TheListener

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Posts by TheListener

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  65

  Governing Body 2.0

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i borrow the phrase gb 2.0 from alltimejeff, who used it yesterday in the post about theodore jaracz's death.. i was interested in starting a thread that addresses the new leadership regime that has emerged within the wts, especially in light of changes (albeit mundane) the organization has undertaken over the past 15 years or so.

  while few of us have had close contact with the men in charge, changes they have made in recent years surly reflect a definable leadership style.

  it also reveals a little bit about how they view the organization and its future.. from what i can put together, it seems that there a few obvious things to note.. - 1999 seems to be the sea change year in terms of gb appointment and might be seen sybolically as a turning point in terms of leadership for the group.

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  TheListener

  1994	Losch added to GB
  1995	Generation change (WT 11/1/1995)
  1997	Nethinim program officially instituted (WT 5/15/1997)
  2000	Herd,Lett,Pierce,Splane added to GB
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  65

  Governing Body 2.0

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i borrow the phrase gb 2.0 from alltimejeff, who used it yesterday in the post about theodore jaracz's death.. i was interested in starting a thread that addresses the new leadership regime that has emerged within the wts, especially in light of changes (albeit mundane) the organization has undertaken over the past 15 years or so.

  while few of us have had close contact with the men in charge, changes they have made in recent years surly reflect a definable leadership style.

  it also reveals a little bit about how they view the organization and its future.. from what i can put together, it seems that there a few obvious things to note.. - 1999 seems to be the sea change year in terms of gb appointment and might be seen sybolically as a turning point in terms of leadership for the group.

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  TheListener

  As far as the GB2.0 is concerned. I never thought about the enlargement of the body not occurring until the mid-90s and beyond. It does seem that the GB1.0 felt that they could man the helm until the system finally ended. It must have made for some interesting discussions once they started to see themselves physically and mentally deteriorate and knew something had to be done before too long.

  As I recall the first step in the process for creating the GB2.0 was the Nethinim article (WT 5/15/1997 p.15-20). Others may be able to correct me.

  What would be interesting to see in a timeline is the GB appointments, generation changes, and doctrinal shifts like the Nethinim. It may show an interesting pattern...
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  65

  Governing Body 2.0

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i borrow the phrase gb 2.0 from alltimejeff, who used it yesterday in the post about theodore jaracz's death.. i was interested in starting a thread that addresses the new leadership regime that has emerged within the wts, especially in light of changes (albeit mundane) the organization has undertaken over the past 15 years or so.

  while few of us have had close contact with the men in charge, changes they have made in recent years surly reflect a definable leadership style.

  it also reveals a little bit about how they view the organization and its future.. from what i can put together, it seems that there a few obvious things to note.. - 1999 seems to be the sea change year in terms of gb appointment and might be seen sybolically as a turning point in terms of leadership for the group.

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  TheListener

  TD, after reading your post I must say I agree completely. Overall I like the direction of this thread.

  In the "old days" the congregation bookstudies didn't have specific numbers of paragraphs to cover and much was left up to the individual study conductor. In the "old days" the "friends" would discuss deep prophecies and in general felt superior to other christians because they had such meat provided to them for study.

  I remember being in field service car groups and playing bible stump games. The one who could come up with some obscure fact which was usually based on some deep prophecy would win.

  It seemed that there was a time when open discussion occurred about the doctrines and the understandings. Make no mistake, you did have to tow the line; outright disagreement wasn't acceptable.

  Nowadays the witnesses seem to be slowly losing end times urgency. I know we've discussed it on the boards a million times, but it's true. The old timers feel the younger ones aren't spiritual enough to survive the persecution that they feel is sure to come. The young ones don't know the deep spiritual prophecies and truths because they aren't really discussed much. There is a real (to borrow a term used by someone earlier) bifurcation of the membership.

  One possibility is that a new visionary will emerge and either reinvigorate the entire membership or cause a schism.

  The more I watch my witness family members and their friends the more I see them seem tired and unenergetic. The average witness seems very much to just be going through the motions without giving much thought to anything except the end coming so they will be vindicated and not stricken with odd illnesses any longer.

  Actually, that last sentence made a thought pop into my head. It seems we've discussed many times the odd illnesses that witnesses have. The witnesses of the 30s-70s weren't afflicted with so many maladies. I believe it is all part of the wearing out of the message, machinery and membership.
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  65

  Governing Body 2.0

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i borrow the phrase gb 2.0 from alltimejeff, who used it yesterday in the post about theodore jaracz's death.. i was interested in starting a thread that addresses the new leadership regime that has emerged within the wts, especially in light of changes (albeit mundane) the organization has undertaken over the past 15 years or so.

  while few of us have had close contact with the men in charge, changes they have made in recent years surly reflect a definable leadership style.

  it also reveals a little bit about how they view the organization and its future.. from what i can put together, it seems that there a few obvious things to note.. - 1999 seems to be the sea change year in terms of gb appointment and might be seen sybolically as a turning point in terms of leadership for the group.

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  TheListener
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  18

  The effect of this religion on my children & the action I had to take - Part I

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been meaning to tell this story for some time now.

  i feel that i would like to share it so that it may serve as a warning to anyone who thinks that the jw religion does not have a negative effect on children.. i have been out of the religion for 4 years now.

  i wasn't brought up in the organisation.

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  TheListener

  I hear you man. You, me, Billzfan and others must be in the same boat.

  How much do we say to the kids? If our household has some peace how much do we rock the boat? Do we put our foot down and risk divorce to keep the kids free? Would that just push the kids further in?

  It's like trying to get a sliver. You're never positive of the right tool (needle or tweezers) and if you use the wrong one you could push it further in. Plus, sometimes getting the sliver out leaves a lot of raw flesh around the wound because it was in so deep. (((sigh)))
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  11

  There can be a paradise earth WITHOUT an earthly resurrection

  by Mad Sweeney in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i get tired of hearing the faulty reasoning that there has to be an earthly resurrection because the bible promises a paradise earth.. those are two completely different things.. the bible only mentions a heavenly resurrection and resurrection is never mentioned in conjunction with paradise earth.

  "how then could there be a paradise earth if everyone goes to heaven?

  the earth would be empty, dummy!".

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  TheListener

  Leo,

  Where did you get that number?
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  89

  I am having some reservations about Barbara Anderson

  by JWoods in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently, there was a very nice thread in which one of our posters apologized for having the temerity to challenge barbara anderson.. i thought it was very nice to see that they made up and put the personal stuff aside.. however, i felt the need to call it like i really feel it - i was very put off by the barbara anderson reply in which she plugged her new promotional meeting.

  it brought back memories of that horrid little affair from a couple of years back when she kept posting up "the greatest new thing about blood which will bring down the watchtower society is just around the corner -- and i could tell you but then i would have to kill you, etc."..

  just like another jehovah's witnesses prophecy about the coming of the lord in our time.. i am beginning to wonder if perhaps the siren song of self-promotion is getting a little too strong for real life.. ok. i said it.. james - and saying it was not the easiest thing that i have ever done.

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  TheListener

  Thank you Barbara. I appreciate what you've done and continue to do.
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  19

  Two Babylons...

  by on the rocks in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we had this book in our congregation....some ppl used to make a ref to this book....any idea wats the connection of this book with the wts..

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  TheListener

  A good refutation of the book was written by Ralph Woodrow. It's called The Babylon Connection? and its ISBN is: 0916938174

  Check it out on Amazon.
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  183

  Hubby is Researching 607...

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  would you say that's the beginning of the end?

  hubby's researching if the beginning date can be proven from the bible its starting date is 607. clearly, he won't find the answer.... here's hoping he will see the light... .

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  TheListener

  The first issue I researched was 607.

  When I was a witness I sounded a lot like Scholar and in fact it was his posts (with others) that allowed me to see my own stupidity in a mirror.

  I've said this before, but thank you Scholar. If it wasn't for you and others like you I may have never gotten free.
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  20

  Crazy GB Rants from Bethel- All former B-lites please participate

  by lrkr in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  just remember a few crazy gb rants- the topic on no smooching during the prayer got me to remembering a few:.

  losch- morning worship- roommates should pray together (inferred kneeling on the floor together).

  losch- morning worship- women have a natural craving for men that has to be managed and controlled by men.

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  TheListener

  Remember how the GB and heavies used to talk a lot about roommates not wrestling? They hit that very heavy in entrance school. Apparently wrestling leads to fornication and that is not appropriate for Bethelites.

  Perhaps wrestling wasn't the real problem, maybe it was that the roommates were oiling each other up first.