NotFormer

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Posts by NotFormer

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  54

  What If The Tower Fell?

  by Big Dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what if the truly unthinkable happened and the tower went down?

  perhaps the irs swooped in and claimed fraud and padlocked the headquarters and kingdom hall doors?

  or the gb took the money and ran to a nice non-extradition country to live out their years?

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  NotFormer

  Big Dog, your two suggested scenarios suggest that they go out with a bang. If they do go down, it may be more with a whimper. It may collapse under its own weight from the internal pressure of paying out all the CSA settlements. Early indications are that they may be trying to look more like a mainstream denomination.

  The Worldwide Church of God went mainstream in the aftermath of Armstrong's death. But many groups splintered off, trying to adhere to the old ways and doctrines. I've recently noticed some obnoxiously aggressive anti mainstream Christianity ads by the UCG on YouTube lately. Even in the event of a complete meltdown, some faithful JWs will probably find some way to keep the torch burning.

  I'm just grateful that the WT never preached a doctrine of arming themselves against Armageddon, David Koresh style!
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  46

  What do you think?

  by Tahoe in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  NotFormer

  Ron.W.: "What an excellent summation. It really nails so much of the jw mindset."

  The first half of WT history is about them taking strong stances on various issues. The latter half is about them now facing the consequences of those strong stances and trying to distance themselves from those stances without admitting they were wrong in the first place.
  I wonder how those still alive who were alive during the first half feel today. The GB are among those. I wonder if in private moments they admit to themselves that it all seems to have gone terribly wrong.
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  49

  The ''dreaded'' birthday cake

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the watchtower—study edition | september 2023. study article 39. let mildness be your strength.

  11 if a workmate asks, for example, why we do not celebrate birthdays, consider: could he be wondering whether we are allowed to have a good time?

  or might he feel that our position will dampen the company’s team spirit?

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  NotFormer

  I wonder if Rutherford crunched the numbers on holiday and birthday celebrations at Bethel and decided that it was costing "too much". He then justified his niggardly decision by creating a doctrine around it. Extending it beyond Bethel had the benefit of the rank and file having more to donate to Bethel. The social cost to millions of JWs since would never have mattered to such a man.
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  45

  How Do Jehovah's Witnesses View Education?

  by southyukon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have a question about this article.. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-education-school/.

  higher education can lead to moral and spiritual dangers.

  a bible proverb says: "the shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself.

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  NotFormer

  "Damn, I wish I’d caught that.

  😎👍"

  Thanks, Man! I'm embarrassed to say, I was kind of proud of it when I wrote it. 🥺☺️

  The WT at times appears to be a study in paradoxes. Or in taking positions that boil down to being downright hypocritical. The higher education issue is one of the more prominent ones.

  I'm surprised that the WT never created its own primary/elementary school system. It would have made a lot of sense. The SDAs run their own schools for their kids. Religion based schools* even get partial funding from the government, here in Australia!

  I suppose the urgency of the message in the past persuaded them that they couldn't dedicate the kind of resources necessary. Plus Rutherford actively hated children and families. Children were seen as useless diverters of resources away from "the real work". And tertiary/higher education was probably seen as a similarly useless diversion.

  And in these and many other areas, they are seeing their chickens coming home to roost.

  *Like Catholic schools, etc.
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  46

  What do you think?

  by Tahoe in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  NotFormer

  "Some of us suspect that if they hadn’t complied with federal directives and tapped the brakes on the door-to-door work during Covid, the WT’s charity status / tax-exemption might have been at risk."

  I wonder? Was there any unofficial communication on the subject between Bethel and government? 🤔
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  46

  What do you think?

  by Tahoe in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  NotFormer

  As an outsider, I still shake my head about the fact that they so readily abandoned the sacred door to door work in the face of a bit of government opposition. They proudly sent their own people to jail back in the day. Abandoning the door to door work would be like the Mormons forsaking their hol(e)y underwear. Or the SDAs adopting a Sunday service.

  But it seems the R&F were happy for the rest, and aren't too keen on getting back into the grind.
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  46

  What do you think?

  by Tahoe in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  NotFormer

  GrreatTeacher, I agree that there is probably nothing coming from HQ to encourage the lessening of shunning; the ranting CO pretty well confirms that. Any change in position would be well documented, accompanied by the obligatory "We've always done it this way" article. You would think that they would consider nerfing the shunning a bit, considering the Norwegian situation and the fact that the Japanese Diet seems to be taking an interest, but WT's default reaction is to double down. The trouble with telling yourself and everyone around you that you are always right is that everyone starts believing it. In life, even the things that you could originally claim to be right about can change, so that you become wrong. If you believe that you are always right, you won't make the necessary changes. Hence the CO tantrum.

  The slaves are just tired.The Covid crisis gave them a chance to rest, and they seem to have liked the idea. The CO was using the stick; the WT needs more carrots 🥕. Covid killed the few carrots they had: the JW social life. Resting from the daily grind of Watchtowerism seems to be a very tasty carrot.
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  49

  The ''dreaded'' birthday cake

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the watchtower—study edition | september 2023. study article 39. let mildness be your strength.

  11 if a workmate asks, for example, why we do not celebrate birthdays, consider: could he be wondering whether we are allowed to have a good time?

  or might he feel that our position will dampen the company’s team spirit?

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  NotFormer

  If they can get away with Thanksgiving by calling it "turkey day", why can't they just call a birthday "cake day"? If they can rationalise turkey day with "Well, turkeys are so cheap at this time of year", then they can get away with cake day by saying "Well, the cake was there, anyway".
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  45

  How Do Jehovah's Witnesses View Education?

  by southyukon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have a question about this article.. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-education-school/.

  higher education can lead to moral and spiritual dangers.

  a bible proverb says: "the shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself.

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  NotFormer

  "It is truer to say there are no believers in theological colleges."

  Says the bloke who's never set foot in one. I've spent time in one and I can assure you that there are people there who believe that the bible is the word of God and are there to study it.

  You are probably thinking of religious studies at University, rather than theological colleges.
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  1

  Jehovah's Witnesses in the news....again...for child abuse...this time in Japan.

  by Balaamsass2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  physical abuse among jehovah's witnesses is highlighted in japan in this story.

  watchtower is certainly "making god's name known".. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/11/21/japan/society/jehovahs-witnesses-survey-abuse/.

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  NotFormer

  It's been mentioned in another thread:

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5199073003438080/lawyers-release-survey-on-alleged-jehovahs-witness-child-abuse

  It must irk the WT powers that be. In the 90s Japan was the GB's golden child, held up as the example to be followed. They were the "African brothers crossing crocodile infested swamps" of their time.

  Cue mandatory "We don't abuse anybody " quote from the Japan branch.

  Not knowing much about Japanese politics, how likely is a report commissioned by the opposition to get traction in The Diet?