Posts by dropoffyourkeylee

53

Convention Blast

by Zilgee in

jw convention blast in kerala india.

one died.

dropoffyourkeylee

It is shocking and very sad. I will be following the story as it develops.

A few things that seem especially alarming:

- Previous JW-related shootings, etc have mostly been individuals targeting a specific Kingdom Hall, with personal grievances against individuals. This one is apparently aimed at killing anyone they could get. A terrifying escalation.

- You don't hear of many terrorist-type crimes from India. Isn't this very unusual for that country?

-JWs are such a small minority in India (60,000 out of 1.4 billion) that it seems like no one there has probably heard of them. Do they have that many enemies there so as to engender such hatred?

-a person named Dominic Martin has claimed to be responsible. If he is indeed the one, what nationality is he, and what is his backstory?

- There were three nearly simultaneous explosions. Was he really working alone or were there accomplices?

83

Thought on “0 hours” reporting

by FFGhost in

so everyone knows the “big news” of this past weekend, no more reporting of hours, placements, return visits, etc.

beginning november 1, jws just tick a box indicating whether they “shared in any form of the ministry during the month”.. so there was a brief comment by a redditor that seems like a brief joke “throwaway comment” but after thinking about it….why not?.

the idea is, what is “any form of the ministry”?

dropoffyourkeylee

The change from hours-reporting to yes/no-participation-reporting is one of the most significant changes in JW-land for many years. It may take quite a while, decades even, to play out, but what it will do is change the character of the leadership. Generally (borrowing from business management), changing criteria for leadership means a different skill set is needed to be successful, and to ultimately advance within that organization. Up to now, the WT has been modelled on advancing people with the personality and aptitude for being successful sales persons; introverts need not apply. These people define success as enthusiasm and skill in a door-to-door sales environment. Changing the requirments means that the non-sales person who despises door-to-door sales may now have a path towards leadership. I wouldn't call it 'lowering the bar', but 'changing the bar'. The effect over time will be dramatic for the JW world.

83

Thought on “0 hours” reporting

by FFGhost in

so everyone knows the “big news” of this past weekend, no more reporting of hours, placements, return visits, etc.

beginning november 1, jws just tick a box indicating whether they “shared in any form of the ministry during the month”.. so there was a brief comment by a redditor that seems like a brief joke “throwaway comment” but after thinking about it….why not?.

the idea is, what is “any form of the ministry”?

dropoffyourkeylee

I think one of the reasons (there are undoubtedly lots of reasons), is to open up ministerial servant and elder to a larger group of candidates. E-V-E-N-T-U-A-L-L-Y, I predict, it will be opened up to women.

5

Interesting story in todays New York Times that gives some insight into the religious soup of the 1800s that Watchtower arose from.

by Balaamsass2 in

todays nyt.

fascinating read and background of new york state in the 1800s.

this community welcomes mediums, but first you have to prove yourself.

dropoffyourkeylee

An interesting article, thanks for posting the link.

I wasn't aware of Lily Dale NY. Undoubtedly that area of NY state (collectively called the Burned-Over area because of the frequent revivals in the 1800's) was the source of some of the more fringe-religions based loosely on Christian faiths, but with a twist. Russellism (early ties to Rochester NY area), Mormons (Palmyra NY area), others as well, had early influences in the region. The Erie Canal brought population and wealth to the area, and with it a lot of pseudo-religious ideas. One of Russell's early mentors (later an opponent), from whom he picked up the calculation of time prophecies, was from that area of NY and printed his magazine from Rochester NY.

People back then, without TV, Radio, sound amplification, etc, gathered in smaller groups and venues to listen to lectures, music, things that interested them. The Chatauqua Movement, though more of a social movement rather than religious, originated in the same burned-over district (still in existence). Some of the early Bible Student conventions were held at Chatauqua Lake NY.

Russell was always greatly opposed to Spiritualism, calling it out to be demonism rather than contact with dead spirits. This was a natural conclusion based on his belief in soul sleep.

5

1975 Washington DC. Kingdom Ministry School.

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

1975 washing dc, kingdom ministry school that lasted for 2 weeks, with russell cantwell as the instructor.. .

https://imgbox.com/zykcnigq.

were any of you brothers there?.

dropoffyourkeylee

I expect that not many of those guys are still living. Interesting photo. I knew some elders who attended a similar two week class about the same time (my dad included), but I think it was more in the '77-'78 time period.

Max Hollweg, JW survivor of Nazi camps interviewed in 1996

by dropoffyourkeylee in

max hollweg, in an interview in 1996, was a nazi concentration camp surviving jw and is interviewed for this documentary on himmler:.

the video link here begins discussion of hollweg at about 33:30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk68tda_lue.

.

dropoffyourkeylee

Max Hollweg, in an interview in 1996, was a Nazi concentration camp surviving JW and is interviewed for this documentary on Himmler:

The video link here begins discussion of Hollweg at about 33:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk68TDa_LuE

41

2023-10-13-Announcement (Reporting Field Service)

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

2023-10-13-announcements (reporting field service).

page 1. https://imgbox.com/96lgsfw4 .

page 2. https://imgbox.com/zynoa02m .

dropoffyourkeylee

Some years ago, pre-Internet, I ordered the transcript of the 1918 trial of Rutherford and his associates. Reading the transcript convinced me that the reporting of time in service, which Rutherford started soon after he was released from prison, was done for a legal reason. Reporting of time was a way for them to document who was a member of the religion/faith. Before that there was no way to really know or document what a member was. Here they were trying to get their 'members' exemption from the draft for being members of a pacifist religion, but didn't have a way to define what a member was. Voila, the reporting of time was invented to keep the leaders of the religion out of jail for violation of the Espionage Act.

18

144 year-old mystery finally solved

by Tahoe in

.

dropoffyourkeylee

I misread it to be 144000 mystery

31

Jehovah's Witnesses no longer count time. How is this news affecting moral and meeting attendance at local congregations?

by Balaamsass2 in

no more watchtower and awake mags every 2 weeks to place.

no private home book studies.

no more "essential" spiritual food meals 5x a week.

dropoffyourkeylee

They just read the announcement for the first time yesterday at this hall (midwest US). It was not followed up by any discussion, he just read it and walked back to his seat. I looked around the audience for any reaction, but didn't see any. Kind of curious. I don't associate any with them, so I don't know if there was any conversation before or after.

Generally people are kind of brain dead around here.

10

How Much of Russell and Rutherford is Left?

by NotFormer in

russell is kind of acknowledged as the founder, but rutherford is the one who really made the wt what it is, or at least laid the foundations for what it came to be, today.

how much would someone from that era recognise in the wt today?

what are the big changes that they would see?.

dropoffyourkeylee

Russell's belief in soul sleep, rejecting the immortal soul belief, is still around. Also I think his rather unique interpretation of the ransom is mostly intact. The chronology leading to 1914 (not the interpretation of what significance the year might have), is partially still there. That's all I can think of that is mostly the same.