wisdomfrombelow

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Posts by wisdomfrombelow

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  51

  Former Longtime Elder - Reflections

  by James Jackson in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the meetings are getting more boring to me.

  some of the elders during their parts just talk and talk and talk about uninteresting things.

  boring, boring.

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  wisdomfrombelow

  And appointed as new Elder in their mid-to-late 20s while stilling living at home with parents or wife's parents

  Imagine being in your mid-20s and being no the governing body. That was what Milton Henschel experienced. I reflect back on how things were when Knorr was in office and there were a lot of young circuit and district overseers newly appointed as well. As regards women, I guess in the late 50s they were allowed to join the Theocratic Ministry School. I guess they could easily be allowed to do more non-teaching work the same way if the Governing Body sees a need for change.
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  79

  JWStruggle post: Bethel Layoffs Reveal a Kingdom without Clothes

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.jwstruggle.com/2013/07/bethel-layoffs-reveal-a-kingdom-without-clothes/.

  despite everything, i still have a lingering admiration toward those who serve or have served in bethel.

  it is not that i believe it is gods organization in any way, shape, or form.

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  wisdomfrombelow

  Bethelite's are a religious order who have taken a vow of poverty. Those are the legal terms they agree to. They are not allowed to work outside of Bethel so I consider their situation similar to monks in a monestary or nuns at a convent. Can you imagine lots of those being "let go"? What skills would they have also? In my opinion, the lucky ones got to go home, the unlucky ones got assigned as special pioneers and sent to a remote area with a very tiny stipend. If they complain, they get nothing and without a good recommendation from Headquarters they will have no respect wherever they go to. It is a cold organization and I feel some sadness for them just as I would feel for anyone who took a vow of poverty and went through the same situation. Unfortunately, they probably have no legal recourse.
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  79

  JWStruggle post: Bethel Layoffs Reveal a Kingdom without Clothes

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://www.jwstruggle.com/2013/07/bethel-layoffs-reveal-a-kingdom-without-clothes/.

  despite everything, i still have a lingering admiration toward those who serve or have served in bethel.

  it is not that i believe it is gods organization in any way, shape, or form.

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  wisdomfrombelow

  It is very sad that they can get kicked out so easily after so many years of service and being told that they are permanent members of the Bethel family after 5 years. I often wonder when they "count the cost" they ever think about the possible end-result. They understand that at any time that their disfellowshipping would mean being kicked out. If they are married, their spouse being disfellowshipped would also mean them getting kicked out. I would hope those "reassigned" would be kind enough to let the young starry-eyed witnesses know the harsh reality of what can happen so at least the future generations won't be so naive but perhaps it would do no good. All the literature and experiences on the platform give only one side and most young people don't think about getting sick or having any other problems due to reaching out.
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  7

  Governing Body vs Watchtower Society Directors

  by wisdomfrombelow in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  since the governing body are no longer officers of the watch tower society who has the real power?

  can the governing body "fire" officers and have them removed from bethel by their own power or does it have to be done according to whatever legal regulations there are?

  with all their subsidiaries, could the watch tower directors "kick out" the governing body from bethel if they so desired?

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  wisdomfrombelow

  I was merely trying to see who is has the real power. Since the Governing Body no longer are directors I was going to try to understand how things legally are. The Governing Body is dependent on the Watchtower Society for all it's power. If they didn't have the powerful publishing corporation behind it they would have as much power as you and I. Before when they were the directors they were one and the same. Someone previously referred to them as a Judas Goat and if there ever was a power play I can't see how they would win because they legally don't have any power over the corporation.
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  7

  Governing Body vs Watchtower Society Directors

  by wisdomfrombelow in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  since the governing body are no longer officers of the watch tower society who has the real power?

  can the governing body "fire" officers and have them removed from bethel by their own power or does it have to be done according to whatever legal regulations there are?

  with all their subsidiaries, could the watch tower directors "kick out" the governing body from bethel if they so desired?

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  wisdomfrombelow

  Since the Governing Body are no longer officers of the Watch Tower Society who has the real power? Can the Governing Body "fire" officers and have them removed from Bethel by their own power or does it have to be done according to whatever legal regulations there are? With all their subsidiaries, could the Watch Tower directors "kick out" the Governing Body from Bethel if they so desired? I know it seems very unlikely but recalling how Rutherford came to power makes me wonder where the real power is now and how that relates to the power in the corporation and who ultimately has control over the assets.
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  29

  Complete Donation – What Happened?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  complete donation what happened?.

  today i added a new article to my blog showing part of a never before publicized letter where the watchtower organization makes admission of how jehovahs witnesses actually responded to the 1990 change to its complete donation arrangement.

  my article is titled complete donation what happened?

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  wisdomfrombelow

  After all the uncompensated time, engery and resources peddling their wares they complain about a few extra books they have to give out which were produced by unpaid labor? I have no qualms about the loss of profit they get on the literature. The CDs cost them pennies to make and they gave the impression that they were somehow costly. If they want to SELL the books and pay the requisite tax, they can do so. If they choose to avoid the tax issue then they get what they deserve.
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  29

  Complete Donation – What Happened?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  complete donation what happened?.

  today i added a new article to my blog showing part of a never before publicized letter where the watchtower organization makes admission of how jehovahs witnesses actually responded to the 1990 change to its complete donation arrangement.

  my article is titled complete donation what happened?

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  wisdomfrombelow

  This is the same Organization who once said that when the funds dry up that means Jehovah thinks the work is done. What if no one ever gives any money to the WorldWide Work of Jehovah's Witnesses? What if the congregation doesn't submit any funds? Is that why they are eager to get resolutions passed so that each congregation submits so much money each month for various activities?
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  35

  what i have realized studying JWs,the bitter truth

  by spirituk in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, i have been studying jws religion ,my cousin is a jw and i have visited him a lot of times.i have watched his way of living and things like that.i have been at the district convention last week.i read so many things from both sides.i came to the conclusion that if someone believes god exists then it is so easy and he should be a jehovah's witness.sadly its true and that is why so many people are and every year they baptised even more.. stories about jws reducing?wrong.. facing problems?

  false.. everybody in the convention had an ipad ,iphones etc with the bible in it.

  + wifi .

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  wisdomfrombelow

  Nobody gets a salary to learn a language or move to a different country. It is all done by volunteers. There are some wealth JWs but many more have modest income or are poor.
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  81

  Friend gets "scriptural divorce" over wifes transgressions before they got married...

  by sosoconfused in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so i have a friend in a congregation in new jersey who recently called me to tell me that he got a divorce.

  nothing surprising there at first but it is the fact of when it happened.

  his wife began pioneering april 1, and after about three weeks she came to him and told him that about 4 years she had engaged in loose conduct (fondling the penis and the guy kissing her breasts) during a time that she was inactive.

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  wisdomfrombelow

  I was thinking that he might have grounds for annulment of the marriage if it was based on fraud. If he decides to legally annul the marriage then he is free to remarry because he was never legally married. Marriage is defined by the state not the congregation so if they say it is invalid then it is not valid. It reminds me of the crazy "vow of faithfulness" that is allowed for JW couples to cohabit when divorce is not allowed by the state yet the circumstances for a JW scriptural divorce are met. It basically says "we will get married when we are allowed to but until then we can live like we are married without any congregational consequences".

  Whatever he decides to do he will have to live with his decision and the consequences. I hope he thinks seriously about his options and his reasoning.
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  27

  We are "On the doorstep of the New World" (Awake!)

  by Splash in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  anyone see that quote in the latest magazine?.

  in full it says:.

  "since the things are happening today that jesus told us about, we know that we are right at the very doorstep of the new world, the world to come.

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  wisdomfrombelow

  Does anyone have a PDF of the 1927 Golden Age that is referenced? Awake didn't exist then. I would love to see the entire article.