Posts by Max Divergent

34

Congregation that have sent in money!

by DwainBowman in

in the past week, i have heard from a number of friends scattered all over the place.

a number of them are very upset over the congregation being required, to send in all monies over $4,000.

a number of these were kh's that were saving to buy land, and or build new kh's.

Max Divergent

It's a bit rude: one organisation (the local KH) collecting money for a specific project the donor is interested in, but then passing the funds to another organisation to do other projects anywhere.

It'd be kind of like signing up for one of those programs to sponsor a child in the third world and getting all exited you're going to see the results of that sponsorship, just to be told your money has been taken from that child and put into a fund to be used to help someone somewhere one day.

Probably legal, depending on the circumstances and local laws, but alienating for donors with self-respect.

23

i know this has been talked about. but isn't wearing JW.org stuff idol worship

by goingthruthemotions in

jw
friends

so i am getting really frustrated...i see jdub's wearing jw.org items and .

isn't this idol worship.

respond if you like...i just want some .

Max Divergent

There's not much about the JWs that's the same as when my grandparents took it up in the 1930s or when my parents were indoctrinated into it. Even in my time it's changed a lot. I think my mother still practices a quasi-1960s version of it. They just redefine stuff to suit the needs of the day.

I'm sure they used to wear pins and badges in the early days? Or am I imagining that?

It's just advertising, advertising, advertising God's online Kingdom.

51

Is this a discussion forum or a debating forum , which is it ?

by smiddy in

jw
friends

do you get confused sometimes whether this site is a discussion forum or a debating forum ?.

just asking.

whats your thoughts.. smiddy.

Max Divergent

It's a discussion forum that often descends into mass debating.

67

Good Netflix shows to watch

by Simon in

in the long winter nights you need some good tv shows to watch while you wait for the eternity between seasons of game of thrones.. we've watched marco polo (pretty good) and have just started watching orange is the new black which is not at all what i imagined (didn't know it was funny!).

house of cards is on the list too as we've heard good things about that.. anyone have any others that are worth seeing?.

Max Divergent

Just started watching Portlandia - fabulous satire.

Rake is fabulous too, the Australian original not the US version. It's about an off-the-rails barrister.

15

List your favorite, overused scripture by JW's!

by thedepressedsoul in

the title says it all.

list a scripture that is way over used.. it could be a scripture that the point is completely missed by how they use it.

it could also be one that they use so much it's as if the rest of the bible didn't exits.. my two favorite are proverbs 4:18 and ezekiel chapter 1 +a few verses.

Max Divergent

They overuse the bible, actually. What they teach is only similar to some of the bible for their convenience.

53

Is Watchtower's stance against education only for North American witnesses

by wannaexit in

jw
friends

i was reading on a european ex jw forum where some feel that watchtower's railing against higher education is primarily for north america issue.

this is due that many in usa and canada leave home to leave on campus.

it was mentioned that many young european jw attend universities and its not frowned on.. i found this odd because i heard what morris and losch said about education in italy.

Max Divergent

I knew a small handful in Australia who took higher education about the time I did: I studied 1997-2000 and left the JWs in 1998. I can think of about five in two congs who were studying, or had recently finished studying, when I left.

The excuse was always that they needed to get a qualification to meet their scriptural responsibility to support their family (all male). I said the same.

I don't remember anyone being given a hard time or losing privileges as a result. I don't think any of them were very active or 'in to' being a JW, even if they were current or former E/MS/Pio, but so far as I know the others stayed in. Mostly second or third gen. I think studying was more a point of novelty than being very problematic in the cong.

I remember publishers (not so much E/MS) quizzing me about whether the lecturers were as good public speakers as the brothers. I think it was curiosity more than anything. The few who did have an education (usually from before getting into the JWs) always seemed to be regarded as a bit special, and being the 'good elders' or whatever.

17

Can your pervert the meaning of scripture even more...

by never a jw in

for a while i have shaken my head after learning how jw's interpret (rather corrupt the meaning of) matthew 8:11. i thought it couldn't get any worse.

i was wrong.

the following is an extract of the march 2015 watchtower in pg 27. the writer is explaining the meaning of mathew 25:31-46. enjoy!.

Max Divergent

I neither know nor care what this or any other scripture says or means, but to the JW there is no God but Jehovah and His word is inspired and true. That is where the word ‘true’ has the meaning ‘what The Watchtower has most recently written’ and ‘inspired’ has the meaning ‘whatever suits the Faithful and Discreet Slave, which is the Governing Body’.

Or, ‘the bible means what the Writing Department most recently said it means to meet the Governing Body’s current need’. Which makes 'Governing Body' a synonym for 'Jehovah', therefore what is in The Watchtower is His word and is true per se, including as it changes from time-to-time.

Thus this scripture is correctly explained.

In the end I think this leads to many (most?) XJWs just giving up caring what the bible says and being unable to abide the idea of a God: they heard Him speak at conventions and didn't like Him.

JW logic. JW reality.

47

What is the point of the picture in this weeks study article ?

by stuckinarut2 in

i don't understand the relevance of the first picture in this weeks study article?!?!.

wt week of december 15-21 "cherish your privilege of working with jehovah".

can someone post the pic?.

Max Divergent

What's the point to anything in The Watchtower? How did The Boomtown Rats put it?

And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

...

And the lesson today is how to die.
And then the bullhorn crackles,
And the captain crackles,
With the problems and the how's and why's.
And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to die?

...

And daddy doesn't understand it,
He always said she was as good as gold.
And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Kobdb37Cwc

15

If you are having problems or lacking joy, then the flow of Holy Spirit in your life is lacking!

by stuckinarut2 in

yes, this comment was just made by the speaker today!:.

"if you find that you are lacking in joy or experiencing problems in life, this is evidence that jehovah's spirit is lacking or being blocked in your life".

i sat there thinking "are you kidding me brother?...

Max Divergent

This is evidence that Jehovah's spirit is upon me.

No, that's the devil's joy. But the joy he (He?) gives is shortlived and minor in comparison to the joy Jehovah gives, even if what Jah gives looks and feels like abject misery at the time. That's roughly what I remember them writing somewhere.

21

Leaving with Dignity - a sample document

by Ajax in

we live in democratic, not theocratic times.. churches no longer imprison, torture or execute.. cults have absolutely no authority over non members.

we don't have to obey.

we don't have to subject our selves.

Max Divergent

I've never really understood the urge to honour them with a resignation (unless it's to stop harassment).

I just decided it was me who determined my religious status, no one else. So I just stopped going and cut them off. I did step down first ('health'), I thought that was the right thing to do. I never went back after it was announced. I didn't bother myself or them with anything written. In time they got the idea.