Posts by bud2114

38

Is the Tower of fear and deception really starting to crumble ?

by Homerovah the Almighty in

there has been some dramatic changes going on recently with the jws as everyone knows , i can only speculate this is due to the once well hidden secrets.

that have been hidden so well from the eyes of the faithful followers, the overwhelming information on the inter-net may be the cause of this.. perhaps the power and arrogance that the gb held for so many years is indeed starting to weaken.. i'm actually seeing the faith weakening within my own family members that have been involved with the organization for decades.. they do seem to be down sizing a lot in their operations, wouldn't it be surprisingly ironic if " the truth " was the thing that really was to bring down their structured lies.. well we can only wish, right !

.

bud2114

Thanks Sweet Pea - my username has no significance to 1914, just coincidence.

38

Is the Tower of fear and deception really starting to crumble ?

by Homerovah the Almighty in

there has been some dramatic changes going on recently with the jws as everyone knows , i can only speculate this is due to the once well hidden secrets.

that have been hidden so well from the eyes of the faithful followers, the overwhelming information on the inter-net may be the cause of this.. perhaps the power and arrogance that the gb held for so many years is indeed starting to weaken.. i'm actually seeing the faith weakening within my own family members that have been involved with the organization for decades.. they do seem to be down sizing a lot in their operations, wouldn't it be surprisingly ironic if " the truth " was the thing that really was to bring down their structured lies.. well we can only wish, right !

.

bud2114

Some of you have been paying attention. It’s a fact that the problems facing the WT organization have escalated

exponentially lately and on numerous fronts. For most devout JW’s, however, the recent increase in negative information about the WT organization mean little. Negative "outside" reports about the growing pedophile crisis, or the ongoing legal battle(s) over the blood issue, the possible loss of tax-exempt charitable status, or even the UN scandal - this stuff does little to weaken the faith of most JW’s. Instead, as they have been conditioned to respond, this is viewed as "persecution" and media driven propaganda - proof that Satan and his henchmen are working hard against Jehovah's "spirit-directed" people.

On the other hand, there is an undeniable rising tide of apprehension even among the most devout JW’s that involves a much different thing altogether and for a far different reason. For those still "in" the Borg and witness to the rapid "adjustments" now being implemented, you know what I am saying. There is absolutely no outside issue confronting the WT organization greater than the huge dilemma it faces internally because the "end" has not yet come as they surely thought it would have by now. Suddenly, it seems, it is donning on everyone that it's 2008 and all the scriptural "proofs" the WT men have been relentlessly repeating to convince everyone that the "end" is just around the corner, these are either no longer believable or they just plain don't add up - even to the most devout JW.

As for the rapid changes, so far, the WT brass have reworked the "generation" thing (a couple of times), and the "sealing" thing (to respond to the rising number of anointed partakers.) They have printed a reworking (again) of the "dragnet" and other end-time parables of Jesus (July WT 2008), and they have made a few other changes operationally (2 WT editions, 30 min. public talks, recent bookstudy announcement, ect.) and there is more to come. But the biggie and the one becoming harder to ignore every passing day, is the year 1914. Make no mistake, the WT brass are working furiously to spin things the way the want them ahead of the bomb they drop when it is decided to announce that 1914, while a significant year historically, meant nothing prophetically. Seeing that everything about the WT organization hinges on this date, all care is being undertaken to do this with the least amount of collateral damage.

This is not the first time the organization has faced a dilemma about the year 1914. Let’s review, shall we. For years leading up to 1914, C. T. Russell believed and taught that 1914 would be a significant year. Of course, his view of this year was far different than the current WT view, but that is another discussion entirely (don’t get me started on this!) To Russell, 1914 was the calculated end of the "Gentile Times" and God’s end-all date to accomplish all the things prophesied regarding the kingdom. According to Russell, by then, (not to say he predicted all things would happen in the year 1914 - there is a difference) but again, by then, all things would have been accomplished including: the GT, Armageddon, the abyssing of Satan, the resurrection of the saints, etc. Of course, the year 1914 came and went and shortly thereafter (Oct. 1916) Russell died - disappointed and perplexed, but still clinging (curiously) to the 1914 date.

Russell’s death was certainly a blow to the WT followers, but the WT organization and its new President J.F. Rutherford faced a much bigger issue - they had a huge credibility problem because the end had not come as it had been preached & predicted for over 40 years prior. Rutherford held on to the 1914 date for a while, but he knew he needed a new "end-all" date and this he quickly accomplished with his famous "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" lecture of 1918 and his follow-up booklet with the same title (released 1920) where he re-worked Russell’s prophecies and timelines and came up with the "new" end-all date - 1925.

Viola! It worked! Statistics show that the growth of the organization during the early 1920's was tremendous as everyone was abuzz with renewed excitement about this "new" date. So sure was Rutherford about this new date that he made increasingly bold statements: "The year 1925 is a date definitely and clearly marked in Scriptures, even more clearly than that of 1914." (WT Jul 1 1924 p. 211)

Interestingly, during this time, the year 1914 seems to have been basically abandoned - forgotten altogether as all the focus was now on the "new" end-all date of 1925. Of course, the end failed to come in the year 1925 and the subsequent disappointment was even greater among the masses than that of 1914. The WT statistics show a particularly sharp decline as a general mass exodus followed during the 1926-28 period. Again, something had to be done. So, in a series of WT articles and books released during the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, Rutherford systematically began to dismantle almost all of Russell's teachings as he came up with new theories. One of which is a cornerstone to all that modern-day JW’s base their beliefs - a re-worked 1914.

It was somewhere during the early 1930's that the 1914 date suddenly was "resurrected" and it begun to have new relevance. Not as an "end-all" date, but as a beginning date. That’s right, a beginning date - for the birth of the kingdom, and a beginning date of the "last days" after Satan was hurled down to earth. The countdown to the end had officially re-begun. The wicked world's march to its end was now again underway. (Of course, most JW's are thoroughly confused about the year 1914 and believe the lie now told by the WT org. that Russell & the early bible students accurately predicted and preached 1914 to be a beginning as is taught now - again, don't get me started here!)

For over 90+ years the WT brass has not only staunchly clung to Russell’s re-working of the 1914 date inspite of the mounting evidence of it’s bogusness (is that a word?), but the WT has literally printed mountains of "proofs" supported by embellished facts (eg. see the fake earthquake statistics, etc.) to convince millions of the significance of this year while touting their special insight about it as God’s "spirit-directed" channel. I would not be surprised that secretly, most of the WT brass have known for some time that the whole 1914 thing is baseless, but they have been hoping and praying that the end would come to bail them out. Unfortunately for them, time has run out.

Yes, here we are in the year 2008 and still no "end" in sight. As the relevance of the year 1914 fades further and further into the distant past, suddenly the WT Society faces an internal crisis much greater than anything it faces from the outside. And just like Russell's predictions which were proved utterly baseless and thus were systematically dismantled - to survive, so must the WT men do something about the mess they are now in. The gig is up and they know it. They are not in full panic mode yet, but as their credibility increasingly shrinks into the giant black hole their arrogance has created, look for more rapid and compelling "adjustments" forthwith.

The difference now, of course, is that a whole lot more people are involved now than were in Russell’s or Rutherford’s day. And I'm not just referring to those actively associated with the WT org. currently. Think about how many former active ones have been affected by this whole mess during the past 40-50 years that can affect the thinking of those still in. Another major difference is that we are now in the information age. No longer can the WT men just print a study article, or a "questions from readers" and everyone swallow it without question. Everything about the WT org. is being dissected, discussed, and analyzed. And all this discussion is floating all over the internet, in emails and forums of both current and former JW members. The JW internet underworld grows increasingly stronger everyday. No longer can the WT men say "…pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" and the masses just do it.

61

Bethelite: Elder burnout, R&F disillusionment led to book study change

by pseattle2 in

please visit the blog: http://governingbodyletters.blogspot.com/2008/05/bethelites-viewpoint-on-recent.html.

a bethelite's viewpoint on the recent organization changesto me the most obvious reason has nothing to do with control, or money.

it has everything to do with the serious shortage of qualified brothers who can (or who are willing to) be used.

bud2114

pseattle2 should have acknowledged his other sources. It's nice to get this info repeated but shame on you for not doing that. Otherwise people will not bother coming on here and posting their inside scoops. It's not about egos Burn the ships. Bud2114 had every right to complain.

It's not my blog, just one of the blogs I frequent. I posted it here because I found the blog entry unusual and interesting, but it's not my blog. (Nor did I claim it to be.)

It was absolutely not my intention to make people believe I had written that post; I just wanted to share the item and open discussion about it. I reposted the blog URL at the top of the entry, but should been clearer about where it was coming from. Apologies for the confusion.

Pseattle, I am not directing my comments toward you, but to the jerk blogger who copied my original post and renamed its source ("a Bethelite's view") as if he wrote it. In a way its good that more people have had a chance to comment on it here, but it still irks me that this joker is stealing other peoples words and calling them his own.

61

Bethelite: Elder burnout, R&F disillusionment led to book study change

by pseattle2 in

please visit the blog: http://governingbodyletters.blogspot.com/2008/05/bethelites-viewpoint-on-recent.html.

a bethelite's viewpoint on the recent organization changesto me the most obvious reason has nothing to do with control, or money.

it has everything to do with the serious shortage of qualified brothers who can (or who are willing to) be used.

bud2114

I'm not sure who the joker is that hijacked my orginal JWD post and retitled it for his blog that you see here. He is a blatant plagiarist and should be taken out and horse whipped.

54

Public Talk & Bookstudy Changes - the real reason

by bud2114 in

i havn't been able to keep up with all the discussion in this forum as to why the gb has suddenly decided to implement these changes and perhaps someone has mentioned this already, but to me the most obvious reason has nothing to do with control, or money.

it has everything to do with the serious shortage of qualified brothers who can (or who are willing to) be used.

i have been involved in the organzation for 40 yrs and i have never seen the level of apathy and disillusionment among those serving in some capacity in this organization.

bud2114

It's mainly a numbers game and the organzation is losing at it big time. They have been dumbing down the message for years to make general recruitment easier and they have lowered the servant/elder standards so that basically if your willing to serve and you haven't been in any trouble in the past year or so you "qualify." Believe me, the qualifications of most now serving is laughable. I recently had a conversation after the bkstudy with a newly appointed ministerial servant (baptized for 6 years and very involved with the cong.) about the "faithful & discreet slave class". He thought that the entire class (all of the anointed individuals) were up in Brooklyn printing and writing all the "spiritual food" for us. I am not kidding. He was floored when I explained that while some annointed were involved in this, most were scattered throughout the earth in various congs. and had nothing to do with what comes out of Brooklyn (or Walkill/Patterson). It's sad in a way, but this is how low the standards have become.

Sure, in certain areas there may be enough bodies to fill the needed positions, but increasingly finding even these is difficult. The cong. I am currently associated with (approx. 114 pubs) has no less than 19 former elders/servants who attend, but do little in the cong. and want nothing to do with serving. Most only stay because the cost of leaving is too high.

54

Public Talk & Bookstudy Changes - the real reason

by bud2114 in

i havn't been able to keep up with all the discussion in this forum as to why the gb has suddenly decided to implement these changes and perhaps someone has mentioned this already, but to me the most obvious reason has nothing to do with control, or money.

it has everything to do with the serious shortage of qualified brothers who can (or who are willing to) be used.

i have been involved in the organzation for 40 yrs and i have never seen the level of apathy and disillusionment among those serving in some capacity in this organization.

bud2114

I havn't been able to keep up with all the discussion in this forum as to why the GB has suddenly decided to implement these changes and perhaps someone has mentioned this already, but to me the most obvious reason has nothing to do with control, or money. It has everything to do with the serious shortage of qualified brothers who can (or who are willing to) be used. I have been involved in the organzation for 40 yrs and I have never seen the level of apathy and disillusionment among those serving in some capacity in this organization. There are three main reasons for this: 1) burnout, 2) lack of urgency/belief that the GT or armaggedon is near, and 3) steady erosion of faith in the organization.

Burnout is rampant within the ranks of the servant bodies worldwide as fewer and fewer brothers are willing to serve and make the extraordinary sacrifices asked of them by the organization. Elders and servants are "stepping down" at an unprecedented rate. Finding a willing replacement has become next to impossible leaving those few loyal brothers completely overwhelmed as they struggle to handle all the congregation responsibilities which, of course, include conducting bookstudies and giving public talks. This has been a growing trend within the organization for some time, but it has all of the sudden become especially pronounced and is nearing crisis proportions.

The other issue is that more and more of those serving are realizing that the GT/Armaggedon may not be as close as it was once thought and any sense of urgency has waned considerably. The "generation" definition change in 1995 was the first real "alert" that something was amiss. Then you add in that the number of memorial partakers has actually increased (9,105 in 2007 compared to 9,081 in 1984), plus the recent change in the understanding of the "sealing" of the annointed (thought to have been completed in the 1930's, but apparently is not yet completed). What has happened is that in the minds of many serving, the "end" is suddenly a ways off in the distance somewhere. Less and less of those serving believe that it will happen in their lifetime and they had better do something to prepare themselves for a longer stay in this system.

Finally, more and more of those serving are wising up to the cultish ways of organization and they are no longer just accepting things and "waiting on Jehovah." In the past, the organization could successfully overcome any credibility issues due to failed prophesies or waffeling doctrines by writing a WT article or Question from Readers and it was just accepted. There was no discussion, no forum to question or examine what was printed, and of course, who had the time or the resources anyway. This is not the case now, however. The internet has changed everything. Anything about the organization can and is being discussed and not just anonymously online. These discussions are being carried back to the congregations, in field service car groups, and as a result the organization has (and continues to suffer) a tremendous loss of credibility among even those serving. The pedophile coverup and the scandalous UN association is becoming more widely known everyday. The legal and money problems of the WTBS, the blood issue, disfellowshipping, and other non-scriptural mandates of the organization are being questioned and being discussed.

The powers-that-be know that without willing elders & servants this organization is truly doomed. So, don't read into the "high price of gas" or the "we know that families are struggling and we want to add no further burden" horsesh*t expanation for these changes. And it ain't about control or money per se. Make no mistake, it's all about trying to stop the mass exodus of servants who are either burnout, disillusioned, and/or have lost the faith. Why do you think they have invited all the elders to the "pump me up" sessions in Patterson?

Expect more changes to come and soon. This is just the beginning - trust me.

23

Who really OWNS each Kingdom Hall?

by gaiagirl in

jw
friends

are the kh's owned by the local congregation, the trustees of the local congregation, wtbts, etc?

bud2114

Technically the title/deed of the KH building/land is in the name of the congregation (eg. South West Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses) which is set up as a non-profit organization with it's own Tax id # (separtate from the WTS or any other congregation). If the KH is shared with multiple congregations only one holds title. This title/deed is signed by 3 trustees - usually 3 congregation elders (this has to be updated frequently if any of these move, are deleted, or if the elder body decides to change).

Make no mistake, however, the KH is "owned" and controlled by the WTS (technically the branch). In the past, the local elders were allowed to make certain decisions about the use, the purchase/sale, or renovations of "their" KH with little input from the branch - mainly guidelines/suggestions. No more. At least in the US, beginning in early 2007, all decisions regarding the KH (no matter how small) are to be made through the RBC (regional building committee). This policy was laid out in a multi-day training session up in Patterson when all the RBC heads were invited (I believe it was late 2006) where it was explained this would be immediately instituted as a control measure. For example, if the local body decides to replace the carpet or to purchase new sound equipment they can no longer just do this - they must inform the RBC who will then decide if it is necessary and if so, THEY will make the arrangements, send in THEIR guys and the congregation is subsequently billed accordingly. This same scenario applies to all KH renovations, equipment purchases, the construction of new KH's, or the sale of existing KH's.

It's all about control now and it is scary. And you WILL comply or heads will roll. As an example, recently here in one local cong. the body of elders decided their KH needed a few minor repairs. As instructed, they contacted the RBC who inspected the KH and recommended renovations totaling the ridiculously exorbitant sum of $97,000. This body of elders knew that they could get this same work done with local brothers at a fraction of the cost, so they decided to ignore the RBC's recommendation and to handle this themselves. Big mistake. Of course, the same renovations were completed at the much more reasonable cost of $19,000 and the cong. was thrilled with the work and the savings. The RBC brothers were not thrilled, however, once they got wind of this and well, let's just say certain local elders in this cong. were made examples of and are no longer serving in the same capacity as they were previously. Also, to make sure this did not happen again, each area cong. got the dreaded TO THE BODY OF ELDERS letter shortly thereafter.

Historically the RBC arrangement has been rife with collusion as certain RBC brothers have for years been lining their pockets with serious kickbacks on renovation and new construction projects. Now with this new arrangement, the RBC as the WTS policing agent basically have been given carte blanche on everything having to do with the KH's. The RBC heads are put in place by the WTS and thus operate under the WTS's control. As such, the RBC can "recommend" anything and there is nothing the local brothers can do about it.

6

Mulisms now outnumber Catholics Worldwide

by bud2114 in

i thought this newsclip was interesting.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080330/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_muslims;_ylt=aje0aiebdhmqzgx_xqj0st10bbaf.

the vatican is now saying that roman catholicism numbers have been surpassed by the numbers of muslims worldwide.

bud2114

I thought this newsclip was interesting.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080330/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_muslims;_ylt=AjE0AiebDhmQzgx_xQj0st10bBAF

The Vatican is now saying that Roman Catholicism numbers have been surpassed by the numbers of Muslims worldwide. I think this is significant since the WTBS has for years claimed that "Christendom" is the primary part of Babylon the Great and that the clergy of Christendom is the "false prophet" spoken of in Revelation that will also be cast into the lake of fire at Armageddon (Rev. 20:10). The WTBS has for decades targeted the Catholic faith (beginning with Rutherford who absolutely hated Catholicism) and basically ignored the Muslim faith in its interpretation of bible prophecy. It seems that such a major part of Babylon the Great must fit in someway - I wonder how they will spin this development? Perhaps they will feature the Muslim faith in a new article and get their artists to make up a good cartoon of the prophet Muhammad which will piss off Osama to where he will order a Jihad against the WTBS thus hastening its demise. That would be cool.

25

Repudiate "Valueless Things" 4/15/08 WT

by bud2114 in

hot off the presses - just some of the latest garbage coming out of brooklyn as found in the 1st study article - repudiate "valueless things" (4/15/08 koolaid edition wt): .

par 17: another example of valueless words is found among the religious leaders of christendom.

these claim to speak in god's name, but most of their utterances are not based on the scriptures, and what they have to say is basically worthless.

bud2114

Hot off the presses - just some of the latest garbage coming out of Brooklyn as found in the 1st study article - Repudiate "Valueless Things" (4/15/08 Koolaid edition WT):

Par 17: Another example of valueless words is found among the religious leaders of Christendom. These claim to speak in God's name, but most of their utterances are not based on the Scriptures, and what they have to say is basically worthless. Apostates too speak valueless words, claiming to have greater wisdom than the appointed "faithful and discreet slave." (Matt 25:45-47) However, apostates speak their own wisdom, and their words are valueless, a stumbling block to any who might listen. (Luke 17:1,2) How can we avoid being misled by them?

Par 18: ...In harmony with John's counsel, we always encourage those we meet in the preaching work to test what they have been taught by comparing it with the Bible. That is a good rule for us too. If any statements come to our ears that are critical of the truth or that cast aspersions on the congregation, the elders, or any of our brothers, we do not accept them at face value. Rather, we ask: "Is the one spreading this story acting in harmony with what the Bible says? Do these stories or allegations further Jehovah's purpose? Do they promote the peace of the congregation?" Anything we hear that tears down the brotherhood rather than builds it up is a worthless thing. - 2 Cor. 13:10,11.

Par 19: When it comes to valueless words, elders too learn an important lesson. Whenever they are called upon to give counsel, they bear in mind their limitations and do not presume to offer counsel soley from their own personal store of knowledge. They should always point to what the Bible says. A sound rule is found in the words of the apostle Paul: "Do not go beyond the things that are written." (1 Cor. 4:6) Elders do not go beyond the things that are written in the Bible. And by extension, they do not go beyond the Bible-based counsel written in the publications of the faithful and discreet slave.

20

Bookstudy and the United Nations

by bud2114 in

wondering if anyone else is taking advantage of the subject matter being covered these past few weeks at the bookstudy (revelation climax book) regarding religion's association with the blasphemous scarlet colored wild beast (un organization)?

this week especially does the book get into religion's "heinous" involvement with the un with the wt society's writers even sarcasticly poking fun at other religions who have supported the un.

i, for one, have been taking full advantage of this grand opportunity to "witness" to as many j-dubs as possible about the wt society's secret 10 year involvement with the un and subsequent coverup.

bud2114

Wondering if anyone else is taking advantage of the subject matter being covered these past few weeks at the bookstudy (Revelation Climax Book) regarding religion's association with the blasphemous scarlet colored wild beast (UN organization)? This week especially does the book get into religion's "heinous" involvement with the UN with the WT Society's writers even sarcasticly poking fun at other religions who have supported the UN.

I, for one, have been taking full advantage of this grand opportunity to "witness" to as many J-dubs as possible about the WT Society's secret 10 year involvement with the UN and subsequent coverup. I live in the mid-south among the some of the the most staunchly loyal, but mostly naive and sadly uninformed witnesses around. I have talked to elders, pioneers, ex bethelites, and I have yet to find a single person who has heard anything about it. Talk about a "revelation," you should see the look of disbelief and concern on their faces. The great thing about this is that you can subtly bring up the subject in general conversation about the bookstudy and before you know it you can drop the bomb. If your like me and doing a slow fade (for the sake of family) just act concerned and in disbelief yourself and you wont blow your cover. I say let's all not miss out on this grand opportunity.