Spiral

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Posts by Spiral

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  40

  Has Anything Really Changed For JWs In The Last 10 Years?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2020 is days away.

  has anything really changed for the witnesses or the religion?

  ?.

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  Spiral

  I do think it's turning into a culty mega-church. The tone is somewhat different, and more culty, than what I remember from before.
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  16

  "Do You think that 8 million are being deceived?" Ways to answer this?

  by BottleGate_ in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  mine is : jws preach that the entire population of the earth has been deceived ..

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  Spiral

  goingthruthemotions3 hours ago

  i don't believe that everyone that attends is fully in. alot of PIMO's. Secondly they say they have 8.5 million members, i think this is exagerated.

  But there are ones like my wife who are fully brainwashed, and these are the dangerous ones. When my wifes comes from every meeting...she is a different person. it's kinda disturbing.

  I think you're right. A lot of people who attend aren't really true believers, they are just there because of family. BUT - some are totally brainwashed, and it is disturbing.

  I don't believe any of their figures. There's no way to prove it, one way or another.

  But the deception is real. Many people just don't want to really think about what's going on in the world, so it's easy to just park your brain and follow along with a group's thinking.

  That's why I've always thought it was so strange that, of all things, "Judge" Rutherford actually publicized the idea of "Religion is a Snare and a Racket". So true, and yet he was one of the worst.
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  14

  meeting attendance

  by asp59 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how much has meeting attendance gone down say the last 10-15 years at khs do you think?

  in percentage.

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  Spiral

  What I see here where I am, the local congregations (two congos, different languages) have been shrinking, so an attendance of 60 at the meeting would be 100% if that's all the publishers you have. (Do they still calculate it that way?)

  After combining congregations the attendance is still only at 80-85, so I'm thinking a few people took the opportunity to fade. (Smart!) Several just call in, and their numbers are included in those figures.

  Fifteen years ago, meeting attendance here would almost always be over 100% - say 120 plus people at the Sunday meeting, and that's just for the English speaking congregation, which had around 95 publishers.
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  5

  Jdumbs Self Preservation tactics

  by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  currently reading "cults,faith-healing and coercion".

  very informative info on many cults, sects and behaviors.

  reading different books on cults i personally gives me the knowledge to better understand the behavior and thoughts inside ones who are in a cult;which gives me a better handle on how to help wake them up without them going into denial.

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  Spiral

  More good info Zing, thank you.

  The more I read about cult psychology and then look at my JW relatives and friends, the more I see it's true.

  That's why we usually can't reason with them and "get them out", the social structure is just too compelling.

  Sad.
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  10

  Excerpt from an interesting book ? ?

  by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a deeply interesting read.. i have been reading: 'soul snatchers,the mechanics of cults' and i am finding it so precise in explaining /analysing cults.

  here is a few lines:.

  drug addiction and cult-membership have striking similarities.

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  Spiral

  AND the part about a substitute family where complicity takes over.

  Could this be the mental mechanism that enables members to look the other way when children are being abused, because the abuser has status in this "family"?
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  10

  Excerpt from an interesting book ? ?

  by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a deeply interesting read.. i have been reading: 'soul snatchers,the mechanics of cults' and i am finding it so precise in explaining /analysing cults.

  here is a few lines:.

  drug addiction and cult-membership have striking similarities.

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  Spiral

  Thanks for posting this Zing. I was unaware of the similarities between cults and drug culture.

  I've just ordered a used copy, looking forward the reading the entire book.

  The following quote really caught my eye:

  a substitute family where complicity takes over, unifying
  the disciples while cutting them off from society even more. Here you
  can see a very real similarity to groups of drug-users.
  The third phase is the progressive increase in the constraints applied
  and the submission that results, with no chance of exit. At this stage the
  initiate is dependent on the cult, cut off from society at large, and psychologically and physically bound by obligations that deprive him of his freewill and of all social and economic freedom.

  "progressive increase in constraints" explains a lot!
  
  
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  39

  Email from JW relative/elder

  by Lynnie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as much as i enjoy you and pete's company, you also know our understanding of how much we want you to be reunited with jehovah and his people.. .

  we did not set the standards for what jehovah says about our associations with those who choose to not serve him.

  so we will always be there for you and pete, but it is in your hands as to how we can enjoy your friendship.. .

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  Spiral

  They are so out of touch with reality, they can spew this line and not think twice. I know one family that denies forcing their two children (now out, and shunned) to be JWs and get baptized. They refuse to admit that they DID force their children to be JWs. Now they are old and they don’t speak to their children or even know their grandkids. And yet they still can’t figure it out. No hope for some people.
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  4

  Washington Post - Front Page Expose on Mormon Church Billions Tax Fraud

  by POs Son in

  1. social
  2. current

  the wapo has a front page expose on the mormon church avoiding taxes on billions of dollars under the cloak of religion.

  link here: (need to disable popups).

  washington post online.

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  Spiral

  "The church typically collects about $7 billion each year in contributions from members, according to the complaint. Mormons, like members of some other faith groups, are asked to contribute 10 percent of their income to the church, a practice known as tithing."

  and then:

  "He suggests church leaders favor continuing to collect tithes to avoid “losing control over their members’ behavior” by releasing them from their financial obligations. In June, the church raised the monthly charge paid by most families to cover the cost of their children serving as missionaries from $400 to $500 per month.

  Leaders have consistently tried to downplay speculation about the extent of the church’s wealth. Quoting a former church president during the speech last year, Caussé, said: “When all is said and done, the only real wealth of the church is in the faith of its people.' "

  Ah, the Mormons. You gotta love how much money they've made, considering they are a relatively new religion. Their followers seem to be really devoted. Ten percent of your income is a huge obligation.

  Concerning the bOrg, Sir82, I think, lately, they DO claim to be doing "charity", aka helping people rebuild from natural disasters, etc. This is just what I'm hearing from my PIMI friend about how it's presented at the midweek meeting. I was surprised at how adamant she was that the money was going to "help people". Hmmmmm. Lots of poor JWs in my area, and no one getting any help.

  I would also not be surprised if the GB starts asserting they are doing lots of charity within their "worldwide work" after they see what can happen if a whistleblower really takes the initiative to expose them. This isn't the 1980s or 1990s. Maybe they will think of a word for "charity" that is more consistent with bOrg lingo and start using it.

  It's incredible that people can't seem to see through this kind of thing. Religion is a snare and a racket!
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  27

  Scowled At By A JW

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  yesterday i got home from work and decided to buy a case of beer because, why not?

  it’s monday.

  the shop is conveniently round the corner from my place.

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  Spiral

  @Finkelstein, I agree but I think it’s too late..... And, would they understand your empathy?
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  42

  When was it time for you to walk away from your congregation meetings and the WTBTS?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the basic virtue for a human being is to be true to yourself – the integrity of thought, emotion, and action.. .

  ten years ago ( after 32 years as a jehovah's witness), i finally decided that my own mental sanity and being true to myself was more important than attending congregation meetings and serving the watchtower society.

  i stopped (years before) field service, the ministry school, answering at the watchtower studies, missed numerous meetings and walked in minutes before the meetings started and left after the closing prayer, i knew it was time to leave.

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  Spiral

  @LongHairGal, yes, my son is in his 30s with family and kids. The bOrg isn’t going to break up this family!