Posts by Olin Moyles Ghost

10

Birthdays vs. Baby Showers

by The Missus in

jw
friends

in the mind of a jw, why is there such a difference between celebrating someone's birthday from year to year and celebrating the actual day they were born, or celebrating that day a few weeks earlier or later in the form of a baby shower?

when i was a jw and a sister was in the hospital with her new baby we would go up to visit and bring gifts for the baby, in essence, celebrating that baby's birthday.

when i was in i never thought about it, but now i want to know!

Olin Moyles Ghost

This is something I had trouble reconciling in my mind. Why is it ok for a JW to celebrate a child's birth (with a baby shower)--but celebrating anniversaries of that birth is a gross sin that warrants disfellowshiping? It's like the society is saying you can do it once, but any more than that is against the rules. Seems like a narrow distinction...quite legalistic.

@isaac - good point

There's no mention of "true worshipers" observing baby showers in the Bible. As we were taught, the Magi were pagan astrologers. Add that to the "fact" that the Magi were directed by Satan's star in order to kill lil' baby Jesus, and you have a recipe for a great Questions from Readers article--Are Baby Showers for Christians?

26

snubbed by the dubs...

by undercover in

jw
friends

as most of ya'll know, i'm not dfd or dad, just faded and i've commented about how i still have some contact with some jws that i used to associate with.

only on rare occassions do jws that i didn't know that well to begin with treat me as persona non grata...no big deal, i usually couldn't remember their names to begin with so it wasn't like i was being shunned by family or friends.. this story begins at the mall, where i was with my wife (*sbm), not my favorite place to be...but the sacrifices we have to make sometimes...you married guys know.... anyhoo, we're in a common area near the food court, deciding if we wanted to get a snack or just hold out for real food in a real restaurant somewhere else, when a "sister" we've known for years spots my wife and comes up.

we've known this person for over 20 years...we go way back.

Olin Moyles Ghost

Undercover, you have a pm.

26

snubbed by the dubs...

by undercover in

jw
friends

as most of ya'll know, i'm not dfd or dad, just faded and i've commented about how i still have some contact with some jws that i used to associate with.

only on rare occassions do jws that i didn't know that well to begin with treat me as persona non grata...no big deal, i usually couldn't remember their names to begin with so it wasn't like i was being shunned by family or friends.. this story begins at the mall, where i was with my wife (*sbm), not my favorite place to be...but the sacrifices we have to make sometimes...you married guys know.... anyhoo, we're in a common area near the food court, deciding if we wanted to get a snack or just hold out for real food in a real restaurant somewhere else, when a "sister" we've known for years spots my wife and comes up.

we've known this person for over 20 years...we go way back.

Olin Moyles Ghost

Classy. I wonder what Mrs. Undercover thought about the loving attitude displayed by "the happiest people on earth"?

426

One of the Governing Body had a stroke yesterday

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

on may 19th, theodore jaracz had a stroke.

he's in very serious condition in the hospital.. that's all the information i have for now.. barb.

Olin Moyles Ghost

Barbara, were you referring to the 1993 International Conventions in Moscow, Kiev, etc?

One day, Swingle read a telegram from a bunch of assembly overseers in Russia thanking the GB for holding conventions all over the former Soviet Union after it fell apart. When I walked into Peloyan's office he was on the phone with Swingle who was furious. Harry and Swingle were buddies. Harry told me that the GB had no knowledge of conventions all over Russia. They only gave the ok for one and that was St. Petersburg. However, when Jaracz went over to arrange for the convention, he also arranged for a bunch more but he never told the other GB members. They were shocked when they found out after the assemblies were held. They held an immediate meeting and "the boss" came very close to being removed. But he apologized over and over again and they forgave him.

426

One of the Governing Body had a stroke yesterday

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

on may 19th, theodore jaracz had a stroke.

he's in very serious condition in the hospital.. that's all the information i have for now.. barb.

Olin Moyles Ghost

So if TJ was the head honcho on the GB, who is the heir apparent? Loesch?

16

Bible Studies...how hard, how rare, anybody know a JW with one???

by oompa in

jw
friends

i find it interesting how many dubs of even 50 years old have never had a bible study (yet they go out most sat morns.

for two hours and turn in the slip) ...and how many dubs really want one?

(and is nt that the goal of service?

Olin Moyles Ghost

Oompa, it depends where you live and what sort of congregation you're in. My experience in the USA is that you're not going to have many Bible Studies in the English-speaking congregations. And even fewer in the wealthy parts of the country.

But even in the USA, if you're in a spanish congregation or in a foreign language "group" then you will see lots of publishers with studies. That's my experience, anyway.

And you are correct that lots of publishers don't want studies. They're happy to put in their 2 hours on Saturday morning (perhaps round up to 3) and go on with their lives.

44

Drama Topic for 2009 DC. Here's the scoop.

by Open mind in

jw
friends

ooh, ooh.

who wants to know what the drama's about?.

om.

Olin Moyles Ghost

Thanks for the heads-up regarding the drama. As a kid, I always preferred the full-costume dramas to the "modern day" ones.

And I would be SHOCKED if there is any mention of 1975 on the assembly. That's ancient history for almost all JWs. A large number of current JWs weren't even around in '75 and don't know the story. Why bring it up now? Makes no sense. Won't happen.

And oompa--nice job.

42

How did you REALLY feel when you where out in field service?

by megaflower in

jw
friends

i never felt comfortable knocking on door and i hoped no one would be home.

my presentation was short and to the point because i did not want to get into discussions.

as we walked from "door to door" i secretly wished i could be like all the ones i saw in the nighborhood.

Olin Moyles Ghost

My feeling was similar to that of "no more kool aid." I didn't enjoy going out, but after it was over, I felt good about having done it. I thought of service as one of those unpleasant things that you had to do--like clean the bathroom or take bad-tasting medicine.

When I would express this opinion about service, some would tell me that I was doing it "just enough to hate it." My reply was that I didn't like it any more when I was doing it 90 hours a month.

Some people are good at it, and some actually enjoy it. These folks are few and far between, but I have met them. But my experience is that most pioneers do not really enjoy going up and knocking on doors. As has been well-documented here, pioneers have many techniques to minimize the amount of actual "preaching" per hour (for example the pioneer shuffle, far-out return visits, etc.).

14

Interesting blog post about JWs knocking on a door

by passwordprotected in

jw
friends

http://kristievosper.typepad.com/honestlyspeaking/2009/05/jehovahs-witnesses-and-a-better-approach-at-opening-the-door.html.

(sorry, can't make it clickable in safari 4).. .

jehovah's witnesses and a better approach at opening the door.since i just moved into my house, i had my first jehovah's witness visit this morning.

Olin Moyles Ghost

The following quote is interesting:

Or, was she believing that I wasn't any longer of interest to her so her kindness was wasted on me, who would most certainly not be included in the 144,000? I'll tell you...if that's all that is going to get into heaven I still wonder what in the world they're doing out recruiting.

The blogger seems to be under the impression that JWs believe that only 144,000 will be saved. My experience is that quite a few non-JWs have this misunderstanding of the 144,000 doctrine.

Just another example of how even though they spend 1.5 billion hours per year "preaching," the message just isn't getting out. What does your average "worldly" person know about the Witnesses? Not much, but if anything it's probably one or more of the following: (1) no holidays/birthdays; (2) no blood transfusions; (3) no military/patriotic stuff; (4) door-to-door canvassing.

Do they know that the JWs' central message is God's Kingdom? My experience is no. Thus, if the JWs have this great commission to preach the good news of God's kingdom, it seems to me that they are failing. Further, it seems that their weird beliefs (many of which have little support in scripture) overshadow their "kingdom message."

30

Bethelite writes -Can be Disfellowshiped for being FAT??? Amazingly abusive articles!!!!

by Witness 007 in

these articles blow me away!

it's obviously written by a bethelite who sits at a table with hungry young bethel boys!

if you've eaten at bethel you know what i mean...get in quick or the chicken, beans etc will be gone!

Olin Moyles Ghost

I've never heard of anyone being DF'd for gluttony. Perhaps it has happened, but I've never heard of it.

Like undercover, above, I always thought the WT had a double-standard regarding drunkenness and gluttony. Both are squarely condemned in scripture, but the JW congregations with which I have been associated only paid attention to drunkenness/over-drinking (or the perception of it). I know some very prominent elders who must be pushing 300 lbs. It doesn't seem to have had a negative impact on their theocratic careers.