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Balaamsass2
JoinedPosts by Balaamsass2
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10
2023-Annual Meeting!
by Atlantis in2023-annual meeting.. .
https://stream.jw.org/home .
atlantis!.
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No more REPORTING field service!!!!!!!!!
by BoogerMan inthis is going to break the hearts of a lot of uber-jw's!
reddit has now removed the video link of samuel herd telling jw's they will no longer have to report time or placements - just tick a box which says "active.".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akdshyx79rm&t=13s.
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Balaamsass2
Problem #1. ATTENDANCE. After THREE YEARS of no in-person meetings, organized meetings for field service, no Conventions, etc. I would imagine most JW families came to enjoy sleeping in on weekends. Even once meetings started again who could keep up with all the required COVID boosters required to attend? (only 12% of my local population). :)
Problem #2. Loss of $$$$$$$$$$$ If "publishers" are not going to meetings and conventions....they tend to not put $$$$$ in the contribution boxes. If they are wandering onto ex-jw sites like this with all the extra time they have had for three years, they are even less likely to donate MONEY and time.
Problem #3. PR and bad press. September is the cutoff for the service year and the final tally begins. YIKES after three years of the above issues, I would imagine the numbers for the developed world looked dismal. Who would want to publicly report those numbers??? yuck. Cure? Just stop collecting bad data and reporting bad data.
SOLUTION: Copy what TV preachers and big Religions have done for years...make membership EASY and make people feel good. Simply ask them to donate monthly their $11 per head for "membership" and continue to sleep in. DONATE MORE $$$ per month...and you might make...ministerial servant or an Elder!
The governing body puts problems to rest...and can take a nice swim in the new Olympic pool, play tennis on the new courts....or give an all-expenses paid talk on a tropical island this winter. :)
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Cult or High Control Group?
by MillennialDawn ini see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.
" i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.
"cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.
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Balaamsass2
High control group? YES.
CULT? Ask yourself....what other noncult groups carry Suicide Pact agreements in their wallets...for themselves AND CHILDREN? (Blood card).
Think about it.
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Jehovah's Witnesses...loyal to God...or to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ?
by Balaamsass inthis month is a month of testing for jehovah's witnesses.
individually, each must ask himself: to whom are you loyal?
no doubt in ancient isreal many attended the molech and calf worshiping festivals out of loyalty to the nation, the king, and perhaps in a mistaken belief to "jehovah".
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Balaamsass2
Hard to believe I started this post 11 years ago! At the time I was a relatively "NEW" POMO on the site and was trying to improve the group's SEO with keyword headings. Some of the headings actually made it onto the Google search. I actually thought it would help some JWs get out. The human mind is amazing in its ability to deceive itself. Humans are tribal and will ignore the obvious to remain in a "tribe" be it an extended family, political party, cult, or religion. Thanks for the memory "Newboy". :) When were you a NEWBOY? Farm or Brooklyn?
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Can Elders Voluntarily Resign?
by NotFormer inan elder with half a brain (and they must exist 🧐) is going to see the writing on the wall with the way the wt is manoeuvring them into taking the fall over csa cases.
can an elder in good standing step down with no consequences, official or social?.
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Balaamsass2
I told the body I needed to spend more time with our teenagers. I kept my mouth shut about doubts, and half the body tried to keep me from stepping down. The day after I did, half the elders treated me like I was "marked". Quite strange, they wouldn't even call on me for a comment.
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Retirement savings
by TxNVSue2023 inwhat's the current jw stance on retirement savings?
i know it changed.
pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".
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Balaamsass2
Longhair gal Thanks for the pm.
As I said a therapist explained her behavior to me and helped me to grasp why an adult would resist the basic math of aging and saving money for retirement.
She was on the edge of schizophrenia with "magical thinking". MOST adults grow out of believing in Santa, the tooth fairy, Prince Charming, and imaginary friends. SOME never do. Life is a HUGE disappointment for these gullible people as they age, grow old, and eventually die. Their parents die...and no longer support them. Magic money on trees does not exist. Hospitals are not free. Watchtower appeals to people with magical thinking.
A big SKY DADDY does not provide free food shelter and clothing, and it is not safe to pet lions and tigers. A fruit basket lady will not bring you free tropical fruit while you lay forever on the grass overlooking a view in the Alps.
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Is the USA gradually moving to a majority of citizens being non-religious
by Reasonfirst inthis is a topic discussed in a current article in the hongkong based asia times*.
find it at: https://asiatimes.com/2023/09/nones-still-no-match-for-us-christian-nationalism/.
the claim is made in the article, that near 30% of americans are non-believers, and that this number is increasing.
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Balaamsass2
I have had this discussion with an old attorney friend from work. He studied to be a Catholic Priest for a while...but liked women too much. :) He identifies as Catholic but rarely attends church. Calls himself "Spiritual but not religious".
3#rd Gen and I moved to rural northern California 25 years ago from the San Francisco Bay Area. We have a LOT of former Assembly of God Pentecostals who have moved into our town. They (Bethel church) now comprise about 15% of the population. They have added some Hippie- Hindu practices (Kundalini tantric sex), "Prosperity gospel", NAR beliefs and rock music to their religion and seem to be growing. Combined with speaking in tongues, faith healing, and far-right political bent they are very different. They believe god will protect them from illness, yet have a militia.
I read that most Americans are becoming less religious.."Spiritual"....but not religious.
New York Times : America Is Losing Religious Faith
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Do you play the LOTTERY?
by Fisherman injw view gambling as a sin and sadly people get addicted to gambling causing them financial and health problems.
but is playing a couple of bucks a week on some lottery tickets actually gambling?
what do you have to lose?
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Balaamsass2
It was a big deal in the 70s & 80s. A LOT of JWs worked in Nevada Casinos. Construction, Food service, housekeeping, and they were forced to quit their jobs.
Today, not such a big deal.
After we attended our last JW meeting over 10 years ago, 1st Gen bought us a couple of lottery tickets, and me a Cuban cigar for my birthday. lol. :) Lottery tickets are a Cheap price to pay for a pleasant daydream.
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Exes: Would You Rat On A Current JW?
by NotFormer init's an interesting thought.
if you are an ex jw, presumably dfed, and you see a current jw in good standing engaging in behaviour that would concern their elders, would you pass on that information to interested parties?
do accusations from exes and other outsiders carry any weight?
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Balaamsass2
Serious crime, I would call the police. I would never contact the elders or get involved.
My "half-in" aunt's "unbelieving husband" took delight in reporting JWs in town for ANYTHING he thought might be illegal, or unchristian to the cops, elders, or anyone who would listen.
When I was an elder he would aproach me at family reunions to try and bend my ear with a litany of complaints on a long list of people.
Strange bitter guy. His 30 + grandchildren would not visit him...or anyone else. Died alone. I never once repeated any of his venomous accusations.
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Retirement savings
by TxNVSue2023 inwhat's the current jw stance on retirement savings?
i know it changed.
pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".
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Balaamsass2
Long hair gal
Well, They left a message. I called them back about 7 hrs later and they had released her on her own. No doubt because an insurance company was unwilling to pay...or Medi-cal wouldn't foot the bill.
They did not have a forwarding address or phone. I asked around but no one knew what happened to her and she evidently disappeared into the morass of big city homeless. I only knew about her situation from phone calls from current and ex-Jws in the SF Bay Area who had seen her with her bags in coffee shops.