A secular site promoting use of evidence-based prevention methods to reduce cult victimization
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Victoria Police launch an investigation into the rape and molestation of a number of children within the Traralgon Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
"...Victoria Police have launched an investigation into the rape and molestation of a number of children within the Traralgon Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses over the past two years. According to initial reports, the Body of Elders were strictly ordered by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia to cover-up the multiple rapes of a number of children within the Traralgon Congregation allegedly committed by a fellow member of the Jehovah’s Witness religion. The elders were also instructed to NOT report the rapes to the police or the authorities." Read more by clicking the link.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Duggars: The continuing wackadoodle saga
Here is the latest update in a long, sad story of people sorely misguided by religion. They also seem to be cashing in on their fertility.
The truth is, overpopulation is a major contributing factor to some of the major problems facing us today--economic, ecological, etc. Any sane god(s) would not expect us to blindly overfill the Earth. He, she, it or they, if we were created, fitted us with a nifty thing known as a frontal lobe which has a feature known as logic.
The family's website says this is Michelle's favorite quote:
Come on, Michelle. If the world was overfilled with flowers, so much that other plants couldn't thrive, surely you can envision this causing problems. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
From Wikipedia:
The Duggars are conservative Christians, and due to their fundamentalist biblical beliefs, they practice the following: The only television the family watches are wholesome family programming on DVDs, and various historical events. Internet use is restricted. The male family members keep their hair cut short (by cutting their own hair to save money), while the females keep their hair long. The children are home-schooled using a mix of materials, including those of Switched On Schoolhouse, Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), and Accelerated Christian Education (ACE).[8] For college studies, several of the older kids use the CollegePlus! program.[9] The children are discouraged from dating, but rather practice chaperoned courtship, and the couple abstains from physical contact. In addition, the young man seeks permission from the young woman's father to become engaged.
The Duggars raise their children using a buddy system, wherein an older sibling is assigned to a younger sibling and assists in their primary care.
Oh dear.
The truth is, overpopulation is a major contributing factor to some of the major problems facing us today--economic, ecological, etc. Any sane god(s) would not expect us to blindly overfill the Earth. He, she, it or they, if we were created, fitted us with a nifty thing known as a frontal lobe which has a feature known as logic.
The family's website says this is Michelle's favorite quote:
Come on, Michelle. If the world was overfilled with flowers, so much that other plants couldn't thrive, surely you can envision this causing problems. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
From Wikipedia:
The Duggars are conservative Christians, and due to their fundamentalist biblical beliefs, they practice the following: The only television the family watches are wholesome family programming on DVDs, and various historical events. Internet use is restricted. The male family members keep their hair cut short (by cutting their own hair to save money), while the females keep their hair long. The children are home-schooled using a mix of materials, including those of Switched On Schoolhouse, Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), and Accelerated Christian Education (ACE).[8] For college studies, several of the older kids use the CollegePlus! program.[9] The children are discouraged from dating, but rather practice chaperoned courtship, and the couple abstains from physical contact. In addition, the young man seeks permission from the young woman's father to become engaged.
The Duggars raise their children using a buddy system, wherein an older sibling is assigned to a younger sibling and assists in their primary care.
Oh dear.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Purge, rinse, repeat! The cult cycle
I was musing on the sick cycle cults have whereby they have a Salem witch trial-style inquest, “find” the evil influence (even if it means making up stories), purge it, have a period of catharsis and renewed affinity to each other, then repeat the cycle. If you’ve ever been in a cult, you know exactly what I mean.
While searching for background material for this post, I came across this excellent list of cult behaviors which is, as the Brits say, “spot on”.
It is as though some of the adherents are not aware of the cycle, or prefer to blindly trust their leaders that there is an actual threat, agreeing with their decision to investigate and expunge it, and feeling a sense of relief and renewed bonds to their fellow cultists. They even appreciate the leaders for providing this opportunity to feel that satisfying “lull after the storm” along with the sense of superiority provided by the opportunity to shun the outcast.
Others—strategists—foresee an upcoming vacancy in the cult family tree which provides them an opportunity to move up a rung on the social ladder.
Others feel powerless to stop it—that was me. I tried to talk sense into a few people and that resulted in suspicion being cast upon me.
It’s a very sick social convention and one that can damage a person well after disaffiliation.
While searching for background material for this post, I came across this excellent list of cult behaviors which is, as the Brits say, “spot on”.
It is as though some of the adherents are not aware of the cycle, or prefer to blindly trust their leaders that there is an actual threat, agreeing with their decision to investigate and expunge it, and feeling a sense of relief and renewed bonds to their fellow cultists. They even appreciate the leaders for providing this opportunity to feel that satisfying “lull after the storm” along with the sense of superiority provided by the opportunity to shun the outcast.
Others—strategists—foresee an upcoming vacancy in the cult family tree which provides them an opportunity to move up a rung on the social ladder.
Others feel powerless to stop it—that was me. I tried to talk sense into a few people and that resulted in suspicion being cast upon me.
It’s a very sick social convention and one that can damage a person well after disaffiliation.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Salvation Army--is it a high control group?
Decide for yourself.
Sally officer threatened with job loss for marrying a woman who is not a Sally officer herself.
Salvation Army position statement on homosexuality.
News article alleges Salvation Army lobbies against gay marriage.
Advocacy action: Donate the $3 bills you can print for free here.
Sally officer threatened with job loss for marrying a woman who is not a Sally officer herself.
Salvation Army position statement on homosexuality.
News article alleges Salvation Army lobbies against gay marriage.
Advocacy action: Donate the $3 bills you can print for free here.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Jehovah's Witnesses may be in violation of religious hatred laws in the UK
Police inquiry over Jehovah's Witness magazine 'mentally diseased' article - Telegraph
The Jehovah's Witnesses have published a statement that former members are "mentally diseased", and in some countries this may constitute a violation of religious hatred laws.
To read the original magazine, click here. Download the study version of the 7/15/11 issue.
Here is a direct copy and paste from that issue:
"'Apostasy' is a standing away from true worship, a falling away, defection, rebellion, abandonment."
The definition of an 'apostate' is anyone who abandons a set of beliefs. And then:
"Well, apostates are 'mentally diseased,' and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings. (1 Tim. 6:3, 4) Jehovah, the Great Physician, tells us to avoid contact with them."
Calling God "The Great Physician" underscores the disease analogy.
This is not the first time this church has called former members diseased. In fact, not only have they been labeled with frightening diseases, they have been called demon possessed.
In fact, the church in 1909 clearly stated apostates were all former members, and all of them were stricken with rabies, mental illness and are Satanic. (Remember, this church teaches they have always been the source of truth and the truth does not change, so this old teaching is still valid.*)
The Watch Tower of October 1, 1909 states:
“All who cut loose from the Society and its work ... these manifest anger, malice, hatred, strife, ‘works of the flesh and of the devil’ such as we have never known worldly people to exhibit. They seem inoculated with madness, Satanic hydrophobia[rabies].”
Click the link at the top of this post to read the news story about the police inquiry into this suspected violation of religious hate laws.
What do you think? Please take our poll at the top left of this blog, and post a comment below.
_________________________________
*"...this one supreme, almighty God. His religion is one of right belief and is harmonious in all its expressions...The true religion of the one God does not disagree with itself, deny itself or get divided with itself. If it had internal disagreement, contradiction and disunity, it could never stand; it could not be simple truth; it would disagree with the scientific laws of the universe; it could not triumph in the long-drawn-out conflict between true religion and false. But true religion must triumph, because truth cannot be destroyed. That is why, despite all the many false religions in the world, the true religion has lived through till this day..."--Watchtower 11/15/1963
The Jehovah's Witnesses have published a statement that former members are "mentally diseased", and in some countries this may constitute a violation of religious hatred laws.
To read the original magazine, click here. Download the study version of the 7/15/11 issue.
Here is a direct copy and paste from that issue:
"'Apostasy' is a standing away from true worship, a falling away, defection, rebellion, abandonment."
The definition of an 'apostate' is anyone who abandons a set of beliefs. And then:
"Well, apostates are 'mentally diseased,' and they seek to infect others with their disloyal teachings. (1 Tim. 6:3, 4) Jehovah, the Great Physician, tells us to avoid contact with them."
Calling God "The Great Physician" underscores the disease analogy.
This is not the first time this church has called former members diseased. In fact, not only have they been labeled with frightening diseases, they have been called demon possessed.
In fact, the church in 1909 clearly stated apostates were all former members, and all of them were stricken with rabies, mental illness and are Satanic. (Remember, this church teaches they have always been the source of truth and the truth does not change, so this old teaching is still valid.*)
The Watch Tower of October 1, 1909 states:
“All who cut loose from the Society and its work ... these manifest anger, malice, hatred, strife, ‘works of the flesh and of the devil’ such as we have never known worldly people to exhibit. They seem inoculated with madness, Satanic hydrophobia[rabies].”
Click the link at the top of this post to read the news story about the police inquiry into this suspected violation of religious hate laws.
What do you think? Please take our poll at the top left of this blog, and post a comment below.
_________________________________
*"...this one supreme, almighty God. His religion is one of right belief and is harmonious in all its expressions...The true religion of the one God does not disagree with itself, deny itself or get divided with itself. If it had internal disagreement, contradiction and disunity, it could never stand; it could not be simple truth; it would disagree with the scientific laws of the universe; it could not triumph in the long-drawn-out conflict between true religion and false. But true religion must triumph, because truth cannot be destroyed. That is why, despite all the many false religions in the world, the true religion has lived through till this day..."--Watchtower 11/15/1963
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Jhuger - Kissing Hank's Ass
Jhuger - Kissing Hank's Ass
An interesting, simple way to look at belief in the Bible and other holy books.
An interesting, simple way to look at belief in the Bible and other holy books.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Ah, the memories
I was a young teen at a 4-day summer convention of Jehovah's Witnesses. I got a kidney and bladder infection while there.
It's a serious medical condition that is extremely treatable if you just get some antibiotics. If not you could be in dire straits.
I was a naive girl with no idea what was happening to my body. I was feverish, in severe pain and had to pee constantly.
My jw mother sent me to the First Aid station at the convention, which for all I know was staffed by someone with nothing more than a CPR certificate. The sister there said I probably had a bladder infection which is proof I had sex, even though I assured her (truthfully) I had not. Who goes around accusing 13-year-olds of having sex? She did nothing for my medical issue.
I had to run ahead all the ladies in the bathroom line and they complained.
The drive home on the last day of the convention--day 4--was hell. My mother was convinced I was having sex so she punished me by refusing to stop for bathroom breaks during the 3-hour drive home. I can't explain the agony this caused.
I did not get to see a dr. when I got home. I am lucky to have suffered no serious consequences or even death.
As if that weren't enough, the woman had informed my local elders of the "proof I had sex" and my mother and I were called to the church to be interrogated.
It's a serious medical condition that is extremely treatable if you just get some antibiotics. If not you could be in dire straits.
I was a naive girl with no idea what was happening to my body. I was feverish, in severe pain and had to pee constantly.
My jw mother sent me to the First Aid station at the convention, which for all I know was staffed by someone with nothing more than a CPR certificate. The sister there said I probably had a bladder infection which is proof I had sex, even though I assured her (truthfully) I had not. Who goes around accusing 13-year-olds of having sex? She did nothing for my medical issue.
I had to run ahead all the ladies in the bathroom line and they complained.
The drive home on the last day of the convention--day 4--was hell. My mother was convinced I was having sex so she punished me by refusing to stop for bathroom breaks during the 3-hour drive home. I can't explain the agony this caused.
I did not get to see a dr. when I got home. I am lucky to have suffered no serious consequences or even death.
As if that weren't enough, the woman had informed my local elders of the "proof I had sex" and my mother and I were called to the church to be interrogated.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
In God We Don't Trust?
For an overwhelming part of U.S. history, America's motto was purely secular, "E Pluribus Unum" (From many [come] one). E Pluribus Unum was chosen by a committee of Jefferson, Adams and Franklin. Many Americans mistakenly assume our founders chose "In God We Trust" as the motto, but nothing could be further from the truth. Our founders were committed to a secular government. For most of U.S. history, our money was likewise free of religion. To read the rest, click here.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Recruitment at Cemetaries on Memorial Day
Some cults engage in recruitment activities in cemeteries on Memorial Day, knowing there will be plenty of mourners. Click the title for details.
Have Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Society) ever predicted the end of the world (rapture)?
Judge for yourself. Read these carefully. Do these quotes seem to be remarks from some sincere Christians eager to meet Jesus, or do they rather clearly state the end of the world is coming within a certain time frame?
What do you think? Please post your reactions below.
1925: …the great jubilee cycle is due to begin in 1925. At that time the earthly phase of the kingdom shall be recognized.... Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old… [Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, pp. 89, 90]
What do you think? Please post your reactions below.
1874: "Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present since October 1874, A.D., according to the testimony of the prophets, to those who have ears to hear it: and the formal inauguration of his kingly office dates from April 1878, A.D." [Studies in Scriptures Series IV (1897) p.621]
“the battle of the great day of God Almighty--The date of the close of that "battle" is definitely marked in Scripture as October 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874." [Zion's Watch Tower 1892 January 15 p.23]
1877: Christ's kingdom will hold full sway over the earth in 1914; the Jews, as a people, will be restored to God's favor; the "saints" will be carried to heaven. [The Three Worlds (1907)]
1878: "The year A.D. 1878, being the parallel of his assuming power and authority in the type, clearly marks the time for the actual assuming of power as King of kings, by our present, spiritual, invisible Lord...." [Studies in the Scriptures - Thy Kingdom Come p.239]
1891: 1914 will be "the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men.” [The Time Is At Hand (1891)]
1914: "But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. [Zion's Watch Tower 1894 July 15 p.226]
"…1914; at the end of which, Babylon the great, will have fallen, and the "dragon" be bound: that is, the nations will be subdued, and "the prince of this world cast out.""[Three Worlds and The Harvest of This World (1877) p.143]
"…with the end of A.D. 1914, what God calls Babylon, and what men call Christendom, will have passed away, as already shown in prophecy." [Studies In the Scriptures Series III - Thy Kingdom Come (1891) p.153]
"October, 1914, will witness the full end of Babylon, "as a great millstone cast into the sea," utterly destroyed as a system." [Watch Tower 1911 June 15 p.190]
"…with the end of A.D. 1914, what God calls Babylon, and what men call Christendom, will have passed away, as already shown in prophecy." [Studies In the Scriptures Series III - Thy Kingdom Come (1891) p.153]
"October, 1914, will witness the full end of Babylon, "as a great millstone cast into the sea," utterly destroyed as a system." [Watch Tower 1911 June 15 p.190]
"True, it is expecting great things to claim, as we do, that within the coming twenty-six years all present governments will be overthrown and dissolved …. we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God, will be accomplished at the end of A. D. 1914…Be not surprised, then, when in subsequent chapters we present proofs that the setting up of the Kingdom of God is already begun, that it is pointed out in prophecy as due to begin the exercise of power in A.D. 1878, and that the "battle of the great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced." [Studies In the Scriptures Series II - The Time Is At Hand (1889) pp.99, 101]
"…we have seen that God has a set time for every feature of his plan, and that we are even now in this "Day of Vengeance," which is a period of forty years; that it began in October, 1874, and will end in October, 1914 (very shortly)." [Studies In the Scriptures Series IV - The Day of Vengeance -pp.546, 547]
"…we have seen that God has a set time for every feature of his plan, and that we are even now in this "Day of Vengeance," which is a period of forty years; that it began in October, 1874, and will end in October, 1914 (very shortly)." [Studies In the Scriptures Series IV - The Day of Vengeance -pp.546, 547]
“…not until the full end of Gentile Times (October, A.D. 1914) should we expect the earthly phase of God's Kingdom; for in giving a lease of dominion to the Gentiles until that date God made no mistake and his plans alter not.” [Studies In the Scriptures Series IV - The Day of Vengeance pp.624, 625]
"…A. D. 1914, when the day of wrath will be passed, and the resurrection and return of the "whole house of Israel" due." [Three Worlds and The Harvest of This World (1877) p.166 ]
"The beginning of the earthly phase of the Kingdom in the end of A.D. 1914 will, we understand, consist wholly of the resurrected holy ones of olden time-from John the Baptizer back to Abel-"Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the holy prophets." [Studies In the Scriptures Series IV - The Day of Vengeance p.625]
"The beginning of the earthly phase of the Kingdom in the end of A.D. 1914 will, we understand, consist wholly of the resurrected holy ones of olden time-from John the Baptizer back to Abel-"Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the holy prophets." [Studies In the Scriptures Series IV - The Day of Vengeance p.625]
“That the deliverance of the saints must take place some time before 1914 is manifest…” [Studies in the Scriptures Series III - Thy Kingdom Come 1908 Ed.]
1915: “That the deliverance of the saints must take place very soon after 1914 is manifest…” [Studies in the Scriptures Series III - Thy Kingdom Come 1915 Edition]
1916: World War I will terminate in Armageddon and the rapture of the "saints". [Watch Tower, 1916]
1917: In 1918, Christendom will go down as a system to oblivion and be succeeded by revolutionary governments. God will "destroy the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions." Church members will "perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy." The dead will lie unburied. In 1920 all earthly governments will disappear, with worldwide anarchy prevailing. [The Finished Mystery, 1917]
1920: Messiah's kingdom will be established in 1925 and bring worldwide peace. God will begin restoring the earth. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and other faithful patriarchs will be resurrected to perfect human life and be made princes and rulers, the visible representatives of the New Order on earth. Those who showed themselves obedient to God will never die. [Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920]
1922: The anti-typical "jubilee" that will mark God's intervention in earthly affairs will take place "probably the fall" of 1925. [Watch Tower, May 15, 1922]
1924: God's restoration of Earth will begin "shortly after" October 1, 1925. Jerusalem will be made the world's capital. Resurrected "princes" such as Abel, Noah, Moses and John the Baptist will give instructions to their subjects around the world by radio, and airplanes will transport people to and from Jerusalem from all parts of the globe in just "a few hours". [The Way to Paradise booklet, Watch Tower Society, 1924]
1925: …the great jubilee cycle is due to begin in 1925. At that time the earthly phase of the kingdom shall be recognized.... Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old… [Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, pp. 89, 90]
1938: In 1938, Armageddon is too close for marriage or child bearing. [Face the Facts, 1938]
1941: There are only "months" remaining until Armageddon. [The Watchtower, Sep. 15, 1941, p. 288]
1942: Armageddon is "immediately before us.” [The Watchtower, May 1, 1942, p. 139]
1966: It will be 6000 years since man's creation in the fall of 1975 and it will be "appropriate" for Christ's thousand-year reign to begin at that time. [Life Everlasting in Freedom of the Sons of God, Watch Tower Society, 1966, pp. 29–35]
Time is "running out, no question about that.” The "immediate future" is "certain to be filled with climactic events ... within a few years at most", the final parts of Bible prophecy relating to the "last days" will undergo fulfillment as Christ's reign began. [Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, Watch Tower Society]
1969: Human existence will not last long enough for young people to grow old; the world system will end "in a few years." Young Witnesses are told not to bother pursuing tertiary education for this reason. [Awake!, May 22, 1969, p. 15]
1974: There is just a "short time remaining before the wicked world's end" and Witnesses are commended for selling their homes and property to "finish out the rest of their days in this old system in the pioneer (ministry) service.” [Kingdom Ministry, Watch Tower Society, May 1974, page 3]
1975: Armageddon has to be over, and paradise introduced in, or earlier than, 1975. [The Watchtower (1968 May 1 p. 271) and Awake! (1968 October 8 p. 14) and Aid To Bible Understanding (1971 p. 538)]
Many currently alive will witness Armageddon during their natural lifetimes. [Watchtower 1965 March 15 p. 177; Awake! 1968 October 8 p. 13-14; January 1982 Awake!; Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1920)]
1984: There are "many indications" that "the end" is closer than the end of the 20th century. [The Watchtower, Mar 1, 1984, pp. 18-19]
1999: Mathematical calculations indicate Armageddon will come by the end of the century. [Let God Be True (1946)]
Shortly within our 20th century, the “battle in the day of Jehovah” (Armageddon) will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom. [The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah-How? 1971 p. 216]
With confidence in the vision’s complete fulfillment during the decades of this 20th century the anointed remnant of the bride class have never let up in saying “Come!” Every effort has been made to broadcast the message to all nations. [1989 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses p. 3]
The preaching work will be completed within the 20th century, with Armageddon to immediately follow. [The Watchtower 1989 January 1 p. 12]
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Transplants and the First Amendment — Letters to the Editor - WSJ.com
"I respect the Jehovah's Witnesses for fighting to keep the government from forcing them to violate their religious principles by saluting the flag or abridging their ability to proselytize, all valid First Amendment rights. But to go from those rights to demanding that I pay for their more expensive medical treatments to satisfy their religious scruples is outrageous. If they have special medical needs, let them turn to members of their faith community for financial support. That is what religious communities do, after all.
To demand that the government finance their religious preferences, while refusing to salute the flag of the government that will pay for them, is blatant hypocrisy. It has nothing to do with the First Amendment."
What do you think? Click here to read the rest of the article and letters: Transplants and the First Amendment — Letters to the Editor - WSJ.com
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
A Brief History of the Apocalypse
A Brief History of the Apocalypse
According to Isaac Asimov's Book of Facts (1979), an Assyrian clay tablet dating to approximately 2800 BC was unearthed bearing the words "Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end. Bribery and corruption are common." This is one of the earliest examples of the perception of moral decay in society being interpreted as a sign of the imminent end.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
History of false prophecies about the end times
Jehovah's Witnesses and their parent organization, the Watchtower Society, today deny ever having firmly predicted the second coming of Christ in a particular year. In fact, that is completely false.
"THE "Time of the End," a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures. "The Day of His Preparation" is another name given to the same period …" Studies in the Scriptures Series 3 Thy Kingdom Come p.23
Here is a scan of a publication stating the second coming will occur in 1874 and Armageddon would occur in 1914:
Even after failure of the prophecies and revising them a bit, they stuck to their claims:
"WE HAVE no doubt whatever in regard to the chronology relating to the dates of 1874, 1914, 1918, and 1925." Watchtower 1922 May 15 p. 147
"The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the "time of the end" began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874." Watchtower 1922 March 1
For many more false prophecies involving specific dates, click on the title of this post. Thanks to JWFacts.com for preserving this evidence.
So have they learned their lesson? Judge for yourself.
Here's one that makes a similar claim about 1975:
"Does God's rest day parallel the time man has been on earth since his creation? Apparently so. … In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of Gods rest day come to an end? The year 1975. … It means that within a relatively few years we will witness the fulfilment of the remaining prophecies that have to do with the "time of the end"." Awake! 1966 October 8 pp.19-20
"The fact that fifty-four years of the period called the "last days" have already gone by is highly significant. It means that only a few years, at most, remain before the corrupt system of things dominating the earth is destroyed by God." Awake!1968 October 8 p.13
"If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the "last days" in 1914, Jesus foretold: "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur."-Matt. 24:34. Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in highschool and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!" Awake!1969 May 22 p.15
But there's more!
"And if the wicked system of this world survived until the turn of the century, which is highly improbable in view of world trends and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, there would still be survivors of the World War I generation." Watchtower 1980 October 15 p.31
"Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom." The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah p. 216
"Some of that "generation" could survive until the end of the century. But there are many indications that "the end" is much closer than that!" Watchtower 1984 March 1 pp.18-19
"He was laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our 20th century". Watchtower 1989 January 1 p.12.
"THE "Time of the End," a period of one hundred and fifteen (115) years, from A.D. 1799 to A.D. 1914, is particularly marked in the Scriptures. "The Day of His Preparation" is another name given to the same period …" Studies in the Scriptures Series 3 Thy Kingdom Come p.23
Here is a scan of a publication stating the second coming will occur in 1874 and Armageddon would occur in 1914:
Even after failure of the prophecies and revising them a bit, they stuck to their claims:
"WE HAVE no doubt whatever in regard to the chronology relating to the dates of 1874, 1914, 1918, and 1925." Watchtower 1922 May 15 p. 147
"The indisputable facts, therefore, show that the "time of the end" began in 1799; that the Lord's second presence began in 1874." Watchtower 1922 March 1
For many more false prophecies involving specific dates, click on the title of this post. Thanks to JWFacts.com for preserving this evidence.
So have they learned their lesson? Judge for yourself.
Here's one that makes a similar claim about 1975:
"Does God's rest day parallel the time man has been on earth since his creation? Apparently so. … In what year, then, would the first 6,000 years of man's existence and also the first 6,000 years of Gods rest day come to an end? The year 1975. … It means that within a relatively few years we will witness the fulfilment of the remaining prophecies that have to do with the "time of the end"." Awake! 1966 October 8 pp.19-20
"The fact that fifty-four years of the period called the "last days" have already gone by is highly significant. It means that only a few years, at most, remain before the corrupt system of things dominating the earth is destroyed by God." Awake!1968 October 8 p.13
"If you are a young person, you also need to face the fact that you will never grow old in this present system of things. Why not? Because all the evidence in fulfillment of Bible prophecy indicates that this corrupt system is due to end in a few years. Of the generation that observed the beginning of the "last days" in 1914, Jesus foretold: "This generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur."-Matt. 24:34. Therefore, as a young person, you will never fulfill any career that this system offers. If you are in highschool and thinking about a college education, it means at least four, perhaps even six or eight more years to graduate into a specialized career. But where will this system of things be by that time? It will be well on the way toward its finish, if not actually gone!" Awake!1969 May 22 p.15
But there's more!
"And if the wicked system of this world survived until the turn of the century, which is highly improbable in view of world trends and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, there would still be survivors of the World War I generation." Watchtower 1980 October 15 p.31
"Shortly, within our twentieth century, the "battle in the day of Jehovah" will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom." The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah p. 216
"Some of that "generation" could survive until the end of the century. But there are many indications that "the end" is much closer than that!" Watchtower 1984 March 1 pp.18-19
"He was laying a foundation for a work that would be completed in our 20th century". Watchtower 1989 January 1 p.12.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Watchtower Society's involvement with the United Nationsd Paul Gillies as NGO Representatives at OSCE Conference
Responsibilities of Gregory Allen and Paul Gillies as NGO Representatives at OSCE Conference
What do you think? This religion excommunicated followers for having anything to do with the United Nations. Yet here is another example of church leaders not only being involved with, but actively participating in UN activities.
What do you think? This religion excommunicated followers for having anything to do with the United Nations. Yet here is another example of church leaders not only being involved with, but actively participating in UN activities.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
The Scandal of Scientology / Chapter 4: Have You Lived Before This Life?
The Scandal of Scientology / Chapter 4: Have You Lived Before This Life?
Check out the totally crazy stuff written there. Worth the click!
Check out the totally crazy stuff written there. Worth the click!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Three ministers don't want to testify in child sex abuse case
Suspect Geoffrey K. Cabrera, 27, through court-appointed counsel Joseph N. Camacho, joined in the ministers' motion.
The ministers said it is the religious belief and practice of Jehovah's Witnesses, based upon Scripture and tradition, that elders must maintain in strict confidence any church communications connected with spiritual counseling and that congregants expect their communications to elders will remain confidential....
Click on the title to read the rest of the article.
So what do you think? Should clergy cover up information about child rapes?
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Americans have the legal right to freedom from religion
Did you know...
You have the legal right to freedom from religion (if you're in the United States)?
Therefore, it may be illegal for religious activities to be permitted on government property. Activities such as placing church literature in a state hospital waiting room, or religious recruitment on a state university campus may be illegal.
Report your concerns to the administrators of the property or file a possible church/state violation here.
Learn more about the legal requirement for separation of church and state--click here to take a quiz.
You have the legal right to freedom from religion (if you're in the United States)?
Therefore, it may be illegal for religious activities to be permitted on government property. Activities such as placing church literature in a state hospital waiting room, or religious recruitment on a state university campus may be illegal.
Report your concerns to the administrators of the property or file a possible church/state violation here.
Learn more about the legal requirement for separation of church and state--click here to take a quiz.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Jehovah’s Witness sues Kansas for bloodless transplant - KansasCity.com
Jehovah’s Witness sues Kansas for bloodless transplant - KansasCity.com
Should the taxpayers be forced to fund unnecessary medical procedures just because someone's religious beliefs encourage it?
Or should a multi-billion-dollar church help this poor member fund it?
If you are concerned about the taxpayers being forced to pay for this, please take a brief moment to voice your concerns to the Freedom From Religion Foundation (click here).
Should the taxpayers be forced to fund unnecessary medical procedures just because someone's religious beliefs encourage it?
Or should a multi-billion-dollar church help this poor member fund it?
If you are concerned about the taxpayers being forced to pay for this, please take a brief moment to voice your concerns to the Freedom From Religion Foundation (click here).
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Are earthquake trends fulfilling the Bible's end time prophecies?
Downloadable graph: Severity and frequency of worldwide earthquakes with 1,000 or more deaths since the year 1900 with forecast based upon trend
Jehovah's Witnesses and other Christians believe earthquakes have become more frequent and severe in recent years, and this is a sign of Armageddon approaching. Here is a graph of data collected by the US Geological Survey regarding the frequency and severity of worldwide earthquakes since 1900, with a mathematical forecast to 2050.
Jehovah's Witnesses and other Christians believe earthquakes have become more frequent and severe in recent years, and this is a sign of Armageddon approaching. Here is a graph of data collected by the US Geological Survey regarding the frequency and severity of worldwide earthquakes since 1900, with a mathematical forecast to 2050.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
What is "Brazen" conduct according to new 'Shepherd the Flock of God' book (1), Jehovah's Witnesses / Friends - Jehovah's Witness Discussion Forum
Check out this discussion about new rules being promulgated for Jehovah's Witnesses to be excommunicated: "brazen conduct".
What is "Brazen" conduct according to new 'Shepherd the Flock of God' book (1), Jehovah's Witnesses / Friends - Jehovah's Witness Discussion Forum
What is "Brazen" conduct according to new 'Shepherd the Flock of God' book (1), Jehovah's Witnesses / Friends - Jehovah's Witness Discussion Forum
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Breaking news--1st ever public criticism of anti-transfusion church by a Jehovah's Witness hemophiliac now published
The unique story by a hemophiliac who spent part of her childhood in a fundamentalist cult that only prohibited one type of medical treatment--the one she needed to stay alive--is now available for download.
This first-ever critique of the church by a hemophiliac member details her experiences nearly dying for the church. The church's now-failed 1975 apocalyptic prediction diminished her ability to get proper treatment. Her family and church elders adopted a dismissive attitude, because the resurrection was to happen in the immediate future.
As a young child, pastors did practice drills with her on how to evade medical questions, refuse blood, and escape from a hospital if given a transfusion. She suffered bleeding episodes that lasted hours, even days at a time, while having grisly adventures trying to survive amidst kooky cultists who claimed she was a demon-possessed vampire.
The church's archaic beliefs about the inferiority of women affected their handling of this girl's medical care, right down to telling her that her life-threatening menstrual periods were deserved because of Eve's original sin. The church's teachings at the time claimed women were intellectually and spiritually inferior.
An effective treatment for her disorder--birth control pills--was not allowed because elders claimed it would cause her to be morally loose. Members even interfered with how she held her head during nosebleeds and told her she would be regarded as "damaged goods, like a rape victim" if she had a transfusion.
As an adult, she spoke with a former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, who informed her the church had secretly reversed its position on hemophilia treatment without announcing it, for fear of embarrassing itself over its wrong decision. It was this that led her to share her personal story and the private details of her experience that illuminate the brutality of the church's actions in her case.
The article contains extensive references to church literature and secular sources to support her claims.
The church's teachings and actions have not improved much since then. Their website still clearly states this medical treatment is a serious sin. In the mid-1990s its magazine cover proudly featured photos of children who died from failure to get this treatment.
For more information regarding concerns over the church's actions and teachings, visit http://ajwrb.org/.
This first-ever critique of the church by a hemophiliac member details her experiences nearly dying for the church. The church's now-failed 1975 apocalyptic prediction diminished her ability to get proper treatment. Her family and church elders adopted a dismissive attitude, because the resurrection was to happen in the immediate future.
As a young child, pastors did practice drills with her on how to evade medical questions, refuse blood, and escape from a hospital if given a transfusion. She suffered bleeding episodes that lasted hours, even days at a time, while having grisly adventures trying to survive amidst kooky cultists who claimed she was a demon-possessed vampire.
The church's archaic beliefs about the inferiority of women affected their handling of this girl's medical care, right down to telling her that her life-threatening menstrual periods were deserved because of Eve's original sin. The church's teachings at the time claimed women were intellectually and spiritually inferior.
An effective treatment for her disorder--birth control pills--was not allowed because elders claimed it would cause her to be morally loose. Members even interfered with how she held her head during nosebleeds and told her she would be regarded as "damaged goods, like a rape victim" if she had a transfusion.
As an adult, she spoke with a former member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, who informed her the church had secretly reversed its position on hemophilia treatment without announcing it, for fear of embarrassing itself over its wrong decision. It was this that led her to share her personal story and the private details of her experience that illuminate the brutality of the church's actions in her case.
The article contains extensive references to church literature and secular sources to support her claims.
The church's teachings and actions have not improved much since then. Their website still clearly states this medical treatment is a serious sin. In the mid-1990s its magazine cover proudly featured photos of children who died from failure to get this treatment.
For more information regarding concerns over the church's actions and teachings, visit http://ajwrb.org/.
Scientology Super Power Statuses Pricing (Jan 2011)
Scientology Super Power Statuses Pricing (Jan 2011)
Here is the list of prices to obtain certain statuses within the Church of Scientology.
Here is the list of prices to obtain certain statuses within the Church of Scientology.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Don't you DARE to get up!! (1), Jehovah's Witnesses / Personal Experiences & Reunions - Jehovah's Witness Discussion Forum
Quotes from a recent Watchtower publication
"Do I encourage my children not to view the song between the Theocratic Ministry School and the Service Meeting or the one between the public talk and the
Watchtower Study as a sort of intermission, an opportunity for them to leave their seats unnecessarily, perhaps just to stretch their legs?"
"Many of the lyrics of our songs are tied to passages of Scripture, so learning the words of at least some of the songs can be an excellent way to sound down the truth into our hearts."
"If you were thrown into prison, how many of our Kingdom songs would you be able to sing from memory?"
What do you think? Is allowing children to stretch after the first 45 minutes of church a bad thing, when the meeting is 2 hours long?
"Do I encourage my children not to view the song between the Theocratic Ministry School and the Service Meeting or the one between the public talk and the
Watchtower Study as a sort of intermission, an opportunity for them to leave their seats unnecessarily, perhaps just to stretch their legs?"
"Many of the lyrics of our songs are tied to passages of Scripture, so learning the words of at least some of the songs can be an excellent way to sound down the truth into our hearts."
"If you were thrown into prison, how many of our Kingdom songs would you be able to sing from memory?"
What do you think? Is allowing children to stretch after the first 45 minutes of church a bad thing, when the meeting is 2 hours long?
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Restaurant pulls billboards with cult reference - Chicago Sun-Times
What do you think? Is this a harmless joke or symptomatic of a society that doesn't take cults seriously?
Sunday, February 20, 2011
AnonNews.org : Everything Anonymous
The hacker group, Anonymous, has posted a warning to Westboro Church:AnonNews.org : Everything Anonymous
Open Letter to Westboro Baptist Church
AN OPEN LETTER FROM ANONYMOUS
February 16, 2011
TO THE CONGREGANTS OF WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH:
We, the collective super-consciousness known as ANONYMOUS - the Voice of Free Speech & the Advocate of the People - have long heard you issue your venomous statements of hatred, and we have witnessed your flagrant and absurd displays of inimitable bigotry and intolerant fanaticism. We have always regarded you and your ilk as an assembly of graceless sociopaths and maniacal chauvinists & religious zealots, however benign, who act out for the sake of attention & in the name of religion.
Being such aggressive proponents for the Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Information as we are, we have hitherto allowed you to continue preaching your benighted gospel of hatred and your theatrical exhibitions of, not only your fascist views, but your utter lack of Christ-like attributes. You have condemned the men and women who serve, fight, and perish in the armed forces of your nation; you have prayed for and celebrated the deaths of young children, who are without fault; you have stood outside the United States National Holocaust Museum, condemning the men, women, and children who, despite their innocence, were annihilated by a tyrannical embodiment of fascism and unsubstantiated repugnance. Rather than allowing the deceased some degree of peace and respect, you instead choose to torment, harass, and assault those who grieve.
Your demonstrations and your unrelenting cascade of disparaging slurs, unfounded judgments, and prejudicial innuendos, which apparently apply to every individual numbered amongst the race of Man - except for yourselves - has frequently crossed the line which separates Freedom of Speech from deliberately utilizing the same tactics and methods of intimidation and mental & emotional abuse that have been previously exploited and employed by tyrants and dictators, fascists and terrorist organizations throughout history.
ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.
Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.
The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you.
WE ARE ANONYMOUS.
WE ARE LEGION.
WE DO NOT FORGIVE.
WE DO NOT FORGET.
EXPECT US.
Open Letter to Westboro Baptist Church
AN OPEN LETTER FROM ANONYMOUS
February 16, 2011
TO THE CONGREGANTS OF WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH:
We, the collective super-consciousness known as ANONYMOUS - the Voice of Free Speech & the Advocate of the People - have long heard you issue your venomous statements of hatred, and we have witnessed your flagrant and absurd displays of inimitable bigotry and intolerant fanaticism. We have always regarded you and your ilk as an assembly of graceless sociopaths and maniacal chauvinists & religious zealots, however benign, who act out for the sake of attention & in the name of religion.
Being such aggressive proponents for the Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Information as we are, we have hitherto allowed you to continue preaching your benighted gospel of hatred and your theatrical exhibitions of, not only your fascist views, but your utter lack of Christ-like attributes. You have condemned the men and women who serve, fight, and perish in the armed forces of your nation; you have prayed for and celebrated the deaths of young children, who are without fault; you have stood outside the United States National Holocaust Museum, condemning the men, women, and children who, despite their innocence, were annihilated by a tyrannical embodiment of fascism and unsubstantiated repugnance. Rather than allowing the deceased some degree of peace and respect, you instead choose to torment, harass, and assault those who grieve.
Your demonstrations and your unrelenting cascade of disparaging slurs, unfounded judgments, and prejudicial innuendos, which apparently apply to every individual numbered amongst the race of Man - except for yourselves - has frequently crossed the line which separates Freedom of Speech from deliberately utilizing the same tactics and methods of intimidation and mental & emotional abuse that have been previously exploited and employed by tyrants and dictators, fascists and terrorist organizations throughout history.
ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.
Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.
The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you.
WE ARE ANONYMOUS.
WE ARE LEGION.
WE DO NOT FORGIVE.
WE DO NOT FORGET.
EXPECT US.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Narangkar Glover - Oakland, CA Artist - Painters - Artistaday.com
Narangkar Glover - Oakland, CA Artist - Painters - Artistaday.com
Check out this symbolic "lemmings off a cliff" painting by a former member of a "high-demand religion".
"In my work I investigate personal narrative, memory and place. My works depict the past and present, and together discuss a metaphor for the difference between a life lived by personal choice, and the coerciveness of a high-demand religious upbringing."
Check out this symbolic "lemmings off a cliff" painting by a former member of a "high-demand religion".
"In my work I investigate personal narrative, memory and place. My works depict the past and present, and together discuss a metaphor for the difference between a life lived by personal choice, and the coerciveness of a high-demand religious upbringing."
Monday, January 31, 2011
Faced with the Threat of Rape
*** Awake! March 8th 1974 Issue, Pages 13-16 Faced with the Threat of Rape ***
Rape is illicit sexual intercourse without the consent of the woman and is effected by force.
Scream! Scream! Scream! Is that good advice? It certainly is. Just how good this advice is can be seen from what happened on November 12, 1973, in one of Brooklyn's largest hotels.
Threatened with Rape
The rapist was a well-dressed man. He had the physique of a football player, being well over six feet tall and weighing about 250 pounds. He took the elevator to the tenth floor of the hotel and there began to molest a middle-aged woman tenant, who managed to escape his clutches by screaming. She at once called the police, who came but were unable to locate him in the building, he having fled to lower floors.
On the second floor he saw two fine young women housekeepers who asked him if they could help him. "Yes, you can," he said, and, pulling out a gun, ordered them into one of the rooms, upon which he double-locked the door. He assured them that they would not get hurt so long as they did not make any noise. He said that he needed a place to hide until things cooled off downstairs and that he would keep them there for an hour.
These two young women happened to be Christian ministers and they began to make conversation so as to release the tension. One of them asked him if they could read while they were waiting. He said Yes, and so she took a Bible study aid that was in reach, handed another to the other woman and started a Bible discussion on the subject of how long Noah had preached before the flood came, it being a subject that had come up the day before in her Christian field ministry. She noted that it must have been about forty years, but the man thought it had been about 200 years. From that discussion they went on to such subjects as the name of God, Jehovah, and the kingdom for which Jesus taught his followers to pray. They also told him that they were Christian witnesses of Jehovah and about the high standards of conduct the Witnesses have. The two women were not particularly frightened, for it seemed much like a typical Bible discussion that these girls often had, especially as the man kept expressing his own opinions on these subjects.
But after about forty-five minutes things suddenly took a disquieting turn. He looked at his watch and said that he would have to tie them up so as to give him time to get away. Although they assured him that it was not necessary, he ordered one of them to sit on the floor in a closet, upon which he tied her feet with a necktie, and her hands behind her back. He then turned off the light in the closet and closed the door. He ordered the other into the bathroom but then changed his mind and, warning her not to scream or yell, he reached for the zipper on her blouse. She exclaimed: "No! No! Not that!" and told him that if he touched her she would scream as he had never heard anyone scream before and that if he was going to shoot he might as well go ahead and shoot because if she did not scream she would be as good as dead anyhow.
She told him that marriage was honorable before God and that she was married, but that what he wanted to do was not honorable. Also, that if she did not scream she would ruin her relationship with Jehovah God and the Christian congregation; that then she would be disfellowshiped or excommunicated from it and that this would be worse than being killed as far as she was concerned. He looked puzzled. He did not understand and so asked her to repeat what she had said, which she did, scared and shaking though she was. As she later explained: "The situation sickened me and the mere thought of it all was so disgusting that I knew what I had to do." After all of this he again tried to put his arms around her, upon which she moved away, saying, "Don't you touch me or come near me."
This calls to mind a statement made by the Dallas, Texas, police department, namely, that "a woman's best defenses" are, among other things, "her wits" and "a scream."
Yes, this young woman in the Brooklyn hotel used her wits by courageously using her knowledge of the Bible, thereby diverting the would-be rapist from his evil intent. As a result, he pursued the matter no further with these two women but left after first ordering them not to leave the room for fifteen minutes.
Frustrated a second time, this rapist was not giving up. Coming out into the hallway, he saw another fine young woman and began engaging her in conversation, asking where the elevators were, the nature of the rooms on the floor, and so forth. Suddenly he moved close to her and tried to push her into one of the rooms the door of which was open.
What could she do? He was every bit a foot taller than she was and weighed at least twice as much. She did what the Bible indicates a young woman should do: she screamed, louder than she had ever screamed before. (Deut. 22:23-27) This was wholly unexpected by the rapist. Startled, he ran down the steps at the end of the hallway.
As the three young women told their story at the police station, their hearers, increasing from three to eight men and two policewomen, marveled at what they heard. They could not get over it that two of these young women had talked about the Bible to a would-be rapist. One of the women officers asked for more information about the beliefs of Jehovah's witnesses and stated that if more women took such a determined and firm stand there would be fewer such crimes.
Why the Increase?
The foregoing experience in a Brooklyn hotel last November is but one instance of this social crime that is increasing on every hand. And that increase is very real. As the editor of America's Campus Law Enforcement Journal said about this increase: "It's not just a question of more women reporting it. It has happened."
No doubt one of the main reasons for rapes has ever been the extreme selfishness of men who refuse to control their mating instinct. As Dr. Ralph Garofalo, of Massachusetts' Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Dangerous Persons, put it: 'Normal men find a socially acceptable outlet for their desires, while the rapist loses sight of all moral or legal considerations.' But why the great increase of rape in modern times and in recent years?
Discussing the reasons, a Seattle, Washington, police official in charge of the city's sex-crime investigation department stated: "Our whole moral climate, our attitudes toward sex and the dress of the women have to be causes." He also stated that the 'increased exposure to pornography has contributed to the rise in reported rapes.'
Womankind must share the blame. To begin with, until the age of five or six years, the most vital period, little boys have their personalities molded largely by women, their mothers. And as they grow up, it is usually the mother that has the most opportunities to inculcate in her son respect for womankind, both by word and by example. But far too many mothers have come short in this regard. Especially and specifically blameworthy are those female relatives, such as an aunt or even a mother, who have used boys as sexual playthings, thereby starting them on a road that leads to their having aggressive feelings toward women.
A new American motion picture star who aims to occupy the place once held by America's previous sex symbol brags about her charms and about her ability to arouse men by displaying herself in motion pictures. Such actresses must also share in the blame for the increase in rapes, for after men have seen them on the screen they frequently go out and attack a woman who may be a paragon of virtue.
The New York Times, November 26, 1973, told of two fifteen-year-old girls being forced, shortly after midnight, into a store by an employee of the store who kept them for four hours and repeatedly raped one of them until the police came and rescued the girls and arrested the kidnapper and rapist. But what business did two teen-age girls have on the streets around midnight?
And never should a single woman, or even two, for that matter, take a chance on hitchhiking with a strange man. Many have done so, to be not only raped, but even murdered.
Further, in view of the way that many men think, each virtuous woman should be careful to dress modestly. According to the Seattle, Washington, police lieutenant in charge of the department dealing with such crimes, women who "reveal everything" in the way they dress make themselves more vulnerable to rape. "You can't advertise a commodity and expect no buyers . . . A little modesty," he holds, would prevent some rapes.
------------------------
What do you think of this article? What kinds of attitudes does it promote about women and men? Do you think the first account is true or is it the manipulation of a mind control group?
Rape is illicit sexual intercourse without the consent of the woman and is effected by force.
Scream! Scream! Scream! Is that good advice? It certainly is. Just how good this advice is can be seen from what happened on November 12, 1973, in one of Brooklyn's largest hotels.
Threatened with Rape
The rapist was a well-dressed man. He had the physique of a football player, being well over six feet tall and weighing about 250 pounds. He took the elevator to the tenth floor of the hotel and there began to molest a middle-aged woman tenant, who managed to escape his clutches by screaming. She at once called the police, who came but were unable to locate him in the building, he having fled to lower floors.
On the second floor he saw two fine young women housekeepers who asked him if they could help him. "Yes, you can," he said, and, pulling out a gun, ordered them into one of the rooms, upon which he double-locked the door. He assured them that they would not get hurt so long as they did not make any noise. He said that he needed a place to hide until things cooled off downstairs and that he would keep them there for an hour.
These two young women happened to be Christian ministers and they began to make conversation so as to release the tension. One of them asked him if they could read while they were waiting. He said Yes, and so she took a Bible study aid that was in reach, handed another to the other woman and started a Bible discussion on the subject of how long Noah had preached before the flood came, it being a subject that had come up the day before in her Christian field ministry. She noted that it must have been about forty years, but the man thought it had been about 200 years. From that discussion they went on to such subjects as the name of God, Jehovah, and the kingdom for which Jesus taught his followers to pray. They also told him that they were Christian witnesses of Jehovah and about the high standards of conduct the Witnesses have. The two women were not particularly frightened, for it seemed much like a typical Bible discussion that these girls often had, especially as the man kept expressing his own opinions on these subjects.
But after about forty-five minutes things suddenly took a disquieting turn. He looked at his watch and said that he would have to tie them up so as to give him time to get away. Although they assured him that it was not necessary, he ordered one of them to sit on the floor in a closet, upon which he tied her feet with a necktie, and her hands behind her back. He then turned off the light in the closet and closed the door. He ordered the other into the bathroom but then changed his mind and, warning her not to scream or yell, he reached for the zipper on her blouse. She exclaimed: "No! No! Not that!" and told him that if he touched her she would scream as he had never heard anyone scream before and that if he was going to shoot he might as well go ahead and shoot because if she did not scream she would be as good as dead anyhow.
She told him that marriage was honorable before God and that she was married, but that what he wanted to do was not honorable. Also, that if she did not scream she would ruin her relationship with Jehovah God and the Christian congregation; that then she would be disfellowshiped or excommunicated from it and that this would be worse than being killed as far as she was concerned. He looked puzzled. He did not understand and so asked her to repeat what she had said, which she did, scared and shaking though she was. As she later explained: "The situation sickened me and the mere thought of it all was so disgusting that I knew what I had to do." After all of this he again tried to put his arms around her, upon which she moved away, saying, "Don't you touch me or come near me."
This calls to mind a statement made by the Dallas, Texas, police department, namely, that "a woman's best defenses" are, among other things, "her wits" and "a scream."
Yes, this young woman in the Brooklyn hotel used her wits by courageously using her knowledge of the Bible, thereby diverting the would-be rapist from his evil intent. As a result, he pursued the matter no further with these two women but left after first ordering them not to leave the room for fifteen minutes.
Frustrated a second time, this rapist was not giving up. Coming out into the hallway, he saw another fine young woman and began engaging her in conversation, asking where the elevators were, the nature of the rooms on the floor, and so forth. Suddenly he moved close to her and tried to push her into one of the rooms the door of which was open.
What could she do? He was every bit a foot taller than she was and weighed at least twice as much. She did what the Bible indicates a young woman should do: she screamed, louder than she had ever screamed before. (Deut. 22:23-27) This was wholly unexpected by the rapist. Startled, he ran down the steps at the end of the hallway.
As the three young women told their story at the police station, their hearers, increasing from three to eight men and two policewomen, marveled at what they heard. They could not get over it that two of these young women had talked about the Bible to a would-be rapist. One of the women officers asked for more information about the beliefs of Jehovah's witnesses and stated that if more women took such a determined and firm stand there would be fewer such crimes.
Why the Increase?
The foregoing experience in a Brooklyn hotel last November is but one instance of this social crime that is increasing on every hand. And that increase is very real. As the editor of America's Campus Law Enforcement Journal said about this increase: "It's not just a question of more women reporting it. It has happened."
No doubt one of the main reasons for rapes has ever been the extreme selfishness of men who refuse to control their mating instinct. As Dr. Ralph Garofalo, of Massachusetts' Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Dangerous Persons, put it: 'Normal men find a socially acceptable outlet for their desires, while the rapist loses sight of all moral or legal considerations.' But why the great increase of rape in modern times and in recent years?
Discussing the reasons, a Seattle, Washington, police official in charge of the city's sex-crime investigation department stated: "Our whole moral climate, our attitudes toward sex and the dress of the women have to be causes." He also stated that the 'increased exposure to pornography has contributed to the rise in reported rapes.'
Womankind must share the blame. To begin with, until the age of five or six years, the most vital period, little boys have their personalities molded largely by women, their mothers. And as they grow up, it is usually the mother that has the most opportunities to inculcate in her son respect for womankind, both by word and by example. But far too many mothers have come short in this regard. Especially and specifically blameworthy are those female relatives, such as an aunt or even a mother, who have used boys as sexual playthings, thereby starting them on a road that leads to their having aggressive feelings toward women.
A new American motion picture star who aims to occupy the place once held by America's previous sex symbol brags about her charms and about her ability to arouse men by displaying herself in motion pictures. Such actresses must also share in the blame for the increase in rapes, for after men have seen them on the screen they frequently go out and attack a woman who may be a paragon of virtue.
The New York Times, November 26, 1973, told of two fifteen-year-old girls being forced, shortly after midnight, into a store by an employee of the store who kept them for four hours and repeatedly raped one of them until the police came and rescued the girls and arrested the kidnapper and rapist. But what business did two teen-age girls have on the streets around midnight?
And never should a single woman, or even two, for that matter, take a chance on hitchhiking with a strange man. Many have done so, to be not only raped, but even murdered.
Further, in view of the way that many men think, each virtuous woman should be careful to dress modestly. According to the Seattle, Washington, police lieutenant in charge of the department dealing with such crimes, women who "reveal everything" in the way they dress make themselves more vulnerable to rape. "You can't advertise a commodity and expect no buyers . . . A little modesty," he holds, would prevent some rapes.
------------------------
What do you think of this article? What kinds of attitudes does it promote about women and men? Do you think the first account is true or is it the manipulation of a mind control group?
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Jehovah's Witnesses sue RA Public Television - PanARMENIAN.Net
January 15, 2011 - 11:40 AMT 07:40 GMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Christian religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as representatives of the organization submitted a claim against the Public Television of Armenia, as well as journalists Gevorg Altunyan, Sona Torosyan, Nune Alexanyan to the court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts.
Director of the center of rehabilitation and aid for the victims of destructive cults Alexander Amaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that Jehovah’s Witnesses accuse the Public Television of Armenia of “publishing and disseminating wrong information concerning their honor and dignity.”...Click here to read the rest of the story.
PanARMENIAN.Net - The Christian religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as representatives of the organization submitted a claim against the Public Television of Armenia, as well as journalists Gevorg Altunyan, Sona Torosyan, Nune Alexanyan to the court of general jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash administrative districts.
Director of the center of rehabilitation and aid for the victims of destructive cults Alexander Amaryan told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter that Jehovah’s Witnesses accuse the Public Television of Armenia of “publishing and disseminating wrong information concerning their honor and dignity.”...Click here to read the rest of the story.
Pat Robertson: Snow Is God's Way of Punishing Americans Planning To Drive To Do Something Gay - Yahoo! News
Pat Robertson: Snow Is God's Way of Punishing Americans Planning To Drive To Do Something Gay - Yahoo! News
Creators Syndicate – VIRGINIA BEACH (The Borowitz Report) — Rev. Pat Robertson sparked controversy in today's broadcast of his "700 Club" program when he claimed that God created the blizzard currently battering the Northeast "to punish Americans who were planning to drive to do something gay."
__Explaining his theory, Robertson said, "Because of the bad road conditions the Almighty has made, any gay activities that people were planning on doing will have to be postponed by a day or two."__ Additionally, he argued, God shut down major airports in the New York area "so that people who were hoping to fly to do something of a gay nature would have to take a train or a bus, so it might be days before the gay thing they were going to do could occur."
Creators Syndicate – VIRGINIA BEACH (The Borowitz Report) — Rev. Pat Robertson sparked controversy in today's broadcast of his "700 Club" program when he claimed that God created the blizzard currently battering the Northeast "to punish Americans who were planning to drive to do something gay."
__Explaining his theory, Robertson said, "Because of the bad road conditions the Almighty has made, any gay activities that people were planning on doing will have to be postponed by a day or two."__ Additionally, he argued, God shut down major airports in the New York area "so that people who were hoping to fly to do something of a gay nature would have to take a train or a bus, so it might be days before the gay thing they were going to do could occur."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)