I'm going next weekend. Sir82 I am surprised you even listened that much. I pretty much play with my iPhone the entire time and claim to my wife that I am looking up the scriptures on it. I wish I could promise to post notes the following Monday but I wont have any.
XBEHERE
JoinedPosts by XBEHERE
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31
DC Ramblings: A non-comprehensive review of some lowlights
by sir82 inrecently attended the dc.
there have been mny threads already on this, but here are some random thoughts giving my take on what i saw & heard.... .
-- attendance was about the same as last year, averaging around 8000 per session.
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Is the 10 Hour Per Month Requirement Still In Force?
by Conan The Barbarian inare there any active elders/ms or higher out there who can advise if one of the requirements for appointment is that the person's fs time is equal to or greater than either the congregation's average or the national average?
this used to be the case, but may have been relaxed.
also is the branch still approving appointments?
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XBEHERE
Not in print anywhere but the CO still compares the congregation average when he comes to:
1. The circuit average
2. The National Average
In our cong. meeting attandance is well below 100% and he keeps asking us why...lol because people are sick of meetings. SICK of them, but nobody will every reveal that to the average person in the hall. To close, close friends or relatives maybe.
If you are already appointed an MS or elder and your f/s hrs are between 7-10 nobody will care. If its consistently below 7 or so the rest of elders will discuss it via email/side disucssions, and 2 elders will be sent to speak to you about it.
To be appointed you have to be in the 9-12 range 1-2 mos prior aux pioneer service helps out.
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How many ex-jws poster here now believe in Hellfire, immortality of soul, trinity, etc;
by booker-t ini am just curious about this because although i agree with many of the posters here that the wt society is guilty of many horrible deeds, i still believe they are right when it comes to doctrinal things as i mention.
especially hellfire.
i just don't see how anybody that has studied the bible for many years like many of the ex-jws here can make an about face and go back to believing hellfire.
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XBEHERE
I am not sure to be honest and this is a good question. One of the things I have been toying with is the diety of Jesus. I simply don't agree with the org. that Jesus is simply an angel and first born son of god. While I still like the bible its mostly for the principles of kindness and love that are promoted within it. Doctrinally I think you can make it prove whatever you want it to with some careful thought and cross references. I have done this and I have come to the conclusion that Jesus is more than what the WT says he is. They also have managed to change meanings of some verses with some substitutions and omissions of their own, the same things they have accused other translators of doing.
Other than this I havent really given most of their doctrines much thought
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Is the FDS losing control?
by Hermano ini believe there is growing unrest amongst jws.
they may not be very cohesive or organized, but the rigorous demands for obedience coming from the leadership and the unbending, never ending list of rules, not to mention the end that has been ever so-close for so long yet never climaxes, has a lot of jws frustrated.. don't get me wrong.
i know there are some jws that will hang in there no matter what they're told to do and will obey without question.
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XBEHERE
I do think that many JWs are "main-streaming" it. In other words they go to meetings, out in service, etc. but really dont care. Remember its a social club also, friends, family, something to do. I know many JWs who watch violent movies, play violent video games, have a little too much to drink, stay home from meetings on occasion for reason, etc., etc. It will take a tremendous, earth shattering event such as a GB member being caught on video with a man or a hooker and evidence that the others tried to cover it up to shake some people up. Even then many will not even pay attention.
Its a pyschological hold that being a part of a congregation holds over you that causes the... whats the term cognative dissonance? I would guess that in a given congregation 25-30% or more dont care about the religion anymore. However each of those people would never reveal their doubts because of fear of retribution and being cut off from the rest of the group to shut you up. Its sad because if all these people in every cong around the world would reveal themselves then we would see a big change. Fear prevents it from happening.
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How ManyYears Did You Waste Being A Jehovah's Witness?
by minimus ini was raised as a jw and i haven't been to a meeting in about 8 years..
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XBEHERE
If counting from baptism then 24, but was raised a wit-less.
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omg..lol
by XBEHERE ini resisted all these weeks and finally i watched the clip of the new video: "obey jehovah" lol... are the really fracking serious with this?
the snake holding the sparlock toy?
rotfl.... i am embarrassed to still be a jw.
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XBEHERE
Oh I didn't expect any responses because I know there's been 750 sparlock threads. I had to vent to someone, who better than you all. I am still in because of the reasons stated above, family...family..FAMILY! I try not to think about it and keep out of other jdubs business as much as possible while being kind and nice. What else can I do. As I get older, hopefullt I can use age/ilness to ditch the elder mantle. Until then I deal with a lot of bullshit. I will definitely let people know the reaction to sparlock in my cong.. but seriously OMG.
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omg..lol
by XBEHERE ini resisted all these weeks and finally i watched the clip of the new video: "obey jehovah" lol... are the really fracking serious with this?
the snake holding the sparlock toy?
rotfl.... i am embarrassed to still be a jw.
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XBEHERE
I resisted all these weeks and finally I watched the clip of the new video: "Obey Jehovah" lol... are the really fracking serious with this? The snake holding the sparlock toy? rotfl.... I am embarrassed to still be a JW. I really don't know how I am going to keep a straight face while speaking to other witnesses about this. OMG!
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What Do Jehovah's Witnesses Have Going For Them?
by minimus inthere must be a reason jws stay or people join..
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XBEHERE
To answer the question- Absolutely nothing! However the reason I stay is because I do not want to lose my entire (immediate, extended, wife, kids and her immediate and extended) family. Leaving would cause extreme stress in my marriage and with my kids and would likely end in divorce because of the added stress. So I am choosing to take the stress of knowing its all bullshit on my shoulders instead of destroying my family.
I know many of you do not agree and wonder how I can tolerate it, well I am still an elder and I just stay calm, cool. I dont volunteer for anything but neither do I turn down assignments. I dont sit on those dreadful judicial committee's anymore. I say very, very little during elders meetings. I am nice and kind to everyone and do not attract attention to myself in any way, shape or form.
10+ years ago I was an elder cylon...robotic, mother asks me to jump I ask how high type of person. Assembly parts, Secretary and eventually PO (now COBE), special committees, called by CO's to discuss issues, etc, etc. It has taken me a decade to fade away from all of that.
Sometimes it gets to me and I get really down, and sometimes watching all the politicking and ass kissing going on constantly makes me want to vomit but I think of my family.... this is the main hold they have on people. If my wife ever comes up to me and expresses doubts I will leave skid marks in the kingdom hall carpet.
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XBEHERE
I know.. but its the cult paranoia you know. They really suck...really they do
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XBEHERE
lol oops. nice Avatar btw. I found out about this link several weeks ago but feared posting it and getting caught so waited until they announced it on service meeting.