careful

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Posts by careful

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  17

  Other Religious Groups Critical of Higher Education

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was reading an essay online about how witnesses are critical of higher education and discourage it.

  the editor's note said there are other conservative religious groups that hold the same view towards education.. there are?

  do any of you know of any religious group that works as hard as the jws at keeping their members stupid?.

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  careful

  Right on, joe134cd! But I don't know about puters and cells.
  

  When I was active in the ministry, I had some conversations with members of the Plymouth Brethren. They are divided into two groups, Open and Exclusive, and the latter group is pretty much anti-education. In some ways they are like JWs but doctrinally there are some big differences, like hellfire and the trinity. As for their view toward higher education, this chap's article from the University of Worcester is informative:
  

  https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/241/1/EXCLUSIVES.pdf
  

  Hope this helps. Cheers.

  BTW, the Christadelphians go back to before Russell's day and thus cannot be an offshoot of the Russellites.
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  20

  2015-10/10/ Field Service Report Slips-S-4-E!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  if this has already been posted just delete this post!.

  2015 10/10/ field service report slips-s-4-e. .. click the green download button.. http://wwwb.fileflyer.com/view/kpifhby.

  .. .. wtunderground!.

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  careful

  The comments section? Well, you know, it's for things like these:

  "None of my Bible studies can understand the overlapping generations thing. I can't either. How can I teach this?"
  

  "Have you finally given up on the 607 thing?"

  "My studies need a list of fractions of blood that are acceptable ... and why those and not others."
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  5

  Meetings, Ministry and Modification of the Flesh

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  sociology of the body is a popular topic for critical analysis.

  i wonder if a general survey has been undertaken in relation to watchtower's exercise of authority over the bodies of adherents.

  it occurs to me they exercise authority over the body in four main ways: appearance, private practice, public performance, and location.

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  careful

  What does this mean?

  Avoid the "pioneer walk".

  I know of one CO who set the example of not closing his eyes in public prayer when publishers would take him out to a restaurant for lunch. He would say a prayer in conversation, looking around the table at everyone, and then, along with his wife, would begin eating. We all looked at each other and began eating too. He cited Matt. 6:1, 5 as support. Granted this is perhaps unusual, but at least one WTS authority figure modified the usual practice.

  Aren't men, even elders, in the UK allowed to grow beards, or has this changed since I faded? I was in one liberal congo in the States where one young married brother had a beard and the elders used him to read the WT, carry microphones, offer prayer, etc. Everyone knew that he wanted to look older than he was since he'd married a sister who was 15 years his senior.

  I used to not sit up straight in my chair as did others and nobody ever spoke to me about it, even in non-liberal congos.
  
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  58

  I gave the elders some ammo to use

  by atacrossroads in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was having dinner at olive garden with my cousin who was disfellowshipped for apostacy.

  a holier than thou pioneer couple saw us.

  if that was not enough i saw her take a picture of me with my cousin.

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  careful

  Sorry to say, but if you eat publicly with a DFed or DAed family member or friend, you have go incognito or risk being found out.
  
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  5

  Asking to reduce the local Bethel family: a know management strategy

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  gorby has worked in some management positions and is now an management advisor for a > 20.000 employee corporation.. once in the five years we have reorganizations, integrations and restructures.. one of the used strategy's is to ask the people the following question:.

  "if you had to reduce 50% of your work, what priority's would you choose?".

  so, we ask our employee feedback for a 50% reduce of their work.

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  careful

  There's nothing like running a religion like a modern business/corporation. Doubtless the way the apostles worked in the first century! And the WTS/JWs are so eager to put down the churches for not being like the earliest Christians...
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  1

  Sound familiar?

  by careful in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  journalists exposing religious corruption?.

  secret documents being leaked?.

  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/world/europe/vatican-arrests-leaked-documents.html?_r=0.

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  careful

  Journalists exposing religious corruption?

  Secret documents being leaked?

  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/world/europe/vatican-arrests-leaked-documents.html?_r=0
  

  Which is worse, jail or being shunned?
  
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  26

  Oldest Kingdom Song

  by Bereano in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  which kingdom song (used today by jw) is the oldest one?

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  careful

  Of course, "continuous" is a bit relative, since Booze Rutherford cancelled all songs and singing at the meetings in 1938, because it took too much time away from the preaching, in his opinion. Knorr had his numerous faults, but at least he did re-institute music at the meetings in 1944.

  Notblind, would you please provide documentation for this? I'm not doubting but I'd really love to have the source so that I can share it with others.
  

  Thanks!
  
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  26

  Oldest Kingdom Song

  by Bereano in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  which kingdom song (used today by jw) is the oldest one?

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  careful

  Give us your money!

  Obliette, isn't that one of the rather newer mantras?
  
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  211

  Where are you from?

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know we are all anonymous for our own personal reasons, so i understand if you would rather not say.

  but if you don't mind sharing that would be cool.

  i currently live in georgia, usa.

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  careful

  Pyongyang. Haven't travelled much but I've heard that people outside of our Beloved Leader's land believe that we don't have internet access here—what a lie. After all, I've posted here, right?

  Any secret/ex-JWs want to meet up? Only those with a sense of humor though...
  
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  49

  Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

  through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

  fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

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  careful

  Yes, Penton and Jonsson are important.

  Here's another non-American example that I recall reading about in the old KH library when I'd escape from the deadening meetings, duck inside, and read the old lit. There was a guy in the early days of the WTS history in Taiwan who was put in charge locally there (maybe under Rutherford?) but who had a falling out with the WTS HQ in NY, was removed as branch servant (or whatever they called it then), but took the vast majority of Witnesses there with him. Something like 90% of the active Witnesses there followed the guy for years. WTS growth in Taiwan suffered for decades. It was almost nil for that long. Once Gilead got going, they kept funneling missionaries in there but with no real effect. All this was written up in one of the old yearbooks from the 70s or thereabouts. I suppose that WTS growth has finally taken off there now, but the guy's effect was huge for a long time. In numbers it's probably more significant than the Bottings or Bill Cetnar.

  Another name to ponder perhaps is musician Frank Kavelin, long-time big name elder in Los Angeles whose dad was tight with GB I. The son used to go to NY to conduct the WTS orchestra for assembly and other recordings. I don't know, however, of any big influence he's had in getting others to leave...

  His story:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/180011/dncall-unmasked-part-1-5?page=1
  

  My two cents.

  Glad to see you back and posting SBF! Bedazzle us with your intelligent contributions like you used to.