Posts by doubtfull1799

36

The 'IN' families

by punkofnice in

one thing i don't miss about being a jobo, is those families that ruled the congregations.. i've seen how the elders protected their own using our old friend, nepotism.. eg.

the son of an elder that stole a car and was prosecuted but 'let off' because it was kept secret and all his relatives were elders in the same congregation.

it certainly went on when i was an elder but i wasn't one of the 'in' crowd.

I served as an elder for nearly 20 years and I can tell you from personal experience that nepotism was one of the the greatest failings amongst elders. I served with many good and sincere elders and well as some rotten eggs along the way, but even the good ones often gave into nepotism, either by promoting their children to readily for privileges, or by protecting their children from discipline or judicial actions.

@JTrottigy - if you believe nepotism doesn't exist in the org you either have no experience in the matter, or you are delusional. I have witnessed personally dozens of cases of it in my time. Yes, on paper it is something that Witnesses don't approve of and good men actively try to avoid, but the reality is far different from the intentions.

10

Do Jehovah's Witnesses fulfill Matthew 24:14?

by jwdoctrine in

do witnesses fulfill matthew 24:14?.

(youtube video link above).

doubtfull1799

No.

1. They have not preached to the entire inhabited earth - about a third of the word (Muslim countries, North Korea, Communist dictatorships etc) is not being actively preached to in the way it is being done in the Wester world.

2. They have created their own definition of what the "good news" is, they are not merely preaching Christs resurrection, which was the so-called Good News of the NT.

16

Holy spirit

by mrssauk in

what is the difference (if any) between being guided by holy spirit and being inspired by holy spirit?

is it just semantics?.

doubtfull1799

Absolutely it is playing semantics. This is the core question that started my awakening process.

In fact you can make a good case that being "guided" should be amore accurate and perfect process than being "inspired!"

I am a photographer and if I do a job where someone "inspired" me then end result is my creation, it may just be influenced from an idea or a piece that someone else created. The person or work inspiring me has little control over the end result. Whereas if someone is "directing" me in the job then they have full control over the end result, they will be specifying how I do it and what the end result looks like. The have control of the accuracy of how the final image looks.

When you look at it that way, it is "direction" that should lead to infallibility, not "inspiration!"

29

Pioneers, Prayers and Pills

by Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho in

looking back on my two decades as a jehovah’s witness, i’ve come to realize how the constant theme of endurance is playing a detrimental role on the individual's psyche.. jehovah’s witnesses have become far too good at keeping going.

they’re experts at surrendering to the demands of the watchtower, living up to what’s expected of them, and getting on with the priorities that those in power have defined and imposed upon them.

they keep showing up, presenting themselves a dutiful pioneer or ministerial servant.

doubtfull1799

Some amazing insights - great post @Wakemeup

Another way of saying endurance in the JW context is "expectation postponed" and we know where that leads.... "makes the heart sick." Even if you don't believe the Bible is inspired anymore (as I don't) it still has some valid points to make on human nature... add toxic shame into the mix, that constant feeling engendered in you that you aren't good enough or that you aren't doing enough and you have a powder keg.

8

Giving the GB a Windows Version Name

by AllTimeJeff in

jw
friends

i don't know which version of gb we are on.

(also unknown, which "old light" doctrines they changed to conveniently fortify their own position, when i was at gilead in 2005, i called them 2.0 because the last of the old guard was dying off.. for those associated with "ancient" history, windows started to come in their own with 3.0 and 3.1 in the early 1990s.

that is, until windows 95 happened, and the ubiquitous start button was first introduced.

doubtfull1799

Great idea. If only they would. Come clean, air out all the old skeletons in the closet they have been hiding and covering up for decades and start fresh. If only such honesty weren't so damaging to their narrative... It would take great courage, courage I don't think they possess.

15

The Forgery of an Antique God

by TerryWalstrom in

in the world of antiquities, especially that of bronze art, specifically heads, would you be surprised or alarmed to discover that experts estimate about half of all the art sold at auction and donated to museums around the world.... consists of forgeries?while you're digesting the news of corrupt practice, let me raise a rather vexatious collateral issue for your consideration:.

auction houses keep silent about this fraud.in fact, it has been asserted by investigators specializing in such fraud, it is largely the auction houses submitting these works at auction under fake identities so they cannot be directly held liable for illicit transactions.

proving they've knowingly done so is too problematic to pass muster.one expert who exposed such a fraud was sued by the auction house and forced toward financial settlement out of court under the libel laws.now why mention all the above in the first place?for one reason only, the same thing occurs in the religious transactions of jehovah's witnesses.the auction house (watchtower corporation) represents its salvific theology as authentic and transacts with potential converts so's they pay for such art (ful fraud) by giving their lives, honor, and sacred service in exchange.when flaws are found, instead of owning up to the illicit enterprise, they seek legal redress or prosecute the accuser through coercive threats of disfellowship.now here is another insidious parallel.

doubtfull1799

I like the analogy, I think its a good one. Thanks for sharing...

66

The urban legends we heard as JWs!

by stuckinarut2 in

how often have we heard some sort of sensationalist urban legend as jws?.

here is an example i was told as a kid:.

the experience of a sister who knocked on a door and was greeted by a big fierce looking man- intimidating and mean.

doubtfull1799

Smurfs

Demonized objects form yard sales

Poltergeist stories

In fact the whole satanic panic in the 80's led me to having nightmares for years. In fact it was not till I woke up a couple of years ago that I stopped having "demon" nightmares in association with my sleep paralysis.

46

What is the most troubling or disturbing biblical passage you ever had to rationalise when a Jw?

by stuckinarut2 in

now that we have stepped away from the jw faith, how do you feel about the bible itself?.

what about those awkward sections of scripture?

how did you rationalise or justify those sections?.

doubtfull1799

Oh yes, and slaughtering the family of a young girl under divine orders and then taking her as your sex slave is another good one, after generously giving her a month to mourn her murdered family!

46

What is the most troubling or disturbing biblical passage you ever had to rationalise when a Jw?

by stuckinarut2 in

now that we have stepped away from the jw faith, how do you feel about the bible itself?.

what about those awkward sections of scripture?

how did you rationalise or justify those sections?.

doubtfull1799

She bears mauling childern

Uzzah killed for a human reflex

Mass slaughter of innocent firstborn children in Egypt

Jacob sleeping with what he thought was a prostitute and that being an OK part of Jesus lineage

Solomon and David and Jacob etc etc having multiple wives and concubines (a euphemism for sex slaves - anyone watched the Handmaids Tale?) and still being considered honourable men

Thats just for starters....

21

For Those Claiming That the GB are Simply Naive - Another Philly Story

by berrygerry in

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/jehovahs-witnesses-child-sex-abuse-stephen-lett-chessa-manion-20180620.html.

doubtfull1799

So sad.... makes me cry. And mad too. The culture of denial is sickening.