NotFormer

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Posts by NotFormer

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  33

  Where’s the 2023 Service Report?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what’s keeping them?

  this has got to be the latest it’s ever been.

  maybe it’s the last one they’ll ever publish too, after dropping reporting hours for publishers ….

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  NotFormer

  Diogenesister, I had to look that one up. It actually means "book salesman" ; it doesn't even hide the sales aspect! It reminds me of how Amway had "distributors" and now has IBOs ("Independent Business Operators"). 🙄
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  48

  Even with recent changes it’s a struggle to get people to attend

  by hoser in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the kingdom hall is still empty.

  even with amalgamation of 2 congregations.

  the elders are handling the microphones and there was only one comment from zoom at the watchtower.

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  NotFormer

  Carla, the local Kingdom Hall carpark was full on the Tuesday night I went past it. Anecdotally, I don't see any dying WT. The literature trolley is still manned in town on most days.

  That doesn't mean that some areas aren't going downhill. I suppose it's all in the long game.
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  22

  General Amnesty For Disfellowshipped

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  future gb: "please come back!

  all is forgiven!".

  would it work?

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  NotFormer

  Future GB: "Please come back! All is forgiven!"

  Would it work? Would the current haemorrhageing be staunched, or at least slowed down?
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  33

  Hotels for convention

  by ElderBerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  a department in bethel wants to try to make money from regional conventions by asking local hotels if they will give a special rate and a coupon code to give to jws.. .

  they should just keep it simple and not be greedy for dishonest gain.. .

  this year some convention sites the hotels said no thank you i think the jws are going to book with us anyway.

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  NotFormer

  There's a pretty simple explanation for hotels not wanting to accommodate Jehovah's Witnesses. Jehovah's Witness is an ancient Hebrew term, meaning: lousy tipper.
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  5

  Resources: Spanish Association of Victims of Jehovah's witnesses

  by Diogenesister in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  resources for the court case of the spanish congregation of jehovah's christian witnesses v. the spanish association of victims of jehovah's witnesses.

  eric wilson's translation:.

  https://youtu.be/sf5cjun2nvo?si=giqwrloq9mcpfvx2.

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  NotFormer

  Belgium, like other governments, needs to look at the issue at a parliamentary and legislative level, rather than just sending it off to the courts. One main issue is the pressure on minor children to get baptised and then the shunning that may then follow. If membership, WT style, is not allowed until age 18, then at least the WT's claws are blunted somewhat, while freedom of religion is not being interfered. The rights to vote, drink alcohol and drive are all age dependent.
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  14

  Did Jesus have a pre-existence or was he fully human, begotten at his human birth.

  by gavindlt in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  so when was jesus begotten.

  was he truly and wholly fully human.

  did he exist in two states, part human part god.

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  NotFormer

  Slim, the Christadelphians deny the pre-existence of Jesus, prior to his conception. The ones I've talked to have said that, yes, the Word was in the beginning, but Jesus isn't the Word. I don't know if that view is held across all Christadelphian ecclesias; you might ask the ones you know, next time your paths cross. I'd be interested to know.
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  33

  Where’s the 2023 Service Report?

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what’s keeping them?

  this has got to be the latest it’s ever been.

  maybe it’s the last one they’ll ever publish too, after dropping reporting hours for publishers ….

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  NotFormer

  I'm surprised that "service" was not one of the words used by "Christendom" that Da Judge jettisoned to differentiate the organisation from other sects. It's not used in exactly the same way, but still, he could have purged it. Was he just not trying? I'm pretty sure "pioneer", used the WT way is unique to them.

  That being said, publisher numbers will look good for a while. Will they publish hours put in by pioneers and others who still have to report hours?

  Stan: to further confuse things, in the KJV, "publican" means "tax collector".
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  7

  renewed active cooperation of the WTG as an NGO at the UN

  by Pedro in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  there is news about the wtg's cooperation with the un as an ngo.. according to the un, every ngo is obliged by statute to actively work towards the goals of the un.. the historical case on the same topic, from 1992-2001, should be known.. at that time, the cooperation was exposed by a report in the british daily newspaper “the guardian” on october 8, 2001.. the wtg canceled its membership a day later under the pressure of outrage from some congregations.. many witnesses couldn't believe it and wrote to the un asking for information as to whether it was true.. the un response letter is still available on the un homepage.. here is the link to the un statement.

  https://www.un.org/en/civil-society/watchtowerletter.

  now it is time again!.

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  NotFormer

  Make them nail their trousers to the mast!
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  28

  JWs And Superstitions

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  prompted by a mention in a different thread.. cracks in the sidewalk, a pinch of salt over the shoulder, black cats🐈‍⬛; do jws have such superstitious beliefs.

  are they allowed to?

  would they be counselled if the elders became aware?.

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  NotFormer

  How did Da Judge pull that one out of his orifice? Does the Bible actually say anything about Alcyone?
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  8

  Jehovah's Witnesses Sinner's Prayer

  by NotFormer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've noted before certain similarities between jws and independent fundamentalist baptists, such as door to door work.

  the ifbs call it "soul winning".

  the goal is usually to give a quick tour of a few bible verses, get the householder to "repeat after me" a formulaic prayer confessing faith in jesus.

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  NotFormer

  LongHairGal: "You are only as good as the last good thing that you did that benefits them. Or, how many HOURS you got! Ooops! You don’t need hours anymore. Well, what are they to do now?🤷🏻‍♀️"

  This is the sort of paradox I'm wondering about. I don't know if they realise it yet, but they may be on the path from "works based" to "cheap grace". Hence speculation about some sort of "sinner's prayer".

  The Watchtower seems to be transitioning to being less nasty, but it's got a long way to go, and let's face it, no-one knows what the end product will look like! 🧐🤔😱