Syme

Joined

• started 22 topics
• posted 389 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Syme

• 
  13

  Can a video involving a christien having sex be viewed and used by elders?

  by StephaneLaliberte in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  lets say someone has a sexual encounter and a third party video taps it.

  in canada, it would be illegal for the one that taped the video to show it to the elders as this would be "invasion of privacy".

  what i am wondering however is if any legal action can be done against the elders and the wt if they view this video and take it into account in a judicial comity.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  I don't know about the legal issues involved in that country, but according to WT policy, the only 2 things capable of forming a JC are confession and 2 human witnesses, nothing else. So, videotape is *not* typically capable of forming a JC, unless it leads the alleged "sinner" to confess. If the accused does not confess even in front of a videotape, a JC cannot be formed.
  
• 
  29

  To DA or not to DA, that is the question?

  by dubstepped in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  let me preface this by saying that i don't expect anyone here to make my decision for me.

  i do however note that like the bible says, in the multitude of counselors there is wisdom, and this is a huge decision, so i wanted to put it out there for discussion.

  i really appreciate your words of wisdom, as this affects not just me but my wife also, as we find ourselves in the same boat.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  
  

  @dubstepped

  
  

  I think that there's more chance of helping some waking up if you DA, and not by just fading. If you just fade, most will think that there are various personal reasons for you to leave, like guilt, bitterness, something emotional; some could think that it is "doubt", but doubt is something j-dubs are used to; they will assume that you may have "doubts" but are not completely unbelieving. Having "doubts" is not sufficient to make a j-dub wake up.

  
  

  On the other hand, a clean-cut DA will send the message that you have no "doubts", but have rejected the WTS completely. That fact is going to leave a strong impression to anyone who knows you, positive or negative, it doesn't matter. One needs something strong to wake up. Sure, some may harden their fanaticism and see you as a Devil's child at least, but a few (who are already thinking) will think more, and it is almost certain that some (even a very few) will approach you secretly after you DA, violating the society's orders. Those are the people that you will help.

  
  

  Besides, you cannot really help someone wake up when you're on the inside officially; since anything "heretical" you say will very possibly get to the elders, making the forming of a JC almost certain; which will force you to either face a JC or DA in a haste.
  

  
  

  That's all IMHO, of course :-)

  
  
• 
  18

  Where are all these New Anointed Ones Coming from?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  back in the early 70s, right before 1975 we had about 7 or 8 thousand professed anointed.

  cant remember the exact number.

  but at every convention we were told that the end is close ---because---the number of anointed is getting smaller and smaller.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  It is quite possible that they indeed believe it; after all, think just how many millions (or, better, billions) of religious men and women all around the world believe that they will go to heaven after they die.

  So, why all the fuss? Religious belief in impossible scenarios (to the point of delusion) is, alas, the rule in humans, not the exception.
  
• 
  27

  I disfellowshipped my parents this week..

  by fulano in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i just wrote them a mail, telling them to not contact me any more under any circumstances, illness or death (79 and 83 years old).

  unless they leave the cult and would apologize for our f*'.ed-up upbringing which ruined our whole life.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  If my parents shun me after I make the DA step, it is possible that I will shun them back.

  It is also possible that I will not help them when they are in need, if they persist on the shun rule. I think this is fair.

  But, I will NOT request them to leave their cult/religion. It is their right. And we (as former jws, having suffered discrimination, persecution etc.) are supposed to have a heart for personal human rights. If they want to live in their delusions, let them do so. That is completely different from my requesting them to drop the shun rule.
  
• 
  10

  Google: most accurate bible in the world

  by enigma1863 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i just googled "most accurate bible in the world" and got new world translation as the answer.

  comments?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  If you type "most accurate bible in the world" it says NWT.

  If you type "most accurate bible" it says KJV.
  
• 
  32

  If you were put in charge of the Governing Body tomorrow...

  by FusionTheism in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  if you were somehow magically put in-charge of the governing body tomorrow, by jesus, with the rules being, you could not teach anything that would be considered outright apostasy and you could not teach anything that would be considered to cause doubt about god's existence... (so as not to arouse suspicion).

  what "new light" or "clarified understandings" would you introduce first?.

  and which later on?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  I'd issue a letter to all congregations that would explain that: a) evolution is true, b) Adam never existed, there's no ransom, c) the Abrahamic deity is a myth as all other tribal end ethnic deities are, d) this is the only life you'll ever have and e) the FDS & WTS is dissolved.

  With concluding words: "Live your life. You are free now".
• 
  7

  "Your Inner Fish" with Neil Shubin on BBC TV

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a 3 part documentary based on neil shubin's work and narrated by him is currently being shown on bbc 4.. part 1 is on i-player now and part 2 is live right now.. 180 minutes of clearly presented evidence for evolution including the discovery of tiktaalik.

  outstanding!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  The book, especially, is excellent.
  
• 
  9

  Musings on WT transformation

  by aintenoughwiskey in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  contemplating the watchtowers attempt at washing away 100 years of cult stink, i had another thought.

  the wbt$ could be transitioning from a growth model to a retention model, particularly in 1st world nations.

  the signs as i see them are:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  There is no "turning mainstream" possibility while the shunning rule applies, and never will be.
  
• 
  16

  New (non)-Witnessing Model

  by berrygerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, one of the kids on reddit posted this video - an evangelist trying to witness to guardians of the cart.

  (both sides are fairly respectful imo).

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwbc9c4ajly&feature=youtu.be.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Syme

  The Dub was honest and consistent with the actual policy of WTS; not just for cart guards, but for door-to-door service as well.
  

  The actual policy is: We do not engage in lengthy Bible discussions that don't have the prospect of recruiting someone; we do not search for the truth, we have found the truth. Hence, we just advertise it, nothing more.

  So, he did actually "right", by their own standards of course.
  
• 
  1

  Incredible Medical Advance: Baby born from ovary frozen from 13 year old girl once she turned 27

  by jwleaks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a woman in belgium is the first in the world to give birth to a baby using transplanted ovarian tissue frozen when she was still a child, doctors say.. the 27-year-old had an ovary removed at age 13, just before she began invasive treatment for sickle cell anaemia.. her remaining ovary failed following the treatment, meaning she would have been unlikely to conceive without the transplant.. experts hope that this procedure could eventually help other young patients.. the woman gave birth to a healthy boy in november 2014, and details of the case were published on wednesday in the journal human reproduction.. bone marrow transplant.

  the woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia at the age of five.. she emigrated from the republic of congo to belgium where doctors decided her disease was so severe that she needed a bone marrow transplant using her brother's matching tissue.. but before they could begin the bone marrow transplant, they needed to give her chemotherapy to disable her immune system and stop it from rejecting the foreign tissue.. chemotherapy can destroy the ovarian function, so they removed her right ovary and froze tissue fragments.

  at that time, she was showing signs of puberty, but had not yet started her periods.

  1. 
• 

  Syme

  Now, news like that are truly "happifying".