Posts by smiddy3

49

Some thoughts on the message of doom

by JeffT in

jw
friends

one of the recent threads on the talk about the hailstone message got me to thinking.

the problem with putting out a message like that is what to do when nothing happens.

i have to think that somebody will be asking that question.

smiddy3

The Governing Body will not actually instruct the "Witnesses" to preach a message of doom ,it is one of those things that is going to happen in the "near future" keeping the flock in expectation of what`s going to occur .

However it will never happen for the very reason doing so puts an end time line on their religion .

But then again having said that they did publish in the 1970`s ? "Babylon The Great has Fallen Gods Kingdom Rules " and saying that false religion, Christendom and non Christian religions , has had its day and was being abandoned by the masses since 1919 ?

Yet their is no evidence of that today in 2018 is there.

Muslims have over 1 Billion members and still growing

Catholics are over 1 Billion members

Protestants are over 1 Billion members

Non Christian religions would have to be in the Billions ? surely

So even if they did start preaching a message of doom it would go the same way of all of their other many failed predictions they have made in their 100+ history

16

Their Last Message of Damnation

by new boy in

jw
friends

the leaders of the witnesses are preparing their flock for the day when they will have to give that last message of damnation.

they will soon be announcing how their loving god jehovah will soon becoming to kill off the vast majority of mankind.

billions of men women and children,.

smiddy3

When you put it like that Jan I guess your right.:Not only did they come away unscathed about 1975 ,they also got away with 1914, The end of this system of things, 1925 ,The resurrection of the faithful men such as Abraham ,Isaac , and Jacob all to be housed and living in the Mansion Beth- Sarim that of course was where "Judge" Rutherford lived ,and then there was the expectation that the "New System" would be here by the end of the 20th Century , none of which ever eventuated .

16

Their Last Message of Damnation

by new boy in

jw
friends

the leaders of the witnesses are preparing their flock for the day when they will have to give that last message of damnation.

they will soon be announcing how their loving god jehovah will soon becoming to kill off the vast majority of mankind.

billions of men women and children,.

smiddy3

I don`t believe they will ever do that because its not something they could walk away from or explain its failure to materialize ,however they will always be on the brink of delivering such a message........ in the near future.

Dangling the carrot before the donkey scenario.

And yes that is a possibility too zeb.

18

Update after attending one day of a regional. au.

by jonahstourguide in

hi all.. personal experience.

attended a regional convention in melbourne australia.. saturday attendance,, 1,500 approx.. baptism,, 11. about 8 born ins ,,, all 8 under 20yo and 5 under 17.. 3 of the 11 appeared to be over 20 and are not born ins.. sounds about .8% increase ,,, kind of.. the outstanding part of the day was the continual reference to ' are you, can you do more'.

ha ha fear obligation guilt.. jtg.

smiddy3

Hi,jonah.....

Is that a typical figure for a Saturday attendance nowadays ?

We can discard the 8 born ins baptized as that`s a no brainer so that leaves really 3 possibly that have been converted in how much witnessing over what period of time and how many hours spent in the field ministry ?

Not very productive in my book.

5

Ezekial.

by zeb in

jw
friends

i rarely comment on the bible itself as i believe it can be a 'merry go round' and nothing achieved.

in my gradual reading of the bible for the third time i am now up to the book of ezekial.

the message goes into a great detail as to what the almighty will do to fallen nations but there is so little as to the good that is promised later in the scriptures as to the 'new order' (but the jw dont use that term anymore).

smiddy3

Was Ezekiel one of the major prophets of the Bible or one of the minor prophets of the bible ,I get confused now.

Whatever ! None of the prophets ever got it right anyway did they.

And the latter day prophets Jehovah`s Witnesses have done no better though they are consistent with the former prophets of the Bible. Fail,Fail,Fail.

13

Stuart imprisoned,tried and restricted.

by amicabl in

for the last month or so i have been watching all of stuart’s xjdub videos on youtube.. thanks to local congo’s of jws he has now been arrested and apparently mistreated and had actually quite weird restrictions placed on him to keep him away from carts, khs etc., by a court in vancouver.. he was out it would seem the next day carrying on his “ministry”.

and successfully too.. i know his activities could be considered a little extreme at times, but i have felt encouraged by him and i wondered if anyone has any information on the whole situation..

smiddy3

From the videos I just watched I think he should be arrested and charged especially with his harassment of the guy in the diner .

I don`t think being aggressive and in your face tactics does apostates any favour`s its counter productive.

Even with the two women at the cart he was harassing them in my book though I don`t know why they just didn`t pack up and move on and calling up the Elders and then they just stood by beats me.

Oh well I suppose it takes all kinds no matter what side of the fence you stand on.

Just my 2 cents

22

The Hailstone Message :2018 Assembly

by jwdoctrine in

jw
friends

the following is the talk of the assembly followed by my 15 minutes commentary.i have included part of my notes below which i used for the commentary .

what is the hailstone message?.

is it literal or symbolic?.

smiddy3

In the 1970`s if I remember correctly their was a worldwide campaign of delivering "Special Brochures" out to the public and you were not to engage with the public in conversations , the emphasis was to get to as many people as possible in your territory during the campaign.

I believe their was speculation that their would be seven such "Special Brochures" that were to be announced with the final ones being the hard hitting Judgement / condemnation on the people .

Of course no such thing ever eventuated after the few " Special Brochures" were released and the Bros & sisters were diligently placing them as though the end was nigh .

They were likening it to the 7 times the Jews marched around the walls of Jericho and the walls came down ?

Anybody else remember those times ?

30

DFed talking to other DFed

by blownaway in

i don't know if they do this any longer but back in the day they had a special section at an assembly sectioned off for dfed people who would have to wear a ribbon that said disfellowshipped.

do they still do this and what was the rules on dfed talking to dfed at the assembly?

smiddy3

I was in for 33 years and I had never heard of such a thing 1960-1993

50

1969 Awake on Education - A Sore Spot for Me

by NotBlind in

jw
friends

my father would have started college 49 years ago this week.

about three months earlier, the week he graduated high school, the awake!

magazine came out with some very clear direction to teenagers.

smiddy3

Even before that magazine came out in the early 1960`s we were told that our primary school age children would never get to go to High School because the New system would be here by then .

Tell that to my sons grown up child and his child ?

37

Anyone else get a message from Hanged Man?

by pale.emperor in

i dont know why i'd want to argue over something like this.

i've been aware of this theory for years.

as interesting as it is - it's still bullshit.. for future reference, i believe the bible to be a collection of fantasy, myth, real locations and crazy ramblings of psychedelic bloke stuck on patmos.. my reply:.

smiddy3

The witness who converted me into the religion didn`t know the difference between Astronomy and Astrology and I still converted ?

what fool am I ?