the witnesses are really challenged socially.
in their own little world, they seem oblivious to the niceties of saying thank you or that they are sorry for some minor wrong.
these things help life go more smoothly in the real world, like a social lubricant.. i'm simply appalled at the fact that an elder's son, who was married more than a year ago, has never sent out thank you notes for all of the gifts that the congregation gave him for his wedding.
In the last 25 years, I've seen the transformation of the individuals in the organization - judgmental, suspicious and self-centered.
Line up early at a convention or assembly. The doors open at 8:00 and the pushing, shoving and running begins to get the best seats in the auditorium. I have never experienced this at any theater production, concert or pro sports event - everyone stays in line and takes their turn.
ginger
i have (well had) an extremely small circle of jw friends.
lots of acquaintances and associates but 2 or 3 i would consider my true friends.
that list is now 0. yup, once i told them i no longer believe in the org and haven't for a long time, and their attempts to encourage me thru jw lingo and terminologies to "rely on jehovah" and not to "stray away" failed that was pretty much it.
The culture of the Jehovah's Witnesses (individuals, congregation, leadership, publications) requires each member to become judgmental and suspicious.Whether you know it or not, this process begins when a person begins to study and proceeds to baptism.
As soon as a member begins to develop an 'attitude' or conducts parts of his personal life in ways that are not in line with organizational rules (independent thinking), the shunning begins - more strongly with some, less with others.
The longer one is 'in the truth' the more an observant person realizes that real friends don't exist in the congregation. When a person reaches seventy or eighty, they better have some good adult children and grandchildren to assist them. They sure won't get it from the 'friends' in the congregation.
ginger
okay, so yes, i'm a born-in, but this point has always baffled me (and i guess i never bothered to research or ask).
what is the purpose of counting time in service?
when was it started and why?
J.F. Rutherford began this tradition. In the beginning, all approved for field service were required to turn in a service activity report weekly. Of course, back then, all baptized Bible Students (and later JW's) really, truly believed that the end was upon them. They went out in service ALL THE TIME - no leisure time at all.
The congregations were called "companies" and pioneers were called "colporteurs" - which literally means book and magazine salesman. So the members of a local company were turning in their weekly sales reports.
Time slips later became a way to assess a persons "spirituality" - which is its primary purpose today.
ginger
my wife is shunning me.
she is always in cult mode, we don't talk anymore, we don't sleep in the same bed.
i have been sleeping on the couch.
It sucks.
I spent the last two years (out of 15 years) on the couch. My first wife was also passive aggressive (and abusive and violent). After years of shepherding calls to get a handle on the problems (I always came out as the bad guy), she filed for divorce. No grounds. The local body of elders said she could file if she "thought" I ever had an affair (she was always accusing me of that). Not.
The evening of our divorce she and her 'friend' announced their engagement. A month later they were married (he's an elder) by another local elder. No prob!
Our now grown children have nothing to do with her. The last time I saw her she was an overweight, old looking, broke JW.
Sometimes it's best to move on. It's worked out great for me. It was very painful but now many years later it's a distant memory. And I'm happier than ever!
Gingerbread
a number of years ago when i was still active, our service group was having a coffee break with the visiting circuit overseer.
during the conversation he mentioned that the "society" was now being run like a business.
being raised in the "truth" i thought that rather odd (and my eyes began to be opened!
A number of years ago when I was still active, our service group was having a coffee break with the visiting Circuit Overseer. During the conversation he mentioned that the "Society" was now being run like a business. Being raised in the "truth" I thought that rather odd (and my eyes began to be opened!) because of the belief that the business men would lament the demise of Babylon the Great.
Fast forward to now and I begin to think of Jesus' words to sell excess belongings and give to the POOR. He never said give to my apostles (in order to spread the good new or advance kingdom interests).. Rather odd that the governing body wants all (those of you who are still active) your money. They've already taken ownership of all kingdom and assembly halls and have emptied all congregation bank accounts to the bare minimum. As we all know,, they now require a monthly money transfer from each congregation to the main office.
A few weeks ago, a family member told me that the congregation coordinator said to him that elders have been informed of a stop of new builds and remodels and that parts of the Warwick (new world headquarters) construction project are paused as well.
ginger
the governing body knows they scare children.
from the may jwbroadcasting puke-a-sode at the1hr 5 minute mark .31 second clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqeey0uyvuw.
The Watchtower since the days of 'Judge' Rutherford has used fear as a primary control tool.
It works great on children and the undereducated.
As a side note, we recently watched a PBS program about earthquakes and one of the seismologists said "earthquakes never cause the earth to split open." We just looked at each other (having been brought up with the so-called 'paradise' book) and laughed - another Watchtower lie...
ginger
i have noticed that in florida at least i see at every flea market and or town square jws sitting drinking coffee with a table and a couple of sandwich signs with watchtowers and awakes doing nothing more than playing on their phones and or talking to each other.
i have not yet seen anyone going up to them and engaging them but i bet they are counting time.
what a cheat.
This new approach puts the publisher in full public view in their community. No longer can you just ride around in a car or fake knock on a door.
This method also has the potential to feed a persecution complex.
one of the reasons the watchtower is having problems with donations is because they have refuse to let go of wholesale across the board shunning.
the average publisher is sick of it and jehovah is withholding his full blessing.
when you do not show love to fellow humans you run the risk of not being able to show love which i'm turn has a direct relationship to your joy in turn if your not happy your not motivated to donate lots of money to and arrangement you perceive as unloving all you bethel lurkers convey this message to bro letters and rest of gb stop trying to convince fair minded people to support unloving shunning.
The 'wisdom' from the WT has been, for decades, to simplify your life, work less, don't educate yourself, don't accept promotions, quit your job if you aren't allowed to take off for an assembly, don't move for a better job; move to where the need is greater (usually in a rural area with limited positive income opportunities), don't better yourself today. Live for the future....
Now the organization is reaping what it has sown.
To make matters worse, Jehovah's Witnesses currently have the worse record for membership retention (three out of five kids raised in "the truth" leave (or become barely active) in adulthood. And, few people become members as a result of the door to door activity.
is this what jesus had in mind?
to be a spiritual person you must:.
underline your books.
These are among the many rituals of Jehovah's Witnesses.
See: Legalism
after todays watchtower lesson, and the lessons coming, something tells me bigger and bigger new understandings are coming.
and that it will culminate with 1914. notice how jesus is now coming, and no longer already here.
the current understanding is both, he is here and hes also coming.
1914 will stay. The understanding will change.
Adventists have been waiting on Christ's return since the 1830's. They've changed their understandings of date predictions over the years.
The founders of the Bible Students took most of their core beliefs from the Adventists. Current JW's think God gave the Governing Body special insight.....
By the way (not that I care) but Adventists amount to 22 million members worldwide. As the JW's pat themselves on the back with a number just over 8 million.....?...
