aristeas

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Posts by aristeas

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  8

  'The Great Submission', Masculinity, and Future Elders

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i will, in this post attempt to filter my thoughts thru the prism of political correctness and thereby cause no offense to anybody.

  if i fail, i ask that the "jury disregard those comments" ( laughable if a judge says it because it underlines what was said).. since the watchtower allows nothing but ( a veneer) of male domination, it faces a bleak future because of the decline of masculinity in general society.

  they abhor the idea of any 'sunday school' or more and so are not training young men to be fathers, husbands or just men generally.. i once went to a 'get together' - so called because the term 'party' might create offense - and noticed young brothers together with (hot) young sisters..................................................discussing shoes !!!!.

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  aristeas

  M

  Your thoughts are worth pondering. Two things you said were esp. noteworthy:

  1. This first one was REALLY FUNNY!

  'I also note that many young men - in the 'truth' or not - seem to have a devoted attachment to their I-phones ( or equivalent) to a degree unmatched by any such devotion to a real girlfriend.'

  2. The second tragically true, largely b/c they just want obedient automatons:

  'Since the Watchtower allows nothing but ( a veneer) of Male Domination, it faces a bleak future because of the decline of masculinity in general society. They ... are not training young men to be fathers, husbands or just men generally.'

  luna's comment below is right on too:

  'It all seems to vary from congregation to congregation. Frankly, it seems that they ask the impossible of elders anyhow. These guys are supposed to make all the decisions and run the show, give all the talks, councel and discipline the wayward, set a good example in everything from field service to their family life and squash any females who try to step up to take on any authority...many extra hours of meetings and talks and duties and pressure with very little compensation.'

  Thx for all these observations...so much to think about here!
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  24

  Does anyone know about the 2010 songbook?

  by aristeas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i only recently found out that there was a new songbook 'released' last year.

  i came in under the old pink flexi-cover one.

  then in 1984 that oversized 225 song brown one came out.

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  aristeas

  I only recently found out that there was a new songbook 'released' last year. I came in under the old pink flexi-cover one. Then in 1984 that oversized 225 song brown one came out. Two of the songs said people can 'earn' God's favor. That bothered me given that biblical grace = unmerited favor/undeserved kindness. Does anyone know of a site where the new songbook is available or can answer some simple questions about it?

  I've heard it is smaller and I wonder which songs have been taken out.

  Thx.
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  62

  How To Leave Jehovah's Witnesses Easily and Painlessly

  by Daniel Metz in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have just thought of a way to leave jehovah's witnesses using information from the new shepherd the flock of god book.

  it's quite simply: rebaptism.

  here are the steps:.

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  aristeas

  Dan, welcome.

  Blondie—wow! Thx for the research & sharing!
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  9

  Circuit Servant (Overseer) Just Another Elder?

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for years congregation servants (no elders yet) feared the co visit who wielded a great deal of power over the servants.

  if the cs said jump, the congregation servants said how high.

  selective memories............ *** w71 11/15 p. 700 a body of elders with rotating chairmanship ***does a circuit servant when he visits a congregation have more authority than the elders of the congregation and can he change things in the congregation, such as times of meetings, the arrangement of the hall, or change brothers in the various positions of oversight?

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  aristeas

  Yes, blondie, I remember it. Like MJP says, at the time many thought it was going to be a breath of fresh air. It occurred while RF was riding high, but we all know what happened shortly thereafter. TJ managed to get things largely changed back to the situation where the CO is defintiely NOT just one of the elders!

  I must say that back in the 70s and early 80s I had the pleasure of knowing and working with more than one truly spiritual CO. Many were resentful of having their power diminished but some COs took the change as Jehovah's direction—a more loving, reasonable approach. But, of course, that wasn't to be. As for those who deny now that it ever happened, well, they have their psychological needs ...

  Hope this helps.
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  5

  Will the Menlo Park thing crack the wall the GB has put up?

  by aristeas in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  since i'm new here (& at other similar websites) and have been largely learning by reading old posts, i hope i'm not being too repetitive.. back around 2000 the gb, likely at the behest of witness lawyers like brumley, removed themselves from all officerships of the legal corporations and installed non-partaking trustworthy bethel heavies to those posts nearly always held previously by gb members/'anointed ones'.

  it seems a shielding of themsleves from legal responsibility was their true motive.. http://www.rickross.com/reference/jw/jw49.html .

  since it looks like don adams is going to be subpoenaed in the ongoing menlo park case, what if some sharp, informed attorney presses him on the source of his orders/direction, and he has to fess up that it's all the gb?

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  aristeas

  Since I'm new here (& at other similar websites) and have been largely learning by reading old posts, I hope I'm not being too repetitive.

  Back around 2000 the GB, likely at the behest of Witness lawyers like Brumley, removed themselves from all officerships of the legal corporations and installed non-partaking trustworthy Bethel heavies to those posts nearly always held previously by GB members/'anointed ones'. It seems a shielding of themsleves from legal responsibility was their true motive.

  http://www.rickross.com/reference/jw/jw49.html

  Since it looks like Don Adams is going to be subpoenaed in the ongoing Menlo Park case, what if some sharp, informed attorney presses him on the source of his orders/direction, and he has to fess up that it's all the GB? Am I missing something or this will not expose the GB to the very thing they have become so afraid of?

  It's easy to imagine the kinds of reaction TODAY to the sorts of responses Fred Franz, Hayden Covington, and Milton Henschel gave to the questioning lawyer in the Walsh case in Scotland back in the 50s. Surely the media and 'opposers' would make certain this would get maximum publicity now.

  Anyone's thoughts?
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  4

  Where to find the annual report now?

  by baltar447 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was looking on the library and wanted to find the last annual service report.

  anyone know where i should look?.

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  aristeas

  I'd like to know too. Is it accessible somewhere to non-JWs?
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  12

  Q: When did russel/bible students came up with the 606-1914 calculations?

  by Dold Agenda in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  q: when did russel/bible students came up with the 606-1914 calculations?.

  for russel the invisible precense of jesus started 1874 right?.

  but was'nt his year of autumn 1914 when the harma should start based on pyramydology alone?.

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  aristeas

  Seems like Luke 21:24 is back (someone said they'd gone over the a Matt. passage):

  http://www.watchtower.org/e/bh/appendix_10.htm

  hmmmmmm . . .
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  29

  Why are men not allowed to do the bible study parts at the service meeting?

  by garbonzo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i know why they do it, because the women would complain, but it's not logical, the men need to be trained on how to conduct a bible study with a student, also.

  if it doesn't matter, why are the sisters doing it?

  just to give them something to do?

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  aristeas

  onthewayout hits the nail on the head:

  'They created the sit-down talks on the Theocratic Ministry School just for women, so they could give them an assignment in the meeting yet retain their silly notion that women were not teaching the congregation.'
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  12

  College education pays

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my first post seems to be locked.

  this from cnn today.

  http://www.cnn.com/2011/opinion/06/09/aoun.college.benefits/index.html?hpt=hp_c2.

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  aristeas

  Spot on, talesin!
  
  'But, yes,,, it teaches critical thinking, which is the biggest danger for the WTBTS.'
  
  Although, from personal experience, even a graduate degree will not necessarily mean a real, well-paying job!

  And welcome, wont-let-me-fade!
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  16

  GB becoming more angry!

  by truthseeker1969 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  flipping through the wt and other artices it strikes me how angry the governing body is becoming and how they are using insulting words to describe anyone who "rocks the boat".. words such as diseased and vindictive are common place now and so petty.. it seems to me that these men may be allowing personal feelings to overcome their spiritual role that they are supposed to live by.. i have been out of the truth for 17 years and it is clear to me that they have lost the plot.. look at the generation flip flop.

  why not just say, "brothers, we have no clue and therfore no clue about anything that has been taught".

  assuming the role of jesus on earth is something no one should do as one look at corinthians clearly states that "gifts of prophesying would be done away with" in other words god said i will tell you not you me.. anyone else feel that the gb is angry?.

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  aristeas

  Why not just say, "brothers, we have no clue and therfore no clue about anything that has been taught"[?]

  At the end of R Franz's first book (I think that's where it is) he relates how some typical sister who found out about the O's corruption was completely adrift. I'm sure we have all seen that. After decades (from JFR's time) of nearly always having the concrete answers that—let's face it—most active Witnesses seek, the GB can hardly pull off such a major change of course! They ARE afraid the whole thing will come crashing down and they will be guilty before Jehovah. They just could not conscientiously do it. They would then be 'unfaithful' to their charge.

  My two bits for what it's worth.