outsmartthesystem

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Posts by outsmartthesystem

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  35

  Now that Rick is gone......

  by outsmartthesystem in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  do you think there is any chance we can get 20571pnt428571......8675309....r2d2....10-4 over and out to quit bombarding the message boards with ridiculous apocolpytic fortune telling?

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  outsmartthesystem

  Rick Fearon.....code name KoolAidMan.....also owner of sixscreensofthewatchtower website
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  19

  Attended a JW funeral the other day

  by uk_ex_jw in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i had an account on here sometime ago but forgot the login, but i often read the site.. a long-term friend of mine, a jw, asked me to go to his grandmothers jw funeral a few weeks ago.. i was hesitant obviously.

  i haven't been to a kh in over 5 years.. i am not df/da.

  i decided to quit in 2007 following my failed marriage to a jw.. the person who died was a very well-respected jw pioneer.

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  outsmartthesystem

  There isn't a whole lot of emotion at JW funerals....especially if everyone knew that person was going to die. (it is a little different when someone dies suddenly......there is still the shock factor there) They all truly believe that this person is in now in a sleep like state and will be awakened in paradise very shortly. It makes perfect sense why so little emotion is shown.
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  9

  What is the rationale given for not listing partakers?

  by Simon Morley in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if i was still in this would a huge deal for me.

  before leaving i was bothered that the wt was saying the number of partakers was dwindling while the facts (worldwide reports) showed otherwise.

  could not get an asnwer out of my fellow elders or co as it was coming up in conversations.

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  outsmartthesystem

  Number of partakers was listed in the 2012 yearbook. 11,824. This is what finally prompted the article they wrote last summer that made sure to mention that although the number of partakers is listed.....it may not be accurate. They proceeded to blame any inflated numbers on old and mentally unstable people. They went on to claim that it is not necessary to know the exact number at any one time as it has no effect on Jehovah's grand plan. Basically it amounts to dishonest use of statistics. All through the 80's and 90's when the number was falling....it was proof that the end was near. Now that the number is increasing....the number is suddenly irrelevent.

  My honest guess is that this article was meant to pave the way for a future change. Eventually they will stop publishing the number of partakers alltogether. An increase is tough enough to try to explain away. But HUGE increases (imagine if it was nearing 20,000 in 10 years?) would be VERY troublesome. They will eliminate that problem by ceasing to publish the figure and repetitively pounding it into the heads of the rank and file that the figure isn't important.
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  35

  Now that Rick is gone......

  by outsmartthesystem in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  do you think there is any chance we can get 20571pnt428571......8675309....r2d2....10-4 over and out to quit bombarding the message boards with ridiculous apocolpytic fortune telling?

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  outsmartthesystem

  Do you think there is any chance we can get 20571pnt428571......8675309....R2D2....10-4 over and out to quit bombarding the message boards with ridiculous apocolpytic fortune telling?
• 
  13

  news to me

  by truthseeker1969 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i just heard this within the last day.. i had no clue that the society had a travel agancy within its offices!.

  anyhoo, in the area i live they called numerous hotels for deals for the convention and the gm whom i know through friends told me that they play hardball in getting the maximum commission possible for refering people.

  he said the average is about 10 to 15 percent of the room cost.

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  outsmartthesystem

  I recall many years ago throwing out the hint to a group of witness "friends" that the society gained some sort of over-ride commission on our hotel costs......otherwise.....why would they insist that we only stay at the hotels on the list? I was met with looks of amazement and disgust. Most witnesses think such a scenario is an impossibility. The funny thing is.....even if it was proven that the society was in fact skimming an over-ride commission off of each booking, all the sheeple would defend them by saying...."there's nothing WRONG with it....besides....we got a good deal on the room".

  remember witnesses - first deny. If that fails....come up with a way to justify why the action is ok
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  32

  And another one

  by Inisc in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  newbie here, been reading jwn for a while now, and i'm so glad i found this forum.

  so many thoughts i had about the org i thought it was just me!

  so nice to find out there are others!

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  outsmartthesystem

  Welcome! I echo Snare&Racket's sentiment
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  29

  Is there any religion that has so much anti-apostate focus as JWs

  by yadda yadda 2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm surprised at how much is in the watchtower lately and at assemblies warning of apostates.

  is it my imagination or is this ramping up a lot lately.

  i am a born-in and stopped attending only a few years ago (now in my 40's) but don't remember so much anti-apostate warning as we see now.. the watchtower seems extra obsessed with apostates and the need to warn about them lately.

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  outsmartthesystem

  I think Blone Moment got it right. The information age is clearly a big thorn in the side for ALL cults. And yes....they ALL preach the same things.

  'WE are the only true religion and WE are the only ones directed by God. WE are telling you NOT to talk to or read anything from former members or anyone that is critical of US. All those ones are trying to do is destroy your everlasting future and ruin your relationship with God. '

  So long as you buy into what they are selling....you remain imprisoned for life. Years ago (pre-internet) they didn't have to harp that much because of the lengths you would have to go to in order to actually talk with or read "apostate" material. Now it is just a click away so they simply MUST harp on it continually to try to scare the sheeple into following orders
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  32

  Special Meeting for Certain Congregations Only ??

  by Poztate in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody have any information on what that's all about (b.c) ?

  ?.

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  outsmartthesystem

  I recall driving 6 god damn hours away to go to a "special" meeting about 10 years ago. With gas money, a hotel and eating out I was very shortly $200 lighter in the wallet. There wasn't a damn thing that was special about that meeting except that a GB member was there. Literally everyone in attendance freaked out and imagined that his presence was like Pentecost all over again. Finally I recall being reminded twice by two different elders of the need to make a donation because we were the "beloved beneficiaries" of such a wonderful provision. Yeah....I think "special meetings" double as money makers and also morale and zeal boosters. After all.....HOW EXCITING! Not EVERYONE was chosen!
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  17

  Regular Pioneers no longer appointed by Branch!

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a letter was read this thursday from the platform that the branch will no longer approve or remove regular pioneers.. it was called a simplified arrangement that the local body of elders would decide who should be appointed or removed as a regular pioneer and then to inform the branch of any appointments/deletions.

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  i guess the bethelite who had that assignment is now unemployed.

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  outsmartthesystem

  "i like how they always make these changes into something good yet as said it's just tightening the $ and making the GB less responsable"

  And JWs have no clue. They truly believe it has nothing to do with $ or legal issues and would be not only insulted but truly floored to hear such a suggestion. They believe that God's magical pixie dust was sprinkled yet again and this was the result.
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  73

  Want honest answers

  by independenthinker in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've wanted to make this account for the past 2 weeks, but ive been afraid that ill get caught by posting.

  do they check this site?.

  im 18 years old,baptized at 14. really my problems started a few weeks ago.

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  outsmartthesystem

  One more piece of advice:

  Do NOT overwhelm your mom. When I joined this site.....people pleaded with me to NOT "show a bunch of facts" to my wife. (I am the only one in my family that is free from the borg) I reasoned that my wife is a good woman and she loves truth.....so she'll be interested and actually thankful that I am showing her all these facts. Wrong. I didn't realize it at the time but all witnesses are trained in the same way. They are trained to shut down mentally when their trust/belief in what the governing body teaches gets called into question.

  Even if you have an encyclopedia of information.....do not show it to your mom. At the very least....she will simply discard the information as being "speculative opinions of apostates". At the very worst....she may share the info with an elder.....hoping he can talk some sense into you. If that happens.....you are ripe for a judicial committee.

  The ONLY way to reach her is to ask her true....heartfelt questions that get her to think. Make no mistake....if she gets the feeling like YOU are trying to TEACH HER that her beloved watchtower society is wrong......her mental wall will go up and you will make no progress.