I never seen them as a happy bunch. There is little social interaction, constant demand for spiritual warfare, and tons of mental abuse. Totalitarian societies are not happy and JWs beliefs dictates them that present happiness is dangerous, but reward is just behind the corner.
Posts by kaik
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44Are Jehovah's Witnesses Happy?
by minimus ini know of the local congregation's issues, per an elder i know quite well.
he has said that nearly everyone in the congregation is suffering emotionally and mentally.
he said he has never seen so many witnesses with so many problems.
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When did Christianity Separate from Judaism?
by fulltimestudent inthis is a subject of some importance, the view of the witnesses, likely inherited from franz's influence, seems to be that early christianity developed as a separate religion to the jews.. the view of most contemporary scholars is that the separation occurred slowly, and that influential early christians (e.g.
such as paul, peter, john and james) still saw themselves as jews.. to those of us that are no longer christians (and, most ex-witnesses here, seem to gradually move to that position) this is not an important issue.. but to an organisation that claims it has "the truth," surely it should know the truth about its origins.
yet the evidence is that the modern day religion of jehovah's witnesses, does not know the "truth" concerning the origins of early christianity.
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kaik
Generally the break between Judaism and Christianity started with Paul, because Judaism does not teach Original Sin, or atonement of anyone else sin. Paul preached it that Jesus sacrifice was necessary and Judaism was obsolete so the new belief does not need upholding old laws. If he died during the Nero's time, this split in the theology was definitive as it is impossible to reconcile both faiths. Certainly the split was completed after the sack of Jerusalem and destruction of Judea which had profound effect on forming cultural identity of Jews versus Christians. -
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What Exactly Is The JW View of Physical Discipline, Corporal Punishment?
by minimus ini believe that since it is not politically correct to spank your child, the watchtower doesn't push parents anymore in that direction.. years ago, elders would sit a parent down and tell them that they needed to discipline their kids and if needed, give them a spanking, since the bible says, they won't die if you give them a beating.. what is the watchtower's view on this subject now?.
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kaik
JWs were known for physically abusing their kids into such extent even under communist rule that many cases ended in the courts, which was unusual, because physical punishment was and still is widespread in Eastern Europe. I my old KH, elder regularly beat up all his children, sometimes with fist, while his crazy wife was pinching them. Any case, his children moved out when they get old and want nothing to do with the old man. -
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Recycled WTS beliefs
by Simon inwe all know the wts abandons and invents beliefs faster than apple can churn out new shiny stuff.
but have they ever abandoned a belief and later picked it up again?.
i remember many years ago we had one of those post-district-assembly review parts (part of the service meeting) where they were discussing some "new light".. there was some confusion about which was the "new" and which was the "old" and a semi-discussion ensued with people commenting.
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kaik
Also what to do if woman was raped. If she scream did not scream, so it could be seen as adultery. One point they claimed that shock from the rape or intimidation can prevent woman to scream and she would not be guilty, other time they said she would be.
Another recycle material is the ten horns, it always changes depending which top ten countries appear on the political scene. Other would be Abaddon, now they claimed that it is Jesus, other times it was Satan. Either way when you miss one belief, another one will arrive very shortly.
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St John's wort
by wannaexit inst john's wort is accepted by the medical literature for use in mild to moderate depression.
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if anybody is using it could you share your experiences with it?
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kaik
rebel8, I am actually surprised that anyone would claim that St. John Wort can treat a depression, which is known since the times of Romans that it is extremely dangerous for people with light sensitivity and increases hypersensitivity on UV light. This can be further enhanced by even common antibiotics like oxacillin. In ancient and medieval times St. John Wort was used for torture. I do not think it would change much 2000 years later. Medical evidence of St. John Wort falls into unproved legends and can be actually dangerous. Some people believe that dicentra has healing properties for heart due shape of the flowers (it is a bleeding heart after all), but it is also poisonous and can cause a death if digested. But every year there is always some idiots who tried to digest it because they heard or were told that it can work on heart problems... -
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St John's wort
by wannaexit inst john's wort is accepted by the medical literature for use in mild to moderate depression.
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if anybody is using it could you share your experiences with it?
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kaik
I would be very careful with St. Johns worth. It can cause serious hypersensitivity and permanently scar skin and eye due increased sensitivity to sunlight. In ancient and medieval times the tea made from the plant was forced into the prisoners for sun exposure to increase their suffering. The plant is lovely and I used to have it at my backyard for decoration, but I would avoid touching it because it did cause skin pigmentation. I am very fair skin complexion and contact in the summer would make my skin turn red. Another problem with St. John that it interact with many other medications especially with antivirals or cancer treatment. It is one the most dangerous herb supplement out there if taken carelessly. -
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WT addresses the "rapture" teaching.
by wifibandit inlook at paragraph 15 of the 2015 july 15th study edition pg 18-19.. http://imgur.com/3wparys.
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basically they admit to teaching the rapture (for the anointed remnant), just don't call it that!.
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kaik
Catholic, Orthodox, and major Protestant denominations consider Rapture to be heresy. It is actually forbidden doctrine by the Catholic Church. It did not appear in Christianity until 1830's by preachers in Northern American and was not fully defined by fundamentalists until early 20th century. Catholics and European Christianity uses word Ascension, but there is also difference in theology between this and Harvest. JWs attempts to model their rapture theology on other fundamentalist religions who often believe that chosen one will float away from this earth while meeting Jesus in midway when he is returning. This way they think they escape the wrath and tribulation. Of course WT teaches that rapture will happen to the reminder of 144K. Back in the 1980's it was pack of 8000 or so individuals. -
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WT addresses the "rapture" teaching.
by wifibandit inlook at paragraph 15 of the 2015 july 15th study edition pg 18-19.. http://imgur.com/3wparys.
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basically they admit to teaching the rapture (for the anointed remnant), just don't call it that!.
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kaik
Rapture is purely American invention in theology and unknown to major European mainstream religions. Actually there is no equivalent to it in my native language. We had first time were taught a rapture in 1980's where the DO was tried to explain to us what it mean. Teaching of Rapture is old as is JWs, but it was never fully explained until later years when various evangelical movements usurped a rapture as their central theology and teaching. Any case, it is not new teaching and it was in JWs for at least 30 years. -
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In a nutshell, what is the wackiest jw thing?
by stuckinarut2 inwhat is the wackiest...strangest....most unusual jw teaching or practice?
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kaik
This is tough choice. I think the wackiest one I remember when they claimed that Jesus selected his bride after his return in 1914, waited 3.5 years and had find it among pack of prisoners charged with sedition in 1918.
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I'm bemused - Vladimir Putin as a Christian Warrior - Do Russians see him as a fighter for Jesus?
by fulltimestudent ini accidentally came across this youtube video, "why the west fears putin.
" curious, i watched it.
you may find it interesting also.
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kaik
DJS, there is a difference between Putin's Russia and old USSR. USSR was multinational conglomerate where Russia dominated the states in the federations, and many nationalities faced rusification, and today, where it became nationalistic state waging wars against neighbors to turn them into unified, centralized Russian state. This dream of Russian nationalists is bloody and it took 20 years for the West to finally notice it. The present guard in Moscow wants to recreate state within boundary of USSR and beyond, but with much stronger grip of Moscow to prevent similar disintegration of 1991. The same time, it is driven by revenge against all states that were some point under Moscow control and they decided to chose their own destiny. This poses threat to good half of Europe and it is ridiculous when two months ago Russian officials claimed that future border of Russia as far west as in Prague and Rijeka at Adriatic sea. Southern Slavs were never part of Russian influence because Tito chess mated Stalin from the Balkans in 1948. This still does not prevent nationalist in Moscow to dream that Rijeka, Zagreb, Prague or Ljubjana to be a part of vast empire just because Croats, Slovenes, and Czech are Slavs. Either way, what is happening in Russia is far more different than was with USSR. Russia after 1917 isolated itself from the world, today, it attempts to flex its control everywhere it feels like to.