Posts by OnTheWayOut

48

Does God Exist? / Who is God? These are Questions which Lead nowhere. What is God Like, is the Correct Question.

by LAWHFol in

there are 2 questions that generate more pain,suffering & death, than any other question in existence.. these 2 questions are :.

"does god exist?".

"who is god"?.

OnTheWayOut

What is God like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ8hefESt7c

48

Does God Exist? / Who is God? These are Questions which Lead nowhere. What is God Like, is the Correct Question.

by LAWHFol in

there are 2 questions that generate more pain,suffering & death, than any other question in existence.. these 2 questions are :.

"does god exist?".

"who is god"?.

OnTheWayOut

My take is, that we should not apply our, sometimes bleeding heart qualities*** and project them onto the creator.

Well, I will agree because, apparently, I and most others are better than this creator.

48

Does God Exist? / Who is God? These are Questions which Lead nowhere. What is God Like, is the Correct Question.

by LAWHFol in

there are 2 questions that generate more pain,suffering & death, than any other question in existence.. these 2 questions are :.

"does god exist?".

"who is god"?.

Prologos, if you are hung up on the word, use "asshole." Children did not have a say in where their parents should live, and we could use children in the Haiti earthquake or those with birth defects if you want to drop the coastal Indonesia part.

12

Meditation linked to increased age, health, and smarts?

by EndofMysteries in

i recently read how advanced meditation increases the brains waves, higher frequency alpha waves which is linked to higher state of consciousness and intelligence.

now i saw this article, http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/10/health/can-meditation-really-slow-aging/index.html?hpt=hp_c3 that it also increases life and health, etc.

i haven't really read or researched meditation but i was wondering if anybody has got into it, into a 'non religious' aspect of it.

OnTheWayOut

I feel that formal meditation is not for everyone. But, rather, that meditation can be found in listening to music, playing an instrument, knitting, lying on a beach reading a book, working out or running or climbing. The mind can enter a phase of focus or non-focus, depending on you and your needs.

48

Does God Exist? / Who is God? These are Questions which Lead nowhere. What is God Like, is the Correct Question.

by LAWHFol in

there are 2 questions that generate more pain,suffering & death, than any other question in existence.. these 2 questions are :.

"does god exist?".

"who is god"?.

OnTheWayOut

What is God like?

If He has the power to prevent it, then the death of tens of thousands of children in a tsunami shows that He is a bastard.

I could go on, but you get the point.

16

The Org's Chariot Rolls On - Over the Top of People!

by The Searcher in

information just received from a reliable source.. here is an example of how the org's "expansion" is being carried out in 3 continents: .

japan - special pioneers under age 50 are being told they will now only be regular pioneers.barcelona spain - the regional translation (catalan) office is being closed.mexico - special pioneers being told they will only be regular pioneers - no age specified on this one.. the scene of the org's world is changing - rapidly!.

OnTheWayOut

This is long overdue, even if it is for the wrong reasons. I agree that those at the top should set the example. Theyve all sponged of the r&f for far too long.

Special pioneers are definitely not "the top." Even if paid recruiters (at a low rate) is wrong with you, can you see how this is stabbing your "family" in the back? Bethelites and special pioneers are people that were told they would be rewarded for their efforts and most sacrificed doing real jobs that would allow them to save or at least put credit toward social security. WTS took their best then kicks them to the curb years later.

45

No the WT Borg is not closing! That's Wild Dreaming!

by DwainBowman in

no the wt borg is not closing!

that's wild dreaming!

they have been changing directions for a while now, and for whatever reasons, what is happening now is a part of that change!

OnTheWayOut

I haven't read the wonderful responses, but wanted to comment on the opening post.

It is true that WTS is not closing. They have all these Kingdom Halls and Assembly Halls and they have plans for next year.

Otherwise, I disagree with much in the post.

If as the up coming letter says, they really plan on a much harder push into the field service, in what ever form that may take, the dollars will start to roll in faster!

The "push" is just a distraction for their money problems. They don't really want to "place" literature, so they will encourage people to the web. Stories will always be about "somewhere else" other than where the members are that are hearing bout them. Even if they did push for more recruitment, I don't see more money rolling in. Dubs give their time and not their money.

Plus the hardcore faithful sheeple, will feel compelled to do more, and donate more! and somewhere down the road, the building will go forward, maybe in a scaled back form, but it will go on!

Dubs saw WTS take their congregation money recently in the big grab. Now they feel the pinch to donate monthly. Elders and others in congregations will do what they can locally and give their money at the Kingdom Hall and not at the Assembly Hall, just to keep the C.O. off their backs. So donations in one place will just cut down on donations in another place.

Buildings will not go up unless they are absolutely necessary. A few here and there will go up and the story will be about the great building program "somewhere else."

....they have deep pockets, and are organized, were all just very loosely formed groups, that for the most part, don't even know each other : (

Our looseness has virtually nothing to do with their failure or success. If we did organize well, they would just say it's Satan guiding us. They are failing all on their own. Their deep pockets are holding them together for now, but we are seeing that they aren't as deep as all that. As far as "organized," let us just say they don't have money geniuses running Watchtower. They sell properties AFTER the real estate bust of 2008. We've heard about their building problems with short-term volunteers not knowing what the last volunteers did.

From your quote:

1. Membership – Growth continues with over eight million members worldwide. With the new marketing and branding of JWorg it can be expected that this will continue expedientially in the years to come. In the next three years expect to see over one million new members.

No way. I believe 8 million is their peak based on their little slips of paper turned in monthly. I don't believe there will be significant growth at all. Time will tell. I don't think new marketing will help that. We may have seen their tipping point leading to their slow shrinking to insignificance.

2. Money – JWorg pays no salaries, provides no charity of any depth, so as a result is one of the most profitable religions in the business. While they own billions in properties around the world, they also have billions socked away in funds and stocks that are liquid assets that can be drawn on at any time.

With no salaries, they still goofed up and have to let workers go. They do own the properties, true. It isn't as liquid as some may think. It takes awhile to sell it all off.

3. Power

Generally true for the faithful, but the organization is not getting stronger. The more they crack down, the more people see it as crap.

Yes, they are having some growing pains, but these adjustments are smart moves, not ones of desperation.

I would say the exact opposite. Their people are not in positions of power because they are smart. They are kiss-asses and dedicated pioneer soldiers. Much of what they do is desperation.

37

Theocratic Ministry School . . . is still there AND longer?

by warehouse in

so i made a timeline based on the leaked letter, it is as follows:.

edit: updated chart with color, because the html version was crap.

so i know i might be crazy, but is the theocratic school still there, just called apply yourself to field ministry?

OnTheWayOut

Forgive me if it's been covered, but their "Apply Yourself to Field Recruiting" parts can be about repairing the wheels on their literature carts and proper posture at a table in the mall that will help you sit there for hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjDujitIZ-o

37

It must be a concern of all the information that is now been leaked

by joe134cd in

i have put up previous posts about this in the past, but i just thought that it was worth mentioning again.

it has to be of concern to them with how quickly information is getting leaked.

hell it even surprises at just how slowly information spreads by offical means.

OnTheWayOut

Leaking information is actually a very effective way of bringing down authoritarian regimes. By their very nature, they hate to be shown not to have complete control...

Except for what is said by OneEyedJoe, I see only one other advantage in "knowing" ahead of the members. I know some will say to a Dub, "The money situation is so bad with pedophile lawsuits that I wouldn't be surprised if they cut magazine production again and lay off a thousand or more Bethelites again." So I get that one, also- putting a bug in the ear of a Dub to think differently when the big announcement is made. I did that with my wife.

But I find it strange that some are so high up the chain and stay there knowing what they know of TTATT. I guess some feel they have little choice. I think I would rather find a minimum wage job and my freedom than that. But that's just me. If we didn't have people up the chain leaking info, we would still hear about the announcement and still be able to suggest afterward to our Dub families that the reason is not for the sake of the "preaching" so close to the end but for dire financial reasons of a different sort.

27

Tired of the truth... Tired of doubting

by Deltawave in

i'm reaching out here, i've known ttatt for about 3-4 years now.

sadly when i first grasped it i had a total mental breakdown as i was a hard core firm to the core pioneer and 110% believer of my faith.!

now nearly 2years on after my breakdown i still have to attend to please my jw wife.

OnTheWayOut

I have to agree with Tornintwo.

I will also suggest a slower approach if you just can't have a serious talk with your wife yet, but this is only the poor alternative: at least cease the field recruiting activity.

I was in a fairly similar situation. I was the gung-ho believer, 110% in. I did not have a mental breakdown but it was close. I did have to go to counseling shortly after I stopped going to meetings and face 20 year old issues concerning my mental health that I put off because "the end was near" and "the truth was all the counsel I should need."

Anyway, I resigned as an elder and removed myself from the TMS and faked field recruiting for a few months, putting 1 or 2 hours on a slip, then went inactive altogether.

Field recruiting is very depressing when you know that you don't even want people to read the trash you offer. Tell your wife that you will get a bit of informal witnessing in, then don't even do that. Count a bit of your time on the internet telling us "the truth."

If you can do that, you can brace yourself to eventually tell more to your wife about missing meetings.