I can't speak to the more current publications, but that's one of the (many) things that I remember hit me squarely between the eyes: the message seemed to be getting more and more simple until it was almost loathsome drivel. I always kinda thought the turning point was when "unity" and "united brotherhood" became the Big Goal. After all, when giving only one single message to everyone, you have to simplify it to the lowest common denominator.
Along with that came the whole idea of, "the publications are so simple that anyone can understand them, therefore you don't need to stand at the door and give a great big bible explanation yourself. Just hide behind the magazines and let them do the talking." This is the same time that presentations started being printed in the KM (lest anyone "go off on their own" and start teaching misinformation....)
halcyon
JoinedPosts by halcyon
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WT: Dumbing down the message; no intellectuals allowed
by Hiddenwindow inhave you noticed that the most recent publications by the watch tower, and particularly the study articles of the watchtower magazine, contain less and less references to secular sources?
there is not doubt that the society was always making efforts to provide us with a historical and quasi-intellectual perspective of the world.
i am sure all of you can think of books by the watch tower that contained extensive information on history, biology, and even philosophy (insight, creation book, the bible -god's word or man's?
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halcyon
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People who actually listened to Kingdom Melodies outside the Hall
by JimmyPage indid you know people like this?
you get in their car and the kingdom melodies are playing on prerecorded piano... you go to their house and there they are in an orchestral arrangement... even when i was a complete believer i cringed when i had to hear this banal crap!
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halcyon
I used to really like the melodies. I thought they were great music and they put me in a really inspired mood. So one day I sent a copy off to a worldly friend of mine who had majored in music in college and had made his living teaching music. I thought I was introducing him to something really special. Boy was I embarrassed when he responded to the CDs with a less-than-enthusiastic opinion.
I have a problem with ALL Christian musicians, though. It seems people think that just because they're Christian, that everything they create is God-inspired. I see people of limited ability thinking they're at the pinnacle of talent. It seems that the godless are much more humble and work so much harder to master great music than anything I've seen from openly Christian musicians. -
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Kingdom Hall Weddings - November Kingdom Ministry
by BluesBrother inif this has already been posted up - then i missed it.. this question box left me .
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halcyon
It seems from what I've heard around here, private weddings on private grounds is becoming a trend. Not so many KH weddings anymore.
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Fall 2008 One Day Assembly....what is the theme?
by insearchoftruth inmy wife is attending the assembly this upcoming weekend, is there a posted agenda and can any of you provide a summary of what is discussed so i know what she will be hyped up about when she gets back?.
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halcyon
I wonder what the definition of "enjoy" is? I always thought to "enjoy" meant to derive or receive pleasure from. But I've apparently had it all wrong all these years.
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Notice this Contradiction on How Jehovah's Witnesses View Marriage
by flipper inin the new book released at the witnesses assemblies this year , " keep yourselves in god's love " notice this bit of counsel given on possible separations in marriage .
it says on pg.
221 , " absolute endangerment of spiritual life.
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halcyon
I had this same thought yesterday.
A friendly apostate is even lower on the totem pole than an abusive SOB. -
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Kingdom Hall Weddings - November Kingdom Ministry
by BluesBrother inif this has already been posted up - then i missed it.. this question box left me .
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halcyon
I remember a girl walked down the aisle to the Kingdom Melody song, "I Want To." It made me think she had to convince herself, or something. She and the groom had done some heavy-duty fiddling around and got in trouble for it, which was why they ended up married, I think ... she wasn't preggo but it was the JW equivalent of a shotgun wedding.
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Disfellowshiped Last Night - Elder Question
by johnnyc ini know some of you know me by my posts...as someone very much on the "fence".
recently, i had made an effort to start coming back to meetings after being inactive for 2+ years.
during that time, i did have a prescription drug problem following an injury.
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halcyon
>The reason I am saying all this, is because if they were making such good reasoning points, I doubt they would have resorted to such tactics. Regardless of your opinion, their actions show I struck a nerve.
naah. It just shows that a wide variety of people post on an internet forum. Some are deep thinking, calm people who won't speak unless they've thought out logical, rational arguments; others are fiery passionate people who are driven by deep emotion. Surely you know such a wide variety of people in your daily life.
People are people wherever you go. If everyone had the same reactions, I'd be very skeptical of what was behind it. -
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halcyon
Pretty much every forum I post to, mine are not the popular posts; in fact I seem to be a thread killer much of the time.
It's taken me years to realize it, but I finally saw that I'm a thread killer because I have the ability to sum up a topic so precisely that there's not much to say after me. I'm not bragging, it's just a skill that has been pointed out to me over and over until I finally "got it."
That's not the case here though, because I can't sum things up precisely here. I'm still lost and swimming through what I think I feel. But I can say that for at least 5 years, I've been putting off an important conversation with a loved one about why I left. Since finding this place and being here only three months, I finally have the confidence to sit down and talk to them. I'm quite certain some of your posts have contributed to my new state of clear-headedness.
Perhaps you are investing too much energy into estimating the impact of what you write. You should write because you're passionate about the subject, and let that be enough. Then just release your words and let them do their own work. You can't possibly guess their impact based on other people's replies. No one (probably not even you!) regularly replies to posts with "great reply! A lot to think about, thanks!" When a post makes someone think deeply, they just go off and think. They don't take the time to announce it. In fact, the most profound of posts usually come back to the reader much later, often the next day.
Can you put Dusty Road toppings on ice cream? -
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How to behave on an internet forum
by halcyon in(hope this works).
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how to behave on a forum - video powered by metacafe
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halcyon
(hope this works)
How To Behave On A Forum - video powered by Metacafe -
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Door Experience: Just got my first tract & visit in 5 years from local JWs
by WingCommander inok..so ive lived in my house for 5 years.
i have not once gotten a visit or tract since living here.
well, saturday at 10:00, i finally got a visit.
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halcyon
>I think the WTB&TS is resorting to what I like to call Walmart witnessing. Walmart's philosphy is that it's better to sell lots of stuff at low prices rather than just a few big, expensive items. It seems the message of the jws is now the same. Spread the word to as many as you can, but don't bother with any meaningful discussions or presentations.
This is pretty much the last thought I had which cinched my departure. When I saw that service meetings were just sales meetings, "hide behind the literature and let it do the talking for you" ... it was nothing like the religion I had grown up in. This is when I finally glimpsed the frail little man behind the curtain and realized I needed to stop attending what was becoming a huge waste of time.