@jonahstourguide, do you mean no one is even talking, privately? I wonder how long that can go on before people just explode.
Spiral
JoinedPosts by Spiral
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34
Latest from Australian Royal Commission
by gerry injust received this update.
http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=8e90fa1e64ebb08847cc04916&id=fcec86ae2b&e=0670c7af59.
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1000 Years is Like 1 Day?
by Sorry inanyone else hear about this.
as all j-dubs know, whenever someone complains about how long the "new system" is taking too arrive, they use the excuse that jehovah works on his own time.
quite a few times during the public talks, i've heard speakers say the phrase "1000 years to us is only one day to jehovah" (my parents never stop talking about this).
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Spiral
I remember this. Just a great way to explain why God never does anything to help humans, who are stuck suffering in slow-motion. Exquisite torture for the humans, while the almighty is up in heaven somewhere oblivious to the day to day consequences of his indecisiveness.
Not a very satisfying God to put your faith in, I'd say. That's why I am an athiest.
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Latest from Australian Royal Commission
by gerry injust received this update.
http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=8e90fa1e64ebb08847cc04916&id=fcec86ae2b&e=0670c7af59.
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Spiral
Here's a question for anyone in Australia..... how much news coverage is all this getting locally? What is the effect on the congregations?
Here in the US, if you manage to bring it up to any JWs you are shut down totally, as if any news from Australia is from another planet and doesn't matter. (Non-witnesses don't feel that way, of course. BUT we don't see this news in the US like you would in Australia, unfortunately.)
I would think that this would cause more than a little consternation in the Australian congregations. And how would you defend this to people out in service?
Go, ARC, go!
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With up to 70% of young ones leaving what's the future of the jw's?
by karter inthey wlll always have new people coming in but the majority of the congro's are getting older particularly the inner city ones were it is expensive to live.
they are struggling to get men to be elders and m.s's and this can only get worse as very few young ones stay around.
karter..
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Spiral
scratchme1010 Seems like people are still having a hard time understanding that the WT is no longer relying on their people, nor on their preaching to thrive financially. They have a real estate business that is thriving and growing, so they can't care less if they lose people in the long run as that's no longer what they rely on to survive.
I agree. In the end, as long as the income flows from the real estate business, they (meaning, the smarter businessmen hinding behind the GB) probably don't really care about what the publisher numbers are. If they can survive the financial fallout of what might be an upcoming child abuse scandal, they will think they are "set".
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Major Doctrinal Changes Must Be On The Way
by notsurewheretogo inthe statement in the article "who is leading gods people today?
" in the feb 17th study edition of the wt is very interesting.. it states: ""the g.b.
is neither inspired nor infallible" ..we can err .in doctrinal matters....".
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Spiral
It would be pretty sad if they have to point at the ARC and the UK charity commission investigations as the beginning of persecuting "God's loyal ones" - given that the basis of the persecution is child abuse. I wouldn't call that fulfillment of "God's will" because it's just..... disgusting and creepy.
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Pyramid Schemes
by schnell inseveral years ago, i was introduced to a "wonderful" company called fortune hi tech marketing by a brother and his wife.
they had been introduced by a former sheriff who claims he had researched the company and found no leins or judgments, and that former sheriff had been brought in by a pastor.
you can read what happened with fhtm on wikipedia if you so desire.. this whole new idea of multilevel marketing had my brain reeling, though, and soon enough, i actually signed up with none other than prepaid legal.
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Spiral
Oh, over the years I can remember so many witnesses involved in so many "be your own boss" schemes, from vitamins, meleleuca, cooking utensils, makeup, jewelry, cleaning products, you name it.
I think most just needed to make more money and were naive. Sad, because more money was spent than earned.
Poverty is not fun, spiritual, or "keeping it simple". Having to deal with $$$ shortage every month is hardly a simple carefree life!
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Why Is it the Girls who Hang in There?
by snugglebunny inhaving seen many, many people leave the org over the years, i have to say that, when it comes to married couples, it's almost always the man who makes the first move to leave.
conversely, when it comes to being converted into the witnesses, more often than not it's the wife who joins up first.
although that wasn't the case with my own parents, my father became converted and my mother followed very reluctantly..
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Spiral
I might be the exception because I left first. But, a big part of me leaving was just getting tired of having to bow to elders, some of whom (in my area) could hardly read well enough to do a bible reading, but thought they knew everything about me and what I should be doing. And, why believe the Bible (an ancient, clearly flawed book of writings) and give that power over your daily life?
I've always been an independent thinker, though, and truthfully, was never very popular in JW land.
Mr. Spiral is 4th gen JW so it was harder for him, but as it turns out once I said enough he was fine with it (and promptly grew a beard, lol). We've never been happier and the relatives really can't stand it.
I do think a lot of women feel powerless and need structure and tribe so they look for a religion. There are a lot of people (not just women, but perhaps more women because of social constraints) who need to feel included in something "bigger" than they are as a "mere" human, to guide them through life's "mysteries". Lately I have been really surprised and puzzled to observe how women will play along when, obviously, they are smarter than the particular men involved. (You'll have to take my word for that part.)
Hopefully, as society evolves women will continue to gain more power. I hope for that for my grandchildren!
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God's Rule Book ....The org is setting the scene....
by tor1500 ini went to my midweek meeting this week.
very interesting....couple of things i noticed in the god's rule book, this week finishing up "the kingdom is born in heaven".
there was a footnote that read:for many years the watch tower was intended mainly for members of the little flock for their personal edification.
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Spiral
sir82: Well over 95% of JWs don't give a crap what the meeting is about. Everything - literally 100% - is forgotten on the ride home.
For the most part, the only people who care about the idiocy of WT doctrine are the apostates who pick it apart.
I have to agree with this statement. It seems to me that most JWs don't know or care what doctrine really is. Too hard to figure out, and they don't care anyway because doctrine (these days) is not the reason they are JWs. The apostates know far more about the religion than the publishers do.
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so let me get this straight.. the borg moves into their new corporate country club....
by nowwhat? inwith their luxurious lakeside condos.
takes all the congregations funds promising new kingdom halls.
but instead starts selling off kingdom halls ..then makes faithful old brothers and sisters drive 20-30 miles to another one, and .kicks out half the bethelites for only only tech savy college educated ones.can barely afford to send out printed publications anymore.
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Spiral
Nowwhat?, I have wondered the same thing! Everyone here is pretty poor but several have scraped up enough to go see the glory of Bethel and Warwick, and yet they NEVER think about this. Or that while they'll be living on social security only, eating cheap food and driving a junk car, the big shots in Warwick are livin' it up.
But, as the saying goes, no one can take advantage of you without your permission.....
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The physical effects of Cognitive Dissonance
by stuckinarut2 inmost of us here have gone through, or are going through the various stages "cognitive dissonance".. this is a term used to describe a situation where our minds, and hearts just know that something is "not quite right", and therefore we find ourselves in a muddle trying to reconcile the things we know with the things we are hearing or being told.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/cognitive_dissonance.
so just wondering, how many of you found yourselves (or still find yourselves) becoming phyiscally ill in some way during the time of fading?.
i know that when i look back, for several years even before i was awake to the many issues and facts about the society, i would feel ill at assemblies or conventions.
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Spiral
I was soooooo happy to quit going to meetings I felt great! BUT - funny you should ask...... for quite awhile before waking up I was having problems (stress, headaches, etc.) at the assemblies - I just couldn't stand the "crowd". (I hear this particular complaint a lot from my JW friends still in.) I didn't make the connection until I totally quit going, it was just so wonderful not to have to sit all day and listen to that SH*&^!!
AND - since I am in a position to see lately, I know a couple of people who are showing the classic physical signs of CD (physical stress, depression, migraines). You just WANT to say something, but I know I don't dare. Just looking forward to welcoming them on the other side, once they finally quit.