it's been several years since the start of the rebranding of jehovahs witnesses.
i believe it started with the website change.
ever since then the religion has moved in a more modern direction.
What do you guys think and see? Has the rebranding been a success or bust?
Neither. It's just a smoke cloud. The WT is no longer depending on their people nor in selling literature. They are now in the real estate business. They make money out of real estate, with gazillions of dollars given to them for free as a startup when all the KHs were turned over to them.
with the intention of spending less time working and more time in f.s i saw this many times.
an ex c.o started a carpet cleaning business with the charter being spending less time working more time in f.s.
he has long since passed away and the company is now huge being the major player in flood resteration and employing 100's of people one of the owners i spoke to recently was sick due to using to many chemicals but carries on becouse he loves the money even though he's worth millions.
I've never seen any decision made based on the JW nonsense bear anything good or on the interest of the JWs making it.
as i was sitting in the meeting last night i thought about this question.. sometimes it feels really lonely because i don't connect with most others in the congregation and i have to be so careful with the ones with whom i do associate.. quick rundown on my life...got baptized at 17...married at 20...became inactive at 28 wife still active though...came back to meetings with her 20 years later just to keep her quiet and see if they had changed (for a while i actually thought they had)...now i am still inactive and haven't gone out in service or anything.
i just go to meetings with my wife who is happy as a lark to have me there with her...just go to meetings and think...and think...and think.... anyway, i just wondered if there are any out there like me who are going to meetings and nothing else?.
NikL, thanks for clarifying.
...one question about anything and get a straight answer, what would it be?
historical, philosophical, theological, eschatological, anything.
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...one question about anything and get a straight answer, what would it be? Historical, philosophical, theological, eschatological, anything.
First, what do you mean "if"? You can ask any question to them.
Second, If I could (which I believe I can) I still wouldn't bother. I have more important things to do.
as i was driving past a certain gas station today, i recalled that the family who own it are called on by a friend of mine, and in a territory where it's hard to find interest.
it reminded me of an incident months back when this friend, brother d, discovered that another friend, brother b, was calling on that family too.
hey, gotta make your time.. those two went at it.
I grew up arguing with my so-called friend John Albert over pretty much everything while preaching. That changed as we grew up because I stopped caring about anything JW. So yes, I have seen/experience tempers flaring over stupid nonsense around JW activities.
we have seen that the society falls back on the line "it is the victims right to approach the authorities" during all the abuse claims.. they use this excuse to try and defend the passive lack of action in failing to report suspected cases of abuse.. a comparison came to mind:.
if we came across a person lying in the street who says they were hit by a car, would we say "it is your absolute right to call the paramedics and police"?.
or would we take the initiative and call those authorities ourselves to help the person?.
The WT cannot care less about the well being of children. That's a well known fact.
for those who became jws, were you fully aware of the societys cruel shunning policy whilst studying?
i absolutely had no idea such a policy existed until years later.
it really only hit home when reading the horrendous stories on the internet around 2002. .
Also, for the born in's, were you fully aware of the shunning policy and it's potential repercussions when you got baptised whilst young?
I would be grateful to get your thoughts on this.
I am born in, and yes, I was aware, but there's a big difference when a born-in has been raised and conditioned to accept everything the WT says. There are things that I grew up hearing and knowing that didn't seem abnormal since that's all I knew, so yes, the shunning was something I grew up with and it wasn't a big deal.
However, I understand that part of the Bible studies involves letting people know about that practice. Also, when studying for baptism that subject does come up too. How come that you found out after being baptized?
several months ago i approached a nice young couple who were standing by a jw literature stand in my local community.
they were pleasant and polite but incredibly stilted when it came to answering my "innocent" questions about their beliefs.
this was the occasion of jws featuring the article headlined "is religion dying?".
The calibre of JW's "preaching" continues to dribble to new lows.
I wouldn't say that based on that one experience with those people. I have seen rookie JWs struggle with talking to people but it's because they are new and starting to do that work. Also, let's face it, not everyone in this world is college material. Some people are just not capable of understanding or articulating their own ideas and thoughts.
as i was sitting in the meeting last night i thought about this question.. sometimes it feels really lonely because i don't connect with most others in the congregation and i have to be so careful with the ones with whom i do associate.. quick rundown on my life...got baptized at 17...married at 20...became inactive at 28 wife still active though...came back to meetings with her 20 years later just to keep her quiet and see if they had changed (for a while i actually thought they had)...now i am still inactive and haven't gone out in service or anything.
i just go to meetings with my wife who is happy as a lark to have me there with her...just go to meetings and think...and think...and think.... anyway, i just wondered if there are any out there like me who are going to meetings and nothing else?.
Sometimes it feels really lonely because I don't connect with most others in the congregation and I have to be so careful with the ones with whom I do associate.
That's part of what cults do to people. They make life in back and white so you cannot be in this in-between stage and feel happy.
Just out of curiosity:
You mentioned that at some point you went back to see if they changed. What change do you think needs to happen for you to feel like going back?
Do you believe in what they preach? Do you support what they do? I wonder if the stage where you are is really solely to keep your wife happy. Seems to me like there may be something there that you may like about that organization, if you have gone back to see if the environment is better for you.
I know you want a happy wife, but isolation and loneliness are not exactly the signs of being in a great place in life.
Have you considered talking directly to your wife about where you stand with that organization? Do you know where you stand with that organization?
so, it finally happened.
the first time i have been called out for being an apostate.
it started out innocently enough: my family and i were watching a tv show.
"Yes, like he took care of the generation of 1914."
Doesn't it feel so good to do that! Recently I just posted something about me snapping at my JW parents for the same disrespectful thing they do to other people's faiths and celebrations. It's just downright disrespectful to ridicule or mock other people's believes and customs.
HOWEVER, I have to add that I when I put my parents in their place for being disrespectful to other people's believes I was already completely independent from them. I was in the position of doing that without serious shunning consequences. I don't know what your situation is, but please take care of yourself and do whatever helps you remain at peace for the time being if you still live and/or depend on your parents.
