Posts by alanv

24

I Would Like To Know Exactly What JWs Believe Or Not Believe In

by minimus in

i hear people saying it is not the same religion that i knew.

what is the major difference?.

.

alanv

The religion has gone a lot more mainstream now. The acceptance of the interenet and encouragement to use it, is a big step forward for them. I know they only have accepted it to promote their religion more, but still a big change and one that helps witnesses find other sites that are not so favourable to the organistion.

They seem to have realized that door to door work is not at all successful these days in the developed countries so they now have trollies with literature on at street corners, although they still do door to door work as well. Literature is mainly free to the public and witnesses are expected to pay for it instead.

They have recently done away with loans for new Kingdom Halls. Instead they expect the local publishers to pay the equivelent of the monthly loan cost for the future and not just the time it would take to pay back a loan.

Hours required for pioneers is much lower these days than it was 20 years ago. Meetings too are much shorter now, and take only two visits to the Kingdom Hall with no seperate visit to a private home for book study.

Every year the figure for those partaking of the emblems goes up, when years ago it was stated that they would continue going down and that was one of the proofs we are in the last days.

I'm sure there are plenty more things, but that should set the ball rolling.

19

New teaching! ...the end is NOT near by GB Steven Lett

by apocalypse in

have you watched some 'dub tv' yet?

it's very interesting.

steven lett of the gigglin brothers, put his foot right in watchtower's big mouth.

alanv

This is nothing new. The society always say, that witnesses will still need meetings, literature and imfo from the society the other side of Armaggeddon.

The tv broardcasts are just another way the society will keep JWs informed.

I think most witnesses would give you that answer now. The present view is certainly much better than what I was told in the late 60s though, that the big A is just around the corner.

21

Heard it from a friends JW mother

by Still Totally ADD in

jw
friends

the other day we went to our friends business to have our computer worked on.

our friend was raised a jw but never got baptized and left when he was in his late teens.

any way we started talking about the new jw.org and the new tv show they have.

alanv

So is there going to be a special meeting once a month, which will show the one hour presentation from the govering body?

25

JW TV - One Further Step Towards Making the Organization Soft & Cuddly

by steve2 in

one of the more astonishing developments within the organization in recent years is the muting of the more "out there" behaviors of this once fiercely confrontational and proud end-times religious group.. members were unapologetically no part of the world and couldn't give a rat's ar*e what you thought of them.

whereas the organisation fostered an outlook of warning the "wicked" world of the imminence of its destruction at the hands of the almighty - and spared no effort in doing so - nowadays the organization is sucking in its more "loose cannon" elements.

in the place of these elements is a sparkling, smiling, airbrushed group of worshippers who parade their wholesome settled lifestyle to win converts.

alanv

Just finished watching the first broardcast. The worst thing is the drone of the presenter. I think they need someone younger who has a bit of go in them. Of course if they only use gov members then all transmissions will be the same. Bottom line is that this is just another example of the gov body's aim to become more mainstream and attract as many people as possible. Its often only after someone is baptised they realize they have ben duped, so the org will continue to bleed, how ever many new witnesses it gets.

8

UK KH projection equipment

by Saltheart Foamfollower in

as everyone knows, there have been major changes in kh financing recently.

this means that congs should only have funds equal to 3 months expenditure on hand - send the rest to the borg.

in the uk there has also been an appeal to send extra funds to finance the new bethel (if we are going to print our own literature and show videos on the doors, why do they need a new bethel?).

alanv

Surely if they have sent money to the society to be looked after, they can use that.

26

What exactly do the Governing body(TM) do?

by punkofnice in

a genuine question really.. do they actually make desicions or are they simple sock puppets for the lawyers?.

are they just a front (like the queen is in the uk), with little or no desicion making input?.

do they just give talks and make appearances?.

alanv

jwsurvey just did an article where it lists various committees that the governing body are on.

http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/bethel-leak-three-new-kingdom-songs-and-details-of-governing-body-committees-revealed

4

The Governing Body doesn't use the 2/3 majority vote, right?! At least not for the appointment of its members.

by cj46 in

the governing body doesn't use the 2/3 majority vote,right?

at least not for the appointment of its members?

(sorry if this is already clear and has been discussed already).

alanv

It was Ray Franz, an ex governing body member in his book Crisis of Conscience that told us about their two thirds majority rule. It was applied to importandt descisions like doctrinal change. It may be the same now or it may well be unanimous vote note. Maybe someone else can tell us.

15

The 2 witness rule

by tim hooper in

i've just been informed by a jw apologist that regarding the 2 witness rule in cases of child abuse, the child himself counts as 1 of the witnesses.

he also stated that if 2 children complain about abuse seperately, the 2 children then count as 2 witnesses.. any thoughts please?.

.

alanv

Hi Shirley this is where the rule comes from.

The Watchtower Society use the scripture found in Deuteronomy chapter 9, verse 15, which says “No single witness should rise up against a man respecting any error or any sin, in the case of any sin that he may commit. At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good.” They also like to use the scriptures in Matthew chapter 18, verses 15 and 16, which say “Moreover, if your brother commits a sin, go lay bare his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. (16) But if he does not listen, take along with you one or two more, in order that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter may be established.”

However this certainly does not work with sexual abuse as there are hardly any times when the abuse is actually witnessed by anyone.

13

No more literature counters?

by konceptual99 in

there is a thread on jwtalk suggesting that the latest hall designs do not feature a literature desk.

the dubs will pick up gear from a self serve kiosk in the hall, just enough for their immediate needs.. time will tell if this is true but if so then it relfects the reducing emphasis on printed material.

also, i think there is another by product.

alanv

I thought the idea was that witnesses would give a donation for literature taken. So I wander if they will have a donation box next to the literature or if they just trust witnesses to put money in the box at the back of the hall

71

BORG running low on $$$??

by fader77 in

dear brothers:.

re: personal literature supply.

reducing existing stock at the branch office before the revisions are released.

alanv

They are doing nothing that any other good business would do. In the past they know milions of magazines just got thrown away. This is a tremendous waste of paper, ink and time. Also they are probably aware of the claim against them that much of their literature is just thrown away, so they are trying to address that point.