Posts by gingerbread

26

Why do witnesses need the title of pioneer to get 30 hours?

by BU2B in

jw
friends

if witnesses believe that we truly are in the end of the end of the last days, and they believe the work they do will really save lives, and most can just make a few adjustments and get 30 hours, why dont they do this more often??

without the title?.

to me if you really care about people you would not wait until you have a special title or badge to wear of look at me im pioneering, you would do the most you can every month and not care about recognition from men.

gingerbread

This organization is all about numbers and titles. It has been from it's "humble" beginnings - around 1919, 2nd president of the Society - J.F. Rutherford - began to require weekly time reports from the "publishers." It's why we have a yearbook and experiences at the assemblies.

It would seem that if all of the JW's really believed that Armageddon is going to happen any day now, we would be going crazy warning everyone all of the time! It's "lip service" that most commit to doing - meet for field service, make a call, break for coffee, work a street or two, hit a yard sale, make a quick return visit, meet back at the hall, smile and compliment each other, share an experience, take off the tie before leaving the parking lot, get out of the suit/dress asap.

Duty done!

2

Does fear of military service motivate baptisms?

by gingerbread in

as i approached the post office just before my 18th birthday to register for the selective service, i was scared to death.

i was registering for "the draft.

" i'd heard all the stories of young witness men being brought before registration boards to justify their neutrality stand.

gingerbread

As I approached the Post Office just before my 18th birthday to register for the Selective Service, I was scared to death. I was registering for "the draft." I'd heard all the stories of young witness men being brought before registration boards to justify their neutrality stand. I also knew of brothers who came of age during the Vietnam war who jumped right into full time pioneering. If these guys had a Dad as an elder, they were in a good position because strings could be pulled to get them into Bethel....avoiding a jail term. When I turned 16, I began to save a copy of all of my monthly service reports (it was advised) to prove - if and when a future war and draft might begin - that I was a regular volunteer in religious service. I even kept my talk outlines in a notebook. I remember being glad that I was baptized the year before. All of this would be good evidence to present to the draft board! Looking back on it now I realize that we young guys were filled with fear that really strenthened a persecution complex.

I think this fear was one of the main reasons I decided to get dunked...

18

Has anyone ever used this to refute a JW's thinking?

by nolongerconfused in

this is not "apostate" literature per say...this is straight from one of their books...bible teach book.

baptism and your relationship with god.

paragraph 24.

gingerbread

Most JW's will freely say "Of course you don't dedicate yourself to an organization. You dedicate yourself to Jehovah and to doing his will."

AND...." You must admit that Jehovah is now using this organization to do his will on earth. It's not perfect, but it's the best we have." Followed by examples of how people in ancient history remained faithful to God dispite an imperfect ruling system (kings) or religious structure (pharisees / priests). And how the current organization has gone through periods of enlightenment, better understanding and "sifting" of its members.

If she brings this question to other witnesses or to an elder, they will shoot the argument down in a heart beat! Just be patient.

85

Will you attend the Memorial this year? Why? Why not?

by Open mind in

jw
friends

.

om.

gingerbread

Yes. We are in the middle of a deliberate fade and currently attend only Sunday meetings. We have parents in the cong who are in their 70's / 80's and we don't want to pile unnecessary stress on them. We were raised in this religion with a lot of extended family firmly "in".

This year is just not the right time for us....

And, I'm interested in hearing the "significant changes" to the memorial talk. Thank you Atlantis!

31

Is there a 'third' way to leave?

by Splash in

once baptised, apart from death there are really just two ways to leave the congregation: df or da.. but notice this quote:.

"does he really desire to disassociate himself, or does he simply no longer want to associate actively with the congregation?".

- shepherd the flock of god (2010) p. 111. .

gingerbread

After reading the Bible by itself and doing a thorough examination of WT history (this will take time), I've found that a slow fade will reduce the personal damage / pain. Become irregular in meeting attendance. Become irregular in field service (this will raise concern from family, "the friends" and elders). This is a good time to start the "excuses" that are often mentioned on this board. Skip assembly and convention days. Stop field service (the heat will intensify!). Last ditch efforts will be made to bring you back into activity. Expect elders (and others) to become aggressive, tackless, rude, sarcastic and patronizing. You will find out at this point who in your family and others in the in congregation truly care about you - as a person and not as a JW. The brainwashed will shun you. On the upside, because you've avoided the final consequences of the DF/DA many will treat you just fine - even secretly wishing they could do the same.

During the process, watch what you say and fade smart!

45

Deteriorating content of the WT

by His Excellency in

jw
friends

has anyone noticed the recent deterioration in the quality of wt's contents lately?..

the spiritual food seems to be getting more and more shitty these days.

i have given a thought to what could really be going wrong, and if it is likely that some on the wiriting committee is consciously dishing out those nonsense to facilitate more poeple seeing ttat.

gingerbread

Maybe the writing department has had a flash of "New Light"..... no one (not even the faithful) is taking the time to read the articles.

The mags used to be structured in a "Readers Digest" format.

Now they're just Cliff Notes for the Bible.

33

December 15 Watchtower --- A New Low in WT Anti-Intellectualism

by Room 215 in

i wonder whether any of you took note of the article in the 12/15 study edition wt "the simplified watchtower .. why introduced" i couldn't believe they actually had the temerity to put such tripe into print and onto the record.. i was flat-out astonished with its put-down of vocabulary building and self-improvement:.

one egregious example: " the time spent looking up words and explaining expressions (ostensibly from the "smart people's" watchtower) is now spent gaining an understanding of the scriptures and how they fit into the lesson.".

one jw cited in the article actually blames her college education for causing her to fall into the bad habit of "speaking and thinking a way that was more complicated than necessary.

gingerbread

These sort of statements appeal to the undereducated and underemployed publishers. The thought that choosing WT's directions about limited career and education is the best choice anyone can make - putting personal interests secondary (or third/fourth/fifth...) in life. We're told repeatedly that improving oneself is short sighted & selfish. Remember that "personal study" means studying WT publications. Forget critical thinking!

And, I firmly believe that the simplified WT was developed for the children of undereducated JW parents - for the throngs of "homeschooled" Witness kids.

10

There is NO Polite Way to Say it to a JW

by OnTheWayOut in

there are so many recent joiners to this forum and many have the same questions about helping their loved one leave jehovah's witnesses.. we can try to cushion our statements.

we can approach the subject with thinking questions that seem to be disconnected to jw issues, but really are not disconnected.

we can state so-called "apostate" positions from a "doubter" view instead of one that is convinced of the lies.. we can learn all there is to learn about cognitive dissonance and dangerous mind-control cults.. we can read all kinds of things about jw history and doctrine and secret practises of the organization.. we can and should do what we can from the above to help someone we care about to free themself from the jehovah's witnesses.. but many of you newbies (and still a bunch of us oldbies here) want to know how to politely say .

gingerbread

Thanks for the honest and realistic advice!

I've learned this past year that is sometimes better to keep quiet. I'm doing a gradual "fade" - I have nothing to prove / nothing to argue about. I figure that the best approach for me is to be an honest, caring, good person with out all the rules.

Using online archives as a research tool.

by gingerbread in

jw
friends

it's been a while since someone posted on jw.net about the internet archive.. this website is a great resource for research of the wt society with scans of out of print wt books, pamphlets, booklets, magazines, posters, and recordings.. it has been very helpful for me to build evidence in my mind that what i trusted and believed has been changed ad nauseam by this relgious printing group for over 125 years... i'm reading some scans of wt's printed just before 1925 (another armageddon year) and the scare & fear tactic is the same now as it was then.. a search of "jehovah's witnesses" on this online library brings up over 500 documents - scans, video and audio.. and it's free!.

gingerbread.

.

gingerbread

It's been a while since someone posted on JW.net about the Internet Archive.

This website is a great resource for research of the WT society with scans of out of print WT books, pamphlets, booklets, magazines, posters, and recordings.

It has been very helpful for me to build evidence in my mind that what I trusted and believed has been changed ad nauseam by this relgious printing group for over 125 years... I'm reading some scans of WT's printed just before 1925 (another armageddon year) and the scare & fear tactic is the same now as it was then.

A search of "Jehovah's Witnesses" on this online library brings up over 500 documents - scans, video and audio.

And it's free!

Gingerbread

www.archive.org

50

"Why Do Many Male Jehovah Witnesses Who Learn TTATT Grow Beards"?

by ÁrbolesdeArabia in

the year once 1983 and the brother who use to study the bible with me drove by and had a full on "charles manson" looking facial hair and beard.

i asked tina, a friend what's up with him?

tina was 19 and a hot red-head woman who was partially in the religion but had problems with fornication.

gingerbread

Growing out facial hair is a great way to show that you aren't buying into the "rules" anymore. And, you won't get asked to do anything at the hall - a real positive thing. I've heard that in Europe it's quite common to see brothers with beards.

The anti-beard policy in the society comes from J.F. Rutherford wanting to eliminate the Russell look from those in Bethel and the traveling "pilgrims". Knorr pushed for all publisher to look like businessmen - the Mad Men look. Jesus also became clean shaven in Watchtower illustrations. In the 1960's & '70's the beard came to represent (in WT literature and talks) the promiscuous, stoned, anti-establishment, university educated, free thinking hippie type. When a young man was studing and was "making progress", one of the things that would show his sincere desire to please God was to shave that beard.

Growing a beard is clear indication to JW's that person is "like a dog returning to his vomit." It's your appearance that really counts!