Vidiot

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Posts by Vidiot

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  13

  70s Cartoons

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there're the obvious ones, like the smurfs.

  although why still escapes me.

  was it because of the magic, that they were "magical creatures", that there were wizards, etc?.

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  Vidiot

  NotFormer - “…for some reason the 70s and 80s was a very fearful time for parts of Christendom, including, it seems, the WT branch of it…”

  A “Demon-Haunted World” (props to the late Carl Sagan) was a quick and easy explanation for what was - to repressed, ultraconservative religionists - a radically (and rapidly) changing environment that felt increasingly hostile to them, and where it seemed like everything they valued and spent their lives defending was being flushed down the toilet.

  Not to mention the potential loss of cultural dominance that they (correctly) anticipated.
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  62

  So what happens next...

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with what is arguably the biggest change to jw life in recent decades (the scrapping of publishers counting hours) what does this lead to?.

  in my mind these are the results;.

  1) a massive decrease in 'preaching hours'.

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  Vidiot

  re. Teddnzo’s post…

  Sure, they can theoretically do all those things, and it actually looks like they just might be attempting to head down that road. It’s pretty apparent by now that they’re really anxious about staying solvent, and if projections indicate that mainstreaming is the only way to stay in the black, they don’t really have much of a choice.

  But…

  …at what point can you not help but ask “what’s the point?”

  All their strict rules, deliberately atypical Biblical interpretations, and dialed-up authoritarianism were the tools they used to “prove” their legitimacy, authenticity, and most importantly, exclusivity…

  …i.e. their position as “God’s Earthly Organization”.

  Genuine, authentic mainstreaming ultimately involves abandoning that claim, explicitly or otherwise.

  But at this point, if the WTS did that, virtually everything they’ve done to shore up that claim for the past century will have been for nothing, and their demand for loyalty and obedience to the Org above all else becomes meaningless.

  There’d be virtually zero incentive left to even be a JW.
• 
  13

  Door to Door Witnessing Anxiety

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it's not only the jws who do door to door witnessing.

  the independent baptists for the most part have "soul winning", mainly door to door witnessing and leaving tracts, as a tennet of their faith.

  this discussion is interesting:.

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  Vidiot

  I can’t shake the feeling that it was originally suggested as a joke, one of the stupider higher-ups thought it was serious, and thought it as a good enough idea to give it a green light.
• 
  28

  JWs And Superstitions

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  prompted by a mention in a different thread.. cracks in the sidewalk, a pinch of salt over the shoulder, black cats🐈‍⬛; do jws have such superstitious beliefs.

  are they allowed to?

  would they be counselled if the elders became aware?.

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• 

  Vidiot

  NotFormer - “Do you think that the hysterical beliefs were more likely to be held the further a JW was from any responsibility within the organisation? i.e. were the elders expected to keep a lid on it and maintain discipline, but they tolerated it within the ranks?”

  Oh, abso-fucking-lately.

  If it kept the rank-and-file scared of “Satan’s World”, it was useful…

  …of course they tolerated it.

  I got the occasional stink-eye for debunking that shit.
• 
  28

  JWs And Superstitions

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  prompted by a mention in a different thread.. cracks in the sidewalk, a pinch of salt over the shoulder, black cats🐈‍⬛; do jws have such superstitious beliefs.

  are they allowed to?

  would they be counselled if the elders became aware?.

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  2. 
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• 

  Vidiot

  We’ve heard the occasional rumour here that a lot of the more out-there JW urban legends were actually made up by Bethelites for fun, just to see how far the stories would go.

  I… kinda respect that, actually. 😏
• 
  266

  Where is Tony?

  by Athanasius in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  on february 22, 2023, anthony morris iii was officially removed from the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.

  a few months later it was revealed that the watchtower bought him a house in lumberton, north carolina.. however, and correct me if i am wrong, since leaving the gb nobody has reported seeing tony attending jw meetings or participating in field service.

  in fact nobody has reported seeing him anywhere, not even at a local liquor store.

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• 

  Vidiot

  And I keep saying…

  …they know it’s wrong… but believe it’s true…

  …at the same time.
• 
  13

  Door to Door Witnessing Anxiety

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it's not only the jws who do door to door witnessing.

  the independent baptists for the most part have "soul winning", mainly door to door witnessing and leaving tracts, as a tennet of their faith.

  this discussion is interesting:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Vidiot

  You… you mean this… this wasn’t real???

  
  
• 
  62

  So what happens next...

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with what is arguably the biggest change to jw life in recent decades (the scrapping of publishers counting hours) what does this lead to?.

  in my mind these are the results;.

  1) a massive decrease in 'preaching hours'.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Vidiot

  ExBetheliteNowPIMA - “…The top dogs don’t seem to mind it…

  Don’t kid yourself.

  I guarantee you they mind it very much.

  They just can’t truly understand it.
• 
  266

  Where is Tony?

  by Athanasius in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  on february 22, 2023, anthony morris iii was officially removed from the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.

  a few months later it was revealed that the watchtower bought him a house in lumberton, north carolina.. however, and correct me if i am wrong, since leaving the gb nobody has reported seeing tony attending jw meetings or participating in field service.

  in fact nobody has reported seeing him anywhere, not even at a local liquor store.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Vidiot

  GrreatTeacher - “… a legal Non-Disclosure Agreement might be the only thing that can shut down the JW gossip mill…”

  Oh, abso-friggin-lutely.

  They epically fumbled that ball with Ray Franz, and couldn’t sue him into oblivion ‘cause every word he said was true.

  
  
• 
  266

  Where is Tony?

  by Athanasius in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  on february 22, 2023, anthony morris iii was officially removed from the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.

  a few months later it was revealed that the watchtower bought him a house in lumberton, north carolina.. however, and correct me if i am wrong, since leaving the gb nobody has reported seeing tony attending jw meetings or participating in field service.

  in fact nobody has reported seeing him anywhere, not even at a local liquor store.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Vidiot

  Athanasius - “…nobody has reported seeing him anywhere, not even at a local liquor store…”

  Wow, that… IS serious…

  Wait, didn’t Stalin actually “disappear” that poor fucker he proto-photoshopped out of existence.

  Maybe Top-Shelf is roomies with Jimmy Hoffa… 😄