let’s start with the good news for the congregation that is.
two new sisters were added to the group a mother and her daughter.
then the bad news.
Also in a congregation of 70 ish I know well ...
Guess how many baptised publishers there are under the age of 26.
Two.
And unbaptised publishers? (pre teens, teens, bible studies)
Zero.
And over age 55?
35 - half of the congregation!
And how many young women/teens have left after growing up in the borg in the last five years? How many older women have DA'd or deliberately gone inactive?
6. + 2.
And older ones who have died in the last five years?
10.
a good friend of ours and i were chatting the other day about the difference between a zealous person and fanatical person.. what is the difference?.
why is someone praised for being "zealous" , but another person is mocked or condemned for being a "fanatical" person?.
how would jws be classed?.
"Zeal" is when you agree with the thing the person is zealous for.
"Fanatic" is when you don't ...
Yet "Zealot" has the same connotation as Fanaticism.
Video production centre eh?
So the industrial unit which Satan's world throws up in a few weeks err... lovingly reduced printery building or lorry garage can have the camera team moved over from Mill Hill.
let’s start with the good news for the congregation that is.
two new sisters were added to the group a mother and her daughter.
then the bad news.
A congregation I know all too well ...
7 elders serving (3 are in their 70's and 80's - 2 are late 50's and mid 60's)
8 ex elders sitting in the audience ranging from 1 x DF'd, 3 x sat sulking/not answering, 2 "completely nuts/mental breakdowns" - medical term , 2 x separated from wives.
2 MS's - 1 aged 60 plus, 1 recently moved in aged 30 (poor sap).
Dropped from high 80's in publishers when formed in early 1990's, down to 70.
We have a new phrase - instead of "The Bethel Family" it's now the "BRD family".
And in the same way as all the 40 and 50 age group "Bethel Family" members got kicked to the kerb when they were of no use so the "BRD Family" members will be sent away once the usefulness has been wrung out of them.
austria, a member of the eu since 1995, is a country of 8.8 million people with a muslim population of around 600,000 mostly turkish immigrants.
in 2015 it passed an 'islam law' prohibiting foreign funding of religious groups and creating a duty for muslim organisations to have 'a positive fundamental view towards state and society'.. many mosques in austria have continued to receive money from turkish muslim organisations so the new right-wing government have decided to enforce the law.
seven mosques have been identified for closure and 60 imams are to be either deported or refused visas.
Humbled wrote ... (bold italics added)
"Also—This expulsion of non- compliant imams on the basis of a reasonable law ( of three years standing!) is not outrageous. The peaceful contingent of Muslims at Finsbury Park Mosque in the UK welcomed the authorities who helped deport the radical cleric that stirred trouble for them."
I think there are a large majority of peaceful Muslims who'd like to integrate more (or at least cause no trouble) but who are fearful to do so because of the social expectations of the group leaders and peers. (IMAMS)
They like it when the secular authorities take action in the same way as many JW parents like it when a court orders a blood transfusion for their minor child.
austria, a member of the eu since 1995, is a country of 8.8 million people with a muslim population of around 600,000 mostly turkish immigrants.
in 2015 it passed an 'islam law' prohibiting foreign funding of religious groups and creating a duty for muslim organisations to have 'a positive fundamental view towards state and society'.. many mosques in austria have continued to receive money from turkish muslim organisations so the new right-wing government have decided to enforce the law.
seven mosques have been identified for closure and 60 imams are to be either deported or refused visas.
2018 dog attack .
https://www.whio.com/news/national/pit-bull-attacks-jehovah-witnesses-front-door-police-say/rlreicdww8bkpzjjepxlhm/.
2013 dog attack .
I knew all these sisters - yes - all sisters - all in ministry.
Couple of dog bites to fingers when putting crap invites through letterboxes.
Gun drawn on one sister scaring her witless. (We're in UK - reported to Police - turned out to be a replica)
One knocked down by a car and spent weeks in hospital.
Two separate car accidents which involved short hospital visits.
The "Two Big Angels" must have been flying to Spain for a holiday.
this is my first post.
i'm still a jw but am inactive.
im struggling with the fact that i agree with some of the doctrines (i,e, the stance on the trinity, there is no hell) but i disagree with a lot of things (i,e, men can't have beards, women have to wear skirts).
Sometimes Dval, what holds us to our religious faith is fear. The conundrum "Where else shall I go (to get everlasting life)?" (misquote of John 6:68)
And the doctrine of the GB being the Faithful and District Slave (a twisting and misuse of Matt. 24:45-47) also holds people captive.)
For me realising that you can go direct to Jesus and that Matt. 24:45-47 is a parable and even then is simply a question, was mentally freeing.
The next problem is being physically free - as in a stated belief that the governing body are wrong will likely alienate you from remaining jw family and friends and likely get you disfellowshipped. We can help you through this minefield too.
Many here on this forum are atheist, many agnostic, a few find another church and some keep a personal belief in God, Jesus and personal salvation and cut out the middle man of the leadership of JW's and go direct.
Welcome and ask away!
seems like such an obviously correct decision to overturn the previous overreach - it should never have been necessary to go to the supreme court but happened because the rights of the religious were being ignored.. as the fundamental level, no one should be able to compel you to work for them or to provide services that go against your beliefs, and certainly not have the government be able to force you to comply.. if this was allowed there would be so many unreconcilable situations that would clog up courts over nonsense.. i also have little patience for these activists that intentionally look to be offended.
it really doesn't do their cause any good to go round looking to make trouble for people.
it's also misguided because it ends up strengthening religious rights over effectively stupid issues.. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/us/politics/supreme-court-sides-with-baker-who-turned-away-gay-couple.html.
Anecdotally and likely not accurate but Marie Antoinette said "let them eat cake" and look what happened to her.
