Posts by Rivergang

27

Remember Hour Quotas?

by blondie in

jw
friends

hour quotas timeline.

back in the old days long before 1952.

“after staying in our ‘home’ for two days we decided that if we were going to meet our quota of 140 hours for the month.

Up until about 1972, a JW could not even be deemed a "Regular Publisher" unless they met the minimum quota of 10 hours per month. Added to that, they had to have also conducted at least one bible study, placed at least 12 magazines, and made a certain number of "back calls" during that month - or else! (Particularly if one failed to "place" those 123 magazines, in which case that same said person was liable for the JW equivalent of "No.1 Field Punishment").

For those interested, WC Stevenson's 1967 work The inside story of Jehovahs Witnesses gives a full description of the complete matter of "hours", as it then stood. Certainly, when I first began attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall (circa 1970), that is all you seemed to hear about.

63

Why do they want to kill all the White People?

by liam in

the hatred against whites is escalating to an unprecedented degree.

in south africa, they are calling for complete genocide of white people.

for some reason they are targeting all the white farmers.. i’m so glad trump noticed.

Rivergang

Ok Trump got some of his facts mixed up

That is, of course, the most effective form of propaganda, the half-truth.

63

Why do they want to kill all the White People?

by liam in

the hatred against whites is escalating to an unprecedented degree.

in south africa, they are calling for complete genocide of white people.

for some reason they are targeting all the white farmers.. i’m so glad trump noticed.

Rivergang

It's a bit of a bloody nuisance the way that facts keep getting in the way of a good story!

26

SDAs Campaigning in my Area

by NotFormer in

not even as active as the jws (whom i have not seen for around a year now), nevertheless i get an occasional leaflet or other publication in my letterbox that seems to be seventh day adventist in origin.. the booklet i received the other day was entitled "national sunday law".

i also had received this book years ago when i had some dealings with the sdas.. from reddit: "national sunday law involves a conspiracy theory which alleges that the united states government is on the verge of enacting a national blue law that would make sunday a day of rest and worship.

the theory depends on the idea that the pope is the antichrist and the mark of the beast is worshipped on sunday.

Rivergang

I have only ever once seen members of the Seventh Day Adventist church actually engaged in a door-knocking activity. This was over 40 years ago, and - specifically - they were soliciting funds for their "missionary works".

As an aside, there is at least one country in which the SDA has a significant presence, and that is Papua New Guinea. This is a country which is proud to describe itself as being "Christian"(rather hard to believe at times, but there you go!) Most of its population of just over 10 million people is divided about evenly between the Catholic, Anglican, United, Lutheran and Seventh Day Adventist churches - each with a membership of about 2 million people.

At least in PNG, the Seventh Day Adventists are on an equal footing with the more "mainstream" churches.

22

Even after many years out, why can't you stop thinking about them.

by liam in

there is a lot of exjws who have been out 10-20-30-50 years, but for some reason, when they see a group of jehovah's witnesses, sitting by their carts, drinking coffee, scrolling through phones, laughing, something inside happens.

most can't explain it.

some say it makes their blood boil.

Rivergang

Do you still feel pity for them?

Only the victims!

So much for the old con-job "Just obey, and you will be blessed"

- More like booted hard in the guts, then kicked to the kerb.

51

You Could Be Stuck in a University When Your Parent Dies. Convention Day 2 Video

by liam in

the governing body is going all out at this years convention.

they are still discouraging university education.

i guess the end must be real close .

Rivergang

But would a person trained as an electrician want to do the wider range of career options that the degree would offer?

And why would they not?

As "a person trained as an electrician", I could think of many reasons why they may want to.

Each to their own, certainly - but when it comes to career choice, there is no such thing as "one size fits all". What right does a handful of old wanks in New York have to mandate that no young person may undertake university studies?

51

You Could Be Stuck in a University When Your Parent Dies. Convention Day 2 Video

by liam in

the governing body is going all out at this years convention.

they are still discouraging university education.

i guess the end must be real close .

Rivergang

Universities offer longer programs leading to degrees and a wider range of career options. "

Even "Chris" the electrician would have found that out!

While we certainly need skilled workers such as electricians, the aforementioned "Chris" would find his career options would be much wider were he to have completed the degree course in electrical engineering. (All other things being equal, too, remuneration is much more attractive for those sporting a bachelor degree in engineering).

I am talking here as somebody who spent the last several decades of his working life in roles best described as being that of a "Busted @$$ Electrician" - and who if had his time all over again, would have attempted the bachelor of engineering course from the outset.

51

You Could Be Stuck in a University When Your Parent Dies. Convention Day 2 Video

by liam in

the governing body is going all out at this years convention.

they are still discouraging university education.

i guess the end must be real close .

Rivergang

Elder has big bucks, child allowed to go to university

Oh yes - how often have I seen that happen (with a blatant example being in this city, where the son in question is a highly respected electrical engineer).

Otherwise, though, it is very much a case "I've got mine, but you are not allowed to have yours".

25

Top Jehovahs witnesses Historians

by Paul Bonanno in

jw
friends

hi .

who do you think are the best historian/historians about the history of jehovahs witnesses?.

paul.

Rivergang

Back in the day, I found W.C. Stevenson's 1975 - Year of Doom? (later reprinted as The Inside Story of Jehovah's Witnesses) to be an informative read.

Admittedly, it came out at a time when there was very little else available about the JWs. However, it does describe in great detail how the congregations were organised before the elder arrangement was instituted. No other history of Jehovah's Witnesses (that I have ever read, anyway) does that to the same level of detail which Stevenson did.

Also, his writing style is impeccable - exactly what you would expect from somebody who majored in English at Oxford university. (And completely at variance with Schnell's ravings in his 30 Years a Watchtower Slave)!

18

Youths who gave up amazing lives

by JohnR1975 in

when i was growing up i remember many young people interviewed on the platform at assemblies.

the ones who really stood out are the talented ones who gave up amazing lives to pioneer.. i remember specifically when i was a boy in the 70s and 80s some who were very good at sport or something.

their teachers begged them to get professional training use their talents to the full.

Rivergang

But ooh, it's a different story when they need something.

Nothing like trying to "Hunt with the hounds and run with the hare" - all at the same time.