Posts by Billy the Ex-Bethelite

44

Governing Body Letter details things that "have never been done before." - Really?

by cappytan in

jw
friends

[note: copy/pasted this with permission from reddit.].

once each year, the governing body writes a direct letter to the congregation members included in the yearbook.

in his annual message to the catholic faithful (urbi et orbi) delivered on christmas day, the pope spoke about world peace, terrorism, and the refugee crisis.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

The prophet Isaiah humbly acknowledged that any success and prosperity that the Kingdom of Judah enjoyed was due only to the blessing of Jehovah. As we read at Isaiah 26:12, he declared: “O Jehovah, . . . everything we have done you have accomplished for us.” Reflecting on all that has been accomplished during the past service year causes us to make a similar admission.Jehovah is truly doing “wonderful things that have never been done” before! (Ex. 34:10) Just think of some of the blessings that we have received from his hand.

From this reasoning, shouldn't any success and prosperity enjoyed by organizations from Apple, Inc to Muslim extremists to Trump's presidential campaign be credited to Jehovah?

Compared to the accomplishments of all non-WT organizations, that list given by the GB is pathetically small. The Bronze Age desert god is struggling to keep up with the times.

63

Watchtower crackdown on anointed expansion - are they reaching for a solution to the expanding numbers problem?

by slimboyfat in

if this has been discussed i missed it.

i think the january study watchtower is a concerted attempt to reduce the numbers claiming to be anointed.

but i love the sneaky way they go about it this time.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

HAVE YOU BEEN CALLED "YOU IDIOT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE CRACKERS AND WINE"?
15 Perhaps you are wondering if you have received this wonderful invitation. If you think that you might have, ponder some important questions. Do you feel that women have small brains and should shutup? Do you have complete hatred for “higher education,” yet still have the nerve to request free services from those who have completed university degree programs? Did you serve in Vietnam and enjoy bringing up your experiences there? Have you found yourself blaming everything from tight pants to women speaking their minds on homosexuals? Do you have a burning desire to star on a cheesy Internet fake news program? Do you have a deep inner feeling of superiority over others spiritually? Have you seen that nibbling crackers and sipping wine has improved your station in life, perhaps freeing you from a miserable missionary assignment in some hellhole? If you answer these questions with a resounding yes, does this mean that you now have the heavenly calling? No, it does not. Why not? Because you also need to be a fat white dude with male pattern baldness that you're trying to hide (sorry, we have enough token exceptions to these rules among the 'genuine anointed'). Jehovah’s spirit works invisibly and mysteriously, so the Governing Body will notify you when and where any anointing happens. In fact, if you have received the anointification calling, we'll let you know. Ha ha, just kidding. We're sure that none of you have been invited to receive the heavenly calling to Warwick.

That was the original draft of the paragraph.

42

2016 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

by wifibandit in

the 2016 yearbook is now on the official site.

pdf.

it has been added to the archive of all prior yearbooks.

They initially got a boost when they first allowed aux pios for just 30 hours during special campaigns and CO's visit. Looks like that enthusiasm wore off. Time for them to reduce aux pios to 20 hours.

21

CoBE Joins those Elders Deserting the Sinking Ship

by The Searcher in

from a reliable source:.

a young cobe - late thirties, maybe forty - has resigned in december 2015, both as the cobe and as an elder.

word is that he is a man with a young family who is stressed out and has had enough.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Word is that he is a man with a young family who is stressed out and has had enough.

This then leaves more work for the rest of the eldurs on the body.

When it comes to the organization and stress, there are two types:

Those that feel stress and get exhausted.
Those that create the stress and exhaust others.

33

Today is Christmas, and guess what? Witnesses's were going house to house on my block, TODAY ON CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

by Dunedain in

i kid you not!!!!!

my family, and i, were on our way to my wife's brothers house today, which is the families christmas tradition.

we open presents in the morning, and at around 10:30, we head over to my brother in laws for breakfast/brunch, with all the family.. so, as we loaded some presents up in the car, and we all jumped, and drove away, at the end of my block, jehovahs witnesses!

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Has anyone else seen any JW's preaching on Christmas day before?

Only if it was the COs visit and he guilted the poor sheeple into it.

23

JW Version Of Spring Cleaning

by JW_Rogue in

from the january study edition second study article paragraph 10:.

we can use the memorial season as an opportunity to look through our wardrobe, our movie and music collections, perhaps even the material stored on our computers, smartphones, and tablets.if i were going to a place where jesus would be present, would i feel uncomfortable wearing this clothing?if i did wear it, would it be obvious to all that i am a follower of christ jesus?would jesus be entertained by watching this movie or by listening to this music?

if he borrowed my cell phone or tablet, would i be embarrassed by what he saw there?as you consider the subject matter of a video game, ask yourself: would i find it difficult to explain to jesus why i enjoy playing it?

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

If I were going to a place where Jesus would be present, would I feel uncomfortable wearing this clothing?

Please, Jesus always wore long dresses and sandals everywhere he went, and is typically portrayed with long hair and a full beard. I think my undercut haircut and slightly tight pants won't leave me feeling a bit uncomfortable if he happens to be present wearing 30CE Jewish attire, grooming, and lack of deodorant in the same restaurant or bar with me tomorrow. Pretty sure he'd feel uncomfortable with what he would be wearing.

If he borrowed my cell phone or tablet, would I be embarrassed by what he saw there?

What the hell? He's JESUS, why would he need to borrow my cell phone or tablet? Is the holy spirit not able to route a call or handle his online shopping needs such that he needs to borrow my electronic devices? I think he'd be the one embarrassed to ask me, "Hey Billy, can I borrow your smartphone so I can make a call to ToMo3 and give him crazy talk ideas and check the weather forecast online to see if I need to borrow your umbrella to keep my dress dry?"

37

What did you have for Christmas dinner?

by GrreatTeacher in

jw
friends

my inlaws are polish, though my husband is a 3rd generation american, but the food traditions have stuck around.. we have christmas eve dinner starting with red beet soup with sour cream, pierogies filled with mashed potatoes or saurkraut, ham, polish sausage sliced and cooked with saurkraut, turkey (that part is american), krischickies (likely spelled wrong) which are crispy pastries dipped in powdered sugar, and apple pie (also american.).

there are goodnatured threats toward bad children who may need to get their dupa busted (butt spanked) and therefore santa will bring figismachen.

i also love golabkis (ground beef and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves), but these were not served this time.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Dinner was prime rib and beaujolais nouveau. Dessert was gingerbread and beaujolais nouveau.

I can still type, I think I need more beaujolais nouveau.

48

American accents, Bette Midler, Clinton, Rick Fearon, Strathclyde, Morningside

by slimboyfat in

i used to enjoy being able to distinguish different local accents, but for some reason i've got worse at it.

i was thinking about this today when i was listening to bette midler on the scottish radio.

i thought to myself i quite liked her accent and also that it reminded me of someone else.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Midwestern here, of the rather generic TV American accent variety.

It was explained to me in Bethel that the WT recordings and most "worldly" broadcasting is done using the midwestern accent and a lot of native Canadians, because their pronunciation is so readily understandable to all other English speakers. Most discernible is pronunciation of the Rs, th (both of them), d, ch, sh, wh, but also the vowel sounds. As BOC mentioned, we don't pronounce caught and cot the same. That's something more Southern, I think.

Just my opinion, but I think the accent evolved in my area because more than a century ago it was settled by Americans moving in from the East and the South as well as new immigrants from Germany (lots of them), Netherlands, Scandanavia, and France to that rural area, and Irish, Italians, etc. in the nearby urban areas. The local accent evolved in such a way that these people could understand one another and absorb some of their previous speech patterns.

And another opinion, I think religion has an impact as well. For example, when Baptists and Pentecostals get in religion mode, they seem to ratchet up the Southern sound. Others take on various self-righteous tones. I think the sound of Rutherford, Franz, and Knorr preaching was an effort to sound more like Russell than of anything "normal". I think I heard lots of brothers and newer GB that seemed to fake an accent to sound more like these dudes:

Chuck Russell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5tgGpynaac

Joe Boozerford:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHkZ0RfvHQ0

Freddy "The Oracle of Brooklyn" Franz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBwKX-5qXT0

Nathan Snorr:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjlCRwJ1IVw

10

Bethel reassignments. A question.

by freddo in

jw
friends

1. in january the first uk bethelites will be hitting the streets.

are any coming to a circuit near you and what effect do you think they will have on the local congregation they are sent to?.

2. if you know of bethel closures/reductions already - such as spain, italy, nz etc.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

When the earlier US bethel layoffs happened, they were followed with some of the "dearly departed" appearing at Circus Assemblies and Discrap Crapventions relating their "personal experiences" of how they were "helped" by the brothers to get settled and find work, and how they were "blessed" with the "privilege" of returning to the field and helping local congregations.

Some of them seemed a little sincere. Some sounded like there was someone with a gun pointed at them behind the curtain.

I had left shortly before those layoffs began. A few that I'd stayed in contact with admitted it was a terrible and fearful time that they would get booted with minimal notice. It's not just losing a job in 30 days, it's leaving your housing, no unemployment, no health insurance, no savings, no nothing. Although I'd made up my mind and tried to make plans before I left, the actual leaving and watching the doors and gates close behind you was rather terrifying.

I used to be so brainwashed as to think, "I don't think I could survive outside this wonderful bethel home. This is the best place on earth. I want to stay here forever." Now I cringe when I think about those terrible, wasted years. And when I dream about still being in bethel, it's all a nightmare that I'm trying to escape from. I'm so happy to wake up in my small apartment... that is palatial compared to anything I had in bethel. Ugh, those tiny rooms that I had to share with at least one other roommate.

Sorry freddo, my comments are wandering. I hope something in there answered some part of your question. If you happen to meet any of them, pass along this advice from me: Don't look back, stop attending meetings, go to university, and get an engineering or any other degree that will get you a good career. It worked for this ex-bethelite!

57

Is zeal beginning to vanish?

by Caupon in

jw
friends

it has to be starting to fade somehow.

the very last time i went out in field service, hardly any were out.

maybe just about nine people were out and man if you could just see their faces.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Going in serve-us was easier when you had a big collection of magazine route calls spread out all over a large rural county.

Drive for 20+ minutes, talk to a lonely, elderly householder for 20+ minutes, visit that nice bakery off in the corner of the territory for 20+ minutes, there you have an hour+ "preaching" and you could do that twice each month with each pair of new ragazine issues. So that's an easy 2 hrs each month. That option is long gone.

Now there are only minizines (or tractazines) every other month that are so thin and devoid of any content that it would be easier to just read them to the householder than to come up with a "presentation" for them. That old route call is reduced to maybe an hour every other month.