StephaneLaliberte

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Posts by StephaneLaliberte

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  26

  It’s now official - The Governing Body Members are called for Legal Deposition in a Major Court Case Against Jehovah’s Witnesses!

  by liam in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  it’s now official - the governing body members are called for legal deposition in a major court case against jehovah’s witnesses!

  https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/1ke6cgh/its_now_official_the_governing_body_members_are/.

  recent court documents show that members of the jehovah’s witnesses governing body — including former member tony morris — have been officially subpoenaed to give sworn testimony regarding cases of sexual abuse in new york and how the organization dealt with (or essentially hid) them.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Even if no serious legal consequences come out of this, the experience itself may push the Governing Body to re-think their current policies. That kind of experience, being accountable to a government, the public light, I'm sure it will motivate them in the same way the ARC did. That is, the Australian Royal Commission into child abuse: Even if the Witnesses didn’t face immediate legal consequences, the attention did lead them to make positive changes to their policies. Hopefully, this situation in New York will have a similar effect.
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  7

  The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah - Watchtower's Depictions over the years?

  by Ron.W. in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the destruction of sodom and gomorrah, by the english painter john martin.

  it was painted in 1852.. how has the watchtower depicted this event in all their artwork over the years?.

  have they been influenced by this well known work of art?.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I have to admit that their art work has been impressive through the years, including those you posted above. That's actually one of the things that made it more difficult to wake up from. Quality work such as this made it all soo real. Quality art work, on tangible book, publicised through the applause of thousands of people attending conventions across the planet. It was so real.

  Then I saw amazing art in other religions too, for beliefs I didn’t agree with. As I got older, I learned how these books and pictures are made. It was like seeing the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz. All that magic turned out to be just smoke, and it changed how I saw everything.

  Perhaps today, with AI producing so much things so quickly, perhaps that eonWhen you see art work of such quality
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  26

  Are There any JW Teaching that you DO Agree With?

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  (apologies for the typo in the title.

  "teaching" should read "teachings".

  i misread vanderhoven7's most recent post as being the above.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  The religious foundation of Jehovah's Witness thinking is more than strict theology. It is also cultural. This shapes and, sadly, warps their so-called "Biblical" teachings.

  That is 100% correct. There were many things I agreed with while I was still a believer, but ultimately, judging them solely by their fruits is what led me and my family out of that organization.

  Eventually, I became an agnostic. Even so, I still agree with many of their teachings. However, the problem isn't necessarily what they teach—it's the environment they create, which produces very different fruits.

  Here are a few teachings I still agree with (though not necessarily in how they’re applied):

  1. Equality across races, cultures, social backgrounds, and countries (though I don't agree with their view of men being above women).

  2. Refusal to participate in wars (although I don't believe in absolutism—sometimes war can be morally justified).

  3. The expectations around how husbands and wives should treat each other (though this isn't always practiced equally).

  4. The rejection of the Trinity and the concept of eternal torture in hell as unbiblical.

  5. The command to not eat blood (although I disagree with applying this to life-saving medical situations).

  6. The importance of preaching (though I never agreed with the time-reporting system).

  7. The principle of disfellowshipping those who persistently sin (though I never agreed with the practice of shunning them).

  8. Baptism by full immersion (though I don’t agree with baptizing teenagers or young children).

  9. Recognizing that Christmas is not Jesus’ actual birthday (though I don’t agree with disfellowshipping those who choose to celebrate it).
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  23

  1/2 of the Jehovah’s witnesses have gone

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there are 1/2 of the jehovah’s witnesses that there were 30 years ago in my area.

  some have left but i think that many have died and none of their kids stayed being jehovah’s witnesses.

  7 congregations have been dissolved over the years.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Only the truly old, and truly brain-dead and possibly ignorant, sheltered, homeschooled offspring remain.

  My parents are still involved, and no, I wouldn’t describe them using the terms you mentioned. In fact, I still know many Jehovah’s Witnesses whom I would not characterize that way.

  It’s easy to underestimate the influence a high-control group or cult can exert over intelligent, educated individuals. Among their members are accountants, lawyers, teachers, successful business owners, doctors, and more. These are people who genuinely believe in the core teachings and often find ways to suppress or rationalize the cognitive dissonance they inevitably face.

  By reducing people in groups like the JWs to simply being ignorant or “brain-dead,” you risk overlooking the sophisticated and manipulative mechanisms that such movements use to maintain control — even over highly capable individuals.
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  11

  Did you have a written schedule?

  by karter in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the wts encouraged us to have one, i alway found it funny when people would desplay it where everyone could see it to show how busy they are in the lords work.. karter..

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I did follow these schedules, and while I was never able to stick to them strictly, they did help me become more productive. In fact, I used a similar schedule earlier this year. I’m still not following it perfectly, but if I can get there, I’ll be happier.

  I remember when I was a JW, I used to think: If I ever leave, I’ll finally have time to do this or that. So when I did leave, I made sure to stay productive and hold on to my goals. I’m not 100% where I want to be, but I’m satisfied with my progress.

  On the other hand, I’ve seen plenty of people leave the JWs and fill their newfound free time with Netflix and endless scrolling. If that’s what they want, that’s fine—but for me, I make sure to set goals. The discipline I learned as a JW helps with that.

  There’s a lot I wish had been different about my time as a JW, but if I can take anything positive from the experience—like reading, public speaking, sales skills, or discipline—I’ll make sure to hold onto those.
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  27

  I want a marriage mate that’s a brother

  by Lace83 in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  hi, my name is leacy and i am 41 years old.

  i live in california.

  i attend the rancho santa margarita congregation.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  So, you're looking for a JW brother who is:

  1. 35 to 45 years old
  2. white
  3. tall
  4. brown hair
  5. blue eyes
  6. beard

  So, nothing about personality, character, interests (hobbies), etc.

  Your shopping list would be a better fit for Tinder, you know, looking for a one night stand? I wouldn't expect such criterias when seeking for a husband!
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  135

  Just because Jehovah had to prove His Right To Rule? I don't think so!

  by liam in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we get old because jehovah had to prove to all the angels that his way of ruling was the best?

  that's the sorriest argument the watchtower has come up with.

  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/11hz_jqjkjo.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  But to the devoted, their suffering is only temporary, per the scriptures.

  Temporary suffering is still suffering. It is still a serious punishment. Why inflict suffering at all when God has the power to prevent it entirely?

  Would you say that waterboarding isn't bad just because the pain stops once it's over? The person may not be dead or physically handicapped, but they still endure intense suffering. In fact, by that logic, one could argue that waterboarding is a loving way to extract information—since other forms of torture leave permanent scars or disabilities.

  But we all recognize that argument as absurd. Suffering is suffering, whether it is temporary or not.

  So my question remains: Why allow the just to suffer at all?
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  135

  Just because Jehovah had to prove His Right To Rule? I don't think so!

  by liam in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we get old because jehovah had to prove to all the angels that his way of ruling was the best?

  that's the sorriest argument the watchtower has come up with.

  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/11hz_jqjkjo.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  This thread makes it seem like the issue lies with Jehovah’s Witness teachings, but the real problem is actually the Bible and Christian beliefs.

  No matter how you explain it, the core idea boils down to this:

  God created humans with everlasting life. Humans sinned. As a result—due to principles established by God—humans now suffer and die. And not just those who originally sinned, but every generation afterward, for thousands of years. Today, billions of people continue to suffer and die.

  If we step back and look at the big picture: billions of humans have endured suffering for thousands of years. By comparison, historical figures judged as monsters—like Genghis Khan and Hitler—caused significantly less harm in scope and scale. And yet, in their time, they had their reasons, their justifications, and millions of people agreed with them. Even so, history has rightly condemned them as monsters.

  Yet, when it comes to God allowing human suffering and death, this same fundamental evaluation is often ignored.

  Some will argue: "He's not directly hurting or killing people, He’s just allowing it to happen." To that I say: If you have the power to stop something and choose not to, you are just as responsible as if you had done it yourself.

  As for: "It a consequence of humans rejecting him in the first place!" As far as I can see, among those who suffer, billions have devoted their lives to God, praying, obeying, and following His commandments as best they could based on information available to them. Yet He still lets them suffer. If suffering is a punishment, then what was their crime?
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  39

  2025**01**15**Ages For Ministerial Servants and Elders!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2025-01-15-ages for ministerial servants and elders.. see page 2. .

  https://pdfupload.io/docs/1b0b5c00 .

  https://imgbox.com/p3a9yjmr.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  I know of at least three brothers who do not want to become elders, not due to a lack of capacity or availability, but due to a lack of agreement with the teachings. The problem with JWs is that you are not allowed to disagree with teachings that aren't even central to to the religion. In the meantime, the religious leaders prefer to look down on thousands of brothers which they see as "incapable" rather than seeing things for that they are: These brothers are silently protesting! And what we see today, is that, rather than address the real issue, they turn to younger, more manipulable ones so that they can parrot whatever they want them to.
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  13

  JWs and Christmas

  by Rnadomchris83 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been lurking around here for years.

  i'm not a witness, but my in-laws are.

  my wife grew up in it but was never baptized.

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  StephaneLaliberte

  Well, it is hypocritical for them to condemn people who celebrate christmas when they were celebrating it at bethel when they claim to have been selected by Jesus as the only true religion back in 1919. That being said, I don't expect them to change their minds on this anytime soon.