Shunning: The Watchtower's Self-Inflicted Wound
by slimboyfat 99 Replies latest members campaign
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cofty
Inbetween I disagree. Traditional Christians expect to live a full life and then enjoy eternal bliss. JWs put their life on hold awaiting the imminent arrival of paradise. The difference is crucial and massively detrimental.
Nonjwspouse click anywhere and then use remove link button or edit in code view
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Giordano
(How do I get this underlined link out? )
Now I have it.
Go away link!
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Giordano
Ok back at it. Paradise earth generates a normal response. We are familiar with living on this earth, we have fond memories, family, friends, pets..........getting drunk on occasion.
I think most people, if told, are offered a choice of living in a paradise earth or heaven would choose what they are most familiar with. We all knew JW's that held to the Paradise belief and denied themselves more education, a better job, separated from the world, shunned family and died when death came calling.
The point of putting yourself on hold waiting for paradise is pretty much on par with Islamic Suicide bombers looking forward to the 70 virgins in the after life. It an't going to happen.
Besides which.........will you even have a dick in the afterlife?
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steve2
No one on earth is "familiar" with religious depictions of paradise earth. JW organization's depictions are as sanitized and "other-worldly" as anything in Islam.
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slimboyfat
I started replying to this message but fell asleep.
Maybe you should read books more carefully before you recommend them.
I'm confused because I don't think I recommended a book on this thread. It was you who recommended Pinker's Blank Slate. Which I did read a long time ago. What did you mean?
I don't think paradise is unrealistic, any more than the advances we've already made. In fact I have argued that paradise including resurrection may be inevitable, whether there is a God or not. But more and more I think there will be God. All matter has the quality of awareness and stores information. To build toward our future we need to learn to make war and exploitation history.
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cofty
All matter has the quality of awareness and stores information
Not that bullshit again for fuck's sake!
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LoveUniHateExams
To build toward our future we need to learn to make war and exploitation history - Kumbaya-around-the-campfire nonsense.
We need our armed forces and intelligence services. They keep us safe. Members do a great job defending us from people who would harm us.
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Afairjw
Join us to enforce civil rights to a fair tribunal, not kangaroo court via judicial commitee. We are looking for others experiencing similar violations (elder abuse/judicial bullying) to join in on a class action lawsuit demanding our civil rights to a fair tribunal where detrimental interests are at stake; The right to pursue happiness, to due process and to equal protection under the law.
While we are entirely spiritual and each having a solid relationship with Jehovah, unfortunately, this is not about the Bible or Religion. This is about decisions that affects Constitutionally protected rights; The right to pursue happiness and enjoy your family and close associations; To equal protection and a minimum standard of judicial process where due process, and rights to a fair tribunal are essential. Instead, these paramount decisions are being tried in kangaroo courts who's whimsical disregard for basic human rights are rampant. They abuse elders and use their kangaroo court to judicially bully the people. The bias and perfectly unethical behavior create an animus inconsistent with any type of Judicial Objectivity. Thousands of citizens have been subjected to these 'judicial commitees' where life altering decisions are made frivilously and as a result, families are destroyed, ties to children, parents, grandparents and grandchildren are severed, close friends and associations are threatened with the same treatment if they even dare say 'hello' to you, leaving any support system, completely unavailable and removed. Age is not considered, leaving multitudes of elder citizens fully abandoned and alone. Business customer base is instructed to turn their back and not use the business anymore. Once disfellowshipped by this kangaroo court they call 'judicial committee', suddenly, they find themselves isolated and shunned from the congregation, leaving them without friends, family or business associates to turn to in case of health problems, physically or spiritually. In some cases this creates such dispair that they commit suicide.
In the instant case is a 74 year old man, baptised JW over 60 years ago. He is married, has 4 grown children all of which are JW, some have children. All of his friends, family and associations for 60 plus years have been members of JW in one capacity or another. Retired, and committed to field service but strapped with the struggles of his bed bound wife, he was unable to take any authorative positions within the congregation, although it was offered. Bible studies gives him the greatest joy, therefore, helping others develop spiritually becomes his top priority. Imagine his surprise when the elders called him to tell him they wanted to meet with him the next day to discuss disfellowshipping him for 'brazen conduct'. First, he couldn't recall the word brazen ever used in a Bible so he had to look it up. Second, where it is used, it changes the context of the verse. Brazen describes bold and shameless conduct but it replaced the word 'lewd'. Everywhere lewd was used it intentionally refers to sexual misconduct. Three incidents over the course of about five years the elders described before disfellowshipping him for 'brazen conduct'; 1. He pulled an elder aside to gently and privately correct something said by him on the podium. 2. After 4 years of study with an individual, the elders decided they wanted this Bible student to study with the elders wives (student previously had declined), unwilling to go against the students wishes, he continued studies with the student. 3. Finally, he left a message on the answering machine of a congregation member after he had been disfellowshipped. The message offered spiritual uplifting but somehow was illegally copied and obtained by the elders. By using this recording in this 'judicial committee' meeting is a Breach of Confidence. Had this ambush been considered in a proper judicial setting, this tape recording should have been excluded, time to prepare would have been given, representation should have been allowed and redress (appeal) should have the power, authority and history of overturning prior decisions. Unfortunately, at no time was anything stated or brought up by him considered. Clearly, they had made up their minds and were merely going through the motions as judgement had already been passed. They do have an appeal procedure, but, the appeal committee has no history of overturning the judicial committees decision. So once again, going through the motions.
Written on the inside cover of the elders manual &Sheparding The Flock Of God& (The Flock) is a statement forbidding anyone but elders to touch the book. The Flock, procedurally details a judicial committee course of action that completely fails to meet a minimum standard of due process . Adequate notice is not provided for, a fair and objective tribunal is not provided, it is to be done behind closed doors with no witnesses or recordings, representation is not allowed. Elders use these judicial committees to hide administrative abuses against individuals, and anyone who cares for them, and to harass them into conformity. The elders cover and justify actions, claiming to be accountable only to Jehovah, allowing The Flock rules to govern over State and Federal laws, which in the past, has proven to give safe harbor to pedophiles. Certainly, not a history worth repeating.
In 1971, the Watchtower mauraded the peaceful congregation of JW and have ruled with Tyranny, no accountability, and completely unchecked since. For example, through the publication of NWT 2015, elders and the Governing body are changing scripture and literally writing themselves into history. If anyone questions the changes in doctrine, they are labeled an Apostate and disfellowshipped. Fear controls the congregation, threats to destroy their family, home and businesses, to have their human rights trammeled upon and oppression imposed. The WT organization has isolating policies to socialize only through the congregation, violation of which could subject one to disfellowshipping. Opinions expressed will be kept track of and quashed and a subsequent witch hunt in the interest of disfellowshipping. Their basic human rights to a fair, honest and open tribunal where the decision &subjects arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home or correspondance, and attacks his honour and reputation& are violated each time they disfellowship one of thier own. They ignore their age, health and well being, they discriminate, systematically and spuriously, the whole time claiming Jesus elevated him to that authoity. Without a second thought they cause them to suffer alone, with no support, they destroy any family unity, even cutting off business ties. Reputation that has taken a lifetime to build, marginalized and ruined, neighbors doors will be knocked on so they can spread the propaganda into your nieghborhood. The complete and utter destruction of a human life. Forced to operate by a rule book that is kept secret and we are instructed not to touch it. When asked how and when he can become part of the fellowship again, the elders, informed him that he will need to swear allegiance to the Governing Body as though they themselves are the new God. Because of his conscience he will never be able to do that.
But this is not a plea to be accepted back into the fellowship or reverse a disfellowship. This is a plea to force transparency and accountability. A plea to have a fair, unbiased tribunal consider the issues and settle them promptly and with judicial objectivity. This is how it was when he was baptized, not this mockery of a 'theocratic order' that places certain members above others. The efforts of this Governing Body has catapulted the peaceful congregants of JW into a cult style Tyranny that must change.
This is the point of the lawsuit and perhaps I should end here but Jehovah is with us and blessing our efforts so...
As such, I offer these thoughts on change:
A culture is a deeply embedded set of values and beliefs that determine, to a greater extent, how individuals react to various situations. But if that culture does not promote merit and efficiency, it can prove to be disastrous. It needs to change and adapt to the evolving needs of its stakeholders (congregants).
1. We must understand the existing culture.
a) What drives a particular sort of behavior and what factors trigger different practices.
2. We need outside help.
a) Experts in judicial transparency, accountants, consultants.
b) Elimination of secret rules, create uniformity.
3. A Top-down approach.
a) Examine GB to determine which aspects need altering.
b) The changes cannot come from issuing a memo or instruction.
c) A voting system to serve the majority.
d) Supervision to demonstrate electors are activelying implementing change.
Last, and most important,
4. A oversight system formed where congregants, in each congregation, will have the freedom to actively ensure accurate doctrines and publications without fear of reprimand.
Thank you for reading, I hope the point is clear that we must force transparency in all matters. Lives are at stake with these kangaroo courts taking place too frequently and our brothers and sisters are suffering and feeling abandoned, let down and always in their darkest hours of need.
&Without oversight, it is the human, that must resist the temptation to take advantage... and if Satan wins the day, the human will become THAT evil slave (Matt24:48, Luke12:45). -Amy Engelhardt
NOTE:
Judicial oversight was maintained by holding judicial matters at the city gate, wide open, transparent, where everyone interested can be a part of it, hear it, speak, observe. (Note: NWT 2015, places where 'older men' used to be has been replaced with 'elder' [classic case of changing doctrine])
De12:32 Every word that I am commanding you is what you should be careful to do. You must not add to it nor take away from it.
De25:7 “Now if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, his brother’s widow should then go to the elders at the city gate and say, ‘My husband’s brother has refused...
Amos5:15 Hate what is bad, and love what is good, Let justice prevail in the city gate. It may be that Jehovah the God of armies...
De21:19 his father and his mother should take hold of him and bring him out to the elders at the gate of his city. -
stan livedeath
blimey @afairjw where did all that come from ? i lost interest after the first inch.