I haven't looked at the latest yearbooks, but its quite possible you are right Vidiot. The huge boom of the 70s and 80s has long since ended. What I do know is they cover my neighborhood quite often and I run into them all the time. Having preached here for years I can tell you that they are active and very zealous with tens of pioneers in each congregation. They do suffer from a shortage of elders and male publishers, though.
Bonsai
JoinedPosts by Bonsai
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5
Is visiting a grave a DFing offence in Japan?
by wifibandit inin a post at the exjw sub-reddit a user, ursusaractus, posted a link to a site showing a secret ossuary/mausoleum built a few years after the chiba assembly hall was constructed.. http://buta.exjw2.org/noukotudo/noukotudo.htm.
as to why this is of note, he said in part:.
in japan, cremation is the norm for burials, and most either inter the ashes in a family plot (with many other deceased relatives) in a buddhist ceremony, or bring them home to be placed on the family buddhist altar.
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Is visiting a grave a DFing offence in Japan?
by wifibandit inin a post at the exjw sub-reddit a user, ursusaractus, posted a link to a site showing a secret ossuary/mausoleum built a few years after the chiba assembly hall was constructed.. http://buta.exjw2.org/noukotudo/noukotudo.htm.
as to why this is of note, he said in part:.
in japan, cremation is the norm for burials, and most either inter the ashes in a family plot (with many other deceased relatives) in a buddhist ceremony, or bring them home to be placed on the family buddhist altar.
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Bonsai
To Vidiot: I see JWs everywhere I go here. They are everywhere.
Most JWs dispose of the ashes or take them home and store them in a closet. It is not a punishable offense to visit a grave for the purpose of maintenance or cleaning. It is a disfellowshipping offense to take part in "ohakamaeri'" which involves visiting the grave and giving a Buddhist prayer for the deceased person's soul. Some people who have the money buy a plot of land, but they keep it a secret so as not to stumble anyone. There are some local congs though where the overlords are powerful and demand that the ashes of deceased family members be disposed of. Elderlords here have oodles of power and are not afraid to wield it!
On a side note, i have been to the Chiba Assembly Hall a few times and have never noticed that area. Next time i will climb the fences and see if i can get a good look!
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May’s ‘study WT’ admits having taught “far-fetched” ideas
by wheelwithinwheel innot on the front page, not in the study articles, but carefully camouflaged in the questions from readers on page 18 (watchtower march 15, 2015).
you can bet most jws wont even read it..
there is no apology...just the usual excuses..
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Bonsai
Called my mother today not intending to talk about anything of a religious nature. I try to keep the peace by not getting into TTATT with her. All that went out the window when she started gushing about how wonderful the May Watchtower study articles were. She said she is so appreciative of how the GB are now simplifying scriptural teachings so that everyone can easily understand. She went on to say that one of the brighter sisters in her hall made a comment at the meeting saying " we simply dug too deep and tried to put too much meaning to scriptures to the point where no one could understand the application of the numerous types and ant-types. Now lovingly, the GB are doing away with that."
It's unbelievable how the GB can take a multitude of wrong application of scriptures and spin it so the sheep just lap it right up and glorify the GB even more. Isn't it wonderful how wrong we were? isn't it wonderful how they are simplifying scriptural understandings so that we can understand? Sigh.
I think the very heart of the problem is they dug too deep to try and fit scripture into their doctrines. Its too bad they don't realize that they dug too deep, hit a sewer line and are being blinded by all the isht that is hitting them in the face.
SMH.
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'Anointeds' Do you know any and if so what are they like ?
by Introvert 2 inwould like to hear about any experiences anyone has had with the so called ' anointed ' .
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Bonsai
I knew a nice humble old anointed one who liked gardening and nature. She didn't seem to be very zealous about the field service, though. I wouldn't mind if she ruled in heaven. I got along well with her and I can use all the friends upstairs that I can get! -
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Hello, just introducing myself
by Miss Behaving ini've just signed up two days ago, but i've been lurking for about a year and a half.
here's my story if you're interested:.
my parents converted when they were in their first semester of college.
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Bonsai
You got a lot of guts to do that! Thanks for sharing your story.
The darkest hours of the night are just before dawn. Things are going to get better.
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Waking up from the JW dream... The biggest loss for me, was the idea of justice.
by adjusted knowledge inbeing a jw you're able to ignore bad things to some level.
it's the lazy way of saying, "jehovah will deal with it soon".
but when i loss my faith, the biggest gut wrench was the idea that true justice was just an illusion.
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Bonsai
Last part of post was cut off.
Great advice LAWHFol. Dreams can be rethought and replaced with better ones. No need to lose all hope.
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Waking up from the JW dream... The biggest loss for me, was the idea of justice.
by adjusted knowledge inbeing a jw you're able to ignore bad things to some level.
it's the lazy way of saying, "jehovah will deal with it soon".
but when i loss my faith, the biggest gut wrench was the idea that true justice was just an illusion.
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Bonsai
I hear ya. facing reality is a really difficult thing to do. Recently i just try to focus on the little things around me to get my mind off of what i feel I've lost. The smile of a friend, colorful flowers, a pretty fluttering butterfly, the good taste of something i like to eat, encouraging and commending kids, sunsets, a mountain hike etc..
Try rethinking what you know of God.. Erase the God that you learned of as a witness, Look inside yourself, and look at Creation, and contemplate what kind of person you are, or what kind of person you wish you were.
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"The organisation is imperfect, but it doesn't affect my relationship with Jehovah"
by Alive! ini've noted active, devoted jw's state the above.. and, it's not a problem for me to remain trusting of god, i just don't trust religions or men.. recently, a member of this forum stated that he remains an active jw, in the family of god's people, wanting to encourage and do good - whilst recognising that the pastoral leaders (the gb) have shipwrecked the faith of many, being unsound scripturally etc, etc.. stop and think about this - the bible says to not follow after those who lie and hurt the faith of "little ones".. the pharisees were accused of traversing over lands and expending much energy to make a single convert - only for that convert to end up worse of than he started off with.. it's one thing to not believe this is the 'truth' and feeling the awful pressure of managing ones life, trying not to lose ones family.. it's quite another thing to declare oneself to be a christian believer of god's jw household, and somehow believe the god of love would use corrupt liars to parade as jesus' brothers in the urgency of last days.
really?
and, to then visibly promote faith in corrupt men, and try to bring converts into a place where the rulership is wrong.. some of us are dying from hurt here.......give me a break..
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Bonsai
Whatever the case maybe. For those that still believe in God, It is no longer a time to separate but unit all Christian faiths for the greater good through Christ our savior to accomplish what he started in 33 C.E.
What a load of crock. In what way have JW's ever united Christians? they come to your door, tell you that you are wrong, and that unless you join their org. and accept their imperfect and ever changing doctrines - you will die. SMH.
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"The organisation is imperfect, but it doesn't affect my relationship with Jehovah"
by Alive! ini've noted active, devoted jw's state the above.. and, it's not a problem for me to remain trusting of god, i just don't trust religions or men.. recently, a member of this forum stated that he remains an active jw, in the family of god's people, wanting to encourage and do good - whilst recognising that the pastoral leaders (the gb) have shipwrecked the faith of many, being unsound scripturally etc, etc.. stop and think about this - the bible says to not follow after those who lie and hurt the faith of "little ones".. the pharisees were accused of traversing over lands and expending much energy to make a single convert - only for that convert to end up worse of than he started off with.. it's one thing to not believe this is the 'truth' and feeling the awful pressure of managing ones life, trying not to lose ones family.. it's quite another thing to declare oneself to be a christian believer of god's jw household, and somehow believe the god of love would use corrupt liars to parade as jesus' brothers in the urgency of last days.
really?
and, to then visibly promote faith in corrupt men, and try to bring converts into a place where the rulership is wrong.. some of us are dying from hurt here.......give me a break..
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Bonsai
An imperfect, family destroying, fact hiding, dual standard, money grabbing, fault finding organization is very much problematic when trying to worship god with "spirit and truth". -
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"The organisation is imperfect, but it doesn't affect my relationship with Jehovah"
by Alive! ini've noted active, devoted jw's state the above.. and, it's not a problem for me to remain trusting of god, i just don't trust religions or men.. recently, a member of this forum stated that he remains an active jw, in the family of god's people, wanting to encourage and do good - whilst recognising that the pastoral leaders (the gb) have shipwrecked the faith of many, being unsound scripturally etc, etc.. stop and think about this - the bible says to not follow after those who lie and hurt the faith of "little ones".. the pharisees were accused of traversing over lands and expending much energy to make a single convert - only for that convert to end up worse of than he started off with.. it's one thing to not believe this is the 'truth' and feeling the awful pressure of managing ones life, trying not to lose ones family.. it's quite another thing to declare oneself to be a christian believer of god's jw household, and somehow believe the god of love would use corrupt liars to parade as jesus' brothers in the urgency of last days.
really?
and, to then visibly promote faith in corrupt men, and try to bring converts into a place where the rulership is wrong.. some of us are dying from hurt here.......give me a break..
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Bonsai
My whole life I was told/taught that Jah's org. was clean and as a whole pure in worship. I was taught that using the divine name was the determiner between true and false worship of god. I was taught that god was a just and loving father. I was taught that the GB were directed by god's PERFECT holy spirit unlike the other religious organizations. I believed it all thoroughly and completely.
It was during my preaching to worldly people that they made me aware of:
1. encouragement of buying war bonds during WW1
2. The name "Jehovah" is a man-made concoction that was created by the very same kind of people who out of superstition removed it in the first place. Adonai is a superstitious title. Adding it to YHVH doesn't make it holy.
3. a Jew bashing letter sent to Hitler from Rutherford in 1933 which was filled with anti-semitism while yet commending the Nazi party for its high moral ideals. No doubt this letter further enflamed Nazi hatred toward the "big business" Jews leading up to the holocaust.
4. revisionist history (i.e. what JW's really taught 100 years ago about 1914 as opposed to what they say about it now)
5.False claims: 1874, 1914, 1915, 1920, 1925, 1943, 1975, "before the end of the 20th century" etc.
6. Invoking the creator in their false claims= false prophecy. look at the masthead of Awake! pre-1995 where it says, "this magazine builds the readers confidence in the creator's promise that before the generation of 1914 passes away this system will conclude." The creator promised no such thing.
7. Sleeping with the beast. They were secretly NGO's for over a decade "associating" with the United Nations.
8. Cruel and unusual punishment. The reinstatement process for a person who is repentant is NOT SCRIPTURAL.
9. Shunning for any other reason than being an anti-Christ (1 John 2:11) is NOT SCRIPTURAL and has destroyed countless families and caused countless suicides.
10. Terribly stupid policies that ended up protecting child molestors rather than the victims.