pontoon

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Posts by pontoon

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  30

  BOE Letter: We want to suck three hours out of your life

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  to all congregations in the united states branch territory re: branch visit in november 2014 .

  dear brothers: .

  on february 11, 2014, the bethel family was excited to learn that a branch visit is sched- uled for the united states.

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  pontoon

  Just another big $$$$$$$$$$$$$ maker.
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  33

  Special Assembly Day - tepid applause

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just got back from a recent sad.. after most talks, the applause was, at most, tepid.. it was striking in its tepidity, if that is possible (and if that is a word).. affter most talks, applause lasted literally no more than 5 seconds.

  its volume was scarcely above a whisper.. it wasn't acoustics - the bethel speaker was technically a polished speaker (although presenting the same old boring info), and his talks generated noticeably louder applause.

  but even still - that applause was maybe 10 seconds, and about normal-conversation level.. but local speakers - the applause was not much more loud than the hum coming from your refrigerator.. there were 1300+ people there.. it was just so weird - my previous large-group experience was at the agm, where people were nearly apoplectic & drooling with delight over their new "silver bibles" (which very few have read, i'd wager).. these guys were just "zombified".. speaking of bibles - bethel dude called it a "platinum bible".

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  pontoon

  Outlaw, funny but more true than funny. If they put a guy on the stage with a applause sign to hold up at predetermined times no doubt the audience would take the que and talk about what a great idea and improvement it is by unifying the friends in their show of appreciation for the fine banquet of spiiritual food.
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  40

  Memorial compulsory for "respectful observers" ?

  by sparrowdown in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  maybe i am ignorant but why why why pray tell.

  if i am not jewish and not of the 144k why is it necessary (compulsory even) for me to attend the memorial ?.

  what is the scriptural precedent?.

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  pontoon

  Ask a JW why Jesus had only his apostles with him so if JW's are following Jesus's example why do they invite everyone. See how they spin that.
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  25

  Don't let your job interfere with your meeting attendance

  by Quarterback in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently, a public speaker brought up this point that i remembered being preached in the 70's.

  when they bring this matter up, they always manage to give you an experience of how one person stood his ground, and got a great job offer, as a result.. what about the many experiences of ones that were not blessed?

  i can memtion horror stories of ones that should have kept working their meetings..

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  pontoon

  These experiences are always given with the suggestion that the wonderful outcome is a divine blessing for the person making a spritual stand. The friends all shake their heads in agreement as if it were so. It's beyond irresponsible that they should suggest that a bread winner should leave a job to attend an assembly, pioneer......or anything else. The worst thing is they do it all the time with absolute impunity.
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  17

  Meeting Not Cancelled but Postponed

  by wisdomfrombelow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there's a big snowstorm on the east coast and i found out that the school and service meeting was not cancelled but postponed to tomorrow.

  why do they think it's so important to have it so they ruin another evening after shoveling snow?

  just venting.....

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  pontoon

  They started postponing meetings in my KH for snowstorms years ago. It didn't go over well. On the make up night not even half the congo would show up. About 1/4 to 1/3 of our hall were bethelites from Wat farm, only 3 or 4 of them would show. After a couple storms the whole idea of make up meetings just faded away. No idea how they handle it now.
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  36

  Free Will - What a Joke !

  by cookiemaster in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  everytime i hear jw's talking about free will, i either feel the urge to burst in laughter or feel sick.

  each publication keeps talking about how wonderful jokehova is for giving us free will.

  the only small thing is that he'll kill you if you don't do exactly what he says.

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  pontoon

  But at the same time it's the borg and watchtower telling us we have free will despite the imposed penalities for not towing the company line
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  36

  Free Will - What a Joke !

  by cookiemaster in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  everytime i hear jw's talking about free will, i either feel the urge to burst in laughter or feel sick.

  each publication keeps talking about how wonderful jokehova is for giving us free will.

  the only small thing is that he'll kill you if you don't do exactly what he says.

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  pontoon

  Hortenzie, I don't believe this thread is about obvious consequences from free will decisions we make, like if we jump off the roof we are going to die. It's about having consequenses imposed on us from others (the borg, God, elders) that ought to mind there own business.
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  36

  Free Will - What a Joke !

  by cookiemaster in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  everytime i hear jw's talking about free will, i either feel the urge to burst in laughter or feel sick.

  each publication keeps talking about how wonderful jokehova is for giving us free will.

  the only small thing is that he'll kill you if you don't do exactly what he says.

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  pontoon

  Just like saying Jeh is humble. How? He'll never be happy until all of mankind is praising, worshipping, thanking him for ever and if you don't you die. Humble god?? If you believe it all.
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  15

  Quick builds- Were you on a team?

  by Oneoutallout in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  which trade did you work with?

  any interesting revelations or tales?.

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  pontoon

  For me it was electric and or HVAC, did it for years often outside of our region going into NYC on builds (since the city regionals lacked tradesmen). Some good times, always good food, some good friends were made, saw one really bad accident--a fall from a scaffold down into a stairway to a basement, no fall arrest or fall protection was ever used on those builds. Lots of unqualified people in positions of oversite, usually didn't bother us we just did what we came to do and got out. After some time and probably 25 builds I just got tired of it all, last one I was on a bunch of my tools were missing including one expensive new 100' extension cord that would have been easy to find if it was borrowed and being used. After I quit going I felt a little guilty about it especially when I would run into the guys I worked with at assemblies but as time marched on so did the guilt. Years after I stopped going on KH builds I worked on the Newburgh Assembly Hall. Thats a whole other story.
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  91

  ...What do you Do,when People Ask You for Spare Change?...

  by OUTLAW in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  .. .........................some people are truly in need..some are not... a man passing by on his 10 speed bike,asked me for $2.00 for a cup of coffee... .................................................."uhhh,no"... ............another asked me for spare change outside a super market... ......................................i said i didn`t have any... ...................so he say`s "how about a credit card?!"......lol!!...

  .. ....................what do you do,when people ask you for spare change?...

  ..... .. ..........................................whats the most outrageous thing... ......................................you`ve been asked forby a stranger?...

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  pontoon

  As a kid growing up in NYC when the windshield wipers headed towards my dad's car at red lights with their greasy dirty rags my dad would say, "I'll give you a buck if you don't touch it"