Watch the complete fragmentation of the Watchtower begin

by Dogpatch 125 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Hadit

  Thanks Randy. The elder's manual is not such a big deal in itself - but the note about sisters not touching it is.

  I completely agree - that statement in the letter hit me like a ton of bricks. I agree that there is anger over being treated like a child. There are also much deeper issues which touch on all aspects of life. I've actually started writing an article about it but haven't completed it yet - it just gets bigger and bigger. The implications of that attitude are HUGE. The fact that they have put that in writing is crazy. The can of worms that it has opened is a big one.

  Great points Randy - let's hope for a very fast downhill roll!

  Hadit
• 

  Dogpatch

  Someone sent me this anon. Can't verify the last 4 or 5 paragraphs yet, but this is typical of more and more "exposures" some are making against the Watchtower, apparently feuled by the new "Flock" book (don't ask me for the link because I respect copyright law):

  DEAR READERS PLEASE GET COPIES TO POLICE AND OTHERS
  
  One link here is a link to a shocking 2010 elders’ manual that for example shows that the Watchtower Society over Jehovah’s Witnesses (WT) does indeed punish any Jehovah’s Witness (JW) who takes an emergency whole blood transfusion in order to stay alive, a violation of the constitutional laws of many nations which has also led to countless deaths of JW adults and children since 1945. WT has often misinformed entire nations it does not punish JWs taking blood so they would grant WT tax breaks etc.
  
  There are also valid privacy and safety issues as the Shepherding The Flock Of God manual tells its Watchtower elders over JWs what to do and don’t do for example regarding suicides, trying and disfellowshipping (i.e. enacting severe shunning against JWs), trying and disfellowshipping even married JW couples for anal and oral sex among themselves, probing couples about to marry over if they have had sex already to see if they are to be tried and disfellowshipped, how to shelter pedophiles etc.
  
  As courts, juries, attorneys, government officials, news media and human rights groups see the contents they will clearly know from the details WT is legally liable for the doings of all of its Bodies Of Elders over JWs, and its pretense in courts that it has ecclesiastical privilege is false since WT itself does not keep confessions limited to just one clergyman elder and just one confessing person but instead wants three elders to hear confessions and send correspondence back to WT-run branches where other WT elders and order can also read the confessions. Watchtower is known to have over 25,000 sin files on pedophiles for the U.S. branch alone.
  
  WT’s attorney Robert Moake has threat legal action claiming the scandal-filled manual has total protection under copyright but in fact courts have also ruled it is proper for copyright concerns to be weighed for example in light of concerns over life and limb, further, authorities such as police, courts, legislators can and do need to be informed about a commission or reasonable suspicion of ongoing crimes etc. [sentence omitted]
  
  Apart from the manual here is a 1992 letter Watchtower sent elders in Florida after they asked about a serial murderer on the run from law enforcement! http://www.silentlambs.org/education/92_murder_letter.cfm
  
  We are reliably informed Watchtower has also been under investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice over the 2010 murder of David Lynn Carter in Virginia. Carter was born with a rare genetic condition. A federal Judge heard that two elders, fleshly brothers, in his JW congregation sexually molested him in his weakened condition. When he told authorities the two got to his fleshly sister who was also a JW. Food included rat poisoning which slowly killed him.
  
  Further, Watchtower and its Service Department, where heavies such as David Splane and Merton Campbell work, have been exposed regarding allegations of matters such as systematic stalking and harassment both informally (e.g. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/experiences/198595/1/Spiritual-spies) and formally [omitted].
  
  Rightly Concerned In The United States

  ____________________

  hmmmm. interesting.

  Dogz
• 

  Dogpatch

  Dear Hadit,

  Yes, these are very primal, pent-up and real emotions that have been smoldering for years against the Watchtower. It's almost an animal rage that has begun! Kinda scary. There are 7 million people out there whose lives will be shaken up in the next few years. So sad!

  Treat the next Witness you meet with kindness. They may be out, lost and suicidal soon. Pray for them; do something kind for them.

  They'll remember that.
• 

  Dogpatch

  Supposedly from/about a C.O. in Brazil:

  Apostasy in the Circuit
  by Vega on 22 Oct 2010 11:37
  
  Yesterday, during the last announcment at my congregation’s meeting, soon after the song, we had a Local Needs part.
  
  So far nothing too unusual! However, at the very last announcement, our most narrow-minded Judicial (Committee) elder spoke up:
  “Brothers, listen to this latest announcement, because it is very important! It is a message from our circuit overseer:
  
  "It was noted that our circuit, RJ-31, has some Apostates (Yes, he spoke this outloud!) They have Infiltrated the congregations and they are stumbling some of the brothers and sisters.
  
  They use slander, lies, defamations and half truths to destroy the faith of many in the organization.
  
  Therefore, brothers, by way of concern, we need to remember what our attitude should be toward such people!
  
  If someone comes to talk with insinuations, arguments, planting doubts about the organization, or even speaking ill of the Governing Body, the elders or Circuit Overseers of the circuit, do not listen to such talk!
  
  Also when offered pamphlets on the street or even receiving anonymous letters speaking ill of Jehovah's organization, we should not read or accept those, because that’s tricks from the apostates.
  
  And if a brother comes to know of someone in the congregation who is having this kind of behavior, immediately call the elders to solve the problem! Be sure to take action, otherwise you will be in collusion with people of such an attitude!
  
  In any case concerning what we are talking about here, we are to always make sure to destroy any material apostate material that we come into contact with!
  
  That’s remaining faithful to Jehovah and His organization!
  
  Well, brothers, as you see, this is a very serious matter!
  
  Take care! "
  
  All who were in attendance went silent ...
  
  And I, I was thinking to myself: Now I’m screwed! If I try out an argument, however small it is, with a brother in the congregation he will just call me an apostate!
  
  What the ----!
  
  But at the same time, I was also happy because I can see that our struggle is having results! The Tower is now so afraid of losing the rest of its members that now it’s having to beg people to listen by the kingdom hall announcements!
  
  --------
  One of the follow-up comments about the above posting:
  
  There are two sides to the same coin.
  
  While many will follow his advice blindly condemning any argument against the Tower, it will peak the curiosity of many others and they may wonder why there’s so much concern with apostasy, for if The Truth is not afraid of lies, then why throw away all that’s so-called apostasy?
  
  The Tower is seeing that many are opening their eyes. And those are getting to be more and more open.
  
  Many thanks to the forums!
  
  You know what?
  This gave me an idea.
  Tomorrow my circuit assembly begins.
  I'll send a lot of email to my apostate circuit contacts, just to see if someone comments tomorrow. Maybe they’ll even give a special announcement from the podium? I’d be so honored!
• 

  Dogpatch

  Apparently another message from Brazil re: billboards:

  An ExJW friend wrote this:
  
  The billboards are having a big impact in that region of (northeastern) Brazil, since most people are unaware of the impact that disfellowshipping has on the lives of Jehovah's Witnesses and former members.
  
  The preaching is almost at a standstill because people refuse to deal with the Witnesses knowing that they practice this form of social exclusion and recognize that it is inhumane and cruel.
  
  The branch Organization in Brazil is gravely concerned about the situation because prosecutors and human rights associations are aligned with the former Witness who took the elders to court.
  
  Notice that this did not go into court based on the disfellowshipping alone, but due to being based on religious discrimination practiced by the Witnesses against him, ostracism by the community that previously viewed him as a brother.
  
  If you look on the Internet by the name SEBASTIÃO RAMOS and add the word "Jeová" in Portuguese, you'll find lots of information about this case. Use the google translator.
  
  In recent times, there have been impassioned speeches in Brazil to warn against apostasy. Direct orders are being given to neither read nor listen to these things. The direct orders are for Witnesses in the congregations.
  
  Many Witnesses are starting to open their eyes to the way disfellowshipping is being practiced, and people in the world find the disfellowshipping even more shocking than the refusal of blood transfusions.
  
  They see via the advertising billboards that Witnesses separate families and cause deep emotional trauma. Who wants to join a religion knowing in advance that if you leave it you will have serious problems?
  
  I think this is a correct description of the situation now.
  
  -----------------------
  The following is a relevant article in Brazilian Portuguese located at http://extestemunhasdejeova.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5854&st=0&sk=t&sd=a
  Note that at the end I have added links to information about two cities mentioned in the article, i.e. Fortaleza and Ceara in Northeastern Brazil:
  
  Another phase has begun in the campaign for religious diversity and opposition to any form of fundamentalism that threatens the dignity of human beings.
  
  At places of much traffic in Fortaleza, three billboards, were installed denouncing religious discrimination suffered by former adherents of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious denomination and thereby warning all of Brazilian society of risks from a faith that instead of helping one’s neighbor, simply disowns him and judges him as someone unworthy of even saying a greeting to.
  
  Still scheduled for this week is an outdoors campaign near the billboards for making more people aware of this issue that is increasingly gaining more attention from society and national media.
  
  The fight against religious intolerance only reaffirms the constitutional right of people to have beliefs that are in fact aimed at building a citizenry responsible in society and before God.
  
  Another important point is that three more billboards are being made to set up in other sites of general circulation in Fortaleza and that will reach every area of our capital of Ceará.
  
  The images were posted on two outdoor billboards but soon the original layout will be made available. The text contains the court case number of Sebastian Ramos, all social organizations that support our struggle and a reference to the Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses Forum. We should be well visited for many these days by people in Ceará wanting to know more.
  
  Another important point is that at this time every kind of help and spreading of the word are welcome. Though we ourselves must stay anonymous we agrees with this struggle and ask that all please contribute to Sebastian Ramos. I guarantee that any form of contribution will be used only to obtain more publicity material for the cause. [email omitted]
  ----
  Ceara, Brazil: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceara
  Fortaleza, Brazil: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortaleza
• 

  Hadit

  Hi Randy,

  Kindness is definitely on my list. I'm quite worried about the suicidal aspect of those who are coming out. They have nowhere to turn and there are not many outside resources to help them. I know many are reticent to search online and/or don't really even understand what is going on. I know - I've been there! I have been thinking much about this and how to help. My thoughts are to get some information together and present it to a panel at the mental health centers in my area and see what they think. I know when I worked at the mental health centre there were quite a few witnesses coming in with those problems but I know that the psychiatrists did not attribute their problems to the religion because they are unaware of the pervasiveness and all encompassing aspect of their religious convictions. What do you think of this idea? Has anyone done anything like this before?

  That announcement at the hall was crazy!

  And if a brother comes to know of someone in the congregation who is having this kind of behavior, immediately call the elders to solve the problem!

  Solve the problem? Wow! Sounds like mafia language.

  Thanks for all those articles.

  Hadit
• 

  Dogpatch

  Okay, for embarrassing entertainment from the first black member of the Governing Body in WT history:

  http://www.watchtowernews.org/media/SamHerd.mp3

  I think in return I'll do a rap video.

  I'll call it, "Gaga and Beyonce' go door-to-door and are studying with Jehovah's Witnesses"

  Dogz
• 

  3Mozzies

  Okay, for embarrassing entertainment from the first black member of the Governing Body in WT history:

  http://www.watchtowernews.org/media/SamHerd.mp3

  Hahahahaha I pissed myself laughing at him about the 4min mark

  Thanks Randy :)

  3Mozzies
• 

  Listener

  Sorry to interupt but I was wondering if the JWs fortell a falling away of christians in the very last days leading up to Armageddon or an increase?
• 

  Bangalore

  Thanks Randy.

  Bangalore