some fascinating results in the latest pew research.
(how did i miss this before?
) including that jws rely on their religion the most of any group to tell right from wrong and rely on common sense the least.
great find, thanks for sharing.
The demographic stats really highlights why the organization is both needing money, and is getting older.
This is really an old woman's club religion now.
Income growth is really shrinking as well. Large immigrant shift as well. Wow
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?.
I was a convert.
She found me finishing university, and well Girls can make you do anything. She still can.
I still finished university, but non-science degrees.
I'm going to sound like Steve H, but I had just broken up with a long-time G.F. and sure enough this pretty blonde enters my world, but I have to convert to date. Rest is history.
i would consider some of the elders in my hall genuine shepherds ( though g men) there are a couple others i would consider robotic/wooden (boring) but ok. then of course there is the complete knob (pharisee wannabe) who grinds my wife and i's gears.
every hall seems to have one!!!
so how do/did you view the elders in your hall?
I always said to my wife that when I was appointed in my early thirties that its weird knowing I'm the smartest guy in the room, so while some were genuine most were in my opinion dumber than a bag of hammers.
To me there is only two types. Control freaks, and then followers.
Shepherds never last, they can't take the power struggle. They are also likely to be too compassionate with the flock and thus will step down when the figure out how it really is.
But there is also always one old grumpy ahole that has an axe to grind with everyone. Control freak ones also appear to be the biggest hypocrites as well. (Aka - sister needs to get her hours up, but I can't because....)
Most are the biggest pussies as well. (Can't think of any other way to say it, sorry :))
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_h68ktwpim&feature=youtu.be.
It may sound weird, but my days in the banking world would tell me that they likely had a cash call at some point early this year. What that may be is pure speculation, from as jwfacts said legal cash reserves, to the rumors of the Ponzi schemes having a cash call is immense. Either way what we do know is that:
1) In May - they said they needed funds to build KH's.
2) Herd now says they will build if the funds are contributed by the friends. - At least I interpret this to mean that if you want a hall now you need to pony up.
That tells us that either the contributions did not come in (which would be at odds with the July? broadcast), or that the money that came in earlier was spent on something. I clearly remember on the D&B that they had financing that was Secured (meaning debt to assets), but that was only 1 of like 13 affiliated companies. (I still wonder why they have a branch in San Dimas, CA? - like Bill & Ted's but that is a side note).
Overall, it appears that all money taken is earmarked, and that money is an issue. So many pieces of the puzzle are missing here. Even if one was building a war chest, the reactions are showing desperation on the epic corporate levels.
Maybe Cedars article on the money was closer than I thought. I guess I was wrong on that.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=plrw9u-n1z2m8peenfmbdxmvbdkum0ce1n.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uppgsfl6o5k.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9j8ivkmkvk.
thanks for the 04:05 link wifi - that is an amazing moment of admission.
I'm just trying to figure out what it means that KH's will still be renovated or built based on what people can contribute? I thought the sheep already were told in May to contribute to the KH's. So at least we have vindication and proof of the drastic steps they are going to.
I'm dying for some financial statements, particularly a cash flow statement these days.
hi.i've been pouring over this site for the past few days looking for some advice and i hope there is someone here that can help a guy out.
i'm desperate.....short bio: i came into the organization after high school and shortly after married a wonderful girl who was born-in.we have been happily married now for nearly 20 years and things were well until 2015 hit.
by the way, i currently serve as an elder and have the ""privilege"" of being the "watchtower overseer".. either here nor there, we were told we would never have children but late last year my wife became prego!!
Darkknight,
I'm sorry for your losses, and can empathize with you and your wife. There is a large army of sisters and brothers that have lived with the loss of child through miscarriage. Its one of those terrible things that for some reason the expectation is for you and your wife to suffer in silence. When my sister lost her second, I berated the elder body for being so clueless and uncaring especially when her hours slipped. It was one of many things that woke me up.
As you are the watchtower conductor it will likely be very difficult for you to step down as they view you as the best teacher, per the instructions in ks10 and the last CO visits. But you can do it. I was only the TMS conductor so it was a little easier this year to step down from it. I just told them it was too stressful and I needed some time away from the position. They won't complain too much if you say its just too much for a bit. Just remember its a private family matter that my wife and I need to work on.
I too had a bit of a crisis of conscience, when the WT asked me to bend the rules I could feel my grandfather roll over in his grave and I knew I had to get out. It took two years to slowly wake up my wife's mind to critical thinking, and its a step many profess that works. I did not want to loose those 20 years together (we must have gotten married the same year). Once her mind was awake to thinking for itself at all worked out.
For your sake, do the research you need to do at this stage. I'm not sure your ready yourself to take that next step of spirituality that many are not willing to take. jwfacts.com helped me reason with myself and understand the true history of watchtower. For me that was a first step. But take some advice from others as well about getting away and chilling. Good luck.
just got a peak at the 2016 calendar and i cannot tell you how much it bothered me.
it's all about constructing new kh and assembly halls, which is completely ironic given that the construction stopped almost worldwide.obviously this is proof that the borg is shifting from a magazine publisher to a real estate conglomerate, no wonder they're getting rid of 12 issues of magazines all together.. now, while the pdf of this is not up on the site yet, i will post confirmation as soon as it becomes available.
weather that is by legitimate means or other wise..
Not that too many would notice, but it's interesting that the number of KH's built in each 2 year period is shrinking fast....
2001-2002 - 4607
2004-2003 - 4520
2006-2005 - 4447
2008-2007 - 4151
2010-2009 - 4170 (only increase and its 19 halls)
2012-2011 - 3275
2014-2013 - 2905
Still from afar it appears that they are trying for a 280 people per KH per memorial numbers. I'm missing something in the numbers, but I just can't put my finger on it.
Such a surprise to see that they would actually publish that they have been asking for more $$ for KH's in past years, but have been making less. How odd.
what if by inheritance, winning the lottery or any other way, you suddenly got your hands on $150m after tax.
you maybe would spend a third of this giving your extended family financial security for life.
you maybe would buy a boat and a few investment properties.
Superbowl commercial - I like that idea about a pedo at the door. Only 8 million (two 30 second ads).
Hire a nation state to hack them beyond belief to get all the data out. Probably only a 2 million charge.
then let the chips fall.
how many of us were woken up by some apostate yelling false prophets at a convention?.
how many of us were woken up by someone holding a sign and yelling, what happened to 1975.
how many of us were coerced to investigate the wt because some ex-jw pulled up a bunch of old watchtowers magazines and told us to read the false predictions?.
Funny for me, it was simple, I had lines that could not be crossed, that one being of supporting victims and justice for them. The other was money, they could never mislead anyone with money, if they did I couldn't be part of it.
I read the letters to elders and lived with the first line, but I showed my wife and said that if it happens to me I'm crossing the line. I told her about the money line and said I'd cross it again.
Then the "forgive the loans" crock of lies letter came and I really let them cross that line waiting to fix it. Then I saw for the third time how they treated victims of pedo's and that was a line I could not live with being crossed.
In many ways though the first time the line was crossed, I opened myself up to the internet as I could not believe I was the only one with a problem on the money. Then the world was opened up to viewing apostate information, but to me I've personally never been scared of apostate information, as I believe light can shine through any darkness. Funny when you realize your in the dark though.
all states in the us mandate health care workers and teachers to report suspected child abuse to law enforcement.
this year our commonwealth expanded the law to include clergy, and to include a mandatory two hour training on what to look for and how to report, required for all mandatory reporters.. my coworker at the hospital said she and her husband did the training together, because her husband volunteers in the sunday school at the church, they required him to take it too.
i asked several witnesses when this law came into effect if all the elders and ms are going to be taking the training and everyone looked at me like i was an alien and they had no idea what the heck i was talking about.
To me this is the biggest secret that they hold over every single elder in the world. First and foremost, the watchtower expects:
1) To follow the letters.
2) To not ask liability questions.
Why liability?
Say for an elder they say that its "confidential talk" - as so they view that information is privileged, so that even countries that have mandatory reporting laws, usually get some clergy exemption. So if your an elder ask yourself, am I exempt? - My own personal lawyer asked me one question, and I was floored, the question was so where is your proof that you are even a member of the clergy? - My reply was that I don't have it and that I did know that brothers who marry have to request it. Without proof, I'm personally liable, and ignorance is not a defense in the eyes of the law. Now, I'm 100% positive, that if the court ever requested such document one would magically appear.
So even most elders have no proof they are a member of clergy, and as such could (and in my opinion) and should be held accountable for not following the laws as they can not prove they even have any clergy privilege.
Either way - this information is really hid from all publishers - think about it, when your baptized, your all baptized as ordained ministers of Jehovah's Witnesses, at least they tell you that, but offer dick all proof that you are.
I'm amazed that I have never even heard of any cases trying to highlight this blatant side stepping of the law.
Its one of the many reasons I disappeared, just like my lawyer said, they will take your $ before suing the WT. Low and behold we have letters warning elders to shut up so they don't get personally sued.
So mandatory reporting is useless, when a society side steps the law.
(I just wonder if the WT spy's will recognize this loophole as I asked them about it directly and was told "its a theocratic organization." - theocratic my ass)
