Athanasius

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Posts by Athanasius

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  39

  How do you feel about the expression "The Truth"?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's amazing how the expression "the truth" has become such an ingrained term used by witnesses.. "we have 'the truth'".

  "is he 'in the truth'?".

  most here have found out so many facts about the organisation, and felt the effects of being "gut-punched" as we realised these facts.. so how do you feel about the expression "the truth" now?.

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  Athanasius

  I was also born into the JW religion. But even as a believer I disliked using the term "the truth" to refer to JWism. There were so many changes and adjustments made to the JW belief structure that I felt "present truth, past truth, and future truth," would be more appropriate. So it was never a problem for me. However, I still cringe when people call JWism "the truth."

  Interestingly the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement, a Russellite Bible Student group, call their monthly magazine "The Present Truth."

  The term "the truth" in JWism may be a carryover from Freemasonary. Though with the Masons it is the pursuit of truth, not that they are in "the truth" as the JWs define their religion.
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  22

  CO's never say thank you for the green handshakes

  by suavojr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ever noticed how co's and ex-do's never say thank you for the hard earned money they get from the friends?

  they truly believe they are entitled to live an easy life at the expense of others.

  this makes my blood boil!

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  Athanasius

  The congregations that I've attended have been served by good, bad, and ugly circuit overseers. Since I never gave them any green handshakes, there was never a reason to thank me. However, since the CO controlled patronage, I did see those who did shake the CO's hand get positions in the congregation faster than those who didn't.

  Don't know if the CO sent them a thank you note, but being rewarded with an elder's or MS's position would have been an acknowledgement of the gift received.
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  133

  The new service meeting

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i wanted to relate an experience that happened this morning.

  it is regarding the new format for the meeting on thursdays in my area.

  its not word for word but im summarizing what i heard, the best i can remember.

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  Athanasius

  While I’d love to believe JA’s post, I must confess that I too am skeptical of his account. Eleven elderly sisters, the youngest in their late 70s, and the oldest being 93 or 96, stop by at the same time. How did they get there? Nothing was said about the sisters arriving in a chauffeured mini-bus, nor their use of public transportation. Did the eleven elderly women drive themselves using two or more automobiles, with the drivers being in their late 70s or 80s? This sounds very unlikely.

  Also there was no mention of JA’s mom during the sisters’ visit. Since he provided the refreshments, it sounds like mom wasn’t there. Again would eleven elderly JWs hang around in the presence of an inactive JW of questionable loyalty? Though I was never DFd, whenever I visited my JW mom and her JW friends stopped by, as soon as they saw me they excused themselves, saying: “I see you have company. We’ll drop by at another time.”

  However, as others have commented, many older JWs are questioning what is going on in JW land these days, and some have revised their wills to exclude the Watchtower Corporation from inheriting their assets. But this information was revealed in private conversations, not in large groups of ten or more. Moreover, the larger the group, the more danger that one of the sisters could be an informer, who would report back to the elders. It’s very unlikely that with this large a group, the sisters would feel free enough to voice negative comments about the JW organization.

  Some of what JA posted is believable, but not in the setting that he described.
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  11

  Do JW's still go door-to-door?

  by Dark Knight in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  with the rise of the new literature cart method of preaching, i'm curious as to how the traditional jw preaching work is organized.

  the other reason i ask this is that i hardly see jw's door-knocking anymore.are they still going door-to-door and tracking how regularly their territory is covered?

  are they still using territory maps and keeping track of do-not-calls, ethnic/deaf houses etc?i'm also curious as to how the literature cart ministry is organized.

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  Athanasius

  I doubt that they go door to door as much as they used to. I've lived at my current address for 15 years and the JWs have never came to my door and talked with me or my. Granted I might have missed them before 2009 the year I retired because I was at work during the week.

  Several years ago the JWs did leave a tract in our door, as we were out when they stopped by. But we've never had a JW call on us in person. We don't live way out in the country, in fact there are four KHs within a ten mile radius of our house, with ten congregations.
  
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  6

  My Bethel Experience Part 9

  by new boy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the worst thing, someone could call you at bethel, was a "jack.

  " as in "that guy is a real jack, he doesn't work at all".

  the other term not used very much anymore, was "pot licker" used basically the same way.

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  Athanasius

  The Bethel cleaning ladies sound like the KGB maids who worked in Moscow hotels during the Cold War.
  

  Your experiences at the Watchtower Vatican are very interesting, New Boy. Living there must have been like living in the former Soviet Union. Informers everywhere.
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  13

  Using your car in service and still the GB asking for money

  by life is to short in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i listen to dave ramsey while i work.

  he is that financial guy who hates debt.

  i agree with 90 percent of what he says.

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  Athanasius

  What gets me is the GB begging for money to finance the preaching work. While the Watchtower corporation may give a small allowance to the few special pioneers still serving, field circus is paid for by the local JWs, and always has been.
  

  Whenever I used my car in business for the companies that I worked for, I always received a mileage allowance. When I pioneered, like the rest of you, I used my car a lot. Did the Watchtower ever reimburse me for my mileage? No.

  I
  
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  78

  January jw-tv broadcast with Lett

  by bohm in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lett is back with a vengance!.

  * the last money-begging effort increased donations by 15% for two months; a letter by a 13 year old who donated is read out loud.

  * since last may "so many good things have happened".

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  Athanasius

  JW Broadcasting reminds me of the Kiddie Shows I watched on TV when I was a child back in the 1950s. I think Lett missed his calling.
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  6

  A 2016 new years resolution for the world

  by bobld in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  all gov't of the world permanently delete remove from their constitution "freedom of religion.

  " why remove from the constitution because we will have world peace.i have move to say about freedoms of.......... who will nominate me for the nobel peace price?.

  just two ex freedom of religion.ultra-orthodax jew refuses to sit next to woman on airplane.female saudi student died after male medics were prevented from entering the women only campus the list goes on and on.what no human right u.n.. how about this hundred years ago catholics weren't allowed to read the bible(some say they were illiterate)but the pope or holy see they must go to church or they would burn in hell for ever an ever.was this religious freedom or mind control by the holy shit.this mind control still goes on to this day..

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  Athanasius

  You can rail against religion all you want, but you will never have world peace until you can guarantee freedom from poverty to all citizens.

  Workers of the world unite! All you have to lose are your chains.
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  12

  Witness wedding questions

  by snugglebunny in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just wondering about witness weddings and what is and isn't acceptable these days.

  i know that toasts are a no-no, but i'm wondering about other things, such as:.

  is it ok to have a best man?.

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  Athanasius

  Back in 1967 when I married my first wife, the rules were less strict for a KH wedding. In our wedding the best man and the bride's maid were both regular pioneers, but my wife's father was not a JW, and he gave her away. I think that in the 1980s they changed the rules for KH weddings and now require every member of the wedding party to be a JW in good standing.

  They were even less strict in the 1950s as I remember JWs getting married in the KH where with the exception of the bride and groom the rest of the wedding party were all non-JW friends and relatives.
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  6

  Positive comments about JW's today, have your heard any recently?

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in the 60's and 70's you would hear these comments from non- believers,.

  my neighbor is a jw and they are good people, my sister is a jw and i admire their.

  dedication.

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  Athanasius

  I remember back in the 1970s co-workers would ask me: "Why do your people come by so early on Saturday morning?" I always sympathized with them because I also liked to sleep in on Saturday and hated going out in field circus.

  Other than that most of their comments were neutral. After I left the JWs and changed professions the subject has never came up and I've never had reason to discuss my past religious affiliation with co-workers.