slimboyfat

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Posts by slimboyfat

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  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

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  slimboyfat

  I took this to mean JWs were reluctant to self-identify:

  including people in that group not wanting to self identify to the government (see the video noted in the op as a reason why).

  Sorry if I misunderstood your meaning.

  I guess fear of the government is a possible reason for JWs not to answer the census. But you’d have to believe they were more scared in 2011 than in 2001 for some reason. Plus, while some JWs may be getting more scared, many others are probably growing increasingly cynical about Watchtower claims, and fearmongering, in view of scandals, overlapping generation, cutbacks, internal leaks on the internet, and so on.

  A better explanation for the declining census numbers, I would suggest, is simple decline. Since it fits with reducing congregations and it fits with what many of us see in local congregations and conventions.
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  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

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  slimboyfat

  You don’t think self-identification is a more truthful measure than Watchtower reported publishers?

  On another thread you insisted morale was not affected by congregation mergers.

  On this thread you say morale is so low among JWs that they’re ashmed to identify themselves as JWs. But we should count them as JWs anyway, on the basis of Watchtower publisher numbers, even if they don’t count themselves as JWs.

  In reality census returns are some of the most detailed and reliable statistics on religion and make comparisons across religious groups possible.

  The fact that JWs have been declining in Canada and Australia, in contrast to publishers, raises questions about the accuracy and usefulness of Watchtower statistics.

  One internal figure they can’t easily fudge is congregation numbers, and they are coming down in the United States, Germany, Japan and elsewhere.
• 
  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

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  slimboyfat

  If JWs are not in decline Morph how do you account for census results in Canada and Australia that show decline?

  And if JWs aren’t homophonic then who are? It seems you’re not so much disputing JWs are homophobic as disputing the use of the word itself in general.
• 
  15

  I went to a meeting at my old congregation last weekend

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s a three for one deal.

  about 10 years ago they merged 3 struggling rural congregations into one in the largest town.

  at the time there were about 75 publishers.

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  slimboyfat

  That can’t be. Morph says mergers don’t mean decline and it’s not impacting morale in any way at all.
• 
  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

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• 

  slimboyfat

  One of the really troubling things about the video for me was the casual juxtaposition of everyday life with extermination imagery.

  On the one hand you have a young man who walks out of a cinema, premuably because his Watchtower trained conscience told him he better stop watching the movie, or else get in trouble with Jehovah/the elders/other JWs.

  Next thing you know the JWs are trying to hide in the woods, but get surrounded by men with guns, and the only way out is if Jesus and the angels save them.

  The message is, you better obey us in every small aspect of your life, including leisure time at the cinema, or who knows what will happen to you.

  Irony:

  Whatever the guy was watching at the cinema, it probably wasn’t as manipulatively violent and emotionally abusive as the video he was taking part in producing.
• 
  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

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  2. 
  3. 
• 

  slimboyfat

  But they don’t admit they were wrong about 1914, or even the generation, do they? What truly goes through their mind, I don’t know. At a local level, I think JWs just focus on the stuff that convinces them (the truth about paradise, how bad the world is, the brotherhood, or whatever) and just try not to think too much about the generation fiasco, or even 1914 these days.

  I have never heard anyone go out of their way to defend, or even talk about the overlapping generation. It’s an embarrassment, and everyone knows it.
• 
  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  slimboyfat

  Yes it’s also why JWs have such poor retention, because young adults often leave church for a few years and come back in middle age. But JWs who leave at 20, come back at 30 only to find 1) their former congregation gone/merged/ moved 2) songs totally changed 3) no print material any more 4) wacky bunker and terrorist videos and 5) the governing body everywhere telling them to obey odd instructions or die. So they turn around and straight back out the door.

  I think the bunker video, and now this terrorist video, are good evidence of the organisation in collapse. It gives an insight into the mentality of those in charge. They are totally overwhelmed by scandals and financial problems. They now feel surrounded with no way out apart from angelic intervention.
• 
  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  slimboyfat

  Thanks.

  At first I thought it was just an assortment of images of people looking earnestly into space, contemplating the resurrection or paradise, or some such.

  Then people with guns appeared and they were surrounded. What the hell was that all about? It looked scary realistic. Amazing to think that someone came up with this idea, the Governing Body presumably approved it, the actors and film producers carried it to completion, and ordinary JWs will watch it as if nothing wrong. Well some of them at least.
• 
  97

  Material such as the film at the end of this years convention confirms that I was right to take my kids out the religion

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it’s quite affirming to see the horrific material that they’re serving up at the convention this year.

  aside from blatant homophobia, the scenes at the end of the convention that are discussed on another thread stoop to new levels of fear mongering.

  it seems to occur to nobody inside the organisation that this kind of material could trigger fear, deprsssion, anxiety, stress.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  slimboyfat

  Is there a link to this film?
• 
  23

  Regional Convention New Releases

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the new releases for the regional convention are out at the borg's page.

  but remember, you can not see them unless first you attend....

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  slimboyfat

  I’m not clear how a video drama and Bible reading count a “releases”. Are they having us on?