NotFormer

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Posts by NotFormer

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  34

  Hailstones?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was interested in things jw two decades or so ago, i never came across these mentions of hailstones.

  it crops up so often now that it's almost a meme!

  when did it become a thing in jw speak, and what does it refer to?.

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  NotFormer

  Listener: do you think they are going to force people into street witnessing? Street preaching?
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  34

  Hailstones?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was interested in things jw two decades or so ago, i never came across these mentions of hailstones.

  it crops up so often now that it's almost a meme!

  when did it become a thing in jw speak, and what does it refer to?.

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  NotFormer

  Kevin class?
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  13

  JWs and Conscription/ Military Service

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  matthew 5:41 (nwt) "...and if someone in authority compels you into service for a mile,* go with him two miles.".

  a member of the roman occupying forces could command a local to carry their pack for a mile.

  the local was thus pressed into a form of military service.

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  NotFormer

  Matthew 5:41 (NWT) "...and if someone in authority compels you into service for a mile,* go with him two miles."

  A member of the Roman occupying forces could command a local to carry their pack for a mile. The local was thus pressed into a form of military service. It was basically conscription. Jesus had no problem with it.

  It's even phrased "compels you into service" in the NWT.

  How do the JWs get around this?
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  28

  Do we blame the Governing Body too much?

  by no-zombie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'd like to start this post with a part from the movie 'v for vendetta'.

  here in a dystopian state, the main character named v, explains why things have gone so bad ....

  those who do not want us to speak.

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  NotFormer

  Er, how did Trump get on the GB? 🤔
• 
  58

  Cult or High Control Group?

  by MillennialDawn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.

  " i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.

  "cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.

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  NotFormer

  "I'm sorry but people just can't cherry pick their sample data."

  Dubs do 🙄
• 
  58

  Cult or High Control Group?

  by MillennialDawn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.

  " i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.

  "cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.

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  NotFormer

  No-zombie: yes!
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  26

  Can Elders Voluntarily Resign?

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  an elder with half a brain (and they must exist 🧐) is going to see the writing on the wall with the way the wt is manoeuvring them into taking the fall over csa cases.

  can an elder in good standing step down with no consequences, official or social?.

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  NotFormer

  " I was peeved about it for a while but then thought "not my circus not my monkeys" and left them to their in-fighting."

  That sounds very wise. That they actually forged documents is crazy 😧. How often do you think that kind of thing goes on?

  "The day after I did, half the elders treated me like I was "marked". Quite strange, they wouldn't even call on me for a comment."

  It sounds like the whole org is built around kicking people out; just letting people walk doesn't seem like an option in anyone's eyes. 🙄
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  34

  Hailstones?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was interested in things jw two decades or so ago, i never came across these mentions of hailstones.

  it crops up so often now that it's almost a meme!

  when did it become a thing in jw speak, and what does it refer to?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  NotFormer

  "The fact that it appears that they are now ready to play this card, really shows their desperation. Even the build-up to 1975 wasn't played as the "hailstone message." Once this card is played, if nothing happens they are utterly FUGGED! There's no going back from it or trying to smooth it over. You'd truly have to be a moron to stay in after that. But then again, people stayed in after '75 came and went, some even buying WT's lame-ass excuses of the rank-n-file "running ahead" and making it up. (when it was clearly WT HQ pushing it)"

  Interesting that they are playing a card that smacks of desperation like that. Maybe the ageing GB want one last hoorah, a great feeling of expectation like they saw in the good old days. By the time they're dead, it'll be the next GB's problem to sort out the mess.

  I can see them coming back from this; just look at the graph on this page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses

  Apart from a bit of a plateau around 1975, growth has been steadily upward. For all their flaws, and outright evil, the WT seems bullet proof.

  That doesn't mean that they will last forever. Money woes seem to be besetting them ATM. That's probably their Achilles heel 👠. But they'll still be around in one form or other. There are still Russellites around today. 🙄
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  34

  Hailstones?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i was interested in things jw two decades or so ago, i never came across these mentions of hailstones.

  it crops up so often now that it's almost a meme!

  when did it become a thing in jw speak, and what does it refer to?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  NotFormer

  When I was interested in things JW two decades or so ago, I never came across these mentions of hailstones. It crops up so often now that it's almost a meme! When did it become a thing in JW speak, and what does it refer to?
• 
  11

  1961 1962 higher authorities

  by Marcial in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  are there among you, dear friends, a specialist in american associations from around the 1950s -1970s and a little more?

  to find out from what years in the usa the first subsidies were granted to religious congregations and other non-profit or charitable associations?

  why this question is that i just thought that there is perhaps a link between doctrinal clarifications over the years and government innovations to support or subsidize these supposedly charitable religious organizations or certain qualified ngos?

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  NotFormer

  It goes to show that they are not above pandering to government when it suits them. Which makes it all the more puzzling to me as to why they don't pander further and give the governments what they want on CSA, the blood doctrine and shunning. The latter is easy: don't allow baptism until 18+. Or if they want to follow Jesus's example, 30+. 😇