Posts by DT

3

Scribd and Apostates

by DT in

jw
friends

does anyone here use scribd?

http://www.scribd.com/ it appears to be a pretty cool site.

i like the way you can embed the documents into your own site or blog.

DT

Thanks for your comments (two comments in two weeks, that's better than some of the threads I've started lol.) I enjoyed the newsletters from ablebodiedman.

I tried uploading a document on Scribd http://www.scribd.com/doc/16981791/Links-About-Jehovahs-Witnesses It's just a large collection of links about Jehovah's Witnesses. It includes a lot of the new blogs that I have been following. Perhaps, some will find it useful for research. It can also be downloaded.

Does anybody think it would be a good idea to upload old Watchtower publications that are now in the public domain?

35

What did you dream about doing in the "New System"?

by lurk3r in

life in the new system, did you give it much thought?

sure, we would be brought to perfection, and there would be a resurrection, but how about other things?.

in my years growing up and living as a jw, i never really thought about it that much.

DT

I wanted to be on the board of weights and measures. I imagined inventing a new measuring system and perhaps a new number system based on 12 or 24 (it would be more mathematically efficient and "holier" from a Biblical perspective). Of course, most witnesses thought I was crazy. The had a hard time grasping that mankind has used many different measuring and number systems and that there was no reason to assume that we would have to be burdened with the ones we are now using for all eternity. I began to realise that an eternity with Jehovah's Witnesses wouldn't result in an improvement of the human condition. It would just be more blind obedience of humans who are lacking in imagination.

26

MUST SEE!!! Best Youtube Video on Theocratic Warfare that I've ever seen!!!

by Tuesday in

jw
friends

hey everyone, i don't think the maker of the video is on the board so i figured i'd post this video here.

this one absolutely floored me, it was put together so concisely; it's just incredibly difficult to deny the theocratic warfare method when viewing this video... without further ado, the video:.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6yssa2dj_u.

DT

I think the video is very instructive, even though the interview could have been handled better. I think it shows how easy it is for Jehovah's Witnesses to lie. They first lie to themselves and then imagine that they are being truthful. I don't think the elder considered it to be a secret book. However, he should have at least had the humility to recognise that is exactly how most people would view it and admitted this when this was brought to his attention.

Doesn't the book in question have a complete list of disfellowshipping offenses and detailed instructions on how judicial committees should be handled? I can't see that there is any justification from keeping this from the members. I consider it to be a secret book that assists the elders in maintaining their power.

It was painful for me to realise that my mother blatantly lied to me about 1975 coming from the members instead of the leadership. I don't think it was intentional. It was easy because she had already lied to herself. It's just another sign that they are a deceptive and destructive cult that warps normal thought processes.

11

Questions about video/audio recording of meetings

by DT in

jw
friends

i was thinking it might be beneficial for people who are facing disfellowshipping or disassociation to get some kind of recording of the announcement that they are no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.

it could possibly be used as evidence in a lawsuit.

(i know that's next to impossible in the current legal climate, but that could change in the future.

DT

Here's the link. It's well worth a visit.

http://deathorobedience.blogspot.com/

8

Do Christians Still Own The J.W Periphery?

by AllTimeJeff in

the essay below was written by mick on ronnie's board.

it has been up for a couple of months, but it is so good, i obtained his permission to paste it here.

it is among my favorite top 2 or 3 essay's i have ever seen on in the ex jw cyber world.... i hope you enjoy it.... atjeff.

DT

That's a brilliant essay. I think many fundamentalists have done Jehovah's Witnesses a great disservice by caring more about advancing their own theology (and often appearing crazy in the process) rather than showing the love needed to free Witnesses from the cult and allowing them to choose their own path.

11

Questions about video/audio recording of meetings

by DT in

jw
friends

i was thinking it might be beneficial for people who are facing disfellowshipping or disassociation to get some kind of recording of the announcement that they are no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.

it could possibly be used as evidence in a lawsuit.

(i know that's next to impossible in the current legal climate, but that could change in the future.

DT

Thanks for your comments. I'll respond individually.

Snoozy,

You're right. It would be a double standard if they only allow some recordings. They have been making recordings for years. It would make them seem very secretive and cultish if they start preventing recordings.

Stillin,

I think it's funny that they will have special campaigns to invite the public to their assemblies and then try to prevent video clips from appearing on the Internet.

I wish I had a recording of the announcement that I'm no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It would be proof that I'm no longer associated with that cult.

Black Sheep,

I've also never heard of anything that bans recordings, except for in a JC. It will be interesting to see if they start to change their policies. It probably wouldn't do much good because its so easy to record secretly now.

Iknowall558,

I think it's great that have you have these recordings. The blog is brilliant. It's about time that the elders face some social accountability for their lies and inhuman treatment of others.

Wobble,

"As to recording anything, I think that morally this is O.K ( I just hope Reniaa dosn't jump on this thread and start moralising, that would be so sickening) as they should have nothing to fear if what they are doing is Bible based and following the example of Christ.

Of course the fact they want no record of proceedings speaks for itself. What a kangaroo court ! NO defense, no friend of the accused even ,and no record apart from their own !"

I heartily agree.

11

Questions about video/audio recording of meetings

by DT in

jw
friends

i was thinking it might be beneficial for people who are facing disfellowshipping or disassociation to get some kind of recording of the announcement that they are no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.

it could possibly be used as evidence in a lawsuit.

(i know that's next to impossible in the current legal climate, but that could change in the future.

DT

I was thinking it might be beneficial for people who are facing disfellowshipping or disassociation to get some kind of recording of the announcement that they are no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It could possibly be used as evidence in a lawsuit. (I know that's next to impossible in the current legal climate, but that could change in the future.) It would be proof of the person's status. (I know from personal experience that the Watchtower Society and the local congregation are unwilling to comment on the status of a former member. Perhaps
they are afraid of lawsuits.) It could also be used to counteract the enormous social pressure that the Watchtower Society uses to silence dissent.

Suppose these recordings were made available online with as much personal information given about the speaker as is allowed by law. Details could be given about the disfellowshipping arrangement and the extreme psychological damage it causes, including broken families and even suicide. It could be pointed out that the person giving the announcement is responsible for perpetuating this practice. It's not fair to say that he is just following orders. He is delivering the statement publicly and is morally responsible for the consequences.

It would be interesting to see what neighbors, coworkers, and unbelieving relatives would think when they see the person enforcing a barbaric, cultic form of mind control. They might start to exert some social pressure on the person making that announcement. This might be somewhat intense, but it is likely to only be a fraction of what the disfellowshipped person is experiencing. The Watchtower Society and its representatives would finally get a small taste of the kind of social pressure that they impose on others.

Can anyone comment on the legal consequences of this kind of recording? I assume the elders might try to remove someone from the hall that they think might make a recording like this. Would they have a legal right to do so in this case, or could it be argued that the person about to be disfellowshipped has a right to collect this evidence, provided that he doesn't cause a disturbance. Would there be any obstacle to making this recording secretly? I should point out that the meetings are open to the public and therefore any announcement of this type is made to the public
and can't be considered a completely internal matter. It would seem very odd to me if someone can make a public announcement about an individual without that individual having the right to record that statement and provide his own commentary on a public forum. I welcome your thoughts and comments.

3

Scribd and Apostates

by DT in

jw
friends

does anyone here use scribd?

http://www.scribd.com/ it appears to be a pretty cool site.

i like the way you can embed the documents into your own site or blog.

DT

Does anyone here use Scribd? http://www.scribd.com/ It appears to be a pretty cool site. I like the way you can embed the documents into your own site or blog. I also like the way I can find better and deeper information in these online books and documents than I can often find in traditional websites.

Do you think Scribd will become a major boon to apostates, kind of like Youtube? I think it has that potential. This might be a great place to post older Watchtower publications. Can anyone advise us on which publications have expired copyrights? If we got a lot of older Watchtower publication on Scribd it would be very easy to embed them on blogs, either as a collection or as a supplement to existing information. I bet a lot of Witnesses would download these publications on Scribd and would be very surprised at what they read.

This could also be a good resource for apostates who would like to get some of their thoughts on line, but might not want to start a blog or website. They could just post as many or as few of their articles as they want on Scribd. If they let us know about it, some of the bloggers here might embed them on their own sites. I think it could be very useful. Are any of you as optimistic about this site as I am?

15

e-mail news media-expose Michael Jackson's Jehovah's Witness connection

by koolaid-man in

jw
friends

the news media seems to be reluctant in bringing up the fact of michael jackson's involvement with jehovah's witnesses.

the public deserves to know the adverse influence the witness belief system imposes on people.

the watchtower organization seemed to instill much fear into michael jackson as you can read in the following e-mail being sent to news agencies.

DT

I think the email brings up some good questions and valid points. I hope the traditional media pays more attention to this.

I know you and your site get a lot of criticism. I personally found your site to be very useful in my deconversion. Others don't like it and that's fine. It gives the impression of a classic "apostate site" as many Witnesses imagine it. It may turn some people off, but these same people might then be less cautious of other critical sites that seem more innocent and less like the stereotype they have in mind.

9

Christians Bringing Guns to Church

by cameo-d in

i wonder if they eventually plan to use atheists and other non-conformists as target practice?.

wwjd?.

also, notice the "snake on the pole" in the pic.. has the snake on a pole taken the place of the crucifix?.

DT

I think the carrying of unloaded guns into church is a fitting symbol. The unloaded guns give the appearance of power but can't actually accomplish anything. It's all for show. The same is true of many religious people (I'm not saying all) who advertise their faith and self righteousness without bringing any benefit to society.