gingerbread

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Posts by gingerbread

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  10

  First Recorded "Conscious Class" Talk in the Kingdom Hall

  by raymond frantz in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the governing body is not all powerful and all present ,we are not totally powerless .use your talks to promote christian freedom and tear down their propaganda .use material from publications that promote christian freedom and scriptures that they willingly avoid .use your talks to awake your brothers .

  the following talk uses non of the usual watchtower propaganda and uses scriptures the governing body chooses to avoid .. whether you are an elder ,a ministerial servant ,or just a publisher use your items and your talks at the meeting to awake your brothers and sisters .this talk was given few days ago at the thursday meeting ,based on proverbs 3:5.sorry for the accent ,english is not my mother language.. talk at the kingdom hall.

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  gingerbread

  Bravo !!!
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  17

  I NEED HELP!

  by nolongerconfused in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  guys, i have faded about a 1 month ago...now 1 elder, who i consider a friend as a person and like a father is texting me.... i don't hate the guy, i consider him my friend even though i don't believe what he believes...he's telling me he hasnt seen me at the meetings and he's worried...he asked me if i could go in service with him this weekend...i have not responded, i dont know what to say since i don't want to go through no judicial committee or something like that...nobody there knows i know ttabtt...any suggestions on how i should respond?.

  thanks!.

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  gingerbread

  If you are into your fade for a month now, you're just beginning.

  Ask yourself: Do I want to go through intense question and answer sessions with the elder(s)?. Do I have friends and family that are still active and I don't want to risk having them being told not the associate with me? Would it be better to fade quietly rather than go cold turkey? Should I just miss a few and make a few meetings for the next few months? Should I just turn in an hour or two of service time for the next few months? Would this be best approach for the time being?

  If you just "disappear" you will set off all the alarms! Most elders (and family & friends) will assume the worst, ask questions to get to the root of "your problem" and will either attempt to "readjust" your thinking or mark you as questionalble, bad association and/or dangerous to the congregation.

  Fade smart!
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  37

  Do's and Dont's on debating JWs online

  by Emery in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently i have seen an increase number of former members trying to argue ttatt with jws on youtube, news articles, facebook and public forums.

  for the most part, i do not see a lot of vicious or hostile debates when former members are trying to show ttatt, but i have seen some arguments and approaches turn out very ugly, to the point of many face palms.. i remember there were several instances that completely turned me off towards ttatt as a believer because "apostates" would be entirely reprehensible and would fit the bill of what the society termed "mentally diseased".

  i cannot fault ones here who have gone on a similar rampage now that i understand how people lose everything and everyone they love.

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  gingerbread

  The thinking process that is developed as a JW encourages that we are right about our beliefs - biblical & world history, prophecy, science, biblical applications, the universe, the future, etc... And, we had an "it's us against them" judgemental attitude. There are former JW's that have been treated very badly in their congregations and by their family & former friends. Their comments express the anger. And, unfortunatly I think, all too often they become bitter people who are determined to show how they are now right. Sure, we all began to question our beliefs - for different reasons. Some have reacted in anger, argued their points and were disfellowshipped or chose to disassociated themselves. My observation - in the US at least - is that considerable numbers are still "in" but quietly exiting - especially folks between the ages of 20 and 40.

  It's a big mental step to just look at this forum. I lurked for some time before becoming a member. If JW.net was full of rage and anger, I would have never returned. Fortunately I found encouragement and practical advice.
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  51

  Orangeburg Assembly Hall - designed to be sold as a future supermarket?

  by cedars in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've just been watching a youtube video that reveals the new assembly hall in orangeburg, sc.. two things struck me when watching it.... firstly, everything is attributed to jehovah, right down to deciding the location where the hall is to be built.

  "we examined over 300 properties," said one interviewee, "we were reminded that jehovah knew where the site was, we just had to keep looking and show him that we were persistent.

  " other workers interviewed throughout the video attribute everything to god, as though it is impossible to build anything without divine direction.. here is the video.... .

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  gingerbread

  Cedars and OnTheWayOut - you're spot on.

  I've been to this site in it's early stages. I would describe it at a "generic" complex with full retail or corporate potential. As I've mentioned in other posts, the WT Society is in this for the long term and the real estate / building arm has a lot of internal power.

  Emery - You're right about counting time. Pioneers fill the RBC's because of the massive amount of hours they can claim during construction and renovation projects (they can also count time spent at funerals, hospital visits, etc...).

  As Mark Twain is reported to have said "Buy land. They ain't makin' anymore of it!"
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  37

  Is there a link between peaks in newbies and new light flashes?

  by likeabird in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i hope you are all well and enjoying your saturday!.

  it's really great seeing so many newbies, congratulations to each and everyone of you.

  and welcome.. in any case, my question is the one i put in the title :.

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  gingerbread

  The recent events that flipper refers to encouraged me to become a member. I've been regularly lurking - and researching - for almost two years. Being "raised in the truth" and now middle aged with a lot of family active, this is a big step! I'm currently "in" physically - still attending the Sunday meetings and fading discreetly.

  As a side note, it was the encouragement and compassion that is expressed on this forum for folks like me - from former active publishers - that kept me coming back to this site. It's not the negative, judgemental, sophomoric expressions of some posters.

  If I want to hear that everyday, I'd remain a Jehovah's Witness....
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  9

  Question about unbaptised publishers

  by XPeterX in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jws are over 7.5 million.do they count unbaptised publishers as jws?do we know how many baptised jws are there today?.

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  gingerbread

  These are active publishers - regular or irregular - i.e. those who fill out and turn in a time slip.
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  43

  Newbie - I need advice!

  by awakening in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  well here it is, my first post!

  it feels like a huge step like the point of no return.

  i am a born in, still in wanting to get out ms. i have refused eldership, used to pioneer and have sooo many stories.

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  gingerbread

  Too many of us 'faders' feel phony in the beginning. Just remember that you are finally being honest with yourself!

  I began to share some information bit by bit last year with my wife. But first I suggested that we do two things that the Society tells us to do: 1. read the Bible 2. research our "spiritual heritage" as JW's and the early organization. So...we began to read just the Bible. And watched the history videos. Then I shared more stuff about the early Society - belief origins/adventism/eschatology etc. from "neutral" sources like Wikipedia. I'm also underlining the WT study (something I haven't done in years) and highlighting the conjectures and assumptions made in every study that have no Biblical support. She is noticing and it's making for real, honest conversation about this belief system we were raised in.

  It's working!
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  25

  It Appears The Elderly Are More Taken Care Of Then Ever Before By The Elders

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i usually find fault with the religion but i must give credit when due.

  in the hall my mom is in, they regularly check on her and assign different ones to visit and check on the elderly.. if there's a storm or an extremely cold day, they come by to make sure the elderly have everything they need..

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  gingerbread

  It sounds like this congregation has some good guys - and they just happen to be elders.
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  6

  Sing it sister...

  by cedars in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it amazes me how many jdubs feel comfortable posting videos of themselves (or their children) singing kingdom songs for the whole world to see on youtube.. this lady actually puts some effort into it.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikpeixixlo4.

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  cedars.

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  gingerbread

  I's my guess that these publishers are counting this as service time - in their own mind and on a time slip. With a growing push to find alternate ways to preach - letter writing, literature display stands and tables, emails - why not youtube.

  In my part of the US, just about every congregation has young folks forming bands - country, bluegrass, cover rock, indie... They play at "get togethers" and the adventurous ones play their own private shows, local clubs, burning their own cd's, etc. It's sad - but it's their only chance of acheiving a personal fantasy. Their 15 minutes of fame.
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  27

  Can't afford to pay Candace, but they can afford this:

  by WinstonSmith in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  http://thetandd.com/news/local/jehovah-s-witnesses-unveil-million-assembly-hall/article_82f68742-6776-11e2-a641-001a4bcf887a.html?comment_form=true.

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  gingerbread

  The society's plan - at least in the United States - is to continue to build large, regional assembly halls. The objective is "to cut costs" by eliminating the need to rent large auditoriums and stadiums. They want to become as detached from the "world" as possible. And funnel the rental dollars into the "world wide work" fund. These building projects also gives the local congregations the psychological illusion that each member plays a part in the organization - a mini Bethel you might say. A section in the assembly hall is usually set aside as a "theocratic" museum filled with Watchtower artifacts.

  The local Kingdom Halls are improved by the regional building committees in order to retain positive resale value. These are potentially flip-able. The investment in regional assembly halls are long term and "permanent". In conversations and prayers, you will hear talk of the hall's long term use - "right into the new system."