Posts by Syme

9

Scripturally, JW-system is synonymous with sin

by abiather in

loving ones neighbor (whether he is a believer or not) is the kingly law.

(mathew 5:44-48; james 2:8) it is the kingly law, because it originates from king of all kings; and all other laws originate from this law.

hence violation of this law is the greatest sin, or mother of all sins; because it is against king of all kings and king of all laws.. jw-system is a flagrant violation of this law on two counts:.

Syme

I think you are correct as regards to the jws loving just their kin, and not those who left.

But who said that the Bible teaches something better? The "Love your Neighbour" command is for ISRAELITES. If you want to see how ..."loving" the Israelites were as regards to foreigners, read Judges, read Joshua, read Numbers; heck, read ANY random passage from the Old Testament. The hate for, and the (in cases) KILLING of, non-believers was a command from Jehovah himself. With regards to this, we can't blame the Jws for doing nothing more than what is commanded in the whole of the Old Testament: Love your own, KILL all the rest; if not kill them, at least enslave them, and take their virgins for "own use". Luckily, JWs don't actually kill the rest right now, not because they wouldn't do it if Jehovah commanded them, but because they are waiting for God himself to do the 'dirty work' in Armageddon.

Hate, and if possible, killing of the non-believers, especially the apostates, is in the heart of ALL Abrahamic religions. Islam still kills those who defect to another religion. The only reason Christians don't kill anymore, is because they've lost the political power required to do so. If the JWs had political power, they would kill also. Since they have only spiritual power over members, they are restrained to killing only 'spiritually', i.e. disfellowshipping+shunning.

And as for Jesus, he did say "love one another", but guess what! we was referring to his DISCIPLES at the table. Love "ONE --> ANOTHER", not love the Gentiles! Instead, Jesus, as a faithful Jew, regarded the Gentiles as "dogs" and "pigs" if you recall. Plus, he often said that he would return as King and make the nations tremble, melting from fear; he would set them apart, as sheep from goats (where's the impartiality? This is the definition of partiality), we would save his OWN, he would KILL the rest. Yup, no big difference from the bloody Old Testament here. So the faithful jws who await the Armageddonian World Genocide, they may be sick, but this is what all the monotheistic religions require, actually.

Groucho Marx quote fixed

by Syme in

"those are my beliefs, and if you don't like them... well, i have others.".

-governing body(tm).

.

Syme

"Those are my beliefs, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

-Governing Body(TM)

46

Number of anointed partakers in new yearbook?

by JWOP in

i haven't seen the 2014 yearbook on the jw site yet.

i'm looking to see if the number of partakers has increased again (as it has for many years now).

anyone have a scan of it yet?.

Syme

Yes, a chance is that they will declare that all can partake. Another chance is that they will restrict by specific GB-given standards who can partake. E.g. they may declare that only persons among those higher-up may partake, such as Nethinim(TM), zoners, or Branch committee-ers.

All this is plain speculation of course, but hey, all the GB decrees are also of the same speculative quality.

8

Musings

by thedog1 in

jw
friends

apropo of nothing, i just wanted to share some thoughts.

i have started reading and posting here recently.

i have previously mentioned that i am an active jw, an elder who conducts the wt study.

Syme

thedog1: it my long-held conviction that the chances of falling into depression icrease rapidly for those in the full-time service. Even more increased are for the Bethelites, CO's and their wives. My explanation is because this is an unnatural work, as the society itself aknowledges from time to time. ("God did not create us to knock at doors; he created us to make children and fill the earth", as is often heard). When you give all yourself to an unnatural work, the depression is going to knock your door someday. This is made worse by the fact that the "pionner" believes he/she HAS TO appear "happy" to the other sheep, and to the world, by all means, by all costs. This leads mathematically to antidepressants.

About your situation as an active elder: I can feel for you to some point. I am also active in, at least appear to, and served as an elder in the recent past. What are your plans, really? Me, there are 2 major themes that keep me in. 1st, my work and my house are my father's property, so I would be facing the chance of starving homeless, if I just left. 2nd, I like the company. My best close friends are jws (but thinking ones). On the other hand, today's article made me almost sick, since I've studied evolution, and the whole 'reasoning' of the article was for the circus.

Extreme practice of "doublethink" could eventually lead to actual schizophrenia, don't you think?

72

Did you ever have a supernatural experience?

by XPeterX in

jw
friends

ok i know some of you are going to mock me but i don't give a shit and you'd better get dafaq outta this thread if you don't beleive in this stuff.. .

so,you ever seen somethin strange?shadow people?felt cold spots?touched by something you can't see?beaten by an unseen force?heard voices/whispers/growls/screams etc?are you sure about it or was it just your imagination?you ever been into the occult?c'mon share your experiences and stories!personally i've never had an encounter with the other side..

Syme

I don't believe in supernatural experiences, but I'm not dogmatic. So, here's a spooky one:

One night I was alone in the room watching "The Mothman Prophecies" on DVD. It's about a woman who has some vision of a dark kind of butterfly (or bat) before she dies in an accident, and then her husband sees those visions again; something like that (it was some years ago). In the midst of the movie, my mother from the nearby room, who had been sleeping, suddently wakes up screaming "My God, Jehovah". I go immidiately into the room, and ask her, what's wrong? She says she saw something in her sleep, that scared so much that she woke up. I started to get anxious and asked "What was it?".

"I don't know, something".

"What was it, tell me!".

"It was something black, with wings, like a bat".....

The thing is, even after that incident, even after I knew I shouldn't be watching this 'evil' movie, I went back to my room and continued seeing it to the end... Nothing happened again. So yes, I believe it was a coincidence, since it wasn't doublechecked. It's been 8-9 years now. Still, as I write this, I get the shivers...

15

1984, Big Mother, and the Watchtower on freeminds2.org

by DS211 in

1984 and big motherby randall wattersno one thought much of the book when it was first published in 1949, nor, in fact, did it stir much attention for a number of years thereafter.

in the last two decades, however, the book1984 by george orwell has drawn a much greater reading audience.

orwell portrays a society brainwashed by political ideologies to the point where they are intolerant of any other mindset.

Syme

For thinking witnesses who are nevertheless afraid to read Crisis of Conscience, the 1984 book would be the next best thing.

49

The Governing Body Have Stabbed Many Old Bethelites In The Back By Not Taking Care Of Them In Their Old Age

by frankiespeakin in

these guys are real company men when they have mass lay off of older bethelites tossing them to the curb and making the congregation they are assigned to carry some of the load, so that the watchtower corporation can cut costs of providing for these nolonger young people who have devoted theirs lives to the corporation.. they are heartless bastards aren't they?

i wonder what kind of undercurrent this is causing at headquartes?.

Syme

BluePill2: Thank you for your kind words! From your own posts I see you have a lot of experience. I'm looking forward to reading more from you and learn.

I would be grateful if you shared your view about a topic that concerns me, posted here: www.jehovahs-witness.net/members/private/268162/1/Need-help-How-can-I-save-them.

49

The Governing Body Have Stabbed Many Old Bethelites In The Back By Not Taking Care Of Them In Their Old Age

by frankiespeakin in

these guys are real company men when they have mass lay off of older bethelites tossing them to the curb and making the congregation they are assigned to carry some of the load, so that the watchtower corporation can cut costs of providing for these nolonger young people who have devoted theirs lives to the corporation.. they are heartless bastards aren't they?

i wonder what kind of undercurrent this is causing at headquartes?.

Syme

Old-timers were a problem in Stalinist USSR. Old-timers were a problem in Oceania (of 1984).

When someone takes control of a regime, it is essential that they purge the high-top old-timers, and replace it with their own creatures.

Old-timers are useless in the best case, and a danger in the worst, for every totalitarian regime.

Old-timers have seen their lives passing away and the End not having come. Old-timers have seen huge amounts of changed doctrine being presented before their eyes. Ask an old-timer how he feels about the New^n explanation of the Generation. Ask how he sees the changing of the preaching practices, from something personal and emotional, in his time, to a calculated, using-a-tablet, business-like advertisment of "jw.org" today.

Old-timers are a living history which cannot be re-written or wiped out. Old-timers, in short, are a liability.

45

Depression amongst JWs

by tornapart in

jw
friends

has anyone seen this post on facebook?

the comments below it are staggering!

so many suffering from depression... along with the few judgementalists.

Syme

Depression may hit some R&Fs who lose their jobs or are underpaid, but this is not a really different from the rest of the world, especially in this time of economic crisis. In my country where the unemployment is about 30%, depression hits like the Spanish Flu.

It's the ''higher ups" who suffer from the depression the most, not the R&F. Bethelites, traveling overseers, special pioneers: these are the groups more susceptible to depression. The depression rates are ridiculously high in those groups, and THAT is the most interesting. One is supposed to "pursue spiritual goals", "a career in the organization", so that they're most satisfied with their lives: isn't that the bait they throw in the late teen jws so they give up education and do pioneering? How on earth, then, those that *should* be THE most satisfied of all, are THE most depressed of all? The answer is no secret: this service is unnatural, even the Org itself aknowledges it. Those guys (and wives) lead THE most unnatural life one can imagine, and I tend to feel pity for them, especially the poor wives. But it frustrating to see those people consume HUGE amounts of drugs so that they *appear* happy in front of the sheep. And how can one who has his brain liquidated from drugs claim to be "reliable" and "mature spiritually"? Who can he proceed to give ANY advice to normal people?

Depression rates are evidently lower in R&F ranks, in people who lead a more or less normal life.

Maybe a new "Youths - What Will You Do With Your Life?" brochure is ought to be published, one which will state: "Youths, do you want to lead a full, satisfactory life? If yes, continue your education please, read a lot, listen to music, make love, be humans. On the other hand, do you want to have an 40% increased probability of depression? If so, apply NOW for regular pioneer, Bethel service, Evangelizers' School, and see what drug addiction means!"

Yup, that would be a nice brochure.

27

24 hour field service marathon ??

by gingerbread in

jw
friends

field service for up to twenty-four hours non-stop.... it's a bit of a fad in our area with pioneers - the twenty somethings especially.

we've heard from other family members and a jw friend that it's a thing in their part of the country as well.. it sounds like a group decides on a day and then piles into a van or suv to 'work' the territory - 12, 18 and even 24 hours.. anyone else hearing of this?.

ginger.

Syme

The most I had done was 13 hours, when I was exactly 20. I was an arrogant bastard back then. And I thought that was the threshold! But, yes, it seems that fanaticism has its way of getting through and expanding, in youths especially. Now, all these fanatic practices make me so sad to hear about... The thing is those poor kids think they do something really progressive... Those young kids, it's in their hands to be conscious, ethical humans, or surrender to being blind warriors and sheep at the same time.