Wow. I feel a little woozy now, having subjected my brain cells to that. I hope they will be ok.
Lemme go have a drink, or three, and then I'll comment on the lowlights.
recently, my mother, who had stopped talking to me because i was 'apostate,' started speaking to me again.. (note that i successfully faded as opposed to ever being disfellowshipped due to dodging every elder question with "i'm not sure, i'm still searching and trying to find the answers.").
the reason why?
at the international convention this year, they receieved a new video called something or other.
Wow. I feel a little woozy now, having subjected my brain cells to that. I hope they will be ok.
Lemme go have a drink, or three, and then I'll comment on the lowlights.
is it based on gullibility, naivete, the ability to suspend all logic and reason in order to hold onto fantasized "realities" of a paradise earth where all humanity will be perfect, where all wars and violence will cease?
is it a personal preponderance to the extreme-- whether it be in judgmentalism, cruelty, rigidity, negativity, and/ or righteousness that lends itself to extreme closemindedness and shortsightedness?.
how do you define it for yourself?
I think the JW mind is influenced and conditioned by fear and greed.
All of the paradise stuff is pure and simple greed. Its all about getting anything and everything that the JW wants, but cannot have right now. Its all hung out there for them in pretty pictures and in their minds' eye. I really think that 95% of them don't really consider the massive slaughter that will have to occur before they get their own personal petting zoo and endless fruit platters. It reaches to one of the most appealing ideas a human can have, that of getting something for nothing.
The fear part is made up of several components, some are very small - keeping the JW in line from day to day. These might be fear of getting caught doing something small by a family or congregation member, and being hauled into the back room. Putting down a small number on their FS report, and being thought of badly by the elders. Buying the wrong type of car for FS and being judged.
Up a notch is the real fear of being kicked out, DFd for a more serious sin. This leads to cover ups, lying, etc.
And then of course the WT uses the big stick, fear of getting killed by Jah at the big A. How horrible if you are killed off while your friends and family make it through.
I think the combination of these fears short-circuit any sort of questioning or reasoning on JW doctrines and behavior within seconds of it entering the mind.
so my sister is in a nursing home with dibilitating disease.
i forwarded her mail to my home when she went in.
otwo: you don't need to know anything about me.
Nice response there OTWO!
That is some serious record keeping there, I can't imagine keeping 25 year old RVs!
as the conventions are in full swing, and my relatives who are still in make a point to tell me what their vacation will include.
i am reminded of a couple of things about conventions i do not normally think about.. one, the people who would protest the conventions.
some with bags on their head, others just holding signs.
I haven't seen protesters since I was a teenager, which is two decades ago. Of course I haven't been to a DC at all in five years.
There was a thread recently with some Pastor in Arizona doing the protesting thing, he pretty much looked like a fool.
But more then anything I would like to be a fly on the wall to see how they are explaining 2014 and this being 100 years since 1914. I know my relatives are having a hard time swallowing that pill and wanting answers and burned out. I also know they will be willing to accept any answer that is given.
As far as this goes, they are simply following the Nazi playbook and owning the lie in a bigtime way. I thought they would be silent about 1914 but they are playing it up like its some big accomplishment, reminding the troops that its been 100 years of Kingdom rule.
When you have captive sheep who can't think outside of their little box, you can pretty much say anything and it will be accepted without question. Hopefully a few are waking up to the bullshit as we speak, and will find their way out in the next year or two.
just wondering to those that have gone to one of the international or rc assemblies what's the attendance been like.
wondering if people are still willing to spend so much money and travel to go to a convention or if more people are just saying no??
?.
Some of the IG pics show around 50k at the New Jersey international, of course there are a ton of JWs in the Northeast so not sure how far many of them have to travel.
I think there is a big one in Texas in the next week or two, would like to know how far some of the JWs are driving to get to that one.
heard from a reliable source that this was part of friday's program.
they even interviewed a "former gay man" who "kicked the gay habit".. evidently kicking the "gay habit" is difficult, not unlike quitting smoking or avoiding sugary snacks.
the persons who related this to me found the whole thing to be laughable at best, but honestly seemed quite disturbed by it (which is good!
Absurd.
Any guidelines for everyone else? You know, the ones struggling with the "hetero habit"?
today, thanks to a brave do and my colleague elkatire 1980, we make make public the manual, guidelines for traveling overseers (tga-s), of which existence many suspected, but even in english, it wasnt available.. from its very title page, this book indicates in bold letters:.
it should not be shown to others, nor should any portion of it be reproduced.
note: for now, this book is only available in spanish, but we are working in translating a brief summary in english, hoping that someone from the english congregations makes it available to you soon.. http://hildeydesa.blogspot.com/2014/06/pautas-para-los-superintendentes.html.
wow!
Wish I knew Spanish.
Can't wait for the translation.
way back in 20's or 30's, (someone correct me if i have the time frame wrong), the wt's strategy for witnessing was to give each publisher (or have them buy one) a phonograph to set on the householder's steps so they could play one of the judge's speeches.. flash forward and there was a testimony card that publishers handed to the householder, introducing them.. this gave way to the current model of the publisher being informed and able to discuss a subject with the householder.. .
that seems to be giving way to the new approach being used by the wt: the website.. the wt realizes that slick content is more impressive that a publisher talking, one who can't or won't keep up with the insane doctrinal changes.. publishing books and magazines is taking the back seat; the wt and awake have less than half the content they used to, and are published half as often.. the wt's trolley cart method involves not getting into discussions with people, but using an ipad to play them a video.. .
the past is the future!.
I still have a hard time with the concept of someone opening the door, the JW saying "I have a video for you to watch" and the householder being cool with that. I'd feel like an absolute dope if I was the JW doing that sort of presentation. I guess I felt like a dope peddling WT and Awakes as well.
How in the world is this going to fly?
heard from a reliable source that this was part of friday's program.
they even interviewed a "former gay man" who "kicked the gay habit".. evidently kicking the "gay habit" is difficult, not unlike quitting smoking or avoiding sugary snacks.
the persons who related this to me found the whole thing to be laughable at best, but honestly seemed quite disturbed by it (which is good!
The 'gay habit'? Wow, that is some way to phrase it.
Hopefully someone got that on tape and will have it on Youtube shortly.
i was listening to a circuit overseer's talk and he mentioned about how a sister wanted to simplify.
she had a couple of dogs.
then he related that she said that all she had to do was get rid of the dogs.
Pay taxes on their self-employment.
Oh wait, they already do that.