i saw it on friday night and loved it!
it was funny, sentimental and never dragged.
there were two theaters full of women.
I went Friday night with a group of non-JWs ladies and it was a BLAST!!! We were all fashionably dressed and went out for cocktails afterwards. I LOVED IT!!!! I'm going to see it again later this week with a few other friends.
If you've never seen the show, I recommend renting the series so that you get to know the characters. But even if you haven't seen a episode, I think you'll still like it.
for those still "in" but looking for an exit, what changes to current practices/teaching would make you decide to stay "in" ?
1) If they started community outreach programs.
2) Celebrate some holidays. You know my Dad has never received a father's day gift from any of children until last year when I gave him a father's day gift. I gave it to him two weeks in advance and with a funny thank-you card instead of a father's day card to minimize suspicions. Same thing with his birthday. How sad is that? I did the same with my mom this year.
3)Openly allow their members to vote.
4)Stop collecting field service time.
like many i was about 7 or 8 when my parents were baptized.
being a child you naturally trust that your parents are doing the right thing and follow them.
i was baptized at 15-how often i wish i could turn back the clock!
How does everyone else handle their relationship with their parents?
Honestly, we just dance around the elephant in the room. Until they come right out and ask me, I've decided to continue dancing.
okay, i'm closing in on 500 posts, but have almost no 'new topics' to my name.
i don't feel like starting anything profoundly spiritual.
so, i'll share this tip that has worked for my kinfolk.. on both sides of my family, we frequently suffer from nighttime leg craps.
summer is about here, so you know that is prime time for concerts.
i am hoping to get tickets to poison for once.
i will also be seeing george michael :) and yes, i will be buying myself a ticket to new kids on the block for a september show.
[insert indiana jones music] i missed friday's session because i had to work.
actually i wanted to work, instead of go to the dc.. .
i happen to run into a "brother" who happened to work with me on quickbuilds not too long ago.. he was df'd for a bit and reinstated this year.. my mom had talked to him on friday about my current situation (not attending meetings).. he said he wanted to talk to me to see how things were going (red flags in my head).. .
I'm really tired of the "perfect org, imperfect men" excuse. This makes no sense whatsoever. There is no organization apart from the people, none. If everyone from elders on upward were to suddenly disappear tomorrow, there is no magical "perfect organization" to run the show. You would have nothing left--no rocks crying out either, though I would be the first person to obey the rocks if they really did start talking.
SirNose, I'm tired of it too. If they are guided by holy spirit then there wouldn't be any mistakes right? Wouldn't the holy spirit ensure that at least the men taking the lead got it right?
watchtower policies clearly make women second-class citizens.
i don't see it changing anytime soon.
this thread is not about how ridiculous it is that a female is not allowed to hand out mags, territory, books or carry a microphone if a qualified male is present.
Nope. It used to drive me crazy. I always thought the congregations would run more efficiently if they appointed the folks that had the skills to do the job. I was in a congregation for a number years that had a mix of uneducated-didn't-know-how-to-do-anything-folks and highly accomplished professionals (mostly women). It was always the know-nothings that got appointed to positions in the congregations. I think they wanted to make a point that Jehovah exulted the humble. Because in their mind if you sought an education, you are not humble, because why work to elevate yourself above others? When I think back on all their crazy reasoning its enough to make me want to .
There is a JW lady that has a Ph.d and she mentioned that she learned to be quiet or walk away until the appoint men in the congregation decided on whatever they were talking about because listening to them talk while coming to decision made her want to go step in front of a truck. It's extremely frustrating to be a big deal at work and then be relegated to a second-class citizen to a bunch of window-washers and janitors (not that there is anything wrong with either profession). I eventually learned to walk away until the conversation was over and get back in time for the quick recap.
When I went to preach overseas, another female JW and myself, had a lot of privileges that are traditionally given to men. The congregation was one of the best running, highest attendance, highest field service average and aux and reg pioneers in the province. This was true congregations in other areas as well where it was primarily women taking the lead in the congregation.
what are the new jws going to be like?.
seems that bethel is no longer looking for jws to make bethel their career, not unless one is a doctor, lawyer, engineer or very educated or talented individual that the wts can prophet from.
people now comming to bethel are ones that will stay during their youth and then get out.
Well I think it will eventually go back to the suggestions made back in the late 1990's.
Folks are doing this anyway. In my area and in my hometown I would say about 70% of the kids are going to college right after high school. Most of them opt to live on campus. They usually attend meetings in their local area for about a year or so but they eventually just fade away. Most of the congregations that I am familiar with have virtually no one between the ages of 21 and 40.
No one is really out in field service anymore and folks are being bold about it too. You ask someone about service and they will tell you that are taking a weekend trip somewhere or that they decided to do things around the house or they promised the kids they would spend the day at the museum. Most folks do a few token hours of service. The last couple of congregations I was associated with had and average service time of either 3 or 4 hours a month.
There is definitely a new generation of JWs. But you still have your die-hards who live every moment for the org and are now resentful because they have no education and can barely cover their bills. I have actually been told by a some JWs that folks that went to school will probably not make it into the new world and the ones that do will not get the same blessings as the ones that made so many sacrifices for the kindgom. They rather stay and complain about how its not fair that folks are doing whatever they want while they seem to suffer for being to loyal. You just want to say WAKE UP.
years ago, the "weak family" were the ones that always were nice jws but considered "weak in the truth".
they still went on their vacations, might've sent their kids to colleges, had plenty of "worldly" friends and so forth.
but if they had to make a stand, let's say on the "blood issue", they'd rather die than accept a transfusion!
minimus, I'm see the same thing. I see pioneers, elders and PO leaving or getting DF'd left and right. What's left are the stragglers that barely go out in service and make the meetings but they now they are considered the strong ones The thing with the witnesses is those that hang on, even barely, are the ones that truly have the truth in their heart.
could pioneers better spend their time instead of putting in hours?
I think so. They should be cooking food for the homeless, helping build homes for the less fortunate, participating in literacy programs, sponsoring social programs for the elderly, painting homes for the various organizations, working with at risk youth...oh I can go on and on and on.