Farmer Jim1

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Posts by Farmer Jim1

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  29

  Do you remember when you realised it was all bulls£&t

  by moley in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i remember when my faith left me.

  i used to enjoy meetings and used to participate but then all of a sudden i was finding myself bored shitless at meetings.

  i was taken off the theocratic ministry school for not attending when i was due to give a talk and not long after did something naughty and got disfellowshiped.

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  Farmer Jim1

  For me it was when the music started to change around 2010ish I think. Instead of the standard simple piano tracks they started to introduce more emotional and varied music. I didn’t fully understand why they did that at first. What was wrong with the old style music. But then slowly realised that organisations use music to manipulate emotions. If you can’t keep people in and attract them with logic do it by creating music that pulls at their emotions. People used to talk after the meeting ‘wasn’t that new song wonderful?’ I used to tell them what I really thought, that I didn’t like most of the new music and preferred the more solemn and simple piano tracks. Guess what? I was soft shunned for not liking the new music. Must have been new light
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  54

  What Do You Think Will Be The Next Big Change In The Watchtower?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think there will be a change in the 144000 belief.

  too many witnesses think they have a heavenly hope.

  maybe 1914 will be discarded too.. what is your watchtower prediction?

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  Farmer Jim1

  Contactless payment machines at every KH. I’m surprised they haven’t done it already to be honest. They’ve had it in some assembly halls for a few years. Church of England introduced it this year. People in the UK tend to carry less cash and make more payments by card. I can see it now! Last item on a Thursday evening is an emotion poking 20 minute audience discussion on the ‘privilege of giving to Jehovah’ now made easier with chip & pin machine. Followed by an emotional ‘new song - giving is a blessing’ followed by a small queue at the chip & pin machine as folk part with their cash like never before.
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  Can you ever see a time when Govt`s of this world will attempt to abolish all religions ?

  by smiddy3 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  we are now in the 21st century of our common era with its insights into the potential of what can be achieved in the near future to benefit mankind for years to come .. the co-operation of governments around the world on so many levels has never been better than it is today and it is at least encouraging to see this .. whether it has to do with the climate , the environment ,food production ,safe water for all ,and the better health for all in the near future, and in the future space exploration.

  however the problem today is still religion !

  in its many extreme forms that divides us in no ways that politics divide us .. politicians learn how to compromise and work with their opponents for the greater good ,whereas religions don`t.. religions divide humans like no politicians ever did well not to the extremes religions will go anyway.. is their going to come a time in history when governments politicians say enough is enough and try attempt to abolish religion ?.

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  Farmer Jim1

  It would be interesting to see exactly when the JWs introduced this idea of all religions being banned. They were so big on the idea in the 80’s.
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  10

  Reminiscing about the Manchester JW Scene

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i’m sure like many of you that use this forum i sometimes think back over the years as a jw and recall the funny, the strange and then the downright bizarre things that happened within the organisation.

  i grew up and settled in a densely jw populated area of manchester which was filled with the usual jw drama and nonsense.. if you were from the area and have any memories or stories please post them here.. one of the things i clearly recall (and i’m sure this wasn’t just a manchester jw thing) was the massive drinking culture within the jw community.

  i didn’t really pick up on it until i started questioning things but looking back i can remember my parents taking about an elder in the hall that drank a can of beer before going to the thursday meeting.

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  Farmer Jim1

  I’m sure like many of you that use this forum I sometimes think back over the years as a JW and recall the funny, the strange and then the downright bizarre things that happened within the organisation.

  I grew up and settled in a densely JW populated area of Manchester which was filled with the usual JW drama and nonsense.

  If you were from the area and have any memories or stories please post them here.

  One of the things I clearly recall (and I’m sure this wasn’t just a Manchester JW thing) was the massive drinking culture within the JW community. I didn’t really pick up on it until I started questioning things but looking back I can remember my parents taking about an elder in the hall that drank a can of beer before going to the Thursday meeting. One of his fellow elders brewed his own beer in a shed so he had a good supply on tap! And there were many occasions where JW parties turned wild once enough alcohol had been consumed.

  One time that we had the C.O staying at our house he got back from the meeting before my family and he asked me to get him some of my dads beer from the fridge (must have been a tough meeting!).

  Any parties that I went to, especially in one congregation I was in, were awash with alcohol. I clearly remember stopping in my tracks in shock at how many bottles of wine were at the ready at an older sisters house party.

  The cong that I was an MS in was also quite accepting of binge drinking. Several of the elders and MS’s were fond of a drink or five and I never even tried to keep up with them. On several occasions at the Sunday morning meeting it wasn’t hard to tell which appointed men were still ‘filled with spirit’ from the night before!

  There was an occasion where a pub in central Manchester had put a sign up saying ‘no Jehovah’s Witnesses allowed entry’ during convention time at the Manchester Arena. I think this was linked to a booze-fuelled fight between two or more witnesses immediately after the Saturday convention session. (Would love to hear more about this story if anyone knows about it).

  i once approached the COTBOE and suggested that he arrange a local needs talk on a balanced view of alcohol. The reaction was dismissive. I don’t think he was a big drinker but I’m guessing he might not have got it past the other elders. Anyway, looking back there was probably a larger proportion of alcohol dependant witnesses than I realise. The more I research the organisation the more I find information on governing body members having alcohol at breakfast, Rutherford being a raging alcoholic and using dedicated contributions to smuggle booze from Canada during the prohibition era and there being a drinking culture reminiscent of the Steve Bruce era at United amongst the higher levels of JWdom.

  A shout out to two of my old friend. JP who I think is still in (but hopefully will read this one day and leave the JWs). Remember the time we drove up to Accrington to that karaoke pub. You and your friends from Newcastle were absolutely steaming and I had to guide you all back to my car and get you home via a 2am stop at a kebab shop and the man assaulting a lamppost! Good times my friend! Hopefully we’ll meetup again some day.

  And S! How could I forget the time we went to that great JW house party in the middle of Manchester during heavy snow! The party was excellent,hosts as hospitable as ever, enormous amounts of booze available and when I finally managed to prise you away at 2am and get you into my car you insisted on hanging out of the car window throwing snowballs from the moving car at scantily clad women whilst hurling abuse at anyone that would listen to you! What were you drinking that night my friend? Maybe not an episode to put on your elder cv! Seriously, I hope we meet again once the deception of the organisation reveals itself to you (maybe it already has?) and share a drink or two.

  Well these were my thoughts for the day. I’m off to have a productive day whilst JWs listen to JW Sunday morning propaganda and trudge the streets counting hours. I may post more Manc musings in future. Would be good to hear your stories.

  regards

  FJ
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  2

  2018 Leavers

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi folks, not sure if a similar topic has been posted in previous years but it’d be great to hear how many of you have left the organisation during 2018 and also which areas/countries are losing the most witnesses.. so if you left this year (congratulations!

  ) put a post on here with your general location if you want.. regards.

  fj.

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  Farmer Jim1

  Hi folks, not sure if a similar topic has been posted in previous years but it’d be great to hear how many of you have left the organisation during 2018 and also which areas/countries are losing the most witnesses.

  So if you left this year (congratulations!) put a post on here with your general location if you want.

  regards

  FJ
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  112

  London Protest 2018

  by josephus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well today marks the beginning and biggest day of our protest at the london excel.. we believe it's a record number at around 100 exjws at the front door.. we spoke to lots of jw's and one young man studying who has quit after talking to us.

  we've been approached privately by jw's who thanked us for coming and the security at the event treated us very well.. if anyone wants to see some clips they are available on my channel the great apostate.. thanks to all for the support and love..

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  Farmer Jim1

  Just for the doubters that have contributed to this thread I can tell you that I too would have shared your disbelief a few days ago, however I attended the London protest. This was the first time I had done anything like this since leaving the org last year and I was genuinely shocked at how many JWs came and spoke to us, took videos and photos of our banners and were generally inquisitive about our posters. This protest has had a massive impact on the minds of JWs attending the convention and I am still in shock as to how much damage I believe we have done the org over just one weekend. It took me seven years to extract my MS/Reg Pio mind from the indoctrination but it started with a tiny seed. Similar seeds have been planted in a thousand JW minds at this protest. We may not see the fruits instantly and maybe no one that saw us at the weekend will leave the org today or tomorrow or next week but I am certain that in the coming months and years JWs that my fellow protesters and I spoke to a few days ago will join our ranks and help us at further protest events to save more innocent people from the grip of this terrible cult.

  If you are not inclined to actively help others free themselves from a cult that says it’s ok to protect rapists’ identities or that thinks its acceptable to force youngsters to throw away their education then that is fine, not everyone wants to be continually reminded of the damage this cult did to them. Please don’t criticise those that bravely relive the trauma they have been through in an effort to help others. They don’t have to do this but they do it because they care and because they want to see this damaging organisation reformed or destroyed.

  For those that do want to help those still trapped in the JW cult, now is the time for action. A wave of exJW support is rising fast, especially in the UK, and we all need to ensure it’s momentum continues. It is my hope, and I’m sure the majority of you will agree, that if we continue at this pace we will see the annual increase in numbers of JWs grind to a halt in the UK. Then we will see a small decrease, then a larger decrease and then an even larger one until the org no longer wants to publish its figures for fear of discouraging its remaining members.

  From what I have seen this weekend, many many JWs are internally asking questions about the organisation they belong to and used to trust without question. Let’s give them the answers. ‘The harvest is great but the workers are few (at the moment!).
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  34

  Banners for London Protest

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi folks, i’m attending the london protest at the excel convention in august and am making some banners.

  i’m aiming for short but memorable sentences that will stick in jws minds and also make them laugh a little at their own organisation.. my best so far is ‘this is not a protest, it’s an overlapping protest’.

  has anyone got any ideas for more?.

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  Farmer Jim1

  Hi folks, I’m attending the London protest at the Excel convention in August and am making some banners. I’m aiming for short but memorable sentences that will stick in JWs minds and also make them laugh a little at their own organisation.

  my best so far is ‘This is not a protest, it’s an OVERLAPPING protest’

  Has anyone got any ideas for more?
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  4

  Manchester Broughton Cong splitting to form two congs?

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can anyone verify or give any background info on why the manchester broughton congregation seems to have been split and become a salford cong and a crumpsall cong?

  surprised that splitting congs is still a thing in the uk with the stagnation of figures..

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  Farmer Jim1

  Thanks for the responses. I hadn’t considered socio-economic reasons, that’s a really interesting angle. The original cong had a massive territory and a diverse mix of deprived areas and affluent. With my cynical head on I just wonder if the real reason for the split has more to do with future plans for neighbouring congs. One of them has lost five elders in two years and is sat on a piece of land that could potentially be sold for several million pounds. That surely has to be a consideration for the org these days.
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  4

  Manchester Broughton Cong splitting to form two congs?

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can anyone verify or give any background info on why the manchester broughton congregation seems to have been split and become a salford cong and a crumpsall cong?

  surprised that splitting congs is still a thing in the uk with the stagnation of figures..

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  Farmer Jim1

  Can anyone verify or give any background info on why the Manchester Broughton congregation seems to have been split and become a Salford cong and a Crumpsall cong? Surprised that splitting congs is still a thing in the UK with the stagnation of figures.
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  58

  BOE-2018-04-16--Beards and Special Privileges!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  2018-04-16-boebeards and special privilegeshttps://we.tl/qoxbkltp4latlantis!.

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  Farmer Jim1

  Has anyone got the letter they can share? I can’t find anything on the links?