Happy Guy :)

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Posts by Happy Guy :)

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  41

  How much would you say the average JW donates in $$$ ?????

  by run dont walk in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  regarding donations, what would you say the average jw would donate in $$$ in a one year span.. some are richer then others, some have no children, some have 6 children, i imagine it would vary quite a bit.. so what would be a fair average, $1,000 / year per person ?????.

  now when i say donation, i mean every dollar a person gives, this would include contribution boxes in the hall, assemblies, etc, donations for magazines, books, videos etc, every possible thing one would donate money to the watchtower for.. if $1000 a person is a fair number, then multiply it by 6,000,000.

  = $ 6 billion dollars a year, nice scam watchtower.

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  Happy Guy :)

  Someone said $250 per publisher, I don't know what country that calculation came from, but that is far from reality.

  In our congregation in the USA, and keep in mind we are not an English speaking congregation, the average is as follows:

  Donations to the congregation (for operating costs, bills, etc...) = $8 per publisher

  Donations to the World Wide Work = $2.50 per publisher

  Donations to the Kingdom Hall Fund = $0.00 per publisher

  These are actual averages for 2004.

  I also served in third-world country that has over 100k publishers, and the branch would only average about $20 per congregation (after monterary conversion into dollars) per month. In order to cover costs, they would turn over bills, expenses, etc. to the Watchtower in Brooklyn.

  >edited to add that the above averages are based on "per month" donations. After rereading the original post, the question was asking for "per year" average. I find this example very misrepresentative of what is more likely the case. Let's do the math: WT reported 951 million in revenue in 2000 (from donations). There are 6 million JWs worldwide (and many are inactive) but we''ll still go with that number. That works out to an average of 158.5 annually or 13.20 per month. The figure you give of 8 dollars per month for costs to operate the hall would likely NOT be included in the 13.50 figure as those costs are likely paid directly and not sent in to WT for inclusion on their annual financials. As well, I suspect that the U.S. witnesses would be donating at a higher level than the average since they are probably on average more wealthy. These numbers would also likely not include the mortgage payments being made on the halls by it's members. These mortgage payments are likely accounted for on the finacials as Accounts Receivable and not part of the 951 in Revenue. Your example unfortunatley looks very narrowly at only one congregation in the U.S. when there are in fact about one million JWs in the U.S. THe topic discusses an average for these U.S. JWs and by looking at only one small congregation you are unlikely to get an accurate picture.
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  18

  Serena Williams - a good role model

  by TheOldHippie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  serena's dress at a london show yesterday night.

  not quite a kh dress ...............

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  Happy Guy :)

  I have confirmed that she was never baptized nor is she a non-baptized publisher. She is not a role-model to JWs

  This is hilarious. When she was the darling of tennis the JWs were gleaming with joy and now that she is being a bad girl you come out with this quick spin doctoring. You JWs seem to put in so much effort acting just like a cult.
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  8

  Does "Abiding in Christ" = Joining his organization?

  by M.J. in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  message was to abide in him.

  he very clearly says, ?abide in me?

  and if you do this you will ?bear fruit?.

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  Happy Guy :)

  So the question is, how do you get to abide in him? The passage says you can?t do anything worthwhile apart from Him in the first place; you must first come to him. So how do you get to him? Is it by joining ?His organization?? I am employed in an organization which was founded and run by a certain dynamic individual, (we'll call him "Bob") who inherited the company from his father. I?m expected to dedicate a great part of my life to the organization, abiding by its core principles and direction from "Bob". In this organization, my work, dedication, and how closely I keep the highly regarded company values is evaluated by all my peers, so I?m very motivated to do what is ?right?. But I wonder, no matter how dedicated and ?good? I become as an employee, would this in itself allow me to really say that I abide in Bob? Does it bring me to know Bob or Bob to know me?

  Your analogy is flawed because answering it either way presupposes that Jesus has an organization. In Bob's case it is clear as it is his company and he is there everyday. I do not see any signs of Jesus' organization in the world.
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  13

  Leaving the Watchtower -- Prolonged Adolescence?

  by logansrun in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  greetings folks,.

  i'm in a bit of a fritz so bear with my free style.... sometimes i feel that, for the last two years since leaving the organization, i've been in a period of prolonged adolescence, filled with the confusion, second-guessing, mistakes and insights that go along with it.

  i'm now 28 years old and feel like i'm in my early twenties sometimes.

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  Happy Guy :)

  I see it everywhere -- people that are cluelessly self confident (yes, that is not a contradiction) and take for granted oh-so-much.

  I find this is true especially with people in their 20s, especially early twenties.

  I think you will find things coming together and falling into place more in your 30s Bradley.
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  24

  Filth, Lies and Sewage From Apostate Central

  by Farkel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not a difficult thing to find self-condemning words from the watchtower printing and lying corporation.

  one merely needs to look at the filth and scum they spread about those who do not agree with them to find such self-condemning words.

  then, simply substitute themselves for their enemies and see how true their own words ring.

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  Happy Guy :)

  He refused to read direct quotes from the WTS publications because he said they were from "apostate web sites."

  I suppose if he had been pedophile on trial and video evidence were produced to show him molesting a child he would say "I refuse to acknowledge or respond to that because the evidence is from an apostate's camera"
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  48

  So is there a new stance on B-days or what? Someone please explain........

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have heard rumors on here and other places that jw's are now allowing birthdays to be observed/celebrated.

  is this true?

  i hope so.

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  Happy Guy :)

  Imagine the confusion to school teachers if birthdays were allowed......"little Tommy couldn't stay in the classroom and eat cake with the kids last year.....but this year he can"

  Imagine the confusion for little Tommy.

  and Sasquatch: Good post your dead on including the last comment...I personally experienced the scenerio you painted when I went through that a little over a decade ago. It was done to act as a "we are normal and celebrate b-days to" measure in court and it was sanctioned by the HQ lawyers in Canada who represented her just because it would be a good legal counter-point.
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  26

  New book by Jim Penton, and revised book by Carl Jonsson.

  by cyberguy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jim penton?s new book is out, "jehovah's witnesses and the third reich: sectarian politics under persecution.".

  see amazon-- http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0802086780/qid=1099371922/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-3179410-1163212?v=glance&s=books&n=507846.

  also, there?s an updated version of "the gentile times reconsidered: chronology & christ's return," coming out shortly (as indicated from an email i?ve gotten from carl jonsson).

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  Happy Guy :)

  So for the sake of these martyrs - please don't yell too loudmouthed when a book is published that claims the opposite of what these other researchers, journalists and history scientists have published.

  I haven't read this book of Jim's yet but I have read his previous work on the JWs and Watchtower. He spent years as a JW and has also been a University professor for decades. His writings on the JWs have always be honest.

  I don't think it is an insult to the memory of the 3000 or so JWs who perrished alongside the 6,000,000 or so Jews under the Hitler's rule. What is an insult to those JWs is the fact that their leadership may have actually fanned Hitler's racist flames in the early 1930's. I think people have a right to know that especially ex JWs and current JWs. Jim handled matters in his other book "Apocalypse Delayed" with enormous dignity and class.

  Also I am not quite sure what you mean when you say "...these other researchers, journalists and history scientists have punblished."

  First off what is a "history scientist" ? and secondly do you really mean the Watchtower Governing Body or WT apologists because that is likely the only people that Penton will be at odds with in terms of their current day claims of their involvement with Hitler.
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  48

  So is there a new stance on B-days or what? Someone please explain........

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have heard rumors on here and other places that jw's are now allowing birthdays to be observed/celebrated.

  is this true?

  i hope so.

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  Happy Guy :)

  So someone give me the full story, are B-days now allowed? Considered ok? Or just a "matter of conscience" for each to decide upon?

  Birthdays allowed? Hold on a second while I clean myself (laughed so hard I pissed my pants).
  

  Celebrating a birthday would cause a JW to be bannished from eternal paradise and struck down without mercy by God at Armageddon. While they wait for that to happen they would be disfellowshipped and shunned. Now you tell me that the policy has changed from what has been occuring for the last hundred years? ....sorry....laughing again.

  I don't know the answer to your question. Someone else here might. I guess anything is possible with the JWs and their leadership at the Watchtower. I mean, if they can tell you JWs for decades that the generation who were alive and witnessed the events of 1914 will also witness Armageddon, and, now that this generation has passed without Armageddon occuring, can tell you JWs that Armageddon really happened but it's just invisible.......well I guess they can change anything they want, any time they want, and do whatever they want regardless of how inconsistant it is. The donations will just keep rolling in.

  BTW I just love decorating my Christmas tree and getting the house all lit up and pretty with the white snow as backdrop at Christmas time. It only happens once a year. Such a beautiful time of the year for family and friends for those who enjoy it.
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  10

  Elder told me Voting was a conscience matter

  by confusedjw in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  speaking with an elder this weekend and the subject of voting came up (we were talking about things changing) and he pointed to the matter of voting.

  he said it was a matter of conscience.

  (previously he and i have had very very in depth discussions on my new take of the wtbts).

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  Happy Guy :)

  Uhm confusedjw I accuse you of practically plagerizing my post ...or could it be that great minds think alike?

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/80065/1301987/post.ashx#1301987

  Where it it says on a related topic but referring to the same Q&A.....

  Does anyone see any instance of automatic DA or possible DF'ing in this article? I think someone should email the writer of that article and pass on this QFR to show that the elder is WRONG in his assumption.

  Not in that particular Q & A. but the article makes it abundantly clear (in that typical WT vague sort of way where contentious issues are involved) that JWs are expected not to vote. As well the elder in the article never said it was an automatic DA or DF. What he said was:

  Ragan said the congregation would make efforts to return such a person to good standing in the church - but also held out the prospect of complete shunning, or "disfellowshiping."

  Now even though the Q&A doesn't actually itself say anything about DA or DF (let alone an automatic one) notice the criteria involved in these scenerios as spelled out in the Q&A :

  The November 15, 1950, issue of The Watchtower, on pages 445 and 446, said: "Where Caesar makes it compulsory for citizens to vote . . . [Witnesses] can go to the polls and enter the voting booths.

  What if a Christian woman?s unbelieving husband insists that she present herself to vote? Well, she is subject to her husband, just as Christians are subject to the superior authorities. (Ephesians 5:22; 1 Peter 2:13-17) If she obeys her husband and goes to the polling booth, that is her personal decision. No one should criticize her.?

  What of a country where voting is not mandated by law but feelings run high against those who do not go to the voting booth?perhaps they are exposed to physical danger? Or what if individuals, while not legally obliged to vote, are severely penalized in some way if they do not go to the polling booth? In these and similar situations, a Christian has to make his own decision. "Each one will carry his own load."?

  Now compare that against what is expected of JWs where the above scenerios of force or coersion is not involved:

  First, Jesus Christ said of his followers: "They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world." (John 17:14) Jehovah?s Witnesses take this principle seriously. Being "no part of the world," they are neutral in the political affairs of the world.?

  As representatives of God?s heavenly Kingdom, Jehovah?s Witnesses feel a similar obligation not to interfere in the politics of the countries where they reside.

  Fourth, Jehovah?s Witnesses greatly value their Christian unity. (Colossians 3:14) When religions get involved in politics, the result is often division among their members. In imitation of Jesus Christ, Jehovah?s Witnesses avoid becoming involved in politics and thus maintain their Christian unity and you all know that "causing division" is a Disfellowshipping offense.
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  13

  Official WTBTS JW Chat Room

  by Corvin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  didn't the official wt site once have a chat room for jw's?.

  i stumbled onto it a few years ago, but can't remember if it was the official site or not.

  i remember trying to access the chat room but they wanted my congregation name and location along with my po's name and all my other personal information, so i bagged it .

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  Happy Guy :)

  I mean how many places will let 19 year olds opperate billions of dollars of machinery with the capability of killings 1000s of people every day and only pay um a few 100 bucks a month.

  XQ, just because the WT has billions in cash does not mean they used it for the JW cult in purchasing billions on machinery for Brooklyn publishing. In fact, just the machinery itself used to publish the magazines in N.Y. (and I now understand that publishing will be shifting to Canada), is worth millions and to be more specific probably well under 40 million.

  By the same token we are not talking about a nuclear bomb here. In the event of a mishap, it might kill a couple of people. Even if there was a fire there would be alarms and evacuations and automatic sprinklers etc.

  Where do you get this "billions of dollars of machinery" stuff and "capability of killing 1000s of people". You may not realize this but we are not talking about a U.S. aircraft carrier.