cognizant dissident

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Posts by cognizant dissident

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  8

  In Temple?

  by peacefulpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  nothing dramatic but just had a question to toss out.

  the question is then, why would the author of matthew (23-24) remove a beautiful story like the widow's mite (mark 12-13)?.

  edited .

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  cognizant dissident

  Leoleia: Have you considered donating your brain to science?

  Cog
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  3

  What are the clergy reporting laws in your area?

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  new york's law on who must report child abuse.... the clergy is not one of them, sadly..

  this is one area every person can do something to deal with child abuse and the wts.

  if your state does not require clergy to report and the wts will and has hidden behind that, call your state legislator and find how to change that law.

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  cognizant dissident

  In BC, the clergy have to report. I know this because at least 3 molestors in nearby congregations were reported and arrested, spending time in jail. My father turned in one of them. He is such a rule follower. He wouldn't have done it if the society didn't tell him too. Pretty much anyone with any type of professional status whatsoever has to report suspected child abuse to the authorities. The reporting law is great. Unfortunately, the actual sentences given to the pedophiles range from a few months to a few years. 3 years is considered a long sentence. To do life in Canada, you have to actually kill the child and even then, life is rarely life. So the judicial system needs a major overhaul.

  Cog
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  32

  Hello...

  by gymbob in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been reading you all for a couple years now, it's about time i post.. the first thing i would like to say is....thank you.

  without this forum, who knows what my life would be like.

  you all have been such a big help to me since i left the witnesses about 4 years ago, and i'm very grateful to you all!.

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  cognizant dissident

  Welcome Gymbob and Inbetween! I lurked for years before I posted too. The longer you stick around and get to know people and get involved in the threads, the more fun it is.

  Cog
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  36

  18,136 More Publishers in March

  by Joker10 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the march service report shows 1,010,868 publishers.

  that is 18,136 more than the same month last year.

  with the exception of the month of august, this is also the most number of publishers reporting for any other month, ever.

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  cognizant dissident

  Perhaps the 15,000+ publishers they lost the year before have suddenly reactivated now that they can count only 15 minutes of time? That could certainly explain it.
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  12

  Cancer and blood transfusions

  by Tigerman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  .

  does anyone have any factual information as to whether or not blood is ever given to a cancer patient?

  i know this is a very generalized question without specifics, however, it's the only starting point i have.

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  cognizant dissident

  Ian: We're so glad you are here to tell the tale!
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  21

  new blood article in August Awake

  by choosing life in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  first,be patient if i make mistakes here-i am new to posting.

  i have been a lurker for about a year now.i finally decided to join the conversation,but must be careful due to family still in.

  the new article in the august awake has completely blown the witnesses stand on blood.

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  cognizant dissident

  Welcome Choosing life:

  The blood issue was the final straw that made me leave the organization too. When I took a first year human biology course to get my nursing degree, we had an entire chapter devoted in great detail to the function of blood. It immediately made me realize the JW's had it wrong. First of all, biologists do not even classify the major components of blood as do the Witnesses in their article. Secondly, the minor fractions often make up greater volume than the so called major components. Thirdly, a component and a fraction are the exact same thing in the dictionary. It's a distinction without a difference as is the argument that the bible doesn't comment on minor fractions. (As opposed to how it comments on major components?) Finally, every witness who has ever eaten meat has eaten blood. That red "juice" that leaks out of cut meat is the residual blood and fluid that is released out of out of the capillaries when the tissue has started to break down. I can't believe I never knew that before. Its amazing how a little of that college education can break your faith isn't it? No wonder the Society doesn't want Witnesses to go. To think that children die over this illogical nonsense is mind-boggling!

  Hope to hear more from you.

  Cog
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  17

  WTS and Porn

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  transcript of wts letter:.

  christian congregation of jehovahs witnesses

  june 7,2006. to all bodies of elders.

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  cognizant dissident

  My first thought, like Blondie, was it never even occurred to them that it could be a sister viewing porn or heaven forbid, masturbating to porn. Could you just imagine what the letter would say if it had occurred to them:

  Any sister who confesses to viewing porn will immediately be questioned by the entire body of elders as to the explicitness of her arousal and whether she masturbated or not. If the sister is unable to provide an explicit enough verbal description to satisfy the entire body of elders then a demonstration of the sin in question may be required! This last requirement may be waved if the sister is old, fat, or ugly.

  I was also confused about the brother viewing porn of a homosexual nature. If it was too women homosexuals getting it on would it still be considered of a "more serious nature".

  Cog
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  16

  "Letter-preaching"

  by Hellrider in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the thread above "help, my jw-mom is pioneering at the age of 76..." made me think of this:.

  my grandma on dads side was a very devout jw.

  unfortunately, she couldn`t walk very well, partly because of obesity.

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  cognizant dissident

  Our bookstudy group got together one day and did a letter writing campaign to Malawi. This was in 1975. My father who was an elder and the conductor at the time insisted we could all count time for it. Of course, he was always easygoing about that. He counted coffee breaks in the field service too. He said, "even worldly employers give you a paid coffee break!" Can you tell he was a union man? lol

  Later in the early 80's, when I was pioneering, we did the hand written letter thing. Yes, it was suppossed to be just for the elderly and the sick. In reality, every pioneer who was short on their time at the end of the month would sit home with a cup of tea and the radio or TV on and write handwritten letter after handwritten letter. If you were short 8 hours you could do this on the last day of the month and still get your time in. Since you were writing the same letter over and over again, it didn't take much concentration. You could also kill another full day in the library, looking up names that went with all the addresses of your chronic not at homes. This was a big favorite on cold, rainy, winter days. Same for telephone witnessing. 6 of us around the table with tea, householder on speaker phone (not knowing) so the rest of us could look up scriptures for the one talking to read. Did it really take 6 people to make one phone call? Just another jig in the pioneer shuffle!

  Cog
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  32

  Geography quiz--can you guess where this picture was taken?

  by cabasilas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  for all you geography nerds out there...can you guess where this picture was taken?

  i'll give another clue later.

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  cognizant dissident

  Crap, you posted the answer to soon. I lived right near there for years and was just about to post the answer when you I saw you had already given it. I think the building behind you is the Peace Arch hall where my sister was married.

  Cog
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  77

  You don't have to read this... Feedback Wanted

  by Sparkplug in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i die may i please have chocolate cake?.

  chapter 1. my birth.

  i have always thought of my life like that.

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  cognizant dissident

  Sparkplug: Your story is very compelling, as is your way of telling it. Riveting. Unique perspective. From a writing standpoint, I would say that you were rushing the story somewhat. In your mind, you see all the rich details. It is a very real picture to you. When you are writing it you are there, re-living it in your mind's eye. The PTSD helps with this. But your reader is not there with you. Close. But we are missing rich detail. Flesh out your surroundings a bit more. And your characters. Give us more description so we can be right there in that trailer or that dog house with you. You did this very well when you were describing playing in the desert with your friends and with your mother cutting your hair.

  I was diagnosed with PTSD too so I know it can be a double edged sword when it comes to writing. It gives you such vivid recall, which is great for telling a story, but it also can be too vivid. Writing it can take you right there, to the places that scare you. You might be tempted to rush through, because the details are too painful to sit with or share in detail. Understandable. Or you might rush the story, just to get it all out because it is trapped inside of you and it feels cathartic to get it out. If you are writing for therapy that is fine. If you are writing to bring the reader into the experience with you, then you may need to be willing to stay and visit those places in the past a little longer and describe them in a little more detail.

  Hope this helps. Keep writing. You've come a long way baby.

  Cog.