freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  8

  Heinrich Himmler and the Jehovah's Witnesses

  by OrphanCrow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is a letter written in july 1944 by heinrich himmler, one of the most powerful men in nazi germany.. i have encountered quotes taken from this letter before but i have never read the letter in its entirety.

  this is a translated copy from a russian website:.

  http://www.k-istine.ru/sects/iegova_witness/iegova_witness_himmler-02.htm.

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  freddo

  Two things ...

  Bibelforscher is also what you will see next to the "purple triangle" symbol in Auschwitz and the like. It goes back to the pre-early 1930's Jehovah's Witness name declaration by Rutherford. "Bible Students" continued colloquially even among JW's rather longer in Europe than USA.

  Also the date of the letter, 21 July 1944. It seems strange that a rather mundane letter like this is being written by Himmler to Kaltenbrunner the day after the unsuccessful bomb plot against Hitler by Stauffenberg and co.

  These two men were at the forefront of rounding up the conspirators/backers of the plot and would have been right in the thick of the aftermath when this letter was purported to have been written.

  I suppose it could have been dictated/penned a day or two before it was sent but I would love to see the original.
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  11

  Apathy and of course Scandals!

  by KW13 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i remember as a young dub, being told by others and particularly from the platform that apathy was the number one enemy and in many ways i think that's true today.

  people are seeing a change from the 70's - 80's (the last time the end 'felt' close to many) and now the witnesses are in a rut.

  the society seem to have backed off from making bold claims and instead seem to be trying their best to retain the members they have as opposed to trying to gain attention of others as they did in the formative years of the religion when they wore sandwich boards - throw in the growing spotlight on child abuse issues and you've got yourself a religion that's trapped in a purgatory of sorts - the majority of long time members will stay in the religion and die in the religion but as time goes on i think are clearly losing interest and the 'fiery passion' that used to be so obvious before and outsiders just arent interested as there are better, more interesting things to do.

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  freddo

  Interesting observations KW13.

  On the subject of apathy I believe that in the "First World" countries it is the number one killer for JW's.

  Here in the UK we still have the ongoing UK Bethel move to Chelmsford distracting those in their late 20's through early 40's from falling attendances and hall closures; but underlying there are few "reaching out", few "coming in" and younger and younger teens are a significant proportion of those getting baptised.

  I predict another UK bethel round of lay-offs soon - when the printing presses stop in March 2018. Mind you they might send some of the little darlings to Chelmsford for a couple of years before finally saying good-bye to them. It's like they are digging their own graves!

  Now the great edifice of Warwick is completed how are things in the USA?
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  10

  "Divine name publishers"

  by zeb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we have just received a king james bible from the "divine name publishers".

  basically a very fine print kjv but with lots of jehovah all therough the ot and nought in the new.

  the explanation for this is vague and doesn't say definitely.. the format and rhetoric reeks of the wt but this not mentioned.

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  freddo

  Hi Zeb, I suppose knowing how you received it might help us ascertain its source?
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  23

  Attendents sit at the best seats

  by Quarterback in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  well it's been awhile since i got angry and wanted to post on here again.

  last week's watchtower about the subject of love had something to say about the hard working attendants.

  it seems that they are choosing to sit in the best seats at the convention.

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  freddo

  I agree curiousconfused.

  I've done my share of attending in draughty stadiums and car parks and most brothers serving want three things.

  A) An excuse not to have to listen to the repetitive drivel from the platform. (Maybe that was just me!)

  B) Help the brothers and sisters in a kindly manner.

  C) Feel they have done a good job.

  But there are the occasional ones who are bumptious and jumped up twits which stand out in the memory. Also the ones who climb the greasy pole (or more likely daddy is a prominent one giving them a little leg up) and like the prominence of swanning around in the inner sanctum with the assembly organisers.
  
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  4

  When did "no part of this world" exclude crowdfunding ?

  by redundantcartworker in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if this family are j.w's, is this not a bit hypocritical ?.

  http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/local-news/parents-launch-35000-fund-raising-859314.

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  freddo

  Sorry ... but what a set of self-entitled leeches (pun not intended) those parents are. I do feel sorry for the lad as scoliosis is an awful condition, but ...

  Won't have the op offered by the NHS - then "can't remortgage their house" then "the "autistic son" can't face having someone else's blood - I wonder how that got planted in his brain?

  I personally know of two jw's in my region who have had the approved operation on the NHS without blood and who are doing well.
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  17

  CLAM MEETING Dumbing down

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so yesterday was the midweek meeting - the first of the month for december so instead of locals doing the little talk skits we get the on screen shadow puppets.. after each one the ms taking the item asks the congregation for "positive" comments.. part way through i get a text from a pimo brother enduring the show which reads thus (and i quote word for word ...).

  "it's like listening to a bunch of people from a mental institution.

  ".

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  freddo

  Out4good4 said about his wife ...

  "Then she presents the idea that I would be a good person she can practice her presentations with with me being the householder."
  

  Of course you could look at that as an open goal mouth!
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  20

  Talking to women

  by Holden Caufield in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  i recently asking this women out who here has problems with women after being a jw.

  i still do.

  i will try to talk with with women..

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  freddo

  Don't forget "FORD" when you feel tongue tied.

  In a non intrusive way ask about her:

  FAMILY (People usually like it when folk take a non threatening interest in their family background)

  OCCUPATION (ditto job, charity work etc)

  RECREATION (Hiking/Cinema/Sports/Books/Cosy up in front the fire ...)

  DREAMS (Plans/Holidays/Goals)
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  17

  CLAM MEETING Dumbing down

  by freddo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so yesterday was the midweek meeting - the first of the month for december so instead of locals doing the little talk skits we get the on screen shadow puppets.. after each one the ms taking the item asks the congregation for "positive" comments.. part way through i get a text from a pimo brother enduring the show which reads thus (and i quote word for word ...).

  "it's like listening to a bunch of people from a mental institution.

  ".

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  freddo

  So yesterday was the midweek meeting - the first of the month for December so instead of locals doing the little talk skits we get the on screen shadow puppets.

  After each one the MS taking the item asks the congregation for "positive" comments.

  Part way through I get a text from a PIMO brother enduring the show which reads thus (and I quote word for word ...)

  "It's like listening to a bunch of people from a mental institution."
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  34

  Another congregation bites the dust

  by NikL in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  went to the meeting last night with my believing wife.

  the co was visiting and delivered a really cult-ish talk on loyalty but that's another story.. they made the announcement that starting january 1st they were going to have only 3 congregations in this town instead of 4.. they are dissolving one and growing the territories of the remaining 3. the reason given is that many of the elders are getting up there in age and can't do what they used to do.

  basically not enough elders and ministerial servants...or even men reaching out for that matter.

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  freddo

  Fantastic news! Remind me ... what part of the world is this?
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  60

  Can someone tell me why Joan's ark and the flood not true and impossible?

  by Gokumonkey in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hey everyone.

  i have a question and i hope i'm not confusing this with something else i heard.

  while watching ex jw videos on youtube many of them talk about how noah's ark and the flood didn't happen and it's impossible.

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  freddo

  Don't worry Gokumonkey, everyone knows that Noah's wife's name was Joan. And their surname was Covenant.