Posts by Skepsis

42

Elders getting burnt up.

by biblexaminer in

the elders in this area are getting burned out.

i have overheard comments that demonstrate this, but in my dealings with them, i clearly see it.

they can't keep it straight.

I'm serving as pioneer and MS and it's stressful to serve in that positions being young. There are very few young brothers who want to volunteer and all the tasks are assigned to the small group of young 'spiritual' brothers.

It was the reason behind my awakening. I just can't do it. I'm doing the accounts, territories, assignments in the meetings, conducting meetings for field service and also pioneering.

I just told the elders i'm stepping down as pioneer and their response was: "But... you're the only young male pioneering in the congregation! How are you doing that to the congregation?". They're frustrated as they see there are no replacements for the old guard of strong spiritual men of past decades and it doesn't matter the physical, mental or spiritual wellbeing of brothers serving VOLUNTARILY!

Sometimes, I'm feeling as MS worst than in a secular job. The elders and COs treat you like an employee without taking into account you're doing it as a volunteer. There's nothing special in serving as a MS or elders, it's just like a job but whithout getting paid. You're sacrificing your free time and you get nothing, not even a 'thank you'.

In fact, although there are other MSs and elders in my congregation, they can't do some tasks like the accounts because they can't understand how to do it thanks to the WT anti-education policy! And they're the same who reprimanded me for studyng at university. What a nonsense!

35

The Governing Body are doubling down on dogma!

by DATA-DOG in

in case you were wondering if the governing body we're going to become kinder and gentler, the answer is a big "no!!!

in the current study edition of the wt magazine, the sheeple are reminded of some very important key points.

1) god has an organization ( corporation ) that you must respect.. 2) only the gb/faithful slave can dispense spiritual food and only the gb/faithful slave can interpret the bible.. 3) individual dubs absolutely cannot learn "truth" on their own.. 4) god requires "unity of doctrine.

Skepsis

Quite remarkable that this religion is so closed to the Catholic dogma of Papal infallibility. The only difference is that we have a body of 7 Popes and Catholics have only 1.

58

Mexico branch......Now closing!!!

by krismalone in

a circuit overseer friend of mine serving in latin america called me today to say hi.

i asked him what's new and he dropped the news that they have received notification that the branch in mexico will be closing!!

this branch also called the central american branch (although located in mexico) oversees all of mexico's 800,000+ publishers plus all 7 countries of central america of over 100,000 publishers.

Skepsis

Wow! If that's true, there would be huge consequences!

I know a lot of brothers in Mexico and Latin America in general, and that area is the only one where the JWs are really growing.

That's true, donations in those countries must be low but it's not better in Europe. Having so many aging congregations implies that in the near future donations in Western Europe will drop. Don't know how they are financing their operations.

I could see an internet-based religion with fewer KHs, but if you know a bit Latin America, you can see how important is there the social aspects of religion. Maybe in the US and Europe, it could fit well the necessities of the remaining JWs loyal to the Org, but in Latin America it would be suicidal for the religion.

23

What's Expected in Field Service?

by Cold Steel in

do all potential converts have to take part in field service before baptism?

and do new members generally try to bring in their friends and family or do they generally keep their religion to themselves?

what do pioneers do if they're going door to door and chance on someone they know or work with in their personal lives?

Skepsis

I'm a regular pioneer until they announce I'm not serving as one very soon and the nonsense of dedicating 70 hours each month to an empty mission was one of the things that started my process of awakening.

The material used to preach is so stupid: tracts with questions and 3 possible answers we are supposed to ask to introduce the information, a video that says nothing you are supposed to show at the door... And finally the carts. Now pioneering consists of spebding almost half your hours if not more, standing up in the street waiting.

At least in Western countries the message is not appealing. I know of brothers speaking how well it's worked in Latin America but here in Europe you look ridiculous with that.

When someone approaches you, he/she speaks about the news and where is God. Some even asked us: How are you sure you are preaching the correct version of Christianism?

And we can only redirect them to the website or publications. We are supposed not to have a normal conversation where the two parts can share their ideas. The WT knows they don't have answers to real questions.

Maybe they know it in WT HQ. Now preaching is a work that consists in keeping us busy to not think about all the nonsense involved in being a JW today. Like meetings dedicated to highlight the importance of being present to meetings. Quite circular and redundant.

31

"Just have faith in Jehovah..."

by evilApostate in

i recently spoke to an old friend of mine who is still under the clutches of the watchtower.

a while back, i had told him about all the child sex abuse coverups, false prophecies, false doctrines etc.

he was really shocked and surprised.

Skepsis

That was my reasoning for years and many are thinking that way. But then, there's something that awakens you. For me it was a conversation with a sister with doubts.

Day after day she was sending me info about child abuse inside the Org and doubts about prophecies. Don't know if she knows the TTATT. Can't ask her because I'm still inside and don't know how she would react.

By how she speaks in public with JWs, she seems a believer at least to a certain degree.

144

RC 2017

by wifibandit in

due to last years success, i will post everything related to the 2017 regional convention in this thread.. to start us off.... thanks to exjw reddit user ich3b we have advance notice of the theme (this is not a joke!).

the theme for the 2017 regional convention is: "don’t give up!” .

as always, if you have access to confidential materials you would like to leak but need to protect your identity, pm me or email me: wifibandit1 (at) gmail.

Skepsis

Wow! Can't believe all those Special Conventions with their use of specific logos and commemoration of talks from Knorr and others! Marking 54 years of a talk? Are we supposed to believe 54 years later are we still in the last days? How many years or even decades are there in the last days? And how can the brothers accept that?

62

Meeting Attendance levels

by freddo in

jw
friends

i attended a sunday meeting today after missing a couple due to a bout of chronic apathy.

out of 74 publishers we had a grand total of 33. wonderful.

for those that attend, how are you finding the numbers?.

Skepsis

In my foreign-language congregation they have an attendance of 80% of publishers and it's considering it's a zealous one.

In my parent's congregation, they're 80 publishers on paper bu in the CLAM meetings there are 40-50 in attendance and 50-60 for the public meeting.

During winter, in some meetings there are 30-35 publishers as there are many brothers in their 70s and 80s with health problems.

According to my family, the elders want to merge their congregation with other meeting in the same Kingdom Hall but the CO doesn't want that because it would mean to recognise the situation in the circuit is a disaster and the JW religion is shrinking in the area.

26

My presentation (new one here!)

by Skepsis in

jw
friends

i registered in the board and i wanted to present myself.. i used to visit this forum some time ago and even register an account but then i tried to convince myself all was ok in the congregation.

now, i'm coming back :).

i live in a southern european nation, i'm a young jw, a good example in the congregation serving as a regular pioneer and ms. for all in the congregation i'm the good guy, one of the best examples in the area i live.

Skepsis

Thanks Magnum, your post is very clear as it's all I'm seeing in all those who pioneered and gave their lives to the Organisation.

And thanks DesiriousOfChange, that's my plan. I'm telling to some elders who would understand it and your reasoning fits well with what I think now. Because I feel like I'm sacrificing myself to the Org. The timing to quit pioneering is just to not do it abruptely and raise suspicions about me.

And yes, I'm really starting to live my life realizing it's my responsibility to take my own decisitions and plan my future.

26

My presentation (new one here!)

by Skepsis in

jw
friends

i registered in the board and i wanted to present myself.. i used to visit this forum some time ago and even register an account but then i tried to convince myself all was ok in the congregation.

now, i'm coming back :).

i live in a southern european nation, i'm a young jw, a good example in the congregation serving as a regular pioneer and ms. for all in the congregation i'm the good guy, one of the best examples in the area i live.

Skepsis

Thanks for all your messages of support.

I feel like I lost part (if not all) of my youth. At least, when I was 23, I reconsidered my decisition to not going to college, that's almost the only thing I don't regret.

Now I have a couple of job offers and I will use it to start a new life.

Now pioneering, living still at home with my parents and in a congregation with a lot of things to do is almost impossible even to have time to think.

I read some threads about fading, still don't know if I want to abandon the religion or not, but what I do need is to quit pioneering and have more time for myself and goals that would benefit my life: having a career, freetime to do sports... things I have abandoned to progress in the so called "truth".

So I guess it will be my next goal. I just can't preach others about something I don't believe.

Fortunately I don't have a JW girlfriend. I broke with my JW girlfriend a year ago, she's so spiritual and brainwashed... It would have been even worst!

I prefer doing this at my own pace for the sake of family and my own: quitting pionering, living by myself (can't imagine fading while at home with my family)...

I'll keep reading this forum. Thanks to all for it, I feel less lonely in this. Discovering and confronting your doubts it's really hard as many of you had experienced!

26

My presentation (new one here!)

by Skepsis in

jw
friends

i registered in the board and i wanted to present myself.. i used to visit this forum some time ago and even register an account but then i tried to convince myself all was ok in the congregation.

now, i'm coming back :).

i live in a southern european nation, i'm a young jw, a good example in the congregation serving as a regular pioneer and ms. for all in the congregation i'm the good guy, one of the best examples in the area i live.

Skepsis

I registered in the board and I wanted to present myself.

I used to visit this forum some time ago and even register an account but then I tried to convince myself all was ok in the congregation. Now, I'm coming back :).

I live in a Southern European nation, I'm a young JW, a good example in the congregation serving as a regular pioneer and MS. For all in the congregation I'm the good guy, one of the best examples in the area I live. Additionally I'm in a foreign language congregation, so for many I would be the "perfect Witness".

But I also studied at University and I just graduated in a STEM degree. I started college after watching how the real job market is without a profession or some kind of qualification in these days (especially in a country like mine with one of the highest unemployment rate in the West and hit hard in the financial crisis). Studyng at University disappointed many in the congregation and in my family but looking at brothers in their 30s and 40s and how they are suffering and living thanks to their families, I just thought I had to take this decisition.

From some time ago, I'm having doubts about the Org and about some doctrines. After studying my degree I have a more open mind and I just can't accept some ideas from the Org. And now I have to take the decision between accepting a full-time job or serving as a pioneer. I have now a job allowing me work and pioneering at the same time but this new job would require longer hours (making pioneering impossible) and I feel exhausted and even discouraged in the field service.

As I am serving in a foreign language congregation and having so many responsibilities, I need to stop. I need time to think. I feel there's a lot of work to do but I feel it's a kind of work and effort that leads you nowhere. A lot of bureaucracy, speeches, RVs and studies with people with no real interest.

The two things keeping me from stepping down are:

1. Uncertainty and fear. I'm a born in, I've never lived in the world and even during University, I went to classes and had the least possible relationship with "wordly people".

2. Pressure from family, friends, brothers... They all expect me to continue doing things the same way I've been doing all these years.

I would like to stop altogether because I now feel like a hyprocrite. But I know it would do more harm than good so my plan is to take decisitions step by step. I'm planning to quit pioneering in 4-5 months and then move to another congregation as the one I'm attending now is very small and I have a lot of pressure on me to do a lot of things and it's hard even to miss one meeting!

I hope if you read until the end, it was not so boring! And of course, I hope I didn't make a lot of mistakes as I'm not a native English speaker.

Thanks for reading!