NeonMadman

Joined

• started 102 topics
• posted 3,698 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by NeonMadman

• 
  31

  7th Day Adventists came to my house... it was weird

  by sabastious in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so i get a knock on the door and a minister from a local 7th day adventists is at my doorstep.

  it felt very much like a witness.

  he asked me about my life and how things were going and if i was a christian.. i explained to him that i gave up christianity a while back and he asked why.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  I attended an SDA church for a short while as a teenager. While they rarely went from house to house for proselytizing purposes, they would have a special campaign that they called "Ingathering" around Christmas and Easter times, during which they would go from house to house in order to solicit funds for their schools and hospitals. They did carry pamphlets that they would distribute, though I think they related more to the social programs of the church than doctrinal matters. IIRC, they may have contained the standard SDA "free Bible correspondence course" offer. I took part in the work a few times myself, and as I recall, it was a lot more fun than going out in field service as a JW. My guess is that the "Ingathering" program, or something very like it, is still alive and well. That was probably the reason that the SDA knocked at your door.
• 
  25

  The expression 'need greaters'. Anyone else heard this?

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my wife gets emails from someone who is serving in another country.. he keeps on referring to brothers/sisters who are 'need greaters'.. if they are actually using this expression then i have to say that it is the stupidest 'title' that they have ever dreamed up.

  so full of their own self importance.. need greaters?..............

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  "And remember brothers, it's serving where the need is great, not where the great are needed."
• 
  5

  5000 every week?

  by ssn587 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  have heard it a number of times that there are 5,000 newcomers every week to the dubs.

  what are the stats for those leaving everyweek?

  does anyone have an idea.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  Based on the 2009 and 2010 Yearbooks:

  2008 Avg. Publishers: 6,691,790

  2009 Avg. Publishers 6,829,455

  Increase 2008-2009: 137,665

  Baptisms 2008-9: 276,233, or about 5312/wk.

  "Missing" Publishers: 138,568, or about 2665/wk.

  In other words, over half the number baptized stopped "publishing" in the 2008-9 service year (not necessarily the same individuals, of course). We might attribute a small percentage of this decrease to deaths, but that would be almost insignificant in view of the obviously large numbers leaving the organization.
• 
  12

  Farmville disfellowshipping?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i wonder if i can get into trouble for having a christmas tree and sending christmas gifts on farmville?

  wouldn't it be something to be the first farmville disfellowshippee?

  i'd like to hear that that judicial committee!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  Would that mean that JW's only had to shun you in Farmville?
• 
  14

  Christopher Hitchens / Tony Blair debate - November 27, 2010

  by Nickolas in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is the first of nine youtube videos covering last night's debate on religion in toronto.

  well worth the time.. http://www.youtube.com/user/hitchensblairdebate#p/u/8/ipmpfu3mmpa.

  also available in avi format for torrent download here: http://onebigtorrent.org/download.php?id=10240&export=1&d=1.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  I thought Hitchens was not debating because of his treatments for cancer? He cancelled a debate with Dr. James White for this reason, and I suspect (without having actually watched the video) that Dr. White would have been a more formidable advocate of theism than Tony Blair.
• 
  30

  Who Will Conquer the World in the 1970's? - Public Talk

  by Bonnie_Clyde in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  july 1970 km page 3 (under announcements) - "a new circuit assembly program is scheduled to begin in september.

  we believe you will find it most informative and upbuilding.

  the public talk will be "who will conquer the world in the 1970's?".

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  I remember being present for that talk, and being rather disappointed because it didn't really offer any specifics about the 1975 prophecy beyond what we already had in other publications. Rather, iirc, it focused on "conquering the world" in the sense that Jesus spoke of in John 16:33 - "I have said these things to YOU that by means of me YOU may have peace. In the world YOU are having tribulation, but take courage! I have conquered the world."

  There was a WT article a few years later on the same topic. Here's a sample:

  *** w79 2/1 p. 17 par. 3 World Conquerors by Faith ***
  What kind of conquest is this conquest by faith? Well, to have faith means to be so thoroughly convinced concerning things unseen or things of the future that these become a reality to the believer. True Christian faith, far different from credulity built on shifting sands of emotion or superstition, is built on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ. Like ‘gold, silver and precious stones,’ it is incombustible. (1 Cor. 3:11-14) It is convinced of the existence of the one living God Jehovah and that he will vindicate his position as Sovereign Lord of the universe. This faith is anchored in the promises of the God “who cannot lie.” It looks intently to Jesus as its Perfecter and as God’s Chief Agent for fulfilling all of His grand purposes in connection with his kingdom.—Titus 1:2; Heb. 11:1, 6; 12:2.

  So I think we may be overreaching to try to pin the 1975 prophecy to this talk - even though that's clearly the "tease" that they intended at the time with the title. All of us thought we would get some earth-shaking new information about the nearness of Armageddon, but it didn't happen in that talk.
• 
  28

  Secret elders meeting in the end of 2010

  by Lore in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  all the elders in my circuit are driving across the state for a big elders meeting.

  and the ministerial servants have to do it on sunday.

  evidentally they were all told to study certain parts of their new book before going.. .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  Sounds like it's probably the Kingdom Ministry school where they will go over the new elders' manual.
• 
  13

  Can I be df'd even if I never meet with the elders?

  by ele_lux in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if i never agree to meet them, can they still df me if they knew i was doing something they condemn?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  In theory, if you refuse to attend the JC meeting, they can act based on the evidence and testimony that is available to them. If they believe there is sufficient evidence to disfellowship, then they will do so. Since a JC meeting is not normally called without some sort of prima facie case for disfellowshipping, most committees will see that as being sufficient. Your refusal to show up just adds fuel to the fire, since if you were repentant, you would undoubtedly want to be there to receive "help" [translation: "browbeating"] from the elders.
• 
  17

  Why do Jehovah's Witnesses Feel Like They Have To Label You?

  by Pitchess Co-Gen in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  ok here's a little story on my background i was baptized in 2003, and i was a model witness for 2003-2006. then i had sex and was at first put private reprove (2006) and i made a another boo-boo in 2007 ( public reprove ) .

  i was then given a bad name and thats when i started to get ''troubled'' label and a bad name around the circuit.

  i labeled as "party boy" and ''sex hound'' ( which i was lol.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  Anyway why do they give people labels ?

  It's a thought-stopping process. By slapping a label on you, they don't have to do the hard work of actually analyzing your behavior or arguments. They can simply dismiss you as having no value. The most prominent label that people on this board are familiar with is "apostate." If they can decide you are an apostate, they don't have to listen to anything you say and thay don't have to wrestle with the arguments or facts that you bring to their attention. They are completely justified in simply putting their heads into the sand and not listening at all. So the fact that their religious belief has holes in it you could fly the Starship Enterprise through never needs to come to their attention, and they can go about their lives convinced of their ultimate rightness and moral superiority.
• 
  18

  Video of the Watchtower Study

  by Pig in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you've seen my public talk video you might like to watch the watchtower video.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keidzmxhliy.

  can someone embedd please i dunno how?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NeonMadman

  This video is somewhat more exciting than the actual Watchtower Study.