RayPublisher

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Posts by RayPublisher

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  23

  Inside Australia's chilling new cult, an xJW is the leader

  by finallysomepride in

  1. social
  2. current

  in a 10 month investigation, sunday night infiltrates one of the worlds most worrying new cults.

  but most chilling, this cult is australian, spreading and described as worse than waco.

  we go inside the cults headquarters to meet the leaders and their followers who claim their lives have been changed forever.. http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/article/-/10276027/inside-australias-chilling-new-cult/.

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  RayPublisher

  The first video won't play for me...it says it is no longer available.
• 
  33

  Sad and hilarious at the same time.

  by Shador in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  lol.

  so my parents are studying how to convince one of their bible studies that jws are not a cult.

  they just checked two different dictionaries, realized that the definitions given could, indeed, apply to jws.

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  RayPublisher

  Here's some info on cults for them:

  TRAITS OF CULT-LIKE CHURCHES AND ORGANIZATIONS

  • Control-orientated, arrogantly assertive, power-posturing leadership.

  • Authoritarian and legalistic with dictatorial, dogmatic unproven doctrines that are proclaimed to be ‘the Truth’.

  • Claims of being the channel of communication between God and mankind; having unique knowledge that makes them special. If members do not submit to its dictatorial rule, the leaders emphasise that any waver of support to the organization or church is evidence of a wavering of one’s faith in God.

  • Manipulation of members by guilt, shame, blame and fear.

  • An “Us-vs-Them” view, a perception of being under persecution.

  • Demanding, rigid lifestyles and overwhelming service requirements. Member’s lives are controlled by both spoken and unspoken rules which are unscriptural.

  • Loss of focus on God, replaced by a complicated process of furthering the church or organization and its rules.

  • Followers “in pain,” hiding real feelings that oppose or disagree with the religious system.

  • Intolerance of individual thinking, and of criticism of the religious system by its members. Fosters an unhealthy dependency by focusing on themes of submission, loyalty, and obedience to those in authority.

  • Severe discipline of members with threats to remove members from the group.

  • The religious system puts down other religions beyond simple analysis of the doctrines and practices of the religion.

  • Leaving the religious system is painful and difficult.

  • Closed communication: information is only valid if it comes from the top of the religious organization down, and from inside the system to the outside of it.

  • Labelling: a technique used to discount a person who opposes the beliefs of the religious system.

  • What you do is more important than who you are.

  • Love and acceptance are earned by doing certain things.

  • Scripture-twisting.

  • Scare tactics; focus on demons.

  • Members are misled into thinking that the only safety is in the religious system.

  • A view that education is bad or unnecessary.

  CHARACTERISTICS OF EXTREME CULTS

  • Members of the group must believe that the doctrines of the group are the one and only “Truth.”

  • Members must follow the doctrines even if they don’t understand them.

  • The doctrines form the basis of all thoughts, feelings, and actions.

  • There is an “Us-vs-Them” belief that no outside group is recognized as godly.

  • No independent thinking by members is allowed.

  • It teaches that there is a huge conspiracy (actually non-existent) working to thwart the group. (However, certain individuals my wish to thwart the group).

  • Teaches that spirit beings are constantly critically observing the members.

  • Members are made to feel elite, chosen by God to lead mankind out of darkness.

  • The group looks down on other religious groups.

  • Members are told if they don’t fully perform their duties, they are failing in humility.

  • Members are required to render absolute obedience to their superiors.

  • When members leave the group, the love that was formerly shown to them turns into anger, hatred, and ridicule.

  • The group uses guilt and shame to control its members.

  • Fear is a major motivator.

  • Members feel an extreme sense of urgency about given tasks.

  • Many groups teach that the apocalypse is just around the corner, and have timetables for it’s occurrence with dates near enough to carry an emotional punch.

  • Members are kept extremely busy.

  • There is never a legitimate reason for leaving the group.

  • Members are indoctrinated with the belief that if they ever leave the group, terrible consequences will befall them.

  • Members are forbidden to think negative thoughts about the group.

  • Members are forbidden to have contact with former members of the group.

  • ‘The ‘truth’ is changed to fit the needs of the situation.

  • Friendships in the group are shallow; the only real allegiance is to the leader/leadership.

  • There is no allowance for interpretation of or deviation from the group’s’ doctrines.

  • The leadership systematically creates a sense of powerlessness in its members.

  • The group causes members to become extremely dependent on its compliance-oriented expressions of love and support; dread of losing the groups support.

  • ‘Love Bombing’: members shower much attention on prospective members.

  • Members must project a façade of happiness.

  • Members must believe the group is always right, even if it contradicts itself.

  • Members spend more and more time with and under the direction of the group.

  • Those who do not conform to the group’s requirements will be expelled.

  • Disagreement with or doubts about the groups teachings are always the fault of the member, due to lack of faith or lack of understanding.

  • The group is superior to and different from all other groups.

  • Members must trust the group leaders instead of themselves.

  • Members have similar odd mannerisms and modes of speech.

  How many of these do JWs have in common? Just ask them- don't TELL them.

  source:

  http://www.jwstruggle.com/2011/03/characteristics-of-extreme-cults/
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  25

  Are you going to Auxilliary Pioneer this October?

  by Quarterback in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the little demo at the ca showed a young fella meditating and by golly he reasoned that october had an extra weekend so that was reason enough for him to put in a a pioneer application.

  what a brilliant idea.. who else will be doing this?.

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  RayPublisher

  Not many takers on a "mentally diseased" web forum to Aux Pi meethinks...

  Knocking on empty houses=total waste of time
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  27

  Census / online survey idea - thoughts please...

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i've been thinking about the recent developments in the uk following the "apostates = mentally diseased" article in the july 15th edition of the watchtower.

  to provide a bit more background, a forum member named amelia has recently had a meeting with uk police officers who subsequently took a copy of the article for their records.

  they agreed that the content could potentially incite people to hatred against disaffected witnesses, and the copy is now on file with the uk police in case there are any future incidents of hateful acts against "apostates", including violence or even stalking.. i am working on a press release to make the public more aware of the idealogical oppression being meted out by the society on those who oppose them, both inside and outside the organization.

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  RayPublisher

  I have done some work on this topic before Cedars- let's talk this coming week maybe Tuesday at the same time as before ;-)
• 
  22

  Question for IT experts.

  by badseed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  assuming that everytime i connect to the internet i'm in a different location ex:starbucks, mcdonald's, coffee shop, etc.

  i then get a different ip address everytime (right?).

  ex: i go at starbucks, get an ip address, sign into google using [email protected] (send a few emails, post a few comments) then logout and go to the mcdonald's a few blocks down the street and connect.

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  RayPublisher

  @badseed - They cannot track your IP via gmail. Some of the others such as yahoo, aol, etc the recipient can strip your IP address and could get a fairly close location of where you are. Also, whenever you post a comment (like on here) your IP address is logged and can be seen by site admins.

  So without a court order, a gmail account all by itself is pretty safe. Nothing is unhackable, but gmail is pretty good. If you are really worried about email security then use hushmail it's free and even a court order won't help anyone.
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  31

  Bizarre 'Spirit anointed' v. 'Spirit appointed' explanation in Dec 15th WT

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi everyone, i am going through the dec 15th study edition of the wt thanks to a tip-off that this issue is now available online at jw.org.. in the article "guided by god's spirit in the first century and today" on page 25 there is a bizarre argument put forward by the society about the difference between spirit-anointed and spirit-appointed.. this touches on a subject that i have often wondered about, which is this.

  why are spirit anointed brothers and sisters (memorial partakers) not given positions of oversight in the congregation by default?

  i know it sounds like a stupid question, but please think about it for a moment.

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  RayPublisher

  Well said Awen- It has the ring of truth and indeed the scriptures to support it.
• 
  39

  JW's Thoughts on Medical Cannabis

  by bushido8000 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've wondered this for sometime.

  to all of the jws on the forum, what is your opinion on medical cannabis?

  i support it for a couple of reasons.. 1. i've battled clinical depression since age 9. after my anti-depressants stopped working when i was 21, i heard about cannabis' positive effects on depression through the internet and a couple of documentaries so i tried it.

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  RayPublisher

  OOMPA TELL ME MORE ON THIS TECHNIQUE MY GLAUCOMA IS FLARING UP!
• 
  6

  "Unholy" Spirit in 12/15/2011 WT Study Article

  by RayPublisher in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hmmmmm have you ever heard of the "unholy spirit"?

  or the unholy ghost?

  here's a screen grab from pages 15 and 16:.

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  RayPublisher

  @Cedars - I know that's what they mean lol...It's the silly and pompous way they phrase it that tickled me.

  @Mr Punk - You sir are the funniest guy on JWN- thank you for the laughzzz
• 
  69

  Dec 15 2011 WT: We don't care if you have a f***ing BRAIN TUMOR get your a$$ out in service!!

  by baltar447 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh dear sweet jeebus:.

  i enjoy making return visits and helping out on bible studies.

  on my better days, i like to witness from house to house.barbara, who has a brain tumor.. i carry only a very light magazine bag.

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  RayPublisher

  @Franklin - True it is bro. I was just reading last night in Ray Franz's second book that the GB were talking about encouraging pioneering more and he suggested that the entire body Aux Pioneer TM ...and they looked at him in silence for a moment and then continued their discussion as if he hadn't said a word.

  I got that reaction many times in elder meetings in the past so I could relate to that one- They are not willing to lift the heavy loads they pile onto the rank and file with even one finger...
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  31

  Bizarre 'Spirit anointed' v. 'Spirit appointed' explanation in Dec 15th WT

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hi everyone, i am going through the dec 15th study edition of the wt thanks to a tip-off that this issue is now available online at jw.org.. in the article "guided by god's spirit in the first century and today" on page 25 there is a bizarre argument put forward by the society about the difference between spirit-anointed and spirit-appointed.. this touches on a subject that i have often wondered about, which is this.

  why are spirit anointed brothers and sisters (memorial partakers) not given positions of oversight in the congregation by default?

  i know it sounds like a stupid question, but please think about it for a moment.

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  RayPublisher

  @Erbie - There was 52,465 partakers in 1935 according to WT statistics. They say that during the "gentile times" there were very very few true Christians so this is their basic logic:

  1st century Christians +

  A tiny few during the centuries +

  The Bible Students/JWs since 1879 =

  ????

  Scholars have estimated that there was between 200,000 and 1 million Christians by 200 A.D. so yeah I feel the "144,000" has been overflowed long ago and it just proves that it is a symbolic number IMO.