Thanks God that nobody in my family was hoarder, and I do not know JWs who were except one lady who collected cats, but she was living in small cottage in the woods. Hoarding is a mental disorder, which can be also dangerous if it posses health and fire risk to the area. In my hometown there were two deadly incidents, when one woman was hoarding so much trash at her house that it caught fire and nobody could save mother with child living above her as the fire spread out very quickly. The woman was only fined and continued to collect the trash for a while until she died. Other hoarder we had in my town were elderly couple who patrolled every dump site in the city. Once they picked up container with unknown chemical, which eventually ignited in their apartment and exploded. The fire from the house was seen through entire city and the couple barricaded themselves in the place so they cannot be evacuated by the fire squad. They had to literally to handcuffed and dragged away. Any case, entire house that was from the 19th century burned down and there was empty lot for a while. I do not know what happened to them, but they were charged with public endangerment.
Posts by kaik
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11Is This a JW on The TV show called Horders?
by greenhornet inhttp://www.aetv.com/hoarders/video/stacey-roi.
this is the link.
however it may not work because i am logged in on my account.
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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
I think we are trying to look into Judaism and Christianity of the 21st century mind and it is our guess how people who were Jews, Christians from Pagans, and Christians from the Jews felt on this topic around 100 AD. Judaism developed on theology and new books were written. Christians did the same. For centuries these two coexist, especially during the first two centuries of prosecution. By 350AD, Christianity became dominant religion in Roman empire, especially in the Greek speak territory of the future Eastern Roman Empire. The dominant influence in that era would be coming from St. Augustine (+430) who actually hoped to reconcile differences of Christianity and Judaism to fulfill Divine promises as realized in the church and written in the OT. Unlike contemporary John Chrysostom (+407) who had tremendous influence upon Christianity in this writing was utterly anti-Semitic and in his homilies he compared synagogues as place of demon worshiping. -
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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
Nice post Caleb. I do not think there will be universal agreement when the split between Christianity and Judaism happened, if it was gradual or sudden, or just both religions grew apart. What I had studied from various books on Early Christianity, and history in college, the split happened after Jewish War and but was before Trajan/Hadrian banishment Jews from Jerusalem (around 115-135AD). Other sources say that Council of Jamnia had been the final split between these two groups. Marcion also excluded Hebrew Bible and accepted only Paul's writing. While Christianity took over 200 years to develop into own religion and be legalized, it is possible that the religious split happened very quickly in matter of two generations. Protestantism is one of the prime examples how one group within one religion would secede and create own church and own theology. Bohemian Protestantism took 25 years to form (1415-1440) and lasted for another 200 years. However, even in the first two generations, people who went to Bohemian and Moravian churches saw themselves as a Catholic, but without Rome and Papacy. The ideological justification of the own church came in 50-75 years later around 1480's. German Reformation was also very rapid, but English took much longer to secede from the Rome. -
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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
Beating up children is a child abuse, and should be reported to police and CPS. Additionally, what many JWs did was not one disciple spank but they beat up their kids with stick or whip. This is outright criminal and the abusers should see a day in court. The worst fared children whose got JW step-parent and they justified by Bible their hatred for children that were not theirs. -
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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
Christianity evolved from Judaism, but the ideological split happened in the course of two generations. Reformation was also a process that took about 40 years and it created two different branches of Christianity. Another major issue for Judaism and its identity was the Jewish war in 70AD that had a profound effect on the development of the Jewish identity. Prior that event, Jewish faith and culture was deeply integrated in the Greco-Roman culture and their faith was considered as equal. Jewish revolts in 70AD and later 115 cemented their beliefs and national identity due several factors: Jews were considered as a hostile element in Roman society, rabbis were executed through the empire, and Jewish holy books were banished.
While Christianity was also oppressed, their identity development was different from the Judaism. Certainly after 70AD the split between these two groups was permanent and irreconcilable, but for another 50 years there were Jewish Christians as can be seen from contemporary writings. Ignatius who died in 107AD pressured these Jewish Christians to give up their Jewish customs. What I have read, the split had happened between 70AD and 115AD.
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Suicide - How many do you know within the JWs
by Lady Lee inthw wts likes to play games with their statistics.
one interesting but truly tragic is the number of jwhovah's witnesses who commit suicie.. now i suspect that if a person commits suicide shortly before or after they are disfellowshipped then the elders would say that person wasn't a witness or that they had done something so terrible that they were too guilty to admit it and by their action of committing suicide they pretty much declared they were no longer a jw.. yup fancy talk to make sure any crap didn't fall on them.. so my question.. do you know of cases like this?
if so then can you answer a few more questions.. had this person been dfed or in real danger of being dfed or whatever the equivalent is if they were never baptized?.
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kaik
Suicide among JWs are common. The saddest thing is that due cult proximity of one another, they tends to go together and several people will kill themselves within short time span. My mom was a friend with one lady who was these JWs who never married and available after Armageddon. She had several suicide attempts, once she jumped under train which mauled her, but she survived. Several months later she succeeded, but she destroyed everything in her house and all her clothing. I was with that woman in Strahov assembly in 1991 and I still do not grasp why she went the way she did. Several years later, entire JW family died outside Prague by driving into the countryside, put plastic tube into the car exhaust pipe and killed themselves and their children. Exactly the same case happened 10 year later, but different congregation couple who also killed themselves the same way with two children. I wonder often if these two families knew each other. -
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Are 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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kaik
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. -
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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.