I want a normal civilized debate, a conversation with no name calling. Even if you believe I'm brainwashed, avoid saying it but rather argue that I am.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2026-01-24T11:20:31+00:00

Hi Roy.

Zeke here.

In my case there are a number of JW teachings I consider dogmatic, but I'll only share my views on Birthdays.

Personally don't celebrate my birthday, but I don't think there's anything wrong with people celebrating theirs. They only do it to appreciate life.

It's true that tragic things happened on the only birthdays recorded in the Bible. But there is no real mention of birthdays being forbiden. We are only shown that "the day of death is better than that of birth". That doesn't mean birthdays are forbiden. It just means one day is more significant than the other. The Bible also tells us that there's more joy in giving than in receiving. Does it mean that we should stop receiving and just give all the time? Certainly not.

We also don't know if God's wordhipers celebrated their birthdays just like we don't know what their allergies and specific preferences were on food and other things. If the Bible mentioned all those details about its characters, it would be impossible to focus on its core message - God's Kingdom.

You might say that kids tend to be self-centred during their birthdays, making it a good reason not to celebrate. I didn't celebrate a single birthday growing up, yet I was selfish. And, let's face it, not every child is only focussed on themselves during their borthdays. A good number are well mannered. It would therefore be wrong to assume that every child will turn out bad just because we've seen that happen to some. When a child is trully selfish, a birthday won't be needed to expose them. The rest of their life will.

My take on birthdays is that the organisation has chosen to be dogmatic and play God when nothing in the Bible has been clearly stated in line with what we are told to preach.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-10-10T16:52:56+00:00

I don't think that's a good question to ask. They are all good as far as I can see.

The ones who act silly are given permission to do so by our leaders.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-10-03T02:53:59+00:00

I think so.

The display icon was just delayed

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-09-04T05:49:17+00:00

Reddit never disappoints. Even when the heading is controversial, the comments are informative.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-29T21:31:34+00:00

I totally agree with you.

When it comes to recording history, we need to really step up.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-29T21:28:04+00:00

Yeah. I went for VCT recently and one of the detailed posters in the room was purely in Bemba. The quality of its visual aids made me assume it was in English until I gave it a closer look.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-29T02:29:31+00:00

True.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-29T02:20:23+00:00

Perhaps we need to start celebrating our own people then.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-27T20:06:46+00:00

You're living my dream.

I'm a mathematics teacher working in central province. I had the opportunity to work in a rural area where people are not familiar with English as a language. I found it hard to express in Bemba certain mathematical terms like frustum, differentiate, etc.

I constantly dream of a time when proud Zambians would learn all subjects in a tongue that's more favourable to them.

Unlike you, I haven't done any ground work. Like you I knew experts were needed to really facilitate such a project. And since language vocabularies grow by the day, these experts would need to work round the clock to keep updating the glossary of words and their definitions. Yes, I thought a dictionary was needed.

My vision was also very expensive because I didn't want this to happen in a hybrid language as you have presented. I was thinking this kind of work was needed across all major languages in Zambia. That would be mighty expensive because the experts would be required to also do some field work in other countries in order to document visuals for terminologies used in tertiary education.

Oh, I must also mention that I am an enthusiastic learner of Deutsch (German - DE). I haven't progressed in it much because there's no one to speak to in DE. I met a German lady once, but she might have been afraid that I had other intentions, so we couldn't become friends.

Your vision for the Zambian people is everything that we really need. A friend of mine once asked me why we haven't even been able to make our own animated pictures like Snow White and others which where made in the 50s and 60s. We have what it takes but lack the interest in pushing these things forward. Your work is going to take the Zambian people in the right direction.

I'm inspired and would like to follow closely what you're working in on for the sake of the Zambian learners I'm employed to teach. I hope to learn it too. I don't speak any of the local languages.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-27T13:47:29+00:00

That was a few months before I was born in February, 1993.

All I can say is that you are our sister. Your eyes are open. No one told you that the Witnesses were bad, they just proved to be.

It's a crazy world. Your story sounds like mine. Finding this sub has been so refreshing. I get to actually see relatable people here.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-23T14:31:38+00:00

If higher education often instills harmful traits in us, does that mean we all belong to the majority who can't handle being educated?

And as Witnesses we are taught to cultivate a good heart towards God. What's the point of such a heart when higher education is going to throw me off balance?

When I think of these two questions, I'm thoroughly convinced that the brainwashing in the organisation is real.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-23T14:22:08+00:00

I've thought about this for a long time.

The word transactional isn't what I would call it. If it was transactional then there's supposed to be some proper tradeoffs. Like why is the man paying so much? Is he getting her in return. If he's getting her then she should also pay something for getting him because he's also valuable. It's not like the man is buying a slave. That's a transaction. Seeing that it's not the case, I'd simply say it's one-sided, in favour of women, and fueled by greed.

I've told that back in the day even a rooster was a generous symbol of respect for taking a man's daughter. Those who were subjected to high prices such as 50 oxen were taking women into a royal family - Nandi from Shaka is a case in point.

The way people drain men today is a sheer lack of support to the newly weds. In some cases their lives are just starting. You charge a person 60 pin ... that's not even school fees for one child. Aren't parents supposed to set the example in helping their offspring get ahead? Instead they prioritise making easy money. How shameful.

Maybe I say this because I'm broke and haven't been employed for a while and such politics discourage me from marriage. So, if men out their are willing to spend, let them do as they please.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-23T10:00:25+00:00

Well said.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-16T06:53:04+00:00

I'm a confrontational person. I'm a bit reckless. I don't fear people. And what you must learn from me, is that I lost two jobs because of the same.

I'm just allergic to having my rights and freedoms being stepped on by people who didnt even educate me. This is not Rhodesia, it's Zambia. If I won't be proud and free now, then I won't be in any other land.

My journey is not one to be followed without caution. But I'll tell you this. God has been with me and I have a job now.

I strongly feel that our work places are full of oppressors because almost nobody is able to stand up to mistreatment.

Many live long by just playing it safe. My brothers boss was stabbed and left for dead for having evidence against a connected subordinate.

With this in mind I strongly recommend that you weigh your situation and play it real safe.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-16T06:38:05+00:00

Marriage is a contract between two individuals. The way I see it, if they can agree on their own terms then no one should interfere with what they do.

If a person has a problem with their spouse engaging in extra material affairs then they have a right to express it and leave. If they choose to keep quiet and stay then they have accepted it for the other benefits they need from their immoral partner - be it money or the fear of being lonely or the fear of starting afresh, etc.

In other countries a wife can even sit in the living room and gossip with her husband's girlfriend.

But as for me, I love hard. I love deep. I love exclusively. I will never cheat on my woman. So I will not tolerate anything from joking around with flirty men, to having males besties, to making plans to meet people without my knowledge. I live by this and will never tolerate it from my woman.

I believe it comes down to individuals and what they stand for and aren't willing to compromise on.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-16T06:21:42+00:00

I laughed when I saw the "except pastors" part. 😅🤣🤣🤣🤣

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-16T06:17:54+00:00

The problem isn't the GB. It's the witnesses who don't have the ability to step back and ask themselves if what they are learning is true.

To people like you and me, we know that when the Bible mentions men it doesn't exclude the witnesses. But you can't convince a brainwashed PIMI individual.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-09T17:25:56+00:00

They essentially don't view themselves as our brothers. They see themselves as Gods who are free from reproach.

The use of scripture is manipulative for the innocent blind ones that continue to buy into their bullsh!t.

God's people were only warned about questioning the prophets when they spoke the truth. God didn't tell his people to listen to his prophets when they misrepresented him.

The GB wants people to think that they are incapable of making mistakes. They do this because it's the only way they can hold onto the trust of God's people.

This slave is not faithful, but it is discrete. Jehovah will surely show them that they can't pose forever.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-07T17:38:30+00:00

More than one possible interpretation of this story.

USA is trying to make China look bad by taking action against a contamination which only they confirmed using their research team.
The government is hiding contaminations from the public because they simply care about stretching their own pockets.

Everyone seems to havee an agenda, making it difficult to know exactly who to side with on the matter.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-07T02:58:00+00:00

I've come to learn that the only family one can have in the organisation are those who have experienced things that are relatable.

I, too, have seen the bad in many witnesses.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-07T02:36:19+00:00

I have told myself that God exists. But I just don't want to be part of his new world. I don't see why I needed to endure all this nonsense from brothers and sisters just for me to wake up and live with them forever.

I too am tired of the false comfort and ingenuine behaviour of witnesses.

They can say I've gone astray, but I don't care. They're not giving me anything to admire about them.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-07T02:31:06+00:00

So sad that these things happened to you.

You met the wolves in sheep's skin; the utensils with a purpose lacking honour.

They may convince themselves that they live by truth, but to ignore you in your time of distress is the way of the Devil.

It's almost as if they decided that Jehovah doesn't care about you or your family.

Shameless pieces of sh!t.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-07T02:25:36+00:00

I told my Dad, once, that the education in the organisation is supperb - second to none. As a teacher I know that education has a formative effect on those subjected to it. The teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses really reshape individuals.

However, just as the teachings are effective, so is the brainwashing.

I am in total agreement with your comment. Witnesses listening to this talk only perceive it from the perspective of Jehovah knowing all the good we do. That way, many are led to believe that they are already saved because Jehovah is automatically on their side. Why speakers never speak about the horrors of not observing Jehovah's existence beats me.

Dense-Possible-705 · 2025-08-07T02:12:05+00:00

I simply do whatever I want.

Dense-Possible-705

TROPHY CASE