What movie is this taken from?
Gentledawn
JoinedPosts by Gentledawn
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8
This is how I feel sometimes... who do you identify with? The doctor? or the UN investigator (Brad Pitt)?
by ILoveTTATT in.
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This is how I feel sometimes... who do you identify with? The doctor? or the UN investigator (Brad Pitt)?
by ILoveTTATT in.
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What did Jesus really mean, when he said he had made his Father's name known?
by Faithful Witness ini am preparing for my meeting this friday with miss k. we are reviewing the bible teach book, and she is looking forward to "showing me some things about the divine name.
" i don't know what she might pull out of her hat this time... but that section of the teach book is so completely assanine, i don't even know what to say.
) what did jesus mean when he said that to his father?.
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Gentledawn
Thank goodness. (((hugs)))
You are doing the best thing both for yourself and for your immediate family.
To give you my own story as an example: I was contacted 25yrs ago. It was a few years later when I was baptized. When 1995 rolled around with the "AWAKE!" masthead change (http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/generation.php#1995), my former bible study conductor changed. She was distraught, angry, sullen to everyone around herself, except toward me. She even came to my house out of the blue and gave me a vague, non-specific apology. She was in so much pain but couldn't communicate it. By 2000-2001 she had disassociated herself.
Her family had been one of those "pillars of the congregation" types. She was a full-time pioneer, her son had gone to Bethel and was on the RBC (regional building committee), her children auxiliaried (pioneer) and her husband was a MS or elder. Everyone in their family left at the same time except her husband. She got a divorce a year or so later.
So, it can happen. Something could come down the watchtower pike that is impossible for a person to swallow and they will wake up for real.
Again, you are doing the right thing by cutting off the indoctrination channel.
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WT admitted "Jehovah" is not God's name...
by Watkins inif i remember right(unlikely, lol) it was a one-page article about the tetragrammaton which concluded by saying that even though "jehovah" was 'probably' not an accurate pronunciation, it is a widely-recognized and accepted english transliteration of the divine name.
i was thinking it was on the last page or maybe the back cover of a wt pub - maybe a watchtower.. can someone please direct me to the publication it was in?
i read it when i was still 'in' and it made me stop and think about how much emphasis the wt puts on that name, all while knowing it's not the name.
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Gentledawn
The Divine Name Brochure p.10, by the Watchtower Society states:
"Even though the modern pronunciation Jehovah might not be exactly the way it was pronounced originally, this in no way detracts from the importance of the name. While many translators favor the pronunciation Yahweh, the New World Translation and also a number of other translations continue the use of the form Jehovah because of people's familiarity with it for centuries."
copied from : http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/jehovah-yahweh.php
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What did Jesus really mean, when he said he had made his Father's name known?
by Faithful Witness ini am preparing for my meeting this friday with miss k. we are reviewing the bible teach book, and she is looking forward to "showing me some things about the divine name.
" i don't know what she might pull out of her hat this time... but that section of the teach book is so completely assanine, i don't even know what to say.
) what did jesus mean when he said that to his father?.
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Gentledawn
Stop. Stop. Stop.
For the love of your own immediate family and for your own well being: stop.
Stop studying in their material. Notice how you are simply not allowed to socialize, or even bring up your own materials to discuss and/or set aside their malarkey machines? You are playing their game, on their grounds, with their rules and their game pieces. Yeah. You keep going like you are and you'll be knocking on all of our doors soon enough, with a sappy grin on your face and a somewhat trapped, vacant and confused look in your eyes. You will lose everything, including yourself.
Unless you really, really want to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses, you need to stop associating with anyone via their direct indoctrination program. It is designed to bring people in, even when they are resistant to it. The books are made that way. The talks all have outlines that way.
Seriously.
Does Miss K have anything to do with you outside of her counting time studying/witlessing to you?
It's indoctrination.
And you are going about it from the big end of the funnel (how they trap everyone) instead of staying the hell outside the whirlpool (studying, going to meetings, etc), which is exactly how they trapped every single person here.
Start looking into "persuasive coercion" techniques. Learn how cults get a person to do something that they ordinarily would never do in their life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aw_5cmCwoc
Armageddon is the same as hell fire (scare tactic in order to keep your mind trapped through fear), and about as real as God making a wonderfully mild summer for bible printing. Meanwhile, people are starved in another part of the globe. Rapings, and other various forms of torture and imprisonment are the norm. Diseases run rampant (cancer is a real killer in my family. My mom, older sis and brother all died from different types). Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, wild fires, droughts, floods... but God only saw fit to give the Watchtower printery a fine summer for printing. Not save any lives or making sure people didn't end up homeless because of financial destitution, what-not, or save them from any of the above.
Wanting to have hope is not a crime. Being exploited because of your hope is something entirely different.
Like I told my husband the other day: The watchtower, like many other cults, use the bible exactly how others use a Ouija board: They can make it say anything they want, just to fulfill any immediate agenda.
Spend your time learning about indoctrination techniques. Learn about "loaded language" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_language). Study how other cults indoctrinate and see the outcome of their victims (yes, victims).
To start off, here is Steve Hassan: "How Big Is the Phenomenon of "Undue Influence" ?"
That is just the tip of the iceberg.
I made it partway thru "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop, which describes her upbringing in a fundamentalist Mormon cult (polygamy being the main deviant feature). What struck me while reading it was the chapter where as a child, they played the "armageddon game". God was going to bring destruction to the earth, so they better hide and get ready for the deaths of all non-believers! Sound familiar? Same goddamned teaching as JWs and for the same godforsaken reasons, too: instill fear fear fear and "do as we say" mentality out of their adherents.
"Listen, obey and be blessed bamboozled".
There's so much info out there. In my opinion, the best solution is to simply do as Jesus said: love god and treat others well. But don't get roped into the jackassery by becoming one of watchtower's mind-slaves. It does damage and hurts in more ways than you can count.
If Miss K isn't a true friend now (accepting you as who you are currently), she will never be, no matter what path you take. She is simply trying to recruit you, which is the gateway to getting your whole family in, too.
Social psychology can be a real bitch at times.
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Escaping Indoctrination - Faith Isn't a Virtue.
by cofty inthe unknown writer of the gospel of john put the following words in jesus' mouth, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.".
persuading countless generations that it is a virtue to believe incredible things on insufficient evidence, is one of religion's cleverest tricks.. the more incredible the claim; the more flimsy the evidence; the stronger the belief; the greater the virtue.. this is the exact opposite of how we operate in every other aspect of our lives.. rational people must demand objective evidence for everything they are asked to believe.
"extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence".. leaving the dogmatic claims of the watchtower is only a first step.
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Gentledawn
DJS: Until the 20th Century the average lifespan for humans was about 34
This oft repeated factiod is misleading because it includes infant mortality rates which, until fairly recently, were very high:
Human Lifespans Nearly Constant for 2,000 Years
"The inclusion of infant mortality rates in calculating life expectancy creates the mistaken impression that earlier generations died at a young age; Americans were not dying en masse at the age of 46 in 1907. The fact is that the maximum human lifespan — a concept often confused with "life expectancy" — has remained more or less the same for thousands of years. The idea that our ancestors routinely died young (say, at age 40) has no basis in scientific fact."----
Yup, yup. Infant/early childhood vaccinations/inoculations changed everything, as did cleanliness and sterilization (including fastidious hand washing) in the medical profession/hospitals.
The baby boom generation (babies born between 1945 - 1964. 1965 was first year of generation "x", if mem serves) wasn't just because of returning soldiers getting all happy about being back from WWII. It came right on the heels of mandatory childhood vaccinations, too.
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Happy 21st!!!!
by KateWild in21 years ago today, was the one of the most special days of my life.
i gave birth to my precious daughter.
who knew it would pass so quickly!
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Gentledawn
Happy birthday!
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What is the biggest regret or source of resentment because of being a Jehovahs Witness?
by stuckinarut2 ini'm sure we could all write long paragraphs about this question, but in a few words, what is your biggest regret, or frustration in life due to being a witness?.
what missed opportunities did it cost you?
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Gentledawn
The lies, lies and more f--cking LIES.
Deceptive recruitment practices.
The fake-ass love-bombing from the get-go.
Being around people who are just as worn out, struggling, depressed and wondering why as you, but their best advice is : "service will fix it!".
Wearing dresses or skirts in sub-zero temps, with the wind (and snow) whistling up my wahoo for hours on end whilst knocking at not-at-homes. Ya know, because it's still the 1950s and pants grow cocks betwixt the wearers legs, apparently.
The fact that as a woman every male in the building had a say-so over every specific of my fucking everything. Nothing beats having some random male visiting the hall getting upset by a game my child plays (didn't have the game with us, but was mentioned in passing during discussion with this same man). He goes into a dry-ass tirade about the evils of said game (pokemon). And snitches to the congregation elders about the convo, too.
Next up? Two-- count em : 2 -- sheep-herding calls made on me and my kid by "concerned" local eldubs. Threw away all of our related video games. Surprised they didn't ask us to throw away our gameboy systems, too.
It's a cult. <--- end of discussion.
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Why are some of you guys calling this new arrangement tithing?
by neverendingjourney inat the risk of being shouted down, i thought i'd point out that "tithing" means giving 10 percent of your income to a church.
it comes from the old english word teogotha meaning tenth.
i've seen nothing that establishes tithing in the watchtower.. while i'm all in favor of pointing out the watchtower's lies, hypocrisies and faults, the language we use matters.
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Gentledawn
Tax-free organization that outright owns the buildings and property and has its maintenance done by the real slaves (not oxymoronic leadership "slaves", who can't be questioned nor denied aka a supposed prophet of god, who do f--k-all as far as real work and/or door-to-door knocking goes).... so what exactly are the expenses for a kingdom hall per month? the electricity to light it up?
Interesting reading regarding money and scams pulled:
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$2.5 million solicited and collected(!) for an assembly hall build, only to deny build going forward 4-5yrs later on:
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US Brooklyn headquarters couldn't afford to build a Bethel Branch and printing facility in Spain, so people in congregations there donated whatever they had: cash, jewelry, savings, what have you. Then when building was sold years later, all monies go "back" to... US Brooklyn headquarters??
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/175871/1/Spanish-JWs-Upset-Over-Bethel-Move#.U0ohv_ldUWY
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back to topic and for the record:
March 29, 2014
TO ALL CONGREGATIONS
Re: Adjustment to financing Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide
Dear Brothers:
On September 1, 1983, the Kingdom Hall Fund was created to help finance the increasing need for Kingdom Halls. For more than 30 years, this arrangement has served to expand the construction of Kingdom Halls worldwide in a tremendous way by means of Regional Building Committees and the program for lands with limited resources. Having sufficient, adequate places of worship is vital, as Jehovah continues to ‘speed up’ the gathering of “a mighty nation.” (Isa. 60:22) In order to meet these ever-increasing needs, the Governing Body has directed that an adjustment be made in the way Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction projects are financed.
In harmony with the principle at 2 Corinthians 8:12-14, congregations will now be asked to pool their resources worldwide to support the construction of theocratic facilities wherever they are needed. Congregations and Assembly Halls will no longer be asked to repay a loan, and use of the separate contribution box labeled “Kingdom Hall Construction Worldwide” has been discontinued. Instead, all congregations will have the opportunity to support Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide by resolving to make a monthly donation from congregation funds. If individual publishers wish to donate specifically to support Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide, such donations will be accepted gladly and used wisely by the branch office. From now on, all funding for approved projects will be provided by the branch office from the funds that have been donated by you dear brothers and sisters.
The need for Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls is greater than ever before. At this time, over 13,000 Kingdom Hall projects and 35 Assembly Hall projects are needed worldwide. Much of this need is in parts of the world where the cost of property and building materials is high. A tremendous amount of funds is needed to care for this work. However, we are confident that Jehovah will provide what is needed by your generous support. Time and again we have seen this take place. For example, it has been 24 years since we began offering literature under the donation arrangement, yet Jehovah’s blessing on this adjustment has been obvious. We are confident that by means of Jehovah’s continued blessing and the generosity of the worldwide brotherhood, the new arrangement for financing Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction will be a success as well.—1 Chron. 29:11-14; Ps. 127:1.
May Jehovah continue to richly bless your hard work and loyal service as you generously support Kingdom interests.
Your brothers,
Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses----
::: The following pages are NOT to be read to Congregations nor posted to bulletin board::::
***PAGE TWO***
Re: Adjustment to financing Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide March 29, 2014 Page 2
PS to body of elders:
At the Service Meeting for the week of April 28, 2014, the congregation should be informed that use of the contribution box labeled “Kingdom Hall Construction Worldwide” will be discontinued on May 1, 2014. and that further information will be provided at the following Service Meeting. This letter should be read to the congregation during the local needs part on the Service Meeting for the week of May 5, 2014.(Congregations having an assembly the week of May 5 should have the letter read the following week.) This postscript should not be read to the congregation, and this letter should not be posted on the information board. After the reading of the letter, either a resolution should be presented to the congregation or the survey described below should be taken. The December 7, 2009, letter to all congregations should be removed from the congregation permanent file of policy letters and be destroyed. Updated congregation accounting instructions and forms will begin to be provided in May 2014.
Resolved donations: All congregations are asked to establish a monthly resolved donation to support Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide by no later than May 31, 2014.
• What amount should be used for this new resolved monthly donation?
The elders in congregations currently making loan repayments would likely propose a resolution that is at least the same amount as the current monthly loan repayment, keeping in mind that donations will no longer be received from the “Kingdom Hall Construction Worldwide” contribution box. The elders in congregations without loans or those having standing resolutions to support Kingdom Hall construction worldwide should take a confidential survey of all publishers to determine the amount of the new resolution. This can be done by passing out slips of paper to be filled out anonymously by the publishers indicating how much they are able to contribute monthly toward local congregation expenses, including the resolution to support Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide. At the time the survey is taken, it may be helpful to also review with the congregation the average monthly operating expenses that need to be covered.
Elders should review this resolution annually in May to ensure the amount is what the congregation is realistically able to donate on a monthly basis. For example, there may be a significant increase or decrease in the number of publishers in the congregation, or the local economic conditions may appreciably improve or deteriorate, thus affecting the amount that the congregation can reasonably contribute. If necessary, the elders may take a new financial survey, as described above, to determine whether the resolved monthly contribution to Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide should be adjusted for the coming year.
• What should be done with other existing resolutions?
Any previous resolution to support Kingdom Hall construction should be discontinued. All other resolutions, such as those for contributing to the worldwide work, the Convention Fund, the Traveling Overseer Assistance Arrangement, and the Kingdom Hall Assistance Arrangement, should continue to be honored. Where more than one congregation shares a Kingdom Hall, resolutions to contribute to a shared Kingdom
***PAGE THREE***
Re: Adjustment to financing Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide March 29,2014 Page 3
Hall operating account to cover the operating costs, minor renovations, and repairs may be adjusted as needed.
• How should this new resolved amount be submitted to the branch office?
Each congregation should establish its own resolution to contribute to Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide and submit the resolved amount with its monthly remittance to the branch office. These resolved amounts should not be submitted through Kingdom Hall operating accounts. If revised forms for congregation accounting are not yet available in the language of the congregation, the resolved donation amount for Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide may be recorded on the line “Kingdom Hall Construction Worldwide (Resolution)” that appears on the form(s) currently being used.
• What should be done if congregation funds are not sufficient to cover resolved donations?
If sufficient funds are not available for all resolved donations in a particular month, additional funds should not be solicited. The elders should determine what amounts from the congregation funds that are available at the end of the month will be applied toward the resolved monthly donation(s) and whether the shortfall should be made up in future months. However, it would be appropriate for the elders to remind the congregation of the resolved monthly commitments. If the congregation can no long¬er contribute the amount(s) they resolved on a regular basis, the elders may consider the situation at the next annual review of the resolution for Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall construction worldwide.
Contribution boxes: As noted above, on May 1, 2014, each Kingdom Hall should have only two types of contribution boxes, one labeled “Local Congregation Expenses” and one labeled “Worldwide Work.”• What should be done with existing “Kingdom Hall Construction Worldwide” boxes or boxes set up to accept donations for a local building project?
These boxes will no longer be used for accepting donations in support of Kingdom Hall or Assembly Hall construction. They should be removed or relabeled to accept donations for the worldwide work on May 1, 2014.• What type of expenses can be paid from funds received in the “Local Congregation Expenses” box?
These funds should be used to pay approved congregation expenses, including Kingdom Hall operating expenses, minor renovations, and repairs (through the operating committee, if applicable), as well as for all monthly resolved donations that are sent to the branch office.• Are there any changes to the existing “Worldwide Work” box?
No. Funds received in the “Worldwide Work” box will continue to be forwarded to the branch office each month. No congregation expenses or monthly resolutions should be paid from these funds. -
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The Creation of Eve
by jws infor those of you who believe in the bible, have you ever seriously thought about the events that led up to the creation of eve?.
genesis 2 - 18 the lord god said, it is not good for the man to be alone.
i will make a helper suitable for him.. .
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Gentledawn
XY = male; XX = female. But no such thing as a "YY" super-uber male. Just saying
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During Metaphase I of meiosis, the sperm or unfertilized egg can incorrectly separate the duplicated chromosomes and have additional copies of sex chromosomes in one egg or sperm, and then no copies in another egg or sperm. Most of the time it causes a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), or the sperm/egg will not continue with fertilization (undergo apoptosis), but rarely the fertilization will occur with a defective gene count, and fertilized fetus will be viable. Here's a brief but not all-encompassing list of the conditions:
XY male, normal (included as a reference) XX female, normal (included as a reference)
X0 Turner Syndrome: Affected persons are phenotypically female, but smaller and may or may not undergo sexual maturation; even at sexual maturity sterility is common. Cognitive ability and other capabilities usually are normal, but some mental impairment is possible.
XYY: Double Y karyotype, usually taller than normal, may have slight cognitive impairment, but are otherwise normal, sterility is common. Behavior, mood, and criminal tendencies are not higher than others in the population.
XXY: Klinefelter syndrome, pheontypically male, usually tall, but do not undergo sexual maturity, however may have large breasts, nearly always sterile. Also usually have mild-moderate cognitive impairment.
XXXY: Normally not viable, but in extremely rare cases when an individual survives pregnancy they are similar to Kilnefelter syndrome.
XXX: Trisomy X, phenotypically female, symptoms vary from completely normal to moderate behavioral and cognitive dysfunction.
XY (Female): Defective SRY gene, so genetically male but a defective SRY gene in fetal development blocks development of the testes (and male physical features). Otherwise normal.
YY: Not viable, the X chromosome is required. If an ovum were to somehow still survive the mitotic [meiotic] checkpoints and be present for fertilization, the fetus would abort spontaneously.----
http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1wi4wz/if_men_have_xy_and_women_have_xx_what_would/
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technically, humans are female by default. Not the other way around.
