freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  23

  How did you feel on Christmas as a JW child?

  by cookiemaster in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is obviously a question for born-ins like me.

  so, how did christmas feel to you as a child?

  to me it was awful.

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  freddo

  Not having Xmas was (and is) no big deal. I had "worldly" grandparents who gave me £5 each at Xmas which would be like about £50 now I guess. But going to school afterwards evading the "what did you get?" kind of questions was difficult.

  My mother actually used to get me something a few days after the 25th "in the sales" - I remember one year when I was about ten getting an Airfix kit (UK version of the type of Revell plastic models) of the Saturn V Apollo rocket that went to the moon which was all the rage in the late sixties early seventies. Another year I got a "Blue Pullman" Triang-Hornby train set.

  So I just said that these presents were "for Xmas and that we got a good deal because they were cheaper after the holidays".

  The defence mechanisms we learned eh?
  
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  42

  Beards

  by HowTheBibleWasCreated in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have a beard.

  i spend a month on vacation with no worry from the congregation overseas of course.

  i grew a full beard now and with glasses i finally have posted my picture on facebook og me... next to half life 2 cover showing i look like gordan freeman lol.

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  freddo

  In the surrounding congs (let's go with the twenty or so in our circuit in the UK) let's assume that there are 180 or so elders and about 120 servants.

  Circuit level: CO's still enforce "no beards on the assembly platform" made up rule.

  Cong. Level: I can think of three/four elders with full beards and another three/four with goatees. I know some congs do not let elders with beards/goatees give public talks or go on the platform. I believe about half a dozen or more min servs have goatees or beards.

  So out of an "appointed man" body of say 300 around 15+ have something beyond a moustache. 5%?

  We have had visiting elders give public talks with a beard at our hall from time to time.

  Out of 20 congs I think a handful have a prevailing view that a neat beard is ok on the platform. Some forbid it and a couple really get on the case about it even for background things like running microphones.

  
  
  
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  29

  Latest, SHOCKING JW Paedophile case.

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.stratford-herald.com/45973-jehovahs-witness-jail...

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  freddo

  Well done Barbara!
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  19

  Disassociation letter

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good evening.

  i have a question about where to send my disassociation letter.

  do i give a copy to the overseer of the cong i was in and the branch?

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  freddo

  If you are determined to go ahead, why not give a copy to everyone you know listing your reasons?

  Don't make it too long - anything up to one page - listing such things as child abuse, money-grabbing, failed predictions - with scriptures and WT quotes to support your view.
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  406

  ex-jw-uk

  by bigmac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm quite new to this site, & have realised some members have a union jack symbol under their avatar.

  i don't.. could we have a "show of hands" from any uk members?

  i've already found several by reading older posts..

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  freddo

  Welcome fizzle! Tell us more when you feel able.
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  40

  2014-12-17-BOE-Children Give Up Your Pocket Money!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  petra!

  2015-12-17-boe already, you dear brothers have done so well, sending gifts both large and small.

  for in-stance, two children, five and seven years old, sent their pocket money to help build our new bethel instead of going to the circus, writing, "this is much better than that!

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  freddo

  Sofia: (looking glum) "No ice cream."

  5 yr old friend: "No circus."

  7 yr old friend: "No circus for me either"

  Caleb: "Let's sing a song!"

  Let us tell you what we heard!

  Gotta buy a Rolex for Sam Herd!

  Can't have ice cream; or circus acts too!

  This religion is a lump of pooh!

  All collapse laughing and plan their exit strategy.
  
  
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  57

  Is zeal beginning to vanish?

  by Caupon in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  freddo

  Also those with any zeal - the piousneers and the like - have all sodded off to the cart bystanding work where their hours rack up for little effort. Not for them plodding from door to door with the weirdos and old-fashioned.
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  10

  Bethel reassignments. A question.

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  freddo

  I'll take that as a no then ...
• 
  10

  Bethel reassignments. A question.

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. 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.

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  freddo

  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. - what effect did that have when the bethelites were reassigned?

  3. All speculation welcomed!
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  12

  WTS Throws Hail Mary Pass with Major Paradigm Shift

  by Socrateswannabe in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let me begin by stating that i have no insider information, this is merely my observation.

  i believe that some time ago in watchtower land, somebody at hq posed these questions (probably an outside consultant because i don't think the gb is this hip): .

  what would happen if we cut in half the average age of the responsible brothers in the organization?

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  freddo

  In the UK and other "western" countries I believe that kicking the "middle aged, less useful" bethelites out will give some struggling congs a little boost in numbers of elders/pioneers this year; but as reality sets in and they realise they have been sent out to "kept warm and well fed" many of them will be ticking time bombs in their halls.

  They will either dig in deeper and show the younger ones what fruitcakes they are or they will be bitter and twisted as they try to get menial jobs in the local economy. Either way they will not truly serve the brothers and sisters in their new halls but either - quite understandably - look after themselves or become even bigger robots for the borg.

  It will be interesting and to those with loved ones still in, not a little frightening.

  But it gives us another opportunity to break through to the "real" person behind the cult facade.