gingerbread

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Posts by gingerbread

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  19

  Who benefits from the money they receive?

  by unfamiliar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i keep seeing people on here (and other places) talk about the wbts making money .

  .

  sorry if it should be obvious!.

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  gingerbread

  The Watchtower corporation(s) in themselves don't generate an income like an individual does through employment. The corps hold assets such as property and investments. These assets can be converted into cash.

  The corps protect the assets and cash. Without these the organization ceases to function.

  Like any well managed corporation, the WT finds ways to reduce costs, maintain the strength of it's assets and look for new ways to increase funding.

  All funding is given voluntarily to the corportation (branch) by members. The WT corporation has millions of members that give funds and personal assets to them every week as 'donations.'

  So, the corporation (branch) benefits from the money received. Of course, the persons in control of the corps spend a lot of money but they never risk the long-term financial health of the Org.

  No strings attached. No accountablility.

  ginger
• 
  85

  I'm thinking about going back

  by Corboy101 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been out for 22 years.i was raised as a jehovahs witness.

  i was baptized in 1986 but soon after left the religion.

  theres a whole lot to the reasons why i left, but i left.

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  gingerbread

  I think some of the ideas expressed here - through Corboy and 1009 - are the 'new' jehovah's witness.

  They're still involved because of family and friends. They pick and choose what they want to participate in. They are selective about their associates in the congregation. They have doubts and questions and know it's better to keep this to themselves. They stick with the big 'doctrines' and rules ( blood, neutrality, meeting attendance, regular field service, etc.) but ignore the 'little' stuff. It's no biggie to drink too much, watch 'bad' movies or listen to 'debasing' music, have a 'worldly' girl or boy friend (secret), etc. Just so you show up for service the next morning. They pose as ones 'reaching out' for congregational responsibility. They pioneer (and live at home) so they don't have to get a job. They volunteer for building and remodelling projects. They always have their Watchtower and Jeremiah book underlined.

  The 'new' Jehovah's Witness is about appearances. Looking good. Looking right.
• 
  85

  I'm thinking about going back

  by Corboy101 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been out for 22 years.i was raised as a jehovahs witness.

  i was baptized in 1986 but soon after left the religion.

  theres a whole lot to the reasons why i left, but i left.

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  gingerbread

  Doctrine is defined : Principles, position or policy taught or advocated, as of a religion or government. Something that is taught; teachings collectively: as in religious doctrine.

  The single defining doctrine taught by Jehovah's Witnesses, either individually or collectively, is that the Governing Body ( the eight men at the religion's world headquarters in New York ) is the sole earthly representives of Jesus Christ and his heavenly government.

  It is through this governing body that Jesus Christ informs the Witnesses and the world about Biblical interpretation.

  If you actually believe in this doctrine, return as quickly as you can! Without it your daily happiness, personal success and eternal salvation are in serious jeopardy...
• 
  85

  I'm thinking about going back

  by Corboy101 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been out for 22 years.i was raised as a jehovahs witness.

  i was baptized in 1986 but soon after left the religion.

  theres a whole lot to the reasons why i left, but i left.

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  gingerbread

  I will assume that something has changed in your life.

  Your now are in middle age. Perhaps you find yourself divorced or are raising teenagers. Do you have concerns about or a fear of the future? Do you carry guilt over past wrongdoing or 'sins'?

  Are your parent(s) still active in the 'truth'? And are they now aging (in their 70's) and you want to be connected to them on a religious level before their demise? Is your need to return based on pleasing others or yourself?

  Have the Witnesses in your family quietly excluded you from many gatherings over the years because you're not 'active'? Is the direction of your professional career at a standstill or are you working a job that is unfulfilling?

  Please consider and respond...

  ginger
• 
  27

  "Pst! You CAN go to an international convention even if you're poor, but don't tell everyone!"

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the 2014/2015 international conventions have been announced, and will be held in the following cities.... melbourne, australia october 2014london, england august 2014quito, ecuador january 2015frankfurt, germany july 2014athens, greece june 2014seoul, korea september 2014mexico city, mexico november 2014harare, zimbabwe august 2014as always there is a long list of requirements for those wealthy enough to attend - including the requirement to keep your "exemplary status" right up to the day of departure or lose all your money.. there is also a curious paragraph that seems to indicate an element of subterfuge.... special rooming: confidentially, we will be asking the host branch office to poll local brothers to determine if some might be able to provide limited rooming provisions in private homes.

  this information is not to be made known to the applicants in general.

  however, if the elders are aware of a longtime, faithful servant, perhaps with many years of full-time service, who is not able to fully finance such a trip, he could be encouraged to apply and the secretary can check the box on the electronic jw.org application that this delegate qualifies for the special rooming provision, if available.. basically, watchtower is admitting that it is possible to attend an international convention even if you can't afford the hotel, but they don't want everyone to know because they want as many full-paying delegates as possible.. my article on this can be found on the link below.... http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/watchtower-announces-new-international-conventions-while-downsizing-district-conventions-for-2014.

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  gingerbread

  Eight cities abroad for each eight members of the governing body.

  What a nice vacation itinerary.....
• 
  93

  Scary Stuff

  by Farkel in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  today's high school students in the usa:.

  less than 1/2 of them cannot identify the century when our civil war happened.. one in four thought columbus discovered america sometime after 1750.. one in three cannot name one right enumerated in the bill of rights.. three out of four cannot name the first us president.. two out of three do not know the length of term of a member of the house of representatives.. half cannot find britain on a map.. one out of four cannot find america on a map.. when my oldest daughter, who is now a physician was in 9th grade in this once-great state of california, i asked her about the three branches of our federal government.

  she was clueless and told me she would take civics in her junior year in high school.

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  gingerbread

  We sound like a bunch of old farts

  Barry, you are correct. In the US, we are taught from birth that our country is the best in the world and without us the 'third world' countries couldn't survive. It's a type of arrogance that is uniquely "American'.

  I had a conversation last week with my folks about the young JW's (or lack of) in the area congregations and circuit. I commented that it's a fair statement that most young Witnesses don't even know what 1914 even means in this religion or when C.T. Russell lived. After a minute of thought they both agreed. They said "it's just not the same as when we came in the truth (40 years ago)."
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  21

  Petition in England: "Ban Jehovah's Witnesses!" - (HM Government)

  by Oubliette in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i stumbled upon this on a hungarian ex-jw blog.

  does anyone in the uk know anything about this?

  of course jws will just see this at "proof" that "the is near!

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  gingerbread

  Usually I attempt to put a positive spin on my comments. However....

  This time I digress. Let's face reality. As long as peoples have lived in groups, religious belief systems are essential for maintaining a cohesive governing structure. The 'hope' that governments will ban religion is a JW pipedream (slanted in their favor).

  Stop thinking like a Jehovah's Witness. God is NOT going to use governments to turn on and destroy 'Babylon the Great'.
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  69

  What would it take for YOU to come back?

  by noonehome in

  1. jw
  2. friends

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  gingerbread

  I too must answer this question with tongue in cheek.

  I'm resurrected on a paradise earth and find out that everything that the WT teaches was really the truth.

  or

  The GB gives away the billions in $ and real estate to the poor, hungry and disadvantaged AND they become homeless tent makers.
• 
  47

  Former Longtime Elder- Met up with a Former CO,DO

  by James Jackson in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  at a convention recently, i met with don wallace, a former co and do.

  he told me he came off the road 6 years ago and is living in scottsboro al.

  him and his wife are in their late 70's.

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  gingerbread

  Wow. I haven't heard that name in many years!

  I would describe Wallace as an old school CO. He fashioned himself as a genteel, southern 'gentleman' - sometimes with white shoes and suit (a la Colonel Sanders). A friend once told me that in an elder's meeting he told the brothers that he wore the 'white hat' during his visit to the congregation and they we're in charge of doing 'the dirty work'...

  He would refer to himself on stage as 'Brother Wallace'. And, once from the platform he stated, 'we ALL tell little white lies from time to time, don't we'....with a big grin on his face.
• 
  10

  Questions About Paradise

  by jw07 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  before you knew the truth about the truth, did you stop to think about the aftermath of armageddon were it to happen now?.

  [if !supportlists]1.

  [endif]almost 8 million jws (0.11%) left alive out of 7 billion+ people, or 875 bodies to bury per person left alive.

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  gingerbread

  Look at the 2013 JW calendar. It's fully illustrated with scenes from the '1000 Year Reign'.

  The only problem is that none of this stuff is in the Bible. It's pure fantasy. And the average, WT worshipping person believes this to be factual and true.

  I've heard people - when they got the calendar - trying to 'unlock' the secret meanings hidden in the illustrations...

  ginger