Posts by Doubting Bro

NO, its a passive aggressive thing for me. I could underline the materials in 5 mins if I wanted to but I want people to see how uninterested I am. I don't even have the gumption to do a counter study to try to correct teachings. Probably haven't commented in a couple of years.

Interestingly enough, I was one who tried to do a good job in studying. I would look up info not only in the WT pubs but outside sources like eSword. I would often comment on how other translations rendered verses (of course with a WT spin). What amazes me is that I would often read contrary info and just dismiss it outright! I recall preparing for the Daniel bookstudy and looking up historical info on 607 etc and just thinking the secular sources were completely wrong. It goes to show you that people will just dismiss the truth about the truth until they are ready to accept.

My wife also doesn't prepare. I wouldn't say she ever really studied, just underlined and wrote scriptures down. But she hasn't done that for a while.

44

Struggling

by EmptyInside in

jw
friends

it's just my personality to go the fade route, but i can't handle it anymore.

i lost respect for myself.

i won't write a da letter out of respect for family.

Doubting Bro

Empty & 5th - I understand exactly what you guys are going through and I'm right there with you. I wish I had some words of wisdom, but I don't. Just knowing that others are going through similar circumstances can be of some comfort.

When the choice is staying around a religion that exerts such high control (or anything for that matter that exerts that type of control) or losing the most important things in your life (wife and kids) there really is no good choice. I hate that the WTS forces that type of choice on a daily basis. I just heard of another family being destroyed because the wife doesn't want to be a JW any longer but the husband does. It can sap your will to live on some days.

I wish things would reform but I know deep down that that will never happen. The future from where I sit is pretty dark.

I guess all that we can do is take it one day at a time and hope that we'll be able to wake up those that mean so much to us.

11

elder school 2011

by inbetween in

jw
friends

we received a letter announcing elder school starting fall 2011, it will be one whole week !!!!!.

the kms school for 1 1/2 days were already long enough, now 5 long days ?.

what can possibly be taught in 5 days ?.

Doubting Bro

TOH is right. I remember them reading something at the last CA regarding these special schools but don't remember the details. Here in the US, the 2 day KM schools are going to be held this fall.

68

Change in meeting attendance procedure - can't figure out why though

by sir82 in

jw
friends

per a recent letter to elders:.

beginning september 1, there will be a change to the way attendance is recorded at congregation meetings.. currently, attendance is counted at 4 of the 5 meeting (public talk, wt study, congregation "bible" study, and service meeting).. but after sept. 1, meeting attendance will only be taken at 2 of the meetings - during the "first quarter" of the wt study, and also at the cbs.. .

no reason in given for the change in the letter, and i can't figure out why myself.. the numbers are not published anywhere - the only "official" record is a 6 month average the co puts together during his visit.. why request less information from the congregations, especially when it "costs" nothing to accumulate it in the first place?

Doubting Bro

But they were already getting it. Now, the CO will have no idea how many are only attending the first part of the meetings. Remember, they used to count during the PT and during the WT. The difference was/is sometimes very noticable and I've heard more than one CO comment on it. I've seen local needs parts given on it. Without the data, they really won't be able to comment.

We know the WTS is a micro-managing organization. So to see them drop a piece of their micro-management is a bit puzzling. It's probably not that big of a deal but they generally do things for a reason.

68

Change in meeting attendance procedure - can't figure out why though

by sir82 in

jw
friends

per a recent letter to elders:.

beginning september 1, there will be a change to the way attendance is recorded at congregation meetings.. currently, attendance is counted at 4 of the 5 meeting (public talk, wt study, congregation "bible" study, and service meeting).. but after sept. 1, meeting attendance will only be taken at 2 of the meetings - during the "first quarter" of the wt study, and also at the cbs.. .

no reason in given for the change in the letter, and i can't figure out why myself.. the numbers are not published anywhere - the only "official" record is a 6 month average the co puts together during his visit.. why request less information from the congregations, especially when it "costs" nothing to accumulate it in the first place?

Doubting Bro

I agree with Sir's point on the lower attendance at the WT study. You usually lose between 5-10 folks and rarely pick up any latecomers at that point.

OTWO makes a good point regarding starting to publish the number of attendees and use that as their official "membership" count. That should always be higher than the number of publishers because you could count the younger kids who aren't publishers yet. It would also narrow the gap between peak and average.

Still, why reduce the amount of info being collected? This can't just be random.

68

Change in meeting attendance procedure - can't figure out why though

by sir82 in

jw
friends

per a recent letter to elders:.

beginning september 1, there will be a change to the way attendance is recorded at congregation meetings.. currently, attendance is counted at 4 of the 5 meeting (public talk, wt study, congregation "bible" study, and service meeting).. but after sept. 1, meeting attendance will only be taken at 2 of the meetings - during the "first quarter" of the wt study, and also at the cbs.. .

no reason in given for the change in the letter, and i can't figure out why myself.. the numbers are not published anywhere - the only "official" record is a 6 month average the co puts together during his visit.. why request less information from the congregations, especially when it "costs" nothing to accumulate it in the first place?

Doubting Bro

That is very strange. They're so obsessed with numbers that to reduce any number taking is out of line. It really doesn't take any time to actually take a count.

The thing is that most people never bother to look at the attendance numbers so I'm not so sure they could use that as a smokescreen for dropping other numbers. The Memorial attendance is the only attendance number that most people pay attention to.

I don't see how this would have anything to do with the rumored CO changes. By the way, my circuit is getting a new CO this year. I would think if they were going to drop the program, they would have just extended the current stays rather than pay for the expense of relocating these folks.

If they want to really save JWs time and effort, then drop the turning in of fs time.

14

Not doubting in private

by 5thGeneration in

can anyone please help me find this wt quote.. it was from around 1999-2002.. where it says it would be wrong to have any doubts, even in private.

something to that effect.. thanks.. 5th.

Doubting Bro

I believe the statement is in the Flock book. Not sure if there's a WT article refered to there or not. Don' have a copy at the moment.

34

Question for Billy The Ex-Bethelite and others who had forgone college sometime ago.

by garyneal in

jw
friends

i was talking with my wife today about college and i asked her about why the society makes such a big deal about witnesses not going to college.

in typical dub fashion, my wife tells me that they do not discourage college, but they do not encourage it either.

instead, they encourage placing kingdom interests first.. now i told her about you (billy) and how you were at bethel and are now starting college at the age of 40 (i think that is correct).

Doubting Bro

As someone who skipped college directly out of high school because of the WTS's advice, I did not decide to return so that I could live an extravagent lifestyle. I was fortunate in that I started working for a company that at first didn't require a degree to do my job. I took some professional designation courses that basically substituted for the degree. But, as time went by, I realized that people several layers below me and everyone I managed had degrees. So, I believed that in order for me to maintain my position or compete with others for new jobs if necessary, I would have to get the degree. I also resented a bit that a religion had the audacity to tell me what kind and how much secular education I needed.

I think that if you want to get a decent job, you probably need a bachelor's degree just to get your foot in the door. I'm not saying that good jobs don't exist without one, but its much more difficult.

Believe me, temptations exist whether you're in college or whether you in the workplace. That's a weak excuse. A 18 y/o could move out on their own or with a roommate and face the very same things as an 18 y/o that moves away to college.

I honestly never understood the anti-education stance and I never will.