Posts by OneEyedJoe

443

Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

by breakfast of champions in

this is the scuttlebutt in one of the "bethel congregations" by us.. no details as to exactly what this "faith-testing" announcement might be.. anyone else hear any of this pre-zone visit hype?.

.

OneEyedJoe

I personally think this pay by credit or debt card is only hurting them. Think about it, JW's do everything to impress others. I remember a few waving around their checks as the walked slowly toward the donation box, hoping everyone would notice. I'm going to guess if no one is watching them they would choose to use their hard earned money in other ways.

The contribution boxes are still there for the ones who like to show off. Meanwhile, the forgetful ones will probably end up paying more if it's automatic.

The only way I see it hurting them is for people like me who see all the wasteful spending on poinless renovations and spending $100k+ on computers/projectors/TVs for the assembly halls, etc, then watch as they add credit card and ATM machines to the assembly halls and conventions after years of railing on "christendom" for doing the same. For me it was: wasteful spending + trying to get more donations = i'm cutting you off.

Folks that see the pattern and recognize it for what it is are probably a very very small minority, so the net effect of this is that they'll keep raking it in. There's a limit to how much juice you can get from the orange, and I think they're coming up on it soon. People can only give so much with nothing in return.

15

JC's and recordings?

by punkofnice in

i know there are recordings out there of jcs and more to come.

i imagine the average drone wouldn't dream of recording a jc but those who are aware of the tatt might record jcs if they bother to attend.. i'm wondering (yes, another idle speculation post...sorreeeeeee), with the advent of more being recorded if the wbt$ will change their tack on how jcs are conducted?

leave it the same?.

OneEyedJoe

Yeah, I doubt they'll change the procedure any, they'll just crack down with stricter enforcement.

443

Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

by breakfast of champions in

this is the scuttlebutt in one of the "bethel congregations" by us.. no details as to exactly what this "faith-testing" announcement might be.. anyone else hear any of this pre-zone visit hype?.

.

OneEyedJoe

I find it funny that ex witnesses get more worked up and excited about these things prior to them happening than active witnesses. They always think some hammer is gonna drop and then the organization is going to dissolve. It's like JWs always thinking their is going to be an announcement that the great tribulation has started at every major event. No one ever gets what they want.

Yeah, but it makes sense - an ex (or awake) JW has much to gain and can't help but hold hope that they'll say or do something that will give them a chance to make thier exit or wake up a loved one.

A currently indoctrinated JW has nothing to get excited for - best case they get some new literature that they won't read or someone tells them some new point of doctrine that they don't care about. Worst case they make some procedural change that's inconvenient. Regardless, it's going to be a dull 3 hours.

443

Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

by breakfast of champions in

this is the scuttlebutt in one of the "bethel congregations" by us.. no details as to exactly what this "faith-testing" announcement might be.. anyone else hear any of this pre-zone visit hype?.

.

OneEyedJoe

Thanks for the details. Looks like the trend that got me to completely stop donating years ago is only continuing.

443

Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

by breakfast of champions in

this is the scuttlebutt in one of the "bethel congregations" by us.. no details as to exactly what this "faith-testing" announcement might be.. anyone else hear any of this pre-zone visit hype?.

.

OneEyedJoe

STA - This goes in line with the new "language app" and the new donation arrangement. Those who were speculating the big announcement was related to credit card donations weren't that far off. Except that it was announced last night in a regular meeting.

What's this about a credit card donation announcement?

86

Words that irritate

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

i have words that irritate me and not always without reason.. my latest hate is the word: 'solutions' as used by so many businesses in their title these days.

y'know, 'something innane business solutions' and such balderdash.. i loathe that word now.

arrrrggghhhhhh!

OneEyedJoe

The misuse of ironic/irony always gets me. I blame Alanis Morrisette.

Another one is the word "rim" used when someone is talking about the wheels on a car. I have no idea how that started, but in no way is a car's wheel the rim of anything. It has a rim, but that's only a small portion of the wheel, and is essentially never what the person is talking about. Drives me crazy.

Then there's just the common misuse of phrases that come about because no one bothers to actually listen to themselves and think about the meaning of the words they're saying, i.e. the eggcorns - "for all intensive purposes" (intents and purposes) "I could care less" (so you do care some, then?) "supposably" (instead of supposedly) or probably the most common, the use of "of" instead of "have" or the "'ve" contraction- he should of done it vs he should've done it, etc.

19

What would it take to get you outa there?

by sparrowdown in

jw
friends

i have a question for any still going to meetings but no longer a believer.. is there any situation or announcement that would cause you to.

draw your line in the sand and walk away?.

if so, what would be your "last straw" moment?.

OneEyedJoe

bigmac - I've often thought about that myself. I'm thinking in about 20 years the bulk of the pre-information age folks will have died off and many will realize that they never "made the truth their own" at that point. plus this will coincide with the failure of the overlapping generation time limit, so I can see this being a huge drop off point for the cult. If they see it coming, I suspect they'll push 2034 as the date for armageddon, but that will fail and many will leave.

I can't wait that long, though...

443

Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

by breakfast of champions in

this is the scuttlebutt in one of the "bethel congregations" by us.. no details as to exactly what this "faith-testing" announcement might be.. anyone else hear any of this pre-zone visit hype?.

.

OneEyedJoe

You'll know everything there is to know about the latest thing to be pulled of of the governing body's collective ass by 6pm PST 11/8 ( probably a bit before... The meeting starts at 3 and is supposed to last 3 hours. They'll probably spill the beans by 5:30.)

19

What would it take to get you outa there?

by sparrowdown in

jw
friends

i have a question for any still going to meetings but no longer a believer.. is there any situation or announcement that would cause you to.

draw your line in the sand and walk away?.

if so, what would be your "last straw" moment?.

OneEyedJoe

Basically anything that I could use to convince the wife that I was leaving in order to take the moral high ground. Obviously there's no shortage of issues with the cult that fall into that category, but since they're not new, it's difficult to take a stand on something thats been going on for decades.

A perfect example would be if they made blood transfusions a conscience matter. enforced tithing would do it, as well as a few other things. In lieu of that, I'll just continue to point out their lies as they come until they've added up enough that I can sell my leaving over that without setting off apostate alarm bells.

443

Zone Visit: An Announcement That Will "Test Your Faith"

by breakfast of champions in

this is the scuttlebutt in one of the "bethel congregations" by us.. no details as to exactly what this "faith-testing" announcement might be.. anyone else hear any of this pre-zone visit hype?.

.

OneEyedJoe

I can't see them making a change on blood as a big announcement associated with a zone visit...any change on blood will be a QFR or question box in the KM after they've gone a while without mentioning it. If they draw attention to it, it just makes it that much easier for those on the fringes to sow seeds of doubt by saying things like "I'm glad I never studied with someone to the point of baptism, if I had and they died for want of a blood transfusion I'd be bloodguilty"