Posts by 88JM

15

Into Darkness - Jehovah's witnesses history

by Dis-Member in

another video on jehovah's witnesses / watchtower's history.. .

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5jnngqqyvc.

88JM

Quite informative but concise too.

I didn't know that Russel was into phrenology (though not surprising), and also the "inch for a year" rule he made for the pyramid measurements. Why would he think the ancient Egyptians would be using inches?

36

Does anyone know the curent understanding on Chess for JWs?

by BU2B in

jw
friends

i seem to remember chess was frowned upon by some jws.

is this like the oral/anal sex policy?

just ignore it and hope it goes away...

88JM

I know lots of JW's that play chess and would (brazenly!) have a nice ornate chess board in their living room.

If you became a JW after those articles were published then I don't think people know about the older JW's view of chess.

It just goes to show what happens when you start to make rules for every little thing.

23

The Gall & Hypocrisy!!

by Simon Morley in

just got a call from my daughter that she got word that the jw honeywagon (literature stand) has set up in the university she teaches at.

one (and there are many) of the reasons we left was due to the stance on higher education, she was persecuted by the elders for attending the very university they are now set up in.

my daughter eventually got a masters degree overseas and now teaches at the same unversity, is self sufficent and will not have to eke out some pittance of a living while fighting a very delbilitating health condition.

88JM

I feel a post by Outlaw coming...

JW's discourage Higher Education for their members

[INSERT PHOTO]

While members recruit outside universities

14

Quote of the day, RE: YB 2014

by pixel in

"your web site is one of the best gifts that jehovah has given to people like me.n.f., sri lanka.. so, jehovah waited how many years until he could come out with a website as a gift?.

"caleb, the little boy in the jw.org video series become jehovahs friend, is now known all over the world".

maybe he is more famous than mickey mouse?.

88JM

I didn't know Jay-Hoover knew HTML

"Markup from above"

34

Immoral sleeping arrangement?

by hoser in

jw
friends

i'm reading through the watchtower rule book right now and i came to the chapter clarification and guidelines on handling certain matters.

there is a part about scriptural divorce and even if adultery is not proved if your ex stayed all night or is involved in an immoral sleeping arrangement you can get scriptural grounds to remarry.. .

they make a rule, then they have to make a rule for the rule, make another rule for the rule for the rule.

88JM

While we're on the subject of JW rules and sleeping arrangements, this reminds me of a recent event in the congregation here...

There is sister who has a few older children - some of who aren't JW's (I guess they were smart). Well, one of her sons who isn't a JW apparently has been "sowing his wild oats" and his girlfriend (not wife) had a baby. They live in another country, but made the trip over with their new baby to visit the JW mum and stay with her. So, of course her son and his GF with the baby have to sleep in separate rooms, despite having a child together. In a way I find it sort of funny and sad at the same time applying rules in that way. I mean, does it really matter how many times they break the rules once they're broken? (Actually with having a baby, that's probably put a stop to the rule breaking for now I guess!)

Also thinking about it, are the BF and GF not even allowed to be left alone together, even though they have a baby together? (Does the baby being there count as not being "alone" together?) What about the dad's responsibilty to care for the child - does that override the rule about being alone with the GF? What a crazy situation the JW rules must create with things like this!

Has anyone else come across this sort of story?

23

Some vs Many

by Londo111 in

it is interesting how the watchtower uses these two words.

for instance, the word some is often used to minimize, and many used to maximize.

and yet, it is so unspecific that some might be a greater quantity than many, yet the mind doesnt process these words this way.. for instance, if it is a failed prediction or a changed teaching, they might say, some believed... when it fact some means most or all, because this was food at the proper time coming from gods channel through the watchtower.

88JM

The WTBTS is not the only organization guilty of this. The BBC Radio 4 programme "More or Less" is an excellent discussion on the statistics behind headlines and news stories which use such subjective language.

62

25 YEARS of compiled yearbook statistics

by 88JM in

jw
friends

hello again folks - as promised in my last thread here, i've been working on turning yearbook statistics into excel spreadsheets.. coincidentally, today is my 25th birthday (spare a thought for a fader).. i've now updated the spreadsheet with yearbook data all the way back to 1988 (the year i was born), therefore it now contains 25 years of statistics.. there were a lot of countries changing around and for some it was possible to create a continuation of data.

some are a simple change of name like south-west africa to namibia.

others, for example - in 1993 with czechoslovakia splitting into two countries (czech republic and slovakia) i have added an extra row that provides a continuation of the data, combining czech republic and slovakia back together as if they were still one country.

88JM

LisaRose:

For the "leavers" statistics, how did you calculate that? Is it the number baptized minus increased number of publishers? Does it take deaths rates into consideration?

I didn't calculate leavers?

I didn't attempt to do that as there is a bit of debate on how to produce an "accurate" figure, and I doubt I would be able to get accurate reliable historic mortality rates for each individual country.

All I'm trying to do is just collate the data really and get it into a useable format so other people can then go and make those sorts of calculations.

From the data however, you can produce still interesting and reliable statistics to show things like there are now far less hours spent per publisher and that there are far more hours spent to gain 1 baptism candidate, though you do still have to remember adjustments like being able to now count time studying with unbaptized children.

23

'Jehovah will provide' / some fish(y) stories! - WT April 15, 2014

by bats in the belfry in

eduardo & family with kids will pioneer and survive on 10% of his regular income.. .. .

page 24. .

sort of reminded me of this guy: father of four quits job after attending annual meeting.

88JM

"questionable sites appeared"

Yeah, that browser history can be a real "blessing" haha. I hope it was good stuff he got busted for!

20

Wow... you WERE right! The KH was to teach you how to SELL!!

by ILoveTTATT in

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as you can see from the picture, in the kingdom hall there was a board with "publishers, books, booklets," etc... aparently for the entire congregation.

not sure what the other line is, maybe it is a goal?.

88JM

I've had shepherding visits when I always felt the elders were about to whip out the projector and pull up a spreadsheet graph or a bar chart and laser pointer. They certainly felt like corporate meetings sometimes.

Elder: "So why do you think your hours have not been as high for this month as they were this time last year?"

Me: "Umm.... "

Elder: "Well let's look at your hours here together. You see..."

31

Will Moses have time for you in the New World?

by bats in the belfry in

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2014 the watchtower, april 15, page 6.

88JM

It's fine as long as he doesn't go out to pick that stick up on a Sunday