respectful_observer

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Posts by respectful_observer

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  12

  18 Year Old JW Getting Married To Young JW To Do The Right Thing

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a friend of mine was telling me yesterday that she goes to school with a girl who is a witness and she has confided to her that she feels the need to marry this guy because simply dating isn't right.

  when i explained that they are under pressure because they must not commit fornication, she laughed and said, "oh they do that all right"...it makes me aware of how so many jws are nominally in the religion but do what they want in the end while trying to keep the elders off their back.

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  respectful_observer

  The divorce rate for JWS in the age group 25 and under is just as high as the general population.

  In my area, that age probably extends to the age group under 45 now. It seemed to really start picking up steam in the late 90s with the rapid adoption of the interwebs and only accelerated with the adoption of texting and mobile email.

  It's something of a joke now. A good sized group of us recently were trying to think of anyone recently who was actually a virgin when they got married. More than half were already on their second JW marriage anyway, and those on their first marriage almost all had "sown their wild oats" plenty before their first marriage.
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  53

  Paranoia of today's WT study!

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the wt study for sept 7th just breeds such a spirit of paranoia!.

  using old biblical references just so as to prevent anyone from using critical thinking skills and analysing the "truth".. then using incorrect, leading reasoning to paint any who "think outside of the box" of the org as "apostate".... pure manipulation!.

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  respectful_observer

  I got that feeling a few weeks back, the bro on mics was standing behide me, looking over my shoulder. Not sure what he would have seen, but if he looked hard enough he would have seen that the WT I had open was not the right one, thats because I don't have the current WT and I didn't want to look out of place. Or have someone else give me their WT.

  It depends. Are you a woman? If so, it's a well documented fact that those bros running mics have the best, shall we say, "view" of the sisters as they stand leering leaning over them. I've observed plenty of young brothers peering down at something else besides a sister's WT.
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  27

  jw.org madness

  by Gorbatchov in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  more and more jw.org special campain pictures made by the r&f flush over the internet.. it's crazy how this jw.org madness becomes a phallus inside the witness world.. observing it from some distance, it is clear: jw.org is the central theme of the current witness beliefs.

  every step they make, is for promoting jw.org.

  when they speak, they only speak about jw.org.

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  respectful_observer

  More and more jw.org special campain pictures made by the R&F flush over the internet.

  It's crazy how this jw.org madness becomes a phallus inside the witness world.

  There were no fewer than 5 people at last Sunday's meeting sporting JW.ORG buttons on their clothing, including the chairman. Not sure if this will continue after this month's campaign ends, or become more common as more people jump on the "flair" bandwagon. Who knows, maybe the "direction that may not seem practical from a human standpoint" will be that we all should be wearing these buttons 24/7.

  "Let me ask you a question Sr. Independent Thinker, what do you think of a person who only does the bare minimum? We're concerned that you haven't been following the recommendation of the Faithful Slave to wear your JW.ORG button at all times."

  
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  53

  Sept 1 service meeting mystery revealed

  by Saltheart Foamfollower in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the letter has appeared at last - just for uk.

  it is a money grab for the new bethel which has been approved.

  there is a video to be shown - just watched it - brief summary of uk bethels, why current one is too small, why we need money to build a new one.

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  respectful_observer

  2004 – 360 Furman Street – sold for $205 million

  2006 – 67 Livingston Street – sold for $18.6 million

  2006 – 89 Hicks Street – sold for $14 million

  2007 – 169 Columbia Heights – sold for $50 million

  2011 – 50 Orange Street – sold for $7.1 million

  2012 – 165 Columbia Heights – sold for $4.1 million

  2012 – 161 Columbia Heights – sold for $3 million

  2012 – 183 Columbia Heights – sold for $6.6 million

  2012 – 105 Willow Street – sold for $3.3 million

  2012 – 34 Orange Street – sold for $2.825 million

  2012 – Bossert Hotel – sold for $81 million

  2012 – 67 Remsen Street – sold for $3.25 million

  2013 – 173 Front Street, 177 Front Street & 200 Water Street – sold for $30.6 million

  2013 – 55 Prospect Street, 81 Prospect Street, 117 Adams Street, 77 Sands Street, 90 Sands Street & 175 Pearl Street – sold for $375 million

  TOTAL (so far)

  – $804,375,000

  ...........................................................

  You could just list that on the slip.
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  21

  JDubs and home schooling

  by Ignoranceisbliss in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently i had a conversation with a close witness friend.

  i have always viewed him as moderate.

  not full j-dub nut bag witness style.

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  respectful_observer

  They have a much better chance at keeping their kids in the Borg if they homeschool.

  Maybe it's unique, but almost everyone that I know that was home schooled by their J-dub parents are no longer J-dubs...most followed this pattern:

  Baptized by 13 years old >>> Regular Aux Pioneering from 14-16 (and interviewed at the Circuit Assembly) >>> Started part-time work at 16 >>> inactive/DF'd/pregnant/smoking weed and in a band by 19.

  Some of my peers were recently considering homeschooling their young children. I asked "think about everyone we knew that home schooled. Where are they today?" Needless to say, they decided not to home school.
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  54

  Surprise Surprise. Got a letter from bethel today.,

  by label licker in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals
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  respectful_observer

  When one party secretly tapes a conversation, he or she has an unfair advantage in any after the fact review of that conversation.

  How on God's green earth does a recording of a conversation provide any advantage to one party or the other in an "after-the-fact review"? Most court proceedings these days are recorded. Does that mean that either the prosecution or defense have an advantage over the other? The only person it provides an advantage to is an independent third party who wants to gain an accurate understanding of what was said.

  However, "unfair advantages" in a judicial proceeding might be seen by some as including:

  - not being able to have legal representation or an advocate

  - not having access to, or full knowledge of, the legal/judicial standards and processes used to determine your guilt or innocence.

  It's not like the elders prevent you from having representation or an advocate, or that they restrict you from reading the judicial committee instructions included in the "Shepherd the Flock" book.
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  25

  Watchtower November 2014: Witnesses can't donate blood

  by opusdei1972 in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  let us read a recent watchtower publication:.

  many medical professionals and other advocates of blood transfusion appeal to people to donate blood in hopes of saving lives.

  however, jehovahs holy people acknowledge that the creator has the right to say how blood is to be treated.

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  respectful_observer

  I was surprised…I thought they were trying to quietly pocket this teaching.

  So did I. As I read it, I was thinking it seemed even more strongly worded than usual, and that perhaps they might start backtracking on some of the (currently) "optional" blood derivitives in the future.
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  7

  www.jwcartposters.com - has this site been on this forum?

  by berrygerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  www.jwcartposters.com.

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  respectful_observer

  "We are happy to be in a position to create the signage and posters that can be used in this special and historical public witnessing work."

  "Historical"? Sheesh. He needs a proofreader.
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  12

  Nov 2014 WT, much about nothing, or is it?

  by Quarterback in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the article "why we must be holy" ties in obedience as being holy.

  there is a subheading in this article that states " prove yourselves holy by being obedient".

  par 9 quotes three brothers who had some conflicts, but they went along with the org.

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  respectful_observer

  This is quite the issue of the WT. They double-down on blood transfusions, disfellowshipping, reporting service time, summarize the change in how elders are appointed, etc. It's like they've been monitoring the speculation on this site and decided to shoot down all the speculation in one printing.
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  101

  The Watchtower 11/15/2014

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  http://bayfiles.net/file/1jpu5/qhxxxl/w_e20141115.pdf.

  select "premium download".

  (thanks breakfast of champions).

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  respectful_observer

  In actuality they can NEVER declare that the GT has started. Once they do, they have played their last card. Remember that. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT.

  This is my own opinion, but I think declaring that the GT has started is a great card for them to play. 1.) Whether it has started or not is entirely subjective. 2.) They can claim that only God's people realize it has started (just like only God's people recognized that Jesus had started ruling invisibly in 1914). 3.) The GT has no time table assigned to it, so it can continue for years, decades even, as Satan and this system increase their attacks on God's chosen people.

  The aim is to instill a perpetual fear of the GT and motivate the sheeple to be even more subservient.

  Imagine the perpetual fear many JWs will have once they've convinced themselves they're now living IN the GT. "How can you leave now? We've made it this far! We're in the GREAT TRIBULATION!!!"

  I personally think that they will announce in the next 5-10 years that they've "discerned that we are now living in a state of constant attack by Satan and his earthly representatives. These constant attacks led by false religion's leaders and governments around the world were foretold as a 'Great Tribulation' and will only increase and as we approach the Battle of Armaggedon. We do not know how long this Great Tribulation will last, so how vital it is that we remain close to Jehovah and faithfully obey any direction we receive from his organization." Nothing else will really change, but the GB will use it as one more "turn of the screw" to keep the pressure on and excitement up for a while.