Euphemism

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Posts by Euphemism

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  32

  Just for Fun...

  by RichieRich in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  things seem to stay heated here don't they?

  i wish you kids would just play nice.

  anywho, went hunting yesterday, killed a tiny deer, but took a good picture with it.

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  Euphemism

  funny, i went hunting for deer the other day too, all i got was two pioneers, three publishers, a D.O., a P.O. and a couple of elder wives...

  Two game wardens, seven hunters, and a pure-bred Guernsey cow?
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  65

  Sect or cult?

  by Cady in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i finally decided to get my a** to the library and read some real research on cults.

  the book i'm starting with is "psychodynamic perspectives on religion, sect and cult.

  in the introduction they mention margaret thaler singer's definition of a destructive cult as an organization in which:a leader claims divinity or special relationship with god.

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  Euphemism

  I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I just saw this thread now.

  Under Rutherford, the Witnesses did have a single, all-controlling leader whose actions were beyond theological questioning. Russell had similar super-theological authority, but it wasn't until Rutherford that some of the other characteristics--especially totalistic control (#4)--came into play.

  And most of the Witnesses' current cult-like characteristics--disfellowshipping, the idea that the entire "world" is part of "Satan's organization", the obsessive focus on door-to-door preaching and numbers--date back to Rutherford's presidency.

  So perhaps the Witnesses are a zombie cult: what a cult turns into when the head dies but the body lives on.
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  20

  When DF'd ones are reinstated are they treated as if they never were DF'd?

  by JH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  basically my question is, is there a difference between a person who was inactive for 15 years and missed all the meetings, compared to a disfellowshipped person who also missed 15 years of meetings.

  lets say that both come back and after a few months both are active again.

  is the inactive person treated the same way as the one who has been reinstated?.

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  Euphemism

  Formally, a person who's reinstated is treated as if they had just been judicially reproved. I.e. they usually have restrictions on talks, commenting, etc for six months to a year after reinstatement; they cannot pioneer for a year after reinstatement; and if male, cannot be appointed an elder for five years after reinstatement.

  Informally, it varies from congregation to congregation, but like others said, you're likely to be viewed as "weak" and "unspiritual" for a while.
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  42

  An Invitation to a Wedding

  by lisavegas420 in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  yesterday, i received in the mail a wedding invitation...well not actually a wedding invitation, it was more of a re-newal of vows invitation.

  with me so far...ok, i'm fine with that.

  i even visited her church a few years ago, it was nice, but i don't want to join a church.

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  Euphemism

  Not confrontationally, just out of curiosity, I have to ask those who object to gift registries... what's wrong with them?

  Personally, I much prefer know that I'm buying someone a gift that will actually be useful to them, and that they like, rather than have to guess at their needs and taste.

  And frankly, registries are traditional now. When my wife and I were planning our wedding, people asked us where we were registering before we even sent out the invitations.

  Of course, we made sure to have a range of items in the registry, including inexpensive ones. And when we sent invitations to out-of-town guests, we didn't include the registry information unless they were particularly close friends or family, so that people who weren't coming to the wedding wouldn't feel pressured to send a gift.

  But as long as those basic courtesies are observed, is there really anything wrong with registries?
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  25

  Softer Side of Six

  by Sparkplug in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  just thought i would share... aaaaaaawwwwwhhhhhh.

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  Euphemism

  Dude, you look like Dr Phil!
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  21

  Feeling like chopped liver.

  by bebu in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my son's best friend's parents attend a really whacky religious group, similar in some respects to the jws.

  simply replace armageddon with hell, and there ya go!

  i have just shrugged at it; they've been nice enough to me, very friendly.. this evening, their son asked me if he might be able to spend the night and go with my son to the youth group at our church in the morning.

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  Euphemism

  A few interesting JW parallels from that link:

  They believe that the Gospel is only effectively taught if communicated on a person-to-person basis. Teams of two members of the same sex go into the world in pairs to spread the gospel.
  
  [The founder] taught that Christ had chosen him to announce that the end of the "age of Grace" was coming in 1914-AUG.
  
  They celebrate two ordinances: adult baptism by total immersion and the Lord's Supper. In the early years of the movement, Easter and Christmas were not celebrated.
  
  Members who deviate from expected norms of behavior may have privileges removed. ... More serious transgressions can lead to shunning and excommunication. They apparently ignore the concept of the Trinity and believe that God, the Father, is a single deity, undivided, and not three persons.
  Jesus is viewed as the son of God, a being separate from the Father.
  The Holy Spirit is seen as a force or power emanating from God, not a person within the Trinity. Only their group, who total about 0.001% of the human race, will be saved. This implies that very few humans will go to heaven when they die. 99.999% will "go to a lost eternity"
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  8

  Why the large fluctuation in Special Pioneers?

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  little is known about special pioneers, other than their role.

  how many hours are expected of them?

  are they given preferential treatment?

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  Euphemism

  Little is known about Special Pioneers, other than their role. How many hours are expected of them? Are they given preferential treatment? Do they get a stipend? Are they appointed by the Society or the Presiding Overseer?

  I cannot recall if Special Pioneers are required to put in 120 or 140 hours a month; it is one of those two. They do receive a stipend, and they are appointed by the branch. The branch can send them anywhere within branch territory, and the local congregation where they are assigned usually helps pay for their lodging.

  There is also something called the Special Pioneer infirm list; this is basically a retirement program for COs with health problems. They receive a stipend and are expected to spend as much time as they can in service, but they have no fixed quota.

  Special Pioneers are an extreme rarity in the US; the WTS is more likely to use them in developing countries where growth is higher and there are new territories to open up. I would guess that most--if not all--of the Special Pioneers in the US are on the infirm list.
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  42

  An Invitation to a Wedding

  by lisavegas420 in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  yesterday, i received in the mail a wedding invitation...well not actually a wedding invitation, it was more of a re-newal of vows invitation.

  with me so far...ok, i'm fine with that.

  i even visited her church a few years ago, it was nice, but i don't want to join a church.

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  Euphemism

  I agree, the social rules on gifts and money have changed... for weddings. Asking for gifts on a renewal of vows, OTOH, just seems tacky to me.
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  3

  The power of Christ must have compelled me..

  by Cygnus in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  skally would have been proud... http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20050911/1009995.asp - buffalo news front page piece "predators in our midst".

  some of my email to the writer of the article:if you ever do some follow up, the scandal in the catholic religion involving priests getting away with molesting children for years is well known; there has also been a similar scandal in the jehovah's witness religion.

  this one is in many persons' opinions more peculiarly interesting because according to jw rule the jw religion's judicial proceedings will not commence against a member for wrongdoing (such as sexual "sins", even predatory ones involving children) unless two persons testify to have witnessed the alleged event.

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  Euphemism

  Good letter. I hope it draws some attention.
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  40

  WT Against Higher Education...Again

  by Jeannine in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the october 1, 2005 watchtower slams higher education in a 5 page analysis on why it is better to pioneer than go to college.

  i recieved this wt today and i was shocked by the statements in there.

  i can fax a copy to anyone who wants it.

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  Euphemism

  Dawn wrote:
  She's proud of him and she believes kids should get an education or they can't make a living - she's one of the minority of JW's that feel that way.

  At least in the US, I'm not really sure it's a minority. Most of the dubs I knew were quite favorable towards the loosening on college in the 90's, and will probably be disappointed to see it being rolled back.