Doubting Bro

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Posts by Doubting Bro

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  40

  FROM Italy : The 10+1 Urgent Reforms.....to return the trust and honesty in your Organization

  by LaFrancia in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  reform of goverinig body.

  transparency of their regular meetings and reports to the brotherhood.

  creating a committee for biblical reforms.

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  Doubting Bro

  LaFrancia,

  when pigs fly is just an expression in English that means it's impossible.

  I think your English is just fine. While I agree those reforms would make the WTS a much better place, I also agree with the others that say it won't happen. I used to hold out hope that the WTS would reform but I've come to realize that the only changes they make are when they are forced to make them.

  What you are describing is the GB giving up power and basically changing their high control structure. If they were to do that, the whole organization would spin out of their control. I suspect a large number of people would simply walk away if the threat of shunning wasn't there. Look at the number of people that leave despite the high cost of shunning.

  As much as I'd like to see them change, its simply not going to happen.
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  97

  First post

  by thedog1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is a very strange thing for me to do.

  i have been an active witness for over 25 years.

  i currently serve as an elder and i conduct the watchtower study.

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  Doubting Bro

  thedog1 - Welcome! I think many can relate to your story. I am a born-in, family on both sides and served as an elder for around 10 years. The best advice I can give is to take a deep breath! Don't do anything rashly. Like OM suggested, maybe call in sick or have a talk scheduled out for that upcoming WT. One of the best places for unemotional doctrinal issues is www.jwfacts.com

  The author posts here pretty regularly.

  Don't tell anyone about what you're learning yet. It can be quite a tough time coming to grips with the reality that the WTS is not who they say they are but once you do, things will at least make a little more sense.

  Honestly the best thing I did was to resign as an elder but it took me a few years before I got to that point. Once I did that, I was pretty much ignored in the congregation and while I still attend to keep my wife happy, they don't bug me.

  Look forward to your comments!
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  39

  The Current State of the Watchtower & The Cynicism of Soviet Communism

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am reading a book by victor sebestyn called "revolution 1989 - the fall of the soviet empire".

  if you lived through the astonishing collapse of communism in the late '80s i highly recommend it.. what has struck me is the description of life under communism in the six soviet satellite states of east germany, poland, czechoslovakia, hungary, romania and bulgaria.. here is a couple of paragraphs that really stood out to me as a possible parallel to the current climate in the regime of jw.org.. ---------------------------------------------------------.

  once idealism or revolutionary fervour had disappeared - certainly by the soviet invasion of czechosloakia in 1968 - the system stagnated.

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  Doubting Bro

  Berlin Wall = WT Shunning policy. If they were to drop it, the whole religion would come tumbling down which is why they will never willingly do so.
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  18

  Mr. Wade from noblood.org

  by turtleturtle in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  choices are or are not.

  witnesses we do not.

  of their choices.

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  Doubting Bro

  He's definately a JW and I've also met him before although didn't really know him very well. Small world in JW land.
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  38

  Do You Still Wear "Meeting" Clothes?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have dozens of suits.

  i still buy them .

  i wear ties sometimes too.

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  Doubting Bro

  Wear suit & tie to work. Hate it!!!
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  406

  Goodbye JWD/JWN (my last post)

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after some considerable thought i have decided that i will no longer post on this forum because i want to return to jehovah.

  thank you for all the kindness and many interesting discussions over the years.

  i wish you all well in the future and the decisions you make.

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  Doubting Bro

  Sorry to keep this going but SBF, if you are reading these comments, I want to wish you the best. I still attend and while I hate it, I've developed the ability to cope somehow. We all have choices some of which are very difficult. It really boils down to what is going to cause the least amount of pain.

  I always enjoyed SBFs contributions and he'll be missed. I think he brought a bit of balance to the board that was needed.
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  122

  Can the jw organization be reformed?

  by wannaexit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know that this has been discussed in the past but i wanted to get some fresh opinions.

  there are many out there that recognize the "rot" that is in watchtower but still feel that there is a "wholesome" side to it and are trying to bring about change or reform from within.. in 2002 when the rose colored glasses came off for me and i truly started to understand ttatt, i still felt that there was some redemable aspects of the organization.. i felt that russell had some doctrinal things right.

  i don't feel like that anymore.

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  Doubting Bro

  Not in my opinion. To reform would require such a drastic change in policies and even in people that it would just implode. Plus, anyone who voices a contrary opinion is quickly squashed. The only ones that have the right to question anything are the GB and it's in their best interest to continue things as they are. It's hard to imagine even a black swan event that would make them drop their most cult-like traits.
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  33

  Nugget's Latest work in progress (pen and ink)

  by cantleave in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  still a fair bit to do but i thought it is worth posting.

  this is all done with dots no lines at all.. .

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  Doubting Bro

  Nugget - that's really great. Good luck on your exhibit!!
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  60

  Hear Ye!!!Hear Ye!! WONDERFUL GOOD NEWS!!!!

  by mouthy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my jw daughter called me this afternoon!!!!!

  !i am just over the moon.

  her hubby not a jw has cancer & was operated on today!!!!.

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  Doubting Bro

  Mouthy, that's fantastic news!

  I'm struck by how sad it is that something that would be a normal family communication ends up being a big deal because of the WTS hurtful policy. And they say it doesn't destroy families???
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  25

  A bit of gossip.

  by chrisuk in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just thought i'd share this; my mom has dinner with her jw friend on tuesdays and apparently the jw wasn't in a very good mood today... the reason for this as she told my mom is because she wasn't invited to the agm.

  she's been a jw for 25 years, doesn't pioneer, but is very dedicated to the cause.

  she also explained to my mom that 2 other sisters one of whom is 80 yrs old and has been a jw all her life wasn't invited either.

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  Doubting Bro

  So, in the US and Canada all publishers and their minor children were invited (except in apparently some cases where there were spaces issues and small children weren't allowed). In the UK, only specific individuals were invited. What about other English speaking countries?

  They mentioned something like 99 countries where the program was heard but I assumed most of the non-English countries just had their Bethel staff/missionaries/big wigs going like they normally do.

  But in the UK, you have assembly halls and the ability to stream video (or at least replay a video that was downloaded). So why restrict it in one country and not in others? The only thing I can think is they didn't have enough Bibles to distribute.

  This is a US religion and while I'm an American and think the world revolves around me () I know that's really not the case. But it has always seemed to me that the WTS treats other countries like second class citizens. It's still very American-centric although only 1 in 7 JWs are in the US and Spanish is about 25% of them which makes the English speaking Americans an even small percentage of the overall number.