Posts by freddo

13

Thoughts from the International Summer Convention in Romania

by cookiemaster in

we just had a huge international convention here in romania.

at least huge by local standards.

22,000 in attendance in one location and around 44,000 throughout the country.

freddo

Err ... no, it's 1.27%.

68

Over 300 DFed apparently went to a northern U.K R.C!

by Isambard Crater in

that's what i've been told by a family member (elder) who went to one of the regional conventions in the north of the u.k lately, who told me the 300 or more disfellowshipped who returned to jehovah by attending show that the end is so close, just like the final talk says..

freddo

I now for a fact that if you went to one venue without a badge and said you are either here from an invite, here from another region but haven't got a badge, inactive, DF'd, forgot your badge or whatever you got given a badge unless your backpack was emitting smoke and smelling of gelignite.

You get escorted to an attendants office and you tell them the guys at the gate told you to come and get a badge.

They write "Visitor" on it and ask you to write your name, congo if applicable and phone number on their "check sheet" - in the UK.

68

Over 300 DFed apparently went to a northern U.K R.C!

by Isambard Crater in

that's what i've been told by a family member (elder) who went to one of the regional conventions in the north of the u.k lately, who told me the 300 or more disfellowshipped who returned to jehovah by attending show that the end is so close, just like the final talk says..

freddo

Load of bollocks.

As said above - how do they count them?

Now ... if out of 130,000 baptised dubbies in the UK let's say 1% get DF'd or DA'd in any year then that would be 1,300 people.

Now if 300 across the country got reinstated then that ain't so hot is it?

Also most halls have one DF'd sat at the back and who will go to a convention with his thumb up his bum and his brain in neutral.

How many congo's in UK - 1500? So if 300 go to the convention? again - not so hot.

More spin than a washing machine on spin methinks.

26

Born Ins, How Did Your Parents Get "The Truth™"?

by pale.emperor in

born ins are in a unique position in that we never knew any other way of life.

no birthdays, christmas and overly superstitious family just seemed normal.

when my parents talked about their pre-jw life it seemed like they were talking about completely different people (actually, that's true, the cult had taken their real selves).. so i'd be interested in hearing how your parents were indoctrinated.. my dad.

freddo

My parents had me quite late in life aged 38 or 39.

My maternal grandmother died at age 60 when my mother was pregnant with me in 1960. My mother got called on by two nice ladies who "offered the resurrection hope". She got baptised in 1962.

My father was ex-forces (last three years of WW2 and just after) a hardworking man who loved my mother and let her get on with it as far as being a JW was concerned. He would go to Sunday meetings with her and was befriended by the Congregation Servant and his sidekick who took a social interest in us as well as a bible study type of interest.

By about 1965 he was coming to all meetings and was "favourable to the truth".

Mum absolutely was convinced by the 1975 rhetoric from 1968 and Dad came to believe it too, getting baptised in 1969.

No horror stories - we always had food on the table and a modest house on a mortgage which despite my mother's entreaties to my father, we didn't sell or give up any employment to pioneer.

They have both died - my Mum awaiting Armageddon to the last and my father going through the motions with less zeal than he once had.

I firmly believe that the catalyst for us becoming JW's was my grandmother's rather early death and my mother not wanting to accept it fell for the lies of the "truth" brought to her by two nice ladies.

22

Current JW Go Fund Me requests

by Listener in

this topic was discussed a few years ago and i thought i would have a look to see what is going on with go fund me's by jws.

i am astounded that there are a great deal more jws requesting money than there were a few years ago and even by pioneers.i've only looked in detail at a few jw go fund me requests but came across this one that i am stunned about on a number of levels.. my little maryhello friends.

meet my wonderful girlfriend mary, a 23 year old "need greater pioneer"serving in the english field in san marcos nicaragua.

freddo

Maybe one of the GB might donate the proceeds from selling a Rolex or Apple watch?

21

The WatchTower conductor lied on stage

by Isambard Crater in

on sunday morning in the watchtower study, a "study" who was their for the 1st time put his hand up and said; "i have a question.

when the paragraph says give up everything, it doesn't really mean give up everything like the pearl merchant, does it, like be willing to lose my modest house, cheap car and other basics i own?

i mean, that sounds a bit much".. the watchtower conductor said in response; "no, it's just a parable and it doesn't mean give up everything.

freddo

That study will hopefully "Make Sure of All Things" before he gets sucked in.

Is there any way you can anonymously post a printed sheet from jw.facts to his home?

29

What would happen to a JW who respectfully refused to fill out a no blood DPA?

by Island Man in

i know you'll be involuntarily disassociated if you unrepentantly accepted a blood transfusion; and i know you'll be disfellowshipped for apostasy if you openly disagreed with watchtower teaching.

what if you have done none of the above but simply respectfully refused to fill out the dpa without giving any reason for your refusal - so they can't accuse you of openly disagreeing with the no-blood doctrine and df you for apostasy.

they don't know why you're refusing and you're not giving them the reason - and you're being very respectful.. what can they do?.

freddo

Keen congregation secretaries are a pain. I know I was one.

They typically remind you when your blood card is out of date (5 years in the UK). They get reminders to remind the congo and so occasional announcements about "only e.g. 70% of you have up to date blood cards on file, what would you do if you were in an accident etc.")

That's as far as I went, but more recent secretaries in my congo go further.

Some secretaries remind you personally or by text. I had a reminder last year by text. I texted back "thanks for the reminder, Mike" and heard nothing since.

if pushed further I am resolved to say "thank you for the reminder" and I will SHUT UP. Whatever is said then will be met with "like I said, thanks for the reminder".

E.g.

Sec'y: "Blah blah accident blah blah for your protection blah"

Freddo: "Like I said twice already, thanks for the reminder."

Sec'y: "Aren't you going to fill out a card then Freddo?"

Freddo: "Like I said three times already, thanks for the reminder."

Sec'y: "Sounds like your stalling me Freddo."

Freddo: "Like I said four times already, thanks for the reminder."

Sec'y: Eventually runs out of steam.

29

The most absurd reason have you heard someone disfellowshipped for ?

by Chook in

someone said on forum they knew someone df for not going to assigned meeting in old days .

freddo

"pale.emperor" mentions "brazen conduct" this is a more recent sub category of the old "loose conduct" (which was largely used to justify reproof or DF'ing for non-penetrative sex before all the porneia definitions came along).

I knew of a committee which DF'd on the basis of loose conduct a married but estranged sister for dating "unrepentantly" a work colleague in the 1990's.

36

Why the vitriolic hate?

by stuckinarut2 in

i am sure we have all thought of this before, but it struck me again today:.

why does the society promote such vitriolic hate toward, and about those who have left "the truth" ?.

surely it is obvious that such critical attitudes towards ones like us who have left, only serves to proove that they do not have "the truth"?.

freddo

Like a rejected controlling spouse they hate the fact that you are free and that you could be an example to help free other family members from their grasp.

15

Doubling up on Circuit Overseers for Apostahunts?

by Wakanda in

in my area i know of four congregations dissolved in one circuit, so that leaves eight weeks a year empty for that circuit overseer's calendar.

dissolving congregations is happening more than in my area, so i believe we can assume other c.o.s have open time.

it appears that c.o.s are visiting with a companion c.o.

freddo

In the old days CO's would occasionally - once or twice a year - have DO's come with them to "shepherd them" and observe etc.

Nowadays "a more experienced CO" does the riding shotgun thing from time to time. They sometimes go in on the more difficult congo's, but often it's just a scheduled thing.