Posts by done4good

122

The Very Best "Protest" Songs?

by hillary_step in

hard to believe that jackson browne wrote this piece twenty-two years ago.

hard to believe just how apt it is for the modern america.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpfdbklumqk&feature=related.

laura nyro - save the country.

done4good

Hard to believe just how apt it is for the modern America

Huge Jackson Browne fan here...

I didn't read through all 7 pages of this yet, so forgive me if this has been covered, HS.

Anyway, let's get some perspective. Things were not better in 1986. We we in the middle of the Cold War. Many things Reagan was doing at the time was not all that accepted, (to say the least), by many Americans, including the more "liberal" voices, such as Jackson Browne.

Bush is over the top bad. It is far easier for many, (especially non-Americans), to see where things this country is doing presently is out of touch with what most citzens of the world consider fair and justified. In 1986, many may have considered Reagan's tactics justified, because many still believed the "Reds were Evil". We are a bit more enlightened today, and hence, are in a better position to realize where we ought not to butt into other's business.

Let's not "boo hoo" over what is going on right now. Let's hope, (and vote), for change this November.

Most American's don't support the idiocy our government is preaching today.

j

20

BOGUS ORIGINS of Watchtower core beliefs DESTROYS FDS claims

by Terry in

when william miller (baptist farmer turned theologian) predicted the 2nd coming of christ in 1843/44 a large segment of america's population believed along with him.. miller was invited to preach in church after church.

he gave his points in sermons demonstrating the nearness of armageddon.

perhaps a hundred thousand devout christians waited for the end.

done4good

Good info, and great read, as ususual, Terry!

I beginning to believe myself, that CTR was not just some nutty-cuddly professor of sorts, (as many seem to think of him), but a very dangerous man. While I doubt that he was purposely deceptive, he certainly was seriously deluded in a similar manner as we would consider any of the "dangerous" ones, (i.e. David Koresh, Jim Jones, etc). Once someone has that level of delusion, anything is possible...

Thanks again for the research!

j

4

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

by done4good in

jw
friends

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

done4good

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

21

What does your congregation do socially now?

by truthseeker in

jw
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.

done4good

What congregation?

j

42

So, someone clue me in.

by Blasty in

jw
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.

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.

17

My Story - Part 3

by Jeremy C in

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.

done4good

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

The Popeye-Ewok thing KILLED me!

j

51

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

by Confession in

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.

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

94

The growing irrelevance of the Watchtower message

by drew sagan in

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.

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

94

The growing irrelevance of the Watchtower message

by drew sagan in

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.

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

34

Have you ever caught a JW in a lie?

by asilentone in

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...