Posts by Alfred

64

JW nephew graduation party cancelled... your insight is requested

by Alfred in

jw
friends

i have a jw nephew in another state who was at very the top of his high school senior class this year.

because of this, my sister (an elder's wife) had planned and sent out invitations to his "graduation party" which would be held at a community center with all the bells and whistles.

i actually bought plane tickets for my wife and i to attend this party immediately after receiving the invitation in the mail.

Alfred

Unbelievable update... I don't even know where to be begin, so I'll just cut to the chase...

My nephew has left his home last night and has moved into an apartment!!! He has also decided to stop attendingmeetings for good!!! I got a text from my non-JW sister (his aunt that he confides in) so I immediately called him to offer my support... he said he was fine for now and that he just needed some time alone to clear his head. His main reason for leaving: "I just got tired of having to be spiritual all the time."

Before we ended the call he said that he believes this religion is for people who have problems in their lives and need some kind of support system. Other than that, he really has no use for it since there are way too many rules and things you can't do. This kid is smart.

I guess I really shouldn't be surprized about any of this considering what he went through recently, yet I'm still trying to understand how an extremely spiritual, hard-core JW kid (son of a well-respected elder) would leave the borg cold-turkey the way he did... if anything, they usually just fade... but he went out in style IMO.

Anyway, I thought I'd share... can't wait to talk to my nephew some more (when he's done clearing his head)...

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!

Alfred

14

Cigars And Jehovahs Witnesses

by Bangalore in

jw
friends

cigars and jehovah's witnesses.. http://drschiffman.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/cigars-and-jehovahs-witnesses/.

bangalore.

.

Alfred

Entirely Possible... I also enjoy Romeo & Juliettas .... have you had Monte Cristos or Padrons?

14

Cigars And Jehovahs Witnesses

by Bangalore in

jw
friends

cigars and jehovah's witnesses.. http://drschiffman.wordpress.com/2011/12/23/cigars-and-jehovahs-witnesses/.

bangalore.

.

Alfred

I try to eat right, excercise and take care of myself as much as possible... But I do enjoy a good cigar once a week in my back yard... The Nicaraguan "Padron" is the best in my opinion...

(Lurkers... Don't you find it odd that JW's who smoke occasionally are disfellowshipped while hundreds of thousands of JWs who are slowly killing themselves with extremely unhealthy food and sedentary lifestyles remain in good standing?... just saying)

158

Circuit Accounts Servants Confesses how the SCAM WORKS!!

by JT in

jw
friends

yes, i too have wondered how an assembly that is held in a fully paid for assembly hall, with no food service, could possibly have $10,000 in expenses.

i suppose the bethel speakers have transportation expenses - maybe $1000 or so.

as for rent on the assembly hall, well you have already paid for it once, why pay again?

Alfred

Designs... care to share the nasty reply from the CO?

61

Zone talk by David Splane - Four figurative giants - Education etc

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

found this interesting talk on e-watchman's site.

it was given by david splane, a gb member.. the talk is really interesting as it gives a more focused look at the troubles the society is facing as it trys to cope with education, peer pressure etc.. .

http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=454.

Alfred

"This is not the work of man. This is the work of Jehovah". -David Splane (in 2010 WT DVD "Faith In Action")

123

JW FAMOUS CLICHE SAYINGS

by strymeckirules in

what saying made it all around the country?.

the ones that were passed around, word of mouth.. for example.

"donations basis proves jehovah is behind the work!".

Alfred

Running ahead of the Faithful and Discreet Slave Filthful & Diseased Slime is the same as running ahead of Jehovah...

1

Two men in need of blood fractions...

by Alfred in

hypothetical situation.... you're the doctor in charge of the icu when two ambulances arrive (at the same time), each one with a patient requiring the same amount of "x blood fraction" for the same reasons (including high risk of death)... one of the patients is a well-known blood donor and the other is a jw who is willing to accept the "x blood fraction".... however, you barely have enough "x blood fraction" for one of the patients (not both)... who do you give it to?.

.

Alfred

Hypothetical situation...

You're the doctor in charge of the ICU when two ambulances arrive (at the same time), each one with a patient requiring the same amount of "x blood fraction" for the same reasons (including high risk of death)... one of the patients is a well-known blood donor and the other is a JW who is willing to accept the "x blood fraction"...

However, you barely have enough "x blood fraction" for one of the patients (NOT both)... who do you give it to?

4

Latest WT video on Blood!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

if you should have the latest video on "blood" by the watchtower, please get in contact with randy because he needs a copy.. thanks!.

atlantis.

Alfred

don't have it, but will call my insider and order one...

does anyone know what changes were made and what "spin" they put on it?

220

2011 Watchtower publisher statistics with analysis

by jwfacts in

the 2012 yearbook has released the publisher statistics for the 2011 service year.

a scan of the report can be found at http://www.jwfacts.com/images/2011-publisher-report.pdf and i have started updating the graphs at http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php.

as expected, it is following on from similar trends to the last 15 years.

Alfred

I don't pretend to be a statistician, but according to these numbers, it takes an average of 6,488 hours of field service just to get 1 baptism... (actually, that number is probably well over 10,000 hours per baptism if you discount all the born-ins and family members that succumbed to peer pressure)...

19

An elder dropped by 2 weeks ago with the two 607 rags (OCT & NOV WT)...

by Alfred in

...and a big smile on his face... as if to say "i can finally shut you up".... rewinding a bit.... about 18 months ago, i read "gentile times reconsidered" and discovered this doctrine had more holes than swiss cheese.

but it didn't end there, i read several studies in the scriptures, the even tide by john aquila brown (not all of it) and then proceeded to write multiple letters to brooklyn, all of which were responded to by dodging simple questions such as: "if the 70 years ended in 537 and jeremiah says there would be 70 years of servitude, which babyonian king were the jews serving between 539 and 537?".

i showed all three of the society's responses to an elder in my congo (even though he received copies of these himself) and he could see that they were "canned" responses that in no way anwered my queries.

Alfred

...and a big smile on his face... as if to say "I can finally shut you up"...

rewinding a bit.... about 18 months ago, I read "Gentile Times Reconsidered" and discovered this doctrine had more holes than swiss cheese. But it didn't end there, I read several Studies in the Scriptures, The Even Tide by John Aquila Brown (not all of it) and then proceeded to write multiple letters to Brooklyn, all of which were responded to by dodging simple questions such as: "If the 70 years ended in 537 and Jeremiah says there would be 70 years of servitude, which Babyonian king were the jews serving between 539 and 537?"

I showed all three of the Society's responses to an elder in my congo (even though he received copies of these himself) and he could see that they were "canned" responses that in no way anwered my queries. But he shrugged it off as "the Society never claimed to have perfect men in the Service Dept".... wtf???

I'll spare you the back and forth that went on between myself and this elder about this subject (and others) but there was a period of 9 months where we had no communication between us whatsoever... then he shows up unannounced with these two rags (the OCT & NOV WT) and tells me (with a big grin): " Look Alfred, the Society has finally answered your questions" (handing the rags over to me)...

My response: Thanks Brother Yes-Man, but I've already read these two magaziines and I have even downloaded Stellarium, wrote emails to John Steele and studied this subject inside out. I have concluded that both articles are complete misrepresentations of the tablets mentioned, the work of the scholars cited and the Bible itself.

He then says: "Not the Bible, Alfred. Don't go that far"... I responded Brother Yes-man, what does Jer 25:11 say? (no response) It says that these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon 70 years, both articles conveniently leave out this important fact because the Society knows that Belshezzar and Nabonidus were killed in 539... That would mean that the Society is indirectly saying that the 70 year period is really just 68 years long...

His response: Alfred, you're probably right about all of this but I think you're paying way too much attention to details. In the past, Jehovah's servants were not necessarily educated so why would you expect them to be educated enough to know all these details?"

(A big internal WTF ???)

I give up...

(sorry for any errors... I'm writing really fast as I promised my wife I would cut back on my internet time... gotta run)