there was a letter read this week, followed by a talk about all the changes that are coming in the next couple of months regarding merging congregations in the area (va/md/dc) - the letter said that the kh's in the area are only being filled to 48% capacity.
this was music to my ears as i have noticed the decline in attendance in all the neighboring congregations.
they will sell some kingdom halls and merge some congregations.
Heard a good one from last Sunday.
A contact I have in my circuit who knows it's (JW'ism) a load of nonsense but goes to keep the peace from time to time said he went to his hall and the public speaker said:
"Normally I address this next part of the outline especially to the teenagers and children, but as there aren't any here I'll speak to the young at heart instead."
I asked what the attendance was like and he said about 50 out of 95 publishers.
just wanted to say hello and thank you for all of your comments.
when i finally figured out this was not the truth it was nice to know i wasn't the only one - it was a surprise to learn how many there are.
february was my last month of service after 43 active years.
Lovely post! Thanks for sharing - really encouraging.
so i spoke to my elder dad the other day, and he asked if i still am sporting a beard.
i said yes, then i said, "i thought the society said its ok to have a neat trimmed beard now?
" he said "no, no, no..if you read the article , it says in countries where it is accepted" so my response was "ummm, its pretty accepted here in america"..which he says "it reflects your spirituality" "if another wittness saw you, they would know you are weak"...i was like, "ok, i don't get it, and i follow christ/god, not men..." then he said in his hall" if a brother came in with a beard , he would not have privelages" then i just gave up, and tried to change the subject..ugggggggggg if these people would just listen to themselves , they would see the sillyness of there teachings...
@Splash
I've read a lot about beards on this forum; I've sat in elders meetings always on the side/leading the charge to allow beards in our hall and when an elder I questioned CO's and made one in particular squirm when he allowed one (long time elder with a beard) brother a position of dept. authority in the circuit, but when a young min. serv was to be offered the same level of authority he wasn't allowed to have a beard.
But your post says everything that needs to be said. Excellent post indeed.
what your thoughts on if gb ruled the world would elders happily administer lethal injections at head offices request ?.
Sadly there would indeed be enough elders "just obeying orders" to do this.
there was a letter read this week, followed by a talk about all the changes that are coming in the next couple of months regarding merging congregations in the area (va/md/dc) - the letter said that the kh's in the area are only being filled to 48% capacity.
this was music to my ears as i have noticed the decline in attendance in all the neighboring congregations.
they will sell some kingdom halls and merge some congregations.
Also in my corner of the UK.
Actually at the KH our cong of nominally 70 (which has dropped 5 since this "service year" started on Sept 1 2016 - from 2 deaths/1 df/ 2 moving) as in bums on seats we get in the 40's and 50's. This last couple of weeks my spy tells me it was down to 33 and 39 respectively.
i'm having some serious issues with my child, she is now 5 and her mother is teaching her all sorts of things regards god, jehovah is real, in heaven, pray if you're scared, etc.
the problem is the kid is scared of demons at night and also conflicted that i don't believe, she also figured out jehovah doesn't actually help her not to be scared.. i've tried explaining that i'm there for her, watching over at night.
i've tried introducing her to various churches and beliefs so she understands there is a difference in believes and she likes those churches better than kingdom hall.
Nice light conversations ...
Daughter: " ... I'm scared the demons might get me."
You: "You silly sausage - demons are just like Scully from Monsters Inc."
Daughter: "Bbbbutt Mommy and Nanna say they're real and if I don't obey Jehovah they'll get me!"
You: (Laughing) "Your Mommy and Nanna are very good ladies but they do believe some silly stuff. I mean - can you imagine a demon wanting to live down the back of the sofa when they've got all those great castles over in Europe where they could go?"
Daughter: "Mommy said if I mock the demons they'll get me!"
You: "I've laughed at demon stories from before you were born! It's a load of old nonsense - now shall we go and get a McDonalds? - I want a demonburger with added Satan sauce! What about you?"
Treat it light light light!
remember in the 60's and 70's experiences told in our assemblies, "i was a hippie long hair homeless,drugs and etc, now i wear a suit don't smoke or do drugs and happy as hell.
anyone heard any experiences lately in the assemblies?????
how about i was homeless and i walked up to this cart, the two women ignored me as i stood at the cart.
No. Good (as in good for JW propaganda) cart experiences are notable by their absence round my way ...
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20120201/adolescent-questions-faith/.
this article doesn't touch on the topic of what a parent shoud do if their teenager has made an educated decision to stop attending meetings.
but, hey...what else do you expect from the watchtower coporation?.
They talk some bollocks don't they?
How about this possible scenario - d'you think it will ever be on jborg?
SON: So I looked on jwfacts, double checked all his quotes from our literature and found that what he says they said is 100% true ...
MENTAL MOM: (Hands over ears) "Lalalalalalalalala! I can't hear you!"
SON: What's more, Gran told you that you wouldn't go to school "in this system" and she's sat in a wheelchair dribbling as she minds a trolley cart waiting for the end to come like they said in 1914, 1925, WW2, 1975 ... the generation ... "
MENTAL MOM: (Running screaming from the room) "I can't hear you .... "
SON: So I won't be coming to any meetings - but I'll get a job and do some college and pay my way and keep your house rules.
DELUDED DAD: (Thinks: Hmmm my qualifications might get called into question) "Get out now!"
i'm in japan for three weeks visiting my sister-in-law and brother.
the people are so polite and i came across two female jw using the cart.
it is the same experience i noticed back in the states.
The carts are next to useless. Worse than useless.
No converts to speak of.
The only conversations (besides with each other and texting their mates) are with the slackjawed, the needy, the crazies and apostates.
And even those conversations are rare.
lets play a fun game?.
we all know that as witnesses, we were constantly told to read the bible, and ask ourselves what the passage we read reveals about god.. as an example, here is a wt that highlights this.. may 2016 wt study edition "benefit fully from jehovah's provisions".
8 ask questions.
Judges Chapters 19 through 21 ...
... with raped and chopped up concubines, virgin daughters offered to the baying mob (yawn - again?), Israelites killing Benjaminites but not being enough death to satisfy bloodthirsty Yahweh so he let's the Benjaminites kill the Israelites a bit too.
What do I learn about the Old Testament desert God from this? He is a murderous narcissistic fruitloop.
If I got through Armageddy I'd last about a week before I upset his sorry ass and got zapped.
