many here have asked how the average witness in australia is taking the news of the arc findings and conclusions.. is it affecting them?.
sorry to say, hardly any are even aware of the facts.
those that are, have been convinced that all the publicity is "apostate lies and satanic propaganda".
The ones I have spoken to have put a positive spin on the findings in the sense that it has and will adjust procedures going forward.
They see these changes as beneficial for victims and the org.
My reply to them was that I was puzzled that it took a worldly commission to invoke 'adjustments' within gods spirit directed organisation.
there are many on this site that do not believe that jehovah truly exists; that he is not a real being.
but, he is as real as next breath you draw into your nostrils.. some of you say that there is no evidence that he exists.
yet, none of you can prove that he does not exits.. cofty, (you come to mind), i appreciate that you have stated, without reservation, that you do not believe that god exists.. yet, you cannot prove it.. hope in jehovah..
Take off the crown.
Perhaps you are here because at the edges of your mind you have questions that need answers. Questions that are not yet formed and yet, are gnawing at your sub- conscious mind.
You may be looking for confirmation of an answer you don't quite know the question for.
Perhaps you are trying to open your soul and allow a seed to be planted.
A seed of doubt?
A seed of truth?
Although you are still under the spell, on a higher level, at least you are aware of it.
10 response of the jehovah’s witness organisation to the sexual abuse of children.
having regard to the various matters we have discussed in this report, we have reached a number of general conclusions on the jehovah’s witness organisation’s response to the sexual abuse of children.
we do not consider the jehovah’s witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse.
for the last few months, i feel like i've been going through the 5 stages of grief.
lately, it's been happening simultaneously.
in my other posts, i've expressed anger at my family and congregation for their thoughtless ways.
Read a good quote today,
If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are the living in the present.
This probably doesn't help at all but its something to think about :p.
in the congregation bible study, the book addressed how "truth" is progressive.... 18 just as jehovah progressively revealed truths about the kingdom in the period leading up to 1914, he continues to do so during the time of the end.
as chapters 4 and 5 of this book will show, over the past 100 years, god’s people have had to adjust their understanding on a number of occasions.
does that fact mean that they do not have jehovah’s backing?
This "study"commences with a fallacy/lie: " Just as Jehovah progressively revealed truths about the Kingdom in the period leading up to 1914,"
How much of what the WT taught leading up to 1914 is accepted today ? and how much was truth ?
Once the Audience swallows that first bit of mind control, never having thought about the two questions above, they are ripe for being led by the nose straight to the Contribution box.
Poor, unthinking/ non-thinking saps.
Nailed it :)
that admission in the feb.17 ,study edition of the watchtower , " who is leading gods people today ?
" "the governing body is neither inspired, nor infallible, therefore it (they/we) can err in doctrinal matters or in organizational direction .".
have the many jehovahs witnesses past and present who have lost their lives by refusing blood transfusions due to the prohibition on blood tranfusions by jehovahs witnesses really got the sense of this statement ?.
If I was a gambler, my money would be on this article pertaining to child abuse or further tweaking of the generation nonsense.
Is it a coincidence that this article will be studied at the same time the Australian Royal Commission into child abuse hands down its findings?
The article certainly reads like its preparing us to overlook the GB's behaviour for something.
the last talk at the assembly made an interesting statement, "we can show faith by following direction if we're asked to move to another kingdom hall for better use of dedicated christian funds".
this statement has everyone talking.
i spoke to multiple individuals and they heard the same thing at different assembly's.. i know they have been "evaluating" all kingdom halls the last year or two.
Darkspilver,
I think you nailed the psychological aspect of local contributions.
I have posted the story on here before about my grandmother who donated a very large chunk of her retirement funds to help with renovations on the local congregation. In her mind she was helping the local brothers and by extension, the local community would benefit.
The hall was sold only a few years later and the congregation dissolved.
When she raised the issue with the c.o., he became irritated with her and told her not to worry because her contribution was going to help ' the worldwide brotherhood'.
I wish I could go back in time and rescue some of my inheritance :).
this video portrayed an elderly widowed sister who was a former pioneer and now reduced to submitting field service reports of 15 minute increments.
she was also portrayed as quite frail in that she ambulates with the use of a quad rollator frame.
she was very neatly attired and groomed and what the video showed of her apartment conveyed everything perfectly tidy to a level which would have relaxed an ocd sufferer.
Nice observations.
In a similar vein, elders that became financially secure because of education they had prior to joining the organisation giving public talks about the dangers of education for young jw's. These elders, while happy to preach a life of poverty and struggle for impressionable kids have no intention of quitting their own lifestyle and becoming window cleaners.
a new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.
a quote that could be applied closely to the style of the wts 'change management'.. put another way.... "we make stuff up and expect people to accept it as truth.
when we change things we still expect people to accept it as truth.
A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.
A quote that could be applied closely to the style of the wts 'change management'.
Put another way...
"We make stuff up and expect people to accept it as truth. When we change things we still expect people to accept it as truth.
Those that can't accept it will die eventually and their children will not have known any other truth'.
as i am watching this video about changes at bethel, the speaker said, "aren't we glad the faithful and discrete slave continues to make adjustments when necessary.
what about this change?
"finally, we examined why jesus’ arrival to appoint the faithful slave over all his belongings did not occur in 1919 but will take place during the great tribulation" that is from this online watchtower article last paragraph: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/w20130715/jesus-prophecy-last-days/ .
After reading the link I read the subsequent watchtower study articles in that series.
My take (and I am happy to be corrected) is that they are still the faithful and discreet slave however they won't be appointed over ALL their masters belongings until after Armageddon.
I would really appreciate it if someone could be bothered reading paragraph 10 of the July 2013 study article and please explain the following paraphrase: the parable describes the slave as 'singular', which means it is a 'composite'.
What in the hell??!!?!!!?
