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.
@Diogenesister, ugh. Just ugh.
I recall a special pioneer, a WTS company man, who was on the phone in front of me with another Bethelite friend of his. It was basically bro talk about a governing body member who bagged himself a younger woman.
Yeah, congratulations, Matt. Everything you ever said to me or around me helped me to leave.
i saw this on reddit:.
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/5mlgsm/2017_yearbook_of_jehovahs_witnesses/.
overall the numbers are better than last year (1.8% growth compared to 1.5% last year -- as i predicted ;-) ) with an increase in all major figures including 1300 more congregations (i assume this is not physical kingdom halls?).
I have a personal observation about Africa. For a time, I joined a few other American brothers in adding some Nigerian brothers on Facebook. This wasn't new to me, since I have had a few online friends for years who are Yoruba. Then more than one of them started messaging me and asking for money, because we're Christian. I know it wasn't just me, because another American brother commented about the same thing.
It was bizarre. And I feel like a huge tool, but how am I supposed to diligently check this? I mean, I don't just give money to just anyone. And how do I get the money to them? PayPal? Bitcoin? The mail? Okay, who is actually getting the money? Is there a charity I can donate to instead that will help them?
But the biggest question was: Beyond tragic institutional poverty in humanity's homeland, why are these African JWs asking for money? And the answer is, at best, because we're "Christian", and because these people are looking for help. Because JWs are offering a brotherhood and present spiritual paradise and future earthly paradise, so why wouldn't they ask?
And then when I read here about brothers in Africa asking for state assistance because the Watchtower won't help them in some way, man, Africa is growing now but that is going to blow up right in their face.
when i was a believer, i endorsed this idea too.
i commented with things like "love jehovah more than your mate" or "love jehovah more than your friends".. it didn't occur to me as i was saying it that jehovah is an idea.
this god concept is an idea that should really pass scrutiny if you're supposed to love it more than anything else.. at best, this means that jehovah is real and you have to love jehovah more than the people in your life, no matter the despicable things he is said to have done, condoned and endorsed in his holy writ.
When I was a believer, I endorsed this idea too. I commented with things like "love Jehovah more than your mate" or "love Jehovah more than your friends".
It didn't occur to me as I was saying it that Jehovah is an idea. This god concept is an idea that should really pass scrutiny if you're supposed to love it more than anything else.
At best, this means that Jehovah is real and you have to love Jehovah more than the people in your life, no matter the despicable things he is said to have done, condoned and endorsed in his holy writ. You have to love that more than your spouse.
At worst, this means you love a completely made up fallacy more than your supposed best friend.
And in all cases, it's an obvious cult control tactic that isn't so obvious when you're in the fog. Let me tell you, it's a great thing to say that you love your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend more than anyone else in the entire world.
i was on an official tour last week to another part of my country.
on my way to the hotel, i noticed sign-board of jw kingdom hall.
i thought i would attend sunday meeting as i knew no one would recognize me.. seeing “a new-comer” in the audience, public speaker adapted his material making it especially appealing to me.
Are we on about consciousness or life on Earth?
When creationists talk about how special human consciousness is, it always seems to me like they are selling other animals short, even though many other species also show personality and awareness beyond mere stimuli.
I hate to sound like a downer, but we are a species of such narcissists. It's kind of hilarious. It's not enough that we take the name "homo sapiens" ("wise man"). It's not enough that we have evidence of our natural evolution in Africa, as well as evidence of admixture from other hominids. It's not even enough that we have evidence of other hominids around the world, too.
No, we also have to believe in an unmarried invisible father who created us with a golem spell, a sort of virgin birth from the red earth itself. (Why not a mother? Well, there are reasons for that, and it's because patriarchy took over though godesses came before gods.)
What if... there is no such thing as a Spirit, and God is (at best) a metaphor? What if we are afraid of not being special?
a few days ago, aron-ra posted a new video commencing what he promises to be a new series debunking the noachian flood.
he did this despite the fact that every adult should know it didn't happen, and yet many do.. i'd like to remind everyone what the insight book says: .
the genesis account of creation tells how on the second “day” jehovah made an expanse about the earth, and this expanse (called “heaven”) formed a division between the waters below it, that is, the oceans, and the waters above it.
A few days ago, Aron-Ra posted a new video commencing what he promises to be a new series debunking the Noachian Flood. He did this despite the fact that every adult should know it didn't happen, and yet many do.
I'd like to remind everyone what the Insight book says:
Where did this “heavenly ocean” come from? The Genesis account of creation tells how on the second “day” Jehovah made an expanse about the earth, and this expanse (called “Heaven”) formed a division between the waters below it, that is, the oceans, and the waters above it. (Ge 1:6-8) The waters suspended above the expanse evidently remained there from the second “day” of creation until the Flood. This is what the apostle Peter was talking about when he recounted that there “were heavens from of old and an earth standing compactly out of water and in the midst of water by the word of God.” Those “heavens” and the waters above and beneath them were the means that God’s word called into operation, and “by those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water.” (2Pe 3:5, 6) Various explanations have been offered as to how the water was held aloft until the Flood and as to the processes that resulted in its falling. But these are only speculative. The Bible says simply that God made the expanse with waters above it and that he brought the Deluge. His almighty power could easily accomplish it.
Since, as the Genesis account says, “all the tall mountains” were covered with water, where is all that water now? Evidently it is right here on the earth.
Aron-Ra tackles that belief, too, and explains how life would be under a global water canopy. Enjoy.
someone just told my wife, that those who are just leaving organization or not going anymore will be dfed, has anyone read that or heard of that?
i have seen nothing of that, and according to jackson at royal commission, we are free to go as we please...
the un has banned religion.
what are you're thoughts?.
also changes to it seem to be on the way.... http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/trump-vows-israel-vote-161224040133216.html.
LOL @jwleaks
We got excited with the bunker video even going so far as lending the Watchtower our special forces team for the production shoot but nothing happened.
Now hold on, wait a minute, the UN special forces don't wear gloves? Isn't that just so the UN?
i think all of us ex-j-dubs have had the --i'll call it a privilege--to exchange views with others who think differently than we do.
we encounter "christians" from mainstream churches.our dialogue is sort of...like speaking to martians.sooner or later, an ex-dub smacks into a wall.
that wall is a subject which is never spoken about or taught by the gb or watchtower with any candor.
It is interesting to see just how terrifically different my old born-in beliefs are from mainstream Christianity. As an atheist, I have also considered joining the Unitarian Universalists, as much as I have a Freethinkers group and maybe both, though I don't see a big important reason to do so. Maybe to make some more friends, and why else. It would totally piss off my in-laws though.
At this point, I am annoyed by positive references to Christ and the Bible, while also aware that I'm annoyed...
so my parents continue to pester me about getting baptized.
the other day my dad told me that i was old enough to make a decision, and was wondering why i wasn't ready (assembly is in a few weeks) so i told him calmly that i have many doubts and if i were to get baptized it has to be 100 percent my idea.
he was a little annoyed by this, and now wants to study the "is there a creator that cares about you" book (which is complete bs) with me.
@dubstepped, Shit! I accidentally disliked your comment! No no no, I completely agree.
I would do whatever I could to get out of the study, absolutely don't get baptized, and follow Village Idiot's advice.
the un has banned religion.
what are you're thoughts?.
also changes to it seem to be on the way.... http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/trump-vows-israel-vote-161224040133216.html.
While we're at it, the Watchtower has made a pretty specific prediction as to just how this will happen. They could've taken a hint from fortune tellers and stayed vague, but I guess it doesn't matter. They're already false prophets as it is.
Another thing: If Jehovah was going to put it into their hearts, wouldn't that mean taking away their supposed free will? If so, why hasn't he done that already?
