Posts by NameWithheld

32

Forever Bashing JW's??

by ScoobySnax in

jw
friends

ok.....here's one for you.....maybe this follows on from previous posts about not forever being "ex-jws" as after all, you say you have to move on, and many here claim that they have.....however reading most posts here it becomes obvious that that doesn't seem to be the case.

many seem to be trapped in a "go get 'em" crusade against the jws that seems to go round and round ...... and others just go round.. why?

how long before resolution occurs?

NameWithheld

I'm happy that most who come here PG can come and go as they like, back and forth, otherwise if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't be here....my post though wasn't about that.....like I said there only seems to be freedom and acceptance of speech here if you follow the "line". Of course you are free to say what you like, but the conformity here mirrors that what you criticise the JWs for albeit in reverse, there seems no room for anything but anti-JW views. Jehovahs Witnesses here are viewed as Apostates are at the Kingdom Hall, there is no difference as I see it. It just makes me wonder.....

To quote Jesus "You yourself said it". Come and go, say what you like, have your own opionions and voice them. Will you be 'attacked' (critized) for them? Probably. But you will not be shunned in an enforced manner. What does that mean? That means that no group or person will force everyone on this board to ignore you. Now, individuals may choose to ignore you, but that is their decision, just as in real life if you do not have something in common with a coworker, for example, you may not spend much time around them. (Of course, most commonly decent people would not ignore them to the point of blatent not speaking, they would still 'be nice' to them, greet, etc if they were together. But that's a side point)

Now, turn that around and tell your JW buddies that you do not think that the current understanding of the 'generation' teaching is very clear, and that you do not agree with it. What happens? You will find yourself without a social circle VERY quickly. Meet a fellow JW and watch the quick turn from you as they walk the other way so as to not have to face you, or the quick turn of the nose into the air. That's the JW reality.

As for 'no room for anything but anti-JW views' that is proved wrong by the fact that you are here speaking, and we are relpying. Doesn't mean we will agree with your ideas, but we will debate/discuss them. JWs will not even discuss anti-JW ideas. Try and post one on the witness discussion board and watch how fast it and your account disappears (assuming you pass the rigorous screen process it takes to even get an account).

51

Ever hear of the "Three-Brain"???

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

i am a "newbie" on here, so you'll have to bere with me.

my question is, have any of you heard about a group of scam artists going around to the congregations trying to peddle their version of self-healing crap???

this was about 10-12 years ago in the usa.

NameWithheld

We've talked about this here before, but it bears repeating. JWs seem to for the most part open themselves up to every scammer that comes along. Many factors as noted above, minimal education, a mindset that is already set to not question or research anything, etc. In my days around JWs I saw every 'herbal' 'natural' 'diet' etc fad come and go, with the JWs getting sucked into one pyramid selling scheme after another.

I would guess too that the high stress/guilt lifestyle causes many to seek remedy and they cannot afford real medical help, so they turn to every fad they can find.

15

Guess what you'll be doing during the Millennium?

by refiners fire in

jw
friends

the watchtower of march 15th, 1965. .

"earthly opportunities opened by the resurrection" .

..."there will be the "resurrection of the righteous ones," and doubtless such righteous ones will be given earlier consideration, especially those belonging to the pre-christian "cloud of witnesses" from john the baptist all the way back to righteous abel.

NameWithheld

Francois, you noticed that too huh? When reading WT material, you can replace all words following 'doubtless' with blah blah blah blah bullsh*t blah blah blah.

"Doubtless, in the new world, all men will turn green and women will grow three heads. Jehovah will bless the fish with arms, and dogs will speak. What a truely marvolus provision from Jehovah!"

10

I saved some lives today! Found a TRACT

by Beans2 in

today i was working in the subway here in toronto and i looked over at a public phone and i saw what seemed to be a tract, so over i went and yes it was!

mysteriously placed so one could see it, no doubt counted as a placement and a few hours on the report.

so later on i am walking up the stairs and again i see this piece of paper, yet another tract of a different name.. so by taking these tracts i believe i may have saved someones life from the pain and suffering we have all been through.

NameWithheld

I like the idea of leaving the offending trash in place, but with a silent lambs, frreminds, etc sticker/paper stuck to it

25

Statistics Comparison

by Surreptitious in

jw
friends

.

does anyone know of any information comparing the growth rate of jehovah's witnesses to say the mormons or other "recruit-oriented" religons?

NameWithheld

jgnat, that's probably true. I would not be surprised if brooklyn, at least until a few years ago, was quite happy with the low growth rate. And doubly happy with the fact that most JWs were 'home grown' (JW shildren) since that after all is 'free' JWs - they are brainwashed from birth.

After all, the $$$ were flowing in, and there was no need to take on the task of trying to be #1, or even double in size. Complete iron fisted rulership of 6 million is better than loose control of 12 million. Now that the youth population is a) leaving, or b) braindead useless human waste (no education, no goals, no $$), and the $$$ are slowing down though I bet they are starting to feel a pinch. Hurt the bottom line? We will see progressive programs to convert new people. I.E. new TV spots already. This would have been unheard of in the mid 90's or earlier.

They just have to roll them out slow so as to not wake up the current JWs from their deep slumber.

63

Computer games are from the Devil

by ignored_one in

sorry guys.

but the old guys in brooklyn have decided that you're spending far too much time enjoying yourself.

see aw 12/22/02 for details.

NameWithheld

Ha ha. Of course Farkel says that that's an evil thing to subject a cat or bird too (since many find them to be good bird cage liners too).

Now the internet isn't the only evil computer related thing. Of course they've been harping on video games for years, I was forbidden to play 'violent' video games as a kid. Funny thing is now what was 'violent' in my time is nothing.

Anything that takes you away from slogging WT rags and books is evil(TM) It's all bible based.

7

What is "FDS"?

by marsal in

i just recently found this site.

i have been disfellowshipped for several years.

i enjoy reading blondie's comments so much, but i don't know what "fds" stands for.

NameWithheld

Feminine Deoderant Spray

4

J.W. Priorities

by JH in

jw
friends

many people say that they just faded away and never went back to the org.

i also faded away and i never felt any true love and friendship in the org.

brothers and sisters were like soldiers who were working for a common goal of making new recruits.

NameWithheld

Yes it does. Your experience reflects the same as many, many others who were ignored. The truth of the matter is that the JW elder arrangement does not reward caring for the 'flock' nearly as much as it rewards door-knocking and judicial activity. As long as you are off the elder radar screen you will be ignored. Now, that said, put up a big Xmas tree and lights this year, and you might find yourself very un-ignored by the elders

The 'love'(attention) is immense when you first join, but once you are assimilated you are not worthy of people's time. Again, being a JW requires 'hours' in FS, and you don't count towards those sales goals.

85

Suicide ends pain for many

by joelbear in

jw
friends

.

doctors have began prescribing suicide as a way out of pain saying that this medical avenue should have been recommended many more times in the past.

NameWithheld

Joel, we've never 'talked' much, but I've watched you post on this board for years. There is no easy way to fix your problems - nor do I even know or could probably fathom what they are. I've seen many like you, and the sad fact of life is in reality is we mostly make our own bed to lie in. Some are dealt a short hand of course, in the ways of less desirable bodies, emotional problems, phsical deformaty, etc - these add to the stress of finding a social circle to dwell in. But the flip side is that many people with the above mentioned problems have ignored/conquerd them and made a fullfilling life in spite of them. I'm not saying it's easy or possible for everyone, but it is doable. Life is a bitch sometimes, nobody will hand you a solution to problems. Not sky-daddy, nor humans. Some humans WILL try and help though. The question is will you accept their help?

That being said, all that's left is to a) grab life by the balls and shake something good out of it, or b) give up. If you choose to give up ultimately that is your choice, but remember there is more than just you involved. Like it or not you touch other people's lives too.

25

Statistics Comparison

by Surreptitious in

jw
friends

.

does anyone know of any information comparing the growth rate of jehovah's witnesses to say the mormons or other "recruit-oriented" religons?

NameWithheld

Battman, those numbers are pretty telling. I think another intereting tell is the # of hours reported vrs # of babtisms. That 'effectiveness' ratio is at a rediculous 4000+ hours per convert now. It takes 4000+ hours of knocking on doors and studys to convert one person. That's (approx) 5.5 - 6 months of solid preaching per person, and by solid I mean 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Or another way, at an average of 8 hours a month, a typical JW can expect to convert ONE person to JW-hood every 41.6 years.

This of course does not factor in the fact that the vast majority of new baptisms are not from the field service work, but from kids, and to a lesser extent, relatives, co-workers, and other 'social circle' type converts. If you assumed that 1/2 of the converts were JW children, and that's probably a very small assumption, then it now takes 83.3 years of door knocking to convert ONE person from outside the JW social circle. In all probability JW children probably make up more like 2/3 or more of baptisms. To see this in action all you have to do is go to any convention. 90% of the people getting dunked are children.