i’ve noticed a pattern where things don’t go the way i expect them to go and/or whenever i realise there is a trend and, i mentally adjust for the idea that the trend will continue, the trend stops in its tracks.
so on that basis, and given many people, including myself, and active jws, have been asking ‘what changes will the governing body make next?’ perhaps the (disappointing) answer is: ‘nothing much for a while to come’.
maybe they’ve made the changes they want for now, and will wait a while and see how it’s received.
DAGNEY:
Interesting times for sure. But, I’m Glad I’m long Out and watching this only as a spectator!
I also agree the JW religion has long range plans! I think it’s just a question of when would be the correct moment for them to reveal these things.. Right now I think they are watching the dust settle on the recent shocking changes they already made to determine the attitudes and whatever in the congregations!
a few weeks later, the witness that i speak, family and friends are very happy with the recent changes .. no one mentions the df aproach change, fieldservice report and free entrance to the paradise for non jw.. only the clothing style and beard are mentioned.. the sisters are all in a halaluja happy modes.
they are feeling being respected and heard by the lovely leadership.. one brother told me he will never grow a beard because he lost his elder status in the early 90's because of his beard.
now it's allowed i will not grow a beard he sweared.. it seems jw.org has down a great change job.
GORB:
I don’t blame that brother. I’d tell them to shove their new beard rule… But, it seems this brother isn’t going anywhere and nothing else changed for him. As you mention, the sisters seem to be happy with the changes.
Maybe as time goes by and everything sinks in, some thinking Witnesses here and there will leave.. But, I seriously doubt many will go back to the JWs unless it’s to have contact with relatives who are shunning them.
But, who can guarantee that their hopes to reconcile will even be successful in the end? We have read of reinstated people who still feel treated badly! They might just end up leaving the religion yet again!
https://youtu.be/-yvykw37rzo?si=vwokohrdq2b53fmh.
by now, it should be painfully obvious that we live in a post tonny morris era where the floods of organizational changes have become possible and a new version of the religion, some have called it warchtower 2.0 is emerging with a soft approach to disfellowshipping practices across the board for all those sinners.
nevertheless 3 groups of people will still be targeted for harsh excommunication, we know the first two well :csa perpetrators and apostates.
RAYMOND FRANTZ:
What you say makes perfect sense: the bottom line is that divorce in the JW religion hurts their bottom line. Certain people (usually the ‘wronged’ partner) feel so uncomfortable that they leave.
Several decades ago it seemed that there was a rash of this going on. Man cheats on wife, gets disfellowshipped. Comes back with the new wife (usually younger and prettier) who may or may not have been from the same congregation.. Then you see them raising their hands commenting. All is well or so it seemed.
That seemed to be the recipe of how you do it in JW land.. But, I guess this was not liked by the religion because it became too common. People switched congregations and maybe left the religion altogether. Not a good thing for the religion.
in the spring of 1967 district overseer charles sunutko gave in sheboygan, wisconsin, the talk, "serving with everlasting life in view"
a recording of that talk is available on the internet at several places, easily found by a google search.. but who is (was?
) charles sunutko?.
I did a Google of the name Charles Sinutko.
I just listened to his famous talk about “Staying Alive Until ‘75’. Even though I came into the Witness religion after 1975, I remember some of that similar language in his talk coming from certain older JWs in the congregation at the time.
I remember hearing: ‘exert yourself vigorously’ and the admonition that if you ‘weren’t out doing all you can’ - you ‘wouldn’t make it’, and that ‘door would be closed’.. I was certainly viewed as being screwed because I had a full-time job!
But, I wonder what he would have to say now about the religion removing its requirement to count time and turn in a slip?
it is useless for you to contact me, i already know that according to the new update of the governing body, you can contact me.. but the problem is... you can only invite me to meetings, and at most say "hello" once i'm there.. i already know.. so, if you really want to know how i'm doing, even if it's irrelevant for the purposes of this contact, i'll tell you.. i am not well.
i'm depressed and full of psychotropic drugs.
of course, being isolated from everyone i knew and loved didn't help.. here's how i am.. and for a thousand reasons, there is no question of becoming an "associate" in the congregation again.. ergo, it's useless.. there's no point in contacting me, because that's the only goal.. it's not out of a rush of love.
ED LOGAN:
I never received any such letter and I’m Glad. Of course, I’m a long-time ‘Fader’ and not DF’d (unless they do such things without you knowing it). 🤣
I know of someone who received such a communication from an old friend.. They got a printed tract invitation of the JW religion’s memorial celebration along with an impersonal note telling them where in their city it would be held.. This person has happily moved on with their life and is debating whether or not they should reply.
If I had received such a letter, I would reply:
“Dear So-and-So, I received your note and invitation to the memorial. While it is nice to hear from you, I am afraid the ONLY reason you reached out was because the religion gave you ‘permission’ because they are trying to attract people back into the religion. This is pathetic and unacceptable to me. Does the religion believe people are stupid?
I only wish your sentiment was true friendship and not forced with an agenda to get people back in seats at the hall.. If, at any time, you desire real friendship with nobody forcing you or suggesting you get in touch with me, I would always welcome it. Sincerely,..”
everybody plays the fool.
lyrics.
'okay, so your heart is brokenyou sit around mopin'cryin' and cryin'you say you're even thinkin' about dyin'well, before you do anything rash, dig this.
3RD GEN:
No, I was not raised in the Witness religion but was Roman Catholic. I cannot imagine what you and others either born-in or raised-in must have gone through!
Who knows what so many JWs may have become or accomplished if they were not hindered by misguided parents obeying this religion.
It is nice to know you have a wonderful marriage with BALAAMSASS. We can agree that we are all very glad to be Out of the JW religion.. It would not matter what changes they make.
everybody plays the fool.
lyrics.
'okay, so your heart is brokenyou sit around mopin'cryin' and cryin'you say you're even thinkin' about dyin'well, before you do anything rash, dig this.
3RD GEN:
That’s an interesting read. I came into the JW religion after 1975 (but before they changed those famous baptism questions).. I always wondered how many of those ‘75-ers recovered from this mistake!..
I was a young working woman terribly criticized because I wouldn’t quit my full-time job to do housecleaning and pioneer!
When I hear about all these recent changes the religion made - I have to laugh because they mean nothing. How many countless people were affected all through the years? When I especially heard the one about no longer needing to submit a field service time slip - how do you think I felt??? I was judged over this and got real hatred from some people there.
Thankfully, I never listened and ‘Faded’ at some point. I worked until Retirement.. Now, they want to entice people back. They’ve got to be kidding. I have no desire to be around desperate Baby Boomers, some of whom were my critics.. They bought into all the religion’s BS and had ‘Armageddon’ as their retirement plan.. Well, let their ‘spiritual’ friends help them. You know.. the ones who invited them to all those dinners and special gatherings.
do jehovahs witnesses believe eccl.
10: 19 is literal or is limited in application in some way?
money is the answer for everything - eccl.
DESIROUS OF CHANGE & HALCON:
I remember the saying about ‘keeping your eye simple’ and ‘being rich’ and who is to measure and say what these things really mean?
I remember 1995 as this is what woke me up and I ‘Faded’ at some point.. Any wise Witnesses realized they had to get decent jobs and not count on ‘Armageddon’ coming to save them from not preparing! This was almost 30 years ago. It is nice to hear that now the younger JWs are more in reality and realize they need education for trades and other careers!👍🏻
As somebody who (thankfully) was not raised a Witness, I could never understand how anybody with an ounce of sense would take advice from people cloistered somewhere who have no idea what everyday life is like in the real world! ..When I heard they did away with time counting slips for publishers at the 2023 annual meeting - I was so Glad I never listened years ago to all the criticism about my full-time job with busybodies telling me I should be in the ministry instead!
I would have liked to tell off a few elderly Witnesses who are no longer with us - to say to them how wrong they were about everything! Now their religion is being dismantled.
i think the gb needs to expand publishers' volunteer activities beyond door knocking.. gb has shifted away from door-knocking to more varied forms of witnessing and no longer counting time for publishers.
my prediction is that the gb will start encouraging jws to participate in broader community volunteer efforts: clean-up drives, food banks, senior citizen support, and other non-proselytizing activities.
this move could help them gain goodwill with government agencies and the public.. expanding volunteer activities could significantly shift how jws are perceived by the wider community.
WING COMMANDER:
I agree the religion has No desire in its heart to do any of the above-mentioned real charity and truly emulate the religions of ‘Babylon the Great’ they used to knock all the time.. But, I wonder if they could be compelled to if their tax status was involved?
let's be honest, there's a stigma to the name jehovah's witness.
if they are going more mainstream.
i imagine the first recommendation was a name change.
VIDIOT & DIOGENESISTER:
When I was referring to old loyalist JWs propping up the religion I wasn’t necessarily referring to money wise. I was mainly referring to them being there physically and moral support and faithfulness. They would go down with the ship.
I realize many of the Baby Boomer JWs are broke (because they believed the bullshit not to get college or careers). There might be some here and there that are doing well.
As far as the most wealth and donating - I believe the generation before them was more affluent. They donated the most money. I realize there are only very few of these people left and they are in extreme old age.
