human with a 'soul'. First of I, I think the story of 'Adam & Eve' is a mythological tale, not to be taken literally at all. Many ancient cultures had similar stories about the origination of humans. Secondly, I disagree with the notion that humans have a 'soul'. There is absolutely zero evidence that such a thing as a 'soul' resides in a human being. The idea of there being a soul within humans originated in an ancient, pre-scientific era. I view humans as strictly biological organisms, with our life and consciousness a product of our physical bodies. When our body ceases to function, we cease to live. Period! There is nothing that 'lives on' and goes to Heaven or to a Paradise Earth. So our best bet is to make the most of the one life we have NOW, while our bodies are alive. Not everyone will agree with the opinions I've expressed. Any comments are welcome. Including any 'evidence' that a 'soul' actually exists, other than in mythology.
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Pope says Big bang and Evolution are correct !
by Phizzy infrom the u.k independent newspaper :.
" the theories of evolution and the big bang are real and god is not a magician with a magic wand, pope francis has declared.. speaking at the pontifical academy of sciences, the pope made comments which experts said put an end to the pseudo theories of creationism and intelligent design that some argue were encouraged by his predecessor, benedict xvi.. francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator arguing instead that they require it.. when we read about creation in genesis, we run the risk of imagining god was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything.
but that is not so, francis said.. he added: he created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfilment.. the big bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it.. evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.. the catholic church has long had a reputation for being anti-science most famously when galileo faced the inquisition and was forced to retract his heretic theory that the earth revolved around the sun.. but pope franciss comments were more in keeping with the progressive work of pope pius xii, who opened the door to the idea of evolution and actively welcomed the big bang theory.
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NAVYTOWN
As for the Big Bang Theory, I think that SOME force must have set it in motion.....but exactly what this force really was we can't know for certain. There is far more to life and the Universe than we know at present, but I DON'T think the churches have the ultimate answers to these questions. I personally don't need to have everything explained by a 2000+ year old book derived from the fevered imaginations of the Bible's authors. Some things we just don't know for certain.....that position leaves room for new, updated knowledge.....and I'm OK with that. I don't require 'certainty' based on Bible myths.
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I am confused on the JW's 1000 year reign doctrine. Please explain it to me.
by booker-t ini have always thanked randy/dogpatch for creating free-minds because i always felt i was the only one that felt that jw's were teaching some nonsense.
i admit i still think they got some of their teachings correct but one doctrine i think is full of bologne is the 1000 year reign doctrine.
if jesus came into power in 1914 and now it is 2014 does that mean jws believe it will only be a 900 year reign?
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NAVYTOWN
Just to clarify a bit: It's all totally made-up nonsense. Forget about it.
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Why did Jehovah Forbid Using the Kingdom Hall as A Social Community Center?
by scotoma inobviously he didn't.. so now they can because the dictators say it's ok.. and jw's think their religion isn't a high control group?.
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NAVYTOWN
Other ways in which JWs are behind the times compared to other Christian churches: Many churches now feature a coffee stand for attendees to gather around before and after services. But the witnesses don't have such amenities. Plus no activities for young children during the meetings. No matter how much the GB tries to make the Witnesses seem 'relevant' to the modern world, they are still pitifully outdated. No wonder teens are leaving in droves. Not to mention the absolute TEDIUM of the meetings themselves. And the absurd 'formal' attire required. As if 'Jehovah' really cares what type of clothing a worshipper is wearing. Lastly, every congregation has a fair share of eccentrics and plain weirdoes......which makes a 'normal' new visitor run for the exits. Who really wants to be a part of such a nutty group of people??
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The Witness beliefs remind me of the Nazis and ISIS
by NAVYTOWN inthe nazi regime hated jews, gays, jws and other minorities.
so they solved the 'problem' by exterminating them.
the current isis group hates jews and christians and beheads those it considers 'enemies' and 'infidels'.
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NAVYTOWN
The Nazi regime hated Jews, gays, JWs and other minorities. So they solved the 'problem' by exterminating them. The current ISIS group hates Jews and Christians and beheads those it considers 'enemies' and 'infidels'. The average Brain-washed Witness holds the firm belief that 'Jehovah' will murder billions on non-JWs soon, and they look forward to this event. They firmly believe that those murdered persons DESERVE to be killed simply for holding different beliefs from the JW dogma. My question is: Isn't the Witnesses salivating over the prospect of their 'enemies' being justifiably murdered essentially the same mindset as that of the Nazis and ISIS??? The ultimate message is the same: it's OK to murder people who hold different beliefs. To me it''s an EVIL philosophy no matter which group is promoting it.