Posts by 88JM

posted

17
2014 Statistics and Graphs for USA, UK and Australia
by jwfacts in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
i have done a breakdown for the usa, since the majority on this forum are american, along with the uk and australia.

us growth has slowed, but still moving along, but uk and australia have are at a virtual standstill, and in fact decreasing against population growth.. .

jehovah's witness publisher statistics - united states.
88JM

I didn't realize the 2015 Yearbook was out - slipped that one quietly:
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/2015-yearbook/
Did I miss the post on here? Can't seem to find one mentioning it...
33
Watchtower Library 2014
by wifibandit in
1. watchtower
2. bible
.

.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2topee31z2v0mdn/wtlib14e.rar?dl=0.
88JM

Wow this is early! Thanks.
9
After Mar 15 WT, who NOW is represented by the Wise Virgins??
by hamsterbait in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it used to be that the master "arrived in 1918" and the virgins put their lamps in order.

according to the noolite, the arrival is yet future.

however, the gibbering buddies now insist that the annointed have not fallen asleep, but stayed awake up until now.
88JM

...so the idea still stands

Are you sure?

I thought it used to be because they claimed there was a first-century "faithful and discreet slave" and from there they claimed an unbroken line of anointed for God to make sure there was always some kind of "faithful and discreet slave" on the earth, which gave C.T. Russell and his pals some legitimacy.

But with that March series of articles, even Russell got thrown under the bus - he wasn't part of the "faithful and discreet slave" - and there now was no slave before 1919, when they now say the slave was appointed. Therefore, they no longer do (or they no longer need to) claim an unbroken line of anointed?

Maybe they didn't explicitly do away with the idea in the articles (which they never do with anything - it just gets "overwritten" by "noo lite") but they have done away with the need for the idea of being an unbroken line? Or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Why the hell am I trying to make sense of this garbage...
25
Public Speaker Training stifled by wt, it's new 'school' programme.
by prologos in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
the 2015 school setup, discussed this week eliminates the last "school talk" by brothers in favour of 'demonstartions" (a la sisters conversations) of family worship sessions and the like.. is this not a shift away from encouraging bright young ones to hone their (under-estimated) speaker skills ---to.

now using more of the die-hard, org-bound, --even elders in indoctrination demonstrations?.

do you see this trend?
88JM

They have "demonstrations" of how to have "Family Worship"?!?!?

I'm sure many can remember years ago when the book study was still going and meetings were much longer, despite the constant nagging at meetings about having a family study, very few families actually did it.

I think they were trying not to let the same thing happen with the family worship night - the C.O.'s have been nagging the Ministerial Servants and Elders to set an example and also mention family worship in their talks. Reports C.O.'s are getting indicate (unsurprisingly) that not many families are following through with it, and single people are basically ignored so they certainly don't bother.

As a single person, I personally found most of the time and items spent at meetings talking about family worship a total waste, depressing and insulting, as it was all geared towards families, and making things more interesting for kids.
9
After Mar 15 WT, who NOW is represented by the Wise Virgins??
by hamsterbait in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
it used to be that the master "arrived in 1918" and the virgins put their lamps in order.

according to the noolite, the arrival is yet future.

however, the gibbering buddies now insist that the annointed have not fallen asleep, but stayed awake up until now.
88JM

What a mess. But as I recall from those series of articles, didn't it do away with the idea of an "unbroken line of anointed" through history? Where do they say the anointed didn't fall asleep (yet)?
25
Public Speaker Training stifled by wt, it's new 'school' programme.
by prologos in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
the 2015 school setup, discussed this week eliminates the last "school talk" by brothers in favour of 'demonstartions" (a la sisters conversations) of family worship sessions and the like.. is this not a shift away from encouraging bright young ones to hone their (under-estimated) speaker skills ---to.

now using more of the die-hard, org-bound, --even elders in indoctrination demonstrations?.

do you see this trend?
88JM

Ironically, I dare say you'd hear longer passages of scripture read at one of "Christendom's" churches.
73
Elders removed in Northern PA. Congregation
by ToesUp in
1. jw
2. friends
a close family member just informed me what happened during their last c.o.

visit.

this occurred 3 months ago.
88JM

I really wonder what kind of ass-kissing elders they get to replace these guys?

How do they manage to convince them to move/step in to sort things out? Threaten? Bribe?

Surely the guys who replace them must know why they stepped down?
93
AAWA activists burst into a Kingdom Hall in Kent!
by raymond frantz in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
aawa activists burst into a kingdom hall in kent.

.

.
88JM

It may seem corny, but I think the best policy is embodied in this quotation:

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

It's funny - I actually heard that maxim used in a public talk at one of the meetings recently. I can't remember the justification for it, but obviously it was abusurd to hear it coming from a JW!
15
crisis of conscience
by venting in
1. jw
2. friends
if you were going to skip some parts of this book which ones would they be?

whats the best part?

i know i sound lazy, but i can't read this in bed next to my wife.
88JM

I think it's done over 2 chapters, but the most enlightening part for me was where he highlights the hypocrisy of the Mexico/Malawi situation.
93
AAWA activists burst into a Kingdom Hall in Kent!
by raymond frantz in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
aawa activists burst into a kingdom hall in kent.

.

.
88JM

Jesus didn't go "undercover" to point out the hypocrisy and injustices of the Temple Scribes and Pharisees of His day, did He? Didn't he actually go and turn tables up on them?

As I recall, it didn't work very well for Jesus either, as he had to go do it on two occasions. Maybe he gave them a persecution complex as well, so they just went right back to it.

I presume he did it out of principle and being moved to do so emotionally, rather than the misguided belief that his actions would actually stop people doing what they were doing.