Posts by EasyPrompt

25

What is Self-deception?

by Kosonen in

jw
friends

i googles about self-deception and found many articles about it.

it is a thing reseachers in psychology have studied.. here is a quote from an article that describes it.

and it is interesting because of so many ideas about how to understand the bible.

EasyPrompt

Many times those who accuse others of self-deception are in fact the ones who have deceived themselves.

Case in point...

"At hearing this, the Pharisees said: “This fellow does not expel the demons except by means of Be·elʹze·bub, the ruler of the demons.” ...Jesus said to them, "But if it is by means of God’s spirit that I expel the demons, the Kingdom of God has really overtaken you...Whoever is not on my side is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. For this reason I say to you, every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven."

Not surprising that the Pharisees would have deceived themselves, since their ruler is the father of self-deception.

"Either you make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for by its fruit the tree is known. Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are wicked? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things, whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things. I tell you that men will render an account on Judgment Day for every unprofitable saying that they speak; for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned."

Matthew chapter 12

There are many "religious" people today, some leaders of groups, some not, who falsely claim to be "knowledgable" and yet have deceived themselves and others. By their fruits they are recognized.

33

JW Elder Sentenced for CSA

by EasyPrompt in

https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/09/01/jehovah-witness-elder-sentenced-jail-child-sexual-abuse-case/?outputtype=amp.

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EasyPrompt

"I can’t understand what they were thinking when they appointed him."

Even though the publications talk about elders needing to interview a potential new elder and ask them three questions, it says the new elder would be appointed if they answer "no" to all three, but it doesn't say anywhere that they WON'T be appointed even if they answer "yes" to any of the three questions...

"(1) Is there anything from your past, even before baptism, or in your personal or family life that disqualifies you or that would prevent you from accepting this appointment?

(2) Is there any reason why your appointment should not be announced to the congregation?

(3) Have you as an adult ever been involved at any time in the past with child sexual abuse?"

If the brother answers no to the questions, the circuit overseer will provide the elders with a signed appointment letter..." (from "Shepherd the Flock of God" under appointing elders section)

"Shepherd Flock of God" regarding removing restrictions...

https://files.accessjw.org/s/NSCySFCnaSiE2A5

Branch Manual regarding removing restrictions...

https://files.accessjw.org/s/KN3wgcSJwYxxFfi

"At least the Elders obeyed the Ungodly Rules when appointing him!"

5

Does the kingdom hall still provide older books upon request? If so which ones?

by average joe in

is there a list of current books available for order that are the older books?.

EasyPrompt

Current Direction on Literature

https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/167fj5d/you_read_this_crap_here_first/

Literature Request Form

https://files.accessjw.org/s/Nq8xWgZmbYwHR4P

Literature Request and Inventory Guidelines

https://files.accessjw.org/s/fHqm273CZ58Z2E5

Online Accessible JW Books

https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/

33

JW Elder Sentenced for CSA

by EasyPrompt in

https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/09/01/jehovah-witness-elder-sentenced-jail-child-sexual-abuse-case/?outputtype=amp.

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EasyPrompt

https://services.gdc.ga.gov/GDC/OffenderQuery/jsp/OffQryRedirector.jsp

"A Level 3 Sex Offender status is applicable to convicted offenders with a strong possibility of committing another offense. Anyone with this classification will almost certainly be required to wear a monitoring device." (from grishamandpoole.com)

"Dangerous sex offenses that require registration include:

Rape
Aggravated assault where rape was the primary intent
Statutory rape in cases where the offender is older than 21 years of age
Incest
Aggravated sexual battery or second conviction of sexual battery
Child molestation and aggravated child molestation
Kidnapping a minor younger than 14 years of age by an individual other than a parent
False imprisonment of a minor younger than 14 by an individual other than a parent
Sodomy and aggravated sodomy
Enticing a child for indecent reasons
Sexual exploitation of minors or child pornography
Sharing obscene materials with minors electronically
Obscene telephone contact
Sexual assault against individuals in custody
Enticing a minor for indecent reasons
Any other sexually motivated offense against a minor." (from screenandreveal.com)

33

JW Elder Sentenced for CSA

by EasyPrompt in

https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/09/01/jehovah-witness-elder-sentenced-jail-child-sexual-abuse-case/?outputtype=amp.

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EasyPrompt

Must be the Service Department didn't consider him "predatory" enough to label as a predator...

(2012 Letter to elders telling them not to warn the congregation about sexual predators unless they get permission from the Service Department...)

https://files.accessjw.org/s/DC9wK9kZ7DSNJNQ

35

Are Elders prepared to take the fall for WT/GB misdemeanor's / crime ??

by smiddy3 in

i have been thinking about this in relation to the directive given to elders to destroy any incriminating evidence they may have either on their pc`s ,e-mails , private notes in their possession, or notes in their witnessing bags ,etc.

to do with child sexual abuse they may still have in their possession.. isn`t that encouraging the elders to interfere with the justice system ?.

to break the law?.

EasyPrompt

"IMO, the dark lord is dead, he just hasn't shown the good grace to lie down yet."

Jesus is going to "put him (the WTBT$) down" soon, whether the WTBT$ likes it or not. He (the WTBT$) will not finish out his (WTBT$'s) days in "peace".

2 Thessalonians 2:8

"the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will do away with by the spirit of his mouth and bring to nothing by the manifestation of his presence"

Everyone will know that the WTBT$ was not approved by God and Christ. The execution of God's judgment will be sudden and swift so that everyone will know Jehovah God did not approve of them.

60

Sign of the Last Days

by Fisherman in

in the sermon on the mount, jesus foretold that earthquakes “in one place after another” would be part of the sign of the last days clímaxing in the great tribulation.. what could jesus possibly have meant?

using a phone app nowadays, there are earthquakes detected in one place after another but is this what jesus meant and did they have so many earthquakes throughout the centuries affter his prophecy or are these modern day detected earthquakes unique to this epoch?

how can we be sure unequivocally that modern day earthquakes are part of the sign fulfilling bible prophecy?.

EasyPrompt

When we physically see Jesus getting here, we'll know. We won't have to ask. We'll know he's here. Then we'll look back and say "oh, yeah, there were a bunch of earthquakes around that time..."

"Keep on the watch!"

(He's not here yet. When he's here, we'll know.)

36

Treatment of Those Trying For Reinstatement

by Vanderhoven7 in

what happens when a jehovah’s witness who has been disfellowshipped returns to attending the meetings again?.

mark jones writes:.

if it's the same congregation that they previously attended then, yes, the congregation will remember who they are and so continue to treat them as dead or invisible.. one of the identifying marks a cult is that it uses shame and humiliation to control members, to keep them from leaving and manipulating those who escaped into coming back.. a disfellowshipped person is never allowed to quietly leave with dignity.

EasyPrompt

At the end of the day, the only sin which really harms the org is questioning them.

classify everything specifically against the org as particularly heinous

So true. I got disfellowshipped for telling on abuse in my congregation. They called reporting abuse and warning others "reviling and causing divisions". You're not allowed to have an opinion that isn't in harmony with the opinion of the elders/Bethel/CO. If they don't think the abuse matters, then you are "reviling and causing divisions" if you tell anyone else about it because it makes the elders/Bethel/CO look bad.

33

JW Elder Sentenced for CSA

by EasyPrompt in

https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/09/01/jehovah-witness-elder-sentenced-jail-child-sexual-abuse-case/?outputtype=amp.

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EasyPrompt

This man was appointed as an elder even though he was already busted before for sodomy and rape...

https://www.city-data.com/so/so-Springfield-Massachusetts.html

33

JW Elder Sentenced for CSA

by EasyPrompt in

https://www.westernmassnews.com/2023/09/01/jehovah-witness-elder-sentenced-jail-child-sexual-abuse-case/?outputtype=amp.

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EasyPrompt

According to the article, the man had previously served 10 years in prison for rape. Was already a Level 3 sex offender when "appointed" as an elder.

From the article...

"SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A 62-year-old Springfield man, classified as a Level 3 Sex Offender is facing years in jail after being found guilty on multiple counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child.

The female victim in this case was 13-years-old at the time, according to the Hampden District Attorney’s Office.

Jay Aaron Smith, who serves as elder in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Springfield according to authorities, faced 4 Counts of Indecent Assault and Battery on a Child Under 14.

He was recently found guilty by a Hampden Superior Court jury and on Wednesday a judge sentenced him to 15 years in prison followed by 5 years probation.

According to Jim Leydon, representative of the Hampden DA’s Office, the sexual abuse happened over a number of months.

“The abuse of the child appears to have occurred over a series of several months from late 2020 through early 2021, the child would have been 13 years old at the time,” Leydon noted.

We’re told Smith previously served 10 years in prison in Georgia for rape in the late 1980′s. He was classified by the State of Massachusetts’ Sex Offender Registry Board as a Level 3 Sex Offender at the time of these offenses.

In this latest case, the Hampden DA called the female victim brave for bringing Smith to justice.

“I am deeply grateful to the brave survivor for bringing this abuser to the light of justice. Her courage and strength keeps other children safe from this predator. I thank the survivor, the jury, detectives with the Springfield Police Department, and Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Vasiliades, who is assigned to my office’s Special Victim’s Unit, for her skillful prosecution of this case.”

Hampden District Attorney, Anthony Gulluni"