Posts by dannyboy

27

Anyone With Major Judicial/Service Department Experience?

by A question in

jw
friends

is there anyone on the board with a large amount of experience with judicial matters or (preferably) with the service department of the society or perhaps even worked on the service department?

if so, i would appreciate the answers to at least some of the following questions:.

does the society ever take the initiative to remove elders, and if so, how do they do it?

dannyboy

(Is it only me? I find these "questions" a bit odd......)

Ok, taking them on face value, Regarding what it takes on the "Society's" end to send in troubleshooters:

The *key* thing is what the local congregation(s) members are thinking about a particular issue.....got to keep the folks "happy". If the "Society" (your words) think the rank and file's assumed "happiness" is being negatively impacted by some local issue, they will look into it, no matter what it is, big or little. Gotta keep the troops "happy" and "contented". Congregation members have no idea how much crap they can stir up with a whining letter, even if the local BOE has already dealt with it and the letter writer knows that. Remember the "Society" doesn't give a "rat's ass" about individuals or about individual's time answering bogus stuff.

In most cases, they first would write the local BOE, possibly CC'ng the CO, asking for an explanation of what they were hearing back east: example: "....We attach a letter from (name of complaining person), wherein she/he claims that an elder in your area is (fill in the sin or accusation here). Is this true? Has he been counseled about this? Please explain how he can be 'free from accusation?' We look forward to your early answer to our questions".

This is not the only way I've seen things like this approached, I've also seen a CO/DO duo get into "investigatory" mode.

On a related thought, my experiences are a bit dated now, but one needs to remember that the CO has a lot of "power" and a big say in what goes down. He has great flexibility, for example: One CO blew through the Circuit and just flat "stirred things up", first time around.....many elders and MS's got deleted, generating a lot of "buzz" about him being a hard case, etc. At the Circuit level, he re-arranged the Circuit assignments of most of us, arbitrarily, like musical chairs. Upon the occasion of him rotating out as CO, he confided in me that he "always stirred things up" upon serving a new circuit, as it made things easier for him...made the BOE's more likely to "jump" when he barked.

This thread has brought back to mind many (wasted) hours spent writing letters regarding complaints made about individual elder(s).

--Dannyboy

60

Call from elder

by XPeterX in

i received a call a few hours ago from an elder.of course he didn't call me to ask how i was or if i needed help.instead he told me that "the youth and some older brothers" of my congregation will gather (at another elder's house,you see 2 elders to "get a hold of the situation") to talk about the "internet,facebook etc dangers".i told him that i will go.hmmm...it's going to be an interesting conversation..

dannyboy

Tell 'em you'll Twitter it and post it on Facebook, so nobody will miss......

29

Got a DC invite in my door last week!

by Coffee House Girl in

i got one shoved under my door and i even have a "no trespassing" sign on my door what the heck???.

i thought they couldn't leave literature if there was a no trespassing sign posted???

am i wrong?.

dannyboy

I got one under the door last week, too. I wondered if it was a "special" invite to ex-JW's or to the public in general.

If to the public, I have to wonder if they *really* think anybody would travel (in the local situation) about 100 miles each way to a District Convention just to "check out" JW's....

Dannyboy

260

Who Are Your Past Circuit Overseers? It's a small world..

by mentallyfree31 in

who were your past circuit overseers?

i'm sure a lot of us actually know mutual people, as the co's relocate all over the country.. here's a few from the southeast us: (let me know if you recognize any names and post yours too please...).

ellwood johnson (new york/philadelphia area for several years also).

dannyboy

DO'S:

Ted Jaracz; Griffin; Baxter; George Cook; Koinjavich; Franck; Manera; Woodley; Manfredi; Bill Green; Brandozzi

CO'S:

Wayne Knott; Floyd Garret; Jim Vigg; Billy Ford; Leo Mahan; Neil Thompson; Shinn; Neil Barton; George Cook; Al Michaelson; Arlen Meier;Shelousner [phonetic spelling]

Probably forgot a few, out of sight, out of mind.

---Dannyboy

21

"The End is Closer Than You Think" came up at a party.

by RubaDub in

we were at a party (get-together in jw speak) and somehow the ones i was talking with changed the subject to a talk given by the co that "the end is closer than we think.".

i just sheepishly asked the group ... "i don't understand that phrase, "the end is closer than we think.

" i said my parents told me i would never go to school, then later that i would never graduate from high school, and that i would never get married.. then i mentioned my parents were expecting the end to be in 1975 ... my grandparents were expecting the end numerous times in the 1920's and 1930's.. so i very nicely asked, "isn't is more correct to say "the end is farther than we think?

dannyboy

Ahhh Rubadub..

How well I remember the "brother" who studied with my folks pointing at me and saying "...he'll never graduate from elementary school". Just more BS to keep the 'faithful' in line.

That statement about me and elementary school was made in 1956......

Dannyboy

15

Jehovahs Witnesses Go to New Extremes

by Mythbuster in

posted on wednesday, september 3rd, 2008. by marge floori.

springfield, mo.

- weary from pounding the pavement for hours a day only to have homeowners shut the door in their faces or not answer it all, jehovah's witnesses will start toting bullhorns to ensure their message is heard.. kingdom halls across the u.s. rejoiced at the directive issued by leading witness elders last week.. "we look at the bullhorns as an emergency tool needed to spread the word of the lord," said 18-year-old ronald plimpton.

dannyboy

LOL. Good one. Nothing makes me smile faster than a well-done parody/satire......especially about Witnesses.

---Dan

22

Selling Sacramento, CA Convention Deal to Skeptical Public

by dannyboy in

jw
friends

i live near sacramento, ca and earlier this week the local convention authority held a big deal press conference announcing a "deal" with jehovah's witnesses (see clip below).

based on comments to local news media on their websites, more than a few people are not too crazy about the idea..... i heard an interview on a local station where the head guy [of the convention authority] was defending (sounded very defensive) the city's deal with the dubs, by saying "well, they'll bring hotel dollars, food dollars, and they'll be visiting all of our local museums, evening life, and entertainment attractions.....so the monetary impact will be huge for us...".

specifically discouraged from doing any of those "extra" things..... hope those attractions aren't hiring more employees to handle the witness "crowds"........ also, during the interview, he said that the convention authority would be able to select the dates for the various conventions.

dannyboy

I live near Sacramento, CA and earlier this week the local Convention Authority held a big deal press conference announcing a "deal" with Jehovah's Witnesses (see clip below). Based on comments to local news media on their websites, more than a few people are not too crazy about the idea....

I heard an interview on a local station where the head guy [of the Convention Authority] was defending (sounded VERY DEFENSIVE) the city's deal with the dubs, by saying "Well, they'll bring hotel dollars, food dollars, and they'll be visiting all of our local museums, evening life, and entertainment attractions.....so the monetary impact will be huge for us..."

As all of us ex-dubs know, we were always SPECIFICALLY DISCOURAGED from doing any of those "extra" things..... Hope those attractions aren't hiring more employees to handle the Witness "Crowds".......

Also, during the interview, he said that the Convention Authority would be able to select the dates for the various conventions. Interesting.

---Dannyboy

From the Sacramento, CA Business Journal:

Jehovah's Witnesses Agree 5-Year Deal at Sacramento Convention Center

The largest-ever contracted business for the Sacramento Convention Center will bring more than 200,000 delegates to Sacramento during the next five years.

The Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses is adding Sacramento as its 83rd city to host annual regional conventions.

The conventions will book eight to 10 weekends each summer for the next five years.

The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau negotiated for over a year to get the business, said Steve Hammond, visitors bureau president.

Sacramento will see about 6,000 people attending each of eight weekend events starting in summer 2010, representing an economic impact of $16 million annually.

The church group will book hotel rooms for the events through the rest of this week, Hammond said. The contract was signed at 10 a.m. Tuesday, including some city help with parking, because the hotels downtown don’t have enough spaces for 6,000. The city typically has lots of empty garages during weekends.

The economic impact of the contract works out to about $75 million, which Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson called “great news,” especially in a down economy.

For Sacramento, the bookings are doubly important because they are on weekends and during the summer, often slow periods for Sacramento, Johnson said.

The $16 million economic impact will help the 30,000 employees in the hospitality industry, he said.

“Tourism is big business,” Johnson said, adding that he aims to “build the economic engine to even greater heights.”

The delegates will be from Northern California, Oregon and Northern Nevada. The congregation also has annual meetings in the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Those San Francisco meetings will continue, with Sacramento as an additional location.

Hammond said the contract is for five years, but he anticipates Sacramento will be able to keep the business beyond the five-year contract.

The groups have booked the main floor of the convention center, taking about two-thirds of the space. Other events can still be booked in the rest of the main hall, as well as the upstairs ballroom and separate meeting rooms.

48

PDF documentation regarding 1975 prediction in WT publications

by cabasilas in

i had a request for documentation of the watchtower societys statements regarding the year 1975. so, ive put these files up for downloading from a filesharing service.

the first file contains the complete text of 3 issues of awake!

26-35 (file is 12 mb):.

dannyboy

As one of many around here who was an active Witness during those days, may I emphasize these points:

1. Watchtower publications encouraged the rank and file to think the end was coming in 1975. The written record is there for anyone to observe, as posts above have shown [and despite "wiggling" by them later]

But there was SO MUCH MORE to the 1975 thing:

2. Talks at Circuit and District Conventions encouraged the "1975 will be the end" thing.

3. Elders returning from Kingdom Ministry School (a multi-week course in those days for individual elders, not the whole body at one time for a weekend) echoed the same sentiments. Picture the situation: Elders having returned from a two-week course, spending day after day with reps of the "Society" surely would have the "latest scoop" on the end coming. Who could fail to be caught up in the 1975 thing if elders with those credentials came back to their local congregations and reinforced the "group think" on this???

4. Circuit and District overseers knew FULL WELL the "buzz" in the congregations was looking to the end in 1975 and ACTIVELY encouraged it. How could they not fail to hear what the "rank and file" were thinking/talking about, making plans, etc. To deny this is ridiculous.

5. Demonstrations at Circuit and District Conventions also reinforced the thinking by commending those who had sold homes/quit lucrative jobs so as to give "their all" to the final years/days of the work.... This is very persuasive for a Witness to see/hear. Still is a major way JW's are influenced today....

These "non-published" encouragements for the "group think" were just as powerful, perhaps even more so than published items, given the way the typical congregation functioned in those days.

The result was that most [vast majority, but certainly not ALL] in the congregations were absolutely CONVINCED that the end was coming in 1975, and more or less adjusted their congregational and secular life to this concept. Some in those days were heard to say [almost a brag]..."I'd jump off a building if I knew I wouldn't hit the ground until after 1975" and similar minded remarks. Another example: Some "brothers" were making financial deals involving "balloon payments" that they wouldn't be able to pay and the like that were to come due after 1975, they thought they were SO SMART and SMUG and kind of "beat the system".......they were in for a surprise for sure!

So, it irks me to no end to hear "newer" dubs minimize the thinking of those days, and especially gripes me to hear those who were present in the years leading up to 1976 to deny the extent of the culpability of both the "organization" and its representatives in this 1975 business.

Like the revisionist history that was said to be a part of Soviet history, so too, JW apolgists have revised their understanding and memory of what went on in those days, but it doesn't change the reprehensible FACTS.

My two cents 'cause I was there!

-----Dannyboy

35

Did there ever come a time where the meetings became unbearable?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

i try to attend about 3 sunday meetings per month just to keep my whole family from disowning me.

every week the meetings become more difficult to attend.. the singing is awful,the prayers are all about the ''faithful and discreet slave''.the talks are boring and repetative.the watchtower study reminds of trained seals at the zoo where they do the same tricks over and over just so they can get their treat of fresh fish.

the answers are short and read off the watchtower magazine word for word.

dannyboy

LOL @ Farkel

26

Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and those who leave cults

by Lady Lee in

quite a few people on jwd have said they suffer from complex post traumatic stress disorder ( c-ptsd).

i'm not sure how well this issue has been discussed.

c-ptsd is slightly different than ptsd.

dannyboy

Lady Lee- Thanks for posting this. I've been out for about 9 years now, but I still am dealing with stuff/crap. ---Dannyboy