NotFormer

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Posts by NotFormer

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  9

  Question from readers , upcoming watchtower article

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "is it permissable for a christian to make a toast to the governing body for allowing us now to make a toast?

  "🤔.

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  NotFormer

  I'd love to see a larrikin JW try that! 😸
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  42

  "Playing Chess is evil, not for Witnesses" -Awake 1973

  by Witness 007 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  awake 73 3/22 p.12 "....the spirit of competition between players can lead to unpleasant circumstances, as the new york times reported: most families manage to keep the conflicts that arise in games to the chess board.

  but in some homes tensions linger long past checkmate.

  chess has been a game of war since it was originated 1,400 years ago....the games connections with war are obvious...a play-substitute for the art of war.

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  NotFormer

  Sea Breeze, is that for real? There was an article? Not just a zealous elder persecuting the flock at a higher level than usual? 🤔

  Edited to add:

  This was the best I could find at the WT's site:

  https://wol.jw.org/wol/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=101999931&q=labyrinth+minotaur+&p=doc&srcid=sch&srctype=jwo
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  28

  Why "Removed" instead of "Disfellowshipped or Shunning"

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was mulling this over last night...too much free time, i know.

  both disfellowshipping and shunning indicate the action of avoiding someone, taking them out of your sphere of associates.

  probably is a better sound bite to say "removed.

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  NotFormer

  If they aren't members anymore, then how are they even "removed". Removal implies that they were members in the the first place, but they're not allowed to even claim that anymore. Seriously: "individuals"?? "Unpaid drones" or "compelled donors" might be better classifications.

  As I see it, this is part of Bethel's game of "What's in it for the Great Crowd?" And their answer ultimately boils down to "Not much". 😔 They're not even members anymore.
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  66

  They are running out of people to do their stuff.

  by liam in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this is the watchtower study article being studied today.

  so it’s the current new light!.

  what are the new qualifications to be an “elder-aka older man...and circuit overseer?.

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  NotFormer

  Sea Breeze, sounds like it's not your father's WT anymore 😳

  Having read your story elsewhere, do you think that fourteen years old you would have been kicked out of today's JW congregation?
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  28

  SPIMI Friend Asked Me For The Name Of My (FORMER) Congregation

  by HiddlesWife in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a present-spimi friend texted me to ask me the name of my congregation--which is my former and last one that i left right after becoming completely/presently pomo.

  she was a longtime buddy, who was pimq-pimo-ppimi-on-occasion for many decades.

  then shortly before the pandemic, she was dating a brother who was reaching out to become an ms [mind you, this guy was a mic-handler for several decades as well--until an older brother (who was a close friend of his uncle--who converted him into the cultporation years ago--encouraged him to the point of harrassing him to move up the wt corporate ladder🙄😤].

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  NotFormer

  Ugot2bekiddingme1, how did they know? Were you on your porch cleaning your guns when they turned up? 😳
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  11

  Am I a Return Visit?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, i'm still processing this one.

  saturday morning just gone.

  my wife says: "there's a man in a suit at the door!

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  NotFormer

  Well, it's two weeks later, and he didn't return. I must admit to being somewhat disappointed. I was ready to receive him as cordially as is possible, but he's a no-show. 😦

  I cleared my schedule for him and he didn't turn up. So, if he turns up at some later time, he'll have to be content to fit in with my schedule. 🙄

  Edited to add: not that there was a lot riding on the whole thing. It's just nice when people turn up when they say they will, regardless of religious affiliation or otherwise.
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  28

  SPIMI Friend Asked Me For The Name Of My (FORMER) Congregation

  by HiddlesWife in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a present-spimi friend texted me to ask me the name of my congregation--which is my former and last one that i left right after becoming completely/presently pomo.

  she was a longtime buddy, who was pimq-pimo-ppimi-on-occasion for many decades.

  then shortly before the pandemic, she was dating a brother who was reaching out to become an ms [mind you, this guy was a mic-handler for several decades as well--until an older brother (who was a close friend of his uncle--who converted him into the cultporation years ago--encouraged him to the point of harrassing him to move up the wt corporate ladder🙄😤].

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  NotFormer

  Balaamsass2 has the same gut feeling as do I. I don't know how effective it would be, but complete radio silence might be the best strategy. But I have no personal experience of navigating the WT minefield, so I don't know if that is even good advice.

  I would expect that the less you say and the less they know, the harder it would be to convene a JC against you.
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  7

  Make sure your medical notes are up to date

  by moley in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i recently had a heart attack, after arriving at a&e they gave me an angiogram and it was discovered i need a bypass (quadruple).

  will i was being prepared for surgery to consultant said he needed to speak to me and he said on your notes it says you’re a jw (i’ve been out over 20 years) i said no and i was willing to accept blood and my notes were updated.

  i dread to think what would have happened if i had been unconscious and unable to clarify the situation.

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  NotFormer

  Ah, a fellow traveller! My double bypass surgery was exactly five years ago today. Glad you came through it all well, moley! 🙏

  Also glad that you allow them to treat you to the full extent of modern medical practice. And especially glad that the difference between now and twenty years ago was caught before it might potentially have killed you!!

  How's your chest feeling? A bit sore, 😕 I'll warrant!
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  15

  JW light Elders?

  by Mikejw in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so many elders are now saying no to pretty much everything.. they are saying no to assignments and away talks.

  saying no to jobs in the cong.

  the cos and the super fine elders are using scripture and the elders manual to try to persuade them to step up.. many are coming off as an elder, but even more are simply saying the cost of living or other reasons they are just finding it hard to fulfill all their assignments.. if you say you want to come off the public talks list altogether they still try putting you down for some and making a fuss saying you have to give some public talks.

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  NotFormer

  'In the days when being an elder was considered by most to be a "real privilege", that might have worked as a threat, but for many now, their response to that would be: "Ok, then - go ahead!"'

  Elder being chastised: Don't threaten me with a good time!

  They've beaten them down with that stick for so long that the threatening stick 🏒 now resembles a tempting carrot 🥕
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  11

  Am I a Return Visit?

  by NotFormer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, i'm still processing this one.

  saturday morning just gone.

  my wife says: "there's a man in a suit at the door!

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  NotFormer

  Thanks, Journeyman, for your very involved answer. I don't think we're actually in the zone where that checklist even kicks in yet. The bloke only promised to visit again in a fortnight. He didn't leave any piece of literature to be gone through, so I doubt that those questions would be relevant to him yet. But let's take a look at them:

  "Does the person keep his appointments to study?"

  Apart from a vague "I'll be back in two weeks " on his part, there's not what you might call an appointment to study.

  "Does he prepare for the study?" No literature was left to study, so no to that.

  "Does he attend congregation meetings?" I've never been to one and this gentleman didn't even invite me to one. Interestingly, some trolley ministry people invited me to the Sunday meeting at any time.

  "Is he making changes in harmony with Bible principles?" By their definition, probably not.

  "Does he share with others what he is learning?" Well, in an oblique sense, perhaps. I've shared about the encounter within my church circle of acquaintances. 😳

  "Is he withdrawing from false religion?" Again, in an oblique sense: I intend to keep my promise to myself that I will never darken the doorway of a Kingdom Hall. 🤔

  "In all seriousness, just be straight with him. If you're happy to discuss Bible topics with him but don't want a study or anything more, say so. If you're happy to even study with him, but you will not take it any further, say so. Then let him make the call, but if he tries to push you beyond what you've agreed to, just draw the line and remind him, and stop it if and when you're ready"

  I'm happy to discuss Bible topics with him, that's for sure. But I'll firmly say no to any WT literature guided "study". For that one time it was a pleasant experience, but it's hard to predict whether or not it will be so going forward. No firm time was mentioned for this coming Saturday, so nothing is guaranteed. If he comes back with a second person, I'll probably say no. As I mentioned above, being ganged up upon is not my idea of a fun time.

  Blondie, as Journeyman raises the point above, I'm not sure about the legality of maintaining lists, even though it's pretty obvious that they keep track, even if it's via mental note and word of mouth. I'll try to find out more on the legality of that in Australia. A thread on Quora:

  https://www.quora.com/Do-Jehovahs-Witnesses-keep-track-of-which-homes-they-have-visited