I remember hearing about how back in the 1920's the brothers needed coal to heat Bethel and there wasn't enough money so they simply prayed and left the matter in Jehovah's hands and low and behold there was more than enough. Also remembered is how at assemblies brothers would proudly bellow about the fact that never have we resorted to begging for money like the churches, never have collection plates been passed, no one is ever put on the spot and made to feel forced to contribute. Times have changed. Someone on this board said that the friends speak with their pocketbooks. That's true and its showing that all of the coercion, arm twisting, as well as begging isn't working.
twain30
JoinedPosts by twain30
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35
And so, They must Beg (WT Nov.1,02)
by metatron init's that time again!
time for the watchtower to beg for contributions!.
the nov. 1 wt has the usual article with a great big grey box covering two pages.
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23
M.T.S. Brothers
by Black Man inanother avenue of service that the borg always tries to shove down the mouths of youth/single peeps is that of going to m.t.s.
(ministerial training school).
if bethel isn't your cup of tea, then m.t.s.
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twain30
After knowing dozens I can tell you that what is stressed and impregnated into the minds of these young men is Obedience, Obedience, & Absolute Unquestioning Obedience to The Faithful & Discreet Slave. Brothers go into this program with a flair or some color in their personality and come out 2 months later like they've been stamped out of a cookie cutter! The Society then sends these men off to where there's a greater need. This program is scary, and I've successfully deterred several from going.
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Burning Bridges--a Bad, bad habit.
by LDH inone of the most important lesson an xjw needs to learn is how not to burn bridges.. what exactly does it mean to "burn a bridge" in the first place?.
well, consider if you crossed a wide chasm suspended on a rope bridge and decided you would never need to go back.
why not burn it?
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twain30
Re: Matty
Don't use the phrase, "Easy Going." Say that your mild, long-suffering, and slow to judge. Say that your a person who likes to take time to carefully gather all the facts before rendering an opinion. If someone says, "But its clear, such and such is the case, why don't you take a stand?"-Give a Neutral reply like, "I have to think about it" or, "I'm thinking of how best to deal with the issues presented" etc. etc. Build for yourself a reputation as one who is quick to listen and slow to judge. This is a hard position to knock!
P.S.-Aren't the word games silly?
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31
Burning Bridges--a Bad, bad habit.
by LDH inone of the most important lesson an xjw needs to learn is how not to burn bridges.. what exactly does it mean to "burn a bridge" in the first place?.
well, consider if you crossed a wide chasm suspended on a rope bridge and decided you would never need to go back.
why not burn it?
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twain30
You bring up an interesting topic. Getting out of the "Burning bridges behind you" mindset is something that I've had to fight against. There is a way to present something that we feel strongly about and at the same time allow another person to retain their dignity. You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar, that's something that most witnesses will never understand because of the we're 100% right and your 100% wrong mentality.
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JW funeral and I am DF'd
by Vivamus ini have not been a very active poster lately [have you missed me?].
there has been plenty of drama in my life the last few weeks, and my time has been absorbed by it.
my grandma is seriously ill, and has but a few more months to live.
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twain30
I'm sorry about your grandmother. Sit in the front of the Hall. If any elder would choose to make an issue of this it would be very foolish because they would appear very cruel to at least some of those in attendance and it could also result in rheams of bad publicity for them.
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New Light on Field Service Time
by Bendrr into: all bodies of elders.
from: the boss governing body.
dear brothers:.
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twain30
The hourly statistics reported are an innacurate joke, more witnesses are realizing that the statistics shown are not to be taken at face value. The present system of reporting hours encourages an entirely wrong motivation for preaching. Last year when the new arrangement of reporting 15 minute publishers and applying additional pressure to get ones to turn their time in was announced I thought that surely the number of witnesses in the U.S. would easily soar over the 1 million mark. This hasn't happened, if it does happen it will be with difficulty. The present arrangement of counting time isn't working.
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twain30
Re: Blondie
What you say has at times been very true, however usually when things go according to format, congregation votes as to these matters take place in the way mentioned in my previous post. This amounts not to a fair vote but to something quite coersive.
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twain30
Re: Blondie
"Remodels and New Halls generate some voting opportunities."
In these cases the Elder Body acting under the requests of the Regional Building Committee and Circuit Overseer present what they think to the congregation. Its not viewed as a vote but rather as an opportunity to go along with Jehovah's Holy Spirit. In other words if you vote in agreement with the Elder Body then yeah your working along with Holy Spirit, if you don't then you have a bad attitude-shame on you!
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WT Intransigence Will Be (Is?) Their Undoing
by Room 215 intheir stubborn refusal to throw open a whole host of controversial issues -- blood, chronology, congregational discipline, child molestation policy, etc., etc.
-- to reappraisal or free and unfettered debate by the rapidly diminishing long-time jw loyalists, many of whom are cos and dos and who would urge reform and reason, would seem to seal the doom of the organization as we know it.
the clock is ticking against them and there is no safety valve on the boiler.
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twain30
20 or 30 years ago you could write the Society ask a good question and get an answer, this was OK. Brothers in high position would even say that if it had not been for publishers inquiring about things, changes for the better wouldn't have been made, that I respected. Today any publisher who would dare write a question to the Society would be questioned as to why he didn't follow the proper chain of command. That person would be scrutinized and called to the carpet. I see this as a very negative change for the worse.
Today there is much more micro-management as to things like theocratic procedure at meetings, field service procedures and time reports, regimentation at assemblies, dress, and even the words and phrases one might choose to use.
Any toleration of variety is out. Doing things according to a pre-set formula and being a yes man is in.
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31
Why Is Smoking A Disfellowshipping Offense?
by twain30 inthe main reason given in the 1973 watchtower was that smoking is tied in with spiritism because the greek word which is rendered as spiritism is pharmakia' which literally means "druggery," (see galatians 5:20.
) therefore the argument was made that by smoking we put ourselves under spiritistic or demonic control.
for the last 20 years i haven't heard this reason used.. today the reasons given are that smoking shows no respect for your body as well as for life and that smoking doesn't show love of neighbor.
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twain30
Re: Mary
Your post interested me. In the business world I meet quite a few discreet smokers, people I go out to lunch with who will only smoke outside but not at the table. To me that's a totally different case from the individual who sits and smokes and doesn't care whose lungs he damages.
Re: Room 215
What you said about "Image" makes alot of sense
Around 1980 our C/O at the time gave a talk dealing with this subject. He said that the only reason smoking is a disfellowshipping offense is because of its connection with spiritism (ala druggery, paharmakia', Gal 5:20.) He went on to say that plenty of things we do are not good for our bodies, also one could smoke discreetly. I'm wondering what's changed and why this so called only reason for disfellowshipping is no longer even used.