Posts by DesirousOfChange

32

Conversation with old friend

by LongHairGal in

i recently had a conversation with an old acquaintance from the congregation i used to attend.

we talked about the recent changes in the 2023 annual meeting.

i especially pointed out the one about getting rid of hourly reporting on monthly time slips.

DesirousOfChange

So, now, basically, it has become just another church... like the ones it used to criticize in the old days. ~ Magnum

Interesting comment Magnum. It reminded me of a "worldly" funeral we attended in the past week. The deceased and his family attended the local Baptist Church. Little old church that didn't seat but about 120 people. But it had a "recreation" room that was equal in size to the old original church which you could see had dividers to separate it into 3 smaller areas for Sunday School. The whole room was set with folding tables and chairs and all the local church members served up a feast no different than you'd see an a JW Cong function (ie, the funeral of a prominent JW).

It rained the entire time we stood at the cemetery following the funeral and a younger couple insisted we take their umbrella as they had hoods on their jackets. They had never met us. They had no idea how or why we were attending, but they offered that kindness. When things like that take place, I always whisper to my wife, with a wink, that they must be JWs.

34

JW profit from disasters

by enoughisenough in

some time back i questioned about jw making money from doing relief work for disasters.

i found this story on reddit and also noted some of the replies.

it makes me wonder how many would have left their own jobs and paid their way, giving free labor and some supplying free materials if they had know what was going on behind the scenes.

DesirousOfChange

The official article that I have mentioned doesn't tell you anything about how they collect the homeowners insurances--no, they say the relief comes from donations and volunteers-

Yes, those who receive the assistance are asked to "donate" payments from their insurance company. Note that no one is asked to pay their deductible and they will assist those who did not have insurance. WT has organized relief in 3rd world countries for other community buildings, ie, schools, firehouses, etc (personally know of this in Jamaica). They figure this benefits their "image" in the eyes of local authorities.

42

The Jehovah's Witness religion has ''Jumped the Shark''

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

what does jump the shark mean?.

the phrase “jump the shark” is a term in pop culture that originated from the tv show “happy days” and is used to describe a decline in quality.

it refers to the moment when a tv show or other product has reached its peak and starts to decline in quality.

DesirousOfChange

Although the term was not really familiar to me, it definitely describes the status of WT. WT is circling the drain. I doubt it will go “down the drain” in the imminent future — unless it’s the same “imminent” time frame as Armageddon — because there still are millions of diehard JDubs that will cling to the life rafts and ensure its survival, even though many more will have already abandoned ship.

15

Now the Baptist Church is waking up to the Watchtower's scandals

by raymond frantz in

https://www.jwupdates.com/post/jehovah-s-witnesses-sue-norway-after-registration-revoked.

the following article appeared on baptist standard's online edition in january 18, 2024. other christian denominations are starting to pay attention to the legal cases against the watchtower and write about it.

like the watchtower did in yester years with catholic csa cases.. oslo district court in norway is home to an ongoing trial after norway deregistered the jehovah’s witnesses last year.

DesirousOfChange

The level of dishonesty here is breathtaking. Remind me again Mr. Lopes: who is the Father of Lies?

You must be forgetting that it is not lying -- it is Theocratic Warfare!

It's not lying if those to whom you are (not?) lying do not deserve to know the truth.

43

Fading is better then completely leaving...comments?

by Witness 007 in

i got the internet in my house and realised it's all lies....but as a pioneer/ministerial servant i chose to fade.

see i had family and friends who were fully strict witnesses.

so i played the poor lost soul brother who is not sure what's happening.

DesirousOfChange

ha ha--thats ridiculous--just using people for what you can get out of them ~ Stan

Isn't that what they do?

Turn about is fair play.

11

Remember the old governing body ...pics! R.I.P.

by Witness 007 in

.

DesirousOfChange

They are not providing very good direction to the Borg from their heavenly thrones. WT is losing one lawsuit after another and (hopefully) being bled dry.

30

Depression & Isolation

by TxNVSue2023 in

i've been recently reinstated & am very happy about it.

i do love righteous (love & justice) and i do hate wickedness ( selfishness & sin).

i do love jehovah and the bible truths & wisdom.

DesirousOfChange

I can't talk to anyone about this on the outside ( mental health counselor) because it could be a bad impression on the org plus they won't understand where I'm coming from anyway. ~ Sue

Yes you can. Half of our Cong were seeing therapists or counselors or psychiatrists. While WT used to disparage mental health treatment in the past, that is not necessarily the case now. Actually, I think perhaps YOU have a bad impression of seeking mental health treatment. Get past that. I credit my counselor with saving my life.

Usually returning to WT brings back all of your (conditional) friends, and I'm surprised that hasn't happened for you. Of course, WT wives can be jealous (or leery) of other single women. You really have to seek out other single women for "friends" and support.

It is a lot more difficult to develop real friendships (meaning outside of WT). It takes a lot of work, especially if you do not have something obvious in common (workmates, hobbies, etc). And voicing up that you are a JW with all their "weird" ideas on holidays and birthdays complicates it because that is when people socialize -- birthday parties, etc.

We have "faded" so we can have freer communication with JW family and (conditional) friends, but we have much better friends outside of the JW network. Just fewer that used to have in the Cong. because they don't (falsely) love bomb people.

Good luck!

The greatest revenge is living a happy & successful life!

67

Thoughts on annual meeting “new light”

by FFGhost in

so, i finally saw the annual meeting video part 2.. this is the one with the “new light” on who might survive armageddon, vs. those who do not.. in summary, for those of you fortunate enough not to have to sit through it, it’s something like this:.

old light: once the “great tribulation” starts, that’s it for non-jws.

the “door of the ark” is closed.

DesirousOfChange

New light: The GB were too stupid to have everything fully revealed to them.

Now, THAT is believable and likely will never be subject to change.

37

My grandmother called my mother

by Anony Mous in

so, i’m just posting this as a warning to lurking jws.

if you’re still on the fence, here is a story.. my grandmother, now in her 80s hasn’t talked to anyone in the family for over 20 years ever since my mother was the last one of her children that left ‘the truth’, she had sent my mother a card to never talk to her again.

so here we are 21 years later, she gets a call out of the blue that she needed help, she hadn’t been able to get into her kitchen.

DesirousOfChange

(All) religion is a snare and a racket.

27

Governing Body's failed doctrines blamed on Jehovah's gradual revealment

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh9w8zmgli0.

( starts at the 21:00 minute mark ) governing body member jeffrey winder reveals the real reason for the failed doctrines throughout the watchtower's 150 year history.

he claims that the governing body are neither inspired or infallible.. the governing body do not need to apologize for getting doctrines wrong.. the governing body ''do their best with what they have and what they understand at the time.''.

DesirousOfChange

It doesn't matter if you are right or wrong yourself; they shun you just because you don't follow the party line.

What happened to the Israelites who blindly followed the High Priest, Aaron, in worshipping the Golden Calf?

Ex 3:35 " And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

What happened to the Israelites who blindly followed the prophets in the days of Elijah?

1 Kings 18:40 "And Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape.” And they seized them. And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there."

Was there any debate/confusion that what Elijah was speaking was true?

See 1 Kings 18:36-39

So, why is there confusion today about the words of the Governing Body?

Deut 18:22 "when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously."