talesin

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Posts by talesin

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  143

  Fidel Castro and the WT

  by Hecce in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am going to engage on a trip to the past and share with you some of the matters that marked the beginning of the jws persecution in cuba.

  you will be surprised that the pattern that was followed is very similar to what happened in other dictatorial countries.. in the cuban case, i am going to surprise you and tell you that like what happened with hitler; the wt was partially responsible for their clash and confrontation with the cuban government.

  during the early 60s the revolution was fighting for survival and they were willing and ready to demolish any perceived enemy to their cause.. a prime example was their war against the catholic church that was the most influential religious entity in the country; it took the supreme leader only a few public discourses to send the vast majority of clergy packing and back to their country, in this case spain.. the jehovah’s witnesses were an insignificant minority but they over estimated their importance and displayed a belligerent attitude, it was known that this was a us based religion and an easy target to connect them with the cia.

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  talesin

  And this:

  1. Unbelievable. What visitors from the US. This was written in 2009, I believe? US citizens were forbidden to travel to Cuba. Perhaps WT executives were exempted for business reasons? Hmm, interesting.

  2. Accounts of refugee seekers are markedly different from the PR of the WT representative.

  3. Living under military surveillance. I've heard about what this is like, from my Syrian friends. A spiritual paradise, indeed. Jehovah's Happy People. NOT
  
  Thank you for shining a much-needed light on the JW situation in Cuba.

  [bold is mine]

  They regularly receive visitors
  from members from many countries, such as Belgium, Italy ,
  Mexico and the US, and have an especially strong connection
  with a group in Brooklyn, New York.

  They also said that school authorities are
  generally respectful when Jehovah Witnesses refuse to
  participate in mandatory patriotic activities and allow
  students to opt out of such activities based on their
  religious convictions. They cited occasional friction due to
  "overly zealous" school administrators and teachers. This statement is in striking contrast to the stories told by refugee applicants of persecution and humiliation of Jehovah Witnesses within the education system.
  

  The leaders also said that neighborhood surveillance is at such a high level that the authorities know clearly who is a sincere practitioner of their religion, and who feigns these beliefs to avoid military service.
  
  
• 
  143

  Fidel Castro and the WT

  by Hecce in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am going to engage on a trip to the past and share with you some of the matters that marked the beginning of the jws persecution in cuba.

  you will be surprised that the pattern that was followed is very similar to what happened in other dictatorial countries.. in the cuban case, i am going to surprise you and tell you that like what happened with hitler; the wt was partially responsible for their clash and confrontation with the cuban government.

  during the early 60s the revolution was fighting for survival and they were willing and ready to demolish any perceived enemy to their cause.. a prime example was their war against the catholic church that was the most influential religious entity in the country; it took the supreme leader only a few public discourses to send the vast majority of clergy packing and back to their country, in this case spain.. the jehovah’s witnesses were an insignificant minority but they over estimated their importance and displayed a belligerent attitude, it was known that this was a us based religion and an easy target to connect them with the cia.

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  talesin

  This is heart-breaking. When I think of our Cuban community, they are lovely and warm people. Friendly, vibrant with a real lust for life. And trusting the Society - such betrayal! Sending those trusting souls 'into the lion's den'.

  Sometime during the 70s a directive came from Brooklyn to open up on a certain day all the Kingdom Halls. This was a clear violation of the Government prohibition, and it was an act of civil disobedience in a country where those things are not tolerated.
• 
  143

  Fidel Castro and the WT

  by Hecce in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am going to engage on a trip to the past and share with you some of the matters that marked the beginning of the jws persecution in cuba.

  you will be surprised that the pattern that was followed is very similar to what happened in other dictatorial countries.. in the cuban case, i am going to surprise you and tell you that like what happened with hitler; the wt was partially responsible for their clash and confrontation with the cuban government.

  during the early 60s the revolution was fighting for survival and they were willing and ready to demolish any perceived enemy to their cause.. a prime example was their war against the catholic church that was the most influential religious entity in the country; it took the supreme leader only a few public discourses to send the vast majority of clergy packing and back to their country, in this case spain.. the jehovah’s witnesses were an insignificant minority but they over estimated their importance and displayed a belligerent attitude, it was known that this was a us based religion and an easy target to connect them with the cia.

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  talesin

  when the proselytizing and meeting activities were suppressed there was a legal challenge from the WT, this was american style.

  I noticed that their anti-communism Awake! articles were american style.

  _________________________________

  Concentration camps, and torture. The society really hung them out to dry, like Malawi. (still on page 2).
• 
  21

  WT should admit that 1914

  by bobld in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  was a man made date when jesus came and that a generation is not 102 plus years.. why not say something like this.when the disciples asked jesus for a sign and the end of the age.jesus gave them a composite sign and said all these things will take place.when-before the people now living(at the end of the age which no one knows)have all died..

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  talesin

  That would be admitting to one mistake, it's true.

  Would that make everything okay? What about blood transfusion martyrs? And the 2-witness rule? For example.
  
  In addition, if they admit to being wrong, what does that say about being directed by g-d's holy spirit? Is he toying with them (us), or are they false prophets? Why do g-d's spokespeople keep getting these end-of-days dates wrong?

  Those could be thought-provoking questions, if I were still a JW. Questions that could give the GB and their overlords pause. Admit to one flaw, and the downfall of the Tower could be imminent.
• 
  40

  Prince's recent passport pik!

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  well, that's the claim.

  is this sexy, or isn't it?

  are male witnesses now allowed to wear eye liner?.

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  talesin

  neat blue dog

  I'm good at finding articles and researching. Blogs? No thank you. Discussion Boards and Forums? Nope. There appears to *be* no confirmation. I have searched before, last year when I heard the rumour, and at first, thought this thread was News. I checked again this evening. But there's nothing to be found.

  I have lots of time on my hands, so decided to do that. You're welcome.

  google is your friend.
• 
  30

  When Did Higher Education Become Taboo?

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been reading about the early history of russelites/jws and in the beginning, it seems the organization was formed and headed by quite a few educated people.

  lawyers, doctors, businessman.

  you could buy voting rights within the organization for $1000, which by today's standard would be somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000, something most of us do not have on hand, unless you are highly educated and/or wealthy.

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  talesin

  My grandparents wanted my father to go to medical school (1940s). My grandfather had a degree, which was unusual back then (as Kaik said, few people obtained post-secondary education; high school was not the standard until post-WWII). My grandmother's family were IBS, then JWS, and had money. So, not converts, nor blue collar. I guess that was the exception. (dad rebelled because he wanted to be a truck driver OI!)

  The 1960s, as I see it, was a time of 'cracking down'. Changes in world politics, the Cold War, higher education becoming the norm, the Woodstock generation, were all factors (and many more, I'm sure) that played into the WTBTS needing to tighten its death-grip on the R&F. They ramped up the fear with the 1975 prediction, and trotted out the rule book.

  If I recall correctly, that's when they got really strict about smoking. And shunning.

  Edit: was just thinking of that generation, the 'brothers' I knew. Most of the elders owned their own businesses. One was an architect. Publishers were white or blue collar, some really poor, but lots were middle class. It was the Baby Boomers (my generation) that really got screwed. The 1975 generation. grrrr.
• 
  21

  Travel recommendations?

  by stephanie61092 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hey guys.

  i've decided that during this time of being dfed, maybe trying to get reinstated, i'm going to enjoy my time with myself.

  that being said, i would like to do some traveling when the weather warms up across the us.

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  talesin

  Mad Irishman, Mount Desert and Bar Harbour was my suggestion, too. It's beautiful, and I would feel okay travelling there alone.

  If you are driving, those states, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are small, and you could plan a great trip if you drive.

  NYC is awesome, but expensive. I am sure people here, would be most helpful in advice - ie, safe means of transport (cab, subway or bus?), where to stay, etc. There are things in NYC, that make it a 'must-see'.

  Loving the Carolinas, too, and W. Virginia - just stay at a Best Western or better, and talk to the locals. People are so friendly.

  Las Vegas - just don't get drunk, and you will be fine. Accommodations and cheap food, great shows, and the casinos are amazing to see for the first time. It's true - there are NO clocks in casinos. People forget the time when they are gambling.

  LA - Manhattan Beach, home of many surfers, and another great city. You need to drive if visiting CA.

  PS. Been to all those places, I want to go to TEXAS. Lots of apostates there, and it's an incredible place, or so I've heard. xx
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  34

  Was Adam "born" Circumsized ?

  by RubaDub in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i guess we have to assume that jesus was circumcised on the 8th day but what about adam?

  he was "perfect", so did he have the weenie cut or not?.

  i would like to bring this question up at a "get-together".. rub a dub .

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  talesin

  Just for fun, I researched the 8th day myth, and could find no medical recognition of that little 'factoid' we JWS were brought up with.

  __________________________________

  I think Adam may have been created whole, but circumcised as punishment for following that brazen woman, Eve. It's all her fault. She was probably a - horror of horrors! - feminist. For that one mistake, the poor sot received the worst punishment g-d could think of - loss of sensitivity. Eve was, like all women, a temptress, and essentially, flawed.
• 
  40

  Prince's recent passport pik!

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  well, that's the claim.

  is this sexy, or isn't it?

  are male witnesses now allowed to wear eye liner?.

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  talesin

  Paul, Jehovah will take care of it, in due time. Perhaps Prince is in the Truth to open the eyes of people who worship him instead of Jehovah.
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  JUST KIDDING

  I kinda gagged as I typed that. : P
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  31

  Bloodless Medicine....not all its cracked up to be.

  by Lee Elder in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  this is a pretty good example of the limitations of "bloodless medicine", and why the informed choice should always be "blood conservation" medicine, which retains the safety net of blood transfusion when medically required.

  sadly, the watchtower fails to inform jws regarding these important limitations, and their potentially disastrous consequences.. http://www.dailyreportonline.com/id=1202750028414/jury-awards-100k-to-family-of-jehovahs-witness-who-died-after-refusing-blood-transfusion?mcode=0&curindex=0&curpage=3&slreturn=20160118223352.

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  talesin

  Me, too. It's a breaking story, so may be on AP or Reuters soon.

  Cut-and-paste would be great, if possible.