Posts by gingerbread

30

Serious subject - How to cut your alcohol consumption?

by quellycatface in

jw
friends

.

how can i cut down without going teetotal?

i love the taste of wine, i'm not fussed with other drinks but just need to rein in it a bit.. going wine-free tonight and tomorrow, as i'm out socially.. i also need to shift a few pounds.. thank you, everyone..

gingerbread

As a recoverer, I can say from experience that a person doesn't have a drinking problem. A person has problems so he drinks.

If you are a dependent personality, you have tons of will power - you'll climb a mountain to get a drink.

Use that energy is a positive way. Don't isolate yourself. Change your playground - drinking friends and places.

If you can't manage your life problems by yourself, there are plenty of good folks and groups in your area who can help. You won't ever get this from the Org. or the Kingdom Hall.

Their answer is to DF you a.s.a.p. and take away all your support system - family and friends.

ginger

143

Letter to BOE: Adjustment in process for appointing elders and ministerial servants

by pixel in

hello, you read it here first!.

governing body of jehovah's witnesses.

to all congregations.

gingerbread

The elder & servant wannabe's will be doing everything possible to get the attention of the CO's - service time, taking them out for meals, giving them cash, opening up their homes, volunteering to give talks during the CO's visit, volunteering for everything at the assemblies...

The Branch big-wigs know this.

It stirs up the competitive spirit (activity). And brothers will go out of their way to financially take care of the Branch Representatives.

The Watchtower leadership is calculated. No doubt.

ginger

143

Letter to BOE: Adjustment in process for appointing elders and ministerial servants

by pixel in

hello, you read it here first!.

governing body of jehovah's witnesses.

to all congregations.

gingerbread

Paul and Barnabas (in case you're not too sure, these guys were NOT 'circuit overseers') put experienced men in charge of teaching in congregations.

They could do this because there was .... no 'Governing Body'.

I think this is an interesting development because, in a weird way, it returns some power back to the CO's. If I understand the process correctly, the elder body would recommend someone for a position to the CO. He would then give his approval - or not - to the branch. They would then make it official.

Perhaps another way of looking at this 'adjustment' is to realize the the elders will no longer have a say-so. This pulls another autonomous freedom away from every congregation.

First it was ownership of the Kingdom Hall. Now it's the loss of control of the congregation's bank account. Next the elder body can no longer make localized decisions regarding it's teaching/shepherding staff.

The local elders can no longer be trusted

ginger

19

May 15, 2014 WT: "God will intervene on behalf of his people"

by cultBgone in

i borrowed this mag as i hadn't looked at one in several years.

of course i had to review "are you moving ahead with jehovah's organization?".

paragraph 4 under heading "satanic action leads to armageddon" states:.

gingerbread

Upcoming WT study articles give a thrashing to any who JW's who question or who are slackers. The Organization is made up of persons who are just floating along and doing only what is required. It's a herd of mediocrity.

I feel the clamps coming down on everyone in the Org. - CO's, elders, parents & kids.

The next step (I feel certain will happen) is for the leadership to 'create' persecution circumstances - to prove who is 'faithful' to them. And to stir up fear of the Great Trib...

ginger

19

May 15, 2014 WT: "God will intervene on behalf of his people"

by cultBgone in

i borrowed this mag as i hadn't looked at one in several years.

of course i had to review "are you moving ahead with jehovah's organization?".

paragraph 4 under heading "satanic action leads to armageddon" states:.

gingerbread

How did God step in when 'his people' were assaulted by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Romans, German Nazis or the governments of Malawi, China, Soviet Russia, Italy, Singapore, Cuba, Spain or Greece?

Answer: NOTHING

Thousands imprisioned, maimed, raped and killed for nothing.

Today the Organization protects itself...and expects it's members to wait on 'Jehovah' to solve their problems.

Jehovah's Witness children and wives can be abused by their family or members of the congregations and the Org. provides zero support, counselling or practical assistance. However, the Watchtower will spend millions of dollars protecting their own assets and reputation.

ginger

26

When You Look Back At The History of Jehovah's Witnesses/Russelites---Has Anything Really Changed?

by minimus in

they have been, from their inception, a sect that was considered different from mainstream christianity.

they loved being different.

they bragged about being "persecuted.

gingerbread

It has become a RELIGION with all the perks and trappings.

Recall the rantings of J.F. Rutherford > "Religion is a snare and a racket!"

Not anymore I guess.

ginger

10

Is it Mormon campaign season?

by Faithful Witness in

i am seeing a lot of young mormon men out lately, in their ties and nametags.

is it a certain time of year that they go out?

just curious if anyone knows..

gingerbread

It's springtime.

Short sleeve shirts, casual strolls and bicycle weather. Conditions are perfect.

ginger

10

Brooklyn Bethel in the 1940 census

by dissonance_resolved in

jw
friends

prompted by another post, i looked up 124 columbia heights in the 1940 census.

a few interesting things: all occupants are listed as having the profession of "sell- religious books," except rutherford who is listed as an "editor.

" odd that they aren't listed as ministers.. also, all the educational levels of the occupants were provided- many had not even graduated high school and some not even grammar school.

gingerbread

Nice find.

If you research educational data in the first half of the 20th century in the United States, you will find it quite common that many children only completed their primary education. Parents during the Depression of the 1930's were forced to have their children enter the work force instead of going on to secondary education. This was especially true in rural areas.

In 1940, only 50% of students completed enough credits to receive a High School diploma. The majority of these graduates were female.

So this census record provides little out of the ordinary when compared to the average citizen of the day. In the 1920's and 30's, very few people attended college.

Of course the self proclaimed anointed who made up the Watchtower's leadership weren't just "average citizens" .... but that is another topic all together.

ginger

10

Faithful and Discreet slave class. Challenge the definition

by stuckinarut2 in

ok, so we all know that the basis the org uses for its power, authority, and supposed ability to speak on behalf of god is matt 24:45.

"who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics to give them their food at the proper time?".

but how can it possibly define the wt org?.

gingerbread

It works because people believe them.

When a person finally admits to himself that the WT and it's leadership is not being used by Jesus or God (at all), it's all over (but the crying).

ginger

36

Where were you? / How old were you?... during the Ray Franz witch trial?

by Zoos in

jw
friends

i was 13yo and largely clueless to what was going on.

i think i remember hearing something about an apostate being weeded out of bethel but really couldn't have cared less.

i didn't start getting zealous until a couple of years later.. .

gingerbread

I was attending university.

We heard about Fred Franz's nephew getting kicked out of Bethel before the official KM 'announcement' was available.

Any time a group of people were gathered outside of an Alabama convention site, everyone would say they were part of the 'Franz apostate group'. Peter Gregerson's name would often come up when the 'adults' were discussing things later.

Some of these elders thought worse of Gregerson than Ray Franz. Perhaps because Peter had a lot of influence and 'power' (in their minds) in our area.

ginger