Posts by Franklin Massey

21

Poisonous Congregations and Incompetent Leadership

by Nickolas in

i'm not sure where this topic belongs.

the adult & heated debate category, maybe, or jokes & humour.

guess we'll see.

Franklin Massey

It also has a lot to do with the follower. Some JWs feel that they need a strict environment. They feel that this keeps trouble at a minimum in the congregation, adding more chance of security. These types actually like when the Society and it's appointed men make decisions for them as it lessens the individual's chance of being wrong in God's (read: The WT Org's) eyes.

Then there are those who feel more comfortable in a laid back hall. They want freedom to move and room to breathe. These types are more liberal in their choices regarding "personal conscience matters" and don't want others weighing in on their life decisions.

In my hall, we have had people leave for both reasons. One pioneer couple left to head to a more liberal hall. They are doing very well in their new congregation. Another very spiritual, super zealous family left because they thought our hall was too laid back. They were always finding fault with the personal choices of their fellow members. Now they are in a hall with older elders and a stricter vibe. They also are doing well there.

The poison is often in the minds of the individuals.

But let me add that sometimes, there are halls that are truly toxic, even by the Society's standards. It has occurred that elder bodies can become corrupted to the point that the Society has to step in and try to fix the madness. Congregations are sometimes ordered by the Branch to spilt and reorganize in these situations. Some never fully recover, to the detriment of the followers.

50

sigh

by C.O.B.E.Beef in

jw
friends

this is my first time participating in a site like this , so please.

forgive me if my approach is clumsy.. my story is not extraordinary and hardly interesting, so thanks.

in advance to this forum for extending the bandwidth for my own.

Franklin Massey

Welcome.

Did you ever go back to school? Your post and reply were well written and I find the way you express yourself to be quite compelling. Perhaps picking up your secular education again (wherever you left off) would be an advantage to both you and your family.

I wish you the best and look forward to hearing more about your ongoing experience.

36

Are they going to keep lowering the bar to be appointed an MS or Elder???

by karter in

jw
friends

my mother told me of 2 young guys that have been appointed elders.. i could'nt belive it these guys have zero life experance and both their wifes walked out on them after a few years of marrage.. another one cooked his brain on drugs and his talks are painfull to listen to....all over the place and stumbles through them.. .

is it due to alot of young ones (60 to 70%) leaving and the pool to pick from is getting smaller so lowering the bar is the only way???

?.

Franklin Massey

Salvation by Report Card

Brilliant!

In my area, the standards are, indeed, lowering. Now, that's not to say that the standards were ever set at a correct level. What I can say is that brothers who, five years ago, were considered "A little too spiritually weak" to lead, or, "not quite the best example" in this area or that, are now serving as Ministerial Servants. Many of these are good men. Whether they make good MSs is another matter.

28

Are Jehovahs Witnesses a Cult?

by mankkeli in

jw
friends

this is an excerpt from the 1994 watchtower, february 15. in the entire article, the watchtower tries to debunk any claim of their cultism.

see how they go about it.. " would it be accurate to refer to jehovahs witnesses as a religious group with radical views and practices that clash with what is accepted as normal social behavior?

are jehovahs witnesses a cult?.

Franklin Massey

I followed the same thought process as blond-moment. Now I see that it was denial and wishful thinking.

If one is happy in the group, sees no issues with how the group operates and thinks it is the best possible group one could be a part of, then of course they aren't going to think they're in a cult.

The real test for me came when I began to adopt different beliefs and started to question previously-agreed upon doctrines. It freaks many a JW out when you say something like, "I'm not really sure we have (insert any JW teaching) figured out correctly." I had to stop seeking answers to my questions within the very group that promised to have the best possible answers to my questions.

If you are up for the experiment, try expressing your true feelings about a JW doctrine in a mixed group of JWs and you'll quickly see how high the level of control is.

49

Special Meetings with GB+ Scheduled for October in Patterson and Assembly Halls

by happyexjw in

apologies if this has already been discussed, but saw this on the fb jehovahs witnesses, new, library, history page and wondered if anyone knew anything about it or has any idea what it could be about.

date: august 17, 2011 5:38:59 pm cdt.

to: the librarian <[email protected]>.

Franklin Massey

Willy Wonka, as in, golden ticket, sneak peak, meet the men behind the magic, etc.

That letter seemed like it was intended to create buzz and demand for an event that very few will get to enjoy.

"We're pleased to announce a special privilege direct from Jehovah and Jesus' favorite future angels, The Governing Body! Were doing all these special meetings...(blah blah blah) and it's going to be SOOOOOO AWESOME! Aren't you exicted?! Wouldn't you love to attend?! Well, too bad, because only the cream of the organizational crop get a ticket to the Big Show. Better luck next time, suckers!"

Carrying on the Willy Wonka theme, Undercover Brother = Slugworth. New Light = the recipe for Everlasting Gobstoppers.

49

Special Meetings with GB+ Scheduled for October in Patterson and Assembly Halls

by happyexjw in

apologies if this has already been discussed, but saw this on the fb jehovahs witnesses, new, library, history page and wondered if anyone knew anything about it or has any idea what it could be about.

date: august 17, 2011 5:38:59 pm cdt.

to: the librarian <[email protected]>.

Franklin Massey

In the letter to congregations about this special arrangement, it mentioned that in addition to elders, their spouses and pioneers, some faithful older ones may receive invites as well. Tickets - yes, tickets - will be sent out and if any of the lucky chosen ones decide they cannot attend, they will have to give back their ticket so that someone else can attend.

This has a very Willy Wonka feel to it.

11

My wife...

by dontplaceliterature in

jw
friends

...made an interesting comment last night.. some of you may know that she is not into digging up dirt on the wtbts.

she realizes that there are some things wrong with the organization, but wishes to just ignore them for the sake of stability and preserving friendships.

there's obviously more to it, but in the interest of staying on topic:.

Franklin Massey

dpl, you have a PM

30

SEX! and the DC Sunday Drama

by Red Piller in

the sunday drama at the dc was a parallel ancient (joseph in egypt) and modern (jw kid in high school) drama.

or was it extremely eroticized?

i've been seeing these my whole life and have never felt this way.. conversation between joseph and fellow prison inmate:.

Franklin Massey

RP, yeah, I think you may be reading too much in to the Uncle Jack comment. It's good to know your are paying very close attention though!

Magwitch, I have to add one more line that's so unbelievable that I can't get it out of my head . . . No way! He's not gay! He's one of Jehovah's Witnesses! . . . as if being gay is the same as celebrating birthdays or doing drugs!

That one really ticked me off too. As if it isn't hard enough for a gay person to try to be a JW anyway. Again, hypocrisy on the WT's part. They say that being gay is something that one can live with as a JW, as long as they don't act on their impulses. Then, in the drama, they make it sound like it's impossible for a JW to be gay at all. Which version of the story do you think most JWs will adopt?

30

SEX! and the DC Sunday Drama

by Red Piller in

the sunday drama at the dc was a parallel ancient (joseph in egypt) and modern (jw kid in high school) drama.

or was it extremely eroticized?

i've been seeing these my whole life and have never felt this way.. conversation between joseph and fellow prison inmate:.

Franklin Massey

I've heard from parents with small children who thought the drama was too much. The kids would look up at their parents every time the word "sex" was used - and it was used A LOT. Then the parents have to try and explain the issues at hand, which are over the little kids' heads. In addition, the parents also have to give reasons why it is alright for the drama to talk about sex so much. I think that this would have been good for teenagers and adults but not for small children. That is, normal teenagers and adults. It's just my opinion but I think the Watchtower cultivates a sexually repressed and naive environment.

Which leads me to my biggest issue, Watchtower hypocrisy. As I was watching the modern day portion, I thought, "If this were a TV show, a lot of witnesses would turn it off." I was reminded of the counsel I've heard from the platform many times before: What if Jesus walked in to your house while you were watching your favorite show? Would you be embarassed because of the violent, sexual, or otherwise worldly themes in the program? In this drama, you had young kids talking openly about sex, a teenage girl shaking her hips, tossing her hair, rubbing up against a boy and propositioning him for sex. This is pretty realistic for teens today. But JWs are not supposed to be entertained by this sort of thing, even if there is a message behind it.

Then, you have the Bible times portion of the drama. Buff, shirtless men. A sexy seductress. A criminal who makes lewd jokes on the subject of rape. These elements are the stuff of romance novel fantasies, soap operas and raunchy comedies; all things that JWs are told to avoid. But here, at their annual convention, they're treated to the very same things they're counseled to run away from.

Sisters are always reminded to be modest and not give brothers any reason to get aroused. But in this drama, you have a super hot female lead in a gown that shows all her curves, strutting around with sexuality oozing from her pores. Is that not a potential turn-on for brothers? Then you have many sisters in the audience who may be single, divorced, or experiencing marital problems. Those sisters are reminded by the Society of their place, especially in sexual matters. But in this drama, you have muscular, shirtless men in beautiful costumes playing a role of servants. I would be willing to bet that quite a few ladies (and some men) got a bit flushed when those studs walked out on the stage. Could that not be a stumbling block for a person who is trying to keep their sexual desires at bay?

Maybe I'm making too much of this but as it stands now, I see a double standard.

49

The Convention Pretty Much Sucked

by Franklin Massey in

jw
friends

i feel better now.. but just in case you are wondering why i think it sucked, here you go:.

- it was clearly an "insider's only" convention.

why invite the public if you are just going to engage in crazy talk that only jws can decipher?.

Franklin Massey

I've confirmed with two others that it was mentioned at different conventions. It seems like a forced entry into the outline.

I hope that it makes it to the pages of the study edition of the Watchtower because it in its "trial run," it has already caught several people's attention. I'm thankful for every wild idea that the WT publishes as each stands to serve as a chink in the armor of a questioning JW.