Naked Emperors Lane(to honor the GB)
Streetwalkers Avenue(to honor publishers)
did they name the road at warwick?
kings dr??.
im so sure......them gb members got some big heads!!
Naked Emperors Lane(to honor the GB)
Streetwalkers Avenue(to honor publishers)
with the book crisis of conscience detailing the turbulence at bethel during the early to mid 70's, the transformation from autocratic rule to governance by committee or a body of men, many of us can speak to how that felt among the rank and file of the local congregations during those years.
we learned new concepts based in large part to research done for the aid to bible understanding volume, then we were asked or coerced into unlearning those principles, going back to the old ways.
some of us never readjusted, finding ourselves very different from our more hardline compadres.. the inertia for the changes that eventually were initiated in the congregations came from the discovery that the greek words episkopos and presbyteros were used biblically to refer to all qualified men in a congregation, not just one.
It is funny, now they would say I DA'd myself, but back then, (maybe they were confused) I was disassociated from the congrgation, I didn't DA myself. And frankly, I wasn't trying to cut off my life and piss off my mom, I just didn't want to be a JW or ID myself as one. I still liked them (though the shunning soon took the bloom off of that partiicular rose!)
with the book crisis of conscience detailing the turbulence at bethel during the early to mid 70's, the transformation from autocratic rule to governance by committee or a body of men, many of us can speak to how that felt among the rank and file of the local congregations during those years.
we learned new concepts based in large part to research done for the aid to bible understanding volume, then we were asked or coerced into unlearning those principles, going back to the old ways.
some of us never readjusted, finding ourselves very different from our more hardline compadres.. the inertia for the changes that eventually were initiated in the congregations came from the discovery that the greek words episkopos and presbyteros were used biblically to refer to all qualified men in a congregation, not just one.
Man. Most of my years in the borg that I remember are 1970-1982. It didn't feel that liberal to ME, but I guess I do remember the cracking down when our youth bible study was summarily canceled after some earnest conversation with an elder about 1975 and other stuff.
I don't remember there ever NOT being elders. I don't remember short skirts, pantsuits or much more than cheesy sideburns and bro dent's neon green suits and purple shirts. He was s slight, short, balding white guy in his 30's and I can't even describe his style as I think he was completely unique in this world. Mostly I liked the elders until I was called in the back to testify that I was indeed abused and wasn't a willing victim(??) and then when I asked questions no one thought worth answering i just said I didn't want to be a JW and poof, I was DA'd. Not sure how/why as I was a kid and never baptised. I had no idea it was anything more than not ID'ing myself as one anymore and not going to meetings. It was I think a whole new category of getting busted in the congregation.
i've been drawing back lately and looking at the big picture going on in the org, somewhat like slimboyfat has also been doing, but i am wondering about different possibilities.
so the current gb has modernized recently in various ways.
they have done a strong and sudden about-face regarding the electronic world, from viewing the whole thing suspiciously and condemning bros. use tablets from the platform to suddenly embracing them and causing the r&f to do so to such a degree that old ones are spending hundreds of dollars to buy devices that they have no clue how to use; they have heavily embraced this media for their message, very much like the churches have been doing for years, especially with their jw broadcasting and their caleb and sophia animations.
i hear of these stories of elders swapping wives, i remember when i was young hearing of three elders in florida doing this and getting dfed.
my question is this how is it possible to bring this up in conversation?
it seems impossible, how can there be multi elders that know each other willing and the wives?
All those who don't believe it could ever happen among JWs are just still brainwashed. JWs are just people. No better than any other people. People engage in that kind of behavior and not all JWs are in because they are actually morally and ethically pure. HERE, we see all the time how many are just in because they have no other simple options. How many are in the borg that don't really buy into it or who just hope that they will get some points in the hereafter because they kind of believe it but aren't really committed? All those 2 hour averages come from somewhere.
A lot of people are going and playing along with no internal dedication to anything. They are playing it like every other Sunday/Easter Christian that JWs make fun of. A little more time, but no more heart in the game.
I was in a cong. in NJ that was all kinds of fun, they went to see movies unapproved of by hardass JWs, listened to music, went to DANCE CLUBS (it was the 80's) and out for drinks at bars (I was still underaged back then). I only participated in the regular Friendly's outing after meetings on Sunday, but to ME, that was weird-the only time we went to restaurants was when it was break out in FS.
I never did this but find it entirely credible that like minded people find each other in halls. They are, after all, just people.
when i think about where i am at now in my life, in my marriage, with my kids.
why did i get involved with this cult?
i have brought out the cult personality in my wife and there no turning her back.
i never really knew any until recently.
as a witness we all thought they were weird.
but the two faiths are a lot alike, except the mormons are really so much nicer than the jws!.
I think both religions are whacked. I know a LOT of both and the LDS win for being good neighbors in the literal way and the Jesus way. JWs can't touch them.
If all religion removed all the "spiritual" and doctrinal stuff and was left with the Christian 'life', the JWs would all be just plain dead. Mormons practice their religion in practical and truly neighborly ways. They help each other and their neighbors, their tithes support the things that the church does (and they do a LOT-their tithes support the community in the way they should). I can name some stinkier things that are official doctrine, but in everyday life, they practice being good neighbors and I think Jesus (who I believe existed) was more interested in informing what we do than what we blather about.
since i just signed up and posted a few times without doing this yet, here is my story..
i think that i became a jehovahs witness because of my immaturity.
i had some quirky personality traits, and i joined finding that i fit in because, as i said to myself: these people get me.
there are some good minds on this forum.
how much will it cost, in your estimation, to build warwick?
there are some good minds on this forum.
how much will it cost, in your estimation, to build warwick?