inbetween:
They claim "ecclesiastical privilege" in courts of law with regard to divulging "confessions" of guilty parties so this is an admission of being clergy.
I took them at their word back when I joined and they said "we have no clergy class". In fact, this was partly the reason I became interested in the JWs, because of the negative impression I had of clergy....But, I think that was just a carrot to entice people like me in ...
.....then they very nicely imply that they are. (Of course, none of this matters now since I am out, but it is the principle of the thing.) I think they are morphing into a mainstream religion right before everybody's eyes.
When I found out the dirty truth about the religion, you should have seen all the stuff I threw out. I had a signed song book and other stuff from so-called anointed. Well, I tore the stuff up into shreds and practically spit on it. So much for holding anybody in high regard. Yuck. It makes me sick to think about it...I'd love to tell these people off, but they are gone.
prologos:
I know it is sickening to hear anecdotal stories that you just do not believe (broiling in the sun or encrusted in ice). What about swimming in crocodile infested rivers and hacking their way through a jungle just to get to meetings?? Even if a Spartan-like person did this here and there, it could only be for a short time.
A person would die at a young age if they were subjected to this regularly.
Such rubbish!
