Smoke and mirrors. Gotta give the peeps that show up a mission, a reason for JW's to be relevant. The WT knows growth is impossible in this day and age. Maybe the faithful know it too, hence the low energy preaching work. T
Posts by Dagney
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44
The Great October 2016 Invite to the Sunday Meeting campaign ...
by freddo inwell how's it going round your way?
massive increase of interested ones?
did you even know it was supposed to be happening?
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97
BIG news Trump...His lewd conversation leaks.
by James Mixon inif he get pass this, america deserve him...... conversation 10 years ago..
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Dagney
I don't think it will make a difference to most of his supporters.
They don't care if he stiffs small businesses and routinely doesn't pay for services he receives.
They don't care if he lies to investors so they will fund more money into his flailing businesses so he can divert it to other businesses while they lose their investments.
They don't care that he forced his bankers to WO his debt to them so they could be part of the new ventures. We've all paid for Donald's wealth.
The woman thing...they will easily excuse. I wonder how long before Melania takes a hike. 5 years when the son is older?
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39
Can Someone Explain To Me, Are The Org In Debt Or Rich?
by pale.emperor inhi guys.. im aware of the orgs blatant hints to donate, donate, donate to the org, the sacking of bethel staff, selling of buildings, reducing mags and books, emphasis on digital rather than physical books etc which is obviously a money saver - but are the wt org in money difficulty?
because elsewhere on here and on youtube there's stories of the watchtower being mega rich, one even called it "a billion dollar organization".
and if there is any money in there, who's benefiting off it?
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Dagney
I think their coffers are full at the moment. But they saw the writing on the wall years ago. They know there is only so much income they can count on going forward. They tied that one up nicely with the congregation monthly tithe. They cut the out flow of cash by cutting various full time positions (missionaries/special pioneers/DO's etc.) throughout the world and reducing staff at the Bethels. They cut expenses all around by modernizing...especially reducing the ridiculous amount of printing they used to do. They are streamlining their properties for the best monetary reasons. No matter what you might think, they are not concerned about growth or how these changes affect the faithful. They know the real numbers. The whole world knows the numbers...they have the worse retention for born ins. That won't change and the old timers are dying off. They know their day in the sun is over...there will be no significant growth. They will retain the ones who need them, who need a high control/cult to help them live.
They are developing their own in house attorneys I'm sure to help defer outgoing legals costs for the ongoing court cases. Having to pay out big bucks in court cases will be their biggest expense. I hope the hits keep coming. They need to pay for their negligence.
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28
I don't like the person i am becoming...
by SpunkedTeen ini have not been active here lately just lurking mostly but i have no one to talk to and i need some help i guess.i started working out and became friends with my personal trainer(we went to school together).i started going out with him(lying to my mother about what i was doing,another thing to add to the list of lies,it's becoming too easy!
) and i notice i'm slowly becoming the worldy people that the jw's described.i've become very selfish and rude and very apathetic towards everything and everyone.i always thought the values that jw's taught were really good.if i cut ties with the only friend i have now , i would probably slip into a deep depression and i that is something that i want to avoid at all costs.i start university in january and my plan was to stick it out in the organisation until i got my degree and became fully independant but as of late a elder told me i am being considered to become a m.s and told me what i need to work on and since then the other elders have been nagging me to work on the same things.i'm trying to rid my self of my 'priveleges' in the cong but nothings working...if anyone has experienced a similar situation what advice would you give?
, oh and my mom was always super into the religion having been a pioneer and bethel worker for years but we went to the regional convention two weeks ago and now she is even more exasperating (for example a sister asked my why i was 19 years old and not a ms or serving at bethel yet, which is fine i've learnt how to deal with these questions but when i told my mother whom has always been content with me just being in the religion and never pushed me towards anything asked me if i was happy with what i was and if i would not be happier at bethel or regular pioneering.
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Dagney
People will always say and ask insensitive questions, and parents are trying to do right by their kids. Some are worse than others, but they mostly are trying to help you have a successful life...even if it means being in a cult.
The advice here is good. You need to explore the world and find out what is best for you. It is not hard. You are making it hard. Like Nike says...just do it!
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31
Welcome to all the Newbies in the last six months
by smiddy ini think all of us on this forum would like to welcome all the newbies that have joined in the last six months or so ,if i`m not mistaken there seems to be an influx lately.. elders , ms ,and sisters.
speak up and make a comment , are you happy you came here ?.
we`d love to here from you.. smiddy.
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Dagney
Welcome! And so nice to see you all here. It takes a lot of courage to take this road against what seems to be an impossible choice of losing everything and everyone you know. Once you experience the joy of freedom of thought, it will greatly make up for most of what is lost. We promise. Especially those of you that have children. You are giving them the greatest gift ever, and that is the freedom for them to grow up and explore to be the person they should be.
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29
Meet and Greet
by jeanniebeanzz indoes this group ever get together for meet and greet's anymore?.
~jean.
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Dagney
I've been to quite a few, Toronto, Tahoe and local ones. A new group just started up in North County San Diego area and they just had a meetup last Saturday. My first was in the LA area by a young woman who left and was on her own; she ran it for a number of years. It wasn't a large group but different people came from all over.
Another friend started one up in the Salt Lake City area.
Just the best thing ever is to meet people that understand what we all are going through.
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46
Anionted mom says Jehovah may ask her to kill all her family!!
by Witness 007 inyes my holy anionted mom who has cancer is concerned that the loving god jehovah may ask her in heaven to destroy here non believer family including her 5 year old grandchild during armagedon....how messed up are these crazy people!!?
?.
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Dagney
I agree with slim, Londo and Scully....this is the teaching, and she is thinking it through.
I'm sorry for her cancer, and hope some way she will be able to see how twisted this teaching is.
I just went to a funeral given by an evangelical preacher and he talked about the deceased wanting us to be in heaven with her and she was concerned if we weren't saved we'd end up in hell. Same theme...different characters. Ai yi yi. Crazy.
My sympathies to you and yours for what you are going through.
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28
Hello
by UnshackleTheChains ini decided to join this forum as have been lurking awhile.
there are lots of interesting topics on here that appeal to me.. i have been a witness for almost 3 decades and am very disillusioned with the organisation at this time.
i am beginning to see it in a new light as i am getting older.
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Dagney
Welcome! So glad you found us.
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62
the new understanding
by heathen inhi guys , i know i was never a favorite here and haven't posted in awhile ... question .
what do you think of the new understanding of , " this generation " they seem to go in circles on this one big time , once 1914 generation was almost gone they said they didn't know what it meant and now in the new publication the generation includes the second generation after 1914 .... i agree they don't know what they are talking about and this is just another control move .
any comments ?.
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Dagney
(lol Outlaw!)
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59
Counting time
by Emma ini may not have put this in the correct spot, but i do think it's scandalous the way time gets counted now.
i've seen a cart at the edge of our farmer's market, never anyone close enough to talk.
yesterday was a drizzly day and there were two carts set up, covered in plastic, "witnessing" on their own.
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Dagney
I was told many times by elder "former" friends to count my time when I helped my mom or other needy ones in the hall. It was for them to show more hours and so my low D2D hours wouldn't reflect poorly on me or the congregation, and bring down the congregation average. I never did it though.
I'm still amazed at the cart witnessing. But it makes sense. And I've heard the same thing, those that qualify to get a cart are thrilled with this easy time reporting. There was a couple outside a Trader Joe's. They were sitting on their electric wheel chairs next to the trolleys having the time of their lives.