Posts by wisdomfrombelow

72

Update on everything going on in JW Land - Insider Information

by thedepressedsoul in

i'd like to start off by saying that i will be very vague in everything i say.

i am fairly "high up" in jw land and have to be somewhat careful how i word and say stuff.

sorry in advance if any specific details are left out.

wisdomfrombelow

What I would like to know is why they have keep the same business model of using free labor to hand out magazines in hopes of receiving donation witch almost never happens are they that stuck in a rut that they can't pull out of this dead end model?

Of course they have no idea how to change their business model. It is over 100 years old. It was a clever way to keep people busy so they wouldn't have time to think critically as well as generating income for them. They tied it all to a religious component that they sold as their distinguishing mark. Once they could no longer charge for literature then everything was turned on it's ear.

There is no activity that they can get everyone to do which will generate income for them. Tithing would be the only way but that doesn't keep people busy and the rank and file need to be kept busy as well.

46

Can somebody explain the songs and songbook obsession?

by careful in

i've been out a while and have only put in a rare appearance at a memorial or brief visit at a convention/assembly to keep people off my back, so i haven't kept up on the songbook.

but one thing i've noticed that the org.

has been doing that they never did when i was in is all these "supplemental songs" that keep appearing.

wisdomfrombelow

I thought the reason for so many new songs is that they were thereby forcing people to the website jw.org. The epub versions of the KM and Watchtower have the new songs included so it must be a way to nudge people to using the electronic version and not the paper version

35

2015 November 19, BOE! Circuit Account Balances!

by Atlantis in

delete if already posted.. .

2015-november 19, boe.

.. re: review of circuit account balances.

wisdomfrombelow

This grab is so new that they didn't even put in the revised OD book which has the Our Christian Life and Ministry meeting in it which hasn't even started yet. Either the need for cash is so urgent or they didn't want to reveal how circuit funds are spent to the sheeple or both. Simply amazing what the flock doesn't know and shame on the elders for keeping it hush-hush.

19

2015-11/3/BOE! New Literature Delivery Schedule!

by Atlantis in

.. re: new schedule for delivery of magazines and literature .

.click the green download button.. http://wwwb.fileflyer.com/view/tz1mdat.

.. .. wtunderground!.

wisdomfrombelow

As I read the letter, it says "each Cong will receive ONE issue of the Public WT; ONE issue of the Awake; TWO issues of the Study WT; TWO issues of the KM"; along with their literature order.

Let me explain how i read it, each delivery contains literature for 2 months. They are detailing what types of literature appear in the shipment now how many are shipped. So they will get supplies to last for 2 months instead of one moth.

14

What is it like to have that one true friend?

by My Name is of No Consequence in

what is it like to have that one true friend?

growing up in the org, i never really had friends.

i had many acquaintances, some of which were worldly.

wisdomfrombelow

Having one true friend is awesome. Having more than one is even better. There are over 7 billion people on the planet...if your wife doesn't want to be the kind of friend you need then go out and find a friend. Being a "spiritual mate" might be what she dreams of but you can also dream of her being an "awake JW". The reality is that perhaps you should not have religious discussions and just agree to disagree on that.

If you need to "vent" about things JW, then find a friend for that. I have some friends who are good for that but not good for talking about sports. There is usually not a "one size fits all" perfect friend or perfect spouse. That is an unreality that is perpetuated by so many. I can advise a good marriage counselor as he might help you both learn to communicate more effectively and more successfully. Or a good therapist who might advise you on how to make new friendships now that you are older.

Just my 2 cents...

3

jw.org - online Bible - New World Translation - Study Edition

by Esse quam videri in

i went into jw.org to look up a scripture in the nwt and clicked on new world translation - study edition.

i wanted to go into the book of malachi.

the different bible books were laid in a grid pattern and i clicked on malachi.

wisdomfrombelow

They are releasing the multimedia bible in stages. All those pictures take a long time to animate :)

21

'Seek the Kingdom First' Economics

by Tornintwo in

jw
friends

has anyone else's family finances been victim to the 'seek the kingdom first' economic policy?.

for years, my husband and i have had our own business, my husband is not the most proactive guy, prefers to go in field service than to work, but he has always encouraged me to 'rely on jehovah and all these other things will be added to you', 'seek the kingdom first' etc etc.

there have been times, such as when i was heavily pregnant and we lost a big deal, that i have been begging jehovah on hands and knees to honour that promise, wondering why he wasn't helping us.

wisdomfrombelow

Hindsight is 20/20 but what could have been said to you to have prevented this from happening? Some people have put off getting married or having children because they wanted to "seek the kingdom first". Once you can see that you have choices then you can start making your own. Maybe start to separate your finances from your husbands and do what you can to get out of debt and live your life the way you want to.

4

"You don't go to the platform to say nonsense."

by Tempest in a Teacup in

jw
friends

second in a series of reminiscing disappointments that cut me off this religion one string at a time.... actually, i had a one week break which i spent quite poorly: not sleeping at night, so i could catch up on my favorite shows, eating crappy foods the whole day, booze and hangovers.

i'm an introvert and really, this for me is an ideal holiday :).

but...all the above, coupled with having too much free time has brought back some demons who had been sleeping...and snoring.. back to the topic.. in my former congregation, there's one wannabe-elder-no-education-hates-his-job-envies-others-mysogynist-ministerial servant.

wisdomfrombelow

Tempest, why are you in a foreign language congregation? Is it because that is one way to keep your brain working in a mind-numbing meeting?

31

Should I be mad?

by kairos in

jw
friends

i've been df'd for about six weeks now.no one has broken the obligation to "honor the disfellowshipping decree".that's the way notorious co paul kohler describes the "loving arrangement" that is jw shunning.

( just "serving" napa ).

so, my wife's family has been "loving me" ( barf ) when out of nowhere, one of them sends home homemade soup for me.... well, i got super pissed.

wisdomfrombelow

If you want to eat the soup, eat it. If's just food and don't worry anymore about it. I've eaten cake from weddings I wasn't invited to. You didn't ask for the soup so if they want to know how if you liked it then they can ask your wife or they can ask you. You don't have to do anything.

54

What would you do if the Society Declares Bankruptcy

by Quarterback in

jw
friends

special pioneers let go.

bethel workers laid off.

construction halts, what's next?

wisdomfrombelow

I read about a situation that might compare to the Borg going bankrupt. What happens when a church goes bankrupt

It could be done to reduce a huge payment. Each country has laws regarding what is legal in it's jurisdiction. In Singapore some church officers got convicted of "Breach of Trust" for mismanaging money and could happen also. The Kingdom Halls are not assets that they can sell directly so closing branches and selling other real estate is something they can do.

The Society have smart lawyers and probably have structured themselves that they can survive any "attack" and have conditioned the faithful to listen to them no matter what. Rutherford was in prison along with his associates and that didn't deter him. Bankruptcy and other such problems won't deter them either. They will lead and there will be those who are willing to follow because people like the fantasy of living forever and never dying, of growing younger and healthier instead of older and no other religion is offering that.