Axelspeed

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Posts by Axelspeed

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  128

  It Seems That My Children Are Not Trained

  by Gary1914 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just returned home from the kingdom hall.

  i am an elder.. after the meeting all the elders were called to the back room.

  i thought this was an impromptu elders' meeting.

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  Axelspeed

  Thanks Blondie ...it has.

  The other elder said that there was nothing more important than Jehovah and his organization and that this should be my first priority. I corrected him and said that my family was my first priority and he said no, Jehovah’s organization was my first priority. What?

  With this statement, they are counting on your youth and compliant nature to guilt and bully you into staying in line. If there is any irony here, it is that I noticed a lot, and I mean a lot, of long time elders who were just willing to coast. Not having any other social circle, besides that of the "elders club", to go to and to hang out with...they just trudge along.

  A lot are more than willing to hand the reins of privilege (work) to the young and the gung-ho. Many of the old timers have been there-done that, and secretly wish they could wiggle out of more of whats on their plate.

  Axelspeed
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  128

  It Seems That My Children Are Not Trained

  by Gary1914 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just returned home from the kingdom hall.

  i am an elder.. after the meeting all the elders were called to the back room.

  i thought this was an impromptu elders' meeting.

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  Axelspeed

  If you are having a problem with the direct confrontation (and an inability to say no), I would suggest changing congregations if you can. They will try to talk you out of it, but do it. Say your family needs a change or something. They will send a letter of introduction to your new congregation.

  No doubt the body at your new congregation will be happy to see another prospective elder on their body. This may give you a few months of elder-free duty for a few months until the CO comes around. He will visit your new congregation, they will probably discuss you briefly as a formality during the elders meeting for the week, and recommend you. They will send it off and when it comes back, probably within a couple of weeks after the CO leaves, they will ask you then if you will accept the recommendation. At this point...JUST SAY NO and that you would like to spend more time "building your family up spiritually."

  It may be a little easier as you will have less of an emotional attachment to this new elder body. Believe me, I understand. In the future I will share more of my own story.

  Axelspeed
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  3

  The Power of A Label

  by Axelspeed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  war is peace .

  freedom is slavery .

  ignorance is strength.

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  Axelspeed

  WAR IS PEACE
  
  FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
  
  IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
  
  These are taken from Orwell’s 1984. You have to read the book to get the full meaning of what he was saying. But it started me to thinking how powerful an influence a person or group can wield just by the simple act of renaming something and appealing to human nature and the ego that comes with it.
  
  In the WT these three come to my mind.
  
  MISERY IS REFRESHMENT
  
  HATRED IS LOVE
  
  WORK IS PRIVILEGE
  
  MISERY IS REFRESHMENT
  Let’s face it, though a few did enjoy it, for most of us field service was misery. Getting up every Sat morning when you’d rather be sleep or watching cartoons. Yet, we were always taught that what we were doing would actually be REFRESHING. I grew up in it and I can honestly say I never really enjoyed it. If there was any satisfaction at the time, it was because I knew I would have some hrs. I could report honestly at the end of the month.
  
  HATRED IS LOVE
  Most JWs honestly feel that by their cruel treatment of others through shunning, it is actually LOVE. I think that most here can attest that this does little to really draw people back, at least for the right reasons. If anything, it truly exposes the iron fist in the velvet glove.
  
  WORK IS PRIVILEGE
  Anything normally called work is simply renamed PRIVELEGE. Does the hall lawn need to be mowed? –we’ll call it a privilege and reserve it for those who are reaching out by the performance of other work …I mean PRIVELEGE…by regular FS.
  
  Need a microphone man? Call it a PRIVELEGE and watch the young brothers jump through hoops to be one.
  Need a Literature or Mag Servant? Yes, call it a PRIVELIGE.
  Need more MS to do some of the work elders don’t really want to do? Again, call it a PRIVILEGE
  Want people to put in work with the goal to put in Regular Monthly Work…but with a quota? Call them Pioneers…and then call it a PRIVILEGE
  Need more elders? You got it…call it a PRIVELIGE. (If you never were one you didn’t miss a thing…except more work)
  
  Can you think of more?
  
  
  Axelspeed
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  3

  The Power of A Label

  by Axelspeed in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  Axelspeed
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  128

  Is there any hope of you coming back to Jehovah?

  by LeftBehind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my brother is a self proclaimed apostate.

  i see now that there is a wide variety of posters here.

  so to those that have left the witnesses what would it take to get you back?

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  Axelspeed

  There is nothing that would get me back at this point. I know this sounds strange to a JW, because at this point you cannot imagine how a person could say that.
  
  A family member went apostate and has turned his back on Jehovah
  
  By this statement you have made the assumption that when a person leaves the organization, he has left Jehovah. Can you separate the two? Or realize that the Organization does not = Jehovah.
  
  Secondly, the only thing many here have done is what you and other JWs ask other people to do every time you go door to door. And what is that? EXAMINE THEIR RELIGION.
  
  I can’t be sure but since your family are all JWs, you sound like a person who may have been raised in. Have you ever examined your own religion? Have you ever been allowed to examine your own religion? You have limited knowledge of other religious groups through the eyes of the WT and your JW background, but have you ever read anything concerning JWs or other religions through anything but the WT?
  
  Other questions, do you really believe your brother prefers and enjoys the relationship he has with his family now? If he is going through this much of an effort, is it possible that he learned some things that his conscience and personal integrity would not allow him to accept anymore? If it is that important, and you do have the Truth which should stand up to anything, can you at least hear him out?
  
  I was raised in myself, but intellectual integrity would not allow me to accept any longer what I knew to be false. That is not truth.
  
  Axelspeed
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  42

  Hi, I'm very new!!!

  by Rebekah in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've just found this site this evening.

  i've been off work with a bad cold since tuesday and there was a knock on the door this afternoon.

  i don't usually answer the door to strangers but on this occasion i did as i could see 2 elderly gentlemen.

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  Axelspeed

  I know JWs who have chess sets also and play. It is usually not something talked or widely circulated by those who do. The WT considers chess to be a Game of War, so it is frowned at in some circles.

  Fun to JWs is supposed to be knocking on doors. It is seen as the BEST thing a JW can do, even more so than things like feeding the homeless.

  Axelspeed
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  42

  Hi, I'm very new!!!

  by Rebekah in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've just found this site this evening.

  i've been off work with a bad cold since tuesday and there was a knock on the door this afternoon.

  i don't usually answer the door to strangers but on this occasion i did as i could see 2 elderly gentlemen.

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  Axelspeed

  In my experience garage sales were ok, but yes there was always that fear that some item could contain wicked spirits or demons. So a lot of JWs cast a wary eye at anything bought at thrift stores or garage sales. If it is a church garage sale, then the answer is absolutely definitely not.

  If anything is church related, its pretty much a no-no, even if the cause is seen to be good and noble by persons who are not JWs. To JWs, all other religions are seen as Babylon the Great, controlled by Satan the Devil. So any efforts carried out by these agencies would be indirectly supporting an entity controlled by Satan in the mind of the JW.

  Axelspeed
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  33

  Watchtower, January 1,2006. Study article, First paragraph.

  by Blueblades in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  to be studied on febuary 5th.

  blondie will do her usual "comment" later.

  i just want to point out how they start the 2006 study article, the first paragraph only.. a young man wanted to be more useful in his congregation.

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  Axelspeed

  Thanks JT...great stuff!
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  32

  Is There Truly Any "Underground Reform" Going On?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not an organized type, at least.

  as an elder, i would try to bend the organization's rules so as to be more moderate and give the "sheep" a little more comfort.

  but no elder or group of people could organize such a group and stay within the watchtower's (kingdom hall's) walls.

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  Axelspeed

  "love of the greater number has cooled off",

  Yes with the core hardliners that reasoning will work, and there will always be that core.

  But that number is dwindling fast to a ever-present, but delusional and disconnected core. I dont believe the "love of the greater number has cooled" card will play as well the next time around with a lot of JWs.

  Axelspeed
• 
  32

  Is There Truly Any "Underground Reform" Going On?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not an organized type, at least.

  as an elder, i would try to bend the organization's rules so as to be more moderate and give the "sheep" a little more comfort.

  but no elder or group of people could organize such a group and stay within the watchtower's (kingdom hall's) walls.

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  Axelspeed

  
  

  jgnat said: I think we are seeing a silent protest building

  
  That is exactly what I see. As things have progressed lately, the hardline seems to be the course the WT is taking.
  
  I wouldnt call it reform - just yet. But the JW culture seems to me to be changing from the bottom up. The few JWs that come in today are a different breed, and more independent. And many of the ones who have been in the WT for yrs. feel a little shafted (gen change, college flip flops), even if they refuse to admit it, even to themselves. The kids are smarter and way more connected than I could even think to be at that age, and have way higher aspirations than "pioneering".
  
  So now you have:
  
  -Pubs(young)going to university
  -Pubs (older) going back to school
  -Pubs pursuing other interest i.e. getting a life
  -Pubs putting in false hrs.
  -Brothers filling seats, yet running from "priveleges"
  -Brothers with priveleges trying to do less
  -Brothers with priveleges who say enough and resign
  -JWs who have accepted their circumstance and now the KH is more a social club
  
  
  All the while nodding their heads in the yes, to make a show of being compliant and agreeable to any counsel. The disconnect with Brooklyn will continue. Heads nodding yes...but the hardline message falling on deaf ears.
  
  Any organized movement at this point will have to be very careful...because if found it will be squashed swiftly and harshly. But a critical mass of protest of the silent kind is approaching. And once people start seeing that they are not at all alone in what they are thinking among the "friends" the WT will have a problem and some decisions to make. Well actually, they already do have a problem and its not going away just my .02 Axelspeed