passwordprotected

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Posts by passwordprotected

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  28

  2014 District Convention Symposium - "What Must Be Kept In Second Place". - wow, unbelievable......

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  its up on jw.org the 2014 convention program.

  friday 2:00 symposium : what must be kept in second place?

  recreation.

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  passwordprotected

  I've stated for years that the GB only has one way to go; tighten their grip on the r&f. They may lose some peripheral members who cannot bear up under the pressure, but that's fine. Fewer more devoted members is better than a large group that wriggles in their grasp.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/180595/1/Tightening-of-the-Cult-Handcuffs#.UyavXCcgGSM

  I don't think the Governing Body is interested in growing numbers. I think they're more interested in whittling and winnowing.

  Think about it;

  • 7 million Jehovah's Witnesses, 50% of whom (random figure) aren't really die-hards and are more interested in being socialites than Bethelites

  or

  • 3 million Jehovah's Witnesses who have proven their loyalty to 'mother' by sticking with the Governing Body, no matter what they're told to do

  Which is more easier to control or extract 'donations' from?
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  41

  Do you think not having the book study in private homes has had much effect?

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it's been a few years since the organization ended the book study arrangement in private homes.. gone was the last opportunity to have tea and biscuits and a natter with the friends afterwards.. do you think people regret losing the book study?

  for some, it may have been the only time they were able to get some "associaton".

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  passwordprotected

  Getting rid of the book study meetings was the catalyst to me - at the time an elder - waking up. 6 months before the announcement that they were ending was read out, the KM had an article about how important the BSG was, for a variety of reasons. Therefore, to me, the ending of it made no sense; increasing gas prices?

  For the first time I realised the GB was making it up as they went along with little consistency or desire to emulate the 1st Christian model. As an elder I was hearing first hand how devastate those in "divided households" were as they would be losing one of the few opportunities for fellowship Ina. Private home.

  The GB's decision starred my thinking processes, and within 6 months of the letter being read I had DA'd.
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  76

  Bizarre comment about jw.org at SAD

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently attended a sad.. bethel speaker was gushing about the wt's embrace of new technology, in the part of his talk warning about "apostate" web sites.. a loose summary of his comments:.

  "and the brothers at headquarters have made it very safe for you to go to our website.

  in fact, the brothers talked to the folks at google, and they made a special arrangement so that when you type in 'j w period' into the google search engine, it automatically shows you the jw.org website.

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  passwordprotected

  The WTBTS is the North Korean of American religions.
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  25

  Standing on Street Corners, Counting Time - the Impotent Future of Preaching

  by passwordprotected in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  you see them all over the place now, 2 or 3 of them standing near a portable display of bible-based literature, chatting to each other.

  counting time.. i've seen them in london, glasgow and cluj (romania).

  the portable display is always the same.

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  passwordprotected

  You see them all over the place now, 2 or 3 of them standing near a portable display of Bible-based literature, chatting to each other. Counting time.

  I've seen them in London, Glasgow and Cluj (Romania). The portable display is always the same. Their behaviour is always the same. The effectiveness at reaching the globe with the good news of the kingdom is always the same.

  The other consistent element is that I've never once seen anyone approach them to discuss their Bible-based literature, nor have I ever seen them seek to engage any passerby.

  For example, 2 weeks ago I was approaching Unirii Square in Cluj-Napoca, and there they were, right on the corner of the busy thorough-fare. It was a Sunday afternoon, the sun was out and people were milling around with their kids like in any European town on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The portable display stand was stood a few metres away from the wall of the building they were standing in front of, the "they" being two JW women in their late 20s and one older JW man.

  My companion jokingly pointed over to them and said in English "he used to be one of yours", refering to me. We both chuckled. The JWs looked over at us, then quickly looked away again. No effort was made by them to engage us in conversation or even to return our smiles. They quickly went back to talking to each other. Ignoring us.

  Folks, we've seen the future of the JW worldwide preaching campaign. And its even more ineffective than it was before. Praise Jah, you people...
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  406

  Goodbye JWD/JWN (my last post)

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after some considerable thought i have decided that i will no longer post on this forum because i want to return to jehovah.

  thank you for all the kindness and many interesting discussions over the years.

  i wish you all well in the future and the decisions you make.

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  passwordprotected

  I remember Slimboyfat saying a thread argument with me years ago that he still went to the meetings, anyway. His reasons included he didn't want his aunt to stop speaking to him.

  Maybe that's what's happened now.
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  9

  Is Jesus just an "escape" for ex-jws and Born Agains to hide their unhappiness?

  by booker-t in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it is amazing how clear everything is when you just except yourself for whoever you are and not try to live up to a certain expectation.

  since i have been out i have received my ba in psychology and now i am in grad school working on my ma in counseling therapy.

  and one of the things i have learned since being in school is that i believe people try to use jesus as an escape for unhappiness.

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  passwordprotected

  In a word, yes.
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  69

  im turning in my letter friday,

  by unstopableravens in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs
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  passwordprotected

  Unstop, what about seikhs, Muslims etc who claim to have felt the spirit of their god'S?

  BTW, I disassociated and was baptised in a Christian church in 2010. Once I studied the historicity of Jesus and and the bible I realised what quite a few new revelations.
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  26

  My struggle in leaving WTBTS - What is yours- if you want to share?

  by Junebuggie in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my struggle- my journey finding salvationoctober 16, 2013 at 8:03pm"anyone who believes in the son of god has this testimony: god has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son.

  he who has the son has life; he who does not have the son of god does not have life.

  i write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of god so that you may know that you have eternal life.

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  passwordprotected

  I left the WTBTS in July 2008. Around a month later I started going to a local evangelical church, and as a result was deemed as disassociated by my former congregation.

  I did the whole "finding Jesus" thing, had a "conversion" experience, talked in tongues, felt filled by the "holy spirit" etc etc.

  However, when I realised that many people of many difference religions at times experience similar things I concluded that "Jesus" and the "holy spirit" have nothing to do with it.

  Since then I've lost all notions of faith and have never been happier, freer, more confident and more optimistic.

  Replacing one all-consuming religion for another is common. But it's best to move into a place where your faith and trust is in yourself.

  Enjoy life.
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  17

  What Happens at Judicial Committee Meeting on Apostasy

  by passwordprotected in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this was a famous case here in the uk, based around the experiences of matt barrie (aka hobo ken).

  we've uploaded the audio recording of his judicial committee meeting with the glasgow bishopbriggs congregation elders and you can listen/download the (long) unedited file here:.

  https://www.dropbox.com/s/k1pajlf7duc5zgh/matt%20judicial%20raw.mp3.

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  passwordprotected

  We're all getting on with our lives. I haven't seen Ninja for a while, but I know he's moved on from the ex-JW stuff, as have I for the most part. I'm agnostic to the point of atheism these days.

  I see Hobo Ken and Lorraine fairly regularly.
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  17

  What Happens at Judicial Committee Meeting on Apostasy

  by passwordprotected in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this was a famous case here in the uk, based around the experiences of matt barrie (aka hobo ken).

  we've uploaded the audio recording of his judicial committee meeting with the glasgow bishopbriggs congregation elders and you can listen/download the (long) unedited file here:.

  https://www.dropbox.com/s/k1pajlf7duc5zgh/matt%20judicial%20raw.mp3.

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  passwordprotected

  This was a famous case here in the UK, based around the experiences of Matt Barrie (aka Hobo Ken). We've uploaded the audio recording of his judicial committee meeting with the Glasgow Bishopbriggs Congregation elders and you can listen/download the (long) unedited file here:

  https://www.dropbox.com/s/k1pajlf7duc5zgh/Matt%20Judicial%20RAW.MP3

  Matt appealled the decision, and his appeal committee meeting hearing can be downloaded here (again unedted):

  https://www.dropbox.com/s/0058vb4sz896ff9/Matt%20Judicial%20Appeal%20RAW.MP3