couting time and, how to count time while doing as little service as possible is often a hot topic around witnesses.
i even overheard pioneers discussing about it.
they call it "creative time counting" (i translated that phrase from a different language so bear with me ;-).
My mother used to pay some bills in the mornings and put tracts in them. She would start her time before the meeting for fs this way. She probably still does this, I don't know.
I don't judge people who try these tactics. It's a miserable thing trying to get your hours. Being away from it makes you realize how foolish it all was. And you eventually realize how little control of your life they really have! It's only what you let them to have.
my mom called me yesterday to ask how i was doing.
i hadn't seen her in a while, so it was nice to hear her voice.
we went through the motions of jw small talk and then she started telling me about her co visit from last week.
I think cleanideas has it. The wicked world has influenced our thinking too much, so the GB will be broadcasting most or all the talks. The only good thing about this is it's less work for the 'servant body', who really liked writing talks anyway?? Huge burden.
The thing is, if they're trying to bring anyone from the outside, this looks exactly like 1984. And that Apple commercial. Someone is going to be throwing an ax at the screen one of these days, and screaming 'think differently!!!'
do you keep falling asleep during meetings and assemblies?
long and boring home studies?
> here's a way to change all of that.. > > .
'The end is very, very near!'
'faithful brothers'
'exemplary'
'this scripture brings out'
why do the jehovah's witnesses feel that paradise earth is a literal place?.
i posted this question in yahoo answers if anyone is interested: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20150125163818aatmbtr.
why believe poetic promised land prophecy is to be taken literally, but scriptures saying the earth will end must be taken figuratively?
as an elder, i used to find a legitimate reason to wander.
When I was a child, I used to make sure there was a little piece of thread in my pocket. I would pull it out during the meeting and very carefully tie knots...trying to build a bigger knot in the middle. This was seriously a regular survival tactic. I would be so desperate if I realized I had forgotten a string.
Also, there were bathroom breaks. I would very foolishly stand up and go down the long side of of chairs, just to make the break THAT much longer. Finally one sister stopped me and yell-whispered "Why do you go THiS way? You disturb every single person in this whole row!! Go the other way!!!' She had to say this to me, because my mother was so oblivious, completely enraptured by the meetings, and had no idea what I was doing. I was petrified by the sisters comment and never did it again, and always rued that I couldn't, cuz that was like 10 more seconds of meeting time without something to do.
Oh my god, it was so miserable. A little hell for children. I'm so glad I survived that first 40 years, and never, ever have to go to a meeting again, until it's funerals for family members :(.
When I had my own kids, I would stay in the nursing room like half an hour at a time. When they got older, we would go for walks around the KH. We used to watch bees and ants. The interminable circuit assemblies were the worst. Toward the end it was so bad. I tried all I could do not to start screaming during meetings. I had to constantly tap my feet or hands just to stay in control.
Never, ever, ever again!! Ever ever!!!!!!!! And service too!!!!!!!! Always HATED service. Funny thing is, that since I left, I always jump at every opportunity to go knock on neighbors doors! Whether passing out fliers about block parties or a school campaign or whatever. It's so weird cuz I always hated service. I guess it's a life habit and I get my fix this way.
i wanted to test the forum to see how my links come up.. i blog on my jw experience.
here is my opinion on why so many know nothing about this 'religion'.... http://darrinhart.hubpages.com/hub/jehovahs-witnesses-and-the-chosen-path-of-ignorance .
i know there are some newbies....if interested, i also wrote a short ebook that may help some:.
An elder told me once that he stopped reading National Geographic because it seemed like every issue had something about evolution in it.
He would rather not read about something that would put doubt in his mind. Ignorance is a protection from questioning and guilt.
my mom called me yesterday to ask how i was doing.
i hadn't seen her in a while, so it was nice to hear her voice.
we went through the motions of jw small talk and then she started telling me about her co visit from last week.
Yes I heard something like 'Buckle your seat belts' 5 years ago.
I actually think this particular scare is the GB getting people ready for the 'wicked world' to turn on them, so they think they will have to change their way of worship, Sell Kingdom Halls?
this is all freaky to me. It's really strange hearing about them making mainstream moves and then reading about them in reality reinforcing their hardline policies. It's an easygoing facade covering some very dark stuff. They're becoming more like Mormons every day.
i would like to give my opinion of each gb member.
i would probably split them into 3 groups.. group 1 - the hardliners.
tony the 3rd: he knows exactly what hes's doing and saying.
I want to personally thank Sam herd for his hardline talk while visiting our circuit assembly years ago, that got me to read the bible instead of listen to him. I chose the book of John. Then fell in love with Christ.
and I had been sooo excited there was finally a black brother on the GB. But was very disappointed he was THAT kind of brother. During his talk, I kept reading about Jesus and salvation and love, and he had equal representation with the father in the Greek scriptures, everywhere I looked. Then I would look up and listen for his name, but it was always Jehovah Jehovah jehovah. I was like, something's wrong here. This doesn't match.
it seams like every time i turn around i find out that the elders are trying to meet with one of my kids or are talking with them about things and of course my wife is instigating it.
if i say anything to my children she mentions something and they come running.
one of the ms's is also studying with them as well.
over the past few days i've been reading and watching bill and melinda gates speak about their plans for a better world by 2030. they bet that due to technology and the compassion of people the world should improve more in the next 15 years than it has in all of history.
specifically lower child mortality rate, eradication of polio and guinea worm among other diseases, improvement of standards of living, greater access to education etc.. i'm a realist, so i'm not looking for miracles, but i believe most of these things are possible given the level of success they have reaped in other endeavors, and naturally emerging tech being used to make some of these projections possible.. you can see that the world is actually improving in many areas if you seek out the good news stories and statistics and look beyond the watchtower friendly fear porn about terrorism, and potential dangers from culturally diverse nations around the globe.
for instance 2014 had the lowest fatal airline accident rate in history despite the hyping of the ill fated malaysian airlines crashes.
