gingerbread

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Posts by gingerbread

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  36

  A JW experience

  by Saintbertholdt in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is a quick experience i have recently had and i have two questions at the end.. a couple of weeks ago, the dogs were barking at the gate on saturday morning and wouldn't you know it, it was some witnesses.

  there was a father with his lovely wife and their young daughter.

  the father did all the talking as mother and daughter just dutifully smiled and watched.

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  gingerbread

  Remember that JW's are told to use the literature as service material - not their own thoughts. They are told to stick to the script and have the Watchtower do the talking. This 'rule' goes back to the beginning of the organization - recall the phonograph records? Now it's the cart method.

  Unlike decades ago, Witnesses don't read their Bible - they parrot the ideas of Watchtower literature and videos - and attempt to use a couple of cherry picked scriptures (with no understanding of it's context).

  ginger
  
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  48

  Where has all the money gone?

  by gingerbread in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  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!

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  gingerbread

  It's evidence of the reduction of donations (income) from the JW membership. The organization is now feeling the pain after years of discouraging people to take promotions at work or get an education past high school. Minimum wage work and labor jobs makes for low or average incomes - with limited disposable income for donations. And the congregation 'work force' has become tired.

  The big-wig Governing Body members strut their stuff during JW Broadcasting programs while the money folks are sweating bullets.

  And it doesn't mean jack if the WT is building new halls or branches in some parts of the world. Many people who are in debt up to their eyeballs have new homes, new clothes and new cars - all on borrowed money/credit.

  The Watchtower leaders just want to appear powerful (proof that God is supporting them) and successful (competing with other mainstream religions).

  ginger
  
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  11

  Simple, basic manners would be a good start

  by stillin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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.

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  gingerbread

  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
  
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  22

  "Friends" are gone

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  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.

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  gingerbread

  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
  
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  24

  Why JWs record and report time?

  by ThinkerBelle in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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?

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  gingerbread

  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
  
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  61

  Stranger in my own house, Since my wife and i don't talk much anymore nor sleep in the same bed. i feel like a stranger.

  by goingthruthemotions in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  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.

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  gingerbread

  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
  
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  48

  Where has all the money gone?

  by gingerbread in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  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!

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  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!) 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
  
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  6

  Jehovah's Witnesses Governing Body knows they scare CHILDREN with Doomsday False prophecies

  by Watchtower-Free in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  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.

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  gingerbread

  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
  
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  7

  New way of preacing?

  by dogon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  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.

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  gingerbread

  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.
  
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  24

  as long as shunning continues donations will be slow

  by poopie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  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.

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  gingerbread

  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.