the 107-year relationship between the jehovah’s witnesses and brooklyn is coming to an endby terence cullen sept. 21, 2016, 9:45 a.m.for jehovah’s witnesses, brooklyn heights was until recently the equivalent of vatican city for catholics.
brooklyn—“the borough of churches”—arguably has no congregation with a more noticeable presence than the witnesses.
the watch tower bible and tract society of pennsylvania, the governing body of the jehovah’s witnesses, built its headquarters at 25-30 columbia heights, and it is there to greet any visitor driving over the brooklyn bridge.
Pete Zahut
The comment about "having our heads held high" smacks of martyrdom and makes it sound as if they thought they were the local Pariahs there in Brooklyn. In actuality, they were the ones who excluded themselves and rejected the community with the scathing articles published in their literature
That part of his statement jumped out at me. It sounded extra defensive.
my mother's parents, my grandparents were not jw.
my jw mother had medical power of attorney and her husband (never jw) was secondary on that.
when grandma needed blood, mom let her husband sign off.
I like your approach and thought process on this OTWO.
Being a person who can make the tough calls in the moment is a valuable trait to have. Your whole family seems to turn to you in medical matters of trust.
Your mom sounds like a lot of witnesses that will defer to others when they can (myself included a few years back included).
well, hell!.
i had dizzy spells and near-fainting and nausea for a few days, so why wouldn't i start thinking about death, ya know?.
am i just very lax in my responsibilities in having no plans at all?isn't that irresponsible?
bikerchic
Imagine if you can a service at the kingdom hall with an Apostate (me) greeting the "friends" as they came in! And then imagine if you can, several of these elder's and their wives enjoying a meal with me (and my df'ed son) at a local restaurant! Awe.......maybe I shouldn't have? I can't help but think Mom would have been pleased, she loved the restaurant, Mexican food was her favorite!
Did they really go out to eat with you and your son?
I am stunned.
I also think that speaks well of how you handled yourself over the 4 years before your mom died.
They must think well of you in spite of being told not to by headquarters.
if an elder sitting in a jc has a secret sin of a serious nature, his rulings that took place while this sin was unknown are still binding.
in a court of law of most countries that would be a grounds for appeal.
regardless i know they are kangaroo courts ,where anyone who has any biblical knowledge knows they can't back up a scriptural reference for a three man tribunal.
I agree with Chooks original post and with all the other posts but I have a question...
The Society states in the Elders handbook that an elder guilty of serious wrongdoing in the past does not have to step down (which would include not being handled judicially since that would mean stepping down) from his position IF he is still viewed favorably by the community and congregation.
This statement was also in an obscure Kingdom Ministry used as a reference in the Elders manual.
So wouldnt that be their "out" on this idea of invalidating an elders judicial rulings because of his own personal wrongdoing?
And good for that elder above that stepped down on his own and admitted his "hidden sin". At least he had the ability to do that. If more elders were that honest the elder body would be diminished by at least 3/4 its current size.
this topic is related to the one about the relocation of publishers and moving and dissolving congregations.. some of the things that we are seeing now were unthinkable a few years back, examples the closing of the branches, layoff of bethelites and travelling overseers, the grabbing of the congregations funds and many more.
some of my friends tell me that basically the wt was operating with an early 20th century business model that needed a tune up and that worldly consultants are behind the changes that have been implemented.. nevertheless to put it in hollywood terms, they seem to think that they are on a “mission from god” and that they are “going where no man, has gone before”..
smiddy
So when they dedicate a Kingdom Hall to God Jehovah , which is usually funded by contributions from the R&F , worked on by voluntary labour ,with materials that are often gifted for it`s construction , that dedication only remains in force until the time they sell that dedicated hall to Jehovah God , for financiall gain
The profit of which goes straight to the American Headquarters of the WTB&TS.
All those who donated time ,money labour,material gifts etc.,,are left with an empty pocket ,and no Kingdom Hall.And are then told to go to another Kingdom Hall further away at their own expense
Really good summation smiddy.
this topic is related to the one about the relocation of publishers and moving and dissolving congregations.. some of the things that we are seeing now were unthinkable a few years back, examples the closing of the branches, layoff of bethelites and travelling overseers, the grabbing of the congregations funds and many more.
some of my friends tell me that basically the wt was operating with an early 20th century business model that needed a tune up and that worldly consultants are behind the changes that have been implemented.. nevertheless to put it in hollywood terms, they seem to think that they are on a “mission from god” and that they are “going where no man, has gone before”..
Hecce
Some of my friends tell me that basically the WT was operating with an early 20th century business model that needed a tune up and that worldly consultants are behind the changes that have been implemented.
So if a worldly consulting firm was hired, their first question would be what is your goal?
If the reply had been "to help more spiritually" this would not be the results we are seeing.
The results are selling of assets, trimming of support to the volunteers (with no comparable slowing down of asking things FROM the volunteers) and trimming of programs the volunteers enjoyed (LDC etc)
If you take their results and trace it back its pretty easy to see what the consulting firm was told the goal is.
i was watching a jw video where the announcement was made of a young lady's being disfellowshiped, and it happened in a regular kh sunday meeting.
this struck me as being a bit...cold.
is this when the shunning begins?
That is a good point James Jack.
Very interesting.
Normally there are to be no DF announcements made during the C.O.s visit (not encouraging enough and again, the visitor thing)
But I guess a C.O. can do what he wants to a degree.
this notice is not official yet and it should be confidential until released thru the proper channels.
a friend of mine told me about a huge elders meeting in southern california.
the subject was the relocation and dissolution of some congregations; it seems that this is the result of some project that has been going on for some time and is going to be implemented right now.. please let me know if this is happening all over the country?.
ab.ortega
It just dawned on me...
A while back the LDC requested addresses of all publishers in each congregation to many of the congregations in our area. Of course, we sent it in not questioning what the data was for. We were later summoned to a meeting with all the elders from these congregations. The data was to see which congregations would benefit most from the new KH that would be going up through the LDC arrangement. It was interesting to see how they mapped out and color coded each home. (The showed it to us on screen)
I wouldn't doubt it if this data was collected from all congregations through the LDC arrangement - thus no official watchtower letter. Perhaps they are using all this information for the purpose of sell offs, rather than new construction.
Did any other congs. have to send in publisher addresses?
I dont know the answer to that but it would be easy for the congregation secretary to forward that information with publishers not even being aware.
The Secretary could use the information collected when they gathered everyones addresses and phone numbers in case of hurricanes or earthquakes or other natural disasters.
You were even supposed to provide the names and phone numbers of next of kin or a contact person out of your state or area.
That would give them a huge data base that is already on file.
this morning the jws are working my neighborhood.
i have a birds eye view from my upstairs office.
on my side of the street is three men with a baby in a stroller.
So not teens or very young adults. Sounds like one might be the father of the stroller rider.
In that case, it sounds like what I call the "new breed" of young JW.
They put in token everything...
Meetings are on their phone while also surfing the net.
Assemblies they are there late on Friday if at all, mostly there on Saturday and Sunday for the meal with friends after.
If not for pressure of "in" parents and in laws they wouldnt even do that.
The females exhibit a little more effort in this age group. There is a cluster of pioneers in the 30 something age group. Many of them are using it as their "career" and it gets them honor inside the Hall.
Its similar to the nuns in the Catholic church.
The other pious young women in that category are the young moms who believe the Org teaching that your dependent children will die at Armageddon if you dont do all the things the Org currently proposes - such as field service.
This is a unique group the 20 and 30 year olds...
They take what they need and leave the rest.
i attended the circus assembly last weekend and i have come to the conclusion i am lacking faith.
the opening talk on the program, the very first words that came out of the speakers mouth told me so.
he said most of us here are lacking faith even though we might not know it.
Well of course you are!
Now. a talk where the Org talks about what IT could do better or where IT is lacking?
I wont hold my breath.
