Posts by DesirousOfChange

33

Are the halls of the Kingdom filling up, are they the same as before the pandemic or are they emptying?

by LaFrancia in

i open a new topic, to find out how it's going in your area.

from what i see as a southern european in my constituency the situation is patchy.. the congregation where i am now has 30% old people on zoom but also young couples with almost all their cameras off.

no increase but a slight decrease in the total number of publishers.. circuit assemblies: before covid you couldn't find a free seat if you arrived 10 minutes before the start.

DesirousOfChange

Could the big change be more PIMO JWs who stick around for fellowship and a tribe? Fewer "true believers" ? Will JWs become more like rank-and-file Catholics . . .

I'm convinced there are a lot of JWs as you describe here. There are many who have doubts about the "nearness" of Armageddon which is quite evident by how they are living. There are no JWs making huge sacrifices to pioneer and "save" people. Over 50% of the JW families which whom we are acquainted are taking cruises and international vacations -- quite a few to Europe vs Caribbean locations, which are much less expensive and are "easy" flights (3 hrs vs 8-10 hrs).

It's 10 years ago, but I recall two 40-something JW elders discussing how they were strategizing their 401(k) retirement plans. Clearly not thinking that Armageddon is "very, very near" nor fearing that money will be "thrown into the streets". (I hear that one of them is now "inactive". I don't know if he is a "stumbled believer" or if he has become "awakened" (not to be confused with "woke") of all the JW BS.

One of my longtime closest JW friends is 100% "mentally out" but still is dogmatic about being "physically in" (PIMO) as the best course of action. He thinks JW doctrine is total BS, but that JWs are the best group of people to have as friends and as a "network".

10

First look at JW 2024 Convention

by Newly Enlightened in

warning, mikey rant & adult language!!!.

https://youtu.be/uijtoxthx_y?si=ef0xcgzgizq25jsd.

DesirousOfChange

Sorry, but an hour and a half is just TOO MUCH TIME to waste on JW crap -- or even xJW crap. Surely (don't call me Shirley) it can be summarized in much less time without sacrificing the point being made.

100

The August 2024 Watchtower controversy and potential further changes

by ukpimo in

as an educated guess, the august 2024 watchtower may be delayed because 2 complicated subjects need to be discussed in this issue which haven't yet been approved to be included in the revised shepherding textbook.

perhaps the revised shepherding textbook must be finalised before this watchtower is released publicly.. the 2 subjects may be as follows:.

how to shepherd and appoint brothers based on the removal of the hour requirements, getting to know the brothers instead (does this mean prioritising appointing men who have auxiliary pioneered during the co visit and campaigns or men who are regular pioneers?).

DesirousOfChange

So when you notice Kingdom Halls being sold, are you sure the number of congregations isn’t actually staying the same, or even increasing?

That's definitely the case sometimes when congregations are being forced to move and share another Hall after their Hall is sold. It makes sense to utilize the Hall for 2 or 3 congregations when the travel distance is still reasonable for everyone in all the congregations.

But there are many congregations being "shut down" or "closed" (ie, for low attendance, lack of leadership) and the publishers there are directed to attend a nearby congregation. That has happened with at least 6 congregations that use our assembly hall. Congregation shut down, publishers reassigned to one or more other existing nearby congregations, and the Hall sold (if they were the only congregation using it). It was small congregations with low attendance and probably low contributions (mostly rural areas) that were merged with other nearby congregations.

100

The August 2024 Watchtower controversy and potential further changes

by ukpimo in

as an educated guess, the august 2024 watchtower may be delayed because 2 complicated subjects need to be discussed in this issue which haven't yet been approved to be included in the revised shepherding textbook.

perhaps the revised shepherding textbook must be finalised before this watchtower is released publicly.. the 2 subjects may be as follows:.

how to shepherd and appoint brothers based on the removal of the hour requirements, getting to know the brothers instead (does this mean prioritising appointing men who have auxiliary pioneered during the co visit and campaigns or men who are regular pioneers?).

DesirousOfChange

With all the mergers of congregations in our area, I can't imagine how anyone could keep up with attendance figures.

We attended the Memorial and I did not know 70% of the others attending. Twenty years ago, I knew nearly everyone in the Circuit. The elders with whom I am well acquainted that had been the shakers-n-movers were not involved unless it was a prayer. The speaker was a 30-something who is new to the area as he married a local JW gal. There appeared to be plenty of 30-something guys who had stepped up into leadership positions. (Not sure that 2/3 of young JWs are abandoning the religion here. * ) At least 50% of the men were sporting beards.

( * Hate the new beard policy. Used to be you could see a JW you new on Facebook and if they had a beard then you knew they were inactive or POMO.)

33

Are the halls of the Kingdom filling up, are they the same as before the pandemic or are they emptying?

by LaFrancia in

i open a new topic, to find out how it's going in your area.

from what i see as a southern european in my constituency the situation is patchy.. the congregation where i am now has 30% old people on zoom but also young couples with almost all their cameras off.

no increase but a slight decrease in the total number of publishers.. circuit assemblies: before covid you couldn't find a free seat if you arrived 10 minutes before the start.

DesirousOfChange

I'm surprised so many people are still on "zoom."

I'm not surprised. I know of some JWs who still zoom despite the fact that they could easily attend in person as they have no limitations or disabilities, etc. BUT, Zoom (with their camera off) allows them to simply APPEAR to be in attendance for meetings while in reality, they are paying no attention to the meeting and doing whatever else they need/want to do.

100

The August 2024 Watchtower controversy and potential further changes

by ukpimo in

as an educated guess, the august 2024 watchtower may be delayed because 2 complicated subjects need to be discussed in this issue which haven't yet been approved to be included in the revised shepherding textbook.

perhaps the revised shepherding textbook must be finalised before this watchtower is released publicly.. the 2 subjects may be as follows:.

how to shepherd and appoint brothers based on the removal of the hour requirements, getting to know the brothers instead (does this mean prioritising appointing men who have auxiliary pioneered during the co visit and campaigns or men who are regular pioneers?).

DesirousOfChange

Maybe there is a need for them to relax this "only people with a penis" qualify for privileges.

15

Criminal trial begins for Lancaster, Penn., Jehovah's Witness Elder accused of molesting three girls.

by Balaamsass2 in

it appears the perp got the victims disfellowshiped!

the state attorney general has re-opened the botched case.. "the trial for a jehovah’s witness elder accused of molesting three girls in 1999 began in a lancaster county court monday with lawyers giving opening statements to the jury.. norman aviles-garriga, 45, was charged by the pennsylvania attorney general with two counts of aggravated indecent assault and 16 related offenses in connection with assaults alleged by three women who say the abuse happened when they were girls.. aviles-garriga is one of five pennsylvania jehovah's witnesses charged by a statewide grand jury with using their positions within their churches to sexually abuse children.

the attorney general’s office brought charges against the men in october 2022 and february 2023.. .

DesirousOfChange

Broken Piggy Bank Images – Browse 12,321 Stock Photos ...

- POOR WATCHTOWER! -

4

TV Special: "Inside the brutal world of the Jehovah’s Witnesses". A well produced story too good to overlook.Inside the brutal world of the Jehovah’s Witnesses

by Balaamsass2 in

inside the brutal world of the jehovah’s witnesses.

since the royal commission exposed the cruel treatment of victims of child abuse within the jehovah’s witnesses, little has changed.

but in a landmark civil case, former member amy whitby is taking on the secretive religious group in court.

DesirousOfChange

More persecution from Satan's hordes.

100

The August 2024 Watchtower controversy and potential further changes

by ukpimo in

as an educated guess, the august 2024 watchtower may be delayed because 2 complicated subjects need to be discussed in this issue which haven't yet been approved to be included in the revised shepherding textbook.

perhaps the revised shepherding textbook must be finalised before this watchtower is released publicly.. the 2 subjects may be as follows:.

how to shepherd and appoint brothers based on the removal of the hour requirements, getting to know the brothers instead (does this mean prioritising appointing men who have auxiliary pioneered during the co visit and campaigns or men who are regular pioneers?).

DesirousOfChange

More pressure is coming upon them to relax the DF rules in Europe and other areas like Japan, so are they waiting for court rulings to ultimately change how they implement decisions regarding disfellowshipping?

Evidently there are big changes in the USA as well. A recent local case involves a former elder who committed adultery -- but there is more -- it's discovered he has been cheating with multiple women for years, even while he was still serving as an elder. He's not been having "affairs". While traveling for work, he's been surfing websites looking to have sex with anyone willing. He just needs more sex than he's getting at home.

His wife does not understand why he was not DF. Since all this is all over in the local gossip, the local JWs do not understand why he was not DF. His JW parents are still supportive of him, after all, he is not DF.

It appears the rumors/leaks here regarding a "probationary period" and subsequent second meeting with the JC is factual, even in outrageous situations as this.

IMO, the dude is having a midlife crisis. In his 40's, boring life, boring wife who's gotten a little dumpy, couple of kids hitting the teen years, switching jobs to find something that pays better as his JW wife pioneers and homeschools vs having a job to help support the household. Of course, neither have much education because they were never going to grow up in this system of things.

A family member who is a psychologist once explained to me that men hit a point when they see they've hit the top rung in their life and they judge themselves as "winners" or "losers". Those who aren't happy with what they see often make drastic changes -- new sports car or new wife or new job/career.

Probably would have been cheaper to get the new sports car. Divorces can be real expensive.

17

How has 3 years of inflation affected WTC?

by ThomasMore in

the current u.s. administration and the fed says inflation is hard to tame.

it was over 9% at it's peak.

one of the greatest increases is price of food, something that everyone feels to some extent.

DesirousOfChange

Yes, inflation is up, but so are interest rates. If you owe money (credit cards, for example), it costing you more, but if you are investing money (remember WT is sitting on BILLION$) it's much more certain to get higher returns on your endowment.

I do not for one minute think WTS is broke. I think that is the appearance they want to spin for multiple reasons.

1) They cry "poor mouth" in an attempt to generate more revenue/donations from members. (God needs your money!)

2) They want the appearance of being short on funds to limit the damages they could suffer from further lawsuits. I suspect they have been busy "hiding" their money to keep it from the lawyers who are suing them.