Posts by OutsiderLookingIn

3

Interesting Prince quote from current Entertainment Weekly (yes, another Prince thread)

by OutsiderLookingIn in

this weekend, i was reading my cousin's hard copy of the entertainment weekly prince tribute (may 6, 2016 issue) and came across a very interesting quote.

ew journalist leah greenblatt, who conducted the last major magazine interview with prince in august 2015, recounted him saying: "religion is beautiful as long as you don't become a fanatic and start shutting other people out, other ideas.

prince may have still been a jw, but it sounds like he had a very open-minded approach to it.

OutsiderLookingIn

This weekend, I was reading my cousin's hard copy of the Entertainment Weekly Prince tribute (May 6, 2016 issue) and came across a very interesting quote. EW journalist Leah Greenblatt, who conducted the last major magazine interview with Prince in August 2015, recounted him saying: "Religion is beautiful as long as you don't become a fanatic and start shutting other people out, other ideas."

Say what?! Prince may have still been a JW, but it sounds like he had a very open-minded approach to it. Maybe he stuck around for the promise of paradise but didn't get into small-mindedness and looking down on non-JWs. I was so glad to read this. Whether or not it's the norm, Prince found some balance in the JW religion.

Unfortunately, I can't link to it because the EW website doesn't have the full article; it just refers you to ways to buy the magazine. I guess it's how to sell magazines in a dying industry. Check it out in a supermarket checkout lane near you. http://www.ew.com/article/2016/04/27/prince-ew-cover

15

Higher Education - is it really the end of the WT?

by OutsiderLookingIn in

as a non-jw, before i started looking into things, i must say i only encountered intelligent jws.

so i was quite surprised to read here and in the pew report about their low overall educational achievement.

granted, my exposure was limited (less than a handful of people over a lifetime) but i met two of them in post-college education (graduate school) at a very good school.

OutsiderLookingIn

Thanks for all the insight. I know it's anecdotal, but given my limited exposure to JWs, I was so surprised to hear the reality is the exact opposite of my own experience.

15

Higher Education - is it really the end of the WT?

by OutsiderLookingIn in

as a non-jw, before i started looking into things, i must say i only encountered intelligent jws.

so i was quite surprised to read here and in the pew report about their low overall educational achievement.

granted, my exposure was limited (less than a handful of people over a lifetime) but i met two of them in post-college education (graduate school) at a very good school.

OutsiderLookingIn

As a non-JW, before I started looking into things, I must say I only encountered intelligent JWs. So I was quite surprised to read here and in the PEW report about their low overall educational achievement. Granted, my exposure was limited (less than a handful of people over a lifetime) but I met TWO of them in post-college education (graduate school) at a very good school. I was friendlier with one during school (Dub A) and I got to know the other better after we graduated because we were in the same city (Dub B). Dub A wore it as a badge of honor--she’d drop the occasional “Jehovah God”, she chuckled and proclaimed that she was a JW when I suggested going to church together, and when I told her that I got to go to a Prince concert she didn’t hesitate to say “oh, you saw brother Prince.” I would forget that JWs don’t celebrate birthdays and invite them to my birthday celebrations. They wouldn’t come and Dub B even told me that she’s a JW so she doesn’t “do the whole birthday thing.”

Then last summer, I met a current student who was out in service. I asked a question and she gave me her email address, a school email for another good graduate school. I emailed her and have yet to receive a response.

I say all that to ask, why do people believe that higher education is a sign of trouble ahead for the WT? Is it because they’re going against official stance on education? If they still hold up the party line (no birthdays, pride in being a JW, even field service), then what is the excitement about? It’s a great personal achievement for sure, but in my experience, it doesn’t mean they’re moving from the WT. I’ll add that this was all within the last 10 years in case that makes a difference to your analysis.

51

A New Words With Friends Player Just Told Me That She Was a Jehovah's Witness And That's Why She's So Smart!

by minimus in

jw
friends

i saw she went under the handle of lovejahforever.....she said she is very smart and had cleaning jobs and was going in the ministry this morning.. when she told me she looked forward to beating me (she won the first game) she sid she was smart because she's a jehovah's witness.

my response was we will see how smart she is.. what next?

any suggestions??

OutsiderLookingIn

WHAT??! Who does that? What a weird thing to say. I would be annoyed and even more motivated to win. Maybe it's her version of a Jedi mind trick that lets her count time.

I'd just say: I dunno... it's been a long time since 1914.

Or: that's great! I've been dying to find out how many generations fit into an overlapping generation.

53

Here is what kind of person (Prince) a celebrity JW is

by Terry in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lhcparuzpc

OutsiderLookingIn

Finkelstein, I'm talking about lies of the Watchtower machine (1914, God's organization, etc.) and interpretation of scriptures to control people instead of helping them grow in Christ. The story about Michael Jackson not even wanting anyone to acknowledge his birthday and wanting to celebrate Christmas--but it's okay because he had "Family Day"--makes me sad. As a non-JW, I've often wondered what a young child is told that well-wishes on his birthday as an adult would result in that emotional shutdown. All in the name of God

36

Faith, where now?

by Theburstbubble in

so for the first time ever i went to a church service at my local church (coe) and i have to say it was awful!

it was just like a ritual.

the vicar would say something and then the congregation would all say a phrase in unison back to him.

OutsiderLookingIn

So for the first time ever I went to a church service at my local church (COE) and I have to say it was awful! It was just like a ritual. The vicar would say something and then the congregation would all say a phrase in unison back to him. In between were prayers, hymns etc. This went on for an hour. It was totally unfeeling and I'm not sure how people even learn about the bible at such places.

Hi burstbubble, what day did you attend the service? I've never been to a Sunday WT service so I don't know how that compares. But the Sunday service of most churches is a worship service so there would be songs/hymns, liturgical or scripture readings, then a sermon. Even then, there are different worship styles depending on the church you attend so maybe the one you attended was more subdued. Many churches have a midweek Bible study which is typically smaller and will go into more extended discussion of an passage of scripture, not a hopscotch of verses.

Keep trying. I certainly didn't find my church on the first try. Even after I went, I alternated with other places just to make sure. It's worth the effort. Definitely take your time to investigate, make sure you're comfortable and that what they're saying is scripturally sound. Hope that helps :)

53

Here is what kind of person (Prince) a celebrity JW is

by Terry in

jw
friends

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lhcparuzpc

OutsiderLookingIn

The MJ story was so sad. It really hurts me the long lasting and devastating effects these lies can have.

28

NEW PEW Research data on Jehovah's Witnesses just released

by Balaamsass2 in

i was expecting people who "identified" as jws to follow watchtower beliefs more closely than these pollsters report.. .

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/.

OutsiderLookingIn

ba2, I was going to say the same thing. I would like to see regional statistics. In NYC, in the public "ministry" (carts or standing with a magazine in hand) is predominantly black and Hispanic. A few Asian. I can count on one hand, maybe two, when I have seen white JWs out. Mind you, I take the subway at least twice a day. So the percentage of whites seems high as compared to my experience, but maybe they're not at the stops I frequent.

28

NEW PEW Research data on Jehovah's Witnesses just released

by Balaamsass2 in

i was expecting people who "identified" as jws to follow watchtower beliefs more closely than these pollsters report.. .

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/26/a-closer-look-at-jehovahs-witnesses-living-in-the-u-s/.

OutsiderLookingIn

Agree 100%, Coded Logic. There is a spectrum of JW belief. You can also add weak inactive ones (it's the truth even though I don't live it at all). Pretty much anyone in the Watchtower web of influence (somehow exposed to the teachings but unaware of TTATT) might identify as JW for survey purposes.

Also, this isn't a new survey. It's a re-release of the 2014 results in light of the death of Prince, the most famous and (superficially) unlikely JW. Will it generate interest in JWs, i.e. new converts? I doubt it.

42

Has Anybody Hear a Rumour That Prince Died?

by cofty in

why do people care so much about celebrities?

OutsiderLookingIn

I was a fan a lot of his music and musical ability so I was very sad to hear of his passing. It's a bit of nostalgia or remembering what his songs meant to me. He was also back on tour and making appearances (e.g., Grammys saying, like books and black lives, albums still matter). I know people who went to his recent concerts just weeks ago. So to go from that to "he's dead" was quite the shock and hard to take.

As to why there is so much interest in him on this forum, there are so many reasons. There has been much speculation here as to whether he was still an active JW. His sudden death brought those questions to the fore.

Then of course, there's the money. Did he or didn't he give it to the Watchtower? This was something that especially concerned me in the days after his death. I **really** hope he didn't leave them a dime. On one level, it's shocking that someone of his status wouldn't have a will. On another, who knows? Maybe Prince didn't have a will precisely because he thought Armageddon was happening any day now. I think this would be so perfect--just desserts for the Watchtower that for so long has counseled people not to plan for the future. In which case, it serves them right. On top of that, his philanthropy in life suggests to me he wouldn't give away all his money to an organization that does next to nothing to help anyone.

Also, for me it highlights the hypocrisy and double standards in this organization. My JW acquaintance called another performer "my idol" because I was happy about her recent engagement after an unsuccessful relationship. Um, what's idolatrous about that? That I can be happy for her even though her songs weren't about long skirts and religious magazines? Yet upon finding out that Prince was a JW (he claims not to have known before, even though I've known for years) has changed his avatar to Prince. Really!? How is that not idolatry? I'm just waiting for the perfect time to bring it up.

The Prince issue brings together everything the Watchtower claims to be but really isn't.

As to whether this will bring interest (studies or attendance increases), it remains to be seen. But what I have seen says nope. People still passing the carts by at the same rate. Ignored. No one cares. If you loved Prince, it was the music and who he was as a person that you loved, not his belief system.