Posts by Nicholaus Kopernicus

27

There are only 4 ways to leave the Jehovah's Witnesses

by new boy in

jw
friends

there are only four ways of leaving the jehovah’s witnesses.

so there are four ways that could lead to shunning.

i say “could” because options three and four has some loopholes.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

I'm engaged in option 3. I only attend meetings occasionally. I no longer submit reports. I don' t think a BoE would haul me in for a discussion. They tried that and I told them: "Jehovah is my shepherd. I shall lack nothing".(Ps 23:1)

Additionally, in Britain you are protected by harassment and stalking legislation and by data protection legislation.

Should I be wrong and the BoE try to engage me against my wishes I would point out "Caesar's Law" to them. In the remote likelihood that I end up disfellowshipped then I'd no longer have any motivation to be a good chap and remain quiet. I'd give them repeated lessons on the practical application of wrath!

8

WTBTS of Britain - in the deepest of holes!

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

the britain branch of jw’s has been afforded significant but involuntary exposure in the media recently.

this is principally because of the investigation of the charities commission in a congregation in the suburbs of manchester as well as an investigation into the britain branch of jw’s itself.

if a job is being done well, it normally withstands scrutiny.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

The Britain branch of JW’s has been afforded significant but involuntary exposure in the media recently. This is principally because of the investigation of the Charities Commission in a congregation in the suburbs of Manchester as well as an investigation into the Britain Branch of JW’s itself.

If a job is being done well, it normally withstands scrutiny. For many years, I have noted the WTBTS’s message and exhortation to brothers and sisters to be make application of Romans 13:1,2 – “Let every person be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God….. Therefore, whoever opposes the authority has taken a stand against the arrangement of god; those who have taken a stand against it will bring judgement against themselves.”

A friend of mine sent me some links about the WTBTS of Britain being in the news. Well, I thought I couldn’t be shocked anymore! Probably you are aware of these news items, but here they are for you just in case….

Victoria Derbyshire TV programme and shunning....

https://youtu.be/hYzBJz8X9y4

BBC News - JW's let paedophile interrogate victims....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=qh1KIZzHFfg

BBC Radio 4 - Sunday programme.

Kathleen Hallisey a lawyer for survivors and Harvey Grenville, Head of Investigations and Enforcement at the Charity Commission...... (forward to about 33 minutes).....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08z97zy

What is revealed in these documentaries and news items is truly shocking and egregious. No apologies like that offered by the RC Church, the Church of England, and the Methodist Church. Remember that exhortation to the rank and file (Romans 13:1,2)?

My assessment….

They have sought to avoid scrutiny rather than withstand it! They have trampled over their own advice based on Romans 13:1,2 and sought to obstruct / frustrate the due process and functioning of the "higher authorities"

The WTBTS of Britain exemplify that which is cold, remote, focused on and preoccupied with self. It is far far removed from any paradigm of love which it superficially projects of itself. They are the very ones who demonstrate “having a form of Godly devotion but proving false to it’s power…” (2 Tim 3:5). No wonder many in Britain are now turning away as the Bible suggests.

In its most recent yearbook, the WTBTS of Britain reports a publisher increase of a mere 26 despite just under 3000 being baptised in the same period. I look forward to what the next report states.

44

A WTF Moment While In the WTS

by Searching in

has anyone else had a moment, while still within the organization (and before learning ttatt) that caused them to stop and go, "this is kind of messed up.".

for instance, back i believe in the early 2000's, i was attending a dc with my family.

it was announced at the beginning of the convention that there was going to be a special announcement at the end, so for everyone to please try to remain until the very end of the meeting.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

My WTF moment was not as a result of what any individual said, but what I saw. It was at the last RC held at Twickenham RFU Stadium. Other convention sites which would normally have been available were cancelled that year. The WTBTS de cided to concentrate on fewer venues to save money perhaps?

But back to my WTF moment. I stepped off the public transport and saw all these convention flags mounted on the lamp posts outside the stadium. A significant number of the flags had the miserable countenance of a governing body member on them. I was really shocked at the conceit of such a portrayal. This year I was less shocked when I saw a gb member on the convention programme.

I no longer attend conventions.

I no longer contribute money.

I no longer submit reports.

I rarely attend meetings.

Yes, the GB are truly repellant.

4

THOUGHTS OF CHAIRMAN ANTHONY MORRIS III

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

we decided to add the graphic showing my name and position so that you are all made aware that i'm a big cheese among jehovah's witnesses.

for example, i'm not backward about being forward!

so when i made a speech against wearing tight pants some thought i'd be deleted from the governing body!

Nicholaus Kopernicus

We decided to add the graphic showing my name and position so that you are all made aware that I'm a big cheese among Jehovah's Witnesses.

I'd like to tell you a little about myself. For example, I'm not backward about being forward! I say it like I see it. So when I made a speech against wearing tight pants some thought I'd be deleted from the Governing Body! Nope! No chance! We're unified. That's why we show exemplary brothers in the Watchtower wearing regular pants. So what I say goes! The other reason I'm still here is because we learn from the past. When we got rid of a Governing Body member in the past, he ended up writing two books about us. So we're not keen on the internecine scenarios that those apostates blog about! We don't give up on each other, see!

So when you're at the don't give up convention you'd better not give up either. Don't give up venerating us, recruiting more members, and most of all, don't give up giving us your money! You've been told!

Just look at how I benefit from your giving us money. I'm sartorial in every way and not shy about saying so. Look at how much I've widened out with the help of your money. Yes! I really do eat well at your expense. I'm really happy receiving all this. I know you're even happier giving! Not one of the Governing Body is underweight! We're all a good size!

We're busy too. We like to supervise others and give the nod to watchtower articles which tell you how to live your lives. After all, we're shepherds and you all are just sheep. That's what we're supposed to do! Just be obedient to us and you'll be OK.

Don't listen to those who say that you are followers of men. If you do then you're spiritually weak as you're listening to apostates! As president Trump would say - "they're losers"! Like us, president Trump is a good size and sartorial too. But that's as far as it goes as the Governing Body is politically neutral. This means that we only govern you sheep. The governments govern the others. The others vote. But we're neutral and don't vote. Anyways - you all are just sheep and governed by us so you don't need to vote. We have that in common with those middle Eastern countries - many of them don't vote and they're OK. So not voting is nothing new. Anyways - you all are just sheep so I don't know why I bother to explain this.

Just go to meetings, give money, recruit more sheep and you'll be OK! I said so! You got to listen to us shepherds! You got to be loyal! You got to be obedient! Just saying!

22

How do the GB micro-manage people's lives today?

by UnshackleTheChains in

how do the gb micro-manage people's lives today?one example is their micro management in dress and grooming.

eg their view of beards.

elders in most congs will take a brother to a corner and remind him why jws don't grow beards.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

One additional way in which the GBoJW micromanage the flock is by conveying a strong expectation of technology use and making paper based publications less than straightforward to obtain.

For example, in the parable of the sower Jesus explained that "the seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11) For some years, JW's were being "encouraged" to use scripture as a prerequisite to placing a WT, AW, or other literature. Now however, this has been abandoned in favour of videos on a tablet or cellphone.

The Bro "taking the lead" at a "field ministry" meeting shows such videos on his tablet. He has a forced smile, vocal intonation and body language strongly suggestive of his not being at ease with what is expected of him. However, when I see JWs out and about in their ministry, I'm seeing literature in their hands rather than technoligy. Maybe folks in SE England are somewhat conservative and for them, tablets and cellphones on ministry is too much?

The GBoJW are being much more successful within Kingdom Hall based activities though. At all their meetings, paper based literature is now quite rare and there are cell phones and tablets in abundance. Having such (even the latest) is no longer seen as materialistic! Maybe they feel liberated!

This technology based micro management of JWs is however, rebelliousness on the part of the GBoJW! How so? In that "the seed is the word of God" according to Jesus, then just who does the GBoJW think they are? Their supplanting the "word of God" with videos is an ingrained hallmark of their conceit, arrogance, and spiritual bankruptcy!

11

CLAM Video - re Erich Frost (Apr 17-23 2017)

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

i normally don't bother going to the midweek jw meetings much.

however, upon reading in the april 2017 meeting workbook that there was to be a video about erich frost (former do for saxony & nazi prisoner in sachsenhausen concentration camp) i wanted to attend as i had read about this brother in history texts by detlef garbe and hans hesse.

i had also visited auschwitz several times and noted that the museum had a display / exhibition about jehovah's witnesses.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

I normally don't bother going to the midweek JW meetings much. However, upon reading in the April 2017 Meeting Workbook that there was to be a video about Erich Frost (former DO for Saxony & Nazi prisoner in Sachsenhausen concentration camp) I wanted to attend as I had read about this brother in history texts by Detlef Garbe and Hans Hesse. I had also visited Auschwitz several times and noted that the museum had a display / exhibition about Jehovah's Witnesses.

I didn't realize that the video would be presented by a member of the GBoJW. Less still would I have expected someone with the demeanor of Anthony Morris III! Nevertheless I watched the video. Heard Erich Frost being interviewed. Heard him and brothers singing the song which he composed - "Fest steht" (Stand Fast) and reworked by JW's as "Forward You Witnesses".

The video then showed a series of watercolour paintings depicting life in a concentration camp similar to that in which Erich Frost was imprisoned. I had seen these watercolours before. I was surprised that Morris did not identify the concentration camp depicted in the watercolours and just confined his description to it being a "similar" camp. Further, I was surprised that Morris didn't name the brother who painted the watercolours. After all, he was baptized in the same year as Erich Frost (1931), the same year that in Germany, they started describing themselves as Jehovahs Zeugen and ditched the Bibelforscher (Bible Students) title following the Columbus Ohio convention.

The "similar" concentration camp was actually Buchenwald. The painter of the watercolours was Johannes Steyer. I was aware of this individual's life and sufferings to an extent due to my interest in the holocaust, but also because in 2013, I gave a talk in the then TMS using using 7 of his watercolours. The unsolicited feedback I got from the audience then was that they found the talk very both interesting and encouraging. However, the TMS overseer didn't give me any counsel. He remained silent. It was the last such talk that I was ever roistered for. Thereafter, I was confined to Bible reading only. I knew that Johannes Steyer and his watercolours were never featured in WT literature. The video, although showing his paintings, nevertheless seems to maintain this significant reticence about identifying the brother, his plight, his experiences, and what can be learned from him. He painted the watercolours in the 1970s, and when he died in 1998 (11 years after Erich Frost died), he bequeathed his watercolours to the art archive of the JW branch in Selters, Germany.

In 2013, I couldn't but help think that the TMS overseer confined me to Bible reading only, and didn't give me counsel, as there was no mention of the brother in WT literature. Perhaps, I thought, he disliked me sourcing my visual aids outside the domain of the published WT literature labyrinth. What was significant the night I was watching the video in the kingdom hall, is that it was that same TMS overseer who was facilitating the video. I watched him like a hawk. I got the merest fraction of a second of eye contact from him during the item about Erich Frost. This same "brother" (an elder) has shunned me for the last two years!

Since watching the above video (on Thursday 20th April 2017 in my congregation), I have been asking why the WTBTS decided to show such on the date they did. I have no recollection of Morris giving a rationale for the timing of the showing. Either he didn't give a rationale or I missed something. However, whilst looking at the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum about Bro Frost and Sis Simone Arnold Liebster (her biography is called "Facing the Lion") I noted that the Monday following the showing of the video (24th April 2017) was a day of commemoration related to the holocaust.

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum states the following regarding that Monday....
"The internationally recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom Hashoah. When the actual date of Yom Hashoah falls on a Friday, the state of Israel observes Yom Hashoah on the preceding Thursday. When it falls on a Sunday, Yom Hashoah is observed on the following Monday."

So I believe that the timing of the showing of the video is related to the above. However, I'm at a loss as to what the governing body of JW hoped to gain by such contrived timing. I just can't believe it was a coincidence.

Examples of Bro Johannes Steyer's watercolours.....

28

Be ready to obey!!

by kairos in

jw
friends

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20131115/seven-shepherds-eight-dukes/.

from paragraph 17-. at that time, the life-saving direction that we receive from jehovah’s organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint.

all of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.. i think i know what the instructions will be.it's nothing new.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

Kairos:

I noted the phrase.... "At that time, the life-saving direction that we receive from Jehovah’s organization..."

The above came across to me as especially conceited. If one takes a look at the conduct of the governing body, their attempts at teaching, their handling of controversy, then how could you possibly look to them for what they say is life saving direction?

The writing committee which authored this particular article was engaging in fantasy and grandiosity. By now, it should be one of those articles which JWs are embarrassed about and do not mention.

The effect of the article may be that of underpinning the perceived authority of the BoE. Many such exemplify Peter Principle as does the GBoJW itself. Who on this website can dismiss the conduct of their BoE as not having had a role in their withdrawal from the organisation.

In my congregation, the local "dukes" are responsible for a significant number becoming inactive and fading!

8

Ban the Watchtower

by biblexaminer in

the watchtower magazine of january 1st, 2000, which was preached worldwide, made clear that "the anointed" at watchtower headquarters "have shown lionlike courage in exposing false religion", false religion being any and all religions other than jehovah's witnesses.

this same issue made clear to you, that we "god's watchman class" have used the watchtower "magazine in vigorously proclaiming to mankind that the vindication of jehovah's sovereignty by christ's kingdom is at hand.

as far back as the watchtower of december 1, 1966, we, god's spokesman, warned that armageddon could not be avoided.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

They (WTBTS / GBoJW) have become that which they so disdain - a dirty lollipop from th gutter....

6

Watchtower Society Fails In Unconditional Love

by pale.emperor in

was watching an episode of the young pope yesterday (really enjoyed the series), at at the end there it dealt with the theme of "unconditional love".

it made me think of the love i have for people i know.. i looked up the wikipedia intro of unconditional love and it reads:.

unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations or love without conditions.

Nicholaus Kopernicus

Yes pale.emperor, truly nauseating. That the GBoJW try to market themselves as the foremost exemplars of brotherly love is quite paradoxical to put it mildly. I've come to realise that the WT organisation is more like a barren wilderness when it comes to love. Consider for example...

The prideful elevation of the GBoJW
The compounding of the malexperience of child abuse victims
The intolerance of the JW organisation despite itself benefitting from such tolerance
The sale of properties built by local volunteer labour without the consultation which they hypocritically recommend for others (Prov 15:22)
Practice of ageism re dismissal of CO's and bethelites despite their feigning deference to the Bible's teaching re 'silver hair'
Disfellowshipping for slightest disagreement despite claim such only used re serious sin in which repentence is absent

Of course, this is just the briefest of signs of the WT society's lovelessness. Their function is deplorable and deserving of the most severe censure.

10

Special Public Talk - 2017

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

during yesterday's public talk, i noted the speaker did not make a full reference to the first outline point following the second reference to romans 12:21 - "but keep conquering the evil with the good".this first outline point as i call it, is as follows: "be willing to forgive others whenever there is a basis for doing so".

interesting conditionality i thought!

it references the aw of june 8th 1995 page 10 paras 6-7. in part it says there... "what though, if others sin against us in a more serious way, deeply injuring us?

Nicholaus Kopernicus

During yesterday's public talk, I noted the speaker did not make a full reference to the first outline point following the second reference to Romans 12:21 - "But keep conquering the evil with the good".

This first outline point as I call it, is as follows: "Be willing to forgive others whenever there is a basis for doing so". Interesting conditionality I thought! It references the AW of June 8th 1995 page 10 paras 6-7. In part it says there... "What though, if others sin against us in a more serious way, deeply injuring us? In such extreme cases... forgiveness may involve a number of issues. This would be particularly true when there is no acknowledgement of the sin, no repentance, and no apology on the part of the offender. *" The asterisk references the Insight Vol 1 page 862 which says "Christians are not required to forgive those who practice malicious, willful sin with no repentence."

It's quite rare in my experience, for the authors at WT HQ to portray such conditionality regarding forgiveness. The speaker's complete omission of the outline point in his talk may be a reflection of the rarity of the idea in WT literature or his discomfort with it.

During the recent zone visit to Britain, the speaker said that most JW's who are wronged in some way are wronged by other JWs. In my experience in SE England, the wrongs (to put it mildly) are perpetrated by members of BoEs. I am not aware of any such wrongdoers on BoEs who acknowledge, repent, or apologise. I know of one elder who has stated: "Elders don't do apologies"!

Perhaps that explains why I've waited two years so far and no apology from the CoBoE! I used to think that "good things come to those who wait". Perhaps not in this case! More realistic may be the alternative cliché which says: "They who expect nothing shall not be disappointed"!