Posts by wisdomfrombelow

225

Cult or Religion

by Richard C B in

what is a cult and what is a religion?

its open to debate.

who has the authority to say for certain what is a cult and what is a religion?

Since you have started this thread I would suggest you define the terms "cult" and "religion" so that it is clear to everyone and yourself what you mean. The definition in a dictionary is not always the same as the connotation that the word carries to certain individuals.

For a long time the Jehovah's Witnesses didn't even refer to themselves as a religion. They self-identified as something else. What most people seem to agree on are the characteristics of the organization and how many view it them as dangerous. If you call it a cult or call it a tulc or luct or anything else...that is just a series of letters. When you get to describing what they are, then each person can decide what word or word encompass it.

26

1914 'Big A' WT Retraction/Apology?!

by lurkernomore in

so i just met with an old 'friend' who wanted a 'chat' after no contact for the best part of 4 years.

she obviously heard about the wonderful news of my abrupt fade :d. i guess i wanted to prove to myself that any future meet ups/chats with jw's would be pointless.

needless to say i proved myself right.

wisdomfrombelow

The only thing I know of that might be considered something like that was when they printed that Rutherford admitted he made "an ass of himself" regarding the 1925 resurrection of ancient worthies...

10

new arrangement - chairman

by inbetween in

a thought on the emphasis of the importance of the new chairman arrangement at the midweek meeting:.

it reminds me of a tv-show, where the showmaster introduces tv-clips of some topics.. is it maybe a preparation for meetings with more and more videos ?.

and all the local brothers are doing is introducing them, creating anticipation for what big skydaddy prepared this week.. i wonder, if most of the meeting times in years to come will be videos anyway.....

wisdomfrombelow

No local needs ??

53

First thoughts on "new" meeting...

by konceptual99 in

had a quick look at the workbook and flicked through the sample meeting video.. the increased use of video shows the trend for more centralised dissemination of "best practice" .

sure there isn't really a "school" any more and the format is a bit different but i think those that called it as the same old crap just in new package got it pretty much right.

.

wisdomfrombelow

Those videos of the presentations are made so they can be translated in many languages. Everyone, no matter how poor, needs to get up with the digital revolution of the Society or be left behind.

50

The NEW "Bible Teach" book

by Oubliette in

the new "bible teach" book is out!

thetruthbr has posted links for this and several other of the new publications.

as an educator, i am very interested in where the society is heading with their alleged "bible education" program.

wisdomfrombelow

I thought one reason to make everything clear and simple is it is easier to translate it properly and they have to translate into a lot of languages. They might even have their own limited dictionaries and so that they are sure terms they are used have consistent words in the languages they publish in. If they need to get something correct in 30 languages and have proofreaders that are qualified, they have to know english well enough as well as the target language very well. If they know the target language very well but don't know english as well then having simplified english is easier for them. Just my two cents...

95

Template to dump Special Pioneers

by avaddohn94 in

"downsizing" has reached special pioneers.. this is the template mexico is using to get rid of many of its special pioneers.

see how cold and unloving is the language they use.

a translation attempt is as follows:.

wisdomfrombelow

Why the requirement to reapply? I suspect it's a legalistic ploy to protect WT from liability claims.

It seems like it has to be a legal requirement. Special pioneers could be viewed as employees for certain things and just reclassifying them won't seem like a big enough split. Having them totally removed and then reapply as something else would seem like a more complete split. Plus the Society doesn't approve the pioneer application, the local body of elders does so will be a complete break.

If the people "getting the boot" were not kind and haven't made enough friends in all the time they were in special service, too bad. It isn't like this should come as a total surprise as there have been lots of bethelites reassigned and branches closed in the past. If they refuse to think it could happen to them and didn't prepare then they are not wise like the virgins Jesus spoke about in his parable.

They have a few months before they are removed so I hope they will get onto social media and try to get friends if they don't have them and create a network to take care of themselves and their peers because that is likely all they will get out of this organization.

10

All these changes seem part of the Master Plan

by wisdomfrombelow in

bethel reductions.

special pioneer reductions.

construction reductions.

wisdomfrombelow

Bethel reductions. Special pioneer reductions. Construction reductions. All seems like a money issue but it also seems like something that anticipated.

some members of the Bethel family in the United States have been reassigned to the field and are now enjoying abundant blessings in other forms of the full-time ministry. Because of advancing age or other factors, others who were in the traveling work have now received special pioneer assignments.

Those words are in the Watchtower Study 2 weeks after the Annual meeting is Prepare Now for Life in the New World so after t he announcements of change and the initial shock the sheeple will be convinced that no matter what you are asked to do or where you are asked to live it is a blessing.

That article was written months ago and I believe they time the articles and their announcements to help distract and pacify the members. They knew they were going to make major changes so they prepared for it in their magazines. I wonder if next August's magazine can give more insight about what might happen in the 2016 Annual Meeting.

95

Template to dump Special Pioneers

by avaddohn94 in

"downsizing" has reached special pioneers.. this is the template mexico is using to get rid of many of its special pioneers.

see how cold and unloving is the language they use.

a translation attempt is as follows:.

wisdomfrombelow

The Searcher's inclusion the Vow of Poverty and Obedience document is one that every Jehovah's Witness should read and think about. It clearly shows why the comments and advice given by anyone under it are to be viewed with the understanding that they can't really speak their own mind. Statement 8 clearly shows they are not to expect any help when they are kicked out, so I hope they saved up enough to fly home. I hope they "counted the cost" when they signed up.

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is just a parasite. Sucking all the sustenance from its host and then leaving them to die.

3

In the unlikely event of organizational collapse: Safe Haven and Outreach Centres for JW survivors

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

imagine if the watchtower completely collapsed.

now image millions of people who put jehovah first suddenly see their hopes, dreams, beliefs and faith shattered.. they have been told all their lives that there is no place else to go except jehovah's organization.. there will be casualties from the fall out - perhaps hundreds or thousands of suicides.. the exjw community should do all they can, if able, to help these ones.

they are in the best position to understand their fellow jws.

wisdomfrombelow

If the WTBTS closed up shop nothing much would change after the initial shock. Local elders would rehash meeting parts and school schedules and keep doing the same as it was done when they were placed under ban. They would create a de-facto structure and determine and create new leaders (but I think new leaders are always at the ready, in case there was an explosion at the annual meeting and the leadership perished.)

95

Template to dump Special Pioneers

by avaddohn94 in

"downsizing" has reached special pioneers.. this is the template mexico is using to get rid of many of its special pioneers.

see how cold and unloving is the language they use.

a translation attempt is as follows:.

wisdomfrombelow

Somehow I get the feeling that the branch was told to reduce the number of special pioneers to a certain number and then the ones who didn't have enough friends at the branch were the first to be chopped. I don't know but I can't see them terminating all of them at once but if they did...wow.

I can see witness parents realizing that being a Bethelite or in some other form of special full-time service is not as desirable as they once thought. Who would want to go to the Schools they offer knowing that after they reassign you they can demote you at a blink of an eye.

I don't see it as being a leak as it is not confidential and they can share it with whomever they want. If a congregation had more than one special pioneer then the elders would get copies of the letters. What we saw was not the official template but a construction based on the contents of the letters. (The fonts were different). Anyhow, I wonder if any of them care about the annual meeting now?