Posts by L3G

56

Anyone recall asemblies actually being fun?

by tim hooper in

jw
friends

when i was a wee lad, there was a carnival atmosphere at assemblies as this old footage will show:.

.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/witnesses-baptised/query/jehovahs+witnesses.

L3G

Magnum,

I understand and agree. Some people here are so 100% negative toward anything JW/WTS that they will never say anything positive about the assemblies, or anything else JW. You know, of course, that not all here are that way. I loved the old assemblies and when they began to change in the mid-80s (the Jaraczic era), I was bummed about it. I remember those wonderful times working to set the big assemblies up, the stage, the supplies (I got to drive a forklift for the first and only time in my life), the food prep, the meals, the wide ranging association, rules only when they were necessary, compared to today, the freedom---it was wonderful. I got to reach outside of my local congo and make friends that lasted my entire Witness life long. It really helped me to widen my horizons. It was great fun---such a change from the local hum-drum. And as strange as the old GB were, they were SOOOO much better than the current crop! And yes, the Witnesses at that time did think more. It was fun to have theological or other conversations with them. Now they are all zombified or too scared to express their personal views.

I enjoyed your comments and can relate to them.

40

Main reason JWs are JWs

by Batman89 in

what is the(or what was your) main motivation for serving god as a jw(or any christian)?.

a) love for god and genuinely trying to learn more about him and bible truths?.

b) to escape punishment/death at armegddon?.

L3G

Is there just one "main reason," or is reality more complex than that? Right on, BluesBrothers!

57

It's Foolish to Believe the Watchtower Will Always Be Around.

by kneehighmiah in

jw
friends

september 11, 2001. riding the bus to school that tuesday morning we discussed the implications of the monday night football game between the broncos and the dolphins.

by lunchtime our entire world have changed dramatically.

america had passed into a new era that would lead to major changes.

L3G

Although I don't agree with kneehghmiah's thread name, this has proved to be an excellent thread. As Ignoranceisbliss has put it,

"This is a really interesting discussion. A lot of great points were made."

As to the supposed WTS's demise, LostGeneration has it right:

"Nobody here wants to read this, I'd say they have adapted nicely in the last few years. Massive reductions in expenses, huge cash inflows from property and now the new building fund. Just notice on another thread a congo send off more than $25k and pledged another $1100 a month until Armageddon, and we all know how long that will be. Not all US/UK congos will go that high, but this plan is a golden goose.

They needed to institute some sort of tithe, but just not call it a tithe. Send out yearly reminders and the resolutions will creep up in $ amounts."

BTW, LostGeneration, I want to read such comments! Not that I agree with their money-mongering, of course.

And steve2's words are also apt:

"Well-publicized unfavorable developments in religious groups do not lead to exodus. If fact, there's a kind of "group huddle" in which a publicly criticized group closes ranks and has its own "take" on the publicity that often leads to the rank and file becoming more committed to their affiliation. It's the 'being-tested-by-fire' phenomenon. So, if people here are hanging out for a major breaking story within the organization, better take stock and realize that, even in the event of a major disturbing development, it will most likely not have any hoped-for longer-term detrimental impact and - if anything - feed the hungry persecution complex that awakens easily within the organization."

So the Org will last a long time, many posters' wishful thoughts on this forum notwithstanding. James Brown's words strike a real chord:

"The Watchtower today, is not the Watchtower [I knew].

They did not have a governing body; they had a president.

They believed millions who saw 1914 and were of a discernable age in 1914 would not pass away.

The Sunday talks used to be an hour.

Pioneering was 100 hours a month.

The United nations was bad, not something that they would belong to.

They had a piano player play the piano before, during and after the meetings.

They had a band/orchestra at the assemblies.

They cooked good cafeteria food at the assemblies.

The congregations had picnics often and played sports together every week."

I suppose the GB feels that Satan has been attacking the Org most recently thru the courts. They've reacted by all this closing ranks, worshipping unity, and money hoarding. What they apparently do not realize is that even if they are right, then the devil has succeeded in taking much of the joy out of being in the Org by THEIR reactions. Hence James Brown's final 4 observations.

Thx to many for their thoughts.

38

Relationship with Jehovah?

by Batman89 in

jw
friends

when you were a devout jw.

did you feel that you had an actual "relationship" with jehovah/god just from praying to him and reading the wt or bible?.

or that this was actually even possible deep down?.

L3G

Yes, and still do. Thx Batman for starting this thread. I haven't gone over to the Jesus freaks either, like so many here love to tell that they have. I've long wondered, especially after reading the comments by people here and on other JW/ex-JW forums, "Wow, did these people ever have a relationship with Jehovah?"

I'm reminded of the thread begun by Data-Dog not long ago, to which, among others, committeechairman responded, and his reply shows that he has or maybe had a relationship with Jehovah:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/279294/2/OK-Seriously-Has-GOD-ever-answered-your-prayers#.U3pxFv3HMlI

Again, Batman89, for the thread.

3

Circuit Overseer Lloyd Payne

by LogCon in

did anyone know him?

he toured the western canadian provinces when i knew him in the 70's but heard he left wife and organization.

any truth to it?.

L3G

He was still CO in 1979:

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. (CP) Door-to-door evangelism has almost become the trademark for Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints (Mormon). Both churches say they are visiting households as the Bible says Jesus and His disciples did and as scriptures instruct them to do. . Chances are most people answering the door won't be interested in having a discussion but it is unlikely that the contact will be ended with a slammed door. "It's overstated," says Lloyd Payne, a visiting Ontario Jehovah's Witness circuit supervisor who has been going to the doors of the public for 18 years. . " People may boast to their friends they did it but in fact they didn't do it. Most people are at least polite." Larry Marleau, a Witness elder in Lethbridge, agrees. "I can't remember the last time the door was slammed in our face," Marleau says. People are generally polite, say local Mormon missionary officials. "Most people, even if they are not interested in our church, like to talk about religion," says Dr. Jon Cooper, Lethbridge East Stake mission president. Began in 1920s !a'. For, the Witnesses, door-to-door evangelism began In the 1920s, some 50 years after a group of Bible students In Pennsylvania formed the church. Marleau says the church used motion pictures, radio and literature to get out its gospel In the early days. "But we felt, the best way to communicate the message of the Bible is to stop and visit with a person face to face at the door," says Payne. The Witnesses say 90 per cent of their members ring doorbells. That translates Into almost 300 members locally from the three Lethbridge congregations. - - "It's a requirement continually to promote the good news of. the kingdom," says Payne. "We're all encouraged to share.": The church uses an organized procedure for producing door-to-door missionaries, which involves personal Bible study and learning basic teaching techniques. "Usually our people do the evangelizing work on a part-time basis," says Marleau. "But there are 120,000 globally that do it full-time and they finance themselves by working in part-time endeavors." Witnesses will visit a house on average at least three or four times a year, even if the occupant indicates he is not interested. "Some time we find they're more receptive when they're in a different mood," explains Marleau. For the Mormons, however, a householder who says he is uninterested in the church likely won't be visited again unless by accident.says Cooper. ' Going door to door, or "tracting" as the Mormons call it, is a less open-ended procedure for them than for the Witnesses. There are far fewer missionaries visiting homes, only 186 in Alberta and just eight In the Lethbridge area, says Cooper. But those 186 are full-time workers; the familiar white-shlrted twosomes seen carrying briefcases and sporting short haircuts. They serve two years. More than 80 per cent of active male Mormons become missionaries for the prescribed two-year period. Girls spend 18 months on a mission. During this period, the missionaries, some as young as 19, are totally engrossed in spiritual matters from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. "When they're missionaries they're in the world but not of the world," says Cooper. "That means no TV, radio or newspapers, for example." Baptism into the church is the short-and long-range goal of the Mormon visits, an objective reached In only one of 1,000 calls. For the Witnesses conversion is also the ultimate goal but not necessarily the Immediate goal. "The basic objective is to help people understand the Bible better," says Payne. "The person does the conversion himself," says Marleau. Going door to door simply presents the facts and logic so the sound mind can make the decision.

Found online, dated 10 Nov. 1973, p. 73 of the Ottawa Journal "Religion" section.

40

Is it true that the GB is soon planning on ditching the 1914 doctrine?

by yogosans14 in

or atleast tweaking it again... apparently there has been rumors of this coming out of bethel.

.

L3G

Faithful JWs will believe whatever they are told to believe...

20

I Plan To Attend A Meeting and I Have a Question

by Space Madness in

jw
friends

besides the bible, songbook, kingdom ministry, and draw close to jehovah book, are there any other books i need in order to attend the tuesday/wensday/thursday night meeting.

do they still use a book for the theocratic ministry school and is it the same one from 7+ years ago?.

L3G

OK, Splash, tell us ignorant ones more about the Benfit book.

16

Counting tracts as placements on reports now?!

by stuckinarut2 in

ahhhhhh......man....... .

so now we have to count all tracts / leaflets / meeting invitations etc as placements on the monthly report slip???.

is this just another method of control or accountability!

L3G

Yep, things are moving along: yesterday, doorstep Bible studies, today, tract placements, tomorrow, JW.org hits. Got to keep those statistics up!

8

All things have been fulfilled

by themaccauk11 in

its plain as day what jesus said was to those people standing in fornt of him and it was for one generation only .the prophecies were not about the end of the world but the end of the old jewish system of things.

why do people today since the 1700s put themselves in the shoes of the ones jesus was talking to.

i quote "trtuly i tell you, some of you standing here will not die until you see the son of man coming in his kingdom".

L3G

Maybe because in NT books written after the fulfillment of those words around the "generation" Jesus is reported to have promised to come again?

Maybe because the type-antitype, shadow-reality concepts became reigning principles within the church??

51

BREAKING NEWS ! Finland attacks judicial committees

by raymond frantz in

the finish minister of justice has publicly attacked the practice of judicial committees in her country which are in violation with the basic rights and freedoms enjoyed from citizens in her country .read the full article here :.

finland attacks judicial committees.

please like and share article so more get to see it!.

L3G

Since Finland is a member of the EU and therefore follows its guidelines regarding religous freedom, one can only wonder how far this inquiry will go. I imagine that the WTS Legel Dept. will be watching this one!