Simon Templar

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Posts by Simon Templar

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  11

  can a substitute Co appoint elders and servants

  by poopie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes or no

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  Simon Templar

  No
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  55

  "High" education

  by Esmeralda001 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  did any of you guys disregard the wt recommendations and pursue a career.

  if you answer "yes": was your journey easy?

  are you happy with the end result?

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  Simon Templar

  I went to College in the 1970s when it was demonized. If a person went to College they couldn't "handle the utensils". That was a reason for many not to go.

  I never told anyone including my family. I just did it because I thought it was a good thing for me, and wasn't a DF offense. I have had a good job, career and now a business. No problems in that area. My Mother died without knowing. My only sibling doesn't know (officially from me anyhow). I am now out of College for forty years.

  People in the KH know because they ask me directly. The education comes out when I answer at the meetings and give talks, read aloud, etc. I encouraged all of our kids to get an education beyond HS. My wife dose too. I never told them what to do or study. Its their choice. If they asked for help, I was there. I was an appointed person for many years. I deleted myself. Serving was too much of a problem for me. My education never was mentioned (that I know of) by the BOE. When people in the KH ask me details of my education I change the subject. None of their business really. I keep people out of my personal life as much as possible. So far, so good.
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  13

  Wilmington Delaware Media report in another Topic

  by truthlover in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  sexual abuse by a female member of a 14 year old in the congregation and elders being sued by the county --- now that co's are liable for the elders only - does that mean the elders will lose everything if fines are levelled against them, since the society has washed their hands and separated themselves by setting the co in place??

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  Simon Templar

  My understanding of this and the general common law which is mainly the same in all states of the USA is that with new appointments, the WTB&TS can no longer be tied to them. They don't appoint anyone anymore and accept the decision of the local BOE and the associated CO. This is a protection for the WTB&TS being dragged into either a criminal or civil litigation based on the actions of an Elder. If a congregant is harmed by an Elder the only thing the congregant can do is sue in a civil law suit. If its criminal, such as a sex crime, the state has to prosecute the Elder. In most cases (not everyone) the Elders do not have enough personal assets to make a litigation worth while. If their alleged crime is criminal, the state takes over after you involve the police or go to the DA. In almost all cases the WTB&TS is no longer directly involved. They are removed from the appointment process and direct knowledge of what's going on.
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  155

  Survey: How long were you in the cult vs what year you were baptized

  by ILoveTTATT2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi people,.

  i want as much data as possible on the effect of the internet on the time captured by the cult.. please answer the three following questions about yourself or about someone you know (for example, if your parents or grandparents were jw's and left).

  1) were you raised as a jw, or did you convert?.

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  Simon Templar

  1) raised
  2) 1967
  3) Still in, But not for long.

  Time in: 48 years
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  46

  The Elders are Coming Help!

  by LaurenM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the elders keep bugging me and pestering me about having a meeting with them to "introduce me to my new congregation" for some reason (do any ex elders know what that even means??).

  i keep postponing and making excuses and they are getting more and more aggressive.

  i finally agreed for them to come over today, but really don't want to..should i hide from them again?

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  Simon Templar

  This is some kind of "search and destroy" thing that they have going on at the moment. They know if they are persistent, and they meet with you, you have agreed, become a "known" publisher/member with some level of contact by them and their control. If you don't want that, and are trying to fade, don't meet with them. Just call and postpone. Don't reschedule, if that's what you want. Don't let them know you or have a condition where they can just come to your house because you are a "member".
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  27

  Why didn't Jehovah know the flood wouldn't work?

  by OverlappingGeneralizations in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this has been something that is bugging me lately-.

  jehovah is all knowing.

  he knows that to do away with evil, he has to do away with satan.

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  Simon Templar

  I think that his objective was the short term only and that it is an example of what he can/will do (if I remember the application correctly). Take it from there.
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  42

  How Many JWs Really Believe Everything They Are Told?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think that 80% of jws do not truly believe in what they are taught .

  the vast majority stay in because of family, friends, ignorance and a lack of caring about any of the facts regarding the "truth".

  many people are lazy.

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  Simon Templar

  In my Congo there are many elderly, and many late-middle aged ones. We have people in the truth since 1940s and 1950s in our Congo. Almost all of them don't believe much of what is "the truth" anymore, or pick and chose selected parts of what they will go along with. That's what they tell me at any rate.

  One common thread between all of them is that they have been in the truth so long, they can't get out. It is too emotionally engrained in them, they can't let go. So they are actually "out", in their inner mind, but can't escape physically. There are too many "tentacles" that tie them to the religion. Their kids are gone in many cases but they are still "in". They say and do whatever they want because they are too old to really care anymore. They have been "in" so long they don't even know how to do anything wrong and be thrown out, so that's not a danger to them anymore. They are getting vocal about things. The Watchtower study has had a few "unorthodox" comments from them recently. The Elders are getting nervous calling on some of them. They are all mad about doing what they were told throughout their life and now at age 70-80 years old not having the money or normal amount of wealth (as their peers have) to live. They feel that they have been lied to. My Wife feels the same way, but I have taken care of the money end, so we don't worry about that as the others do. The WTB&TS created this situation and they will have to come up with the solution or it will boil over really soon.
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  20

  Passionless loveless JW.ORG. How? Why? My experience with these Pharasees.

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so i studied with this guy who is now an elder in my moms hall.

  she has cancer and is black and blue from it.

  we are like real family so i invite him over for drinks and pizza.

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  Simon Templar

  This kind of behavior is status quo.

  My Wife had pneumonia last winter. She didn't attend a meeting for five weeks. She finally gets to a meeting. The Secretary sees her and says, "I am missing a field service report from you. Please give it to me tonight before you leave". He didn't have a clue. My wife told all the sisters via phone she was sick. No brother asked her how she was.

  I had a very serious potentially life-threatening illness. I was home from the hospital. The Bethelite was hanging around the Congo for the day, and called my house (around dinner time) and asked if he could come over and visit. My wife held the phone and asked me. I said no. She told him no. I returned to the meeting a few weeks later. I saw him at the meeting. He never asked how I was. I guess no free food was connected with me at the time.

  This is just a few of many situations like this. Its constant. None of the brothers will inquire of your health, unless its to give you a work assignment and they see you cant walk or something.
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  49

  Dont Give Them More Power Than They Deserve

  by Tech49 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a new montra that was recently adopted by the wife and i is this:.

  dont give them more power than they deserve.. here's why i say that, and i point this to those of you still in the congregation, still trying to decide what you want to do.. recently, our family had a little family reunion gathering of sorts, and we were in the company of some extended family that were either df or da, to varying degrees.

  we made it very clear, to any and all in attendance, that we wanted to be respectful and kind, despite any previous perceptions about our "status".... and that our feelings on a lot of things had "softened", and "changed" over the last 2 years.. i am being purposefully slightly vague, but i think you get the point.

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  Simon Templar

  I agree with your handling of things. We have done things a little bit differently.

  1. I told who I had to no more TMS, microphones, etc. I stopped that all myself.

  2. I deleted myself in between CO visits. The presiding overseer (then) told me it was okay for me to attend the KM school anyhow, because the CO said it was okay. No announcement has been made yet. I told him (and the body) what I would be doing. That's the announcement as far as I am concerned.

  3. When one of the Elders sees me at the KH and tells me that he and another Brother want to talk with me, I ask "Is this about a judicial matter?" They tell me no. Then I tell them, "I would prefer not to meet, but thank you for the invitation." It ends there.

  The fact that they have no control or power over me drives them crazy.
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  19

  Can a baptism be annulled?

  by angel.face in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i joined this site about 4 years ago and life was very different to say the least.

  i was a jw and started the process of 'waking up' after experiencing life threatening blood loss due to complications of a pregnancy.

  i was married with two kids (husband was an ms) and was a stay-at-home mom.

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  Simon Templar

  I have thought about this subject many times.

  I think that someone (who has some money and can find a lawyer to represent them) should make a test case out of it. There are many grounds to seek an "annulment", such as: 1) Being baptized as a minor. An imprudent decision which now must change. 2) The differing questions that have been asked at the baptism event. The longer you are baptized, the less stringent the questions are that you agreed to. These have now changed and are no longer valid. If you didn't answer the questions that day, you didn't agree to anything. 3) Changing doctrine. This is the main one I believe. Depending on when a person was baptized, it can be proved that the current "doctrine" either in general or on specific subjects is markedly different than when the "truth was learned" and baptism decided on and performed. "its not now what I signed-up for". Now the doctrine is different, the person no longer agrees with it, and wants his/her "dedication" and "membership" rescinded without punishment because the "church" modified and changed it's doctrine and in some cases it's belief system, and the other party (you) wants out of the agreement because of these large changes which you do not agree with and do not believe as true. If you are old enough, 1975 should be the centerpiece of that argument along with blood and several other topics.

  There is no question that this is a different religion in philosophy and practice than it was in 1950, or 1960 or 1970, etc. The religion goes through constant evolutionary, doctrinal and belief modification. This is now inconsistent with what you "signed-on for" (like the end of the world coming before you got out of high school as an example) and you want the entire matter cancelled/annulled, etc. I think a smart Lawyer would want a run at that depending on the country/state/province that you live in. The litigation cost/exposure may make the WTB&TS just settle with you by giving you an annulment just to dispose of the case. Imagine the media getting a hold of a litigation like this and saying "this person needed to sue the religion to get an annulment so their Mother and Father would just keep on speaking to them. They are that controlling!"