Posts by JakeM2012

65

Donations aren't coming in from Western Countries: more confirmation

by Julia Orwell in

in talking to sparky the elder today (http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/263862/1/an-elder-called-me-hes-waking-up-and-knew-id-understand-nice-for-him-to-have-a-friend) i found out he did the accounts for our congregation for years.

he said very rarely did the congregation meet its expenses without some well-off brother chipping in a few grand here and there.

the elders would also make up the shortfall.

JakeM2012

For me personally, I found myself resistant to donating any money when I personally provided labor, trucks, equipment etc to assist with assemblies, conventions, and special assembly days. Picking up and delivering the baptism pool 3 times a year to different facilities, making sandwitches, pasta salad, doing pre- or post-convention work etc, was enough "financial support" for me.

I gave nearly 5 years of my life to the branch construction work that WTBTS have sold most for big$$$ on in their "spirit directed" downsizing. After I came home from working overseas for WTBTS I rarely ever donated, I always felt I gave at the office. Since I had not served at Brooklyn Bethel but just the branches, I was not used on the assemblies and conventions like other "real Bethelites" were that were literally worshipped. I began to feel they would "use" me and my connections for what they could get, but there was never any return token of even being a chairman for a CA.

I am somewhat enjoying observing their financial struggle:) although it is sometimes exaggerated.

69

"The excitement is PALPABLE"

by Separation of Powers in

got caught at the supermarket (in between the martini olives and snack crackers ) with several bottles of hard liquor in my basket along with some red licorice by a sister that has known me for years.

still respects me, not knowing that i am in full fade mode, or at least not recognizably knowing.

anyway, when she sees me, her eyes get all big and she heads in my direction, nearly ramming my liquor laden cart with her vegan oriented basket.. "hey sop, how are you doing?

JakeM2012

I've been to annual meetings before, and they are NOTHING to be excited about. The gilead graduation was much more "palpable" because the liquor flowed from mid-morning to the late evening.

I remember being invited to an annual meeting some years ago by an older Bethel overseer and his wife that I liked. I thought I was going to the Stanley Theater, but NOOOOOOO, ended up watching/listening to it at Watchtower Farms. Bummmer. It cost me $600 airfare, a rental car for 3 days, and motel cost at the Watchtower Melba Toast Inn near Walkill. The meeting consisted of a few branch overseers giving reports about how the preaching work was doing in their countries. Basically, year book material first hand. (You remember the yearbook that nobody ever read?)

It was still/freshly rumored about the Watchtower Melba Toast Motel manager who was an elder having sex in the motel rooms with the young good looking pioneers working as house keepers. One ended up getting pregnant and he had her move into his house with his family. Eventually, his misconduct was revealed.

Backstory: In years past there were many younger sisters that moved around Bethel to find marriage material, the sisters would live together in rental homes and work at Patterson or Watchtower farms mostly in some sort of construction support while at the same time working secularly for money. When I was single waiting to get visas to enter countries to do branch construction I met many nice young ladies/ummm sisters.;) .

Anyway, That was the first and last time I spent any money on the "vacation" from hell to nowhere annual meeting to attend a kingdom hall meeting where I had to pack more meeting clothes than socks! Back at home, the well to do elders would flaunt that they had gone to the annual meeting as if they should be worshipped because they were so close to the hub of the organization the "Governing Body". This weekend will be another let down of exponential terms. Szzznznznznznznznz. I think I'll go see the 3D movie Gravity, with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. That should be "palpable".

4

Witnesses Get Shot At

by metatron in

jw
friends

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/jehovahs-witnesses-shot-at-867543.

i like the comment that 'i didn't know it was jehovah's witness season.

i gotta get my license renewed".

JakeM2012

I wonder if Mr. Baldwin will be on the "do not call list"?

63

I made a huge mistake

by KariOtt in

jw
friends

its been a tough 6 months for my jw hubby and myself.

next saturday is our anniversary.

i wasn't sure we would make it with the turbulance of the last 6 months.

JakeM2012

Kariott, "huge mistake", NOT,. What real man could be even upset with a woman that did all that for a six month anniversary. You've taken the exemplary high road in marital and religious tolerance by exchanging the cross for a 3.5 carrot princess cut diamond ring right? Now We are talking biblical peaceableness here.

22

Red light camera ticket

by sspo in

my last speeding ticket was in tennessee in 1993, was going 15 miles over the speed limit and got a $60 ticket.

that was my last one.. three weeks ago did not make a complete stop making a right turn here in california and got nailed with a "camera ticket".. damage to my wallet ...$540 and have to take an 8hour class.. i guess california is in need of a lot of cash.. do you have traffic cameras where you live or are they illegal?.

.

JakeM2012

I was cited for running a light at 4:00 a.m. in the morning. $50 fine in TN. A few months ago the small city that had installed the camera shut it off. Evidently there were several things that the city council looked at. One, after news spread around about where the cameras were, people stopped running that light, and they were not getting the revenue expected anymore. Second, it was by a mall, and the area businesses said that their receipts were down and blamed it on the camera's scaring potential customers from coming into the area. Evidently, when first installed the cameras are profitable, but then when people know what to look for the returns dimenish. So California raises the price to keep it profitable? $540 wow.

22

Red light camera ticket

by sspo in

my last speeding ticket was in tennessee in 1993, was going 15 miles over the speed limit and got a $60 ticket.

that was my last one.. three weeks ago did not make a complete stop making a right turn here in california and got nailed with a "camera ticket".. damage to my wallet ...$540 and have to take an 8hour class.. i guess california is in need of a lot of cash.. do you have traffic cameras where you live or are they illegal?.

.

JakeM2012

I was cited for running a light at 4:00 a.m. in the morning. $50 fine in TN. A few months ago the small city that had installed the camera shut it off. Evidently there were several things that the city council looked at. One, after news spread around about where the cameras were, people stopped running that light, and they were not getting the revenue expected anymore. Second, it was by a mall, and the area businesses said that their receipts were down and blamed it on the camera's scaring potential customers from coming into the area. Evidently, when first installed the cameras are profitable, but then when people know what to look for the returns dimenish. So California raises the price to keep it profitable? $540 wow.

22

The door bell rang today

by ABibleStudent in

jw
friends

just before i started undressing to take a shower to go to an appointment, the door bell rang.

i thought about not answering the door, but then thought what the hell it could be my neighbor, who is a widow and in her 70's, needing some help.. at the door was a frail man about 85+ years old dressed in a shabby sport coat, shirt, tie, and slacks, and a skinny woman about 75+ years old in a long dress that needed to be ironed.

as i grabbed my dog to prevent him from jumping at the screen door, which was partially open, and beating the couple with his tail and making them fall, i thought what am i going to do.

JakeM2012

85+ and 75+ year old couple, I'm sorry, I don't care what cult they have been mistakeningly conned into following, I would invite them in and serve them tea or coffee, scons or cookies, and let the couple give their "sermon". Be polite, they are at the end of life, I would hate to live with the thought I had mistreated them in some way.

23

Wisdom teeth

by Arkady in

i am not a jw.

i am basically here for two reasons:.

1. i am not satisfied with mainstream christianity and i believe that jw (along with other sects) have some things to offer in terms of answering my questions.

JakeM2012

Just pray, your tooth will then heal. You must have slacked off of praying and donating.

20

The GB Want More Gimme Gimme Feed Me More Money, What Do We Get?

by LoisLane looking for Superman in

jw
friends

if we keep dishing out cash, to pay for all of our wonderful new light and spiritual food, have we, in return, actually only been fed garbage?.

example.. when they tell us not to bring up anything in older publications, because it is no long considered "the truth"(tm), was it ever the truth(tm)?.

have we been strung along for 130 years, on imitation food, masquerading, as real food?.

JakeM2012

Jake says, "it's been a 130+ year snipe hunt."

It would appear Lois that by financially supporting them we are enabling their lunacy? Correct. Like buying alcohol for an alcoholic. It's highly unlikely, but if everyone currently supporting them said they are full of what Outlaw said, they would fold up.

Question: At what point would a person classify or even compare their non-sense as "FOOD"? Is it pleasurable to eat, No, Can I live on it? Not if you accept their stance on getting enough education to support yourself, blood products, the quality of your life will be low. Does studying such non-sense help you to cope with real life's problems or make a person happier? Only in a fantasy world with fantasy problems.

Outlaw's comparison is a great one.

WTBTS is feeding on it's followers, they are not feeding anyone. They are like the flesh eating zoombies, the leaches that suck your blood out, the parasites that eat on you. The only reason they are interested in people is because they want your money, they want you to serve them for free, they want you to volunteer your time, your talents, your strong back to build their realestate empire. All they've got to offer you is some imagined future promised paid by, NOT THEM, but your heavenly father. Go to him to get your reward, don't bother the WTBTS.

12

Lunacy or apostasy?

by Separation of Powers in

over the years i have heard some really strange beliefs shared openly with others in the congregation.

one sister, for example, stated that you could not be cremated because then "all your molecules will be spread around and jehovah couldn't put you back together.

" kinda sounds like she got stuck in a nursery rhyme there, a la humpty dumpty.. .

JakeM2012

That's the thing about the JW lunacy, ""one elder said that THAT part of the NT only applies to the anointed"", They claim the bible is written only for the anointed, but anything about listen, obey, obey, don't complain, is "scripturally" bashed over the great crowds head. Didn't the "angels" fall from heaven because of the earthly womens good looks?

The WTBTS has been known to offer their opinion supposedly bible based but rather it is on their pre-conceived ideas, and then present their lunacy in a dogmatic authoritative way of delivery, as if they know more than everyone else about details that are just unknown. Wife and I were talking yesterday about how they have to make their opinion known about things in life that are just NOT any of their freddking business and their is so little said in the bible about it anyway.