Edenone, you might find this interesting, at least some of the wording. I recommend that you sign it anyway.
defender of truth
JoinedPosts by defender of truth
-
68
Help needed: Written material regarding shunning of DF'd and DA'd individuals
by EdenOne ini would like this to become a permanent thread, because i think there are grounds - at least in europe - to take this matter up to the european court of human rights.
not sure we'll ever get there, but one must start somewhere.
objective: force, by legal means, the watchtower society and the jehovah's witnesses to stop the practice of shunning ex-jehovah's witnesses, on grounds that it constitutes a violation of human rights.. what is needed: all written material ever published by the watchtower society, especially since 1940's, concerning the practice of shunning.
-
-
-
556
The Watchtower are Right About Blood...
by cofty in... but, they fail to take note of one important detail.. i believe that if we are going to have any chance of reasoning with a jw about blood, this is the place we need to begin.. don't try to convince them that it was only a dietary law.
it wasn't, and they will never go along with it.. don't tell them that saving a life is more important than obeying a law, even a seemingly trivial one.
they take pride in obedience.
-
-
defender of truth
Fisherman said:
"Seems that everyone agrees that based on the Bible it was not ok for Noah or Israel to eat blood from living or dead animals?"
No, not everyone agrees. Have you read the whole thread?
Ok, I'll repost this post of mine from page 8..
"Leviticus 17:15 illustrates that an Israelite could even eat a unbled animal if necessary, and if he had not taken the life. The result was nothing more than ceremonial uncleanness that required bathing."
http://ajwrb.org/bible/new-light-on-blood
...........................
"Blood running through the veins of a living creature represents life, and if someone took a life, he had to pour out the blood and give it back to God.
In the case of an animal that died of itself, no human had taken a life, and this requirement could be waived."
http://ajwrb.org/bible/blood-and-the-mosaic-law
-
2
Please give your support to this brave JW, he's publically 'come out' on Facebook with a moving letter.
by defender of truth in"i do not really know how to start this letter, but this is something i have to do for myself.
if this offends you, hopefully someday you will be able to accept me.
growing up as a jehovah's witness, i have been told many times whom i can and cannot be.
-
-
defender of truth
"I do not really know how to start this letter, but this is something I have to do for myself. If this offends you, hopefully someday you will be able to accept me.
Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, I have been told many times whom I can and cannot be. There are so many standards set by both society and the religious community in regards to what is "right or "normal." We are told from a very young age how to do right in our lives and sometimes that means changing parts of who we truly are in order to fit in. It has taken me awhile to realize that this is truly a devastating way to live. This past year it's been slowly hitting me that I cannot fight who I really am anymore. It's a battle that I'll never win. This being said, I have made the choice to stop battling who I really am in order to make others happy.
I would like to let everyone know that I, David James Gilbert, am bisexual.
I've read many stories about people coming out of the closet, so I'm prepared for the worst reaction possible. I'm 100% okay if I lose support from my family, my friends, and my team. It is my choice to be myself and it is your choice if you support me or not. I understand that it might be difficult for you to accept.
I know people will have a lot of questions, so please read this whole letter so that you understand everything. Also, feel free to contact me once you have read it over if you have remaining questions.
I have always known that I was different. But I always thought it was just a phase, something that I would grow out of. Now that I'm older, however, I understand that will never happen. Over the last few months, I have made a few new friends and have received support from an old friend who has encouraged me to take this final step in making this public statement. I now see why it's very important for me to do this and to stop fighting the truth.
My whole life I've been taught that "being gay is wrong" and that it is a choice; an urge that will go away if you ignore it. Well, I would like you to think about things we actually choose in life. We choose what we eat, who we are friends with, what we want to do with our lives, and so on. Things we cannot choose are what color our eyes are, if we have crooked teeth, who our parents are, or even what gender we are sexually attracted to. That's right—the gender you're attracted to is not a choice. You didn't choose to be straight just like gay people don't choose to be gay.
I wish I could help you to better understand how emotionally difficult this process is. The fear of judgment tears me apart every day of my life. We live in a world that convinces you that being homosexual or bisexual is wrong. But why should I have to hide who I truly am when most people do not? What I have come to realize is that what is socially acceptable is not always right.
As I make this announcement, the one thing I hope you understand is that I'm still the same person today that I have always been. I am still the guy you played basketball with, the college runner, the ASB nerd, the friend who invited you to the lake every weekend, the person who strives to be better than everyone in everything (even though he knows the chances are low), the guy you went to dances with or dated, your teammate, volleyball friend, and so on. I am still that person. The only difference is that I have finally accepted myself. For once in my life, I can finally tell myself that I'm happy with who I am today. If you choose to see me as a different person, you have that right. However, just try and put yourself in my situation for a moment and remember that this has never been a choice.
One goal I have is that this letter might reach other people who might have this same struggle that I have had my whole life.
If you are gay or bisexual, I will share a message that helped give me the final push on making this decision to go public with who I really am: "Please don't give up hope on life or yourself. You're very special to me, and I am working very hard to make this life a better and safer place for you to live in. Promise me you'll keep trying. My son gave up. I hope you won't." These words were said by Mary Griffith, whose son killed himself because she and the rest of his family didn't support his homosexuality. His family and friends thought this was a choice he made and judged him for it. They did not understand that he was born this way and could not change himself. Some guys or girls who try and fight this truth have such little support and get pushed around so much that they give up.
I'm begging you to not be the next statistic. This is not something you should have to fight your whole life. If this is who you really are, you should release the burden of your big secret. You have every right to pursue who you want go after whom you want to go after, love whomever you want, be your genuine self, and not go to bed every night hating yourself.
If you ever need to talk, please feel free to contact me, and I will do everything I can to help you and be by your side in this journey."
You can find David Gilbert on Twitter @Davidjgilberttt or on Facebook. You can also email him at [email protected]
http://www.outsports.com/2015/4/5/8344915/david-gilbert-lewis-clark-college-runne -
74
The Science Is In: God Is The Answer...
by OUTLAW inthe science is in: god is the answer.
research shows kids raised with spirituality are happier and healthier in the vulnerable teen years.
why arent we all signing up?.
-
-
defender of truth
On the other hand..
"When Bengston noticed the growth of nonreligious Americans becoming increasingly pronounced, he decided in 2013 to add secular families to his study in an attempt to understand how family life and intergenerational influences play out among the religionless.
He was surprised by what he found: High levels of family solidarity and emotional closeness between parents and nonreligious youth, and strong ethical standards and moral values that had been clearly articulated as they were imparted to the next generation.
“Many nonreligious parents were more coherent and passionate about their ethical principles than some of the ‘religious' parents in our study,” Bengston told me. “The vast majority appeared to live goal-filled lives characterized by moral direction and sense of life having a purpose."
"According to multiple reports, research has shown that secular upbringings may be healthier for children, who, according to a 2010 Duke University study, display less susceptibility to racism and peer pressure, and are “less vengeful, less nationalistic, less militaristic, less authoritarian, and more tolerant, on average, than religious adults.”
"Far from being dysfunctional, nihilistic and rudderless without the security and rectitude of religion,” writes Zuckerman, “secular households provide a sound and solid foundation for children, according to Vern Bengston, a USC professor of gerontology and sociology.”
Bengston oversees an ongoing study called the Longitudinal Study of Generations, the largest study of families and their religious affiliations in America.
After noticing an uptick in nonreligious households, Bengston added secularism to his study in 2013. “Many nonreligious parents were more coherent and passionate about their ethical principles than some of the ‘religious’ parents in our study,” said Bengston in an interview with Zuckerman. “The vast majority appeared to live goal-filled lives characterized by moral direction and sense of life having a purpose.”
-
4
SNAP calls out JW leadership over child abuse case
by defender of truth inhttp://jehovahswitnessreport.com/court-actions/snap-calls-out-jw-leadership-over-child-abuse-case.
snap calls out jw leadership over child abuse case.
posted on april 3, 2015 by susannah.
-
-
defender of truth
http://jehovahswitnessreport.com/court-actions/snap-calls-out-jw-leadership-over-child-abuse-caseSNAP calls out JW leadership over child abuse case
Posted on April 3, 2015 by Susannah
Vermont women
The Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has been vocal, this week, about a court decision involving Jehovah’s Witnesses “bureaucrats.”
SNAP says they are using “legal technicalities” to try to deny child sex abuse victims their day in court. They have “squandered any moral authority they may have had by ducking and dodging in court like desperate criminals determined to use any and every legal maneuver possible to save their own reputations and careers.”
This is in response to U.S. District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha’s decision to dismiss certain legal theories raised against the Bellows Falls, Vermont, congregation and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. It was alleged, that they ignored reports that children were sexually abused by a congregation member more than 20 years ago.
The alleged abuse survivors involved are Annessa Lewis, 27, who was four years old and Miranda Lewis, 23, who was five when the molestations began. The abuse of the two children allegedly spanned more than a year.
The original lawsuit claims, the alleged molester Norton True, a Ministerial Servant, abused at least three other children prior to the abuse of the Lewis sisters. The elders in the Bellows Falls congregation “chose not to warn … congregation members of the danger defendant True posed to children.”
SNAP says of the decision, “We hope that ultimately they (The Watchtower Society) will fail and that Miranda and Annessa Lewis will be able to expose the callousness and recklessness of Jehovah’s Witness officials in a trial.”
Lawyers representing the women have not made a statement, but Irwin Zalkin said at the time of the initial filing, “Jehovah’s Witnesses have a policy that is grounded in a code of silence when it comes to the protection of children. They are more concerned about scandal and the avoidance of scandal than they are the protection of the children that are entrusted to their care.”
It also looks like Norton True’s defence counsel is looking for legal loopholes, so his client will not have to face at least one of his accusers.
True is represented by attorney Tom Costello, of Costello, Valente and Gentry in Brattleboro.
Costello said he is now waiting for a plaintiff’s date of birth. He said people have six years following their 18th birthday to file charges against someone for something that happened to them when they were children. Costello indicated that when he receives the date of birth, he plans to file a motion to dismiss the case.
-
21
Oregon, Hillsboro Tribune, Article: Jehovah's Witness sex abuse case in feds' hands
by AndersonsInfo inhttp://www.pamplinmedia.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/255785-125363-jehovahs-witness-sex-abuse-case-in-feds-hands.
lawsuit seeks $10.5 million from hillsboro church, watchtower society .
attorneys for a 40-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man who say they were sexually abused nearly 30 years ago by a church elder in hillsboro want to have a lawsuit filed by the pair last fall placed back in state court jurisdiction.
-
-
defender of truth
"Lawyers representing the Watchtower Society, want a child molestation case filed in Oregon in December 2014, to be heard in federal court. It is unclear why, but it may be so that the statute of limitations can be used in an attempt to block abuse survivors being heard."
"On Monday April 6, 2015, the plaintiff’s legal team plan to file a request to remand the case back to state court."
(There is also a video of the news conference)
-
556
The Watchtower are Right About Blood...
by cofty in... but, they fail to take note of one important detail.. i believe that if we are going to have any chance of reasoning with a jw about blood, this is the place we need to begin.. don't try to convince them that it was only a dietary law.
it wasn't, and they will never go along with it.. don't tell them that saving a life is more important than obeying a law, even a seemingly trivial one.
they take pride in obedience.
-
-
defender of truth
And here is one that discusses Acts 15:
http://ajwrb.org/bible/acts-15-and-the-apostolic-decreeKeep up the good work, Cofty.
-
556
The Watchtower are Right About Blood...
by cofty in... but, they fail to take note of one important detail.. i believe that if we are going to have any chance of reasoning with a jw about blood, this is the place we need to begin.. don't try to convince them that it was only a dietary law.
it wasn't, and they will never go along with it.. don't tell them that saving a life is more important than obeying a law, even a seemingly trivial one.
they take pride in obedience.
-
-
defender of truth
This article talks a little about the context of Genesis 9:
http://ajwrb.org/bible/genesis-9-and-the-eternal-covenant"..there is nothing in this scripture that addresses the misuse of human blood, outside of forbidding murder, and that is not what they are implying. Try as you like, you simply cannot formulate the argument that a blood transfusion is a misuse of blood from these verses."
"Additionally, the entire discussion of blood takes place in the context of killing, either animals or humans. This is an important point because a blood transfusion does not involve killing."
-
556
The Watchtower are Right About Blood...
by cofty in... but, they fail to take note of one important detail.. i believe that if we are going to have any chance of reasoning with a jw about blood, this is the place we need to begin.. don't try to convince them that it was only a dietary law.
it wasn't, and they will never go along with it.. don't tell them that saving a life is more important than obeying a law, even a seemingly trivial one.
they take pride in obedience.
-
-
defender of truth
Sorry Cofty, but I'm just re-posting this for the benefit of lurkers.
The following points from articles on Ajwrb.org may help to support your argument (bold is mine for emphasis):
"Leviticus 17:15 illustrates that an Israelite could even eat a unbled animal if necessary, and if he had not taken the life. The result was nothing more than ceremonial uncleanness that required bathing."
http://ajwrb.org/bible/new-light-on-blood
..................
" Clearly blood was sacred. By pouring it out upon the ground and covering it, an Israelite hunter showed his respect for the life he had taken by divine permission...
A logical question at this point would be: “What is the significance of the blood?” Is there something special in it, some mystical property? This question can be answered by considering what the law has to say about animals that died of natural causes or perhaps were killed by a predator.
“As for any soul that eats a body [already] dead or something torn by a wild beast, whether a native or an alien resident, he must in that case wash his garments and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening ; and he must be clean.
16 But if he will not wash them and will not bathe his flesh, he must then answer for his error. Leviticus 17:15-16
" If we reason on all of this it becomes evident that the blood itself was not holy...
Blood running through the veins of a living creature represents life, and if someone took a life, he had to pour out the blood and give it back to God.
In the case of an animal that died of itself, no human had taken a life, and this requirement could be waived."
http://ajwrb.org/bible/blood-and-the-mosaic-law
( I strongly recommend that anyone viewing this thread take a look at these pages, especially if you are still a believing Jehovah's Witness. Your LIFE, or even the lives of your children, may depend on it one day. )
-
556
The Watchtower are Right About Blood...
by cofty in... but, they fail to take note of one important detail.. i believe that if we are going to have any chance of reasoning with a jw about blood, this is the place we need to begin.. don't try to convince them that it was only a dietary law.
it wasn't, and they will never go along with it.. don't tell them that saving a life is more important than obeying a law, even a seemingly trivial one.
they take pride in obedience.
-
-
defender of truth
Cofty, I appreciate what you are trying to do here.
The following points from articles on Ajwrb.org may help to support your argument (bold is mine for emphasis):"Leviticus 17:15 illustrates that an Israelite could even eat a unbled animal if necessary, and if he had not taken the life. The result was nothing more than ceremonial uncleanness that required bathing."
http://ajwrb.org/bible/new-light-on-blood
..................
" Clearly blood was sacred. By pouring it out upon the ground and covering it, an Israelite hunter showed his respect for the life he had taken by divine permission...
A logical question at this point would be: “What is the significance of the blood?” Is there something special in it, some mystical property? This question can be answered by considering what the law has to say about animals that died of natural causes or perhaps were killed by a predator.
“As for any soul that eats a body [already] dead or something torn by a wild beast, whether a native or an alien resident, he must in that case wash his garments and bathe in water and be unclean until the evening ; and he must be clean.
16 But if he will not wash them and will not bathe his flesh, he must then answer for his error. Leviticus 17:15-16" If we reason on all of this it becomes evident that the blood itself was not holy...
Blood running through the veins of a living creature represents life, and if someone took a life, he had to pour out the blood and give it back to God.
In the case of an animal that died of itself, no human had taken a life, and this requirement could be waived."
http://ajwrb.org/bible/blood-and-the-mosaic-law
( I strongly recommend that anyone viewing this thread take a look at these pages, especially if you are still a believing Jehovah's Witness. Your LIFE, or even the lives of your children, may depend on it one day. )