Posts by SnakesInTheTower

21

JWs With A Financial Interest In The Org

by JW_Rogue in

through personal experiences which i'd rather not relate because it would give away my identity i have come to a realization.

many brothers own businesses that a greatly supported by witness activities.

when local congregations need some service they will prefer to do business with a jw.

SnakesInTheTower

As a side note, there is now a mid page banner ad for Ministry Bagz. Smh

Snakes

21

JWs With A Financial Interest In The Org

by JW_Rogue in

through personal experiences which i'd rather not relate because it would give away my identity i have come to a realization.

many brothers own businesses that a greatly supported by witness activities.

when local congregations need some service they will prefer to do business with a jw.

Interesting, when you type "Stoops" into Google, Ministry Ideaz pops up 1st on the sponsored ads, above Stoops Manufacturing out of Missouri. Stoops has been in the JW supply game since the 50s. The other since the 90s. Stoops was all the rage when I was a dub. I even stopped in their shop once on a trip. Nothing against people making money, but looks like some places take it over the top. Just an opinion, I never do business with dubs anymore, been burned too many times.

Snakes

22

Just a short observation on self inflicted misery.

by Human Being in

i used to post on this site a few years back but after moving on personally and being shunned by my only remaining family member for the last 4-5 years i the j.w's became just background noise to me.

yet yesterday something happened that brought back to me the degree of control this cult has over it's members.

a new wall mart recently opened in my little mountain town here in northern georgia, u.s. as i headed across the parking lot on my way into the store the heat was intense, wit a humidity factor of around 90%.

SnakesInTheTower

This is such a non-issue. JWs are nothing more than wallpaper in the background, rarely seen or noticed. At best, the rare pushy dub is a mere annoyance. How we deal with them says more about us than it says about them. Kindness is always the high road, not always easy.

Snakes

21

New grandson!

by mimimimi in

our youngest son and his wife (matt and star) welcomed a baby boy yesterday at 7:04 p.m. ivan tomas, 7 lbs.

11 oz., 20 1/4" long.

he is their second child.

SnakesInTheTower

Congrats...I still have difficulty not thinking of your kids, and all the kids of that peer group, as being grown MEN. How time flies. I seen the pcs on FB, beautiful baby.

Snakes

56

JW's came to my door 6 weeks ago. I told them I was inactive.......

by Alchemist in

6 weeks ago some jws came to my door.

i've been inactive for 8 years.

after they gave their presentation i told them i was inactive.

SnakesInTheTower

The JWs are just a nice warm hug that can ruin your life.

The rat being squeezed by a python has no dilusions that it is being hugged.

The Watchtower Society is the python.

Don't be the rat. Once squeezed, it is hard to get away.

Take it from me, a former elder, WT squeezed me until age 42.

Snakes (

11

Could this happen to you?

by adjusted knowledge in

jw
friends

there was a jw who was a born in and faded about 10 years ago near a congregation i attended.

he never married or had children and was in his late 30's.

his parents shun him for the most part but then he had a major stroke.

SnakesInTheTower

I have a childhood friend, currently DF, who is my age (48), just a couple of months older than me. I found out he had a stroke and is now in a nursing home. He is divorced (I believe not just separated now), his JW mother died a couple of years ago, his younger brother has his own health issues and cannot help. His sister not in the pic either, don't think his siblings are dubs.

Took me awhile, but I finally located him in a nursing home about 20 miles away. He was sitting near the door when I arrived. He has some long term memory but his short term seems damaged. He thinks he has been in the home 10 months. The CNA pulled me aside and told me it had been less than 2 and reminded me he had a stroke and doesn't always make sense. He recognized me immediately and seemed genuinely happy to see me. Physically fine, mentally has TBI. Don't know the prognosis long term. How awful to be 48 and maybe in a home the rest of your life...and not a real high end one either.

Oh, the good news.... the JWs happened upon him and are trying to locate his former congo to consult with them about possible reinstatement.... I just threw up in my mouth a little. On one hand I want him to have people to look after him, on the other, I am saddened it is the dubs. I am not in a position to help or I would.

Sigh. I need to get a new Advanced Directive for my wife and I. This is just a reminder to myself.

Snakes ())

6

Swahili Congregation in the Midwest -- Why?

by SnakesInTheTower in

jw
friends

i almost posted this in the humor section, because honestly, i almost thought it was a joke.

my family and i were driving through a suburb of st. louis, missouri this afternoon on the way back to illinois and home.

i took a back road through a bedroom community and ended up on a 2 lane road that led me right past the last kingdom hall i attended in 2007 before i left for good.

SnakesInTheTower

If you grew up in the area, Black Jack is the municipality the KH is located. I think it is Riverview, Halls Ferry, Jamestown,Spanish Lake, and not sure what else. It is a double auditorium with 2 apartments. Look at it on Google Earth, along with the Assembly Hall in Spanish Lake (Larimore and Laredo). Very near Florissant and Ferguson.

Beautiful properties not on tax rolls, whitewashed graves full of dead dead men's bones.

Snakes

6

Swahili Congregation in the Midwest -- Why?

by SnakesInTheTower in

jw
friends

i almost posted this in the humor section, because honestly, i almost thought it was a joke.

my family and i were driving through a suburb of st. louis, missouri this afternoon on the way back to illinois and home.

i took a back road through a bedroom community and ended up on a 2 lane road that led me right past the last kingdom hall i attended in 2007 before i left for good.

SnakesInTheTower

I almost posted this in the humor section, because honestly, I almost thought it was a joke.

My family and I were driving through a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri this afternoon on the way back to Illinois and home. I took a back road through a bedroom community and ended up on a 2 lane road that led me right past the last Kingdom Hall I attended in 2007 before I left for good.

At the time I attended, I think there were 4 English and 1 Spanish congregation there, maybe an ASL group, not certain. When I drove by today, the sign had changed, English KH sign on top of the roadside sign, but an unknown language on the bottom. Curiosity got the better of me and I looked it up on the evil j dub org site (I refuse to type the address in and link it). Sure enough, it was Swahili. What? Now the pic on google maps is older so it shows the old sign.

Black Jack, MO KH google maps

After further research, I found this information about Swahili speakers in the U.S. There are 36,390 speakers in the U.S. But only 940 in Missouri, and to give benefit of the doubt, 1,225 in neighboring Illinois. Another source says maybe a larger number speak Afrikaans, of which only a small subset is Swahili.

My point? EXACTLY. Is WTBTS so desperate that they will tuck a Swahili group into a suburb of St. Louis in the middle of nowhere?

Jehober must be pleased with the increase and the bringing in "from all Nations."

Snakes ())

30

How many times were you told, "You Just Don't Qualify Yet to be an Elder"

by John Aquila in

you think it's the holy spirit that appoints the elders, at least that's what new jw males are told.

the culture within the organization dictates to all young male jehovah's witnesses that unless you are an elder, you will not get the sultry, passionate- brunette, the voluptuous, curvaceous,- blond, or the seductive, erotic, red headed-vamp..

so unaware of the social forces that are shaping your mind, you succumb to the dictum issued by the governing body to conform to the structure already in place- if you want to be successful.

SnakesInTheTower

you know what John? I am sooooo glad I am out of that racket. Fast forward to Winter 2006, I was removed as an elder. To expedite my fade, I had moved KH's, states, circuits. But never moved physically from my house. (New KH just a 15 minute ride across the river LOL). Made a few meetings, massive remodel scattered everyone for the summer, I disappeared. I showed up for one last meeting on a Sunday. Left after the talk. Drove to a nearby cemetery, changed out of my suit and tie, got into jeans and tshirt, and never looked back.

Ironically, I drove past that KH today. Hadn't thought about it in awhile. Smiled as I drove by. Never again playing the "reach out for greater privileges" game again.

Snakes

30

How many times were you told, "You Just Don't Qualify Yet to be an Elder"

by John Aquila in

you think it's the holy spirit that appoints the elders, at least that's what new jw males are told.

the culture within the organization dictates to all young male jehovah's witnesses that unless you are an elder, you will not get the sultry, passionate- brunette, the voluptuous, curvaceous,- blond, or the seductive, erotic, red headed-vamp..

so unaware of the social forces that are shaping your mind, you succumb to the dictum issued by the governing body to conform to the structure already in place- if you want to be successful.

SnakesInTheTower

I was on the fast track to elder until I was derailed in 1991. A made up JC (years later when I attended MTS as an elder I confirmed even organizationally it wasn't a JC) was held against me with false accusers. So I was scrubbed as MS/pioneer. I changed congos, same KH. Old congo kept putting their nose wher it ought not. Eventually made MS, same song and dance about elder. Only when a single MTS grad named Michael Emilio came through as CO did I get elder. And only because I got advance notice did I know about Emilio, I got to him before anyone in my town did, invited him to lunch, became friends. He forced my elder appointment through, as well as my MTS ap.

The longer version is in my old post in 07, 08 after I left the cult. Having been behind the curtain, I can tell you THERE IS NO HOLY SPIRIT BEHIND ELDER APPOINTMENTS. ONLY POLITICS.

Snakes