freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  32

  legal action to Baptism of minor annulled?

  by cyberjesus in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  let's imagine that a 10 year old gets baptized.

  parents split and kid never goes back to the hall again.

  15 years later kid celebrates christmas and gets df since some dub saw him celebrating.

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  freddo

  Just a thought ...

  WT1964 p126 para 1 "Did You Make an Acceptable Dedication to God?"

  I remember about ten/twelve years ago a CO covering a point about this with our body of elders.

  The point made was that if someone had been "seriously" or "grossly" sinning at a disfellowshipping offence level (and obviously kept it hidden) all the way through their dedication and baptism then their baptism could be considered invalid. He said that occasionally, especially if the person was a minor when they were baptised and if they had not become a pioneer or MS or Elder when they were an adult (which might indicate forgiveness and blessing by God - what a joke - ) then their baptism might be annulled and each case would be on a case by case basis.

  He said it was extremely rare but that it had happened. This in the UK.

  ...

  So if you could hold it together long enough to get your story straight and you wrote to bethel to say you had been continually e.g. smoking or committing porneia or stealing either side of your baptism you just might get an annulment. Might you just say "I definitely didn't dedicate my life to God, I just did it to please my parents and because of peer pressure."?

  However it usually only happened when it suited the branch for example if there is bad publicity like when a jw child abuser can be said to have never been a witness and that would suit the jw hierarchy to put it out that he/she was never really a witness anyway.
  
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  15

  JW Real Estate Owned

  by badcompany in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just spoke to my dad who's been an elder since ~'72 and still is.

  he told me about a meeting he just had about kh annual maintenance.

  whoever led the meeting (not sure who) announced the world leaders in re locations owned:.

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  freddo

  myname is lame said "Odd thing for a religion to be bragging about."

  Very true. Especially one whose leader had "nowhere to lay his head".
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  21

  10 Years On...

  by done4good in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just a note that 10 years ago, (christmas day, 2005), was my last time inside a kh.

  a lot has taken place for the better in those 10 years:.

  1. met the love of my life and happily married for 9 years, two days ago.. 2. completed a master's degree.. 3. work at senior management level in the it field.. 4. have a savings and retirement, and no debt outside of a mortgage and 1 car loan.. 5. lots of travel to several places that i never would have done as a jw.. 6. contribute to what i believe are meaningful causes.. 7. read, think, and meditate for myself.. 8. have a great extended family i inherited from my wife.. 9. lots of other great stuff, too much to list.. none of this is intended to be boastful.

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  freddo

  Please don't go for too long. Inspiring stories like yours help the rest of us stay firm in our resolve. And newbies and lurkers need to see first hand that you don't have to go to hell in a hand cart if you leave "the truth".
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  22

  Blood Cards on File with the Elders?

  by EyesOpenHeartBroken in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  i have a question for elders here or recent elders.

  were the elders, in the last 10 years, given instruction to keep a copy of every publishers blood card on file at the kh?.

  we moved to our current cong 6 years ago, and shortly after we moved in, the boe requested everyone update and give a copy of card to the kh.

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  freddo

  Normally the Secretary keeps on file all those who lodge a copy of their AMD/Blood card with the congregation. Every 5 years he should encourage you to fill out a new one to keep them up to date.

  Once a year or two there is a reminder through the KM and the Secretary usually reminds everyone to fill one out.

  In my hall there is "encouragement" to complete one so that if there is an emergency and you are sparked out then the liason committee can act upon your wishes on your behalf.

  There is no compulsion but keen group overseers can get on your case.

  I have never known an elder - or when I was an elder - any pressure as to choices as to fractions etc.

  Just say "no". Don't explain further.
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  52

  Let's Consolidate World Branch Layoff Threads - Oct 2015

  by TheListener in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there has been many threads from various posters around the world about recent bethel layoffs.. so far i remember threads about:.

  south africa.

  united states.

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  freddo

  Britain is in full swing kicking out Bethelites. The first lot leave in the new year. They were called in on a weekly basis in November and December and got told they would be out two months after being told.

  So January and February is when they hit the streets and have to pay their own way.
  

  They stop all the feeding, washing and cleaning malarkey on the 11th January.

  Not sure of the total numbers but each week for the next two months a couple of dozen will leave. I wonder if they will dance out to the "HAPPY" song?

  
  
  
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  30

  JW Statistics for "Britain" 2015 over 2014

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  population listed.

  peak pubs.

  ave pubs.

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  freddo

  Hi "closed" and welcome. Please share more.

  A very true perspective. The only real non - born in, outside growth is in the "foreign langauge" field in many "western" countries.
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  46

  Chaos at Brooklyn Bethel 12/2016

  by James Jack in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this was how it was described to me yesterday by a brother who has been there for some 40 years.

  "everyone is about gone; the governing body is set to leave within 2 months; the kitchen and laundry personnel are gone and i have to fend for myself now.".

  "also the aggravation of 4 to 5 business men in suits with clipboards daily checking out the watchtower properties.

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  freddo

  Ha!

  11 months ago and it's the "HAPPY" video.

  What a difference in less than a year.
  
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  45

  The story of my exit

  by mrsObfuscate in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have been lurking here for about 6 months, and being the last day of the year, and ready to start the new one afresh, i want to share the story of our exit from the org.

  i have found the personal experiences of others of immeasurable value, (and its been a while since a good exit story has been posted) that i hope this can be of benefit to at least someone.. .

  my mother became a jehovahs witness when i was about 9 or 10. i remember initially hating all of the new sanctions put on our lives (no birthdays and christmas anymore) but for some reason i soon after joined her in attending the meetings and eventually got baptized at the age of 14. my staunch catholic father converted a couple of years later.

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  freddo

  Mrs. Obfuscate. Thank you.

  Please stay and post more. It is very encouraging.

  It is invaluable to have someone around here who wasn't personally affected by child abuse to feel so strongly about the ARC.
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  15

  Bill Cosby charged with sexual assault

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  news just released in the uk on the bbc news website.

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  freddo

  News just released in the UK on the BBC news website.
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  28

  Predictions for 2016

  by LevelThePlayingField in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, it's that time of year again.

  here's a few of my predictions.

  ) no armageddon.

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  freddo

  Worldwide

  1) As mentioned - no more WT Library on CD/DVD.

  2) Peak to Peak publishers will drop - if reported honestly.

  3) Child Abuse matters will take a bigger toll.

  4) Trolley Carts will prove just as fruitless.

  5) JWTV will make more people wake up.

  6) Re-assigned Bethelites will be more wary about taking on privileges.

  7) More Hall sales and money grabbing.

  8) Aux Pioneering at 30 hours - open all year round starting in March

  U.K.

  All the above will apply especially no 2 "peak to peak" drop which happened this year and no 3 with the charity commission investigation into jw handling of child abuse.

  The only ones coming in other than "born-ins" will be nutters, fruitcakes and weirdos.

  Baptisms will be low but may rebound a bit from the low "post 2014" year just reported.

  My circuit

  A kingdom Hall with just one congregation may be sold off. I don't think we will lose a congregation this year but it will be moved in with another hall.

  I hear that at least three reassigned bethelite couples will be assigned to congregations in our circuit as regular (i.e. no money, you're on your own) pioneers.

  More elders/MS resigning/removed.

  My Congregation

  I think an older elder and/or MS will die or be incapacitated - no one in particular, just that we've got two over 80 and three over 75.

  Can't see any "appointments" this year (maybe a young buck towards the end of the year but he could go either way) unless someone moves in. One "nice but dim" MS looks like he might even be asked to fall on his sword.

  Can't see any baptisms either.

  Even lower meeting attendance averages - reporting about 65 out of 90 at present.

  More apathy, judicials, boredom and slacking off.