Posts by OnTheWayOut

475

What is the alternative to JW?

by Formerbrother in

i mean this with all due respect, i would like to hear from genuine people who think jw have it wrong and then what is the truth?.

im not talking about silly little quibbles here and there.. is jehovah real?

the the bible is word?

OnTheWayOut

I will read all other comments for the entertainment value and for the wonderful wit and philosophy of others. As for the original post, I hold my laughter at the absurdity and will participate in the absolutely ridiculous nature of the questions:

so assuming that there is a creator and he wrote the Bible, where have JWs gone wrong?
Is it possible that they are nearest to the truth than any other religions?

Okay, the "God" who wrote the Old Testament is a megalomaniac. Watch out for Him. The message from "the beginning" was "You better obey or he will mess you up. Don't eat from that tree or He will kill you." So if you want to think that JW's have that kind of message, they are pretty close.

But JW's claim to be Christian. That means, they accept the New Testament. If we take the NT to be God's Word, then Doctor Jekyll was sent by Mister Hyde to fix it all. Jesus tried to say "Stop judging others. Give your material things to the poor." By focusing on hating outsiders, shunning former members, and enriching a printing company, JW's have missed the target by a million miles. By delivering literature as their primary focus (with profit in mind) and chiefly ignoring actual charity work, Jehovah's Witnesses have gone 180 degrees off the path set by Doctor Jekyll (Jesus).

23

Changes to reporting

by Formerbrother in

so it seems placing literature is not so important anymore, now that we live in a digital age.. we are being pushed to show videos instead.

this is the new reporting from next month, just hrs and any literature placed in one box and then how many videos you showed in another box.. bib changes for sure..

OnTheWayOut

This is pure cult stuff. Literature "placing" was all about enriching Watchtower and recruiting. Now that another printing company is not making it on print, they switch like everybody else. But the training of the cult members was to "place, place, place." You weren't a good JW unless you filled those columns on your monthly report. Hence, a new column for them. And a de-emphasis on those other columns.

19

Please i need guidance

by alex_Am in

i know im young.

i know i still have so much to learn i mean im only 14 but but even at a young age i have learned and i know what love is.

this is where the problem comes in.

OnTheWayOut

If you want to join a dangerous mind control cult, the Jehovah's Witnesses, and give up having a decent wage for all your life because you will be discouraged from college or serious careers so that you can devote all your time to Watchtower, and if you think you can do this and remain pure around this girl- no sex and no french kissing sessions- until you are married at a young age (you will want to marry young because young people want sex so badly especially when they are truly in love and Jehovah's Witnesses will make sure you have only marriage sex), then maybe you can do all that for this girl.

The alternative is to cause her to violate the Jehovah's Witness rules and do something with you. Then she will hate you for causing her family and friends to shun her, and she will probably eventually leave you and try to go back to the Jehovah's Witnesses.

Romeo and Juliette is a great story about young love. Look up how poorly their story ended for them.

And when you try to dismiss adults who speak of your youth, your puppy love- remember that we were all there at one time. Most of us were in love at a young age and the vast majority of us know what you are feeling, and that you can get through your hormone-crazy youth without joining a cult.

If you really love this girl, tell her to be with her family until she is a young adult, then to come back to you. True love can wait 4 or 5 years.

91

Science Will Never Contradict The Bible

by Perry in

so claims nuclear physicist

OnTheWayOut

I am sure this is already covered by these intelligent people, but I don't have the ability at this moment to read through it all, so here goes:

Primitive goat herders from the bronze age wrote that God created the plant life before the stars and sun. That's kind of hard for modern science to accept, knowing how plants operate. And we would have to suspend our understanding of what would keep the plants way above absolute zero temperature if they were on an earth that had no sun until tomorrow. Further, he spends a day on this tiny planet creating life in plants, but another equal day creating massive stars by the gazillions. That would be like spending a day creating a molecule, and another equal day creating a massive star. The goat herders thought the lights in the sky were small things. That's why Genesis says it that way.

Stars formed before planets. So which is it- Heavens including stars first, or the order of Genesis with the little tiny lights added to the vast heavens later?

That was just one argument. Hardcore Bible believers use a variety of logical fallacies, straw man arguments, and confirmation biases fueled by cognitive dissonance to maintain a childlike belief system that will allow for extreme re-inventing what Genesis says and means.

39

New GB video: Why Reduce the Number of Special Full-Time Servants?

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

watchtower released at tv.jw.org a new gb video with samuel f. herd, with the theme:.

why reduce the number of special full-time servants?.

it seems there is a reason to release this special message.. http://tv.jw.org/#en/video/vodstudio/pub-jwbrd_201511_4_video.

OnTheWayOut

"...we are confident that Jehovah is richly blessing the worldwide work. Also the financial support of our brothers has in no way diminished. In fact, we have even seen a fine increase in contributions since the May 2015 program on JW Broadcasting. However...........our expenses have greatly increased. ...........It was obvious to the Governing Body that we could not expect our brothers to continually increase their donations. We needed to reduce expenses."

I have to say, it has a huge ring of truth to it.

No, I don't mean he is laying it on the line, telling it like it is. I mean, the G.B. is telling a big portion of truth here. What is left out is some other "expenses" that have greatly increased. They could be legal problems and they could be recovery from bad investing.

And telling the truth is the best way to manipulate people.

There is also a subliminal undertone. "You are giving money, don't stop. We can't expect you to give more, but more is needed." You can feel that message hitting home as he concludes

"We have been overwhelmed by the positive willing spirit of all you dear brothers and sisters to make these adjustments a success. We have truly felt your wholehearted support. Therefore we now look to Jehovah to bless these adjustments....YADDA YADDA....understand our current situation......."

9

Bethelites being sent to Wallkill and Paterson

by Angelclare in

this is my first post but i've been lurking for some time.

ive just spoken to a friend of mine from my jw days who isnt aware that i no longer associate.

hes the coordinator of the body of elders in his congregation so i suppose he does know something of whats going on at the wt.

OnTheWayOut

I would gather that there is some deliberate misinformation from Brooklyn. Sure, some full-time Bethelites, maybe even a dozen or more, will go to other places. This would mostly be connected people in important assignments. The rest will be sent away- to wherever the hell "away" takes them. But to say the statement shows a kinder side of WTS. "We aren't sending them all to the salt mines, just most of them."

91

Science Will Never Contradict The Bible

by Perry in

so claims nuclear physicist

OnTheWayOut

Hey everyone, I am taking a break from it, but Perry posts these things because really wants to be woken up from his delusions, just like he and others were eventually awake about TTATT.

So while he dismisses your claims and makes more wild ones, keep helping him. Eventually, he will realize that the Bible version is totally incompatible with science and therefore with reality.

Don't let him get away with ignoring points or pretending he addressed them, just as his post at the bottom of page 5 does.

8

NEW LIGHT!!

by kairos in

**overlapping donations**.

yes.. that's a thing.

not new, of course.i just felt like shouting it from the housetop.. ( don't forget the worldwide work, friends... ).

OnTheWayOut

If ever (and I won't let it ever be) I am cornered into discussing things with the elders, no matter what they say about doctrine or beliefs or my course of action, I will reply:

"Well, that's subject to the overlap."

It will make as much sense as whatever they claim is subject to the overlap.

7

One possibility…?

by careful in

tornintwo's recent topic spurred me finally to post an idea i've been thinking about.

i don't see the gb as being financially greedy.

yes, they enjoy numerous perks like having their physical needs met by servants, jetting around the planet, living in a greater degree of comfort than fellow bethelites, getting frequent and sometimes expensive gifts from the r&f, etc.

OnTheWayOut

They could be simpletons that lost millions. The mentality that it takes money to make money used to go so far as to suggest that investing lots of money was easier and that the stock market was a no-brainer. Then that wasn't so and it was still thought that real estate was a no-brainer.

It was very simple to gambling at the roulette wheel. When you lose, you double down. Eventually, you will win and make it all back. That sounds great, but it doesn't work out that way unless you have endless money and doubling down had no house-limit. Even then, if you think the odds of "black" coming up on the next spin increases because it was red or green (ZERO and Double ZERO) so many times, you are totally wrong.

Anyway, they are selling real estate after the great drop of 2008. They could have made a real killing in 2000 on those hot properties. They stayed in print too long. Print is dying. They build new Headquarters instead of just moving to Patterson or Wallkill. They seemed to assume they would be constantly expanding personnel and suddenly switch.

50

The money question...

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

i am intrigued to know if there is truly any evidence of financial irregularities in the jehovah's witness organisation or if any one or group are raking off funds or benefitting financially...?.

whilst i disagree wholeheartedly with most of their teachings and practices, dogmatism, legalism and superiority complex, i don't honestly think there's anyone making millions at the top.

yes you could say that the gb are comfortably off, don't have to pay bills etc but they do actually get up in the morning and 'work', they aren't going off in private jets to tropical islands or driving bentleys.

OnTheWayOut

....or if any one or group are raking off funds or benefitting financially...?

I have to believe that any group that moves as much money as Watchtower- be it religious, political, or commercial- has those that rake off funds selfishly. I would even imagine that WTS honchos thinks it's important to grease the wheels with their lawyers, accountants, suppliers of various things. And I imagine most of the people raking the funds feel they deserve it.

I don't honestly think there's anyone making millions at the top.

I don't either. The GB and virtually everyone came up the ranks of pioneers, having very little along the way. They don't need millions to feel they have made it to the top. And they can look at the likes of Ray Franz- they would have nothing if they walked away or blew any whistles, and they probably can't write a book as good as his.

they aren't going off in private jets to tropical islands or driving Bentleys.

But don't get too sure of that. They may typically fly at a higher class and stay at upper class hotels. And if you are a GB member that wants a great vacation, give a talk at the convention in Honolulu. And while Rutherford's day of big Cadillacs are gone, who needs a permanent driver when the locals will pick you up for free in a nice SUV?

I suspect it's more of a power trip for them than a wealth trip. The thought of 8million people hanging on your every word must be enticing for them, and they probably believe their own hype that they are gods chosen ones, christs brothers etc... Ray Franz never mentioned financial issues in his books and I would have thought he had the perfect opportunity to highlight any corruption of that type.

They definitely are on that power trip. They have plastered themselves all over their jw. tv. And the finances today could be completely different from back then. If there is any actual corruption in finances, I don't imagine the GB initiated it and may be kept in the dark.