JW_Rogue

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Posts by JW_Rogue

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  49

  What are the costs of literature cart witnessing?

  by oppostate in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in the article on the guardian ( http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/14/jehovahs-witnesses-evangelism-church-god-armageddon ) mentioned in another thread, there's this quote of mark omalley, who is assigned to the public information desk at the jehovahs witness uk centre in north london.

  we now have more than 165,000 [literature] carts on the streets in over 50 countries.

  it gives us visibility and availability.

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  JW_Rogue

  The literature cart signage is not handled by the org but by third party printing companies at least that's how it is in the US. For special campaigns like the memorial and conventions it is pretty much required that the signage be changed. Changing the signage for each new WT and Awake though is probably a congregation decision. I know some congregations are just leaving the "What does the bible really teach?" signage up most of the time. As I brought out in another thread these printing companies are run by JWs who are highly invested in the org.
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  21

  JWs With A Financial Interest In The Org

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  through personal experiences which i'd rather not relate because it would give away my identity i have come to a realization.

  many brothers own businesses that a greatly supported by witness activities.

  when local congregations need some service they will prefer to do business with a jw.

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  JW_Rogue

  This is an example I found pretty quickly on from an "about me" page: JW Imprints provides Jehovah's Witness public witnessing signage & imprints of convention invitations, memorial invitations & handbills. The company owners are active Jehovah's Witnesses in their local congregations. We are independently owned and operated and NOT A PART OF The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, Inc. or Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc..
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  21

  JWs With A Financial Interest In The Org

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  through personal experiences which i'd rather not relate because it would give away my identity i have come to a realization.

  many brothers own businesses that a greatly supported by witness activities.

  when local congregations need some service they will prefer to do business with a jw.

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  JW_Rogue

  Through personal experiences which I'd rather not relate because it would give away my identity I have come to a realization. Many brothers own businesses that a greatly supported by witness activities. When local congregations need some service they will prefer to do business with a JW. Some large printing companies regularly do business with the JWs and basically have standing orders for things like memorial invitations, convention invitations and cart sign printing. Contractors who do RBC work can also benefit as they will no doubt be recommended for projects when a brother or sister has a need. The WT says that Kingdom Halls aren't a place to conduct business but that is just an outward display in reality JW activities often support small businesses operated by JWs. Most witnesses if they find out about this don't see anything wrong with it. They reason that supporting their brothers is better than supporting a "worldly company" but they don't see how financial ties could motivate decisions made by the org and local elders. Eventually all the money comes from local brothers and sisters.
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  6

  Why Child Baptisms Are Invalid Using WT Logic

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i was baptized as a child i remember quite well that there were six steps that one must take before getting baptized.

  i recently looked up some articles on this subject on jw.org and the latest article says there are 9 steps.

  they now include field service and going to the meetings as steps.

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  JW_Rogue

  I think 18 is a good minimum age maybe even 21 if they truly believe it's the truth their mind won't be changed by a few years. I've never known anyone 7 years old being baptized but have seen a 9 year old and I don't think they really understand what is going on. I was a preteen and I didn't get it. lol
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  6

  Why Child Baptisms Are Invalid Using WT Logic

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i was baptized as a child i remember quite well that there were six steps that one must take before getting baptized.

  i recently looked up some articles on this subject on jw.org and the latest article says there are 9 steps.

  they now include field service and going to the meetings as steps.

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  JW_Rogue

  If it is the most important, getting married is most likely a close second, if a kid isn't old enough to contemplate marriage seriously, how can they be ready for baptism?

  No, you've got it all wrong getting Married is no big deal but getting a driver's license is a very important decision.
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  6

  Why Child Baptisms Are Invalid Using WT Logic

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when i was baptized as a child i remember quite well that there were six steps that one must take before getting baptized.

  i recently looked up some articles on this subject on jw.org and the latest article says there are 9 steps.

  they now include field service and going to the meetings as steps.

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  JW_Rogue

  When I was baptized as a child I remember quite well that there were six steps that one must take before getting baptized. I recently looked up some articles on this subject on jw.org and the latest article says there are 9 steps. They now include field service and going to the meetings as steps. Which is odd the biblical account of the Ethiopian eunuch never mentions that he did any of those things before his baptism. That is a side point I found interesting.

  The real point is that many of these steps cannot reasonably be made by a child.

  1. Come To Accurate Knowledge Of The Truth. While a child can easily learn the answers to many questions in a rote fashion this is not accurate knowledge. Before baptism all candidates are asked the same questions from the Organized book. It fairly easy to memorize answers to questions that you receive in advance. True accurate knowledge would require not only reading the entire bible but understanding the historical context of each book. Outside research would need to be utilized to verify facts and analyze doctrinal conclusions. Most children aren't capable of this. I would venture to guess that most children who are baptized have not even read the entire bible on their own.
  2. Repent From Their Former Sinful Course. This one is pretty obvious, they are kids, they don't have a previous sinful course. I can imagine it now "God I'm truly sorry that I stole that toy from my brother". Get real, children have no significant sins for which to repent and turn around.
  3. Make A Dedication To God In Prayer. Can a child make a dedication to God in prayer? Sure, but will he understand what such a dedication truly means. I doubt it very highly. Will a child understand that even though his prayer is a dedication to God that his baptism is something else entirely?
  4. Baptism. Does a child understand the life long implications of being baptized, "In the name of the father, the son and God's spirit directed organization"? Children have not fully developed and can't understand how their feelings may change over time. In many instances the reality of how certain things work in the organization are unclear to them. If they have not passed puberty it will be hard for them to understand the impact getting baptized will have on future relationships and courting. Their thinking is often clouded by desire to please their family and be a good child.

  For these reasons I believe child baptisms made before the age of maturity (whatever that is for each country) are invalid and it is cruel to hold someone hostage to a choice made so early and often for the wrong reasons.
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  34

  Do you ever feel strangely drawn towards Conspiracy Theories?

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after mentally awakening to the idea that jws don't have the truth i strangely found myself delving into all encompassing conspiracy theories.

  not that i believed them but something about them seemed quite fascinating.

  i was especially drawn to the idea of a new world order/one world government.

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  JW_Rogue

  I was reading an older WT the other day and it said "the doctrine of evolution" I thought that was funny. Science doesn't have doctrines and people aren't forced to believe anything without proving it to themselves first. Why such hate and disdain for science?
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  9

  Pre assembly video clip

  by InquiryMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the music is somewhat different than in traditional jw-video clips.. https://sammankomst.org/#/video/tirsdag.mp4/forberedelser%20-%20tisdag.

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  JW_Rogue

  Looked like the beginning of a lot of concert DVDs...like U2 was going to show up. Nope just another boring convention.
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  10

  Waiting For The "Real Life"...

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  how many times did we have to hear this?

  just another way to make you feel guilty for wanting to spend time improving yourself or enjoying life outside the organization.

  to think of all the people that died waiting for the "real life" that is not coming is actually very sad and depressing.

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  JW_Rogue

  Well the media is pretty intense, but being in a cult, wow, the assault on your cognitive ability is relentless.

  I would always wonder "Why do we need so many books?" now I get it. I was never one for reading all of them though I figured if it was important we would study it eventually. LOL

  If the believers wanted the normal things bad enough they would pursue them. That's the sad truth also. It is easier and less painful to stay.

  Maybe it's also a fear of failure to avoid taking any real risks in life. Let's face it the definition of success in the org is pretty easy just show up and do what you're told.
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  10

  Waiting For The "Real Life"...

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  how many times did we have to hear this?

  just another way to make you feel guilty for wanting to spend time improving yourself or enjoying life outside the organization.

  to think of all the people that died waiting for the "real life" that is not coming is actually very sad and depressing.

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  JW_Rogue

  How many times did we have to hear this? Just another way to make you feel guilty for wanting to spend time improving yourself or enjoying life outside the organization. To think of all the people that died waiting for the "Real Life" that is not coming is actually very sad and depressing. In our hall we had a part once were people were asked what they would like to do in paradise. Surprisingly, most people just wanted to do normal things that they could do right now! Learn to play an instrument, study nature, travel the world etc. It was unbelievable and the conductor just said "Yes, we'll be able to do all those things in the new order".