Well, for one I promise to be the biggest thorn in their side if they ever do try to recapture me. The last thing they want is for me to put their Kingdumb Hell computer on www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com and leave it there for the next brother to see. And I will keep mentioning that Web site, which is the most up-to-date, in-context, backed-up apostate Web site I know of, with every placement. And they will lose calls if I mention it when the person is trying to set up a study time or write the Web site on a card or their magazine/tract.
WTWizard
JoinedPosts by WTWizard
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Speculating on New Rules in 2008 and Beyond
by WTWizard ini have read on this site about some of the weird new changes ahead for the watchtower society.
the thread www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/115757/1.ashx had a resolution that effectively banned entertainment, and i doubt that any of the witnesses that were present at last summer's assembly where this was presented even realized it.. then i read that they were going to split the watchtower magazine, giving us a public (showcase) edition and a study (kool-aid) edition.
the study articles would not be open for public scrutiny, which means they are going to beat up on the witnesses without anyone on the outside realizing it (i sure hope blondie continues to get her supply of study articles so she can put up those comments you will not hear at the study).. here are some of my predictions of what might come out of this.
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Did I miss something? Is this the new resolution at the D.Convention?
by Star Moore in1. we are determined to intensify our preaching activity.
2. to live up to our dedication to jehovah and give him exclusive devotion.
3. to follow jesus' example closely and be no part of the world.
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WTWizard
No, I wasn't at the assembly. However, the entertainment ban isn't out of line with what the Watchtower Society has been trending since the 1980s. I can remember when there would be trips to the park to play ball and have a cookout; not anymore. They now limit the size of gatherings and the type of music and videos you can watch and listen to.
They have also been progressively stricter in the nature of all gatherings. They get an isolated report of some large groups that form where fornication or drug use are reported within, and then they ban all gatherings of that type. Roller skate parties are no more. They have also banned congregation picnics, large groups at weddings, family get-togethers where several people might be gathering, and even those get-togethers that sometimes happen after the assembly sessions. Ultimately all there will be is people screeching around in service all day, going to meetings and assemblies, and discussing merely theocraptic material while dressed up in suits all the time.
Since this thread has been put up, there has been another disturbing development. They are splitting the Watchtower into a public (showcase) edition and a study (Kool-Aid) edition. I think that sometime within the first year of this, they are going to make the entertainment ban official with a study article. They might put that in a series of articles, perhaps having 5 articles in contiguous fashion where the first 4 articles lead into the fifth which puts the capstone on the ban. For sure, this is not something I want to be any part of.
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Aus Bethel 06 Annual Report - INCREDIBLE 50% DECREASE in donations
by jwfacts ini just purchased the 2006 annual report for the australian watchtower bible and tract society.
below are the highlights.
most incredible is that donations dropped by almost 50%, from 15 million dollars to only 10 million dollars.
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WTWizard
This decrease is actually about 33%. However, it is still sizable and leaves them some well-deserved red ink. Also, this is just one country.
I can only hope that this trend is picking up worldwide. I would like everyone in the USA to realize that a portion of the donations will be used to protect pedophiles within the ranks of the religion. Go to www.silentlambs.org for verification. And I suggest printing up some Zero Dollar Bills and Void Checks from www.dannyhaszard.com and putting those in the contribution boxes. And, when the assembly comes and they report their deficit at the last session, just stuff the boxes with these worthless bills and checks. If they finish in the red, so what. They created that deficit by donating to the Mother Organization at lunch on the final session to goad the people to donate more, so that should be their problem.
For the record, I haven't placed a penny in the boxes since 1995; and I don't remember the last time I put anything in to support that criminal organization.
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How many people leave the organization?
by indahsempurna indoes anyone know the stats on how many leave?
my mother told me that only 87,000 got baptized last year.
it seems to me that more would have left then that.
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WTWizard
Nowhere near enough. And in poor countries where the Internet has yet to reach in massive numbers, it is even worse. For instance, too many people are studying in Nigeria: more than 450,000 studies where there are something like 280,000 active publishers. Unless people start leaving en masse there, we are in danger of reaching 7 million active Witlesses worldwide--another milestone that they would like to gloat about.
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WTWizard
I wonder how much they will be worth when they get all the pedophile and criminal issues settled. And if everyone goes to www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com and learns the real truth about this criminal organization, they will lose all their slaves.
Meanwhile, their explosive growth in Nigeria is going to cost them money that they will not be getting from us. And when they complain, I will simply go to www.dannyhaszard.com and print up all the Zero Dollar Bills and Void Checks that will stuff the boxes so they will not get any real money. Hopefully their net worth will soon implode.
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What are the 3 meetings per week each about?
by tioga joe ini recently went to my first sunday "bible study".
i have heard my jw say that he goes to 3 meetings per week.
so, what are the other two meetings about and when do they hold those?
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WTWizard
You may be starting with one meeting a week. They do that: You start with a commitment of just one hour per week for a study. Then after about 3 or 4 weeks, they increase that with one meeting per week. Once you are regular at that one, they will drop the others on you. You will be going to the Hall three times per week (or to the hall twice and a private home once) for meetings.
If you think that's bad, just wait until you have been at it a few months. Then they will invite you for service, which will take up another 10 hours or more a month. They always prefer more, but at this point, 10 hours will likely be enough. This usually means putting in another day per week (or two). Now, you are going to the hall (or a private home--sometimes these meetings for service are held in private homes in the territory) 4 times a week. Then there are meetings for service immediately after the Watchtower Study, effectively tying you up for 6 hours or more that day. There goes the weekend!
And it gets worse when you get baptized. Then they will start badgering you to pioneer. If you agree, you will have to meet minimum requirements (the last I heard, in 1999, was 50 for auxiliary pioneers and 840 during the year for regular pioneers, which could have been adjusted again). If you do not agree, they will keep pestering you until you do. You cannot possibly do enough to satisfy these time bandits.
Once you become a pioneer, you will be going out in service nearly every day. You should count on wasting the whole morning just about every day, or maybe the whole day three times per week, if you do pioneer. This means spending roughly 15-20 hours in service per week, plus another 5 hours getting ready and at the meetings for service, another 6-7 for the meetings, and whatever time you spend on hall projects. You are looking at about 30 hours a week, and you still haven't touched studying for the meetings which can easily add another 5-10 hours a week. Remember, there are only 168 hours per week!
Not to mention all the rules. There are the obvious rules. You will not be able to have sex outside marriage, and they decide how close you can come before they hound you (and it isn't as close as you might think). You will not be able to celebrate any holiday or birthday. You will have to believe whatever they say, even if it kills you, or face being shunned by any family member that they might snare. And there are
houndingscounsel sessions if you are doing something that they don't like and they feel could be discontinued in order to make room for more time in the ministry.I agree that you should do whatever pleases you most. However, you need all the facts, and the Watchtower Society is not giving you the whole truth. True, they might be showing you "love" now. But I can assure you that once you are baptized, that "love" will be replaced with more rules and
houndingscounsel. I would recommend going to www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com in addition to the other sites mentioned in this thread before making a final decision. This site has accurate information on the true origin and history of the organization, the false doctrines, and how they messed up people's lives. They even have some shocking reports of subliminal images embedded in the magazines: you can see the proof right there on the site itself! Actual original articles and in-context material from the Watchtower is on this site.If you join the cult without gathering all the necessary information, you are going to be very sorry about a year from now.
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Speculating on New Rules in 2008 and Beyond
by WTWizard ini have read on this site about some of the weird new changes ahead for the watchtower society.
the thread www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/115757/1.ashx had a resolution that effectively banned entertainment, and i doubt that any of the witnesses that were present at last summer's assembly where this was presented even realized it.. then i read that they were going to split the watchtower magazine, giving us a public (showcase) edition and a study (kool-aid) edition.
the study articles would not be open for public scrutiny, which means they are going to beat up on the witnesses without anyone on the outside realizing it (i sure hope blondie continues to get her supply of study articles so she can put up those comments you will not hear at the study).. here are some of my predictions of what might come out of this.
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WTWizard
I have read on this site about some of the weird new changes ahead for the Watchtower Society. The thread www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/115757/1.ashx had a resolution that effectively banned entertainment, and I doubt that any of the Witnesses that were present at last summer's assembly where this was presented even realized it.
Then I read that they were going to split the Watchtower magazine, giving us a public (showcase) edition and a study (Kool-Aid) edition. The study articles would not be open for public scrutiny, which means they are going to beat up on the Witnesses without anyone on the outside realizing it (I sure hope Blondie continues to get her supply of study articles so she can put up those comments you will not hear at the study).
Here are some of my predictions of what might come out of this. Of course, there is no guarantee that all, or even any, will actually come to pass. But, with the secrecy, they are all much more possible now. And it could be even worse than this.
(1) All entertainment banned, totally. They will realize what they passed last summer when this comes out. They could rank entertainment up there with celebrating Christmas is now. And they could start disfellowshipping people for planning any recreation once this comes out. In the resolution, they imply that entertainment is up there with chat rooms, porn, drunkenness, and materialism.
(2) Stronger pushes for more money. This has a high probability of coming through. They might require all people to leave all their money with the Watchtower Society in their wills. They might also start hacking into bank accounts of those who have ever given them checks, and withdrawing what they feel they should be getting. For sure, there is going to be a lot more about those donations in the future.
(3) Banning such everyday things as sleep, work, school, medical care, and insurance. All these take time and/or money that the Watchtower Society would like to receive.
(4) Quotas put on the likes of return visits, studies started, and new publishers. Currently, they require quotas of hours spent in the ministry and don't give a rat's @$# about what they place; they also only require this of pioneers. In the future, they might require everyone, not just the pioneers, to place 60 sets of magazines per month (or more), start 5 studies, and get one new unbaptized publisher. I wonder what they are going to do if all the studies go to www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com and read that site.
(5) Banning the likes of computers, video games, TV, radio, listening to anything but Kingdumb s***, and any other technology that could be fun. The exception would be a required usage of a cell phone, and that only to make sure that people are going to actually be home when the publisher arrives at the door.
(6) Starting more meetings. Already they have meetings for field service at 5:30 AM (see the KM of February 2004: they "suggested" street work to begin at 5:30 AM), 9:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM (so that children, who should be focused on school work or having fun after school, can come out and waste the whole afternoon in service), and at 6:00 PM on non-meeting nights. They might also add midnight witnessing (street work) in places with casinos and stores that are open 24 hours, and letter writing that goes on all night. Anyone in the stamp market?
(7) Passing dress codes to be followed 24/7. You have to be dressed up for service to go to secular work, even to wash toilets. Already, they are "suggesting" (=requiring) people to stay dressed up during the summer assemblies and not change in more comfortable clothes. That's going to be really smart having children in those sweatboxes in places like south Florida where it gets very muggy.
(8) New hounding precedures for inactive people. They could detail a system to recapture those who are fading, perhaps by picking them up and carrying them to the Kingdumb Hells. They would wait until the would-be fader is en route to work, at work, or shopping and then swoop in and drag them into the Kingdumb Hells and into a closed loop that includes nothing but meetings and service time. It would be illegal, but hey! Harboring pedophiles is also illegal, but www.silentlambs.org details how they do that, too. So why not?!
I hope the new changes are simply not palatable for people. Hopefully they will read the Kool-Aid and refuse to go along with something in it. Hopefully if enough people refuse to go along, they will simply leave and start blowing the whistle Bad for the Tower; good for JWD and similar forums.
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Strangers at your KH...
by lavendar ini was wondering this........at your (former or present) kingdom halls, do you ever have people (from off the street) attend a meeting?
i mean, do people (that nobody knows at the hall) just show up to see what a meeting is all about?
if so, how is that person(s) received?
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WTWizard
In the nearly 20 years I have been a Witless, I can count the number of times I may have seen new people in the Kingdumb Hell on the fingers of my left foot. I don't think people just walk off the streets and go into these buildings without someone inviting them.
In a church, this is much more common. People are much more likely to walk into a church uninvited than into a Kingdumb Hell. I wonder if this is because the churches are more mainstream and the Witlesses are a cult.
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growing JW numbers = Jah's approval? i don't think so.
by ?me? ini was just thinking about how in the rev.
book study some of the brothers and sisters were "astounded" and "impressed" with the growth of the wts and how the witnesses went from nothing in 1900 to 6 million now.
so i decided to take a look around the net at the numbers of other religious groups, and you know what?
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WTWizard
The numbers are slowing down. Since the 1970s, the whole population has gone up from 4 billion to 6.5 billion. And if the Witnesses are struggling to get to 7 million, I don't think that is a sign of divine blessing. And I wonder what will happen if they never reach 7 million--like if all the new studies go to www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com and we can get enough apostates to invade Nigeria?
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Would you really want to live forever
by darth frosty ini just finished reading this book called the alchemist.
it is a very compelling story about following your dreams.
what i found most intriguing about the book is the depth of spirituality it brought out in me.
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WTWizard
If living forever means the stagnant, business-free way of life that the Witnesses advertise, no. However, if I could be creating value and learning things independently of any religious organization, yes.
Why not the Witness way? They have all their learning fettered by the organization. They believe in weird things, like the blood issue, aluminum's being the Devil's metal, space travel is impossible, and that anything new is not possible. They are still bashing the idea that aging can be solved, even in the face of research that is on the cusp of solving that mystery. The Watchtower Society would rather stay blind, limiting the people's ability to learn and thereby keeping people stagnant. And that's not the life I want to belong in forever.
I would rather let science solve man's problems. Competitive business without regulators would solve many of the world's problems. New geniuses would solve many others. We would always be learning, without having to take 16 hours a day out to go to those stupid meetings and out in service all the time. Gradually we would build our own paradise, no thanks to you Jehovah.