Posts by Billy the Ex-Bethelite

The move to Warwick is a huge change from the thinking of GB 1.0 and even Russell. They recognized the importance of visibility. Anybody visiting NYC would see the WT sign across from Manhattan. Tour boats and tour buses would all point it out as a local landmark. When Patterson was being built, it was supposed to be the future home of the GB. But that didn't happen. After visiting a few times, most of the GB found it too boring, too far from the airport, with none of the excitement of NYC. After all, most of them had already lived in Brooklyn for decades. Shortly before I left, they were still talking about building on their huge DUMBO property. In fact, it was the second largest undeveloped piece of real estate in all NYC. But too much local opposition to more WT buildings. And building in the city is very, very expensive with a lot of legal and labor union hassles.

GB 2.0 has almost no history of living in the city. None of them are interested in walking right outside the bethel doors and being able to witness to victims on the promenade, like GB 1.0 often did. GB 1.0 saw how badly the NYC congregations needed the help of bethel to have elders (some congs only had bethelite elders, I think) and the ability to get KH properties (bethel had a department that helped to purchase and develop the expensive city properties). I'm sure GB 2.0 just saw the ordinary, usually poor JWs in NYC as less desirable than the somewhat wealthier JWs living outside the city. And of course, GB 2.0 sees all that money to be made by selling that Brooklyn property. Back when I was in bethel, many took pride in the notion that WT was growing and would only buy, never sell property in Broolkyn. When the huge Furman building was sold, most thought that would be a one-time deal since there was so much hassle with the Brooklyn Bridge Park project. Wrong. It's been all sell, sell, sell, because now it's all about cash.

As far as them looking for safety outside the city, if chaos broke out in NYC, they're still plenty close for "worldly" people to drive up to Warwick and pillage the property. It's not like they've moved to Nebraska.

After all, it's a cult. So you can't expect what they do to make any sense.

47

What is the point of the picture in this weeks study article ?

by stuckinarut2 in

i don't understand the relevance of the first picture in this weeks study article?!?!.

wt week of december 15-21 "cherish your privilege of working with jehovah".

can someone post the pic?.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"...taking part in a physical building program, as did Noah and Moses."

So these Warwick buildings can float or be disassembled and relocated?

Not only does this multi-year project show that the GB doesn't really believe the end is "soon," it also means that they don't think the great tribulation and attack by gog of magog are real. The GB conveniently located in a remote compound? They'd be easy targets for attack. One missile and "BOOM", no more FDS. If they really believed what they were teaching, the GB were much safer in NYC. They could easily disappear through their tunnel network and disappear into a city of millions of people.

If fancy new headquarters are so important to "the true Christian congregation," why didn't Jesus build a headquarters, assembly halls, and kingdumb hauls. Jesus was a carpenter! Yet, he never needed a building or get into buying and selling property. Hmmm, that probably would have been a suggestion of Judas... get that cash flowing!

9

priorities

by drawcad_1 in

jw
friends

is it just me or is the focus on building projects.

i read through the study for this weekend and all of the focus was on new building construction.

i was waiting for them to talk about the ministry, and it was in there, but not as the main priority.. i am amazed after visiting an old congregation of mine back in new england just how few (none) of the publishers had helped out on the new headquarters.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Perhaps it's more a priority to get the focus away from things like WT selling about $850,000,000 worth of Brooklyn real estate along with closing and selling dozens of branches around the world.

So now they need volunteers and donations to build Warwick?

The more I think about it, the more this looks like a money-making scam for the janitors at the top!

15

If you are having problems or lacking joy, then the flow of Holy Spirit in your life is lacking!

by stuckinarut2 in

yes, this comment was just made by the speaker today!:.

"if you find that you are lacking in joy or experiencing problems in life, this is evidence that jehovah's spirit is lacking or being blocked in your life".

i sat there thinking "are you kidding me brother?...

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

I'm having more joy and fewer problems now than I ever did as a JW. This is evidence that Jehovah's spirit is upon me.

22

Tell me what they are thinking or planning to do.

by LogCon in

this is the situation.. ten years ago two fleshly brothers and their wives, [ all are jw's and one is an elder] defrauded an elderly couple [ she was a jw/ he was friendly]out of the possession of their home and property.

one year after that, they took the life savings of the elderly couple and parked it in an account, without their knowledge.

when the old couple found out what happened, the four co-conspirators refused to return anything.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"What would you do to prepare for such an event?"

I'd talk to a lot of attorneys that specialize in such matters.

Go. Fight. Win.

18

Kingdom chorus

by looter in

so im at the meeting after its over and this elder says to me that god needs my voice because he, the elder, feels that my singing is not loud enough.

i did not tell him this, but singing just is not my thing.

he then went on saying how gods people are better singers than "the worlds singers".

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

If the big J doesn't like the way others sing, why the hell doesn't HE do something about it? "God needs my voice", why doesn't he grow some pipes and have his own voice?

What does one person singing a little louder in a windowless building accomplish? Absolutely nothing.

28

Governing Body courageously 'Admit their mistakes'

by LogCon in

march 2015 study article learn from the illustration of the talents.

brothers and sisters worldwide will be overjoyed to know that the governing body finally has the.

courage to admit their mistakes .

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Then they might as well admit that all their current teachings are future opportunities to admit mistakes. How can anyone have much confidence in WT's "current truth" when the next issue will tell them contradictory "new light"?

Living according to WT teachings and false prophecies is like building a house on shifting sands. Jesus warned of the disaster that would follow.

2

that tie

by bigmac in

jw
friends

no--please--tell me it was photoshopped-----.

.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Jesus never wore a tie.