Posts by careful

39

Who make up the new memorial partakers?

by jwfacts in

when the doctrine regarding 1935 being the close of the calling was done away with in 2007, it was not unexpected to see the number rise.

over the next few years it went from around 8,500 to 10,500. this seemed to indicate that there were a couple of thousand people that may have felt they had the calling all along, but too shy to profess it.

for the 30 year period between the mid 1978 and 2007, parktakers had barely dropped.

careful

It is interesting to think about the individual cases of the current GB members since they all began partaking of the emblems long after the old "baptized before 1935" doctrine was thrown out. At least one case has been discussed here, that of Mark Sanderson, and I think someone here once mentioned that he or she knew of doubters regarding Geoffrey Jackson. Sanderson's case goes like this. He was raised in during the 1960s and 70s in San Deigo not partaking in his cong at the time. At 18 when he finished high school, he went off to Canada to pioneer. Immediately he began partaking and has ever since. Of course, he got flack for doing so—see here:

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6327964561047552/new-khs-still-being-built

The comment by newsheep is not directly on-topic but is provided in the context of a comment on the elder Kelly Flodell. The key description: "t was Kelly who had taken Mark Sanderson aside when he was really really young and told him he better know what he is doing partaking of the emblems. That Mark wasn't even an MS yet and in his late teens partaking of the emblems. Heard this story over and over from Kelly."

I bring this up for the following reason. It is quite likely that each GB member today went through the experience of having various cong members doubt their genuinely "being of the anointed." That this must have been personal and painful is clear. Therefore, they probably don't want to come down hard on others, especially males in the full-time service, who would be experiencing the same thing they went through.

Just some thoughts to share.

30

Montana News

by AuntBee in

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/montana/articles/2020-01-08/court-reverses-35m-verdict-against-jehovahs-witnesses.

careful

Thanks for the update. As I've said before, some day the SCOTUS is going to have to decide on this clergy-penitent privilege when it comes to reporting CSA, and this Montana example is why. The states are all over the place on the matter. There is no consistency. You would think that some national child rights advocacy group would take this task on ...

13

Legal fight over door-to-door notes continues: case goes to Strasbourg

by Corney in

on 10 june 2019, the finnish jw organization lodged an application against finland with the european court of human rights.

the case was quickly - by the court's standards - communicated to the finnish government on 10 december 2019. the complaint itself isn't available online but there is a brief summary (see the link above) prepared by the court:.

the application concerns the jehovah’s witnesses’ religious activities in finland and their compatibility with the data protection regulations.

careful

What is of interest here is that some branch of the org has decided to take this to court at all, That means the GB are testing the waters regarding the GDPR.

28

Current JW growth in the United States in historical perspective and in comparison with other groups

by slimboyfat in

current jw growth is slower than during most of their history.

the only probable exceptions are following 1975 when there was a brief worldwide decrease, the late 1920s when around half of the members left the movement, perhaps around the 1917 schism, and various schisms during russell’s time.

there were also periods of sluggish growth during the 1950/60s and around 2000. .

careful

Do the LDS publish the number of congregations? As you have long preached, SBF, those numbers tell the real story.

28

Current JW growth in the United States in historical perspective and in comparison with other groups

by slimboyfat in

current jw growth is slower than during most of their history.

the only probable exceptions are following 1975 when there was a brief worldwide decrease, the late 1920s when around half of the members left the movement, perhaps around the 1917 schism, and various schisms during russell’s time.

there were also periods of sluggish growth during the 1950/60s and around 2000. .

careful

What about the Mormons and Catholics?

40

Has Anything Really Changed For JWs In The Last 10 Years?

by minimus in

jw
friends

2020 is days away.

has anything really changed for the witnesses or the religion?

?.

careful

"They are now at a new low of brain-dead."

Thank you, PON!

9

2019--December--4--Leaked--Videos!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

congregation expenses types and approvals.

issuing donation acknowledgment letters.

monthly congregation accounts reports--s-30.

careful

Thanks again, Petra! I haven't watched these yet but could they be a source of info for their real financial state/income, a least a portion of it?

2

2019--S--44--Form!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

2019 s-44 form.

monthly kingdom hall operating committee accounts report.

https://docdro.id/pamkvfm.

careful

Thanks, Petra!

Dr. Who—good observation. Maybe this is one of those MS jobs given to soon-elder-to-be's, like speaker coordinator could/used to be (still is?).

40

Has Anything Really Changed For JWs In The Last 10 Years?

by minimus in

jw
friends

2020 is days away.

has anything really changed for the witnesses or the religion?

?.

careful

SBF: "What else did I miss?"

Financial woes due to one thing you touched on, the "Print publishing downscaled" but with the detail that previously it had become free to all (= the loss of long, well-established income from printed matter sales), because of the org's fear of taxation (really opening their books to Caesar via tax audits)—that is, if all this is not just another of their PR stunts. There are those broadcasts where GB members claim such financial woes.

Related to the above: the constant pleas for MORE MONEY.

A big one that the GB are so interested in keeping from the R&F:

the child sexual abuse lawsuits/coverups/disgraceful policies

Some of your points were mentioned by others, some were not. Perhaps you didn't want to repeat them? neat blue dog made some good ones which I quote, but in a list format:

the acceptance of Christian rock and other pop styles previously viewed as inappropriate

the overlapping generation being elaborated and cemented

dancing to pop songs in the Hall

putting on Broadway style plays

having red carpet events and other over the top attractions at international conventions

While on the music: the constant reworking of the songbook and new ones dribbling out in electronic release

I must have missed some too...

19

The Craziness of an Average Bible Study

by Number 6 in

last week i posted a thread asking about who knew any "real anointed" and got some cracking replies.. that got me to thinking, as someone brought up in the 70's and 80's in the watchtower religion, my experience of bible studeis in their homes and those who made it to the hall were mostly batshit crazy or at least people with some serious quirks.. i'll relate a few, none of whose names i remember with any clarity.. in our cong we had an older couple who were from london, but who had been in the 1950's in the circuit work in the mid west usa.

they brought along some woman one night they had started a study with who told everyone cheerfully she was a recovering alcoholic and this was her cure (coming to the meetings).

this went on for a few weeks until one night they brought her to the memorial and she was royally pissed, and i mean barely able to stand; and went up to the platform table and necked some wine.

careful

Number 6: thanks for the story.

"one night they brought her to the memorial and she was royally pissed, and I mean barely able to stand; and went up to the platform table and necked some wine."

I would either have bust a gut in laughter or killed myself suppressing my desire to do so.

MacHislopp, you mentioned the Brumley info was in the early 90s. Can you please provide more detail as the exact time and location (what court case)? Thanks in advance.