Totally disagree with the approach. It is not the way to win hearts and minds.
Also, I noticed the way one poster used the word 'vermin' to describe the gathered congregation. That is a dangerous expression; vermin need to be exterminated.
eyeslice2
JoinedPosts by eyeslice2
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49
VIDEO - Memorial toast stuns Jehovahs Witnesses congregation!
by John_Carter_1912 ini applaud this great and holy man!
do you?.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fstqepi9iu.
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Just wondering. . .for those that are Ex-Elders . . .
by HappyBlessedFree indid your conscience ever bother you when you were counseling/reproving/disfellowshipping ones in the congregation?
did it feel extreme or justified based on your biblical understanding at the time.
also are there any ex-elders here that dealt with child abuse accusations?
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eyeslice2
When I was an elder I did feel bad about disfellowshipping people and often was the lone voice against recommending it. In the end though it is a committee decision, so the majority prevails.
On the matter of child abuse, I was once away from my home congregation only to find on my return that a family had been 'marked' over an incident of alleged child abuse. I was pretty upset about it and whilst you can never be too careful with these things, it turns out the the accuser who was not a baptized witness but had associated for a while was, know for making wild accusations. He once had gone to another elder and said said something crazy about myself, so I, and other elders, knew not to trust this guy. Also, the police had been involved and there was nothing to the story, so I didn't understand the ostracism of this particular family.
Due to the upset, the family eventually moved congregations and are still very much associated some 20 years later. I felt sorry for them at the time but then again the elders in our congregation were pretty ruthless.
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A joyless memorial
by eyeslice2 inmany years ago i started a thread entitled 'a religion with nothing to celebrate' (https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/80630/religion-nothing-celebrate).. prior to about the year 2000, our congregation met in what had previously been an old church.
we purchased it and even though we had little cash, made the place beautiful.
it had real character, with beautiful wood work and we even managed to keep some of the stained glass windows as they weren't religious in nature.
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eyeslice2
Many years ago I started a thread entitled 'A religion with nothing to Celebrate' (https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/80630/religion-nothing-celebrate).
Prior to about the year 2000, our congregation met in what had previously been an old church. We purchased it and even though we had little cash, made the place beautiful. It had real character, with beautiful wood work and we even managed to keep some of the stained glass windows as they weren't religious in nature. When we had finished the work, we had an open day for the public and many came to admire the restoration of such a building. I remember one couple close to tears as they had been married in the church years previously and had seen the previous owners use it as a carpet warehouse.
Of course, eventually the CO decided the upkeep was too much, we should spend our weekends in the ministry, not working on the hall, and so a quick build hall was commissioned and the congregation moved out.
That was one congregation, in one hall and I think that at the last memorial in the old hall, at which I gave the talk, there were about 180 in attendance. There was a real buzz about the place as people lingered and chatted after the meeting was closed.
Fast forward nearly twenty years. Now three congregations shared the same hall - part of the consolidation and downsizing - as a few congregations in the area merged. This becomes a big problem at memorial time in terms of time slots.
Now the memorial is the one meeting that I always accompany my very active wife to and so this year we went to the early memorial. This was for two congregation together, with the third meeting directly after.
The first problem; parking in a parking lot designed for just one congregation. Next finding a seat, 220 in attendance (compared with 180 for just one congregation years ago but that said the congregations have bee rearranged) in hall designed to hold about 200 max. Then afterwards, every one is asked to leave more or less immediately, as cars are double parked and besides which the next congregation and their cars are due to arrive.
I wanted to to have a chat with one or two old friends, including an elder who struggle since losing his wife about 3 years back, but with the crowd and being directed to the nearest exit, I didn't get a chance.
I am sure they all go home and say what a fantastic memorial it was but as a bystander I found the whole affair total uninspiring. How sad.
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Do You Ever Have Dreams You’re Still a JW?
by jp1692 inlast night i dreamt i was at a circuit assembly; i even had a walk-on speaking part early in the morning program.
i spent the rest of the day “working” the event in a security detail.
the dream lasted until the entire day’s program was over.
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eyeslice2
Ditto JP1692 and BlueBrothers. I have been out nearly twenty years but still have similar dreams of being at a meeting and being announced for a part I hadn't prepared or read through. In my dream I still reason I am not active and don't go on the field ministry and can't understand why the elders still are assigning me parts on the meetings but I get up and blag my way through it.
Very strange the way the mind and memory works.
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Does home schooling really work?
by eyeslice2 init strikes me that 'home schooling' is something often favored for jw kids, i've come across a number of families that do just that lately.
and, that got me thinking, is this just a cop out for a proper education?.
i am sure it is pretty difficult for a home schooled kid to get into a good university to study something like law or medicine.
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eyeslice2
It strikes me that 'home schooling' is something often favored for JW kids, I've come across a number of families that do just that lately. And, that got me thinking, is this just a cop out for a proper education?
I am sure it is pretty difficult for a home schooled kid to get into a good university to study something like law or medicine. Oh hang on, that's exactly what they want isn't it?
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JW jailed for £8million investment fraud - UK
by OrphanCrow inhttp://m.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14276665.victims__brainwashed__in___8m_investment_scam/he told investors that his status as a jehovah’s witness meant he was unable to break the law, in an effort to win their trust.. teesside crown court heard how many of the 350 victims were elderly and had been deliberately targeted.some had since died with the stress of the county durham-based fraud having contributed to their ill health, and others had lost homes and life savings.a third man the crown said was involved, anthony kemp, is currently serving a prison sentence in new zealand for a separate but similar fraud, but is expected to be extradited back to the uk to stand trial when he is released.. .
full aricle at link.
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eyeslice2
Bumping this thread up again.
Apparently Mr Kemp (Tony to his pals) was extradited from New Zealand and given a 7 year sentence in the UK. Good see he got what was coming to him. Sorry if this has been posted before but I did a search and couldn't find an update on this particular case of nasty fraud involving JWs.
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Cart witnessing
by Phoebe innot sure if anyone has posted this before but it's just been put on youtube so i guess it's okay to show you??
if not, please delete it.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdusnlvjm-k.
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eyeslice2
To be fair the lady singing the lead has a pleasant voice.
However, I agree with other posters, I just don't recognize this as the religion I grew up in. Where's all this happy-clappy stuff come from?
I remember when our circuit orchestra was disbanded as at the time the feeling was that there was a danger of that becoming too jazzy, and that we should just use the boring piano tapes at circuit assemblies.
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'Serving where the need is greater' - who does it benefit?
by eyeslice2 inwe have recently been in asia on vacation, travelling to a number of countries in this part of the world.
whilst in thailand, my wife, totally pimo, wanted to go to the english speaking convention in bangkok.
although i haven't been active for a very long time, i went along with her.. the first thing that slightly surprised me was the attendance, well over 900. i hadn't expected that many but they were from all over the country, which is a pretty big place.
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eyeslice2
The other thing that was mentioned at least two or three times, was the problems those moving to that part of the world face; financial problems (i.e. running out of cash), learning a new language and pressures on the family.
Apparently, quite a few families have split up, often with the husband going off with a local, younger model. I guess that happens anywhere, but a significant change like moving to a new country can be a catalyst to make it happen sooner rather than later.
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'Serving where the need is greater' - who does it benefit?
by eyeslice2 inwe have recently been in asia on vacation, travelling to a number of countries in this part of the world.
whilst in thailand, my wife, totally pimo, wanted to go to the english speaking convention in bangkok.
although i haven't been active for a very long time, i went along with her.. the first thing that slightly surprised me was the attendance, well over 900. i hadn't expected that many but they were from all over the country, which is a pretty big place.
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eyeslice2
We have recently been in Asia on vacation, travelling to a number of countries in this part of the world. Whilst in Thailand, my wife, totally PIMO, wanted to go to the English speaking convention in Bangkok. Although I haven't been active for a very long time, I went along with her.
The first thing that slightly surprised me was the attendance, well over 900. I hadn't expected that many but they were from all over the country, which is a pretty big place. The majority of people 'serving here, where the need is greater' are white (though a few Afro-Americans), from all over the world; many from the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Europe. Now these are not allowed to witness to Thai nationals, so the only people they can target are foreign workers from Myanmar, Indonesia, etc., and many other expats living or vacationing here in Thailand.
With 900 plus witness in the 'need greater field', many of them pioneers, there were just 2 baptized.
It strikes me that many, if not most, of these here are really in it for themselves. The preaching work in developed countries is just about dead, moving to less developed countries here in Asia or South America is attractive to many wanting the kudos that comes with 'serving where the need if greater'. Also, many of them home school their kids, and so lead a slightly strange, isolated life.
There was an interview with a couple who had been asked to leave (kicked out) of Bethel in the USA. I think they had been there 25 years or so. The guy said, "here I was, 40 plus years old with no college degree or marketable skills". (May not be 100% right on ages.) So, we decided to move to Thailand. Not the greatest of decisions I would suspect in a few years time should they need continuous medical care, no money, no pension. But these people are held up to the audience as role models to follow.
I have no objection to people moving to live in exotic countries, but I suspect there is a degree of dishonesty as to the real reason why many are here.
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Standing for the National Anthem?
by eyeslice2 inwe are currently living in a country where at the cinema the national anthem is played before the start of the movie and it is law that you stand.
does anyone know what current jw thinking is on this?
i know there has been various changes over the years.
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eyeslice2
We are currently living in a country where at the cinema the national anthem is played before the start of the movie and it is law that you stand. Does anyone know what current JW thinking is on this?
I know there has been various changes over the years. Can a witness now swear an oath of allegiance if they need to become a US citizen for example?
I think this matter of national respect versus nationalism versus worship of the state is just another area they have made a mess of.