Show-down with elder at the kingdom hall

by Hobo Ken 116 Replies latest jw friends

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  passwordprotected

  I just listened in to the meeting and Ronnie did the last talk. He was asking why the kingdom hall was the place to be on Memorial night this year. People had to be there apparently to see the stark contrast between JWs and the people they normally rub shoulders with in the world. They had to go away with the impression that "these people", (JWs), are different.

  He then went on to relate an experience of a brother talking to someone in the ministry and related how the man said, "You people think you're always right". The brother responded by saying to him, "Do you not think that you're right?" He went on about how good an answer this was and then said, " You know brothers, do you know that that man was wrong in saying that. He was wrong to say that we think we're right." Do you know why he was wrong? Because JWs don't THINK they're right....we KNOW we're right !"

  God help us!

  A couple of things.

  Firstly, the commemoration of Christ's death is now officially recognised by Ronnie Hunter of Bishopbriggs Congregation as nothing more than a PR exercise.

  Secondly, his "we know we're right" statement is classic bluff and fluff from a polished, experienced public speaker. It's the sort of nonsense salesmen pitch all the time. Oh wait, what did he used to do for a living?
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  Hobo Ken

  I think that given the memorial was a few months ago it's wierd how he's still going on about it in the middle of June.

  I mean why not "look at the assembly coming up in a few weeks", or even use the meeting that night as a stark contrast between tthem and the world.

  I wonder if given the fact he falsely testified about my views on the memorial and who should partake (when I hadn't even discussed it with him) whether this is evidence that it's on his mind a lot. The usual witness mentality is to look forward to the next bountious spiritual provision not back in the calendar.

  Ironically he used to work for a company called provident.......
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  iknowall558

  lol He also asked the audience if they noticed that the attendance at the memorial (197) was any different from previous years. Did they notice that they weren't getting the "once-a-year-ers" that used to always turn up. Now it was Bible studies etc.....people already involved and attending the hall.

  What does that say? They are obviously not very successful in drawing your average Joe Bloggs to their 'wonderful' , 'extremely important' 'once a year' meeting. They can perhaps now only be assured of attendance by those already on their way to full indoctrination. He actually seemed to be quite pleased by the fact that there was some kind of quality and substance to the attendees as opposed to these "once-a-year-ers".
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  passwordprotected

  @ iknowall - Ronnie has classic cult Teflon mentality. When people start leaving his congregation because they've woken up to the truth, he'll just see that as successful winnowing, no matter how 'faithful' they'd been as Witnesses.
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  iknowall558

  PP I agree. It's quite sad really. It really would take some kind of miracle to make the scales fall of his eyes.
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  boyzone

  But miracles DO happen.

  My family never dreamed for one minute that I would leave, but here I am, thanks to a serious wake up call from Holy Spirit I was shown the truth about the "Truth".

  Ronnie may have that same blessing too one day. He'll be a tough nut to crack thats for sure, but Jesus has cracked tougher (Saul) so you never know....
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  passwordprotected

  My family never dreamed for one minute that I would leave, but here I am, thanks to a serious wake up call from Holy Spirit I was shown the truth about the "Truth".

  Exactly. Same here.
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  Hobo Ken

  Let me give you an example of the mentality of Ronnie Hunter he said to me " I have absolutely no doubt that the Kingdom was established in 1914"

  Paul Barrie" the kingdom being established in 1914 is a cornerstone teaching, it will never be changed"

  There must have been people like these two back in the day who believed that Christs presence in 1874 was an equally immovable object in their faith.

  Now I would ask , if you have conditioned your mind as much as these two that something is an immutable fact and will never be anything but what happens when the organisation changes it ? They will eventually discard 1914 or more likely downgrade it's importance. They are already doing it ,in my view with their 1919 appointment dogma.

  When this happens what effect will it have on men like these and their confidence in the organisations teachings?

  The organisation's fanatics like Ron and Paul will be slapped in the face by their own Governing Body.

  People like us won't even have to lift a finger.

  Matt
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  judge rutherFRAUD

  Let me give you an example of the mentality of Ronnie Hunter he said to me " I have absolutely no doubt that the Kingdom was established in 1914" My dad was even worse on the 1914 genenation doctrine. he would get 30 minutes sermons , this generation is dying out , I mean the whole nine yards and he was great at it, till about 10 years ago I informed him that the wt no longer teaches it. dad your teaching old light... I as fighting with him daily on this for about a year. till he finally admitted to himself that the wt stopped teaching it. now I tell him he should go to every person he preached this to in the name of joe-hover and say he's sorry for being a false prophet. he gets so pissed my brothers or me throw it in his face. when ever he tries to preach I stop him and say " dad why don't you give us your famous sermon about the generation of 1914" ? that proper spritual food you were spouting for the last 40 years. laughing at anyone that didn't agree with you. come on dad lets here again... he gets so mad, he knows I busted him and I never let him forget it.
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  boyzone

  I agree Matt, It'll be the Society shooting themselves in the foot again that'll rock the world for the likes of Ronnie and his ilk. Its that kind of opening that I believe Holy Spirit uses to start the unravelling. It did with me. All it took was a quote from the Watchtower from years back that said the GB were not inspired. Once I read that, I couldn't understand why we had to believe and obey them as if they were.

  Just that one thing opened Pandora's box and started me questioning and researching. Then the whole thing fell apart like the Berlin wall in my mind. It was fast and furious. I started researching in Jan 07, DA'd in April 07. A totally euphoric fantastic time for me, yet hugely unsettling too.

  I hope Ronnie gets the same wake up call. Can you imagine how shocked the congregation would be if he left? My cong are still in shock with my departure and I'm only a sister.