Posts by pontoon

10

The Unique Power, Control and Status of the GB Members

by Finkelstein in

something to reflect upon is the real unregulated, power and control the gb members have.. such as they themselves cant be judged for their practice as being true christians according to bible scripture.. an example of that power and control,.... j rutherford the once head leader of the wts.

lived with a female assistant when he was separated from his wife ???

she declared that she was very much his wife in court under oath .

pontoon

Yes, GB have zero accountability, even legally they have protected themselves with their teams of attorneys and many many corporations. But followers also give up accountability to their own common sense. In what other scenario would otherwise intelligent men and women give so much control and authority to seven strangers (and also local elders) feeling obligated to devote 1,000's of hours to do work that they claim is their own responsibility to do (remember, we were not Christ's brother entrusted with the preaching work) for a vague promise in an ancient book that they say gives them their authority? It would be like taking a job and the boss says I'll give you a pay check in 20 or 30 years, probably (probably you will be saved.....) Only in the name of religion---give up your common sense, reasoning ability. And at one time we did too. Pontoon in the Hudson Valley NY

19

Pioneers Living With Married Couple

by msecodo in

so ... situation:.

a baptized married couple, with no privileges that we know of, have opened their home to 2 unmarried regular pioneers because of the pioneers' financial issues (limited income).. - husband works from home.

- wife doesn't work and stays home or in service.

pontoon

So years ago my (now ex) wife's best friend from another state move here (shopping for a husband at Wat Farm) and lived with us until she could get a job and her own place. Too many times the friend and I would end up being home at the same time---my wife out. Not right in JW land. Told my wife we have to expedite her getting her own place. Now that put me in trouble with my wife, accusing me of being attracted to her friend. Actually I was but never tried to act on it, it was just an uncomfortable situation.

4

The latest Study Watchtower out now - December 2017

by The Fall Guy in

“if you were asked, ‘what are the key teachings of your faith?’ what would you say?....

you would likely mention your belief in jesus christ...” (page 8, par.

(as a christian, you'd likely mention your belief in jesus christ?

pontoon

I would say that up to about 15 years ago all of what the corporation printed was mostly reprinted and recycled stuff on about about a 10 year cycle. Know what I mean? So if you had 10 years of Watchtowers and books you had about all of their current teachings. I came to that conclusion when I did research for talks. Would find all these references on a point or scripture with little difference between them, often word for word. Same crap recycled over and over.

So now it's different, how it's all dumbed down or it's explanations about their (failed) generation doctrine or their (failed) anointed class growing instead of shrinking. More like damage control.

What hasn't changed is the corporation doesn't want you to think, ponder, reason. Just mindlessly follow the leader. That's all there is to being a JW today, follow the leader, parrot what they say. So say your in a car group and a conversation starts (on your 1/2 hour drive between return visits) about whether or not some old faithful servant will be a leader in the new system. The most spiritually minded one will say "the F&D slave has counseled us not to speculate on that." Everyone else will think "I wish I was the spiritual one that spit out that counsel."

That's it----modern day Jehovah's Witness.

45

in retrospect: RBCs vs LDCs / the hype about a lot of new construction and subsequent abrupt halt to construction

by Magnum in

so, now that some time has passed, i’d like some input/thoughts/analysis/etc.

on the jw construction situation in the last few years.. first, why did they discontinue the rbc arrangement and institute the ldc arrangement?

was it for more and/or better control?

pontoon

Morpheus-----

Thanks, I used to wonder if it was just around here or a widespread problem with other RBCs. I would wonder how some of those contractor brothers were able to sleep at night with the dishonesty they did. Not working for the benefit of the congregation, working for what they could get out of it.

45

in retrospect: RBCs vs LDCs / the hype about a lot of new construction and subsequent abrupt halt to construction

by Magnum in

so, now that some time has passed, i’d like some input/thoughts/analysis/etc.

on the jw construction situation in the last few years.. first, why did they discontinue the rbc arrangement and institute the ldc arrangement?

was it for more and/or better control?

pontoon

I just have to put my 2 cents in on this. Back in the day I was on about 60 builds and remodels going back to before there were RBC's. Originally the RBC's were pretty loosely organized, as time went on they tuned up and I felt we did a lot of good work, including a lot of remodels inside and outside my RBC's territory traveling over 100 miles sometimes 1 or 2 times a month to NYC because NYC didn't have a lot of tradesmen brothers. The very last job I was on was the corporation's flagship Newburgh Assembly Hall.

Something happened, at least in this area. The RBC's took on a life of their own, becoming a good old boy's club and let's see how much we can rip these congregation off for. Brothers who were contractors and ran RBC's were stealing from congregations. No other way I can say it. RBC's charging more than top dollar for supplies/materials. Charging trip fee's to bring their contracting tool trailers on site and rent while they were parked there. Over buying supplies/materials and keeping the extras. Buildings that should have cost $500,000 would cost a $1,000,000. When my own hall was remodeled (I was no longer in RBC) in the preliminary talk by the RBC to the congregation the head of the RBC pretty much told us he was in charge and not to be questioned.

So, while I agree with the comments here that the corporation wanted absolute control over the builds I have to say it was a good thing to do when they shut down the RBC's, at least around here in the Hudson Valley

36

What is the watchtower going to do when

by pepperheart in

what is the watchtower going to do when the money runs out ??

?.

pontoon

LongHairGirl

No doubt what you say is true, but the corporation will take small estates, jewelry, small bank accounts, anything of value. They identify and target (older) witnesses and will encourage them to involve wat in their estate planning, even having circuit overseers involved in pressuring these older folks. I am personally aware of a case, Wat lawyers went after the children of a brother claiming what they had wasn't really theirs but actually belonged to the estate left to the corporation. Wat won, left the children with nothing. The Wat corporation has a whole department dedicated to this. The brother I used to know was often flying to different parts of the country for estate planning.

Remember the scripture about before building a tower count the cost or something like that? Watchtower does that. They are all about sucking up $$$$$$$$, and they have honed it into fine art form.

36

What is the watchtower going to do when

by pepperheart in

what is the watchtower going to do when the money runs out ??

?.

pontoon

Everything in Brooklyn was old, they are out of Brooklyn, downsized in new super energy efficient compound with 800 residents

Income producing properties, especially Assembly Halls, that they own but do not spend a penny to maintain that they rent for $$$$$$$. Must add up to millions in pure profit each month

Monthly transfers of $$$$$$ from tens of thousands of congregations. So some congregations are poor and can't pay what they are supposed to, so what, how does that hurt the corporation?

Years ago I knew a bethelite who worked in estate planning. What is left to the corporation is HUGE. I personally new two witnesses, a brother here in NY and a sister in Palm Beach Florida that left estates worth millions and millions of $$$$$$ to the corporation. And it's happening all the time.

Real estate business income, investments, who knows how much $$$$$$$ that brings in?

Remember, all tax free at least in the US, don't know about other countries

The way they have been buying expensive properties (river front apt complexes, motels, warehouses) around here in the Hudson Valley NY it seems they have money to burn and can't spend it fast enough. They spend like it was Monopoly. That's because they don't have to earn it, it's all given to them. If funds get low they'll have Lett plead for more. I used to do that when I was account servant in my old congregation, and that night we would have our average contributions X 10.

Just my thoughts on the financial condition of Wat Corporation

36

What is the watchtower going to do when

by pepperheart in

what is the watchtower going to do when the money runs out ??

?.

pontoon

Wat corporation is a money making machine, not gonna run out of money

53

JW renaming things: "It's Not this, it's ....."

by Muddy Waters in

this was brought up in another thread, but i thought it should have its own thread.

feel free to add your own observations and experience.

the jws are so duplicit, and they rename things to somehow justify their own irrationalities.

pontoon

5 not at homes and 1 return visit >>>>> 2.5 hrs service time, or, got my time for the week

70 hours a MONTH >>>>> full time (is it still 70?)

pioneer >>>>> not a person headed west in a covered wagon

heavy weight >>>>> high ranking borg volunteer

53

JW renaming things: "It's Not this, it's ....."

by Muddy Waters in

this was brought up in another thread, but i thought it should have its own thread.

feel free to add your own observations and experience.

the jws are so duplicit, and they rename things to somehow justify their own irrationalities.

pontoon

Brothers kissing ass is called reaching out