Posts by Roddy

21

What is the WTS financial position?

by Roddy in

i know this may seen an obvious question but i'm wondering if their downward financial situation is accelerating in the last five years.. we know of the large real estate sell-offs in brooklyn and their large bethel layoffs -- things they never report on in their publications.

pushing more and more of the traveling overseer expenses to the local circuit and congregations.

how they have taken a lot of shortcuts with regards their printing operations.

Roddy

I know this may seen an obvious question but I'm wondering if their downward financial situation is accelerating in the last five years.

We know of the large real estate sell-offs in Brooklyn and their large Bethel layoffs -- things they never report on in their publications. Pushing more and more of the traveling overseer expenses to the local circuit and congregations. How they have taken a lot of shortcuts with regards their printing operations. And of their summer conventions - hosting more of them in their assembly halls by dividing their districts instead of renting stadiums and large public facilites as they done in the past. But are they getting more desperate in the last five years or so?

Moving the "congregation" book study from individual homes to the congregation was a necessary consession. Because the rank and file had to put more and more of their "donations" money into traveling expenses instead of in the congregation's donation boxes. (No, I'm cynical of the WTS published reasons for this adjustment - it wasn't to ease the burden on the brothers but to hope they get more money dropped into the congregation's donation boxes.)

I think the next moves we'll see from the WTS really translates to evidence of their declining financial health.

I'm also sure they are thinking of a new plan to extract new money from the rank and file somehow. I'll bet I know what it is -- secret "donations" of the congregation funds to the WTS by the congregation's elder body. Much of what they do when they have the Circuit Assembly elder's meeting -- the rubberstamp approval of the circuit "donating" circuit money to the WTS - which the circuit never knows about publically.

This will be interesting.

6

Raymond Franz: Charge in financial affairs!

by IMercenary1975 in

not so long ago on a russian-speaking resource http://antifranz.narod.ru/ was published a volume article in style "contra apion" named "franzizm".

i was extremely interested by that fact that the author of article has mentioned about some mystical letters from gb in branches in connection with an expelling of ray frenz.

ostensibly in these letters said that raymond franz has been expelled for financial affairs.

Roddy

Is the WTS trustworthy? Consider that first before reading what they have said.

11

So what is the REAL deal with the International Convention

by av8orntexas in

you know i was baptized in 96 and all this time my understanding of the international convention is that there is one a year ?

you have to be accepted to go correct ?

i was always put off by that.

Roddy

His wife and I work at the same company, a major US airline, they could fly there FREE !!!!!!! Why are you forced to pay the crazy amount that the WTS says pay ? I never got this. Has anyone here ever gone and worked 2-3 jobs to go, and most of all was it worth it or what you thought it would be ?

It comes off as a status symbol among some dubs I've heard speak about it

Good for them!

I think the main reason is for PR. They make it a big show -- especially in areas where the convention are held where it was banned in that country previously. Then watch for pictures and commentary in the pages of the Watchower magazines and other publications later on.

Rather than the WTS pay JWs to go, just make traveling there a spiritual privilage. Nice trick, actually.

Kind of like the old conventions at Cedar Point Ohio.

Make no mistake about it - Cedar Point was a resort/amusement park which was strategically located in the center of the United States near the major railroad hub of the country. So it was accessable from any point in the United States and Canada. All a foreign traveler had to do was make it to a United States shore and hop on a train.

I'm sure there was a lot of hype making conventions at this resort/amusement park town some sort of spiritual privilage too -- if you make the time, effort, and assume the expense to do it. Of course, those that work at the WTS gets to go this resort/amusement park for free paid for by "voluntary donations".

I'm not sure which was the stronger draw that convention: The fact that it was Cedar Point or attending the convention for more of the same information and a new publication release?

Are the modern foreign conventions any different?

10

How many JW's are over emotional?

by wobble in

Roddy

Over emotional to what? Challenges to their religion?

Remember that many of them gave their lives to the religion. Their hopes, their dreams, their retirement, their prospects for marriage and children, their having a better life for themselves and their families, being part of their natural family's life, their old friends, and great many more.

The idea that they made a grave lifelong mistake - and that have and are encouraging others into that same grave mistake - will result in an over emotional protectional response.

18

Interesting comment by a JW regarding the new schedule

by wha happened? in

a buddy of mine who is still serving and doesn't treat me like a leper was chatting with me about the new bookstudy arrangement and the meetings in general.

he stated that the way the parts are set up now, that simply winging the answers from the km or other study material, is next to impossible.

he went on to state that he understood that the society is pushing for more pre-study.. at the risk of sounding bad, are there any thoughts on a push to get rid of the fence sitters?.

Roddy

At the risk of sounding bad, are there any thoughts on a push to get rid of the fence sitters?

I think it will be difficult or at least tricky. Most have hardly the time to go over the material - unless they have an active part on it - and it was simply easy when the conductor was fishing for comments to just quote back something out of the material, and everyone was pleased. Of course, those with the gift of gab say a bit more and those people are really appreciated at the meetings.

I think the rank and file will revert to habits that were in force for all their lives in the WTS. The rank and file are the product of the WTS insistance that they repeat what is in the literature. I think this new ploy is probably a PR answer to some criticism. But the WTS has always been arrogant to criticism anyway and why they decided on this issue will be both short lived and superceded.

6

When did The Watchtower stop calling Rutherford "Judge"?

by VM44 in

the watcthower used to call rutherford "judge rutherford" in its articles.. for years though when directly referencing him, the watchotwer calls him "brother rutherford" and leaves out the title "judge".. if quoting someone's personal story and that person uses "judge rutherford", then the watchtower will leave that in the article, but they will not use the title on their own.. so, when did the watchtower stop calling rutherford "judge"?.

...and why did they stop doing so?.

Roddy

That is an interesting question, VM. I also found the follow-up question in the case of "Pastor" Russell interesting too. I hope those with real information would see the question and offer answers as I'm really curious.

In my years in the religion I remember that he was called "Judge" Rutherford because he did occasional work as a substitute judge while he worked as a lawyer - a public prosecutor specifically. And even when he became a "Bible Student" (as they were then known) he became the Watch Tower's legal counsel. As far as I know he never served on the bench in any court since becoming a Bible Student.

While the Watchtower publications give a rosy picture on why he was called "Pastor", from what I can find his name came about because congregations at the time relied on membership voting their church to be associated the Watch Tower organization on a yearly basis. They would vote Charles Russell as their "Pastor". Soon other congregations would adopt this title as a tradition and eventually he earned this nickname which eventually stuck through the rest of his life. He didn't mind it at all. But the fact is he never recieved any theological education nor certification from any institution.

I hope this helps but I yield to those who know more than I do.

16

Sychelles Island crash proved you can't land a plane on water!

by Witness 007 in

i was an advocate of the idea that a sea landing is beyond impossible for any pilot.

some years ago terrorists hijack a plane in africa and demand to be flown to australia.

the pilot runs out of fuel at the sychelles islands and ditches in the sea with most passengers dead or drowned.

Roddy

I think the passengers in that plane that landed in the Hudson River were blessed with an EXCELLENT pilot. Even when an incident is not the pilot's fault, a very good pilot will save lives both on the ground and in his aircraft.

I'm still surprised that a couple of big geese not worth $40 dollars in a supermarket would take down a 77 million dollar airplane. I thought jet engines were tougher than that. I guess I'm wrong.

2

paramedic molesters

by lancelink in

here is an interesting article: .

url: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28179848/ .

paramedics accused of molesting patients .

Roddy

And you have police that will pull you over but won't give you a ticket if you perform a sexual favor. And the list goes on.

There are abusers of power and the public trust everywhere. The best we can do is expose them so they can't hide behind the privilege they abuse any longer.

108

BIG NEWS! Leader of German Watchtower History Archives Resignes and Leaves Branch Office!

by GermanXJW in

johannes wrobel, the founder of the watchtower history archives in germany, responsible for the stand firm-video and the stand-firm-exhibitions resigned in november 2008 and left the german branch office.

he was also the responsible person for many of the wt sponsored websites on jw in the 'third reich'!.

there are no further details known yet but this could be big news!.

Roddy

Well, I saw the website. I don't see anything contra WTS. So it doesn't sound like it was a hostile resignation.

I think he was advanced in his years and it was his time to retire.

17

What Islam Did for Science - New TV AAAAH!

by hamsterbait in

this is a rehash of the series "genius of islam" form the 80's.. what makes me mad is that making and keeping ice in the desert for iced cream, air conditioned bazaars.

new mathematical methods, astronomical observations and new theories on optics is nothing to do with a religion.. all that happened was that clever people used their intelligence to solve problems,.

and they happened to have been raised as muslims.. can you imagine the outcry if we put on a tv show called "genius of christianity" or "what christianity did for science"?.

Roddy

I think I know.

Islam developed the CLNV or the Camel Launched Nuclear Vehicle. They take a Russian nuclear weapon bribed by one of their oil funded psychotic Islamic terrorist groups whom they can pay 50 cents and 72 virgins in heaven to some idiot islamic zealot - of which they have a limitless supply - to mount on his camel and aim the beast with a cell-phone trigger in the direction of Israel.

The only reason it can't be a TCLNV or a Tactical Camel Launched Nuclear Vehicle is that Islamic Terrorists are never picky with their targets.