In terms of people being benefited by joining the Watchtower…people also benefited by joining the People’s Temple. Some were former drug dealers or users and joining helped them break their addictions and bad behavior. The group mobilized and did good works on behalf of the community. People were impressed. However, knowing what we know now, what was there end?
Londo111
JoinedPosts by Londo111
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225
Cult or Religion
by Richard C B inwhat is a cult and what is a religion?
its open to debate.
who has the authority to say for certain what is a cult and what is a religion?
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Child Discipline, new article to address Jackson's Royal Commission testimony
by jwfacts ini have published a new article at watchtower corporal punishment, as a response to the testimony that geoff jackson gave at the royal commission.
it includes the relevant part of the transcript, along with a string of watchtower quotes to show that what he presented was not accurate, and that watchtower translates rod as a literal implement to hit children with.
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Londo111
This brings back memories of being spanked...by hand, belt, switch, paddle, foot, shoe, metal rod. And of the many children I saw and heard get "disciplined" over the years because they found it hard to sit through a meeting that even adults found excruciatingly boring.
As a JW, I remember physical discipline was a given in regard how children should be punished. Parents were encouraged to be a little more discreet when spanking their children at the Kingdom Hall...too many were doing it outside, in view of passing cars and feedback from outsiders was coming back to that regard.
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225
Cult or Religion
by Richard C B inwhat is a cult and what is a religion?
its open to debate.
who has the authority to say for certain what is a cult and what is a religion?
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Londo111
In the beginning of waking up, I denied it was a cult or that JWs were under mind control. That is because I did not understand what a cult or mind control was. This is in part that I relied on the Watchtower definition of why they were not a cult, and because movies and TV rarely portray this phenomena in a realistic manner. Educating myself on the subject opened my eyes further.
The best definition of a cult is a high control group—this group might be religious, commercial, or political. Mind control is undue influence. There are four barometers of control: Behavioral, Information, Thought, and Emotion. In a mainstream religion or in a non-religious group, these four barometers register on the low end of the scale, whereas in the Watchtower religion, all four of these barometers are on the high end.
Until a person educates themselves on cults and undue influence, they cannot really offer effective arguments on why a said group is or is not a cult. I recommend Steven Hassan, Robert Lifton, or Leon Festinger.
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Shunning legal since 1987
by TheWonderofYou inlegality[edit].
in june 1987, the united states court of appeals for the 9th circuit upheld the witnesses' right to shun those who fail to live by the group's standards and doctrines, upholding the ruling of a lower court, finding that "shunning is a practice engaged in by jehovah's witnesses pursuant to their interpretation of canonical text, and we are not free to reinterpret that text ... the defendants are entitled to the free exercise of their religious beliefs ... the members of the church [she] decided to abandon have concluded that they no longer want to associate with her.
we hold that they are free to make that choice."[99][100].
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Londo111
Yes, I was 15 when I was "baptized" in the name of the Org. Back then, I had no internet and no means of refuting what I was taught. And I likely could not have explained key teachings like 1914 or 1919. It is definitely not an informed decision.
Even before that, I became an "unbaptized publisher" at 8. I don't even remember making that "decision". It just sort of happened.
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Shunning legal since 1987
by TheWonderofYou inlegality[edit].
in june 1987, the united states court of appeals for the 9th circuit upheld the witnesses' right to shun those who fail to live by the group's standards and doctrines, upholding the ruling of a lower court, finding that "shunning is a practice engaged in by jehovah's witnesses pursuant to their interpretation of canonical text, and we are not free to reinterpret that text ... the defendants are entitled to the free exercise of their religious beliefs ... the members of the church [she] decided to abandon have concluded that they no longer want to associate with her.
we hold that they are free to make that choice."[99][100].
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Londo111
It was a dark day in Supreme Court history, that's for sure. Maybe one day this will be overturned. -
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Deaf Aotearoa flooded with complaints about Jehovah's Witness church
by OrphanCrow indeaf aotearoa flooded with complaints about jehovah's witness churchkashka tunstalllast updated 15:22, october 6 2015deaf aotearoa has asked the jehovah's witness church to respond to claims of a deaf information database.new zealand's deaf community is fed up with unsolicited house calls, claiming the jehovah's witness church is targeting deaf households.deaf aotearoa has received multiple complaints from around the country and says church members visited certain homes because they were aware a deaf person lived there.
the organisation released a statement on monday, saying it was looking into the possibility the church holds a database listing the details of members of the deaf community.jehovah witness spokesman rod spinks said there was no such database and deaf people were not being targeted.the deaf aotearoa statement was posted on the group's facebook page, and received a flood of comments from frustrated people.one woman said a group of jehovah's witnesses had come to her house and asked "for the deaf person who lives here.
" she said they refused to explain how they had her details and didn't visit her neighbours.another said church members had turned up at her work and asked for her by name.hamilton man royce flynn said he had been visited six times over the last nine months, despite repeatedly saying he was uninterested in the house calls.he said the church members were always able to sign and also brought deaf people along, which lead him to believe he was being singled out.flynn said contacted local police, who told him it was a privacy issue and referred him on to the office of the privacy commissioner.he said he had been been in contact with local labour member of parliament sue moroney.deaf aotearoa acting chief executive jill dean said complaints about the church were a recurring issue.
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Londo111
If the general public, not just any particular specialize territory like this one, knew the data collected by JWs going door-to-door, there would be an outcry: names, personal details, notes of discussion. Even if a person does not answer, data is collected on the ‘note at home’ slip.
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Deaf Aotearoa flooded with complaints about Jehovah's Witness church
by OrphanCrow indeaf aotearoa flooded with complaints about jehovah's witness churchkashka tunstalllast updated 15:22, october 6 2015deaf aotearoa has asked the jehovah's witness church to respond to claims of a deaf information database.new zealand's deaf community is fed up with unsolicited house calls, claiming the jehovah's witness church is targeting deaf households.deaf aotearoa has received multiple complaints from around the country and says church members visited certain homes because they were aware a deaf person lived there.
the organisation released a statement on monday, saying it was looking into the possibility the church holds a database listing the details of members of the deaf community.jehovah witness spokesman rod spinks said there was no such database and deaf people were not being targeted.the deaf aotearoa statement was posted on the group's facebook page, and received a flood of comments from frustrated people.one woman said a group of jehovah's witnesses had come to her house and asked "for the deaf person who lives here.
" she said they refused to explain how they had her details and didn't visit her neighbours.another said church members had turned up at her work and asked for her by name.hamilton man royce flynn said he had been visited six times over the last nine months, despite repeatedly saying he was uninterested in the house calls.he said the church members were always able to sign and also brought deaf people along, which lead him to believe he was being singled out.flynn said contacted local police, who told him it was a privacy issue and referred him on to the office of the privacy commissioner.he said he had been been in contact with local labour member of parliament sue moroney.deaf aotearoa acting chief executive jill dean said complaints about the church were a recurring issue.
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Londo111
Theocratic warfare is no surprise. Hopefully someone is keeping those investigating this complain in the loop. -
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Your Religion Is Dispicable
by freemindfade inhttp://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/world/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison-2/.
the witnesses make reference to article 18 of the international covenant on civil and political rights, in reference to their not being able to practice their religion in certain places.
how despicable when (in my mind) their policy of disfellowshipping, apostasy, etc, causes them coerce members to keep this religion.
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Londo111
It is pure hypocrisy.
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U.N. United Nations Human Rights Committee and Jehovahs Witnesses have ongoing relationship
by TheWonderofYou ini appreciate the work of the u.n.. jw appreciate and share the values of the u.n. too.. jw-attorneys submit country reports to the human rights committee.
next session of the hrc will be from 9 october - 6 november 2015 in geneve, switzerland.. human rights committee .
http://www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/ccpr/pages/ccprindex.aspx.
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Londo111
The question is: does the Watchtower practice the ideals of the UN charter? Unfortunately, no. Former JWs need representation before the UN or OSCE as well, in light of these two points.
Article 18.
- Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19.
- Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
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Prayer Question I Had After Sundays Watchtower...
by freemindfade inwhile i was sitting through another grueling watchtower, dying from my brain being turned into cult pudding, i had this thought after i heard this read: .
when we express our most intimate thoughts to god in prayer, he may answer us through a bible passage, an article in a magazine, or an encouraging word from a fellow believer.
-august 2015 watchtard.
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Londo111
I am vengence. I am the night. I am Batman!