Hi Darth, It's not easy for anyone to leave but especially an elder or mini servant. I faded 15 years ago successfully and the witnesses never call at my house now. Then a few years ago my grown up son joined and simply would not listen to anything I told him about the org. That was hard to deal with. But I am so glad I did leave, because like you I could no longer live a lie.
Posts by alanv
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6Should I Return?
by Darth Rutherford inwe all are at different stages in our journey from the watchtower organization.
some of us have been free for years, and some of us are at that moment of initial discovery.
as for me, though i began to conscientiously fade just a few months ago, my discovery actually began years ago - even while serving as an elder.. i have no illusions that this journey will be easy.
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Regarding Compent Use Of The Bible In Field Service. JWs or XJWs Only Please.
by AvocadoJake indear brothers and sisters, i watched a disturbing video on youtube of this born-againer beating the hell out of some old timers in utah( i think.
) and his conduct was hideous, not christlike one bit.
the question i pose to you is this, how many jws were you truly impressed by their use of the bible?
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alanv
They have certain scriptures they know very well, as they are regularly used at the meetings. However the vast majority of the bible never gets used by them. I know my use of the bible was very limited when I was a JW.
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WT $$ Question ?
by exwhyzee inwhen thinking about the wealth of the organization, i used to wonder how anyone of us would ever really know if someone was actually getting rich, personally profiting or living the highlife using watchtower funds.
i always figured that if there were something like that going on, the u.s. government would surely have found this out and would have gladly exposed it.
then some time ago someone made a post indicating that there are those who are being paid by the watchtower.
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alanv
Ray Franz who was an ex governing body member made it clear that the gov body members did not get huge paychecks. However as has been said before, they do not need lots of money as everything is paid for them. A nice apartment, three good meals a day, endless vacations to ecotic parts of the world where all they need to do is stand up and give manuscript talk. They get free healthcare, a nice modern car, all utilities paid for, and often receive money from individual witnesses. Many would give their eye teeth for a package like that.
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Thoughts on University Education
by Band on the Run inuniversities were established by the catholic church.
the european ones are ancient.
judaism provided a robust education, esp.
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alanv
The only reason not to go to Uni now is that there are so many doing it, and often not enough people learning practicle jobs, like being a plumber, electrician etc. However Uni gives you power to reason and check what you have been told. That is the main reason the society are against it.
However when it comes to getting witnesses to act as lawyers and doctors for them at Bethel. I am sure they are very glad they have those Uni trained witnesses.
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Can a non JW attend JW Weddings?
by camicia inhi all, i've posted here before about my daughter's desire to get baptized as a jw and me attempting to prevent that, and the worst has happened: she's fallen in love and going full steam ahead with this thing.
i won't bore you with my feelings on the matter, if she's happy, i'm happy (and i really hope she's happy) but it just crossed my mind: if my daughter and her husband are jw's, will her family be able to go to the wedding?
what about socializing in general?
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alanv
I went to my JW son's wedding two years ago. I helped pay for it so there was no question of me not going. I actually looked forward to it and had great fun telling some witnesses why I had left the organisation years ago. The only slightly strange thing was at the wedding itself. When the bridal party came into the hall, everyone just stayed sat down. I asked the speaker why the congregation stayed seated, and he said 'well it's a bit like giving her worship isn't it?'
I said to him ' of course no,t it is just showing respect. Couldn't believe anyone could be that stupid.
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Jan 1 2012 WT - increased printing
by Gayle inby 20,000 in 6 more languages.
not a big increase.. dec. 1 wt was 42,162,000 in 188 languages.. jan. 1 wt 42,182,000 in 194 languages..
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alanv
Considering these mags are given away most of the time, I do not see that the figures are at all meaningful. There must be millions of people each year who take the magazines just to get rid of the witnesses of their doorstep. It used to happen a lot when a fixed contribution was asked for, so I imagine it must happen a lot more now.
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Next Monday, We will have 7 Billion in Population
by Quarterback ineach years the population grows by 1.17 percent.
that is approx 79 million.
the numbers of population reaching age 60 or retirement years is approx 900 million.
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alanv
I believe the society once said the earth could easily have 10 billion people on it, providing they were spread out. We need to remember the reason this has happened. It is because the infant mortality rate is now much lower than in previous centuries. Plus because of better health care people, are living much longer. These are good things that now happen. A lady who lived 10 miles away from me died last year age 111.
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Even what they printed a couple of months ago is old because Jehovah is moving so fast! From last nights letter on Gilead.
by life is to short inthe gilead letter was read last night at the meeting, i had to listen in as they have reinstated my phone line, whatever.. so anywho the service overseer gave the part and he said that jehovah's organization is moving so fast that even what they have printed just a few months ago is now old and they just received a letter from the fs that was to be read tonight from the fs!.
the way he read it, he made it very exciting and like jehovah's chosen religion is moving so fast that it can hardly keep up and the letter was just proof.
the way this elder read the letter it made it sound like the married couples school is going to be so wonderful that it would suppress gilead in wonderfulness.. the elder doing the part then went on and on about how our educational programs are so much, much better than anything out in satan's world.
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alanv
Unfortunately they are in their very own JW bubble. Providing they don't talk to anyone who used to be a witness, they will be all right.
The society know this and that is why they continue to demonise anyone who has left the organisation.
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Letter read to Victorian congregations re WCC
by Mattieu inhad an interesting chat with my ex re the current debate over working with children checks - of which she has one due to her volunteering at our childrens primary school.
i remember when she had to apply that i made the comment elders & mss should be having background checks due to the history of abuse in the borg and covering up (these discussions normally dont go down well as she is well and truly blinded, well meaning, but blinded).. anywho, she told me about the recent letter that was read to all the victorian congregations, she couldnt tell me verbatim what it said, though the gist was that is no real need for elders to get this check, but rather they are complying with what has been asked legally.. now i dont know if what she said next was based on the letter read or the after discussions at the k/hall, but she made the comment the elders do not need the wcc as they are not strangers, they are our brothers... i tried reasoning that another elder who moves in from interstate is certainly a stranger, until you get to know him on a personal level.
didnt matter how i reasoned or what incidents i bought up, the view amongst her and the other mums that she hangs around in the cong is that the elders getting a wcc check is totally unnecessary and that the jws are being picked on.. next week, i am meeting up with a mate who is an elder here in victoria and trying to step down, so will pick his brains and see if he can get a copy.... .
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alanv
Can I just add my voice, that it would indeed be really good to see a copy of the letter. I am sure someone will soon get it and post it on the internet.
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Media notification?
by mauiboy ini would love to see the wtb&ts/ wwc case in victoria austrailia come to national or even international media attention.
i plan on finding as many media sites 'contact us' as i can in the next few days.
if enough of us email/phone/written bltz hit the tv and newspaper media asking for coverage of the story as it unfolds in the coming months, maybe someone will pick it up... anyone up for sending some emails?
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alanv
Well said wobble. I know it is tempting to get media attention early, but the time to tell al,l is when the society have really been shown up for what they are.