My money is on Lawrence Bowen to be the next GB
How do you think that might affect GB decisions? What is he like?
jabberwock
JoinedPosts by jabberwock
-
77
TED JARACZ' stroke, latest from Bethel heavy.
by yesidid inaccording to a bethel heavy i know rather well,.
ted is paralysed down his right side,.
however his mind and speech remain unaffected.. .
-
-
jabberwock
-
54
Is The WTS Getting Desperate for Males? KM Aug 2009
by Hopscotch injust thought this article was interesting in view of what has been said in the last couple of years on the forum about the declining number of elders and servants and those reaching out.
add to that the large percentage of young teenage boys who leave 'the truth'.
i can't ever remember this much space in a km being devoted to converting men.. para 2 states: "when a family head accepts the truth, he often influences others in the family to join him in pure worship".
-
-
jabberwock
There's an article in the August 15 Watchtower entitled, Did You Once Serve? Can You Serve Again?
As you might guess it is all about former elders and ministerial servants "reaching out" to serve again. It mentions that some may have stepped down due to health reasons or for their families. A significant portion of the article is directed towards those who were removed from their position because of "unwise conduct" or wrongdoing. It also acknowledges that some may have disagreed with the decision to remove them and as a result are bitter.
I'll try to find a physical copy and post a scan of the article.
-
72
2009 Drama Synopsis and Comments
by jabberwock inthis year's drama was based on the parable of the prodigal son.
the theme was "your brother was dead and came to life".
as some have probably heard, it is a modern day story based on that parable, so there are no fancy costumes or fake beards.. .
-
-
jabberwock
My mum cried the whole way home in the car about what a bad parent she was. Sounds like a really encouraging experience, this drama. Designed to make those with non-practicing children feel like complete crap for being "bad parents" and to make their darling children feel, well, like the devil reincarnate.
Chatelaine, I'm sorry that your mother felt that she was a bad parent after having seen the drama, but I must say that the drama did not demonize parents with unbelieving children. Still, I understand why she might have felt so bad about herself after the drama since it ends with the wayward son returning home and continuing as a Witness whereas you and your brother have not returned.
Still, you are right that the drama made use of an "emotional presentation" and "extreme representations".
-
38
Breaking News - Russia Close to Banning JWs Entirely YouTube Video
by cognac inhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-qy14yqx-0 - i'm not sure if i attached this right.....
-
-
jabberwock
Excellent comment drew sagan.
Jehovah's Witnesses have the right to practice their faith (personal association), or at least, should have that right. The question then arises as to particulair forms of behavior that fall inside of that association which are possibly detrimental to society.
Personally, I belive that if a state wants to interfere with the practices of a faith, it has to deal with official policy and not overall status. Legislation that restricts the types of public punishments members of a group can inflict on children (like disfellowshipping) could be an avenue worth exploring.
-
45
"He was really smart. Smart people leave all the time" <- Unwitting Witness Tells The Truth
by gubberningbody inhow many of you have heard this one, or words to that effect?.
-
-
jabberwock
I've heard Witnesses say things like this before. Usually it was a complaint about "book smarts" or "fancy philosophizing".
Still, I know plenty of very smart people who are still Witnesses. I think they just switch it off before they go to the meetings.
-
29
Read My Dads Crazy Email Trying to Make me Panic bout Armageddon!!
by foolsparadise inmy mom emailed me and asked if they could come to town and go to our district convention with us.
i politley said no thank you we wont be attending.
we havent been to meeting in a long long time.
-
-
jabberwock
My Dad and other Witness friends and relatives do this to me all of the time. I find it embarassing how obvious they are. Do they really think that they are being subtle or discreet? Inevitably, the interesting tidbit they have to share is some recycled piece of speculation or phony insight. I always wonder how they can find these things to be fascinating. Is that really the kind of stuff that blows their mind? This drives me crazy.
-
7
Will they be banned in Russia?
by truthsetsonefree inbelow is a pretty well done report on the russian situation.. http://www.russiatoday.com/top_news/2009-07-13/will_jehovah_s_witnesses_be_banned_in_russia.html.
isaac.
-
-
jabberwock
I wouldn't be surprised if Jehovah's Witnesses were banned in Russia.
I would be interested to hear what everyone thinks about this.
Is a ban on Jehovah's Witnesses a step forward?
-
18
Bang or Whimper: How Have Other Cults Have Ended?
by cameo-d infrom historical record of other cults, how do the majority of them end?.
is it usually with great fanfare?
(like jonestown).
-
-
jabberwock
Shakers just died out...today there are no Shakers.
It seems there are still some Shakers in the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers#Modern-day_Shakers
Notice that the Shakers were already down to only 12 members in 1920. As of 2008 there are still at 4.
jabberwock
-
11
No simplified study material for children?
by jabberwock ini thought i would share some highlights from an interesting questions from readers (wt 52 6/15) that i recently cam across:.
why does not the watchtower society publish simplified material for parents to use in teaching their children bible truths?a question based upon frequent inquiries by readers.. .
...but from this we may not argue that the faithful and discreet slave class must publish special books for children.
-
-
jabberwock
The point I was trying to make was that this particular article is strongly indicates that the WTBTS purposely does not publish simplified material for children, yet it has since published several books for that express purpose.
The first book for children that I could find was Listening to the Great Teacher (1971). Shortly thereafter came the book Youth—Getting the Best out of It (1976), and My Book of Bible Stories (1978).
I have never read the book Children (1941), but the circumstances of its release suggest that it was written for children. Rutherford announced the books release during a district convention talk where all of the young ones sat up close and around the stage. Each child in attendance was personally given a copy.
Of course, this is by no means the most significant change of position. I think to call it hypocrisy might be a little strong. Still, the article goes out of its way to authoritatively state that publishing such material is unnecessary and inappropriate according to scriptural precedent. I would think that they could just as easily have said, "It's a good idea, but we're too busy working on stuff for adults. Maybe sometime in the future." I suppose such a response wouldn't work because it would reveal that the president and the other bosses in Brooklyn hadn't thought of everything.
jabberwock
-
11
No simplified study material for children?
by jabberwock ini thought i would share some highlights from an interesting questions from readers (wt 52 6/15) that i recently cam across:.
why does not the watchtower society publish simplified material for parents to use in teaching their children bible truths?a question based upon frequent inquiries by readers.. .
...but from this we may not argue that the faithful and discreet slave class must publish special books for children.
-
-
jabberwock
I thought I would share some highlights from an interesting Questions from Readers (wt 52 6/15) that I recently cam across:
Why does not the Watchtower Society publish simplified material for parents to use in teaching their children Bible truths?—A question based upon frequent inquiries by readers.
...But from this we may not argue that the “faithful and discreet slave” class must publish special books for children. The priests in Israel did not write special scrolls for the children to study...None of the sixty-six books of the Bible were written specially for children. From infancy Timothy was taught by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, not from some child’s study book, but from the Holy Scriptures... The typical theocracy in Israel provided no simplified study material for children. Neither was such provision made in the days of Jesus and the apostles. None need be made now. Adapting the material to the child’s mental capacities is the parent’s assignment from God.
jabberwock