Posts by Journeyman

48

No more public WT & Awake?

by mikeflood in

have you guys noticed, this year 2023 no more public edition magazines...i wonder how they are gonna spin that fact.

Journeyman

The org have cut the number of new public mags right down to just one WT and one Awake each year, as of last year (2022).

It looks like from now on, there will be just six public magazines featured each year - one every two months (three WT and three Awake). One will be an 'original' WT (this year's was on Mental Health) and one an 'original' Awake (this year's is still pending, but due for use in Nov and Dec).

The remaining four are reprints. This year, they've reprinted magazines on Stress and they're about to feature a reprint of the God's Kingdom WT from 2020 for two months in Sept and Oct.

Here are the new editions released since 2021 on their website.
(Three originals of each were released in 2021, but since 2022, just one as mentioned above)

As I understand it, the sequence this year has been

Jan-Feb: Original WT (Mental Health)
Mar-Apr: Awake reprint
May-Jun: WT reprint
Jul-Aug: Awake reprint
Sept-Oct: WT reprint
Nov-Dec: Original Awake (pending)

- Then presumably repeat next year?

As has been said before elsewhere: this org is a shadow of its former self now. Just a shell.

45

Anthony Morris III demoted to Great Crowd!

by Vanderhoven7 in

well, that is my prediction for 2024 anyway!

hey, if watchtower can speculate..... https://youtu.be/dn8askhhwkw.

Journeyman

It's crazy isn't it? Really shows how obsessive the GB are about this, and it's a bit Stalinist, this attempt to erase a prominent 'non-person' from JW history!

Did I hear correctly that the recent announcement says all hard copies of the book should be replaced with new ones? Many congregations have a lot on hand because they stocked up not long ago as this is their new 'flagship' study publication. So now, they have to bin all those copies and order more?

And inevitably, there will be members of the congregation who don't get the 'memo' and will still have the old 'forbidden' publication in print, or even un-updated on their devices.

I don't think this issue will go away as easily as the GB think it will... and I daresay many PIMOs in congregations will make sure it doesn't go unnoticed!

45

Anthony Morris III demoted to Great Crowd!

by Vanderhoven7 in

well, that is my prediction for 2024 anyway!

hey, if watchtower can speculate..... https://youtu.be/dn8askhhwkw.

Journeyman

The main study publication has just been revised
I wonder if it’s to take out Tony?

Yes it is. As mentioned in the opening video to this thread.

Section 4, Lesson 54, the GB picture at the top of the lesson has been replaced.

Also, for part 3, the video clip "We Need an Organization" (9:23) has been replaced with another one without him in it.

49

Mill Hill - Chelmsford, reduced capacity, any news on Chelmsford plan revision

by Lostandfound in

chelmsford looks to have much less work than in mill hill complex, if gb spirit guided why did they allow massive plans for new site when such significant changes must have been in discussion, planning , or contemplation.

knee jerk reaction to things looks to indicate someone or more on gb has instituted changes almost overnight.

my dog plans his day better, get up, walk, sleep, eat, walk some more, eat some more, and sleep again.

Journeyman

Chelmsford tours are on and apparently they are very underwhelming.

Everything about the org seems underwhelming these days, even for those who are still relatively PIMI.

I believe the branch relies a lot more on commuter workers now. I know a few pioneers who do that and they are so excited to be able to go to Chelmsford a few days a week and 'work' from home for the branch on other days (and of course it counts toward their 'hours'), but to me it sounds like Bethel taking even more advantage of the 'privileged' R&F. Not only do they get your free labour, but they don't even have to pay the cost of your bed and board. And they can dump you anytime, without the hassle of having to move you and your possessions out of the place.

Recently, one of those pioneers tried to "sell" the idea of returning to pioneering to me by saying, among other things, that the 'new' school schedule (which was cut from two weeks to just one) has "videos of the governing body" in it! Wow. Sign me up!

I never did visit the old Bethel at Mill Hill, but if I ever was going to visit it was then, not now. Back then there were at least impressive print works in place, with literature rolling off the production line.

Now all printing has moved to Germany (with the subsequent delays in shipping and processing of orders that you would expect from a sprawling organisation that is losing the efficiency it once had) and the original ambitious site plans were scaled back, so the new UK Bethel seems a big white elephant to me. (EDIT: I see from upthread jookbeard and dozy also had the same thoughts previously.)

Not only that, anyone from the UK (particularly the south of England) will tell you that Essex, and Chelmsford in particular, already had something of a poor reputation, being the butt of jokes, so the org relocating there, while it might have been a sound property move, has an added snigger factor!

There was a comedy series in 1988-1990 called Chelmsford 123 about the rivalry between invading Romans and occupied Britons set in the year 123 (of course) - maybe someone should make a parody of that based around the UK Bethel. Chelmsford 2023 - it's time!

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

Journeyman

Wonder what he will do ? scuba diving ?

Oh, definitely scuba diving. Lots of scuba diving.

He'll be glad to see the back of the family now. He might appear happy in photos with the kids, but it's a show for the public. We know from his previous comments about having to tolerate his mate Javier Ortiz in his hotel room, that he resents any interruptions of his scheduled... recreational activities. He's probably had to behave while his kids have been around, so now he's free it's time to 'scuba' himself sick!

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

Journeyman

32

Secret Elders Book? Bwahahaha!

by NotFormer in

i remember a couple of decades ago when the internet was relatively young and the wt was at war with it, that they were battling to keep the pay attention book secret, commencing legal action against anyone who published it online (and of course, trying to out anyone who leaked it).

i think it was a norwegian skeptics organisation who had it available for download and dared the wt lawyers to come after them.. so i guess the new shepherd the flock book came out to try and put the genie back in the bottle and reassert some air of mystery and secrecy back into the equation.. so i typed jehovah's witnesses secret elder book into google.

colour me gobsmacked!

Journeyman

Does it need to be a 'secret' book? If the instruction comes from the Bible, they shouldn't worry that the rank and file might read it.

Well said. Whether you believe it's inspired or not, at least all the laws and procedures originally given to Israel are openly in the scriptures, as are the instructions from Jesus to his disciples.

It was bodies of men forming 'clergy' classes that later made up their own internal procedures and rules in Judaism and Christendom, and - surprise, surprise - the org has copied the same pattern with their 'secret' elders book and branch letters.

But it all comes out in the end... "For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light." (Mark 4:22, NLT)

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

Journeyman

Ok gotcha. Couldn't remember from when this was posted pages back. Things move fast on this thread (nearly at 1100 pages now too)!

Anyway, the clock is ticking...

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

Journeyman

I'm guessing the case is still technically "live", but that the court told him on 14 July that they will be closing it within a certain period (possibly 28-30 days) unless he appeals and submits something more substantial.

In the meantime, he's trying to spin out the idea of the subjects of his action being "criminal defendants" for as long as he still can.

But we will know "the truth" verrrry soon and you know what they say... "the truth will set you free"!

Or in LE's case, maybe this quote about "truth" and court cases will be more appropriate:

83

Do You Think Trump Is Done?

by minimus in

jw
friends

certain forces appear to be trying to make sure donald trump never runs for president again.

some republicans are clearly abandoning trump and of course the democratic press has been saying trump is done!

is trump’s goose cooked?

Journeyman

There are plenty of circumstances where someone can be guilty of a crime in fact, even if their intent is not proven. That doesn't make them innocent, it simply means any subsequent punishment for their guilt is reduced, to take account of the lack of (proof of) intent.

Even if Trump believed that dishonesty had taken place which resulted in him losing the election, if any measures he took, or advice he gave to others, to counter that were themselves unlawful, he is guilty of a crime regardless of whether he "intended" to break the law. Bear in mind also, this is an experienced businessman and former president, not some junior executive taking his first steps in the real world. He had plenty of political and legal advice available to him to check and double-check his options, and from a range of legal and political positions, if he chose to consult them. Instead, his default choice was shooting his mouth off on Twitter and the like, as usual.

However, I agree that with the current febrile atmosphere, political anger and accusations flying on both sides, and the way that the US judicial system is a public circus anyway during high profile cases (think OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Louise Woodward and goodness knows how many other cases), then it's hard to see how this mess will be settled once and for all by these lawsuits.

I highly doubt that there is much that will happen to Trump ultimately. Frankly, even if it's a matter of damage to his 'reputation', he's so bullish that that will not matter to him, and with the combination of his wealth, his formidable support base and the protection he has from being an ex-President (and possibly soon to be back in the White House again), nothing serious will happen to him in terms of conviction and/or jail time.

All of this will just turn into lots of media madness and political in-fighting, the biggest outcome of which will probably be to severely damage trust in the US political system, and maybe even cause public unrest in places, but I doubt it will touch the man himself.