Posts by FFGhost

The WT "literature" says that to qualify to be an elder or MS you need to meet the requirements of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, but here are the "real" qualifications:

-- 10+ hours of field service reported per month

-- Note: Doesn't matter whether you actually do 10 hours - the only important thing is to report it

-- Also note: you should be "visible" in the ministry - at least occasionally support group arrangements.

-- Attendance at every meeting, including commenting

-- Not a problem for or an embarrassment to the congregation in general and the elders in particular

-- Your family meets or at least comes close to the above requirements

That's it. The requirements at 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are so vague and unremarkable that virtually any JW male who can breathe with his mouth closed meets them. And of course qualities such as intelligence, kindness, generosity, empathy, reasonableness, etc. are not only irrelevant - they are practically disqualifying factors.

14

Would You Like To Be God?

by Ultimate Axiom in

we know there are a few on this forum who think they are, but consider this for a while.

if you are god, you are omniscient, therefore you have nothing to learn.

nothing to research, investigate or explore as there is nothing you don’t already know.

FFGhost

How do you fill an infinite number of years being all knowing, all powerful and all alone?

Sounds like a recipe for insanity.

Come to think of it, that would explain a lot......

12

Geoffrey Jackson- soliciting?

by molybdenum in

i listened to geoffrey jackson’s latest talk “assisting our brothers materially “.

jackson presented some arguments, one of which was….jesus did not stop the widow from putting money in the contribution box in the temple.

basically saying regardless of your financial situation you have to donate.

FFGhost

That was a bizarre talk.

The whole time i was thinking "he is addressing some very specific criticism from <somewhere>."

Somebody really got under his skin, or someone on the GB, and Jackson was elected to deliver the message.

They usually don't give two hoots about what "apostates" think. What prompted this strident defense?

24

2020’s are already a Train Wreck for JW ORG

by Reservations in

as the title says, we are nearly at the end of the 2nd year of the 2020’s, and already jw org is not only a car crash, but an absolute train wreck.. i’ve watched the annual meeting 2021 already, and it seems the gb are in fighting, morris openly disagreeing with lett, that is massive, and it’s something that has largely not been commented on by this community.

covid-19 is not going anywhere, any trial meetings will surely be shut down, now omicron is doing the rounds.. it looks highly likely we will see a second negative growth year.

“young ones” are waking up by the masses.

FFGhost

The likelihood that a 20yo is anointed is low.

I know of a JW in his late 20s who was baptized at age 17 and started partaking of the emblems at his next Memorial - I don't think he had turned 18 yet.

Today he is pretty much accepted as a "regular JW". He is a pioneer and MS.

That might be an outlier, but I think it demonstrates that there could have been one, or a handful, of teen or 20ish JWs who started to partake in the early 90s. Yes I know the "atmosphere" was different then, but it's not outrageously far-fetched.

By the way, Sanderson is 3 years younger than Cook. Given the low-stress sheltered lifestyle in the Warwick compound, both could easily last into the 2050s.

13

AM III speech at anual meeting 2021

by Gorb in

jw
friends

just downloaded and watched the am iii speech about expetations about the end.. all i think it is ment to temper the high expetations that the rank and file have build up because of the pandemic.. most jw think that the big end will come now.. gb must be anticipating the anti climax that will come.. it is a very rare speech, i can say, and am iii was in a realistic mood, the audience was laughing and he was thinking "you are idiots", so it seems to me.. g..

FFGhost

I wonder, is AMIII is actually unaware of the 1969 Awake! that said youngsters would not finish college.

IIRC, he was not raised as a JW, and in fact served as a medic in the Vietnam war.

I think I remember his birthdate as in or around 1950, which would have likely put him in Vietnam in the late 60s or early 70s. So he would not have been an active JW when that article came out.

Reading old Awake articles just for the hell of it wouldn't have been a "thing", especially if he was kept busy as a CO and later a Bethelite, then onto XYZ committee and finally the GB.

"Apostates" are pretty much the only ones who highlight that article, and it doesn't appear on any JW Library or WT website links, so given his sheltered life in the Warwick compound, it is entirely possible he has never seen it.

24

2020’s are already a Train Wreck for JW ORG

by Reservations in

as the title says, we are nearly at the end of the 2nd year of the 2020’s, and already jw org is not only a car crash, but an absolute train wreck.. i’ve watched the annual meeting 2021 already, and it seems the gb are in fighting, morris openly disagreeing with lett, that is massive, and it’s something that has largely not been commented on by this community.

covid-19 is not going anywhere, any trial meetings will surely be shut down, now omicron is doing the rounds.. it looks highly likely we will see a second negative growth year.

“young ones” are waking up by the masses.

FFGhost

I haven't yet seen the AGM videos, but it seems very odd timing to present a message of "Armageddon ain't coming very soon now after all".

JWs are all hepped up with the COVID pandemic. A lot ( A LOT) of JWs have been convinced that the pandemic will lead directly into the "great tribulation".

Attendance at meetings (via Zoom) is easier than ever, and "record numbers" are attending (granted, with cameras off and not paying attention, but still, it looks impressive). There is a peak of pioneers now (of course, there is no 'hour requirement' so again, it's easier than ever, but still, it looks impressive).

I.e., things "look impressive" to the naked eye, but it's essentially a façade.

What happens when life returns to "normal", which is likely on the horizon? Meetings now in person at the KH, rather than Zoom. Field service at actual doors, not chatting with your friends on Zoom in your bathrobe. Actual hour requirements for pioneers, not "just do what you can".

It's a shock to the system. JWs, after what will be 2+ years of "Zoom life", suddenly get a harsh reminder of the JW "hamster wheel" - the weekly grind of dress up, travel to the meetings, sit and listen to boring talks, travel home....dress up, travel to meeting for field service, trudge door to door, travel home.....wash, rinse repeat...next week....and the next week....and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...and the next week...

Add to that now Morris' thoughts that "oh we're not really so close to the GT after all".

The prospect of years....decades....many decades....of trudge, trudge, trudge.....Armageddon isn't coming soon to rescue us.....after 2+ years of no in person meetings, assemblies, conventions, no door to door....

It's nuts. Why give this message now? Why not just keep presenting the "last seconds of the last minutes of the last days" message? It seems like it would be the only way to keep a modicum of enthusiasm when "Zoom life" ends.

35

The Watchtower—Study Edition | February 2022 Trust in Jehovah ...We really meant ''the Governing Body''

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

the watchtower—study edition | february 2022. study article 6. do you trust in jehovah’s way of doing things?.

15 as the end of this system of things draws near, we need to trust in jehovah’s way of doing things as never before.

during the great tribulation, we may receive instructions that seem strange, impractical, or illogical.

FFGhost

There was a post on this site many years ago, explaining how to read WT articles to understand what they really mean.

For example, every time you see the word "Jehovah", substitute in "us" or "the governing body". Every time you see "we", substitute in "you".

So, for example, if you read "Surely we would be wise if we followed Jehovah's loving direction! We would never want to upset him", what they really mean is "Surely you would be wise if you followed the governing body's loving direction! You would never want to upset us."

There were a few other substitution guidelines, but it was a post long ago and there are so many posts here now it would be virtually impossible to find it.