Posts by lrkr

27

Change in Regular Pioneer application process

by Ultimate Reality in

this week a letter is being read that changes the process for the approval of regular pioneers.

in times past you had to fill out an application, submit it to the elder body (who would then add their comments), and it would be forwarded to "the branch" for approval.. this is being changed so that the elder body grants the approval instead of brooklyn or the local branch.

it looks like the lawyers are removing any and all direct contact between the rank-and-file and the gb.

lrkr

I love it. Lets try and isolate those in charge from liability. Nothing about say, preventing, recognizing and dealing with molesters.

Every other organization who has been sued over child abuse issues has instituted major steps to help parents prevent, recognize and talk to their children about abuse. The Boy Scouts has a whole section on it that is mandatory. Local soccer leagues run criminal background checks on coaches and assistant coaches.

Not the WTBTS though- lets just insulated the top from liability!!!

33

The Morman`s are not happy

by is there help out there in

jw
friends

http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/12460378.

lrkr

When talking about the letter that the church bought from Alby and the ensuing difficulties for the family, Bill made a comment like- The church doesn't want this to turn into another ____ _____ affair (I cant remember the name he used). Is that a reference to a real Mormon scandal over old church documents? I hear that they have these type of scandals often. Apparently, there are a lot of wild letters floating around that are quite embarrasing and the Mormon church has gotten into trouble before and even been blackmailed to avoid the release of them.

14

Comments you will NOT hear at the Congregation Bible Study Week Starting March 9

by LUKEWARM in

jw
friends

i have recently joined after spending over 12 months lurking reading posts and evaluating/digesting the truth about the truth.

i learned all about ray franz here and after reading both of his books feel a great deal of appreciation toward the man for what i can only describe as a labour of love on his part.. .

(romans 9:1) how, though, can we make sure that our conscience is in harmony with jehovahs holy spirit?

lrkr

Another classic WT head fake. Yes, yes, conscience is very important. Now acknowledge that you have a really sucky conscience that needs to be trained by us. Obey, obey, obey. (forget about conscience- just obey)

Its amazing how it only takes about 4 paragraphs to completely say the opposite thing.

29

What do you think about this letter to the JC???

by tsar_robles in

hi guys and gals... you've probably read my earlier post regarding the prodigal son question and how the jc sent me packing... well, after talking with a good friend of mine i decided to move a new cong.

where the elders have known me for many years and actually appreciate me as a person... at first i was planning on handing this letter in person so i went but their meeting time had changed so i called one of the elders in my reinstatement jc and asked him for the meeting days but he said 'it would be better if i mailed it' to which i replied 'do you just not want me around your congregation, is that it?

he said again it would just be better to mail it again and left it at that.

lrkr

Just FYI. No matter what congregation you are in, the elders in your congregation have to send your request for reinstatement to the elders that served on your original JC and they have to pass judgement.

I hope you find peace.

150

Article: The Atheist's Dilemma

by BurnTheShips in

campos: the atheist's dilemmaby paul camposwhy is stanley fish so much smarter than richard dawkins?

that question occurred to me last week, while attending a lecture at which fish, the well-known literary and legal theorist, did the thing he always does, which is to make the following point over and over again:.

"no believer will find his faith shaken by evidence that is evidence only in the light of assumptions he does not share and considers flatly wrong.".

lrkr

I read the article hoping for something like a dilemma. All I saw was Dawkins bashing- no evidence, no nothing.

I'm really hoping for an anti-athiest argument that makes some sense. At least then there can be a discussion. Right now, its like watching a Superbowl between "any other team" and the Buffalo Bills.

129

Why I am an atheist

by Awakened at Gilead in

someone (a born-again exjw) on youtube asked me why i was an atheist... i crafted a brief response... it follows:.

1. religious reason: there is no proof for god outside of the bible.

once i dropped my belief in the bible, the judeo-christian concept of god fell apart like a house of cards.

lrkr

I like reason 2G the best. (from page 1 of this post)

2 kids are talking about what the earth sits on. One says confidently- "It sits on the backs of 2 elephants" "So, what are those elephants standing on?" asks the other kid. The first kid thinks and says "2 more elephants" "So what are they standing on?" Frustrated, the kid with the elephant theory says, "Its just elephants, all the way down."

Thats the problem with God, doesn't really solve anything- just sets up the next question- where'd he come from.....

But my real problem with religion is, their logic goes something like this: life is complex, therefore it was designed by a creator....Life was created, therefore the judeo-christian version is true...the judeo-christian version is true, therefore JWs have the truth.

The first statement requires a leap of faith. The other two require dishonesty.

41

article about joining ymca

by jennybear in

lrkr

I guess it depends on where you live. Here, the Y has signs all over that say that the YMCA is a completely equal opportunity organization and that membership is open to anyone regardless of religious faith. Signing up is a matter of paying the bill. They take a picure for an ID so that they can enforce the "pay the bill" thing.

This link is what I am familiar with- a community support organization.

http://www.ymca.net/about_the_ymca/

PS- Do you suppose its also "religious harlotry" to join the JCC (Jewish Community Center)- also a non-religious, great place to swim and work out.

9

Sin

by AllTimeJeff in

the subject of sin is one that is at the core of judeo/christian thought.

jw's and ex jw's alike deal with many levels of guilt that is associated with believing that certain actions and thoughts are "sinful" or offensive to god.. jw's define sin as "a missing of the mark...... god himself sets the mark..... missing that mark is sin.

sin is anything not in harmony with god's personality, standards, ways and will.

lrkr

Sin is an attempt to make people feel inadequate and off balance. Therfore, if you walk into a church or Kingdom Hall feeling pretty good about yourself, the sermon and associated ritual will knock you off balance. You are sinful. You may not even know why or how, but repent. It throws you off and makes anyone who buys it easy to control. I agree with whats been said, its a tool of the powerful.

28

KM 2009 - misrepresentation on blood transfusions

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

in the feb 2009 km there is a 10 minute part entitled "answering questions about blood transfusions".

notice the part i've highlighted in red.

exacty what transfusions do jws allow their children to have?

lrkr

This is more evidence that the clever fellas in Writing have taken over the Kingdom Ministry. Service department response to such a question- Shut the F. up- you have no faith. Writing department response- well of course we accept transfusions- just not the dangerous kind.

283

News from Mother ship

by jefferywhat in

1. bethel in ny suspect high level apostate, cant identify it but know its there.

2. major organizational changes about to start rolling out, one is changes to the "service committee" and titles, po to be done away with, thats all i know for now.

was told that if you are the sort of person that cant handle changes, you wont stay in the org for long.

lrkr

Jeff,

The thing with the Gilead instructructors happened some time back. From what I understand, Liverance is an elder in a congo in NJ and Bowen is an elder in Arizona (like they really got let go!!) I didn't hear about Noumair.

My first thought was- wow- this sounds like Dunlap- a Gilead instructor does a little too much research. Another theory I have heard is that Bowen- being anointed now- is being groomed (with some good "field" experience) to become a member of the GB.

Lrkr