Seeker4

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Posts by Seeker4

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  9

  Memorial Attendance 2008

  by oneairhead in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the memorial attendance was announced for 2008 by the do at thisweekends ca but i did not catch it as i was texting another fader who was there.

  one thing that i did note was that there was no comment of it being more than last year or a peak attendance.

  i would like to know what last year was as compared to this year.. i know the attendance was less in our area than last year.. one .

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  Seeker4

  I'm interested if the number of partakers will show much of a shift, now that it's OK for everyone to be anointed!
  
  S4
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  12

  American Idol and JDubs

  by skeeter1 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so, what is the "inside scoop" on how the society & friends view american idol & such "competition-type" shows.. i am wondering as my ultra jwdub relative turns up a nose to these shows.

  .

  skeeter.

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  Seeker4

  My JW daughter watches, and remember, Bro. Prince performed on it last year!
  
  S4
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  259

  What will you do when the Great Tribulation Begins?

  by Malkiel in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i've always wanted to ask this question to those that have decided to leave the organization.. what will you do when the great tribulation begins?.

  right now folks, a lot is happening in the political world.. gordon brown (prime miniter of england) last week gave a speech to the un stating that it is time for the un to step in and solve the world's problems, (specifically mentioning the economy and hunger crisis worldwide.).

  barrack obama is shaping up to be the next president, a fellow who sure knows how to persuade and lead great crowds.

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  Seeker4

  Malkiel,
  
  How are you thought of by the Witnesses? You're stuff about Freemasons and them taking over the UN, etc. smacks of conspiracy nuttiness - and the few that thought like that in the JWs that I knew were considered a lunatic fringe.
  
  So, how does this all go down with your elders and CO?
  
  The fact that you're arguing these points with a bunch of apostates, to JW thinking, gives me a pretty good idea just how much of a Witness you are!
  
  But, please, stick around!
  
  S4
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  27

  If the Bible was written more clearly, would there be a need to preach?

  by easyreader1970 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  part of the reason there are so many divisions and opinions and versions of the bible is because, quite honestly, alot of it just doesn't make any sense.

  it's full of symbolism, metaphors, allegories, parables, and even some of the narratives conflict with themselves.

  the book of revelation makes no sense at all.

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  Seeker4

  The first time I read the Tao Te Ching, which by the way takes maybe an hour, at most, I was still an active JW, but I immediately thought, "Now THIS is how a book inspired by god ought to read!" Now the Tao doesn't claim to be inspired or holy at all, just the wisdom of how to live well.
  
  Now, the Bible, supposedly the handiwork of the one, true, all-wise god, reads like the biggest jumble of myth, legend, semi-history, stories, rewritten history, hallucinations, the ramblings of religious fanatics, letters documenting the dissension and arguments among Jesus' early followers and the ambitious shenanigans of a few men trying to create a new religion.
  
  Wait, that's exactly what it is!!
  
  Reading the Bible was a major factor in convincing me that it is certainly not a holy or inspired book in any way.
  
  S4
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  7

  Public Acceptance of Evolution --- A Comparative Study

  by hamilcarr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here's an illuminating graph showing the acceptance of evolution in different industrialized societies, from a science article by miller, scott and okamoto (2006).

  as you can see, only turkey has a lower acceptance than the us.

  the participants were asked to assess the following statement: "human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals".

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  Seeker4

  Science education in the US is a disgrace. The US is rapidly becoming a third world country in many ways. Look at the discussions of evolution we have here on JWD. A huge percentage of those who try to support creationism on here don't even understand the concept of a scientific theory,let alone the actual science of evolution, and that holds true with the population in general in the US. The level of ignorance about science among Americans is very, very sad.
  
  Both Presidents Reagan and Bush W. have questioned evolution as "just a theory," and three of the Republican Presidential candidates said they didn't believe in evolution. If that's the quality of thinking and education among a nation's leaders, what can be expected among the citizenry?
  
  Remember the Democrat candidates all going on television and fawning to the press about how important their relationship with god and Jesus was to them? Pathetic, but a non-believer would have a hell of a time getting elected to high office here.
  
  Friends in Europe tell me that they never hear of religious fundamentalists being allowed to try and get intelligent design, creationism or some other non-scientific, religious propaganda on a school curriculum. It just doesn't happen. Enough of the population has enough scientific education and understanding to make evolution doubters very much fringe groups.
  
  S4
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  12

  Nothing said last night

  by stillajwexelder in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in our hall last night ,nothing was said about a big announcement after the wt study sunday

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  Seeker4

  I told my ex-wife, still an active JW, about the announcement. She told me straight out that there's supposed to be a special announcement at the meeting this Sunday.
  
  S4
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  29

  Lately, The SIGHT of JWs Gets Me Irritated!!!!!

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anyone care to psychoanalyze me??

  ?

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  Seeker4

  Hey, I denote an awful lot of suppressed anger for somebody who just had his ass parked on a beach in Aruba for a week.
  
  Did you have an absent father? A controlling, whiny mother who loaded you down with so much guilt that it broke you down into a sniveling, weeping little boy that cried himself to sleep every night from the time he turned 24 until he reached 43 and finally got into counseling? Hey?
  
  Oh...Me neither.
  
  S4
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  17

  Focus of New Elder's School: How To Research - WTS Literature Only!!

  by Seeker4 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i posted this idea on another thread, but thought it might get some response as a thread of it's own.

  this was the e-mail i just got about the new elder's school for pos only: .

  "my dad's po school wasn't new stuff, just a lot on studying, using the cd rom, etc.

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  Seeker4

  Great story, Balsam. You and I are around the same age, so probably share many of these sort of experiences.
  
  I was a serious student when I was a JW, but typically, the average Witness is woefully ignorant of the history of the organization and the development of JW theology. Right now, if you asked Joe Publisher if Jesus is their mediator, most would say yes. Hardly any of them really understand Witness teachings and history in any depth.
  
  When you do, like what happened with you, the WT facade begins to crumble.
  
  S4
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  27

  Local needs: 40% of the congregation are irregular at meetings

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, our local needs talk was a bit out of the ordinary - normally it's something mundane like improving bible studies.. after harping on about the good things the congregation is doing, we got to the meat.. there are 100 publishers in the cong - 40% of them are irregular meeting attenders.. the elder said that those who are irregular at meetings are also irregular on field service.. he also said the elders would continue to shepherd these ones, yet most of us never get as shepherding call.. he said that those who've lost their joy feel this way because they don't fellowship often enough and lack appreciation for sacred things.. there are those who are liberal, manifest an independent spirit and have worldly associations.. he even said that those who need to hear this counsel are those who are missing.. .

  oh well.

  i suppose it's good news..

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  Seeker4

  That's probably typical - 40% miss the meetings.
  
  They base the figure on total publishers, so it's probably higher, as usually there are quite a few who attend - kids - who are counted at attending but are not yet publishers.
  
  I know of only one congregation that had 100% attendance figures - my congregation for a period when I was an elder in the 1980s. It shocked the COs! Typical meeting attendance even then was 60-80%, with the highest being on Sunday and the lowest midweek.
  
  This local needs talk sounds familiar. It's the same one given in every congregation every year or two for decades!
  
  S4
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  2

  Book Study Annihilation Countdown Calendar - Anyone up for making one?

  by Meeting Junkie No More in

  1. social
  2. family

  anyone understand why this announcement is being made eight (8) months before it actually takes effect?

  if i was still 'active' i'd figure, hell, why not forget about attending immediately.

  can you imagine the morale as the dubs shuffle off to the remaining 32 book studies in living memory?

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  Seeker4

  Book Study is not being annihilated - just shortened and added to the SM/TMS.
  
  And does anyone know for certain they are not doing this for another 8 months? Why couldn't it happen sooner?
  
  Has all the speculation now become fact?
  
  S4