do you ever wonder what influence we ex-jws have on other people?
if you examine current jw's and ex-members, how many were actually converted to witnessdom by someone knocking at the door?
the wts' own stats show how ineffective the door-to-door work is yet converts are made at quite sizeable rates at times and in some places.
Hi Apostle,
Were you ever baptized? DA'ing as a non-baptized publisher is not really DA'ing although the reasons for withdrawing could produce the same effect by memebers of the congregation.
Thirdson
P.S. 7:50 a.m. Third cup of copy, haven't really connected yet.
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
this is from the may km regarding district convention instruction.
it is posted for your amusement and comments....... concentrating for several hours at a time can be a challenge, what can help us to resist the tendency to drift mentality?
take advantage of the power of the eye.
Therefore, resist the urge to turn your head at every noise or movement. Keep your eyes focused on the speaker. Follow along in your copy of the Bible when a scripture is read, and keep your bible open as the text is discussed.
So sister Singleparent's kids will run riot in her row while she keeps her eyes facing front or buried in her Bible. Good advice for parents.
Brother Elderdoright's poor 6 year old son will keep getting threats and then slaps if he looks at sister Singleparent's
kids running riot three rows in front. Good childcare counsel.
More garbage to be ignored by the R&F just like the other stuff that is ignored if it is ever heard.
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
do you ever wonder what influence we ex-jws have on other people?
if you examine current jw's and ex-members, how many were actually converted to witnessdom by someone knocking at the door?
the wts' own stats show how ineffective the door-to-door work is yet converts are made at quite sizeable rates at times and in some places.
Do you ever wonder what influence we ex-JW’s have on other people?
Consider this. If you examine current JW's and ex-members, how many were actually converted to Witnessdom by someone knocking at the door? The WTS' own stats show how ineffective the door-to-door work is yet converts are made at quite sizeable rates at times and in some places. How many though were actually converted through family members and friends? I bet that is how the majority converted or, if not, were raised as JW’s (like my 5 siblings and I because our mom was called on.)
In comparison to the good things I said about JW’s when I was in and the limited effect that it had I think I have a much larger effect when I warn others about the Watchtower Society. My son isn’t going to become a JW. I doubt my wife would ever join, nor any of her family, nor her friends and none of their relatives either. When my wife’s friend 150 miles away asks JW’s who come calling to explain why anyone has to join their religion (they’re the only ones saved) or how women are treated in their religion, or whether they change their doctrines constantly, she asks these because my wife related the things she learned from me. I’ve noticed that people are far more inquisitive about the beliefs of JW’s when they ask an ex-member rather than a member. I think the safety factor of not attempting to convert plays a big part here.
With the population of ex-JW’s numbering in the millions what effect does this have on the converting work of the WTS? I would guess at least an equal effect to the Internet in recent years. What do you think?
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
since brooklyn finally allowed the 1914 generation to die in 1995, the distributing apparatus of the multinational printing organization has been starting to slow down.. service is down, the numbers of pioneers are decreasing, the number of baptized show an alarming drop and people are leaving in their thousands.. after many decades of incessant harping on how jehovah, jesus and the bible had guaranteed that the end would be over before the 1914 generation was dead, the witnesses had the only thing that kept many of them going, ripped out from under their noses.
suddenly jehovah hadnt promised any such thing in the awake!
suddenly jesus had never been talking about the length of a generation, as usual the watchtower had never said any such thing, someone had speculated about the generation.
Great post Norm,
Doublespeak is the order of the day. JW’s continue to draw new converts by presenting a message of a better world to people under stress from life’s problems. But once drawn into this “Paradise soon” environment they are expected to work hard and forget the “soon” whilst converting others with the same promise. Somewhere along the line it will click that you can’t promise to others what you don’t believe yourself.
It strikes me that the WTS likes nautical metaphors when it comes to the faith of its believers. If you are not shipwrecked, you’ve scuttled your faith yourself, or reefed your sails.
In my view, people are being conned with the notion of a “working passage” on a trade ship to the South Pacific. Once aboard the deckhands are worked to death while the ship steams in circles. In time some of the crew end up jumping ship, jumping overboard or worst being buried at sea. The ship will never make the voyage and will end up running aground and becoming a rusty hulk.
Well I’d like to hope so.
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
my mother is coming to visit me next week.
i haven't seen her for over 4 years.
she thinks that somehow i am a completely different person since leaving the organization.
Like Trevor I wanted to travel, see new places and experience the adventure. I wanted to go on an overland trek across Africa but a 3 month expedition was out of the question. I gave up sky-diving after no more than a dozen jumps because it was "lacking respect for human life." I wanted a home of my own on a decent plot of land, I wanted to go west and seek a new life to live.
I started seeking some things while I was still a JW (I bathed nude on a beach on the Black Sea while I was still in.) I took some work assignments overseas (US, Canada and some European trips) I received some education, I retrained and I relocated. Along the way I got divorced (not exactly my choice) but found someone wonderful and remarried (my choice). I live in the "New World", went west to seek my fortune, (became materialistic according to my mom) fate and my home on a decent plot of land amongst the 10,000 lakes.
I still travel but haven't reached Africa yet. I may yet visit Australia in the next 2 years (Mrs. Thirdson and I both lived there a short while when kids.)
Life is to be lived and the one I have now may be the only one I'll ever have. I might as well enjoy it.
Thirdson
PS My brother, the JW elder's two sons recently completed a six month trip to the Indian sub-continent. How times change!
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
can you spot the wt double speak in the two faq's?.
or anyone else like to comment?
(not open to fred, coz we've heard it all before!).
Qwerty,
Do you believe that you are the only ones who will be saved?
While they say "NO" on the media spin site Milton Henschel contradicts that with a "YES". A book on Religion in America I flipped through in a book store recently compares the official beliefs of various groups with statements from the various leaders. The questions are similar for each religion, (Who is God, Jesus the Devil? Do you believe in an afterlife? etc.) Milton Henschel is the source for the JW's and in answer to the question "Do you believe only Jehovah's Witnesses will be saved?", his answer is along the lines of "Yes, of course. That is why we preach and make converts."
The spin site questions contain the more contentious beliefs of the WTS and the answers are their best way of weaseling out. I'd say they are lying but I guess the WTS beliefs about what lies are would get them off the hook.
Lying generally involves saying something false to a person who is entitled to know the truth... Insight on the Scriptures(it-2-E) 1988
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
now that the news is out the the united states of america has lost its seat on the united nations security council, one can only speculate if and when the old boys in the brooklyn writing deparetment will strip them of their king of the south title.. the us says it was because europe couldn't "get its act together.
" but the truth was they just didn't get enough votes.
not too many salutes from the middle east or the asian countries, especially after george w's spyplane fiasco over the chinese border.. i'd like to see china, the awakening giant, take on the role of the big bad bible bogeyman on the planet during these never ending wicked last days.
Newlight!
King of the North = Norway (Well known homeland to apostates)
King of the South = Australia(Well known hoemland of JW reformers)
Well, at least one country is in the north and the other in the south which is a better fit than any of the WTS versions.
Thirdson
(PS The US didn't lose it's seat on the UN security council (It has a permanent seat along with Britain, France, Russia and China. It lost a place on the human-rights commission, not a very powerful position. Did anyone mention the that US's death penalty laws might also have played a role in losing this seat?)
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
i wrote this when i was a hardworking pioneer being passed over for ministerial servantship year after year.. .
the circuit servant's coming soon, and when he asks i'll have to say.
there's a creditable brother here the others are on holiday.
Thanks Philo,
A great way to start the weekend, (even better when you play Englishman's link).
I just won't get the tune out of my head today.
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
there is a great tendency among the supposed mature jws to look down on others.
my mother was/is one of those types and was a master of saying one thing while meaning the exact opposite.
the wise knew what she meant.. for instance, we had the co stay with us on one occasion which gave my mother plenty of time to pretend we were much better jws than we really were.
There is a great tendency among the supposed mature JW’s to look down on others. My mother was/is one of those types and was a master of saying one thing while meaning the exact opposite. The wise knew what she meant.
For instance, we had the CO stay with us on one occasion which gave my mother plenty of time to pretend we were much better JW’s than we really were. Of course, during a visit many in the congregation pretend to be better than they really are. It irked my mother that those who normally would never comment during a meeting made plenty of comments when the CO was in town. Her comment to him was, “the CO’s visit is so wonderful because it encourages so many to comment in the meetings especially those who are normally very quiet.”
She was similarly dismissive of those whose only meeting attendance was the annual memorial. “How lovely to see so many make a special effort to attend the memorial.” We all knew she meant the very opposite.
Other comments about some of my friends were less subtle especially comments about friends who were be too ill to attend the Thursday meeting but always seemed to make an full recovery to go out Friday nights.
She always liked to comment in Watchtower Studies about family life and child rearing. She had the model family and made big boasts about her “faithful” children who were pioneers/elders/MS/baptized/whatever. I once overheard her tell another person how she never had to worry about her sons as they were all raised in the “truth” to be strong JW’s. What she meant was that she didn’t think much of my sister’s husband or that he was much of a mature JW. How unfortunate for her that most of the kids (daughter and 3 sons) no longer believe in the Watchtower Society. I don’t know what she says now. I am sure she makes some excuse about Satan/materialism/”the world” when explaining the lack of 2nd and 3rd generation JW’s from her family. Certainly if it could happen to us it could happen to everyone. I hope so!
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
i used to like some of the 'kingdom melodies'.
personal favorites were.. 'move ahead, move ahead to maturity...'.
'little gifts from god our children are'-shame they don't get any.. 'life without end at last'-everlasting life with them could wait!!!!.
After seeing one parody of a TV show where faces was substituted for feaces I was forever changed. I couldn't help each time we sang that one song thinking the words "flint like are their feaces with no hint of fear". It put a whole new light on bearing up under adversity.
Thirdson
'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'
