The Watchtwer Society will never experience an "Enron-like" collapse. Instead, it will experience a slow fade-away more in common with Montgomery Wards, or Sears.
Posts by Arthur
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45Is the Watchtower Crumbling???
by R.F. ini'll start with my congregation....... there have been about 7 disfellowshippings in my congregation alone within the last year.
over half the congo is inactive and many more are irregular pubs.
young people in the congo are dropping like flies.
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dark
by John Doe inlonesome winds whisper through the dark valley surrounding the highway that is my soul.
i carry a lantern burning from the precarious end of a wick that is shortened with every breath i steal from the hollow vast dampness that wafts through my memories like so many lost thoughts.
somehow i find the courage to continue, for continuing is the only way through the darkness.
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Arthur
Thanks for sharing that Joe Doe, I really liked that.
I'm sort of a poet myself, though it's hard for me to get into a creative mindset to write. I feel similar to you; I don't feel that many of my writings are worth sharing. I have a few works that are unfinished; that I work with a little at a time. Nonetheless, your post here has inspired me to get to writing some more.
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"Carnivores were designed to eat plants!"
by Anony-Mouse inso said one of my family members recently.
i'm pretty sure that if a lion eats grass, it will get sick.
and if lions were designed to eat grass, why do they have teeth perfect for eating meat?
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Arthur
One would think that such moronic silliness would have passed away with the era of harpsichords and powdered wigs.
The examples of dinosaurs is just one example of how the anatomies of prehistoric animals had very specific designs / evolved functions for killing and eating other animals. Many of the prehistoric sea reptiles had extremely sharp teeth. Were these razor-like teeth for eating plankton?
Countless species after the age of the dinosaur (and predating man) had similar functions. I doubt that the saber-toothed tiger had such a powerful jaw and teeth for eating berries. One of you mentioned modern lions. If lions were really originally designed by Jehovah to eat grass, why do they have such sophisticated hunting instincts and methods? Would JWs say that these evolved? (maybe the Society believes that Satan, the great "roaring lion" taught them these techniques from his experience of hunting Jah's people).
The Watchtower Society's Creation book even discusses the designs of many birds, and how their powerful sight is specifically designed to spot insects and small prey from far away. The Creation book even discusses the eyes of the eagle, and it's ability to spot field mice from hundreds yards away. The Creation book never even suggests that such features "evolved" in the last 6,000 years. Yet, this is what would have had to happen if their assertions about animals not being designed to be predators was really true.
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Do you think the GB was/is that smart?
by exwitless inin pondering all of the hundreds of examples of manipulation, lying, controlling the governing body is responsible for, i often wonder, are they really that smart?
what i mean is, did they set out 100 years ago to systematically gain this much control and power over its minions?
have they had an evil plan all along, with the purpose of absolute control?
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Arthur
I believe they have been a varied group. I'm sure some were average intelligence, others were above average intelligence. There is no doubt that Fred Franz was extremely intelligent (the man spoke several languages fluently). However according to his nephew Ray, and others who knew him well, he was a detached person, almost eccentric in some ways. (judging from the way he dressed, I'll concur).
Intelligence however, doesn't impress me in the slightest. There have been incredibly intelligent individuals throughout history who's intellects hindered them from having any depth of human empathy compassion, and common sense. Sometimes, a high intellect can cause one to be somewhat seperated from reality, and place expectations upon others which are unrealistic.
The Watchtower organization has been more of a sales organization than a model of first-century Christianity. The whole thrust of the movement is to sell it's product (Watchtowerism). The men in charge have a fetish for numbers, stats, figures, and percentages. I would agree that it certainly requires smart men to run this type of operation. But am I impressed? No. I'm impressed with someone who can truly understand and empathize with human frailties, hardships, and emotions. Unfortunately you will find very few of these people working as C.E.O.s (Chief Ecclesiastical Officers).
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Living forever in paradise earth...
by zeroday infor 28 years i believed in paradise earth.
it was my life.
i da'ed myself 3 years ago and with that i my life as i knew it ended.
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Arthur
The paradise earth concept is incredibly seductive. It is the answer to all problems, strife, frustrations, and sorrows. Looking back now, I wonder how a person who responded favorably to this "expanded upon" gospel message can necessarily be classified as more "sheep like" or "righteous hearted". Does the desire to live in problem-free paradisaic conditions require any deeper love of God or any higher level of spirituality? When I was a Witness, I seemed to think so.
The Watchtower’s version of paradise is something that is appealing to a JW of any age. When I was a child, I was always told how I would be able to play with lions, tigers, and that I could have a huge paradise-like backyard. I wouldn’t have to worry about being kidnapped. All I had to do to earn this "reward" was "serve Jehovah" faithfully (i.e. serve the Watchtower organization dutifully).
When I got older, the appeal of this "reward" was not having to deal with stressful jobs, jerk bosses, mortgages, bills, and of course, seeing loved ones again in the resurrection. Many of the WT articles and publications regarding the paradise look like Hawaiian travel brochures. The focus of the message is on the physical / tangible appeals. When this desire for a problem-free world is ingrained, I found that I simply resented all problems instead of looking for the ways in which maybe I needed to grow as a person. Instead of attempting to work through many issues, I simply hoped that the "end" would come soon, so that I wouldn't have to deal with it. If a person is successful in keeping themselves from "independent thinking" or the "seeds of doubt", they can carry on this kind of charade for decades. The longer a person spends in this mental marry-go-round, the harder it becomes to "cut ones losses" and give up the illusion.
I think Ray Franz did an excellent job in discussing the problems that are created when the Witness community has been promised that this "reward" is just around the corner. In his book In Search of Christian Freedom, he wrote an entire chapter on this. He discussed how many Witnesses had never really developed the mindset necessary for dealing with long-term problems and for preparing for long-term needs (i.e. retirement, education). The organization seems to brush off the need to prepare for long-term needs, and continuously applauds those who have forgone college. The run-up to 1975 is a perfect example.
A major problem with the paradise earth being a central part of the preaching message, is that it is an "expanded upon" gospel message that is significantly different from what Jesus and the apostles preached. The central message of the apostles (particularly Paul) was coming in union with Christ Jesus, and the forgiveness of sins though faith in his ransom sacrifice.
The Watchtower’s version focuses on earning a "reward" by serving in an organization (by which all of those outside such an organization cannot attain salvation). The NT does not teach that organizational membership is a pre-requisite for salvation. This concept of organizational salvation is completely absent from the Bible. But, the average Witness has been so conditioned to believe that salvation (and their everlasting reward) is conditional upon remaining inside an organization, that they find themselves asking: "Where else would we go?"
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Is the Watchtower Crumbling???
by R.F. ini'll start with my congregation....... there have been about 7 disfellowshippings in my congregation alone within the last year.
over half the congo is inactive and many more are irregular pubs.
young people in the congo are dropping like flies.
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Arthur
i wish the illegal immigrant issue could/would be dealt with in the now growing spanish congregations
any thoughts on that,,,being canadian, i may be way outta the loup:)
This is a complex issue. Currently, those in the U.S. illegally are not qualified to serve as M.S. or elders. However, no judicial action is taken. It' hard to determine how much of this has been dictated by the WTS legal department, and how much of this is left up to local congregations. Many Spanish Witnesses are here illegally, but it is because they were brought here when they were children; hence they didn't have a choice. Some, came into the U.S. illegally before becoming Witnesses.
It's a sticky issue for elders in Spanish congregations to grapple with. I know of a Spanish brother who was in the country illegally, but was allowed to become a M.S. because he was brought here as a child. Others, on the other hand who came later in life are not allowed to be appointed. It is difficult to comprehend how judicial action can be taken against those who willfully commit tax-evasion or corporate fraud, but none is taken against adults who willfully violate immigration laws (such as working "under the table" without paying certain taxes). After reading Crisis of Conscience, and reading about the "two sets of scales" that were used in the Mexico and Malawi situations, I don't even bother questioning these things anymore. Why bother trying to intellectualize analyze why a used car saleman does what he does? -
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Who Else Here Is On Myspace.com?
by Arthur inat the risk of being "untheocratic", i recently set up a profile on myspace.com.
i know that there are several of you on here who are also on myspace.
i thought that it would be nice to get in contact with some of you on here who do.
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Arthur
Thank you all for your responses!
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Who Else Here Is On Myspace.com?
by Arthur inat the risk of being "untheocratic", i recently set up a profile on myspace.com.
i know that there are several of you on here who are also on myspace.
i thought that it would be nice to get in contact with some of you on here who do.
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Arthur
misanthropic: thanks very much for that link.
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Who Else Here Is On Myspace.com?
by Arthur inat the risk of being "untheocratic", i recently set up a profile on myspace.com.
i know that there are several of you on here who are also on myspace.
i thought that it would be nice to get in contact with some of you on here who do.
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Arthur
At the risk of being "untheocratic", I recently set up a profile on myspace.com. I know that there are several of you on here who are also on myspace. I thought that it would be nice to get in contact with some of you on here who do.
I don't feel comfortable posting a link to my profile on this thread (being that I have recently faded). For the rest of you who are also uncomfortable posting the link here, maybe we can exchange our myspace addresses via PM.
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Is this story a JW Myth.....
by drew sagan ina co once told this story at a circuit assembly.
i never quite believed it, and now knowing how many false rumors spread in the jws it would be no suprise to me if this is fake.
the story goes that a non-jw husband didn't want his wife to joining the jws.
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Arthur
After talking online with other ex-JWs from all over the place on this forum, I really began to understand how the organization is a large echo-chamber for urban legends, myths, and pseudo-experiences. I could relate several. And now with email, such legends only circulate more rapidly and extensively than before.
I have often thought about how fun it might be to fabricate fake experiences and get a few active Witnesses to send them out to JW email address lists to see how rapidly they circulate. Someone should circulate one that says that Ted Jaracz cast a demon out of someone, or lifted a heavy car off of the foot of a old pioneer sister.