if you're unaware of the letter tinged with anti-semitism and offering tacit approval that rutherford wrote to hitler, see this article on jwfacts.. so, we all know the witnesses were persecuted quite a bit during the war years.
i personally had family that was in jail with brother schroder in the 40's for the crime of "peddling.
i'm an agnostic fader, however i still think the mob violence against the witnesses was deplorable.
The JW's were practically the Westboro Baptist Church back then.
They begged for trouble and then screamed "Persecution!"
Look back at the Awakes from that time. It is shocking what they were passing off as "spiritual" literature. Especially the political cartoons. It's a wonder more didn't get shot.
-TE
i was thinking about green handshakes, and i knew my wife and i personally would try to slide at least $100 each c.o visit to the c.o.
if we were low on cash, we'd never hand him less than $20.
how many of such handshakes does he receive in a weeks time?
I think it is a case by case thing. I do know that some get a lot. Expensive trips, clothes, money. I know one that is now in a sister's will. He will be a millionaire when she dies.
I think some are better at working the system than others. Heck Ray Franz was a GB member and left with barely a pot to pee in.
-TE
i met with a good family friend of mine who is a jw but will still hang out with me...apparently after this last time trying to encourage me.
lol.
but i shared a fraction of how i feel about the organization not to disrespect his beliefs, he just went off on the usual well it's an organization run by imperfect men and you can let the people affect you and need to remember it's the right religion and we need to put all that aside.
I was at a convention once a few years ago, and the visiting bethel "heavy" kept saying:
"We are the most perfect imperfect organization on earth!" .....Followed by applause.
What does that even mean?
-TE
i received an email from one of the elder in the local congregation.
i am not dfed so there is not a problem there, i am just an aggressive fader.. one of the last things i said to this elder before i stopped all activities was that i do not agree with the borg taking all the assets from the congregations.. here is what the elder said in the email:.
"i recently saw something while looking through the jw broadcasting for the month of may and i though about you.
Oubliette,
Didn't you love the passive aggressive way Lett said "We don't send all Jehovah's Witnesses a bill."
In other words "We should send your sorry asses a bill for all we do for you!" What deluded entitlement.
-TE
i received an email from one of the elder in the local congregation.
i am not dfed so there is not a problem there, i am just an aggressive fader.. one of the last things i said to this elder before i stopped all activities was that i do not agree with the borg taking all the assets from the congregations.. here is what the elder said in the email:.
"i recently saw something while looking through the jw broadcasting for the month of may and i though about you.
There is really no reason at this point to "teach" JW's anything about TTATT. It's online for anyone with the searching capabilities of a 4 year old...
The main point I am making with my wife lately is pointing out the absence of a public financial statement that lets people know where their donation is going (like all respectable charities). A third party audit would be even better. I'll be sure and hold my breath for that one.
If you want to stir the pot for the fun of it, and aren't worried about the consequences, then you could ask whether there is an "accounts report" from Brooklyn that the elders get to see. You could say that you don't even need to see it yourself, you just would feel better to know it was available at least to elders (there is no such report of course).
You could add "Common sense always says follow the money, but this organization doesn't allow you to do that. Having faith is one thing, but demanding blind faith seems unnecessary."
-TE
our current co has not been in the org all that long, less than 10 years, and already quite a respected overseer.
i know of a few married couples in the spanish congs that are doing everything right, you know, with the theocratic schooling, the pioneering, etc., and... nothing!.
how do some seem to reach certain posts so damn quick, while others cannot make it?!
Gung-ho, company man with some abilities - blended with good politics.
Basically like any sizable business.
-TE
so, i am reposting this video from wifibandit's thread since it is a bit off topic.
i watched this video and i have to say that this guy really creeps me out.
his slow and methodical gestures coupled with with his over-annuciation of every word makes him appear absolutely crazy!.
Lett is a condescending asshole.
The other guy is a psychopath.
-TE
not sure how wide spread this is, but from my social media land i saw 2 separate videos, from two halls in completely different towns featuring their kids having a demonstration on the service meeting (i am guessing last night as i didn't go).
these kids are really young!
maybe this was just a coincidence at first i thought it was the same video then realized theses people live hundreds of miles apart.
NewYork44M said Demons !!!!!
i am sort of new here, used a different username for a while but things got 'difficult' at home so i've since been lurking.... what i would be really interested to know, if you don't mind sharing, is what it was that triggered your doubts and initial research which led to awakening, was it a bad experience, injustice, changed doctrine?
for me, it was seeing mistreatment of young ones in the congregation, they're under so much pressure and as soon as they go even slightly astray they are shunned, either informally (as bad associations which pushes them further into the 'world') or formally - with elders dying to throw the book at them so they even lose their family.... ...then reading about child abuse issues in the press.... ...which led me to silentlambs.
...then jw facts, this forum and coc, wham!
What's almost worse is the amount of people being born everyday into a situation of injustice and death. Yet most Witnesses want to believe this isn't the case yet can't work out why this makes a mockery of the "warning" work. - Konceptual99
Ain't that the truth. I just want to scream when I hear "Jehovah is being patient because he does not desire any to be destroyed."
First of all using "destroyed" is a bit over the top - wouldn't you say?
Second, how is letting the population grow faster than your organization saving anybody?
Third, if God really wants to not "destroy" people, then how about just not destroy people. There's a thought.
Lastly, ever since I was a child I thought this: If Jehovah sees the future, then why doesn't he just save those that would have "come into the truth" eventually .....or better yet just judge everybody's current or future heart condition and save anybody with a snowball's chance? It's not like there isn't the "last test" as a backup plan if you let too many in.
And these people have the "truth" of all the universe..... wow. if this is truth I hate to see lies.
-TE
i am sort of new here, used a different username for a while but things got 'difficult' at home so i've since been lurking.... what i would be really interested to know, if you don't mind sharing, is what it was that triggered your doubts and initial research which led to awakening, was it a bad experience, injustice, changed doctrine?
for me, it was seeing mistreatment of young ones in the congregation, they're under so much pressure and as soon as they go even slightly astray they are shunned, either informally (as bad associations which pushes them further into the 'world') or formally - with elders dying to throw the book at them so they even lose their family.... ...then reading about child abuse issues in the press.... ...which led me to silentlambs.
...then jw facts, this forum and coc, wham!
About three years ago or so, I was dealing with frustration for the umpteenth time over "bad" elders. I mean like seriously rotten people that anybody would consider of low character. I had seen these men in positions of authority regularly my entire life in the organization. I was trying to rationalize it with lines like "This is God's organization", "Jehovah lets things happen" "Wait on Jehovah" and that whole mental pretzel. I finally used the same criteria for the organization that I would for a normal company. If corruption is allowed in the lower ranks, then there is corruption all the way up the ladder. The management of a company dictates the culture. So for the first time I looked at the GB with suspicion.
From there I dabbled into some youtube videos and some sites like JWfacts. I only went so far at first and then backed out of the rabbit hole. I had made some new JW friends at the time and didn't really want to go there all the way.
Well about a year later I ran into some more frustration with the hierarchy of the organization and went back down the hole.This time I went all the way. I listened to jwstruggle's committee meeting on youtube. Read just about all of jwfacts. I found C.O.C. in a pdf online and read it. I joined this site. Everything clicked. Bubble burst.
Like OneEyedJoe I wasn't moved so much by 607 or the UN thing. I too was most disturbed by the misquotes and quotes taken out of context in publications like the Creation book and the Trinity brochure. I guess it was more personal. I had done major school reports using that Creation book! I felt personally lied to.
I also was bothered by this pic and others like it:
It was obvious to me that the organization used bogus hyped claims to lure people into their books and subscriptions. It is not a heritage to be proud of.
I fall into that typical story though - something had to anger or upset me in the organization for me to start questioning things. Once I did of course, the internet with the popular sites like jwsurvey, jwfacts, and this site fed me all the info i would ever need to see through it. Thanks to all responsible for that. The truth hurts, but that's because we believed lies before.
-TE
