Posts by TheListener

56

The CO asked for more contributions

by outofthebox in

jw
friends

it looks like the wt is running out of money fast.

few weeks ago we had the co visit and he told us in the ms and elders meeting that he had never seen a letter from the gb like this one, but then he went ahead and read it.

the letter basically said: "the contributions are down and there is more people in the congregation.

TheListener

The WTS has a lot of real estate money but it's all tied up in the property. They do sell properties to get a cash infusion but they can only do that on a limited basis.

They need liquid cash and the best place for them to get it is from the individual dubs around the world.

Perhaps we will see the WTS decentralize the headquarters staff even more. Less brick and mortar and more online technology.

This could go hand in hand with online literature that the dubs print off for themselves. That would push printing costs waaaaaaaaay down.

If they only needed white collar office space, they could also get rid of the need to house people full-time. Perhaps expanding the commuter bethelite program where you live nearby and commuter to bethel for work each day. They could begin a slow shift to regular 40 hour a week office workers (qualified dubs only) from the live-in bethelites that we've all come to know.

10

jw's slacking off on fs?

by carla in

i hear you guys saying that often.

i find it frustrating because mine sure hasn't!

maybe it is all the jw's who have ubm's who do most of the door to door now?

TheListener

Hey Carla,

I don't have a specific answer regarding your BM (get it, bowel movement or believing mate?) hahahaha. Anyway, I digress.

I've seen a lot of slacking off in the FS in my area.

However, a witness with an unbelieving mate often times feels it necessary to put on a strong front. In fact they are encourage to do so by the congregation. Remember, they hear a lot about how you, the unbelieving mate, can be won without a word.

I'm in a somewhat different boat. My wife knows I know the truth and have rejected it. She doesn't try to win me without a word because I've rejected the truth. But, your husband regardless of what you've said regarding the truth is still intent on showing you how great it is. - probably (imho)

Does your husband complain about the congregation? any of the friends at the hall? Do you get invited to get togethers? Does he leave literature around for you to accidentally find? Does he smile and talk about how great he feels or how happy he is - in relation to the truth? These would all be things a believing mate would do in order to win you over without a word.

So, where others may see a lessening of FS by mates or witness friends you may not see that same trend in your household.

28

So they are phone witnessing now

by MrsBee in

the jw's just called my job.

my boss answered the phone and she said that they were like, id like to share a scripture with you, read the scripture and was like now if you grab your bible, and she was like i dont have a bible and they said well, when someone comes by for a talk, and she was like, you cannot come here, this is a place of business.. .

lmao.

TheListener

I posted this on another thread but thought it might fit here as well:

My wife has told me that fewer people want to drive in service and that several people are carpooling to the DC and CA now. Everyone is trying to figure out how to do more with less.

The dubs have done phone and letter witnessing for years. But, in most places it always carried a laziness stigma (sorry for any who did it for real health reasons but the friends have never really respected phone and letter writing). Now, it is becoming much more mainstream.

Also, my wife told me that many more are doing informal witnessing while they're out doing errands.

She sees less and less people at the meeting for field service but everyone is still getting their time in - which means they are either liars or they're doing alternative forms of witnessing.

Just my news from the front line (well, one person back from the front line).

19

Idol Meat? That is the question

by TheListener in

could gentile christians eat idol meat or what?.

acts 15 says avoid things polluted by idols.. 1 cor.

8 says it's ok but for the sake of others forego it.. 1 cor.

TheListener

I wanted to bring this back up to the top for all the newbies.

This thread started out discussing Idol Meat and turned into a deep discussion on the WTS blood doctrine and a logical way to refute it.

54

How Long Did It Take You to Realize It Wasn't "The Truth"?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i see some posters still aren't 100% sure that the jehovah's witness religion might not be "the truth"....was there a moment when things became very clear for you regarding this religion?.

do you still think, maybe----jws aren't all that bad??

?.

TheListener

Not the truth?? what are you talking about??? say it isn't so, please, just say it isn't so.

It took me some time to really believe it wasn't the truth. I was scared about being destroyed for a long time. This board and Ray Franz's books really helped me get over the hump of belief.

3

Feild Circus and the Cost of Gas

by uwishufish in

jw
friends

has any one heard the word s or somthing like them?

"we can take my car but my tank is empty.

so if you want to ride in the jw mobile all riders need to chip in.

TheListener

My wife has told me that fewer people want to drive in service and that several people are carpooling to the DC and CA now. Everyone is trying to figure out how to do more with less.

The dubs have done phone and letter witnessing for years. But, in most places it always carried a laziness stigma (sorry for any who did it for real health reasons but the friends have never really respected phone and letter writing). Now, it is becoming much more mainstream.

Also, my wife told me that many more are doing informal witnessing while they're out doing errands.

She sees less and less people at the meeting for field service but everyone is still getting their time in - which means they are either liars or they're doing alternative forms of witnessing.

Just my news from the front line (well, one person back from the front line).

20

Welp- Talked to an elder

by megawatt in

spoke to an elder and mentioned i had some concerns that need addressing.

he asked if it's about the organization and i answered with a simple yes.

it's something i don't want to do, but for some reason the better half thinks it's necessary, as if i need a different perspective on my research and maybe he'll be able to shed some light on my doubts.

TheListener

Sorry if I missed it Megawatt but what are your specific issues with the WTS?

20

Welp- Talked to an elder

by megawatt in

spoke to an elder and mentioned i had some concerns that need addressing.

he asked if it's about the organization and i answered with a simple yes.

it's something i don't want to do, but for some reason the better half thinks it's necessary, as if i need a different perspective on my research and maybe he'll be able to shed some light on my doubts.

TheListener

Drew,

Talk about an all or nothing gamble! Wow.

Glad it worked out though.

41

How can I know for sure that the WTS isn't God's organization?

by nbernat in

i go back and forth everyday.

one day i'm like, "suppress your gay feelings and what you think is wrong about this organization and keep going forward because you want eternal life and all of your friends are here and it's as close to the truth as it can possibly get so just deal with it.

" others i'm like, "live your life.

TheListener

When I first admitted to myself that I didn't believe it was the truth anymore I panicked. I felt for sure that each major world catastrophe was going to be armageddon. As sad as it sounds I would lie awake at night during thunderstorms and be afraid that the end was coming. It was a horrible experience.

But, I realized that this was happening because I hadn't really convinced myself it wasn't the truth. I mentally knew it but my heart hadn't accepted it yet. So I began to intensely study the issues that I felt were out of whack with reality. I chose a handful of doctrines that I knew were wrong and studied them until I could convincingly explain them to others - not a believing dub though, nothing convinces them.

Studying what I felt were glaring doctrinal flaws allowewd me to see how messed up the religion really is. It has also helped me steer my kids and wife toward the exit very very very slowly (hope hope hope).

Good luck.

20

Welp- Talked to an elder

by megawatt in

spoke to an elder and mentioned i had some concerns that need addressing.

he asked if it's about the organization and i answered with a simple yes.

it's something i don't want to do, but for some reason the better half thinks it's necessary, as if i need a different perspective on my research and maybe he'll be able to shed some light on my doubts.

TheListener

Good luck Megawatt.

My wife wanted me to write the GB and talk with the local elders too.

I told her that there wasn't any information they could share with me that wasn't already in print - and we have access to everything in print.

She accepted my argument and dropped the subject. I think she decided it was better that I fade and be left alone than get disfellowshipped and become an activist.

Of course our carefully non-verbal agreement to this affect could topple at any time.