i got the internet in my house and realised it's all lies....but as a pioneer/ministerial servant i chose to fade.
see i had family and friends who were fully strict witnesses.
so i played the poor lost soul brother who is not sure what's happening.
I am a fader , much like Witness 007. I get what Jan says and she is right, one is never free of it . But this means that I have kept my wife , my home and my extended family.
As our later years are now upon us my wife and I need each other more than ever. Despite our religious differences our relationship is better than it has ever been and I am very glad that I did it this way .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh9w8zmgli0.
( starts at the 21:00 minute mark ) governing body member jeffrey winder reveals the real reason for the failed doctrines throughout the watchtower's 150 year history.
he claims that the governing body are neither inspired or infallible.. the governing body do not need to apologize for getting doctrines wrong.. the governing body ''do their best with what they have and what they understand at the time.''.
A good video… free from miss information angst or glib rhetoric.
It is quite true. How can they claim God’s direction when they keep making entirely human errors?
Maybe they have worked out now that it is safer to just say “ We just don’t know! “
so, i finally saw the annual meeting video part 2.. this is the one with the “new light” on who might survive armageddon, vs. those who do not.. in summary, for those of you fortunate enough not to have to sit through it, it’s something like this:.
old light: once the “great tribulation” starts, that’s it for non-jws.
the “door of the ark” is closed.
How are they going to crack the whip to get them out on the Ministry now?
Is it a lifesaving work ? No because we know Jehovah will spare them if their heart is right .
Am I saving myself ? Maybe though because I know the ‘ truth’ and if I fail to preach it then I am refusing Jehovah… So in that case , it is better not to know and not be obliged to live a life of service… So I am doing them a favour by not telling them ?
I am confused …
a relative sent me yesterday's wt study article 46, how jehovah guarantees his promise of paradise.. it's been a long time since i read one of those articles but what really struck me about this one is that, considering it's discussing a fundamental jw belief, it only mentions jesus twice as an aside, and not at all as the central figure like the bible does.
it actually mentions satan far more in the same article!.
i don't remember this discrepancy from my time in the org 15 years ago.
I have made similar observations in the past although there are times when they focus on Jesus .. A District Convention theme a few years back was all about Jesus. There is the big project underway to video the whole life and Ministry of Jesus. The recent Broadcast made the point that Jesus is the final judge of mankind “ and the resurrection is by him….
So they do recognise him , but of course as subordinate to Jehovah. I still think they could do more to constantly keep him before their flock.
in b.c.
, canada, a victory for ex-jws.
https://infotel.ca/newsitem/privacy-commissioner-orders-north-okanagan-jehovahs-witnesses-to-hand-over-private-records/it92596.
“The elders who meet with the individual do not share the confidential religious summary with other elders who are not authorized to be involved in the spiritual restorative discipline,"
That is utter B/s... In my experience the elders talk about it freely among themselves, if not the r&f . Then of course it is written and the Branch Office informed for their record. It is nothing like Catholic confession.
https://youtu.be/pi7sn2rnrke?si=lnvklqct6nuayv2q.
branches of jehovah’s witnesses: 85 (= down one from 86 from the previous year and quite possibly they are referring to the hong kong bethel that closed down recently).
number of lands reporting: 239 ( =the same as 2022).
Thanks for studying those statistics…. It is more than I would have done..
Really at present the % increases are pretty meaningless . There have been so many changes in recent years due to Covid and lockdown that there is not a true comparison. The Pioneer hours have changed.
Now they have done away with counting time, one only has to turn up at a F.S. Group or send someone a text … as long as you mention something about it, job done ! You can put a tick in the appropriate box of your NW Publisher electronic report and everyone is happy.
future gb: "please come back!
all is forgiven!".
would it work?
An amnesty for all d/fd ? No chance ! For a start it would be unscriptural and just think of the effect on the faithful who have been wronged…
However, in this time of them revisiting beliefs and procedures, maybe a loosening of the demands on family to shun them .. just treat as non Witnesses….. maybe?
so, i finally saw the annual meeting video part 2.. this is the one with the “new light” on who might survive armageddon, vs. those who do not.. in summary, for those of you fortunate enough not to have to sit through it, it’s something like this:.
old light: once the “great tribulation” starts, that’s it for non-jws.
the “door of the ark” is closed.
It seems that in any question now about future events, the answer is “ we cannot be sure so we are not dogmatic “
Mind you , it seems that survival, according to them, still requires us to go knocking on the Kingdom Hall and say ‘we are sorry, please let us in’...
Did G Jackson mention the mental cases, the babies beyond reach ? I suppose that is all left to Jehovah who will do the right thing.
On the one hand I applaud this new found honesty in admitting that they don’t have the answers but on the other hand I can’t help feeling that we used to follow because we thought they DID know... That they had special insight and the Spirit revealed it.
Is it reassuring to ask your leader and he says (shrug) “I Dunno”
i was searching a sellers listings for my hobby stuff--model railways--and the seller has listed this amongst it.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395090358779?hash=item5bfd3871fb:g:qmyaaoswidnliyfk.
I certainly remember the Bible translations comparison notes that we had when we first offered the complete NWT in the Ministry. It was to show the “superiority “ of our Bible.
That might be around 60 years ago, time flies !
“It’s fun having the absolute freedom to research everything I’ve wanted to look into for many years.”
That I can understand. I felt the same when I left.. I suddenly realised I had to make up my own mind about many things that I had relied on the Society to tell me ... it is an interesting journey.
NB . I don’t see signs and symbols in things that are not there, though
