freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  27

  November 2017 JW broadcasting HYPOCRISY!

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ok...so i am on a bit of a temper tantrum rant here...but if anyone has (endured) watched this month's broadcast, you will know what i mean!.

  i have only watched 20 mins so far, and the hypocrisy is mind blowing.

  they dare to go on about how thoroughly they research the material produced, so that errors are prevented etc.. for instance, the actually say how they ensure that a scientist is not misquoted, or that an "evolutionist" is not inaccurately quoted to make it seem like his comments are different to his intentions.

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  freddo

  Let 'em keep their two witness rule.

  Just obey the "Superior Authorities" (Romans 13 v 1) and report the crime of child abuse to them.
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  55

  11-5-17 Warwick Protest Photos

  by thebrokenkite in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  let the reader use discernment:.

  i was disfellowshipped in june of last year.

  while i've been awake for nearly a year, i still often feel groggy.

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  freddo

  Diogenesister said "But what I'm dying to ask is:

  Did y'all wear headbands and wave sticks?!😂😂😂"

  I would add, and of course have a helium filled seven headed dragon in tow.
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  25

  In theory, can one be disfellowshipped for attempted suicide?

  by Saename in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so i was recently reading the reasons for disfellowshipping as listed in shepherd the flock of god.

  the handbook is available online here: https://thetruthofjehowaswittness.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/jehovas-vitner.pdf.. on page 59, point #4, it lists attempted suicide as a reason for disfellowshipping.

  has it ever been removed?

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  freddo

  As a long time JW in the UK and being aware of several attempted suicides among jw's from the 1970's through until now and being an elder between the late 80's and the late 2000's I have never known of a judicial committee being formed to deal with attempted suicide.

  It has always been mentioned as a possibility in the Shepherd the Flock books ranging from the paperback pre-green elder books, through the green book to the latest one.

  I think from memory and anecdotally older brothers said it may have happened in the 1960's but then in the UK it was a "crime" but even the legal system erred on the side of "diminished responsibility" aka mental health issues.

  So theoretically possible but I have never known or heard of it in the last 40 years in the UK.
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  11

  Witnessing Just After Sunrise

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  about everytime i go to the grocery store just after sunrise, i can see the witnesses sitting and waiting inside their cars to distribute literature.

  it is not against the law for them to do that.

  i was wondering do they allow parking lot witnessing in your area?.

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  freddo

  In my pre-cart "lead from the front" elder days a group of us would do "street work" on a Saturday morning once a month. This gave us five hours on our reports (although that was never mentioned) and this what we would do.

  Meet at 7 am about two miles from the town/city centre and walk down a bus route through shops to said centre of town. On the way into town you might find one or two stood at a bus stop and you might hand them a "panda" tract (remember them?). A baker or a newsagent would be open and so you'd leave a tract and maybe buy some confectionery or a doughnut.

  You might encounter delivery drivers and one or two folk walking along and so (of course) you hand them a tract.

  By about 8 o'clock you go into a local cafe for a coffee for about half an hour or more and then walk back up through the route you came down engaging with (different) people on the bus stops etc. You'd get to your car by about 9.15 and drive to either the KH or a group for "field service" at about 9.45 and leave there about half an hour later to go to the "territory" at about 10.30 am. Then you would "work" on first call until about 11 am or 11.15 and go for "coffee" at a local sister's house and then do a RV and leave "the territory" about 12.15.

  So from 7.00 to 12.15 less fifteen minutes for the "official group" (can't count that!) is five hours "ministry".

  Reality is that you spent half to three-quarters of an hour in the coffee shop in the town centre. Similar at the "group", three quarters of an hour at the "coffee stop". Probably half an hour walking through town speaking to no-one. Half an hour driving. (Telling yourself "Jehovah isn't up there with a stopwatch."

  So out of 5 hours reported we spent about 2 hours actually available to talk to someone other than our ministry partners.

  A complete and utter farce only matched by standing next to a trolley being even less productive! But it got our monthly "hours" into the double figures (safe) zone for when the C.O. came a-calling.
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  41

  October 31, 2017 TO ALL CONGREGATIONS Re: New Visitor Exhibit at Bethel (UK)

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  october 31, 2017 to all congregations re: new visitor exhibit at bethel.

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  freddo

  So they can't foretell two years ahead that they don't need a "printery"?

  These are the same guys who are telling us we don't need to worry about growing old and dying in this system?

  
  
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  59

  A Little Direction Please

  by Brian J in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i'm an active elder, cobe, just got home from the meeting where i handled the treasures part and concluded by announcing a friend of mine has been d/f,.....blah blah blah...and over the last year have woken up.

  i simply cannot spill my guts to my wife and children as it would be family suicide.

  i have zero desire to bash, spread my feelings, or become an "apostate".

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  freddo

  Brian J. - Welcome.

  Now Stop! Learn from the paths of others on this forum. I have been a well known busy "fool" aka circuit speaker/elder.

  You are at a point where I was a few years back. If you have just announced your friend as DF'd you will be in a maelstrom of emotion and at a point you will make irreversible mistakes if you do not stop and do nothing except personal research for the next couple of weeks or longer. Not one word to anyone - especially your wife who may bolt and run/turn you in/meltdown etc. - except on here.

  Work out a strategy. Be prepared to use a reverse "Theocratic War Strategy" from day one (like Rahab hiding the spies from those intending harm - and just like the WT does when hiding their disgusting involvement in child abuse cover up when it suits their pockets) and immediately.

  As soon as "they" realise there is "something up with Brian" they will turn on you like wolves doing the pack's bidding to preserve themselves and their precious "organisation".

  Then after thinking things through you can start your plan to help your wife and progress your resignation/"illness"/fade/inactivity/DA/move away or whatever. It may take months or years (or never) to get where you want to be.

  Good luck!
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  10

  If Elders and Ministerial Servants did what Michael Fallon has done, few would remain

  by Isambard Crater in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  over the years i have seen plenty of elders and ministerial servants touch other j.w's knees, thighs, give very long and intimate hugs, blah, blah, blah.

  i know of other sisters who have felt really uncomfortable with such behaviour, but the brothers have just explained that they're being loving as caring christian friends, so they get away with it.

  it angers me that no j.w's will speak out about historic or ongoing inappropriate touching for fear of being disfellowshipped or losing the hope of paradise..

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  freddo

  Michael Fallon would not be resigning if there were not more similar or more serious incidents to "come out."

  Just my opinion.
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  32

  Stagnation of JWs in Britain

  by darkspilver in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is an 'off-topic' continuation of this discussion.

  steve2: in britain, growth of publishers is slowing down, if not stagnating.

  darkspilver: .

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  freddo

  I just remember that as a kid in the UK, Earnest.

  The latest OD book almost gives a green light to count what you like. I mean with trolleys and incidental and "on-line" (whether admitted or not) you can count virtually anything.

  I reckon Fisherman counts his time on here!
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  59

  What can the leadership at Watchtower do to turn things around?

  by UnshackleTheChains in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let's play devils advocate here.. put yourself in the governing body's shoes.

  they are well aware of all the issues they are facing.

  they know their numbers (they 'do the math' as they say in the us).

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  freddo

  They have no need to turn things around. They will all be dead or dribbling within 20 years. Plenty of lolly and income for them, legal dept, accounts dept and a dozen "helpers" and hangers-on to run the show from Warwick.

  Just keep reducing the branches and committees as and when. Ditto travelling overseers.

  Just shout "the love of the greater number is cooling off", sell KH's as needed, keep begging for cash and highlighting "relief works" to get it.

  The gullible widows with their property from their unbelieving mates will keep them afloat as they send 1% in disaster relief and crow about it.

  Then 10% to JWTV Channel, 10% to running the enforcers (Travelling Overseers), 10% to the cash cows (On line donations, Assembly Halls and property), 20% to Child abuse settlements and the rest to Lakeside central!
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  32

  Hellaby UK circuit A$$emb£y this Sunday

  by punkofnice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my spies tell me that the attendance for hellaby this last sunday was only 600.. that's all i know.

  i imagine some on here have perhaps some more insights into why.

  however, it seems rather low, don't you think?.

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  freddo

  I know Hellaby. Easily would seat 1,000.

  This is a pure guess and speculation. Perhaps the circuit that attended is 20 congs x 80 publishers so equals about 1600 pubishers. So too big for one assembly so they divide it in two. So in theory 800 per session.

  Apathy could easily drop this into the 600's.

  Any football matches in Sheffield that weekend to distract? Oh yes - Sheffield Wednesday vs Barnsley in the Championship league - local match and all that.