paul from cleveland

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Posts by paul from cleveland

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  12

  shunning is bad

  by Sabin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i had a phone conversation last night, i'm not proud of myself but that is how the cookie crumbles.

  started off all well & good then up came the arc which i was informed was all propaganda & the oct 2012 polices i got from the internet are apostate & not true.

  so i lost the plot, completely lost it, & let out everything i was feeling.

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  paul from cleveland

  Sabin, love is stronger than the cold heartless organization. I believe your love will win her over in the end. I hope so.
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  59

  Would I lie to you?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  given recent posts on the forum and discussion, maybe we could play this game: would i lie to you?

  in the uk we have this tv programme where minor celebrities tell weird or embarrassing stories about themselves and the rest of the participants have to guess if it is a true story or made up.

  when the others have voted then the person reveals if the story is true or false.

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  paul from cleveland

  tms, I have a feeling those are both true.
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  59

  Would I lie to you?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  given recent posts on the forum and discussion, maybe we could play this game: would i lie to you?

  in the uk we have this tv programme where minor celebrities tell weird or embarrassing stories about themselves and the rest of the participants have to guess if it is a true story or made up.

  when the others have voted then the person reveals if the story is true or false.

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  paul from cleveland

  Sounds like fun. The stories should have a certain minimum word requirement. Otherwise, there won't be enough information to make a determination of plausibility.
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  133

  The new service meeting

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i wanted to relate an experience that happened this morning.

  it is regarding the new format for the meeting on thursdays in my area.

  its not word for word but im summarizing what i heard, the best i can remember.

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  paul from cleveland

  Slim, to me it's very obvious that all of these stories are just fantasies. I never thought these were intended to be viewed as actual events but just something fun to read and imagine happening. They're so outlandish I can't imagine who would think they're real. Regarding the supporting comments, I don't know... perhaps people just playing along?
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  133

  The new service meeting

  by John Aquila in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i wanted to relate an experience that happened this morning.

  it is regarding the new format for the meeting on thursdays in my area.

  its not word for word but im summarizing what i heard, the best i can remember.

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  paul from cleveland

  I view John Aquila's posts as happy short stories. Little "what if" fantasies. I read them for the same reason I occasionally buy a lottery ticket. I don't really believe I'll win but sometimes it's fun just to fantasize what if? They're so 'over the top' does he really need to include a disclaimer? I highly doubt many view these stories as actual events.
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  37

  Infighting at the top?

  by JeffT in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we've all been trying to decipher what is going on at the top of the watchtower organization.

  clearly, the game's afoot, we just don't know what game we're playing.

  item: the constant harping about money and donations.

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  paul from cleveland

  Makes sense since only the top 7 JW's are allowed to disagree about anything. Any other Witness tries that shenanigans and they're shunned for life!
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  47

  Hello, this is my first post

  by noralee in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hello, this is my first post, i would like to introduce myself and say thank you to every one on this forum, you have been a lifeline to me these last few years.. i had been a jw for 30 years when i walked away a few years ago disgusted by the treatment victims of child abuse, domestic abuse and rape receive from the wtbts.. at first i thought it was a local problem, elders personal opinions, the way they handled the situations, imperfect men etc., until i checked out jehovahs witnesses and child abuse/domestic abuse online.

  that's when i realized they had the same modus operandi worldwide.

  that led me here, tbuo this forum, and then to crisis of conscience, jw facts, watchtower documents, jw survey, old watchtower literature and cd s, reading a couple of steve hassans books, and more recently exiting the jw cult.. the feelings of shock, betrayal, anger at the wtbts, angry with myself for being so gullible, depression, reflection, loneliness, have taken their toll.

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  paul from cleveland

  noralee, may this be the beginning of a wonderful year for you.
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  91

  Is the Watchtower organisation facing the biggest crisis of its history?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  recent developments make me think they might be.

  the problems they are facing are not just lack of funds but also draining authority, and the two could be a heady and explosive mix.

  one of the best analyses ever written of the watchtower was a book called "trumpet of prophecy" by sociologist james beckford in the 1970s.

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  paul from cleveland

  A decline could easily be explained as Jehovah refining the flock just before Armageddon. This is how we know we're very very close! No matter what happens it can always be spun as proof of the nearness of the Great Tribulation.
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  3

  Is the shunning policy causing a financial crisis?

  by paul from cleveland in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i wonder how many active members would like to leave but are held hostage by the shunning policy?

  it's probably a very large number and growing every day.

  the membership is artificially larger then it would otherwise be.

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  paul from cleveland

  I wonder how many active members would like to leave but are held hostage by the shunning policy? It's probably a very large number and growing every day. The membership is artificially larger then it would otherwise be. That means more Kingdom Halls, more infrastructure, more costs all for people that most likely aren't donating anything. If they just would give people a way to leave and keep their family they could downsize the organization to a financially responsible membership of true believers.
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  41

  If JWs were to change their name what would they change it to?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  was it 1931 when they adopted jehovah's witnesses?

  (at the time with lower case w) isn't it about time now they changed name again?

  i mean everything else is changing why not the name!

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  paul from cleveland

  I don't think they'd change their name but if they did they'd probably change it to Christian.