bradford

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Posts by bradford

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  31

  Excuses to miss the meeting that won't raise suspicion of a fade

  by kairos in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the first step to fading is to begin missing the meetings.. "if" anyone misses you, a quality excuse must be at the ready.

  this will produce empathy toward you as opposed to suspicion.. 1. car problems ( don't mention that you caused them ).

  2. stuck on the phone resolving insurance, billing, etc issues.. 3. sick ( of the meetings ).

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  bradford

  I had other stuff to do. Like sleep. Or eat brunch. Or do yard work. But certainly not go do the watchtower study like a robot. Good luck to you on that!
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  26

  The work is speeding up

  by bradford in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i don't have a great reference point on my observation other than my local area but i was wondering if this was a widespread thing.

  ... in the last two years in my former congregation there have been 6 people to disassociate for "apostasy," 6 disfellowshipped for various reasons, and numerous ones reproved.

  these are just the ones i have heard about.

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  bradford

  I'd say 10-20% of the congregation (115+ publishers) has been reproved/dfd/diassociated with an unknown amount non-believing but going through the motions. On the reverse side, about 1 or 2 gets baptized per year, usually a teenager that was raised as a witness. I don't recall the last one who was found in the ministry.
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  26

  The work is speeding up

  by bradford in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i don't have a great reference point on my observation other than my local area but i was wondering if this was a widespread thing.

  ... in the last two years in my former congregation there have been 6 people to disassociate for "apostasy," 6 disfellowshipped for various reasons, and numerous ones reproved.

  these are just the ones i have heard about.

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  bradford

  I don't have a great reference point on my observation other than my local area but I was wondering if this was a widespread thing. ..

  In the last two years in my former congregation there have been 6 people to disassociate for "apostasy," 6 disfellowshipped for various reasons, and numerous ones reproved. These are just the ones I have heard about. 4 of the 6 that disassociated were servants or pioneers.

  Is this unusual or is the pace picking up?

  I hope to stay on top of things so I can be there to help my old friends when they start figuring things out. As we all know it can be pretty hard to deal with.
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  62

  Hello, just introducing myself

  by Miss Behaving in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've just signed up two days ago, but i've been lurking for about a year and a half.

  here's my story if you're interested:.

  my parents converted when they were in their first semester of college.

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  bradford

  Thanks for your story and welcome to the clan. Cheers! It's funny how we think we are strong enough and jwfacts blows our minds.
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  27

  Lett's Historic Moment

  by Icarus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with all the furor over the jw's cash strapped pleas, i'm surprised no one noticed a different issue with this broadcast.

  it was historic!

  yes, all 7 of the gb have broadcast in the 7 months of the channel's existence!

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  bradford

  What does 8 signify? Not complete enough? How come they didn't talk about the significance of the sixth episode. I thought that episode was historically found insufficient.
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  30

  Kingdom Hall loans Cancelled? Lurkers...please read

  by ToesUp in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i hope that writing this, there will be some lurkers that i can shake.. if you have not listened to mays tv broadcast, please do.

  it may wake some up.. note @ around 21-22 minutes into the broadcast lett brings up the the kingdom halls/assembly hall loans have been cancelled and the congregation can now send in what they can afford.

  wow...how many banks would do that?.

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  bradford

  Pete - you got most of it but missed some.

  After you start donating your time (valuable things) to become a beloved pioneer, eating Raman noodles and pbj sandwiches, paying for your own fuel, all while working a part time job because higher education is demonic, you have to be guilted into donating your first fruits (the best, and potentially all you have) because the work is speeding up so much and the wise slave class doesn't know how to get by.

  And, remember, the GB is not soliciting. They are merely making the rank and file (aka the ones with jobs and income) AWARE of the non-statistically supported statements that their is this huge need for funds.
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  30

  Kingdom Hall loans Cancelled? Lurkers...please read

  by ToesUp in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i hope that writing this, there will be some lurkers that i can shake.. if you have not listened to mays tv broadcast, please do.

  it may wake some up.. note @ around 21-22 minutes into the broadcast lett brings up the the kingdom halls/assembly hall loans have been cancelled and the congregation can now send in what they can afford.

  wow...how many banks would do that?.

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  bradford

  Few will wake up from this. As earth-shatteringly redonculous as this sounds, witnesses world wide will prayerfully figure a way to contribute more for a few months out of their hard earned money. Then, in a new broadcast, Tony will praise the way the flock has responded as the needs financially are being met "all to Jehovah's praise."

  In about 6 months they will ask the flock to re-watch this episode, or will get a letter to all bodies of elders to watch this segment in place of a meeting.

  I wish it would wake up a whole mess of people but who are we kidding. This cult stuff works.
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  17

  OMG... what happened in a bar today

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so, i'm sitting in a bar, having a drink.

  the bar participates in taptv, an online trivia thing.

  the question that came up was, "what did jehovah's witnesses call themselves before 1931".

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  bradford

  It is like any pyramid program except you make no money. You lose money. You don't actually get people to buy what you are selling either. You push it on family and they start selling it. Success stories of those using the product are basically the same as the weight loss supplements with doctored photos. I almost got into isagenix recently and noticed the cult like similarities. Fun times.
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  30

  Seriously condsidering disasscoiating

  by Ashley L. in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am seriously considering disassociating myself.

  i want to do this because i no longer consider myself one of jehovah's witnesses.

  i no longer consider jehovah as my god and i am in a new religion now.

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  bradford

  For me personally I thought about three possible solutions and there three outcomes.

  1. Fade and don't get caught doing something that could get you DFd.

  This option you keep your family and friends for time. You basically associate with new people and try to make sure you don't get caught up in anything. Witnesses will try to encourage you from time to time. You send mixed signals to those who don't know the truth about your wake up. You essentially play by their rules by fading for a small period of time. People will think you are stressed, depressed, and weak for slowing down and becoming inactive.

  2. Fade and live your life.

  Same as above except you aren't going to let it stop you from living life to the fullest. People will still think you are depressed, weak, etc. Eventually you get caught doing something like a holiday photo online or something and you get summoned to a meeting, eventually getting disfellowshipped. Or you move away from the congregation area and live happily ever after.

  3. Write a letter to disassociate.

  I told my friends all personally why I was leaving. I then wrote the letter to the elders because I have no kids or family besides my mother that are witnesses. I wasn't concerned with losing friends because I would lose them all eventually anyways when they decided I'm bad association. People will still think I'm crazy, depressed, prideful, demonic, etc. But we will all know the at I stood up for what I believe. And I feel like I can move on.

  Ultimately, different things work for different people based on their circumstances. Be patient and think far in advance.
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  30

  "Evidence" of a "smokelike pall"... This was the last straw for me back in 2008. Fade began with this:

  by DarioKehl in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  from that nutty red book of insanity, the grand climax at hand book, chapter 22, paragraphs 7 & 8. .

  i had my doubts since childhood.

  i went along with it to please people.

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  bradford

  They will most likely discontinue the disc library version and put a negative spin on researching old light. Then they will focus attention to the online library. They will use a line like:

  "Since 2000 Jehovah has truly sped up the work! As he blesses the "faithful slave" he also continues to refine. As such, all of our literature from 2000 onward shows the true light Jehovah has revealed in our time. The online library will be our primary research tool and is updated with all literature as it is released in real time on wol.jw.org. The old library by disc will be discontinued. Research that could be done there should now be done online. Jehovah loves those who follow this arrangement. "

  Throw a couple scriptures in there and a warm Christian love signature, send to all elders to read at the next meeting. Old light basically obsolete.