Posts by Incognito

35

Leah Remini Scientology series might tackle Jehovah's Witnesses in season 3

by jp1692 in

i've seen comments by some on leah's expose on scientology: aftermath.

she actually won an emmy for this show.

rumor is that she might take on jehovah's witnesses in season 3. .

Incognito

If the show does get produced, hopefully Leah will involve Steven Hassan more than she did during the Scientology series. I could see Hassan reviewing similarities in cult behaviour.

161

Help! Mike & Kim videos all being deleted by Youtube

by mrmagic in

due to watchtower flagging the mike & kim videos on youtube for copyright, youtube is giving them 6 days before they are shutting down their entire youtube channel.

can you help with a mass downloading program and then reuploading them on a mirror ?

would hate to lose all those good videos!

The discussion isn't about trespassing on WT property. It is regarding repeating the message that WT representatives speak or publish in literature, so as to anyalize, make sense of or criticise that information.

Watchtower claims Jehovah commanded JWs to preach so as to spread his message throughout the entire earth. WTBTS is the organization God created to convey his word and to support the preaching work. I believe it was Fred Franz who claimed that Jehovah is the editor of Watchtower publications.

Since WT information supposedly originates and is edited by Jehovah, does WT then have the right to claim copywrite on that information? It seems that anyone quoting, distributing or posting that information online, even if only to criticise, is actually assisting to spread God's message.

34

Waking up to TTATT: Blessing or Curse?

by Jules Saturn in

if you take the red pill, you'll have knowledge, you'll be awakened, aware of reality, you'll have freedom.. if you take the blue pill, you stay in your bubble, wearing rose colored glasses, and feel security in an illusion.. taking the red pill isn't something that's easy to do.

to accept that everything around you is an illusion built up on lies or half truths.

but hey, it might feel good to be aware and break free from this illusion.

Incognito

As I type this, it has been a year since my doubts on the Org began to grow and I began researching and researching. - Jules Saturn

As you didn't take any Red pill before this, what caused the initial doubts which grew until you started researching?

Even if you had squashed those initial doubts and proceeded to carry-on as a JW, at what point and how often in your life would those doubts surface again? Even if squashed numerous times, the doubts would probably eventually become so strong that they could no longer be ignored.

I think it's best that your doubts occurred early and you didn't ignore them.

If you carried-on as a JW, married a JW and had children, not only could you experience the same awakening and issues with your family and friends in another 10, 20 or 30 years, but also experience similar conflict with your wife and children.

I suspect by putting things off, you'd likely be depressed for not realizing the real truth 10, 20 or 30 years sooner when the doubts first arose, and for wasting a substantial portion of your life within a cult.

21

What is the latest trend in jw land

by bola in

jw
friends

i want to know the latest trend in jw land.

after i have disassociated from jw land last year, now my father has forced me to write a reinstatement letter.

and i will soon be reinstated back very soon because those cult elders will meet with me.

Incognito

And I will soon be reinstated back very soon because those cult elders will meet with me.

Just because the elders agree to meet with you, does not in itself signify you will be reinstated very soon or at all.

Since you disassociated yourself, then you voluntarily 'turned against Jah' and his 'Org' which is considered worse than any disfellowshipping offense.

Depending on how you DA'd, who your JW relatives are, if you prove yourself worthy by not missing meetings while behaving as expected of any DF'd member, and after repeated grovelling on your part, the elders may eventually decide to reinstate you. It could take 6 months, 1 year or a few years, if at all.

They typically like to make examples of those who turn away from the org, which often means humiliation and long delays before they even consider reinstatement.

192

Question for SBF

by Fisherman in

slimboyfat, it appears that wts is going, gone digital.

can you show your view what is wts next move after they are completely gone from kings county and settled in warwick?

- this thread is your if you want it..

Incognito

I remember banging on doors and telling householders the magazines were 10 cents then 25 cents for both "to cover the cost for printing". I think Bibles were $3 and smaller books were 25 or 50 cents, "to cover printing costs".

The amount of sales from selling an item does not signify income was made. If the production cost to print a magazine is $2 million/week, $2 million/week sales would only cover production and would not cover additional overhead costs. I'm not implying WT didn't realize additional funds above production cost but that only referring to gross sales is not enough info without also knowing production and other costs.

Technology today offers alternatives to printing and handling paper when publishing a magazine or book. I see WT now taking advantage of those alternatives.

The cost of writing text content will be comparable whether it will be sent to a press, posted to a web site or distributed as a PDF download.

WT now have no one to develop new and plausible doctrine as they had with F Franz. I expect whoever was responsible for the overlapping generation crap, realize how much of a disaster and joke that has turned out to be.

Although there are costs to high bandwidth internet and hosting, I understand WT is mainly keeping those in-house to keep control, which also reduces costs. If the literature produced is all digital, then trucks and drivers are no longer required, thereby reducing overhead which likely more than offsets internet and hosting costs.

WT has now transferred the cost of printing to JWs who went out and bought tablets, computers, internet accounts and other technology so as to access WT literature. If JWs want hard copies, they will soon need to print it themselves at their own expense.

So many Betheites were utilized for printing operations, book binding, packaging, warehousing, stock picking, shipping and trucking. By going mainly to digital literature, it then makes sense to reduce the number of Bethelites since the majority of those jobs would no longer be needed.

Printing presses, binding machines, warehousing, machine shops, and truck repair facilities would all require a substantial amount of space and fuel. By converting to all digital content, those areas are no longer needed or can be re-purposed to house servers, TV and music production studios and animation & web site production.

If each branch's personnel and building square footage is reduced, then personnel utilized for cleaning, maintenance and other support can also be reduced, thereby resulting in additional cut backs and cost savings.

While you may claim all of those reductions appear from the outside to indicate financial troubles, in actual fact, none of the above prove anything except a changed method of conducting business in the 21st century.

WT is registered as a charity and has always relied on donations, mainly from JWs.

As previously stated, I think GB and others at the top are recognizing the reduction of JWs in wealthy nations, while continuing to grow in poorer nations. I think they are attempting to get whatever they can, while they can.

Perhaps at some point, WT will attempt to also monetize their website, similar to online music sites which members pay subscription fees, although I suspect, that may incur sales tax.

Personnel reductions, building size reductions and changes from physical literature to digital, do not in themselves prove financial problems. Donations and other income need to be addressed separately.

192

Question for SBF

by Fisherman in

slimboyfat, it appears that wts is going, gone digital.

can you show your view what is wts next move after they are completely gone from kings county and settled in warwick?

- this thread is your if you want it..

Incognito

It's not my responsibility to debunk anything. I am only suggesting to not be so trusting and accepting of things just because they say it.

One way for WT to support their claims would be to be transparent and publish an audited financial report.

Each congregation is (or at least was) required to post an unaudited monthly financial statement. Congregants can at least then review the posted numbers for themselves.

As only an aural financial report summary was read part way through a CA, there was little for the average r&f JW to review.

No financial reports are even read during a DA/RC.

WT provide no financial reports so there is nothing to verify the now frequent claims as to needing additional donations.

Just because they claim something and behave in a manner which appears to support that position, doesn't necessarily make it so.

192

Question for SBF

by Fisherman in

slimboyfat, it appears that wts is going, gone digital.

can you show your view what is wts next move after they are completely gone from kings county and settled in warwick?

- this thread is your if you want it..

Incognito

I didn't claim $1 or $2 Billion is an infinite amount of money. With all the literature cutbacks, branch closures, reduction or elimination of bethelites, DOs, Missionaries and other cost cutting measures, I do expect that substantial amount of money will now go much farther than it will have prior to when those reductions were implemented.

WT has for many years (I can't say always) had an investment portfolio. Even if Stocks, Bonds etc are donated to WT, unless they are cashed in, they remain an investment holding.

It seems SBF, Fisherman and some others, continue to believe info provided by WT and the GB is always truthful and accurate. I as many, have recognized lies are told or creative accounting is implemented when beneficial to the org.

Consider how a 1 day circuit assembly is claimed to incur a $12K+ expense when held in a tax exempt venue which was built and paid for with money initially donated by the JWs who use it.

Remember, it is only lying when the questioner is entitled to the truth.

Are you, me or most R&F witnesses entitled to know various WT matters such as WT's financial situation, even as those same people are 'encouraged' and expected to donate on an ongoing basis and further pay for any claimed shortfalls?

Consider Jackson's testimony at the ARC. As a man made commission is beneath God and his org, did Jackson consider the ARC was entitled and worthy of truth?

In terms of abuse victims, while no-one can undo past abuses, WT continues to resist taking reasonable steps to prevent or at least reduce future abuse occurrences. WT continues to refuse to appropriately address and correct ineffective and inappropriate policies and procedures which have resulted and continue to result in financial settlements and legal claims against WT.

192

Question for SBF

by Fisherman in

slimboyfat, it appears that wts is going, gone digital.

can you show your view what is wts next move after they are completely gone from kings county and settled in warwick?

- this thread is your if you want it..

Incognito

WTS does not have the major expense in producing paper literature anymore

Who is printing Bible's and the literature displayed on the carts and D2D? While I understand many JWs now use electronic tablets at the door, is there nothing that is given to a householder as there is available on a cart? Cart literature which is distributed will need to be replaced.

I recall previously reading, WT had printed other Bible translations for other organizations. Does that still take place?

192

Question for SBF

by Fisherman in

slimboyfat, it appears that wts is going, gone digital.

can you show your view what is wts next move after they are completely gone from kings county and settled in warwick?

- this thread is your if you want it..

Incognito

Although cost overruns are common in any large construction project, those over runs even if multiple million $, would be relatively minor in comparison to the Brooklyn property selloff. One Billion is one thousand million. Recent estimations I've seen are well in excess of $1B from the Brooklyn selloff alone, some estimating closer to $2B.

Perhaps those funds are considered as investment or capital and will not be used for day-to-day operating expenses.

I suspect the contamination was identified before the Warwick and UK properties were even considered and therefore, WT was able to purchase at a highly reduced prices, with the expectation that 'slave' labor would be mainly used for cleanup. Consider how many JWs would take a leave from work to travel across the country at their own expense for the 'priveledge' of helping at Bethel.

Although most of us think it dumb to purchase contaminated property or they didn't realize the contamination until too late, I think they knew full well and took advantage of any government assistance they could obtain or action against the prior owners, to offset the expense of restoring the properties.

It seems when you say the new Bible costs a fortune to produce, I expect you are thinking in terms of normal costs for a For Profit company which must pay salaries, vacation, benefits, insurance, income tax, property tax, paper, ink, and other overhead costs, in addition to making a profit.

Although there would be time required for translation, again, slave labor. Since there would be a limited number of word changes from the previous NWT, a computer could quickly identify those changes, likely from a digital English master document, so that the translation 'staff' for each language, are only required to concentrate on the changed text so that syntax is appropriate.

Regardless of WT's current financial situation, perhaps those at the top have realized the decline in first world JW membership and are using this opportunity to accumulate as much money as possible before the current money pot dries-up.

13

Had to say something to a couple of cart women in Bentonville square.

by blownaway in

my wife and i were walking up to the original walmart store in bentonville.

its now a museum.

two women were sitting in the park next to a cart.

Incognito

I think any JW going D2D or attending a cart, has to anticipate some opposition from anyone they talk to. They are ultimately attempting to convert everyone to be JWs regardless of the person's current beliefs.

If your purpose was to engage them in discussion to hopefully raise a few points for them to consider further, it is counter productive to introduce yourself as an 'Apostate' which only caused them to immediately shut down so they didn't hear anything you said afterward.

It seems your only purpose was to give them a hard time thereby fulfilling WT's warnings about Apostates.