careful

Joined

• started 80 topics
• posted 1,235 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by careful

• 
  19

  Is There Some Sort of Campaign Going on?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a pair of young blokes came to my door @ 10am (ish) today (wednesday, if that matters).

  i opened the door a crack to : hi!

  just asking a question: do you think that the world is getting better or worse?*".

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  notformer,

  Funny observation on the preaching during Covid. I guess the safety of members getting ill trumped possible in-person contact in the ministry.

  In answer to your "Does D2D result in conversions any more? Even twenty years ago it was not looking like a very effective use of time," that's a fascinating question. Traditionally one factor has been the socio-economic area where the preaching takes place. A lower-class area has had a much better rate of "Bible studies"/conversions than a middle- or upper-class neighborhood. But even in those poorer areas, conversions has slowed greatly or even died out since the GB dictators decided to quash the emphasis on getting into conversations, and just tell the "faithful" to direct people to the WTS website. Now it is slowly dawning the GBers that it's time to go back to imitating Jesus and the first Christians in personally speaking to people, acting in a human-to-human manner.

  Again, DUUUHHHHH.
• 
  51

  Interesting that the other cult-cousins are going thru nearly identical hemmoraging of members.....

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i still read on reddit.

  (though no longer post) occasionally, i'll venture over to the ex-seventh day adventist (sda) sub and catch up a bit.

  it's been a long time.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  So are SDA numbers up overall? If so, to what should that be attributed? Enrollment stats at their universities might be telling, as might the number of their congs.
• 
  51

  Interesting that the other cult-cousins are going thru nearly identical hemmoraging of members.....

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i still read on reddit.

  (though no longer post) occasionally, i'll venture over to the ex-seventh day adventist (sda) sub and catch up a bit.

  it's been a long time.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  SBF, Nov. 2023 was "during the pandemic"? On what planet was that?
• 
  19

  Is There Some Sort of Campaign Going on?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a pair of young blokes came to my door @ 10am (ish) today (wednesday, if that matters).

  i opened the door a crack to : hi!

  just asking a question: do you think that the world is getting better or worse?*".

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  In the past year I've seen them out d2d at least twice in different neighborhoods, and came home to a convention invite on my porch a few weeks ago. I also see them in parks and downtown with their carts, probably 4-5 times in the past year---for what that personal testimony's worth.

  But the most recent leaked info from Atlantis has the GB dictators stating they want to go back to the traditional d2d methods most of us were used to when we were in. Evidently, they finally figured out that the lack of "Bible studies" they have been suffering from stems from them having nearly abandoned that traditional work of getting into conversations with people, and instead just stressing going to their website. The latter has just hasn't panned out for conversions.

  DUUUHHHHHHHHHH.
• 
  51

  Interesting that the other cult-cousins are going thru nearly identical hemmoraging of members.....

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i still read on reddit.

  (though no longer post) occasionally, i'll venture over to the ex-seventh day adventist (sda) sub and catch up a bit.

  it's been a long time.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  I was speaking with a middle-of-the-road Evangelical scholar from one of their "more prestigious" colleges about dwindling numbers in that camp, their closing schools, and the youth not staying. We also talked about Reform/Progressive Judaism (liberals), as well as liberal Protestants. ALL of them are suffering from a drainage of young people not staying in these traditions that they were raised in. It's really hurting such groups in the wallet.

  The one exception this chap pointed out was the hard-core right-wing Evangelicals, pro-Trump groups who think they can "save America" (= adopt by-gone morality and standards), a different sort of fantasy. That's not likely to continue. Perhaps a sort of last gasp from the Evangelicals?

  It looks like it's happening all over Western culture. What occurred in N. Europe a couple of decades after WW II is happening in America and Canada now. There's no turning back the clock. SBF has been pointing this out for some time. It will be interesting to see if this trend takes hold in Latin America, a place where traditionally SDAs, Mormons, Evangelicals, and JWs have had real growth in the past.

  It would be interesting if we could somehow get the "real story" behind those few youths in these groups, JWs and others, who stay in, at least nominally. Are they mainly brain-dead or so absent of critical thinking that this is the only sanctuary for them? Are their needs for safety and security so acutely basic that they must cling to these traditions that they were raised in? Are many/most who stay just faking it in order to keep family happy? That last group cannot keep that going for long. Their true feelings will eventually come out.

  Thanks for the post, WC. It's a sure trend that will only keep going on in one direction, toward secularism.
• 
  12

  Russia: Further Jail Term For Answering Fellow Prisoners’ Questions About Faith

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.eurasiareview.com/01072024-russia-further-jail-term-for-answering-fellow-prisoners-questions-about-faith/.

  july 1, 2024. by f18news.

  by victoria arnold.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  Putin's paranoia seems to have no bounds. Meanwhile millions suffer from his unmitigated egotism, including Dmitry Terebilov.

  Thanks for the post.
• 
  12

  Missing photos, even Avatars

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think someone else noticed this here recently.

  i wondered when i signed on today july 9, 2024, that even the avatars were missing.

  does simon know?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  On my puter pics/avatars are blank but vid links are showing up.

  Earth to Simon, come in Simon!
• 
  40

  New lawsuit against the Watchtower in Ontario, Canada

  by yalbmert99 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  the new class action lawsuit against the watchtower for having covered up child sexual abuse will begin in court on may 13-14-15, 2024 in the province of ontario, canada.

  it is not the same as in the province of quebec because the laws aren't the same.

  i don’t have more details.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  yalbert99,
  

  It's been a month. Any news?
• 
  50

  My guess for August WatchTower: GB claims we're in beginning stages of Great Tribulation due to World governments turning on JW's

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the september watchtower has already been released and is being discussed over on reddit.

  some highlights: .

  1. more hitting the flock on total reliance and obedience to god's representatives on earth today, the f&ds (the governing body, of course).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  Slightly 'modified' light maybe.
  

  Or completely rewritten/sanitized so that no clue remains as to the real reason for the holdup. They are so regularly above-board, eh?
• 
  8

  "Focus On The Inner Person" of Watchtower

  by FragrantAddendum in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in his recent "morning worship" talk https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/vodpgmevtmorningworship/pub-jwbvod24_25_video.

  mark sanderson inadvertently exposes the heart of watchtower.... .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  careful

  Is this a recent morning worship episode? If so, what happened his beard???