just quick post for stats.
1300 attendance .
4 baptism, 3 adults and 12 year old son of an elder from my cong.
Wow. 0.3%. Yet of the dozens or so reports of statistics I have seen over the last 6 months or so, only 1 or 2 have got close to 1%. I can't wait to see the yearbook stats at the end of the year.
This year is following last year's trend, of .5% average baptism rate.
Yearbook stats will be the same - FLAT.
It will be interesting to see the creativity in 2017. If little or none, we should finally see some decline in the 2018 Yearbook.
i am still having issues with my still in wife.
my two son's and i don't want anything to do with the cult.
our marriage is a battle ground all the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias
Why people join cults
“Cults form and thrive,” says Deikman, “not because people are crazy, but because they have two kinds of wishes. They want a meaningful life, to serve God or humanity; and they want to be taken care of, to feel protected and secure, to find a home. The first motives may be laudable and constructive, but the latter exert a corrupting effect, enabling cult leaders to elicit behaviour directly opposite to the idealistic vision with which members entered the group.But cults, because they only serve the leader, exploit and pervert that useful habit and, to establish and maintain itself, does everything possible to destroy family ties, and any other secure and conventional anchor in a person's life. This has the effect of strengthening a member's bond with the cult and its leader. From this viewpoint, the cults that promote celibacy and the cults that encourage indulgence in sexual promiscuity are seeking the same ends — the destruction of normal family life and the substitution of dependence on the cult group authority. Although ordinary institutions in our society do not yet directly seek to destroy family ties, 'nanny state' interference may be having a similar effect.
the watchtower september 1, 1951, in a wonderful article entitled “hated for his name”(pp518,519) describes the persecution and martyrdom of steadfast christians in the first 3 centuries ad.. by the year (a.d.) 64 christianity was.
prominent throughout much of the roman.
empire, including the capital city.
In the province of Egypt alone, 144,000 such professed Christians died by violence in the course of this persecution,
.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
Hmmmm.
is there gods true worshipers on earth today as jesus said there would be?
if they are not jws then who are they?.
who else comes close to being gods true followers today?.
If we go with the premise that a god created man - why MUST that god be worshipped?
Who benefits from this worship - the god?
So this god, then, only created us to stroke his ego?
His motivation seems, shall we say, somewhat lacking.
Are you a parent?
Did you tell your children: "Love me or die?"
http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/30-19.htm
In the entire history of all religion, how does that particular god benefit by being worshipped?
However, who does benefit from being the conduit to the one true religion? Watch Tower is no different from all the others.
Religion is a snare and a racket. Bring your chequebook.
i'm wondering if the borg actually studied mind control and coercion tactics deliberately or wether they just evolved over time through trial and error.
from reading steve hassans books, studying hypnosis and methods psychopaths use it all seems very complex.
like it would never occur to me to do a, b and c in the right order at the right time in order to get control of someone or control their lives.. for example, repetition of words (the word "loyalty" was a big one in the last convention), using loaded language, encouraging people not to trust their own thoughts, restricting their information, demonising those who leave etc.
For example, repetition of words (the word "loyalty" was a big one in the last convention), using loaded language,
You may be right.
http://watchtowerdocuments.org/coping-with-shunning/.
by barbara anderson.
when my husband and i left the religion of jehovah’s witnesses (jws), we, like countless others, lost family members and friends because of the witnesses shunning doctrine.
I love my parents dearly, but the message they have chosen to accomplish this is harming good people.
So sad.
The Tuscaloosa News - Sep 26, 2002
at one point, the witnesses held 4.5 million square feet over 30 buildings.
they’re down to nine buildings, having made about $1.25 billion on staggered sales since 2004, according to the co.. http://therealdeal.com/2016/09/22/the-secret-to-jehovahs-witnesses-real-estate-success-maintenance-and-patience/.
warwick is 1.6 million square-foot.
Recently, Jared and a group of partners acquired several vast properties in Brooklyn from the Jehovah’s Witnesses, for two billion dollars;
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/08/22/ivanka-trump-and-jared-kushners-power-play
has anyone else noticed how alarm bells go off inside a jw mind as soon as they hear someone that "is out" refer to the leaders of this org as "watchtower"?
i've chatted with a few friends now about my doubts and each and every time i've started using phrases such as "watchtower said this" or "watchtower did that", i can almost see their heads about to explode in anger, as if they've just realized they are talking to the lucifer himself.
some have even interrupted and corrected me by reminding me that it's not "watchtower", it's "god's organization".
Do elders call "the Society" to see what their latest teachings are when a JW who does not carry the title of elder comes to them and confesses that they committed a "serious sin"?
Ummm, yes.
jehovah's witness shunning court case shines spotlight on rare practice.
hutterites, first nations among groups that have used shunning and banishment.
by dave dormer, cbc news posted: sep 19, 2016 6:30 pm mt .
Looks like he's qualified to be a WT-calibre expert witness.
i'm quite surprised about the new approach of some local congregation brothers respect about my fade.... funny, ilegal and very dangerous in view of the different laws regarding personal data and minorities in spain and in the eu.... i already organized a press meeting with main newspapers in spain.
many has shown interest in this situation.
the fact of that a parallel judicial system do exist is amazing them.
I can just picture a medieval executioner saying to the convicted, "Please accept my warmest greetings, and I hope you have a pleasant day."
Why execution is a loving provision from Jehovah!
