Posts by OrphanCrow

21

New Light on HOLIDAYS and BIRTHDAYS? (September 2015 Watchtower)

by FusionTheism in

watchtower-- simplified study edition, september 2015, "is your conscience a reliable guide?":.

in ancient rome, some christians had different opinions about certain foods and celebrations.

what advice did paul give them?

OrphanCrow

Wasanelderonce: I think this is the key: "When it comes to health care and other matters, each of us needs to make a personal decision and accept responsibility for it."

You are probably right. It is the key.

But I think the Tower probably means this: "Don't come after us in court. We wash our hands of you. You are responsible - the Tower isn't responsible for all your faulty health care choices."

Maybe they are facing some legal challenges from people who have been affected by the Tower's barbaric demands for human sacrifice.

98

Music buffs.Here we go again. List you're all-time favorite Guitarists

by flipper in

jw
friends

hello ya'll.

was just listening to great guitar music from some of my favorites.

who are your all time favorites?

OrphanCrow

Flipper, I am trying to figure out how you left Eric Clapton off that list!! (*edit....I see Eric already got mentioned! I am a bit slow on the uptake...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIBxn8arV3w

Here is a local fellow that is known as the king of guitar in my neck of the woods - Jack Semple on the electric guitar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbXfND2BH7E

And my favorite :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQFl9pI-wxo

30

How many times were you told, "You Just Don't Qualify Yet to be an Elder"

by John Aquila in

you think it's the holy spirit that appoints the elders, at least that's what new jw males are told.

the culture within the organization dictates to all young male jehovah's witnesses that unless you are an elder, you will not get the sultry, passionate- brunette, the voluptuous, curvaceous,- blond, or the seductive, erotic, red headed-vamp..

so unaware of the social forces that are shaping your mind, you succumb to the dictum issued by the governing body to conform to the structure already in place- if you want to be successful.

OrphanCrow

Witnessmyfury: I wasnt ever enough of a yes man I guess.

Nah. You probably just didn't give enough money.

I don't think that elder appointments are made on the basis of 'spiritual' merit. They are done on the basis of financial merit.

It has been many, many years since I stepped foot in a Kingdom Hall, but from what I remember, the men who were in the top positions in the congregations from the area I grew up in, were always the men who were the most financially successful. The ones with the most money had the most power. And those who were connected to that money (like being married to the elder's daughter) were the ones who advanced the fastest.

22

Everything seems to be changing... why not birthdays?

by StarTrekAngel in

if we look at all doctrines, we see an overall effort to conserve unity and control.

- assuming most birthdays, if allowed, would probably be oriented to children, then that means 40 celebrations per year.

so all in all, this give a total potential attendance to a birthday of 30 families (120 attendance / 4 family members).

OrphanCrow

StarTrekAngel - I agree with your theory that the birthday ban was put in place so that the money meant for birthdays would be freed up for "donations" to the Tower. I have thought that for years but have never done the math on it.

Birthdays and Xmas were both celebrated at one time in the Tower religion - the old Golden Age magazines used to advertise Studies in Scriptures as a gift suggestion for Xmas. I am not sure about the birthdays but I believe that the birthday ban was put in post-WW2.

Regardless, I do think that money was the originating factor - the control and keeping the JWs 'separate from the world" are only the results that are actually seen - the money is the primary reason.

Hell, the Tower doesn't even want the kids to buy ice cream - how the hell could they ever have a birthday party without ice cream??

5

JW.ORG posters held up at a sports game?

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

remember the christians who like to hold up john 3:16 signs at sporting events or large crowd gatherings?.

i wonder when we will see witnesses follow that example and hold up jw.org signs at the next big sporting event or concert.........

OrphanCrow

Hi CC! Yes, I am doing well. In fact, I'm great!

Wow. I didn't know that - when I was still a JW brat, those events were definitely off limits.

My, how things change...I had to sneak out to attend concerts and sporting events and hope that I didn't get caught by someone who would tell my mom.

5

JW.ORG posters held up at a sports game?

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

remember the christians who like to hold up john 3:16 signs at sporting events or large crowd gatherings?.

i wonder when we will see witnesses follow that example and hold up jw.org signs at the next big sporting event or concert.........

OrphanCrow

Huh? JWs attend sporting events and concerts???

Since when?

20

WT September 2015 (Public edition) - We never petition for Money

by Designer Stubble in

page 6 of the september 2015 public wt, under the heading "how is our ministry financed"our work is supported entirely by voluntary donations.

(2 corinthians 9:7) in 1879, the second issue of this magazine stated: zions watch tower [as this magazine was then called] has, we believe jehovah for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support.

we have not wavered from that policy.

OrphanCrow

Well...I had a friend that used to say,

"You can call it a tuna fish sandwich if you like, but...if it has four legs, walks low to the ground, and is black with a white stripe running down its back.....then its a skunk."

134

Young Girl Exposes Jehovah's Witnesses at school video goes VIRAL last 2 days 273,000 views

by Watchtower-Free in

original thread here.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/291080001/brave-high-school-student-exposes-abuse-corruption-within-jehovahs-witnesses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdvt_gyq-ls.

OrphanCrow

Out of the mouth of babes.........comes wisdom

And honesty.

50

Demon Stories

by humblepotato in

jw
friends

so we all know that "crazy" brother or sister.

every kingdom hall has one.

they give the best comments (from a hilarious perspective), have experiences with the "demons", but most importantly, they are on about 10 deifferent kinds of medications.

OrphanCrow

My personal favorite demon story comes from the historical accounts of Clayton Woodworth, the man who co-authored The Finished Mystery with George Fisher. Both men were textbook writers for the International Correspondence Schools.

Woodworth claimed to have been under demonic control at one time and declared such at a convention in 1913.

Image and full story at Martin's Blog.

And an older thread that has lots about the wacky, demon possessed editor of the Golden Age:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/121107/case-c-j-woodowrth-demon-possession?page=1

31

If Women were elders, would it make a difference in the organization?

by John Aquila in

imagine three single sisters who qualified to be appointed as elders in the congregation.

they qualified because they started reaching out in their early teens.

persistently and methodically they worked their way through the ranks by pioneering then becoming a m.s.

OrphanCrow

OrphanCrow:
Women are also sexual predators.

You are absolutely right. And I am sure that to the Mama Bear, it doesn't matter if it was a woman or a man who raped her child.

Religious doctrine that teaches perverted sexual repression will affect both sexes - however, the majority of sexual predators are male. Not all....just the majority.

The difference lies in giving the victims voice and within the JW religion, the women have no voice and no real power. The JW individual is never given the tools to develop the ability to understand the concept of consent and that goes for both the victim and the perpetrator of abuse.

As long as there exists an imbalance of power within the JW community, you will continue to see sexual crimes that exploit that imbalance of power.