JeffT

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Posts by JeffT

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  25

  Converts

  by Alive! in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've noticed there seems to be a higher percentage of born-ins here....who are the converted jws?.

  does anyone care to share how they got converted?.

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  JeffT

  During a very bad spot in my life, I starting talking religion with a friend who was a JW. Informal witnessing led to a study which led to baptism. This was all during the run up to 1975. I was disillusioned a few years later, and out a few years after that.
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  211

  Where are you from?

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know we are all anonymous for our own personal reasons, so i understand if you would rather not say.

  but if you don't mind sharing that would be cool.

  i currently live in georgia, usa.

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  JeffT

  Suburb of Seattle. When I was JW I was in Pullman, Spokane and Bellevue. I've been out since 1989, I don't care who knows.
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  3

  Who do you think President Obama will pardon at the end of his presidency? Mumia Abu-Jamal?

  by adjusted knowledge in

  1. social
  2. current

  i've found it interesting watching the end of a us presidency to see who the president will pardon.

  it seems to be a tradition of out going presidents and governors.

  i wonder if obama will pardon mumia abu-jamal?

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  JeffT

  He could pardon Hilary Clinton for whatever might have gone on with her server, foreign donations to her foundation, or anything else somebody might think of. She could start her presidency with a clean slate, so to speak.

  He should pardon everybody connected with "Fifty Shades of Grey" with the provision that they no longer write or make movies.
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  80

  ANNOUNCEMENT CLIP ...2015 Annual meeting Sam Herd confirming what we knew a month ago about slow down and halt of worldwide construction

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_h68ktwpim&feature=youtu.be.

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  JeffT

  I've heard this speech a bunch of times at private employers, usually at the beginning of a new year. Last year's speech was all about how the company is growing, the product line is selling beyond anybody's predictions, we're all going to get raises and bonuses etc. The short version of this year's speech is "What we told you last year (or last week) was bullshit."

  This doesn't mean they're broke, it does mean they don't have the cash to do what they thought they were going to do. Based on my time working in real estate development I estimate the Warwick project will cost them three hundred to five hundred million dollars, if everything goes well. Anybody that's done development knows that's a gigantic "IF." I can count on the fingers of one hand the projects that came in on time and on budget.

  What we don't know is what is causing the cash sort-fall. My guess (again based on experience in the area) is that somebody had their rose colored glasses on when they estimated the cost of Warwick and now they're trying to cover their costs. This has the potential to suck up a gigantic pile of money.

  I doubt it's lawsuits, those will be a pain, but I don't think they can cost enough to raise this kind of problem.

  One thing we don't know is what they netted from the sale of NYC property. They may have had liens, or they may have financed the sales themselves - not a bad plan as it insures a steady stream of cash, and if the buyer goes under they foreclose the property and sell it to somebody else. If Warwick is going way over budget, the planned income stream may not be enough. Or perhaps something is holding up a sale. We don't know.

  That's my .02 on this.
  
  
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  80

  ANNOUNCEMENT CLIP ...2015 Annual meeting Sam Herd confirming what we knew a month ago about slow down and halt of worldwide construction

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_h68ktwpim&feature=youtu.be.

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  JeffT

  Defianttruth: good for you, unfortunately too many bosses can't summon the guts to do that.

  The lack of transparency at the WTBS makes it impossible to know what's going on. Given the value of their real estate, I can't believe that lawsuits can create losses big enough to really hurt them. But I think something is brewing, I'm just not sure what.
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  49

  Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

  through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

  fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

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  JeffT

  Richard Rawe was a great speaker and a tireless agent for publicizing wrongful actions by Watchtower leaders. He gave interviews all over the place, making news organizations aware of corruption among the elders and higher up. I met him at an XJW support group in the late eighties. I admired his courage and pursuit of what he thought to be right. I didn't always agree with him on what that might be, and he was OK with that. He saw himself as a freedom fighter.
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  49

  Dissenters in Watchtower History: Differing Departures

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm reading an excellent book about defectors from the mormon church called differing visions: dissenters in mormon history.

  through a collection of essays from many academic authors it looks at the life stories of dissenters and reasons for departure, as well as analysing the impact of their dissent on the church itself.

  fascinating stuff and makes me wish there was a similar volume looking at the key dissenters from jws/watchtower and the impact they had.

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  JeffT

  Rick Fearon will no doubt dispute what you said about Cedars.

  I think you left off a really important one: thousands, at minimum, more likely millions of plain old R&F JW's you more or less quietly left and are now living free and productive lives without the Watchtower telling them what to do. Granted the ones you name provide valuable information and support, but the empty seats at Kingdom Halls and Conventions deliver a loud message to those who remain.
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  11

  One of the biggest complete 180 contradictions in the SAME ARTICLE, in the 9/15 study wt "Is your conscience a reliable guide?".

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you actually turn your brain on and process what is being said, this article keeps contradicting itself.

  "jehovah god created humans with free will, that is, the liberty to choose between one option and another.neither a branch office nor the local congregation elders are authorized to make health-care decisions for a witness.

  a christian needs to remember the biblical command to keep abstaining from .

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  JeffT

  OK, here is a real summary:

  God gave you free will and wants you to use it to decide to do everything we tell you to do.
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  26

  need input: why does my wife do this. when at the meeting she is always nodding her head in agreement

  by goingthruthemotions in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so this is just so nauseating to me when she noddes her head in agreement and in a low voice or sound does a "mmm uh" in agrrement.

  but here is the deal, she never aswers at the meetings.

  she doesn't go out in service often.

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  JeffT

  Ask her.

  We can all speculate until the cows come home without finding out the answer. Try to find a way to do it that doesn't get into the whole TATT argument. Just find out why she does it in a non-confrontational way.
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  30

  Construction Halts & other cutbacks - Here's what I think happened

  by Listener in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to get to the point straight away i think the crane accident that occurred at warwick was a significant catalyst that has caused the org.

  to change its plans suddenly.. list of assumptions, not all of them are validated.

  - there was a serious crane accident that occurred at warwick approx.

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  JeffT

  Listener: very interesting thoughts, and consistent with what I've seen over the years working in investment real estate. The number of projects that end up late and over budget vastly outweigh the ones that come in on time and budget. In my opinion, using cheap labor costs more in the long run. I can't imagine what using volunteer labor does to a major project.

  I agree, their problems may be temporary cash flow, although its hard to know since there is no transparency. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out.

  PS, nothing brings out government and financial inspectors like a job-site accident. This no doubt compounded the problem.