Posts by OrphanCrow

90

Kingdom Consolidation and Sales are coming – Reliable Source

by thedepressedsoul in

i heard form a reliable source that a kingdom hall consolidation is going to be happening in the us.

currently they are looking at every kingdom hall to see if they could and should sell it.

any kingdom hall that has not been updated and is in a bad location (long driveway, not in a visible location etc...) will be sold.

OrphanCrow

stan: maybe the watchtower society will be up for sale--? now theres a thought.

The WTS has always been up for sale.

They will bend over and prostitute themselves for anybody that will buy them. If you have enough money in hand, the WTS is yours.

25

So much "growth"! JW Land double sided coin

by thedepressedsoul in

i'm finding it more and more funny how every wt article for the public or congregation, including jw broadcast talks about all this "growth" and how fast jehovha's organization is speeding up!

yet everything behind closed doors, insider information, elder letters and sales paint a very different picture.

i have news for you gb members!

OrphanCrow

The Listener: OrphanCrow - you depress me sometimes.

I am truly sorry. Would you rather I not say anything? Would you rather not know?

I understand how this is depressing - you have no idea how disturbing this is to me and how depressed I have been at times when I have found out what the WTS is up to behind the scenes. It would be so much easier if we were actually dealing with just a wacky religion instead of a global, organized network of people who perceive that their elitism allows them to do whatever they like with no regard for the human life toll that they are responsible for.

Depressing? You have no idea. Or, maybe you do...I certainly do. I apologize again...but I don't know how to not say the things I do. If I kept my mouth shut, I would cease to exist, I wouldn't be real. Voice is all we really have - the WTS is responsible for establishing freedom of speech for them - it applies to me too. Thank gawd I live in a country that upholds those standards. Without that, the anger I feel towards the WTS would internalize and become unmanageable.

Listener, if we lived close to each other, maybe we could just go and get drunk together once in a while so we could forget about it for a short period of time. Or better yet, smoke a bowl - that would at least make us happy for a bit. ;)

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So much "growth"! JW Land double sided coin

by thedepressedsoul in

i'm finding it more and more funny how every wt article for the public or congregation, including jw broadcast talks about all this "growth" and how fast jehovha's organization is speeding up!

yet everything behind closed doors, insider information, elder letters and sales paint a very different picture.

i have news for you gb members!

OrphanCrow

The WTS is growing. In third world countries and developing countries. I don't think they are at all concerned about a lack of growth in developed countries. In fact, I think they want to trim the numbers in the countries where the "apostate problem"has become unmanageable. Smaller groups are easier to handle. Their recent makeover to an internet religion and their revival of public witnessing gives the perception that they are an active and growing religion in developed countries.

The lower income levels in third world countries aren't a problem for the WTS - it is actually an asset. The WTS has been successful in grooming those countries for government contracts to supply "literacy aids" and they have a ripe market for distribution of their religious propaganda under the guise of educational tools. Not to mention how valuable certain populations are for the WTS' "bloodless medicine" investments. There is a larger demand for bloodless medicine in 3rd world and developing countries as well as easier hoops to jump through to test "bloodless" products and procedures on their members.

16

The True Meaning Of Burqa

by Bangalore in

found this on facebook.. .

bangalore.

OrphanCrow

Rebel: Even when you try to find legitimate websites explaining the meaning, all you get is "modesty".
It does strike me as a symbol of subservience and silence. It would be interesting to confirm this information from a legit source.

The original meaning of the burqua wasn't "modesty" per se. I apologize that I don't have references for what I am about to say - it has been far too long ago that I researched this and I no longer have the textual references to offer you...but, if you don't mind me just "spouting" off...

In primitive times, women were feared by men because of their perceived connection to the divine that men lacked. Women were seen as having a special connection to god because of their ability to "make life" - they could have babies and men couldn't which led to women being seen as more spiritually powerful than men.

The other thing was that "hair" and/or "head" was seen as the way that people could communicate with "god/divine". Therefore, when men wanted to communicate with god, they superstitiously believed that if a woman was present, with her head uncovered, that she would be able to over-ride their attempts to connect with the divine. So, the men, in order to assert their own power, required that women cover their head so that they wouldn't interfere with that divine communication. And women complied - out of respect for the men - the act acknowledged that women had more spiritual power than men did.

It has been time and men's personal fears that have led to how culture views the head covering (or burqa) today - the sexual connotations have only evolved through the patriarchal fear of male sexuality, not female sexuality. Men are acting out their fear of the sexual power of women whereas the original meaning has to do with spiritual power.

In today's Aboriginal cultures, the ones who follow the traditional way, this concept can be seen in the observance of traditional ceremonies. A women who is on her "moon time" is required to step back and not engage in the ritual of smudging and other ritualistic behaviors. This is not seen as a subservient act that puts down women, but rather an act that acknowledges the power of women. The Aboriginals do this as an act of respect for women - that women are the most like the Creator when they are menstruating, not that they are "less than" men, but rather, "more than" men.

Today's association of sexuality - that women are sex objects and must cover themselves up - is a view that has culturally evolved from men's desires and fears. It no longer holds the original purpose of acknowledging the divine connection that women have, that men lack.

5

Interview by Priest George Maximov with XJW Artem Grigoryan who was a volunteer at the Russian "Bethel" for 4.5 years. Here's what he said:

by AndersonsInfo in

top of formhttp://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/78966.htm.

jehovahs witnesses do not need a search for the truth.

artem grigoryan.

OrphanCrow

Thank you for posting this, Barbara. I found it very interesting. Artem had a succinct way of speaking and his description of how conversion into the Jehovah's Witnesses happens is good:

Grigoryan:......... I thought about it a lot, trying to analyze my ways and the ways of my family and people I knew, both Jehovah’s Witnesses and those who quit. In most cases, it is the same scenario: people fall in love with the organization and its members. The belief system is indeed secondary. It is well absorbed by the mind of the person who is already in love with the organization. When a person falls in love, he or she is surrounded by enormous attention and care. Sometimes they can even provide financial support or help find employment. The person falls in love and then he or she is ready to embrace various ideas. That is when a very delicate process of indoctrination begins. It is a training course based on a special handbook. The course is a major topic-based breakdown of the Bible. Naturally, it contains very denominational interpretation that is at times quite strange, far-fetched and artificial, but it all is easy to absorb because the person is already in love with the organization.
Father George: However, such attention cannot be shown for an extended period and cannot be as intense as when the person initially joined?
A. Grigoryan: Of course. After a while this attention subsides. Once a person receives the “baptism” and becomes a full-fledged member of the organization, it is now this person’s turn to show the same attention to newcomers as was initially extended to him or her. This is how this person becomes a part of this huge mechanism.

That is a really important point that he makes - that people "fall in love" with the organization first and adopt the doctrines later - because that explains why logical arguments usually fail to convince them to leave:

......when I was helping people to quit their organizations and follow the church-based way of life, I saw many times that none of the intellectual arguments worked.
Often people who argue with sectarians wonder why their arguments fail. We provide convincing theological, exegetic, historical and simply logical arguments, but they don’t work. This doesn’t work because these people were not originally convinced by arguments, and that is why the arguments cannot convince them otherwise. They were convinced by something else. That is why I think that we first need to simply show such people Christian life first and discuss conceptual ideas later.

The other thing that Artem spoke about that was pretty interesting was the books he had access to at the Russian Bethel:

....while working in the Administrative Center, I had access to a very interesting library that had a section dedicated to various religions. Nobody was interested in it, except for the translators who worked with various materials and needed to know the terminology. That section had many very interesting books by Orthodox authors of early 20th century. For example, there were books by N.N. Glubovsky and various professors of Kiev, Kazan and Moscow Ecclesiastical Academies. There were also three volumes of the Explanatory Bible by A.P. Lopukhin. I saw serious Orthodox literature for the first time in my life. I was amazed, because, as you can imagine, people in all such pseudo-Christian organizations have a very low opinion of Orthodox faith and theology.

And...Raymond Franz's Crisis of Conscience:

I broke what is probably the most important taboo of any authoritarian system—the taboo on reading information provided by former members of the organization. I read this book in fear—Can you imagine, being at the very heart of the organization and reading the book whose name Jehovah’s Witnesses are not even allowed to mention. I closed the door, lowered the blinds and read.

That's pretty cool - to read Ray's book right inside Russia's Bethel!

Good interview. Thanks again, Barbara, I enjoyed reading it.

41

July 19th Watchtower Summary. Insanity

by Lemonp in

just got back from the wt study and it overall was just so blindingly biased and leading.. i had to read it from the platform too, i hope they couldn't see the confounded look on my face as i read this craziness out!.

first we consider the faith of abel, enoch, noah, abraham, isaac and jacob, and moses.. all of these people are held up as sterling examples of blind faith, with the article pointedly saying that their imaginations sustained their faith in gods promises for them.

no mention anywhere at all that all of these characters saw and talked to angels, spoke to god himself, saw and performed miracles, or any of the other feats experienced by these characters.

OrphanCrow

Lol! Somebody up in the Tower has been reading too many pop psychology books.

"Guided imagery".

It is the foundation of pop cult books like "The Secret".

Hahaha!

Ohhhh....just sit back....close your eyes....and imagine....lalalalalalalala.......visualize the future....look at the watch.........visualize.......keep your eyes on the watch.....getttingggg sleeeeeeppppyyyyyyyyyy,

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Everything You Wanted to Know About Cart Witnessing But Were Afraid to Ask

by OrphanCrow in

orange county public witnessing has a website up and running.. http://ocpw.org/.

the pw "reminders" (rules) are simplified on this website:.

http://ocpw.weebly.com/reminders.html.

OrphanCrow

The impact of the PW is measured in public exposure. The carts are simply public advertising - it is cheaper than a billboard, I guess. And...the WT doesn't advertise in any other mainstream venue so they have to design their own advertising campaign. The PW is how the JWs are promoting the jw..org site.

http://www.lakelandvillagepublicwitnessing.com/reminders.html

FOUR EYE CONTACTS FROM PEOPLE:
1. If a passer-by does not look at you or literature - Just smile as they walk by.
2. If a passer-by gives a quick look - Smile and extend a brief greeting.
3. If a passer-by gives a constant stare at you or the carts - Smile and extend a general invitation to the cart. "Would you like something to read?"
4. If a passer-by gives a look and then stops at the cart - Engage in conversation with the goal of starting a bible study.

And, it is a handy way to identify the "bad guys" for the elders:

What to do if an inactive one approaches to the cart:
Jehovah has not forgotten them. (Psalms 119:176)
Get their contact information and give to one of the elders as soon as possible.

Get their contact information and give to one of the elders as soon as possible.
What to do if a disfellowshipped person approaches cart:
Get their contact information and give to one of the elders as soon as possible. No need for further discussion.

I guess that "eye contact" is really important:

Made eye contact and said hello to many people. One man looked at the cart and walked inside and then came back out and asked if he could take a publication.

9

Gerald Garner (AKA Goldberg) - Dr. Ron Lapin's Lawyer

by OrphanCrow in

i have posted this information on another thread, but i think it is important enough to have its own thread.. i have been doing research into the roots of "bloodless medicine" and naturally, the "bloodless surgeon" ron lapin that the jws hail as a hero, has come under my scrutiny.

this post concerns the lawyer gerald garner, who represented ron lapin during the 80s and 90s when lapin was being investigated for dangerous medical practices, and for being too eager to slice open patients by burning them with a cauterizing knife.

garner was received to the new york bar in 1961, and was suspended in new york in 1984 for his role in an adoption proceeding.

OrphanCrow

And another Garner Baby:

https://adoption.com/forums/thread/32459/mom-im-looking-for-you-dob-6-21-77/

MOM IM LOOKING FOR YOU... DOB: 6/21/77
Originally Posted By Deanne
I was born 6/21/77 in white plains ny?? i was adopted through a lawyer named Gerald Garner ang a Robert Fray. I was told that my Biological Parent mother was from cali and she traveled to ny to have me.
I have been searching for many years... in this time i have found out that Gerald Garner was disbared for falsifing adoption papers. so im not sure that all the information that i have been given is so correct!
if anyone has any information... my life would be complete...EMAIL: [email protected]
thank you!!!

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