freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  73

  The con is completed - comments from the US branch's LDC chief

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently attended a special assembly day.. guest speaker was thomas chicky, a member of the us branch committee and the head of the us ldc (which has replaced the rbcs).. the last talk of the day is scheduled for an hour.

  it was the usual boring mumbo-jumbo.

  he appeared to have blasted through his hour-long outline in just about 45 minutes, so he "treated" us to informal comments on recent developments.. he commented on the new wt complex in fishkill ny.. then he dropped the bomb (well, to anyone with ears and at least 2 functioning synapses).. the following is not a word for quote, but presents the gist of his comments:.

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  freddo

  @respectul_observer

  Very good!

  Now read Luke 12 v 18 - 20 ...
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  25

  The disappearance of the Special Committees

  by Hecce in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as a part of the wt judicial arrangement, for many years there was a sort of review procedure called special committee; basically if a person was not happy with a decision or a particular situation they were allowed to write a letter to the society raisin their concerns.. the majority of these complaints were answered with a standard letter with the counsel of “leave matters to jehovah”.

  in some instances the matter was serious enough to warrant the need for a special investigation of the case to be done by a special committee.. at one time the travelling overseers were part of this arrangement; eventually they were dropped out of these cases due to the fact of their tremendous input on the decisions and also the implications when a wrong decision was reached.. the reason behind this procedure was that in matters that were really complicated it was not fair to make a decision based in letters and the clearest way was to have “boots on the ground”.

  normally a group of local brothers, appointed for this duty heard the cases and make recommendations to the branch.

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  freddo

  AFAIK there are still special committees. Certainly the local appeal committees made up of circuit brown-nosers are still extant.
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  98

  Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

  by Listener in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

  it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

  the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

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  freddo

  Welcome "AlexMoran"

  A "Balanced elder body", as you put it - should care less about what facial hair is sported by men and more about really caring for the flock.

  Elders will spend hours discussing beards and other nonsense like whether you should be allowed to choose whether to stand up or sit down to read the Watchtower or at how many dozen degrees below zero can sisters wear trousers.

  Little Pharisees dancing to Bigger Pharisees tune.
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  73

  The con is completed - comments from the US branch's LDC chief

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently attended a special assembly day.. guest speaker was thomas chicky, a member of the us branch committee and the head of the us ldc (which has replaced the rbcs).. the last talk of the day is scheduled for an hour.

  it was the usual boring mumbo-jumbo.

  he appeared to have blasted through his hour-long outline in just about 45 minutes, so he "treated" us to informal comments on recent developments.. he commented on the new wt complex in fishkill ny.. then he dropped the bomb (well, to anyone with ears and at least 2 functioning synapses).. the following is not a word for quote, but presents the gist of his comments:.

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  freddo

  @Sir82

  "Cue sound of phonograph needle scratching across the record."

  
  
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  13

  JWs and taking blood

  by dogon in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  i have a brother who works in the medical profession and in particular surgery rooms.

  he had a jw woman who needed blood.

  while the jw elders were there she said no blood.

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  freddo

  The HLC only get involved in a new case if they are "invited" by the adult patient or the guardian of a minor. This introduction is initially done through the elders in the patient's congregation. If the patient is known to the HLC through several episodes or ongoing treatment then they contact them directly.

  Of course, keen local elders and/or keen jw relatives will "encourage" the patient to have the HLC be involved.

  Once the HLC have their "feet under the table" only the firmly expressed view of the patient will get them to leave. Of course a patient may want the HLC there and a vulnerable patient may well just go along with the HLC advice as it seems a good idea until there is a life threatening situation and then HLC and jw family peer pressure kick in ...
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  64

  Mass JW exodus

  by stockholm_Syndrome in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  maybe there will be a mass exodus from jws when thinking people read feb 2017 watchtower telling them the governing body stuff up, shouldnt expect correct/ perfect information and basically make up guff as they see fit.....ya reckon?.

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  freddo

  They won't all wake up at the same time - but this is my belief over the next few years.

  No more growth. Sure, the numbers will be fudged to show a half of one percent or whatever, but in reality, it's stopped. It's dropping.

  Dropping meeting attendances. The 90%/95% of Publisher figures has softly descended to 60% turning up with another 10% sitting at home with the phone plugged in.

  Dumbing down. Good God! Have you actually read a paper copy of Awake lately? Not enough paper to wipe your backside and not enough "meat in due season" to feed a weasel.

  Ministry. Hours reported will stay at about 8 average but how productive is it? Plodding, driving about with four on board sharing out return visit magazine routes, not homes and coffee stops. And Pioneering = cart minding.

  There is just enough "activity" to fool the leaders that they don't need to change.

  Just go to your nearest kingdom hall and look at the non born-in bible studies - old lonely women, whackjobs and losers being lead along by mental or depressed fools.
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  35

  Im Going To Approach A Witnessing Cart Today

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the city in which i work is flooded with those witnessing carts.

  today im going to approach one of them and pretend i dont know what they believe.

  gonna try and record it if i can.

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  freddo

  Well played sir!

  1st Peter 3 v 15 is a good one.

  YOU: You don't want to talk with me? How does that fit in with 1 Peter 3 v 15

  THEM: Err ... ummm

  YOU: You know, the verse where Peter says Christians should be ready to make a defense before everyone who demands a reason for their hope ... ?

  THEM: You're just being argumentative!/(We're not listening LALALA!)

  YOU: The verse, sir, says you should treat those demanding a reason from you with respect and with mildness ...

  THEM: (IGNORING YOU)

  YOU: Either walk away or tell them they are complete and utter cowards and that the JW's who went before them would be appalled at them for counting time standing next to a trolley parrotting nonsense and falling into embarrassed silence at the simplest of questions.
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  35

  Question for those that have been Disfellowshiped for apostasy VS succesfully fading

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there are quite a few here who have been disfellowshipped for apostasy.. then there are those that have successfully faded.. why the different outcome?

  are the ones that got df more out spoken?

  or does the discrepancy lie with the elders?.

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  freddo

  @doofdaddy

  Sorry to hear your experience. He played on your basic honesty and willingness to respond. If they catch you early enough this is what can happen.

  I used to worry about being asked that question. I didn't want to displease the elders (some of whom I had served with for decades). I avoided the question successfully but am now prepared with ...

  "Of course I do" or "What a strange question (laugh)!" and walk away.

  Remember their definition of a lie is "telling a falsehood to someone who is entitled to know".

  They are entitled to kiss my sweet derriere.
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  35

  Im Going To Approach A Witnessing Cart Today

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the city in which i work is flooded with those witnessing carts.

  today im going to approach one of them and pretend i dont know what they believe.

  gonna try and record it if i can.

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  freddo

  Too many questions for one hit IMO.

  Stick to the first and last question.

  Some other possibles ...

  "My workmate was a jw who got excommunicated last year and now his jw mother won't talk to him because he disagreed with their policy on reporting child abuse - that can't be true can it?"

  "If you knew about a pedo in your kingdom hall would you go to the police?"

  "He's telling everyone at work that you may look like nice people but that he is being shunned by the church because they protect pedophiles."

  "They're like whitewashed graves and Pharisees, he said. What's that all about?"

  Watch'em squirm.
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  11

  A Taxonomy of WT Presidents/GB

  by breakfast of champions in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  [this is what happens when the semester ends.

  idle hands.

  so i was thinking of how you would categorize the presidents of the wt, and i came up with this:.

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  freddo

  I think you're on the money, BOC.