Mephis

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Posts by Mephis

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  37

  Do You Think 10% Tithing is Coming?

  by xjwsrock in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  firstly, there are cash flow problems in wt town.

  i don't think it's necessary to list all the cutbacks and layoffs, but there have been many.. their thirst for money seems higher too in my opinion.

  more entitled may be a better way of putting it.

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  Mephis

  Agree with Divergent and Beth Sarim. Can't see them pushing it directly on the individual, but they already do the 'per publisher' mandated donations. One for this, one for that, etc etc. Quickly builds up over the year. 10% of total income for a publisher? Probably not. It's not like that many could afford to do that. Their real tithing comes from the hours people put in knocking on doors and sitting next to carts. 10 hours a month? 160 hours a month is a full time job in many countries. Free labour for that. Free labour for everything else they want building. Plus all the time preparing for and attending meetings etc etc. It's quite the time sink when the person demanding things isn't paying for it.
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  33

  Letter to be read at meeting this week about the downsize

  by dropoffyourkeylee in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a family member who is a bethelite informed me today that there is a letter to be read soon ( this week or next) concerning the downsizing.

  so probably someone who has their midweek meeting early in the week will be able to fill in the details.

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  Mephis

  The congregation letter was leaked soon after the AGM. If it is that one, it's a rehash of what Herd said with directions to go to the website and watch him say it. There's also another letter saying there's going to be a video to be played on a mid-week meeting night to go with a bit telling dubs to give more money.
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  12

  Does God hear the prayers of unbelievers?A stupid question you may say, but wait.

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  jonah 3:5-10 the people of nineveh prayed that nineveh might be spared.

  god.

  answer their prayer and god did not destroy the city.. mark 7:24-30 the gentile woman prayed that jesus would deliver her daughter.

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  Mephis

  
  
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  19

  Disfellowshipping Spree In My Congregation

  by jw07 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just was looking back at a group photo on social media from exactly one year ago.. there are 12 persons in it, and since last year 3 of those persons in that photo have been disfellowshipped, plus one more not in the photo.

  so that's a total of 4 persons from my congregation of a little over 100 publishers.. unfortunately 3 are back at the meetings and taking the shunning, but one seems to be fully awake and has disappeared completely.. that's the most persons i recall being disfellowshipped in my congregation in such a short while.

  usually it's like 1 every 2 or 3 years.. i wouldn't mind seeing more people leaving.. there are currently 3 persons who i wonder about.

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  Mephis

  Really disagree with where you're coming from there Storm. People have to make the choices which work for them and their circumstances. For some people it's pretty darned easy to walk out of the door and never look back. For others, it's a hell of a lot more complex. Don't think anyone should be giving others grief for the choices they make around this.
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  22

  Does it ever just hit you...It all may be a dream

  by LevelThePlayingField in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  that the paradise may or may not be real?

  that the things you have been taught for many years from the jehovah's witnesses may not really be as they say?

  has it really ever really hit you with that "pow" of reality ever?

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  Mephis

  Hmm. Row Row is a C19th nursery rhyme, so probably laudanum.
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  45

  Possible reason for cancellation of book study in homes.

  by Amelia Ashton in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this was posted on fb.. so guys, i'm gonna share something with you all that i think you should know.

  i've only told two people about this (one being john cedars) for fear of getting this guy into trouble, but it's very telling and will reaffirm your "ttatt faith!

  a couple of weeks ago, i had to have an "ability to protect" assessment by a gentleman from a company that also investigates child protection policies etc.

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  Mephis

  The 2008 Charity Commission work was more on them having something resembling a child protection policy and to write down what they were meant to do clearly. (If that sounds familiar, this issue is the same the Aussie Royal Commission have hammered them for too). There was no threat to charitable status at the time. It was about having procedures in place, oh and also making sure that trustees of a charity (typically elders) who were aware of serious crimes informed relevant authorities. If that seems familiar... yeah.

  Struggling with the story's link between Tuesday book study and the Mill Hill inquiry to be honest. Seems someone may be making much of this. Sorry. Hate to be sceptical. Can certainly believe aspects and parts of the story though. Just not that direct link between things from here in the UK. An overall realisation of liability and consequences does chime though.
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  11

  So do the baptised JW call themselves "Ordained Ministers"?

  by nonjwspouse in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in resent my search for the possible construction ( which i see no evidence of in building permits, etc) of a new kh that my mil has been claiming for almost 3 years now, i ran across this local linkedin profile.. at the end it states this:.

  volunteer experience & causes.

  ordained minister.

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  Mephis

  They claim it on their own FAQs. http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/no-paid-clergy/

  "Following the model of first-century Christianity, Jehovah’s Witnesses have no clergy-laity division. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work. "

  But they're not when it comes to anything which might inconvenience them because they're all laity too. Everyone's in charge, no-one's in charge, the GB are in charge. Depends who's asking the question, and which answer benefits them most at the time.
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  11

  Email request-Prayer Is Restricted!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  an answer to an email:.

  atlantis, i have not installed the watchtower library cd as of yet, so could you copy and paste the article about prayer being restricted to unbaptized ones?

  thanks in advance.

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  Mephis

  Filing this alongside 'the ransom sacrifice wasn't for you' as one of those which totally slipped by me whilst inside.

  Let me get this straight. God isn't guaranteed to listen if you're not baptised. Even if he is guaranteed to listen, he isn't going to answer unless you ask for something he wants to do anyway? So even if you're not guaranteed to be heard, and ask for something he wants to do, you're still heard? And if you ask for something he doesn't want to do, it doesn't matter if he hears you or not?

  Yossarian whistled. "That's some catch", he said.
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  71

  Which bible character do you hate the most?

  by Bonsai in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the more i think about it, the more i feel an extreme dislike for the apostle paul.

  he was on par with hitler in his treatment of the jews before he "saw the light".

  he replaced jesus teachings of love and mercy with a more legalistic, pharisaical concept of devotion to god.. any evil person can come to believe in god and worship him if the scales were literally and miraculously removed from his eyes.

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  Mephis

  What others have said of old testament blood and thunder psychopath god. And then Paul, again as others have said. If there ever was a man who needed some bedroom fun, it's him.
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  11

  Jehovah's Witness spared jail over grooming girl

  by Researchedandenlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/crime/jehovah-s-witness-spared-jail-over-grooming-girl-1-7551106.

  a jehovah's witness who groomed a girl has walked free from court.. .

  richard ogilvie was given a suspended prison sentence after a judge ruled his conduct was 'bad, but not as bad as some cases we see before these courts'.. the victim's father said he 'understands and accepts' the sentence and hopes the sex offender treatment ogilvie receives will prevent another child and family suffering at his hands.. .

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  Mephis

  falseprophet - as I said in the very first words of the post you quote from, "keep in mind the crime he was found guilty of".

  If you have information which can protect others in the future, which would lead to a stronger sentence for a convicted sex offender, then it's on you to report that to the police.

  If this is ongoing abuse, then you can contact the NSPCC too. 0808 800 5000 is their number. They can also advise you on the proper course of action even if it is just suspicion.

  The safety of children and teens has to be the priority over whatever dispute you have with Simon, surely?