Posts by Doubting Bro

lwt - I don't know. I think at first their function was to actually enforce the blood ban. But, as more and more things became MOC, their main function now is the inform the R&F about which things they can do and which are MOC.

That policy is so confusing, the average JW doesn't realize just how much stuff they can take without organizational sanctions.

104

KM (Elder School) Brief Highlights

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

besides the usual drivel there were a couple interesting things.

1. an entire 1 hour discourse on helping our children become little innocent martyrs for the wt via.

their flawed and unreasonable blood doctrine.

Doubting Bro

sir82 - your description is what I understood the HLC stance to be.

MLE - I think sir82 was saying to reverse the fraction stance back to a complete ban.

If that's the case, the younger guys are way more hardcore than the older ones.

I still think we won't really know how much hardline the GB 2.0 will be until they appoint new members which I gotta believe is already in the works with them losing 2 this year.

104

KM (Elder School) Brief Highlights

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

besides the usual drivel there were a couple interesting things.

1. an entire 1 hour discourse on helping our children become little innocent martyrs for the wt via.

their flawed and unreasonable blood doctrine.

Doubting Bro

SIAM - That's interesting regarding the trust in the fds talk. The tone of the WT study articles especially recently have been to "trust the slave" almost to the point that it's a weekly happening. Obviously, they are frustrated with the average JW and realize that they don't have the influence they once did.

So, who should they blame? Themselves? Nah, it must be that those stupid local yokels low level managers are screwing up!! They obviously are materalistic and more concerned about their kids getting decent jobs than they are with following the "loving" counsel. What to do, what to do??? I know, let's berate them for half an hour towards the end of their special program.

wow - I am glad I don't have to sit through that any longer! SIAM and xbehere you guys have my sympathy.

104

KM (Elder School) Brief Highlights

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

besides the usual drivel there were a couple interesting things.

1. an entire 1 hour discourse on helping our children become little innocent martyrs for the wt via.

their flawed and unreasonable blood doctrine.

Doubting Bro

Thanks for the highlights (or lowlights I should say).

1 - Blood - I'm really surprised they are pushing on the blood ban for children. I've had discussions with HLC reps that I'm friendly with on how they deal with kids. I recall being told that the "best" the HLC can do is require a court order for each pint of blood. The one person (whom I've known for a long time) told me that they really focus on adults and "mature minors" as opposed to younger kids. He was basically saying that the HLC typically won't make a big deal over young children because they can't really win. I'm wondering, was it directed at kids in the "mature minor" sort of age range (14+)?

2 - I KNEW they were really going to crack down on appointed men who allowed their kids to get an education. I know it has been reported here that during CO visits maybe a year or so ago, that it was in the outline that the CO reviews with the BOE that having a kid in college could call their "qualifications" into question. It sounded like it was handled differently depending on the CO but if they're putting it in the KM school program, they obviously want to clarify the position. My wife does not believe me when I tell her that it's possible to be removed for having a kid in college. In my congregation, ALL of the elders that have had kids old enough have sent their kids to college. And, there is one that currently has 2 kids in college (1 in community college and 1 in a regular 4 year school). All 3 of his kids were on the do 2 years of cc and then transfer the credits to a 4 year school plan which is actually a great way to save cash (in the US).

Any chance you could post the questions or PM me with them. I suddenly feel the need to work in service with this guy and ask a ton of questions about his kids prior to him going to the school over Christmas weekend!!

Edited to add: Also, there are a couple of MS who were appointed in the last year or so that were appointed WHILE attending college!! And, one of them is now a reg pioneer (couldn't find a full time position right away and he just graduated this year). WTF?

21

Have you gotten your 2011 JW Calendar yet? (Bethel lurkers please read)

by Open mind in

jw
friends

we picked ours up recently and guess what moronic feature is still included?.

hint: it is demeaning to jws because it implies that they are completely brain dead.. .

any guesses?.

Doubting Bro

woo hoo!!! What did I win????

Honestly, I don't even know why they bother producing a calander each year. I don't have either a JW or secular calendar hanging anywhere because my schedule is on my smartphone for personal stuff and in Outlook for work. Does anyone actually use printed calendar's anymore?

Those things are probably more expensive to produce than your average rag. I can't imagine the profit margin is very good on it.

21

Have you gotten your 2011 JW Calendar yet? (Bethel lurkers please read)

by Open mind in

jw
friends

we picked ours up recently and guess what moronic feature is still included?.

hint: it is demeaning to jws because it implies that they are completely brain dead.. .

any guesses?.

Doubting Bro

BTW - I didn't even order one until Sunday. I don't want it but I figure every little piece of literature I order without putting in a contribution is a few cents I pull from their billion dollar coffers. I realize its petty and lame but makes me feel slightly better!!

21

Have you gotten your 2011 JW Calendar yet? (Bethel lurkers please read)

by Open mind in

jw
friends

we picked ours up recently and guess what moronic feature is still included?.

hint: it is demeaning to jws because it implies that they are completely brain dead.. .

any guesses?.

Doubting Bro

magazine day every sat??

36

Were You Happy That Jack Barr Of The GB Died?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i read that some are quite happy that another gb bites the dust.. i think of my "faithful" elderly jw mother who helped many many families come into the "truth".

she's an intelligent woman.

however, she's blinded by her beliefs (being in a cult).

Doubting Bro

BB - I agree with what you said.

Minimus - You know, I never really thought about what Franz did but now that I reflect on it, what courage it took to basically leave security to jump into the unknown at his age. He could have just as easily been like Barr and lived out his life at Bethel. We know the GB has great latitude to disagree with current teaching and it could have been very tempting to work within the system as a force for change. We all know that it probably wouldn't have worked and certainly Franz felt like he didn't have a shot at reform or he would have likely taken that route.

Like LWT said, we all die. I'm neither sad nor happy since I didn't personally know him. I'm sure family and friends are sorry he's gone and will miss him. Of course, at 97 he certainly lived a long life.

In terms of his participation on the GB, it doesn't really matter. It does mark the end of GB 1.0 and I would imagine that we'll see several appointments in 2011 to push the number up from 7 to maybe 12. I'm sure they'll have no problem finding a replacement just like our employers would have no problem finding a replacement for any of us.

I expect more of the same and seriously doubt that anyone new will rock the boat.

5

Should true Christians listen to symposiums?

by sir82 in

jw
friends

anyone whose been to a circuit assembly or district convention over the past 5 years knows how the society has gone absolutely ape-$#!+ crazy over the word "symposium".. there's a symposium every morning...every afternoon....every multi-talk unit is introduced as a "symposium"...the km articles hyping the assemblies ramble on about how we can look forward with great enthusiasm to all the symposiums....at lunchtime, the talk is all about "oh what a great symposium"...symposium this, symposium that..... anyways, i'm currently reading "the jews in the time of jesus" by stephen wylen, an entry-level discussion of jewish belief in the 2nd temple period concentrating on, not surprisingly, the jews in the time of jesus.. in one chapter he is comparing jewish ritual meals to christian ritual meals, and how the seder morphed into the eucharist.. he talks how the seder was done in the first century, and compares it to a typical hellenistic (greek) banquet.. here's what i found amusing:.

"at the hellenistic banquet the participants sat on sofas around a low table, dining at leisure.

meanwhile, they discussed a prepared topic.

Doubting Bro

Symposiums would actually be interesting if they served wine inbetween!