Balaamsass2
JoinedPosts by Balaamsass2
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Found this picture on my Facebook page today
by wozza in.
well i think this pyramidion (a capstone to a pyramid ) looks a lot like the remembrance stone of charles taze russell, the watchtower president ,they may have taken and hidden his stone away but those of us who can remember it, it says a lot about russells belief in his version of prophecy based on egyptian pyramids holding gods secret of false prophecy..
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Scriptures That Bothered You as a JW Kid.
by Sea Breeze inmy big one was: .
rev.
20: 5 "but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
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Balaamsass2
Yep, the "loving creator" scriptures adults loved to repeat to kids.
A bear tearing up kids for saying "old baldy".....
Sassy kids getting stoned to death at the city gates...
Punishment upon the third generation for adult screw-ups...
Made me feel warm and fuzzy about god.
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Does becoming (or remaining) one of Jehovah's Witnesses result in Poverty? Pew Research results differ from Watchtower claims.
by Balaamsass2 in"raised in the truth" during the 50s, 60s,and 70s i repeatedly read and heard from the platform how reading the magazines weekly "was the equivalent of a college education" and how many had turned their family economic situation around by being "trustworthy" and giving up expensive bad habits most "worldly people" had.
sounded good.. what is the reality?
how does avoiding higher education, and then spending up to 20 hours a week getting ready for, commuting, and then participating in meetings and field service affect family finances?.
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Balaamsass2
"BALAAMSASS2: Thanks for resurrecting this six-year old thread. It’s very timely since the same message against college/careers is still being preached!.. There are many new people on the forum in this six years. In addition, more baby boomer pioneers have reached retirement age unprepared.. Imagine the anxiety in the congregations.
JOEY JOJO’s post above speaks about a college-educated architect elder preaching against college to impressionable young people. Does this guy have a conscience? And ROAD TO NOWHERE tells about how they are knocking trades!..".....bamm.
Thanks Long haired girl.
Watching an even kookier group than JWs from a distance, helped me realize the issue goes beyond Watchtower's disdain for education.
It is the disdain for PLANNING, LOGIC, and GOALS. Most rabid JWs I know never had a one-year, 5-year, or 20-year PLAN...for business or LIFE. Many JWs never saved for retirement or bad times. Some bought little or no insurance. Written business plans were almost unheard of. All very basic life skills AKA "Adulting life skills". Instead, child-like "magical thinking" was encouraged "Big daddy in the sky will provide", crippling sincere JW adults for life.
This cultivation of child-like "Magical Thinking" (Common in borderline Schizophrenics) is at the root of many JWs' inability to function well in the real world. I saw it in my first wife's rabid devotion to every word spoken by the governing body, and her inability to keep a job, save money, or plan for the future. The end result? A 60-something rabid JW bag lady, reading her I-pad Watchtower in a coffee shop all day with a beggar's can for collecting donations from kind-hearted "Worldly People", with all her worldly possessions in a couple of bags at her feet.
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Does becoming (or remaining) one of Jehovah's Witnesses result in Poverty? Pew Research results differ from Watchtower claims.
by Balaamsass2 in"raised in the truth" during the 50s, 60s,and 70s i repeatedly read and heard from the platform how reading the magazines weekly "was the equivalent of a college education" and how many had turned their family economic situation around by being "trustworthy" and giving up expensive bad habits most "worldly people" had.
sounded good.. what is the reality?
how does avoiding higher education, and then spending up to 20 hours a week getting ready for, commuting, and then participating in meetings and field service affect family finances?.
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Balaamsass2
During the last few years, my rural California county of almost 200,000 people has had a big influx of Assembly of God, fundamental Pentecostals move in, about 10,000 of them. The majority are strong supporters of Q-anon, and rabidly far right. They speak in tongues and believe "faith" will protect them from Cancer, COVID, and even death. They call their new mega-church "Bethel". lol :)
Yes, most of them are even kookier than even the kookiest JWs. The majority appears to have moved here from "bible belt" communities of the deep south and Appalachia. They are packing up U-Haul vans and leaving areas with a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, to arrive in their promised land of California with a minimum wage of $15.00 an hour. Their superstitious approach to life is something to behold. :) Their rabid HATE of education and diversity is astounding. It has helped me to better appreciate how "Magical Thinking" can negatively affect personal income and a community in general.
The New York Times and LA Times have covered this religious "circus". https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/us/california-shasta-maga-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=LU6lMgiqRsb1D-0bR_a4-emleltCzvhLJkk_hJg21PXH5t_XJfd7BcioXf-WYpDVOB2o79O1xETkSLUzVbP5veuOln31NhYuXv9IU-mvUOUvGxOuYt2PKjKK17sI0pDhIyjZ2-G9bl5zNUK7zTT3yQvaRE-yLSO1jRj9LoS8R11NTcwyu6BrWDeincurOZO8y5FCeI9SUhK1XZf2LftZwkQQmJlw-zQBuUpe8UlLmosw-JfCD1_QaVwg5qEFJ4-XdTRzjkEyHIedKlse13IHngK-f7U0NCyIlXi_uMOejraTg1OOR_UxBd4Z3-HaKybBodoHWcT6OHeCEGPxd7DYq9E&smid=url-share
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Balaamsass2
As a young man, I enjoyed meeting new sisters.
As a married fading adult, I enjoyed helping my wife out of the Borg by getting a nicer Hotel off the "list", and whisking the Mrs away at the end of the lunch break back to the hotel and sightseeing in San Francisco, lol.
Everyone gets sleepy in the afternoons, and we were never missed by the local congregation. The wife had a great time and learned to not miss afternoon Convention programs, smelly ladies' bathrooms, and bad food.
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What Is happening to watchtower This days?
by Hellothere ini'm a believer.
believe in blessed or cursed.
what is happening to watchtower is my question.
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Balaamsass2
Welcome to the board Hello There.
If you believe in the Bible and Watchtower still....perhaps Watchtower is following the example of the BAD kings of Isreal. You do remember MOST of the kings of Isreal were BAD..:) Watchtower, like the bad kings of Isreal, has perverted justice, spiritually "killed" any who pointed this out, abused widows and orphans and made false prophecies. Satan is the father of the lie, yet Watchtower calls the bad lie...good "Theocratic strategy". They pervert justice for orphans by protecting and shielding Child rapists. They financially "shear" widows...and the elderly. Perhaps, they have brought reproach on gods name?
Of course, you might come to the conclusion I did that CT Russel was a con man selling books and magazines plagiarising earlier religious writings for money and power, as were his successors.
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What is your favorite EX- JW You Tube site and why???
by Balaamsass2 inthe mrs (third gen) and i have been on this site for a number of years now.
we appreciate simon's efforts to keep this site active and available.
i find a number of pimo jw friends enjoy youtube for some reason.
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Balaamsass2
Are there any former service desk ex-Bethelites on any sites? I had a Bethel buddy on the desk who had great stories, especially after a few cocktails. He could get very depressed with all the Department BS.
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Prediction of Watchtower in a Few Years
by Foolednomore inkingdom halls will be the thing of the past.. conventions (mini assembly halls will still be going on) but will charge for attending and parking and always a donation.
elders will play a much smaller role since csa.
cart preaching will replace door to door.
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Balaamsass2
I think it depends on how Watchtower will DEFINE what a JW is in the future....and how much they will use a "Theocratic strategy" to lie about membership numbers and activities. The "SPIN".
Are we talking about the number of ACTIVE publishers getting a few hours of REAL service EVERY month? Active literate publishers with the internet, who know enough JW doctrine to answer questions prior to baptism? Watchtower IS seeing most growth in third-world places without internet access, with low literacy, and with little understanding of JW doctrine.
Will Watchtower start counting members like the Catholic Church does...attendees for major holidays, weddings, baptisms, etc. (Humans DO like to socialize and have a "tribe")?
If a group of people who can't read or understand JW dogma/literature, arrange a dozen benches under a big tree, and everyone "partakes" and takes turns talking...is that a NEW JW Congregation? :) ...it is all about who does the counting...is it not?
A number of Adventist groups are gone. The Shakers are gone. Most Christian Scientists are gone. Quakers were BIG at one time. Most of the Russelites are gone.
Most literate Americans and Europeans are becoming less religious. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/22/us-churches-closing-religion-covid-christianity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Former_Christian_denominations
I think that as long as there are assets to sell, and sheep to fleece, Watchtower will continue to exist in some form, if simply to insure a comfortable retirement for the elite. It will simply look different.
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What Is happening to watchtower This days?
by Hellothere ini'm a believer.
believe in blessed or cursed.
what is happening to watchtower is my question.
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Balaamsass2
I agree with Beth Sarim and ThomasMore. I love Barbra's views on all things Watchtower. I couldn't find her last interview on 6 screens with the search box. :( Link?
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Physically in mentally agnostic ie sitting on the fence
by ExBethelitenowPIMA inhi everyone i’m not pimi or pimo i’m pima.. i don’t think the gb have everything right but i’m sitting on the fence that maybe they do some things.. if the great trib starts i will jump that side of the fence.. this is a definite little sneaky advantage dodging but even by their own doctrine last min some could come in.. i suspect many are like me.. i spent years in bethel and am very disappointed and disillusioned by it all.. but at the end of the day i love the bible and think it is the word of god and i don’t see any other religion that comes as close to what jesus describes his true followers or who are fulfilling mat 24:14..
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Balaamsass2
Welcome to the site EXbethelite. Ex- Brooklyn Bethelite from the 70s myself.
You like to read the Bible, right? What did Jesus say the mark of his followers would be? (He said the Pharisees would travel to the ends of the earth to make a disciple...was that the "mark"?)
Fruitage was the key right? "Love among yourselves." Right?
On what planet does financial abuse of seniors and protecting child rapists show "Love" or "truth"? Satan is the father of the lie..right? Lies are wrong...not theocratic strategy..right? We don't need to discuss deep theology when any common felon knows these things are wrong...right? BASIC STUFF.
Remember the multiple talks about how stirring 1% dirt or poison into a 99% clean glass of water ruins it? Or the admonition to "Get out of her my people if you do not want to share in her sins", "Stop touching the unclean thing"?
As far as preaching goes...I had some interesting conversations with GB member Ray Franz and his wife Cynthia while we were both at Bethel. Just how effective is door-to-door ministry? Is that as effective as preaching in the marketplace like in the first century? Where is the "marketplace" today? In the 70s it was TV and Radio. Many churches are far more effective with media (the marketplace) than JWs.
Just a few things to think about. Keep your mind, ears, and heart open. :)