FFGhost

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Posts by FFGhost

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  36

  Drastic Upcoming Changes? (accelerated by the pandemic)

  by JWTom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  good to see you again!

  much discussion now about the fallout that is coming due to impacts of the pandemic combined with the long-term downward spiral of jw.org.

  i am active as a pimo and my wife is pimi....much of our personal conversation and conversation with others in jw land focuses on how things will play out for jw.org in the next 12-24 months.

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  FFGhost

  They'll never stop in-person meetings (too much loss of control, thus while they will continue to sell some KHs, many will still be needed (so no. 2 won't happen). That also means 3 & 4 won't happen, at least not on the scale you wish for.
  

  5. Nope. Not happening. Too valuable a tool to keep the drones hamster-wheeling

  6. Nope. Not in a million billion quadrillion years. Fear of DFing is the primary weapon to keep control

  7. Sounds like a wish list of things you'd like to see happen, but which won't happen

  That said, I could - maybe - MAYBE - see them eliminate one in-person meeting per week. I.e., the "midweek meeting" remains as a zoom item, while weekend meetings are always at the KH. But even that I'd rate at less than 50% chance of happening. Other than that, back to "normal" as soon as practicable. Imaginative and creative these guys ain't.
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  33

  Research question

  by JeffT in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm doing a little background research for a novel.

  what is the craziest thing you heard a witness say was demonized, and what did they do about it?.

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  FFGhost

  heard a witness say was demonized - the theory of evolution.

  Ha! I remember an elderette giving a WT comment one Sunday saying something like "At schools of higher education, they teach things like evolution....or evil - lution as I like to call it...[insert dramatic pause and self-indulgent grin]"

  I think she was disappointed that people didn't burst in a spontaneous standing ovation at her "cleverness".
  
  
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  42

  What’s Your View On Self Defense?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if someone comes to you with a knife or a gun, would you defend yourself if you could?

  if someone tried to beat you up , would you physically engage, run away or just try to talk the person out of beating you up or robbing you?

  if you did have a gun to defend yourself would you shoot to kill or would you simply aim for the ankle to incapacitate the person?

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  FFGhost

  Interesting letter, reply, and snippet from the WT article.

  Gotta love the weasel wording "spiritually mature Christians choose not keep a firearm" - rather than coming right and saying "you, Brother Gunsmith, are a spiritually immature dolt".

  Just like when people say "any reasonable and intelligent person would agree that...[insert personal opinion here]" which implies that anyone and everyone who holds a different opinion than yours is a stubborn buffoon.
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  9

  "Criminal Minds" quote

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was just watching an old episode of criminal minds and there was this description of cults:.

  "cults commonly have their own language.

  they invent or redefine certain words only the cult members understand.

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  FFGhost

  Pioneer, publisher, LDC, RBC, and all the related jargon.

  "Spiritual" = eagerly willing to do mundane chores for the advancement of the JW religion

  "Kingdom Interests" = Assets of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Corporation

  "Spiritually mature" = Blindly and unquestioningly obedient to every whim of the elders, CO, and/or governing body

  "Apostasy" = any idea even faintly critical of the WTS regardless of its source

  "Privilege" = a menial drudgery performed with no tangible benefit returned to the doer (carrying a microphone, scrubbing a toilet, creating a schedule, etc.)

  "Thrilling, encouraging, rewarding, satisfying" = exact 180-degree antonyms of how every non-JW in the universe understands those words

  Need I go on?
  
  
  
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  15

  Do JWs now allow some gambling?

  by mickbobcat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i had seen a video evens did where he said that jws now say if you gambling for entertainment its ok. anyone have any link to the cult actually in print or video saying this?.

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  FFGhost

  maybe the watchtower management have realised that relaxing / rescinding all these petty rules and regulations or making them matters of conscience will eventually make the cult a bit more popular.

  Far more likely: certain Bethel "heavies" have a regular card game every weekend, that is well-known throughout the halls of Bethel. So saying that "petty" gambling is allowed creates the loophole to allow them to continue without interference.

  Maybe I'm too cynical, but I always think that any softening of rules is done to allow for the heavies' to "get away" with stuff they want to do themselves.
  
  
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  15

  Do JWs now allow some gambling?

  by mickbobcat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i had seen a video evens did where he said that jws now say if you gambling for entertainment its ok. anyone have any link to the cult actually in print or video saying this?.

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  FFGhost

  I would guess the elder's manual is probably referring to JWs playing poker with each other and the like, so long as they are not "high stakes". Maybe a "loser buys the beer" arrangement for golf, or small bets on football games.

  Traveling to Las Vegas for the primary reason of gambling thousands of dollars would probably, in the viewpoint of most elders reflect a "course of greediness" (where on earth do they come up with these tortured, awkward phrasings???).

  But as always, the key is "stumbling others". If Sister Blue-Hair catches wind of your Friday night card game and runs to the elders in a self-righteous snit, well, that's the end of that.
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  9

  How long did people worship Zeus? Was it longer than Christianity's 2000 years?

  by pistolpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  how long did people worship zeus?

  was it longer than christianity's 2000 years?.

  most answers say this but they do vary..

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  FFGhost

  I mean, people can only wait for so long-----a few thousands years perhaps----but not millions of years before they realize-----I guess we were wrong and he's not coming.

  I have it on good authority that the Great Prophet Zarquon will not be late!
  
  
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  46

  Do You Think White People Are Being Discriminated Against?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  some call it reverse discrimination.

  whatever you want to refer to as, in your opinion, are white people being unfairly picked on?

  it seems acceptable that if you are white you are viewed with disdain.

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  FFGhost

  Minimus:

  American

  Guy

  Aggrieved

  
  
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  23

  DPA Blood ASAP

  by manicmama in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am in need of the current copy of the newest dpa blood card as some of the jw's in my mothers congregation are asking about if she signed the latest copy after she passed today.

  i am curious as to why they are asking about this specifically and not offering condolences on the loss of my mother.

  there has been some shady interactions leading to my mother requesting me to talk to certain elders to request that certain people not interact with her further.

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  FFGhost

  If you are in the US, keep in mind that each state's DPA has slightly different language.

  Also, keep in mind that the "official" cards are kept locked away, typically only a congregation secretary would have access to them.
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  24

  The choice of being alone has never been clearer.

  by pistolpete in

  1. social
  2. current

  something i've noticed is that marriage was the thing for those born before 2010. but today's culture of divorce laws slanted to favor women has forced men to think carefully before signing the marriage certificate.

  most of my friends have no intentions of getting married.

  all of them have gotten vasectomies, so there is no chance of being blamed for a pregnancy.

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  FFGhost

  if I was worth £1 million and got divorced, my ex-wife could get £500,000. That would be one high-class escort

  I dunno, if your wife were worth 1 million, you'd get 500,000.

  What would that make you?