Posts by OnTheWayOut

10

The Ultimate Solution to the Mishandling of Abuse within the bOrg

by Wild_Thing in

jw
friends

i feel like the world needs to wake up and realize that bethel, the home of the governing body in warwick, new york is the "vatican" of the jehovah's witness world.

their doctrines, edicts, and policies affect every jehovah's witness man, woman, and child around the world.

i don't feel like the politicians in foreign countries understand this.

OnTheWayOut

Governments can mandate certain things. So there could be special circumstances due to individual governmental laws that cause things to differ in Australia from anywhere else.

But the only ultimate solution is the admittance of wrong and ending any involvement of children beyond attending with their parents (such as the recruitment work), telling parents and children about what has happened, and always always always treating any accusation of a crime as if it were as serious as murder (because it certainly is that serious to a victim).

19

Do You Think Many Jehovah’s Witnesses Truly Believe?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i did for many years even if i had doubts that i would put on the back burner.

but i thought the majority of witnesses believed, even if they were “weak” in the faith.. obviously, we have elders , pioneers and ministerial servants that are here and they are not true believers.. do you think many jws simply do not believe what they are preaching?

?.

OnTheWayOut

It's the cognitive dissonance thing- They mostly DO BELIEVE the Watchtower crap, but it creates a mental discomfort when they think about it in a way that tries to be specific, such as planning for getting old and dying "in this system" or just counting on the end arriving before old age arrives.

My mother accepted that the end did not arrive in 1975 because "we don't know how many years passed from Adam's creation to Eve's creation, therefore YADDA YADDA YADDA." But since it has been so long since then, she has just become a JW with her self-thinking ability on the matter changed in a way that Flipper describes in this thread- her brain neurotransmitters have been singed. "Well, the end is still soon and no matter what explanations Watchtower gives for delay, it's coming."

18

New brother to have a bible study with

by Akid48 in

well i moved to a new congregation, and i have no one to study with and i didnt have a bible study in weeks and i was loving but one meeting my aunt said ''im going to set up a bible study with brother bob (dont his name)''.well come to find out brother bob is a man that puts a lot of pressure on you to join the school etc.. well right now im like fuck,because i dont know how to deal with brother bob so i just wanted to know if any could help me..

OnTheWayOut

The school is all-volunteers. It is not a requirement. I also agree with moreconfusedthanever.
p
You have to start asserting your feelings on this, no matter how uncomfortable it gets.

"No, I will not join the school." Many sign you up without your permission at that age. Just don't do it. Treat it as the first step of a slippery slope toward baptism. Field service is another one. I also agree that if they make you get out there, don't offer to say anything to "householders."

23

Very little that is factual in the Bible?

by TerryWalstrom in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mryipltf3i.

OnTheWayOut

I would run off with Bible scholar Dr. Francesca Stavrakapoulou. A hottie who knows her stuff.

I might have thrown into the argument that some of the best fiction is set in an actual historical past- GONE WITH THE WIND, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, A TALE OF TWO CITIES

66

The urban legends we heard as JWs!

by stuckinarut2 in

how often have we heard some sort of sensationalist urban legend as jws?.

here is an example i was told as a kid:.

the experience of a sister who knocked on a door and was greeted by a big fierce looking man- intimidating and mean.

OnTheWayOut

There was some third world JW pioneer who was going to have to stop pioneering to get food for his family. As he prayed over the matter, a huge wild animal (apparently not of the killer kind) came running into his hut and he easily killed it and had enough food for a couple weeks and his situation got better in that time to never come off the pioneer list.

80

Are we losing our way a bit at JWN?

by nicolaou in

firstly, i want to be crystal clear how grateful i am for jwn.

it's been my place of support for over seventeen years and it's the first online space i direct anyone to if they are taking steps out of the cult.

i am not bashing jwn - i love this place and appreciate the hard work and expense simon puts in to keep it going.

OnTheWayOut

I appreciate that we can speak our minds, unlike our inability to do so in the cult we escaped from.

And the internet forums pretty much are the right place to debate. Anyone who isn't into Trump or Atheist debates can move to another thread. I just wish so many can not make it so personal in attacking differing views.

When I say something strong against "belief," it'll be because someone was saying something strong for it. But I don't ever think I should belittle the person. Calling people stupid never helps.

19

Accounts report at Circuit Assemblies to go away

by LevelThePlayingField in

i was at the regional convention and asked an elder why is that at the assemblies their is an accounts report but not at the conventions?

he said, well actually they got a letter and in it said that in a little while they will do away with the accounts report stating how much the assembly costs for the weekend and just go to donation basis like at the conventions.. my first thought was, "they will donate even less now.".

anybody else hear about such a thing?.

OnTheWayOut

If a deficit announcement is done away with, then there will be something to replace it like a bill to each congregation (in the form of a request to cover expenses). Perhaps, it would be another way to see which congregations are paying up and dissolving those that are not.

6

Could the ancient Jews eat pig fractions?

by JeffT in

jw
friends

the recent threads on blood fractions got me to thinking about ways to expose the absurdity of the watchtower's position on blood.

so i thought of the titular question.

would a hebrew have understood the prohibition on pork as meaning he had to avoid "major" pig fractions (ham, bacon, ribs) but "minor" pig fractions like pickled feet and fried pork rinds were ok?

OnTheWayOut

Very good, very funny JeffT.

I am trying to think of how to phrase another one- Could the end of the Gentile Times be different from 1914 because they forgot the overlap?

27

Has the Governing Body ever been right?

by Jules Saturn in

i asked this question to a relative after mentioning several situations where teachings were changed or readjusted (new light) and they have two reasons.

yes, they are correct because look at how the preaching work has grown through the decades and the advancements in witnessing and the second reason was the doctrine of the trinity and how the society opposes that.

i didn’t really have a response, especially for the trinity doctrine.. does the governing body have the rejection of the trinity belief correct?.

OnTheWayOut

In an effort to increase the church membership, many Pagans were brought in and with the Pagans came Pagan ideas. Rituals began to replace serious Bible study and differences in opinion soon became the basis for growth of various creeds and sects. Over the span of many years, man-made rites became time honored tradition.

The Trinity snuck in there past the time that the writings known as the Gospels were already written. Credit for the term "trinity" is given to Tertullian who wrote it early in the 3rd century, and it became dogma between the Council of Niceae in 325 and the Council at Constantinople in 381.

YADDA YADDA YADDA!!!

Generally speaking, the Governing Body is mostly right that the Trinity is not of the Bible and is born of pagan origins creeping into Christianity.

But the Governing Body and it's predecessors are guilty of doing the same thing- changing doctrines to gain membership. The end of this system coming within "a generation" and the no-blood policy were born to make the cult stand out.

53

Make America Great Again Hats...would you wear one?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i like trump but i would be reticent wearing that hat.🤠.

OnTheWayOut

On....you believe everything cnn says? I don’t .

No, I know media spins things and runs with a fraction of truth to shock or alert viewers. But my main comment was about your other statement- "What’s more pathetic is the sheeple who follow whatever the libs tell them to believe in!"

I see people on opposing sides using that as an excuse to not bother with the other viewpoint. I feel quite the opposite of that statement, but meet some conservatives who don't believe whatever FOX News tells them. I don't just insult opposing views Trump-style.