My cong. in south of NZ had about 50 publishers 10 years ago. Now it's got 14 and 1 MS.
The area is booming economically.
bigmouth
JoinedPosts by bigmouth
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23
The real story: Is your congregation stagnant, dwindling or thriving?
by truthseeker inwith the 2007 service year stats out one could be forgiven for thinking that wt's problems are over, the child abuse settlement an itch in their bethel backside and the blood issue a minor annoyance.. if the truth were known, it is probably that more often than not, congregations are in decline, attendance is poor and few new recruits are not already jw family members.. so, if you know how your congregation is doing, if you have the pulse of your hall, let us know.. .
my congregation (which shall remain nameless).
dwindling attendance at all meetings (around 80%).
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bigmouth
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If there is a God - I'm REALLY PI$$ED at him
by AWAKE&WATCHING ini've got one post for the next 14 hours so i figure i'll make it count.. when i was 21 i began to really question the state of the world.
you know- "is this life all there is, yadda yadda.
" that sort of thing.
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bigmouth
Whether I believe in a creator or in evolution I'm going to need about the same degree of blind faith.
On the balance of things I'm inclined towards an intelligent first cause.
Problem is, if I followed our loving heavenly fathers style I would have been put in prison a long time ago.
Nope. God's away, God's away, God's away on business. -
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What is it about xmas that brings all the jdubs out of the cracks??
by student1 inso tonight i recieved a few phone calls that have done nothing to lighten my already heavy mood... .
i am starting to think that disfellowshipping is a way to protect us (the ex dubs) from them (the deluded existing jdubs!
) (joke!
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bigmouth
Be aware too that if you've faded for a while you might get a couple of elders poking around near Christmas trying to catch you doing something pagan.
Then they can DF you and get the CO off their backs. -
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The Kingdom of God is here! Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah!
by Ronald inthe way into paradise is now known.
for 6,000 years the way has lain hidden, protected by angels with flaming swords turning every way, but now the identity of the tree of life is known to be the female cannabis plant the abundant seed of which is the most nourishing human food known to science.
see the various essays about cannabis at www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html.
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bigmouth
"Aren't they people who eat other people, cook them in a huge POT I think"
No, I think it's a POT containing a urine specimen -
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Muslems and Jews
by chappy ini just saw a short segment on fox about an incident this afternoon on the ny subway.
a jewish couple were getting on the train when a group of about 10 others were telling everyone in the car "merry christmas!
" the jewish couple replied "and happy haunikka to you!
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bigmouth
I don't mean you personally. I just mean how are peoples religion so obvious to the reporters, citizens etc. ?
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Muslems and Jews
by chappy ini just saw a short segment on fox about an incident this afternoon on the ny subway.
a jewish couple were getting on the train when a group of about 10 others were telling everyone in the car "merry christmas!
" the jewish couple replied "and happy haunikka to you!
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bigmouth
Pardon my ignorance chappy, but how could you tell what their religions were?
Were they wearing special clothing or regalia? -
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The Kingdom of God is here! Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah!
by Ronald inthe way into paradise is now known.
for 6,000 years the way has lain hidden, protected by angels with flaming swords turning every way, but now the identity of the tree of life is known to be the female cannabis plant the abundant seed of which is the most nourishing human food known to science.
see the various essays about cannabis at www.ratical.org/renewables/hempseed1.html.
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bigmouth
What, pray, is this 'cannabis' you speak of?
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JW Literature References on psychotherapy (or WT CDROM source?)
by feenx ini am working on a project and wondering if anyone has specific references to policies or official viewpoints printed in society pubs about seeking psychotherapy.
i believe the current stance is that there isn't a problem with it, so long as the therapy and advise given/followed does not conflict with or interfere with bible principles or practices.
i seem to remember it being somewhat taboo still when i was younger, and that additional theocratic activity was always a good supplement to therpay, if not the best therapy.
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bigmouth
*** g04 9/8 pp. 20-22 When Someone You Love Has a Mental Disorder ***
I had not seen this article before now. It would be the most sensible article I have seen them write on the subject of mental illness.
I can't help but think it's copied verbatim from a secular publication. The writing style doesn't match common JW phraseology.
The number of Witness lives and happiness that could have been saved by proper psychiatric help must number in the tens of thousands. -
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Vasectomy Horror Stories- Have Any? Or Normal Vasectomy Stories ?
by flipper inwell, i know you all pretty well now after 9 months of being on board , so i feel o.k.
to approach this subject.
this subject is a pretty touchy one for most of us men, especially those of us that have been put under the " knife" , and got to the point where we did not want any more children.
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bigmouth
"Did they do this surgery in some back woods country ? With crude tools and instruments ? "
Yeah. Think: Dr. Nick Riviera. "What's this? 'Flammable' and 'Inflammable' mean the same thing!?"
Mr Flipper, everything down here is 'back woods'. I'm just glad he didn't shove my head down an old gumboot and cut me like a tomcat. His scalpel was probably rusty too. -
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Vasectomy Horror Stories- Have Any? Or Normal Vasectomy Stories ?
by flipper inwell, i know you all pretty well now after 9 months of being on board , so i feel o.k.
to approach this subject.
this subject is a pretty touchy one for most of us men, especially those of us that have been put under the " knife" , and got to the point where we did not want any more children.
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bigmouth
Cool! I've got a great story too!!
So....half way through child number 7 the missus books me into some rural vet masquerading as a part time surgeon. I kind of think it's a sensible idea.
So I give myself a Brazilian in the shower that morning and reacquaint myself with my exquisitely sensitive testicles.
Drive about 60 km to the quack. He squints and prods at my nuts and then grunts and says lie on the bed/table. He says "Don't bother taking off your shoes we wont be here long. Just pull your pants down to your ankles"
He and the, fortunately, unattractive nurse scrub up and put their masks on. "O.K." he says, "This will JUST feel like you've been kicked in the nuts" (and sticks a huge hollow piece of metal in my soft, warm vas.)@#$% ME GENTLY!!!!Did it what! But I felt it numbing up and tried to relax a bit. And then he says,"Now the other one" Sweet Baby Jesus!! I've got TWO!!??.
Now I didn't realise but not all people can be anaesthetised all the time. Turns out I'm one of them.
My right vas wouldn't numb up. The guy looks at me hyperventilating, sweating, bulging veins and asks, "Does that still hurt?" I don't need to answer as the nurse sticks a paper bag over my face and says "Breathe"
The sadistic bastard keeps poking his bloody needle in my ball sac. Nothing but pain and terror. "Sorry, but I'll just have to carry on" he says.
So I get a vasectomy with only half the pain relief. He whacks of about 1 cm of each of my vas's and sticks them in a pot and shows me. "Look what I caught!" They look like baby crab sticks!
I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH PAIN IN MY LIFE!! And unlike my wife I would never go back every couple of years to have another vasectomy.
I know that my testicles are connected to my eyes.
Best wishes,
Pete