konceptual99

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Posts by konceptual99

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  65

  Don't Expect This Site To Change Anybody's Religious Opinion

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just sayin.

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  konceptual99

  Hi talesin,

  Sorry, I did not make my point very clearly. I agree 100% that the content on the site can stimulate critical thinking and by coming here, even one that starts off as an apologist could change their opinion.

  My understanding of the OP is that the site on it's own will not change opinion. Someone has to, at some point, be receptive to the information. It is not likely that someone who is still mentally in would hit on the site and have their opinion changed by browsing a few of the threads. Sure, lurking and continued access will increase the chance of a change of mind but if someone is lurking then they are likely already questioning things and looking for answers.

  None of this minimises the fact that this site has been instrumental in helping many. many ones along their journey away from the WTS.
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  65

  Don't Expect This Site To Change Anybody's Religious Opinion

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just sayin.

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  konceptual99

  Do you think some expect that simply accessing this site over a period of time will change a visitor's religious opinion? I would be surprised if anyone really thinks that. So it's a bit of a dud point surely?

  From my own experience I would second the messages above that being on here has helped to change religious opinion. I have been able to hear ideas and points of view expressed that would have been simple noise to me a couple of years ago. I have had support and encouragement. Sure, you could argue that I was pre-disposed to changing my view already but surely the important point is that coming here has been an indispensible and major part of supporting ones leaving the WTS.
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  14

  What is "The Truth"?

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to jw's if you think about it, this is what "the truth" is..... .

  "the truth" is that you must be in 'the truth' and spend every waking moment you have getting others in 'the truth'.

  anything the governing body says to do is 'the truth'.

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  konceptual99

  So what are the differences in the meaning of the ransom over the years?
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  35

  Petty Gambling

  by konceptual99 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  according to the shepherd book.... .

  the elders do well not to involve themselves in what individuals do with regard to petty gambling solely for entertainment.

  they may need to give counsel if this becomes a cause of stumbling for others or affects the spirituality of the individual or the congregation.-w02 11/1 p. 31.. .

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  konceptual99

  I've heard that reasoning as well.

  The fact of the matter is that there is always someone losing out in the commercial world. You may get a nice dividend on a share or it may be increasing in value but what has the company had to do to acheive that? Are their staff being paid and treated fairly? Are customers being ripped off? And so it goes on...

  I really don't think that corporate greed is any different to any other kind of greed. Unethical behaviour in the commercial world happens all the time. Witnesses are actually very poor judges of ethics. Very few actually develop convictions about what businesses or products they will patronise since they avoid the questions around politics and ethics that most intellectual people have to face when decieding exactly what they feel the moral position is on any given subject.

  So gambling is wrong but investing in a corporate with questional ethics and business practices is fine.
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  3

  ECHR looks into Russia’s treatment of Jehovah’s Witnesses

  by emeth in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  moscow, march 25 (rapsi) - the european court of human rights (echr) communicated a vast collection of complaints this month to russia in connection with the treatment of jehovahs witnesses throughout the country.. russia and the applicants were asked earlier this month to consider a plethora of questions related to treatment of jehovahs witnesses and their congregations in light of the european convention on human rights (convention) guarantees of religious freedom and free expression, as well as its prohibition of discrimination.. according to court documents, in 2007, a russian deputy prosecutor general notified the countrys prosecutors offices that the jehovahs witnesses and other foreign religious and charitable organizations may have constituted a public threat.. the letter stated: there are various branches of foreign religious and charitable organizations within the territory of russia whose activities do not formally violate the provisions of russian legislation but quite often promote the growth of tension in society.. the letter grouped jehovahs witnesses with the unification church, the church of scientology, various eastern faiths, and satanism, referring to them collectively as branches that frequently carry out activities that damage the moral, mental, and physical health of their members.. prosecutors throughout the country were instructed to look into the threat that extremist material was being produced or disseminated in violation or russias mass communications law.. according to the complaint, the present collection of cases revolves around ten claims, many centering on jehovahs witness literature:.

  1. the liquidation of a local jehovahs witness organization in taganrog, russia, along with the confiscation of its property and a ban on 34 of its publications; .

  2. seven other instances of the banning of religious publications in various russian regions;.

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  konceptual99

  Even were Russia, or any other state, ban the Witnesses it would have little effect on those in. The org carries on. It does not protect people, just reinforces the persecution complex.

  In places like Russia it also increases the amount of physcial persection individuals recieve which cannot be condoned, especially when the issues are with the leadership far away.

  It is far better for people to come to understand TTATT through open and public means. I am not suggesting that the WTS should not be open to scrutiny or that it is not hypocritical in it's application of freedom of speech and religion, just that using draconian means to try and snuff the Witnesses out has never worked and it's actually the exposure of the org in the open internet along with apathy where there is little physical persecution that does more to undermine the organisation in the long run.
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  52

  Not All Anointed Ones Alive Today Are Part Of 'This generation'

  by OwnAccord in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  where do they come up with this stuff?.

  this is a topic on 'the other site'.

  i actually called our bethel ny branch and talked to a brother on the writing committee, at writing correspondence.

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  konceptual99

  The point of restricting the overlap to 1 crossover is to restrict the overall length of the generation. The GB can imply a short time (e.g. using phrases such as those in the 2nd group being "advancing in years") without committing to specifics and leave the door open for yet more changes as time progresses.

  The 3rd group comes about since, using their "logic", there must be ones that who became annointed after the overlap time period completed.

  I wouldn't be too sure about those following this on jwtalk becoming apostates. They seem to be lapping it up. Given there are no scriptures to back this up it's bizarre but then again I did the same for years.
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  35

  Petty Gambling

  by konceptual99 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  according to the shepherd book.... .

  the elders do well not to involve themselves in what individuals do with regard to petty gambling solely for entertainment.

  they may need to give counsel if this becomes a cause of stumbling for others or affects the spirituality of the individual or the congregation.-w02 11/1 p. 31.. .

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  konceptual99

  I knew an elder and his wife that were on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. They did not actually get to try for the £1,000,000 as they did not get through the selection round. They had LOADS of grief. He was fortunate not to lose all his service privilages and there was lots of talk about them being greedy etc.

  The truth of the matter is that people were just jealous. If someone said to them they could win money by answering a few questions then they would. No gambling was involved. It's a quiz. You could argue about the "love of money" and what "heart condition" (TM) it exposed but it's still jealousy underneath it all. How much money is it OK to win? Would someone turn down an inheritance since they did not earn the money?

  It's never logic or reasonableness that drive the moaners - just simple jealousy. I've said it before but I've never seen so much jealousy and bitterness over what others have as in the org. The prevelance of schadenfreude is outrageous. I know very few that a genuinely happy for other peoples' success or opportunity.
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  35

  Petty Gambling

  by konceptual99 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  according to the shepherd book.... .

  the elders do well not to involve themselves in what individuals do with regard to petty gambling solely for entertainment.

  they may need to give counsel if this becomes a cause of stumbling for others or affects the spirituality of the individual or the congregation.-w02 11/1 p. 31.. .

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  konceptual99

  I agree about poker being a game of significant skill but try telling that to an elder. In some ways the same can be applied to all forms of gambling in that if you know how to, for example, read the form of horses then you can make a pretty educated estimation of which horse is more likely to win.

  The problem then becomes one of semantics about how much skill, expertise and caution has been applied to make the likelyhood of winning a hand, predicting which horse will win or which team shall be superior etc. all but a formality and how much is guesswork, a punt or simply throwing good money after bad.

  The WT seem unwilling to apply that logic to stocks and shares, where anything goes as opposed to what to the R&F is a blanket ban on any form of gambling. Except it's not quite.

  Of course they have a point about the addictive nature of gambling, the harm that it does etc. but that does not prevent them from condoning plenty of other activities, notably the consumption of alcohol, that can be abused.
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  16

  Two Roads... and the one I took made all the difference

  by adjusted knowledge in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  introduction to the faith.

  ive been a lurker for many years now, and recently created an account to post comments.

  someone suggested i should introduce myself and tell my story.

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  konceptual99

  Welcome!
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  35

  Petty Gambling

  by konceptual99 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  according to the shepherd book.... .

  the elders do well not to involve themselves in what individuals do with regard to petty gambling solely for entertainment.

  they may need to give counsel if this becomes a cause of stumbling for others or affects the spirituality of the individual or the congregation.-w02 11/1 p. 31.. .

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  konceptual99

  Thanks for posting that Blondie. That's the WT referenced by the Shepherd book. As you have highlighted the article says gambling is wrong and clearly implies that any level of gambling should be avoided. There is nothing in that article that suggests if you do a little bit of penny stake stuff at home and don't influence anyone else then you're good to go.