If there are Bethel lurkers here, and I think that's much more than likely, then threads like this must be most unsettling.
What's happened to the preaching work?
by Dark Knight 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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Elsewhere
Hey 95stormfront, could you dig through that old pile and see if you might happen to have a Jan 1, 1989 WT?
I've been looking for that issue for quite some time.
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ARoarer
My husband was in town stopping at a store and he noticed an elder's wife standing on the corner with another woman. They were taking advantange of a fall festival being held in our town and obviously were out doing streetwork or business territory. When they saw my husband they stared and wispered amongst themelves. Then her husband came and they all got out of there fast. It is really pathetic to watch these people who had always been for dinner at our home and treated so graciously by us, even there son was in our daughter's wedding party, yet to watch them practice the shunning and seemingly enjoying it makes me feel pity for them that they actually believe they are behaving this way in the name of their god.
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luna
I've been out around 10 years. In that time, I've only been called on twice, and that is because my father called the local elders of whichever town I was living, and had them come do a "shepherding" call on me. The last set of elders that did this would not take no for an answer, and tried to push thier way in. Yeah, that didn't go over well.
I have NEVER gotten called on by any regular publishers, in any of the places I've lived. I never see anybody that looks like they might be a witness (all dressed up in bad suits) around town on Saturday mornings, either.
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mizpah
RH:
Your comment about "rendezvous points" reminded me of the attempt by the Society to call the places to meet for field service by the same name in the U.S. However, in English the word "rendezvous" often meant a place of sexual assignation, a tryst. So the term wasn't used for very long before it was discreetly dropped. Afterall, what would people think when they heard Jehovah's Witnesses had "rendezvous" in various areas?....
When we left the organization, we were often asked about the "preaching work." Jehovah's Witnesses always suggest that if one is not "preaching the good news" one can not be a Christian. What they failed to understand is that not everyone in the early church was an "evangelist." (Preacher of good news.) Paul plainly says that only SOME were appointed to this position. (Eph. 4:11)
The other thing that they fail to understand is that if the Watchtower message about the Kingdom (Christ's invisible presence in heaven from 1914) is false, then they have been "false" teachers and preachers. And this would be a serious charge in the final judgment.
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BLISSISIGNORANCE
Hi Dark Knight........................nice to hear from you.
Hubby and I were actually talking about the very point you make re: getting visits, seeing dubs etc.
Same as you, we are not DF'ed or DA'ed, just boring old faders (not farts lol). Now, many of the bros know why we stopped going, sexual abuse of one of our kids, my df'ing as a result. Just after the 'Sunday' show went to air we had a couple of MS and elders drop in to 'encourage' us to not let satan win! We said 'yeh, yeh, whatever!'
Now for the past 10 months we have not had any JW drop in to give us 'life saving' mags, KM, or anything for that matter. We have even noticed when they do our block (which is not very often), they park their cars on our nature strip, do other doors not ours, and run before we walk out! And if they should bump into us on OUR lawn they seem totally freaked out. It's quite funny actually.
So it's not that we are hoping to get a visit or literature but it is obvious that the dubs are slacking off in many areas. They try to bring in new ones but couldn't care less about us old ones 'WHO KNOW TOO MUCH AND CHALLENGE THEM AND THEIR FAITH!'
Cheers DK..................Bliss
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Oxnard Hamster
where I live I only see them in the train and bus stations standing and holding magazines up. they make no attempt to speak to anyone or even make eye contact. they just stand there like statues.
They did the same exact thing at my old college campus. You'd think people who are so passionate that they are right would speak to people as they hand out magazines, but no, just hand them and let students plod along.
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Nosferatu
I think another thing that contributes to the Preaching Work slowdown is that Pioneers are only required 70 hours rather than 90, as well as people being even more unable to become a Pioneer. The Society is losing it's power to keep people on the streets because people can no longer afford to live on a single income.
I've also noticed that JWs don't have the zeal they used to. I was in a McDonalds a while back, and I noticed this guy dressed in really ugly pants (not a suit) pull out a Watchtower, and pretend to flip through it, hoping it would catch someone's attention. It was incredibly fake, and the guy made an ass of himself. I wonder if he put in time for flipping pages in a magazine?
I see fewer publications than I have 10 years ago. I used to see worldly people I knew with tracts, magazines, or books that they had recieved from JWs. Now I see nothing. I've seen more pamphlets from other religions than anything from the JWs.
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nilfun
I have been told the following: "I never thought I would grow old in this system of things."
The old zeal is gone. There's no more passion, just an appearance of going through the motions.
And the last few times I've been preached to, I saw nary a glimpse of the Holy Scriptures. What ever happened to good old-fashioned bible thumping?
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Oxnard Hamster
When I was going out in service, I was always told to share a scripture if the person at the door would allow it.