Posts by proplog2

I'm going to be 60 this year. I remember telling a group of witness relatives back in 1988 that if the end doesn't come by the time I'm 60 I was going to quit being a witness. The clock is ticking...

Just think Cygnus - Jesus was supposed to be 33 when he died. Whoever he REALLY was he sure had an impact in his few years.

Even though I'm 60 I realize that I could do a lot in 3 years if I really wanted to.

10

JW at meetings vs. JW at social events

by truth_about_the_truth in

jw
friends

have you noticed how jw switch modes depending on where they are?

they seem a lot more 'normal' at social gatherings than while they are engaged in 'theocratic' activities.. it's like there's a spiritual switch that they turn on and off.

zombie mode/human mode

proplog2

I never noticed a difference between the conversations after the meetings and the conversations at social gatherings.

After meetings people talk about their jobs, investments, home projects, pets, their children, recent purchases, health, sports and even politics. Rarely religion. A meeting or two after 9-11 there would be a little speculative discussion about prophecy but that's it.

Social gatherings more of the same. The last thing they want to talk about is their faith.

37

Branch Split in the Watchtower Kingdom

by slimboyfat in

before you read anything, you should be aware that i do not know what i am talking about.

it seems clear now that the watchtower religion has already started to decline, in the western world at least.

how will this decline play out in the future - this is one of the most interesting questions relating to the watchtower at the moment: will the witnesses enjoy a slow leisurely decline over many decades, or can we expect a major split and disintegration in the near future?

proplog2

The reformation took place after the technological revolution of the printing press.

Information (Bibles & Docrintal Pamphlets) became wide spread.

The technological revolution of the internet is having its affect on ALL entrenched organizations. JW's are just one tiny group that is affected by the new information age.

35

What Is The Unpardonable Sin?

by JH in

jw
friends

.

in your words, what would be the unpardonable sin?

give examples.... .

proplog2

A sin against god is pardonable. A sin against Jesus is pardonable. So what else is there?

Natural law, Karma, Holy Spirit, are not persons so you can't get mercy from them. If you do something wrong there are unavoidable consequences.

Person's can forgive others. Law can't.

58

The pope

by Stromboli in

jw
friends

the pope was admitted to hospital and on the national tv (rai) they were saying that he has an entire apartment right in the h just for himself, not only that but the room just below was emptied just to avoid noise for him.

unbelivable!

recently a man in italy died because the ambulance could not find a bed for him in a hospital so by the time they arrived to the one bed that was available 200kms away he was dead.

proplog2

Jeaniebeans:

Hating Catholics and making fun of the pope is a bad old protestant JW habit.

58

The pope

by Stromboli in

jw
friends

the pope was admitted to hospital and on the national tv (rai) they were saying that he has an entire apartment right in the h just for himself, not only that but the room just below was emptied just to avoid noise for him.

unbelivable!

recently a man in italy died because the ambulance could not find a bed for him in a hospital so by the time they arrived to the one bed that was available 200kms away he was dead.

proplog2

I have a lot of respect for the Pope. He knew that the war in Iraq was unjust. He approves the teaching of evolution. He speaks out against the death penalty.

21

National Average = Quotas

by zack in

jw
friends

the national average for publishers reporting feild service time in the untited states is just under 10 hours a month.

this has become the de facto standard for every member of the congregation.

if one fails to produce at the rate of others, he is "weak", his service is "divided", he puts the things of "this life" in "first place.".

proplog2

Field service time is definitely the coin of the realm. They will put virtual monsters in positions of authority just because they put in time.

Field service time is usually traded in for Stage Time. The more field service time the more time you get on stage.

The funny thing about "quotas (goals)". For every person who pushes to get one extra hour to make 10 hours in a month there is another one who could put in 20 but settles for 15 because he has exceeded the quota by a hefty 50%.

When I had access to the record cards back in the 1970's I went through several years of individual record cards and made an interesting discovery. Everyone achieves a comfort level after they have been in for a year or two. If their comfort level is 5 hours per month that's where they stay. In spite of all the encouragement and so-called "assistance" arrangements no one moved out of their comfort level to a higher level. In fact - the few that suddenly started to put in a lot of time - ended up getting disfellowshipped or fell away. Probably they were compensating to cover over a bad conscience. I checked this out in 2 different congregations and both had very similar distribution of hours.

Does anyone here remember radically helping someone increase their field service on a permanent basis?

41

I need your guys thoughts & opinions

by kls in

have you ever met someone and for some unknown reason this person just rubs you the wrong way ,i don't know if it's a vibe they give off or what but something that makes you dislike about that person.

my son who is 21 started to date this girl and there is something about her i so much dislike and i can't help the way i feel.

i have 4 grown kids all have dated and brought there dates home and i was receptive to them all but i cannot to this girl.

proplog2

I can help you find out what bothers you.

Answer these questions.

Is she taller than you or shorter than you?

Is she heavier than you or skinnier than you?

Is she more verbal than you or quieter than you?

Is she more sociable than you or more withdrawn than you?

Is she more energetic than you or lazier than you?

If you answer these questions you will probably find out that you and her are quite different in some ways.

Don't underestimate these differences. She may be just right for your son. Anyhow you aren't going to marry her.

However as she also just might be crazy! A lot of borderline personalities have a way of irritating people.

17

Paradox: Are Faithless Watchtower Leaders Reform's Best Hope?

by metatron in

while many among the watchtower's leadership are no doubt sincere, there is no proof.

more than this, in examining the life of a man like rutherford - complete with.

his habits involving cruelty, alcohol, greed , reviling others, neglect of his family and contempt.

proplog2

The funny thing about that scripture is that the Apostle John believed the rumor that circulated that Jesus was really saying he wouldn't die and that he would be alive at rapture time.

That's why at the end of John's life he felt the end was very near. (John 2:18) John even does his own twisted explanation of the anti-christ. The tradition among the early christians is that a single individual would appear who would persecute the holy ones. There was no such individual at Johns time so he tried to say that there were "many anti-christs". He defines anti-christs as those who leave the Christian Congregation John 2:19 "They went out from us". This is completely in contradiction to Jesus' parable to search out the sheep that stray and bring them back into the fold. John was way off base. He wrongfully concluded that if people left the congregation they were "anti-Christ". If those who left are anti-christ there is no reason to try to pursue them. So John would feel quite comfortable in the JW organization today.