done4good

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Posts by done4good

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  4

  Jehovah's Witnesses under consideration as "extremeists" in Russia

  by done4good in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1159

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  done4good

  http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1159
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  21

  What does your congregation do socially now?

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you're still in or hear about jw social activities through the grapevine, what does your congregation do now socially?.

  my hall does absolutely - nothing - with the exception of high school graduations.

  i read a few posts about jw socialising in the 70s and 80s and honestly, reading about it is completely foreign to me - i grew up in the 80s and never experienced the "good times" of jwdom.. it seems most people do their own thing.

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  done4good

  What congregation?

  j
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  42

  So, someone clue me in.

  by Blasty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  alright, so i'm reading on this site, and i'm not 100% sure what it's about.

  it appears to be a bunch of former jw people bashing everything they can get their hands on in relation to jw's.. .

  i was brought up as a jw, but when i got older and started to think for myself, i began to realize that i didn't agree with their teachings.

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  done4good

  Hi Blasty!

  All types here...personally I'm agnostic/borderline atheist, but I gave up trying to convince others to think like I do a long time ago.

  At the end of the day, if you search through the information here, you will ahead of the WT game by a long shot, no matter what path you choose. I went through many changes in my personal belief system after I left the WT, and it took a while to come to the conslusions I finally came to.

  j

  p.s. Don't be too quick to find "all of the answers" though. They will come in time.
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  17

  My Story - Part 3

  by Jeremy C in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my story - part 1. my story - part 2. in my previous thread (part 2) i stated that i would talk about my experience as a regular pioneer in this thread.

  all of them took a special interest in me and gave me encouragement.

  i told him i would think about it.

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  done4good

  Great story, Jeremy. I just read all three parts...You are a very good writer.

  The Popeye-Ewok thing KILLED me!

  j
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  51

  Ran into old JW friend in the airport...Correspondence has ensued...

  by Confession in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it was the same weekend that my mom and dad, to my surprise, agreed to meet with me.

  i was in midland, michigan, about a month ago, only an hour or so from where they live.

  in the airport on monday morning, in walked john, someone i remembered well from the jw congregation of my youth.

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  done4good

  Unfortunately, there are more ex-jws like your friend, than not...

  I had several friends that left the Borg, (some long before me), that to this day, either avoid me now, or are less than friendly. Many people are stuck in the "grey area", and I believe this is for several resons:

  1. They are still affected by long term mind control of the cult. (They heard for many years that anyone attacking the org, is attacking the "brothers").

  2. It is easier to do than take the brave step of examining one's belief system. (Far easier to just believe, but not participate).

  3. They want to keep peace with those they still have a relationship with in the org.

  4. They want to keep the "door open", just in case they decide to go back.

  5. They largely still think like jws. They may disagree in some key areas , but still believe the "big" stuff.

  j
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  94

  The growing irrelevance of the Watchtower message

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in many ways it appears as if the watchtower movement is slowing down.

  a number of changes over the last few years certainly show that the watchtower is in a period of transition.

  they have cut back on the number of magazines they print as well as lowered the cost of production by eliminating things like hard backed books.

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  done4good

  The changes that the WTS are making corporate-side foretell the changes they'll continue to make with the actual religion: Downsizing, streamlining, liquidating, shrinking. In other words, they'll happily grow smaller if they can achieve long-term fiscal and congregational sustainability. They would be happier with fewer members if it means they would have a stronger core. That's been their corporate strategy since around 2000, and will continue to lead commensurate changes among the management of the religion.

  Yup. That's the way I see it. A smaller core is far easier to manage, (whatever doctrinal direction they decide to go in), so keep the drones, drop the intellectuals, and hope for the best...

  j
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  94

  The growing irrelevance of the Watchtower message

  by drew sagan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in many ways it appears as if the watchtower movement is slowing down.

  a number of changes over the last few years certainly show that the watchtower is in a period of transition.

  they have cut back on the number of magazines they print as well as lowered the cost of production by eliminating things like hard backed books.

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  done4good

  Very good post, Drew.

  I tend to be of the camp that thinks that all of the "defensive" stuff the WTS is doing, is, in fact preparing for its future. I have stated on another post recently, (the long one about the current education edict), that the changes being made may seem disjointed, but, in reality are all related.

  Consider what is going on...A major clampdown on information control, (i.e. Sept '07 KM and "Kool Aid" WTs), A reduction in meeting length, and the elimination of a meeting. Then finally, (most recently), the talk of removing elders and MSs if they "encourage" higher education, (in spite of a huge need for qualified brothers). The fact is they expect and want to loose members who won't sell the party line. These people are a threat to the long term well being of the org.

  They have figured out that they simply are far worse off having those that are capable of thinking for themselves in the organization. Let's purge them now, shrink the congos, sell off properties, make some profit on them, then figure out how to exist for the next several decades. This is what is really going on behind the scenes.

  Remember, about two years ago, a poster, (I believe it was Arthur), posted about a conversation that took place with a GB member that basically said that "big changes" were comming, and if anyone in the org. dosen't accept change, then they would not last in the org very long. That statement seems to make it obvious to me that they simply don't want, (or care about), anyone in the org who could potentially screw up their long term plans.

  Yes, they will in fact need to reinvent themselves for survival...they just may be doing that with a completely different member base than they currently have.

  j
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  34

  Have you ever caught a JW in a lie?

  by asilentone in

  1. jw
  2. experiences
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  done4good

  When they told me to just meet men, they kept telling me that it was not necessarily permanent. I know, however, that it was necessarily permanent because they wanted every bit of sexual energy I had to be rechanneled into the Value Destroyer Training School and into rebuilding the whole organization so they would be able to start the Second Dark Ages. I would say they were caught in a blatant lie.

  Wha?

  Aww...Leave WTW alone. We all know this guy needs his meds...
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  18

  A Dub Explains 607...

  by brinjen in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i left a comment on this video three weeks ago, a very good video titled jws, ex-jw "apostates," and faith!

  by a youtuber called shazoolo.... http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=btvajrqc2oa#anqrgt3pxpc.

  i asked if anyone could explain the 607 b.c.e.

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  done4good

  Prefering secular calculations to Biblical is a grave error

  A typical jw ad hominem. Why is it a "grave error" to prefer secular calculations, to unproven biblical events? Is 539 somehow a better attested to date than 587? If 587 is wrong, how do you know the secular calculations used to end at 539 are not also wrong?

  Very weak reasoning here.

  j
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  43

  sex before marriage in the borg

  by heyfea in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  (i don't know if i posted this already, since i got errors every time i tried) .

  do you think that a lot of engaged jws have sex before getting married?

  i think so, only a few fall into the guilt trip after they're married, and ultimately confess.

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  done4good

  I remember thinking that since all the other girls I went out with would do it then my wife who would not must be a real spiritual person and therefore a the right mate for me. It never occured to me that a person could not be interested in sex at all. No matter how it is introduced. It is really tough especially for those of us who held out until we are married to have sex and basiclly we have as much as we did before we were married with ourselves.

  My ex to a "T". Now a proud member of the "hump before I jump" class...

  j