It's BACK - the 2011 Global Survey of JWs!!

by cedars 122 Replies latest jw friends

  • cedars
    cedars

    Right we're still only on 625 responses, and I don't think it's worth doing another review of the results until we hit 650 or more.

    In the absense of results, I will publish some of the more recent comments (those that are publishable that is).

    This is what people are saying to the Governing Body (spelling mistakes not mine):

    • I think those men though sincere, are arrogant and presumptuous.
    • How can they be the principal part of the Faithful and Discreet slave, directed by God's spirit, and be the only channel of truth when they have gotten so many things wrong and have changed so many teachings??
    • I believe the Governing Body is corrupt to the core. These men control millions, making decisions on their behalf and potentially ruining their lives. There is no transparency, there is no honesty or openness and most importantly there have been no apologies for their past mistakes.
    • the double standards applied by the elders in my congregation when it came to discipline on members of the congregation and their own family sickened me. i was hauled over the coals and the PO's son was doing the same thing, that they knew about, and he got to be a MS. once i read more about the history of the JW's esp how they slate the UN and then join hands behind everyones back is another double standard. i cant handle the hypocrisy anymore.
    • Just a bunch of men who are themselves victims of a mind set that entraps them. They should though be made to accept responsbility for the dictates they pass in the name of God that cause much pain and suffering and even death.
    • if "old light" was so important back then that people got disfellowshipped and shunned, why it's not important any longer?? because "old light" turn out to be false?
    • GB are self-appointed dip-sticks
    • The abuse of families with the shunning policy is immoral. It has never worked on normal people except for them to return for their families then fade.
    • I believe on one hand they feel they are working for Jehovah, but on the other are completely aware of the "fleshly" reality that is the organization. The duality they face is as real as that of the everyday R&F except they are unable to pass the onus onto anyone else. The GB believe it is their responsibility not to teach about Jehovah, but rather to keep as many people in - this is their mandate, retention, and let the growth happen on it's own.
    • They are the true apostates of Christianity
    • Teaching that love and brotherhood are conditional is hateful.
    • A bunch of old men being exactly what the bible warns us against. False Prophets!
    • The Governing Body does not deserve to tell anyone how to live and mankind would be better off without them.
    • I want 40 years of my life back.
    • The Governing Body are bunch of corrupt men! They claim to be the inspired channel of God, but have no proof. Instead the proof is against them, routinely having to update the Watchtower publications to correct past errors. Why would God tell them the wrong things only to change His mind and say new things. HE WOULDN'T! I think they know what they are doing and would not give up the power and prestige the positions hold within the organization for truth; with the exception of Mr. Franz who did the correct thing by stepping forward to expose the organizations internal workings.
    • I think that they are a self-righteous and controlling group that has not shown true Christ like qualities
    • I believe that the Governing Body is just as disjointed and inefficient as the secular human governments they preach against. Christian love has been replaced with dogmatic fear mongering.
    • The Organization is a cult. Thanks to God I saw through their tricks years ago.
    • I don't believe in a god so they are just a bunch of clinging to power
    • Finding out about the affiliation as an NGO began my leaving the witnesses for good and then researching much more after belonging for 60yrs.
  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    All done.....mercifully it was brief!

    BTW I would have liked a Q such as "Were you an Elder or M/S before you ceased being a Witness?

  • cedars
    cedars

    Thanks for taking part BluesBrother! You're not the first to mention that. We'll try to sort something out for the 2012 survey...

  • cedars
    cedars

    I'm off to bed now. We're currently on 629, but I want to wake up to at least 650 in the morning.

    Don't let me down y'all!

  • cedars
    cedars

    I've had to delete my first response! Some bright individual thought they were being clever by ticking all of the "position" boxes from ministerial servant right down to special pioneer. He/she also thought it would be hilarious to tick the "anointed" box, and under the 'how many years have you been baptized?' question, they wrote "69, dude". Despite showing such flagrant disrespect for the survey and its objectives, they managed to be quite forthright in their comments towards the Governing Body, and controlled themselves sufficiently to tick all of the 'disagree' boxes - missing out the one that says they agree. I felt it would be better to delete the response entirely rather than have data that was put in intentionally to sabotage the integrity of the results.

    If the person in question reads this and would like to try again properly, then please be my guest!

    That now leaves us on 636 responses. Once we hit 650 I'll do a report on the latest results...

  • talesin
    talesin

    exxxx-cellent!

    t

  • cedars
    cedars

    Some more recent comments:

    • I now believe the GB is very cult-like, in that it has gone beyond the Scriptures many times, has adopted it's own 'language of truth', not found in the Bible, and has forced it's human understandings on it's followers. Since many of the GBs past understandings have been abandoned as 'old light', it only stands to reason that some current beliefs will be abandoned in the future, but the GB insists that all of it's teaching must be believed by everyone, using 'Christian Unity' as the rationale. Being united in the truth is fine, but being united in wrong beliefs just for the sake of being united, is wrong. By that thinking we could say the Catholic Church is right for believing the Trinity since virtually all Catholics are united in believing it. Of course the WTS would never allow such leniency to any religious group other than itself. Regarding the 'Other beliefs not mentioned above', here are a couple that I disagree with. That lying in the name of the Theocratic War Strategy is ok. It isn't ok. It is offensive. It's sinful. Not long before I stopped attending meetings at the KH I heard an elder from the platform say, "The Society's position on blood has never changed." Since the Society's position on blood has changed dozens of times, this remark was an outright lie, probably an extension of the War Strategy. (The War Strategy says it is ok to mislead opposers, those that would do us harm, because they have no right to know the truth. However, a belief like that is ripe for abuse, and will lead to lying to the followers at some point. The Elder who made the above remark about blood was speaking to a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.) Another point of disagreement is to lie about past history. The Society has often spoken negatively of other groups for their revisionist history, but the WTS probably leads the market in whitewashing it's past, which is another strong trait of a cult.
    • I'm trapped. I can't freely go away
    • According to the book of Acts there was not a GB in Jerusalem for the early christian to report to. Paul didn't report to one. None of the apostles did. The brothers were not to lord it over the congregation. Love is suppose to be the identifying mark not fear. The elders rule by fear. They are not shepherds. The sheep are afraid of them. You cannot speak to them about your doubts or the changes comming down from the GB. You are supposed to swallow everything the GB says,even when it makes no sense.And you not allowed to talk to thers about it. Its like living in a police state. They burden the brothers with rules and more rules, and make serving Jehovah burdensome. Jesus said his yoke would be light and refreshing.The GB have hijack the faith of Jesus' sheep and hand them over his enemy, Satan the Devil by joining the UN.
    • I think ex-Witnesses unfairly criticize the Governing Body but at the same time current Witnesses put too much stock into them.
    • I have mixed emotions. One one hand, I pity them because I think they too might be victims of being associated with JWs. Conversely, they are aware of substantial disagreement with their doctrines that are based on strong authority, but they refuse to adjust. They bear the responsibility for such arrogance. Instead of responding humbly, they seek to subsume debate.
    • I have no problem with the rank and file. However I do not believe the GB is the FDS. They should just admit 607 / 1914 is wrong, admit Jesus did not select them in 1919 and try to move on sticking strictly with bible teachings only. No propetic speculations, and drop all of the little rules (like no beards) that are a burden on the brothers. I do turn in time every couple of months from a study with my daughter but I do not go in the field ministry. I would love to be able to openly talk with someone about some of the things I have problems with but I am afraid I will be DF'd. So I hang in for the sake of my elderly parents and my wife. It is hard. I have no friends outside of the organization and I do care about doing the right thing in God's eyes. I just don't think this is it - at least as it currently is.
    • CULT CULT CULT CULT
    • I stopped because I realised that ,a) The "Last Days " had lasted for far too long . b) It was morally wrong to advocate a holocaust for non believers
  • JAFO
    JAFO

    Congrats on getting it all sorted out, cedars! I look forward to next years survey.

  • Kahlua
    Kahlua

    Diest said, "Id rather a slot for faders rather than click inactive."

    I agree - I am also a fader and did not know where to put myself so checked Disassociated.

    I guess fader is an 'informal' DA? After being out 30 yrs, I don't think Inactive applies to me.

  • cedars
    cedars

    Kahlua - wow, 30 years is a long time off the radar! To be honest I haven't really understood the need for a "fading" category, since "fading" isn't a Society term, and we want this report to make sense to the Governing Body when it's presented to them. Technically speaking, if you never formerly disassociated yourself (or you were never disfellowshipped) you would be considered "inactive". Your name will still be floating around at a congregation somewhere and will probably be mentioned on a yearly basis when the body of elders in your former cong go through their "inactive" list. I'm always open to making the survey easier to fill in, so maybe I can put some more information under the "inactive" category to avoid any confusion.

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