Posts by cookiemaster

5

Population growth and demographics

by dropoffyourkeylee in

some recent news articles stated that japan's low birth rates are related to their population decline, and gave a link to the following article which i find interesting.. https://www.thoughtco.com/age-sex-pyramids-and-population-pyramids-1435272.

the age-sex pyramid graph is enlightening.

it makes me wonder what the age-sex pyramid for jws looks like and how it compares to the population as a whole.

cookiemaster

I know this isn't much in the way to statistical evidence but for some anecdotal reference, I'm in Romania in a congregation that used to have 60+ members in the late 90s early 2000s and now it has 35 and I'm the only male under 30. For females, there are two children and two teenagers. The only new baptisms have been from a 60+ lady and a middle aged woman who has cancer. They are keeping this congregation alive with imports from other congregations, but even those are just temporary middle aged pioneers. They haven't recruited someone young in forever.

You know what the funniest thing is? I'm supposed to be the great hope of the congregation for future male leadership and I'm completely inactive. This drives them insane.The elders (now 60+) and CO are all frantically asking me to get more involved and I don't even bother giving answers on watchtower study. I literally just sit there and do nothing and it drives them crazy because they know there will be no male to take their place and lead the congregation. None of the JW kids I grew up with are still in. I just don't see them having much of a future IMO.

12

Plagiarized song?

by cookiemaster in

hey guys, so, i went to the hall today with my parents (they needed a ride) and there was this song that i wasn't familiar with.

must be a new song or i might be simply ignorant of jw songs (i hate them).

to my surprise i actually liked this song.

cookiemaster

I resonate with much of what you guys have said here. It does sound like a song you'd hear in some blockbuster movie. I honestly thought it was a rip-off from the soundtrack of the The Hobbit or of the artist on YouTube Brunuville, if you're familiar with the work. Anyway, I found it to be very atypical for a JW song and as Slimboyfat mentioned, it is highly peculiar how this song does not contain any reference to Jehovah, Jesus, obedience, and other JW buzzwords. It's very unusual and devoid of context you really could think it's not a religious song at all. That's why it grabbed my attention.

12

Plagiarized song?

by cookiemaster in

hey guys, so, i went to the hall today with my parents (they needed a ride) and there was this song that i wasn't familiar with.

must be a new song or i might be simply ignorant of jw songs (i hate them).

to my surprise i actually liked this song.

cookiemaster

Hey guys,

So, I went to the hall today with my parents (they needed a ride) and there was this song that I wasn't familiar with. Must be a new song or I might be simply ignorant of JW songs (I hate them). To my surprise I actually liked this song. About the only JW song I've ever liked ever. The song in question is called Light in a Darkened World. I think it was number 77. The thing is that I'm pretty certain I've heard it somewhere else, maybe in a fantasy movie or game. For some reason, big chunks of it seem plagiarized to me. It's not the usual JW song and seems very cinematic. What do you guys think?

Here's a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIDv7MroYeM

12

Are they clones?

by cookiemaster in

anyone else notice this about jw public speakers.

they all seem like clones.

they have the same mannerisms, try to use the same style of speaking, similar jokes, etc.

cookiemaster

Anyone else notice this about JW public speakers. They all seem like clones. They have the same mannerisms, try to use the same style of speaking, similar jokes, etc. It's like none of the speakers I see lately have a distinguishable personality of their own. They all seem to be emulating the same person. It's very weird and gives an automaton/clone vibe. I guess this means they're better integrated into the corporate cult, becoming corporate machines. I can't describe it otherwise. It feels so unnatural. In every area of life where you have public speaking, you see people of all speaking styles and manners, with various approaches. Normal people can all deliver the same message but each in their own individual way. Some are funny and charismatic, some are serious and fact oriented, some are quirky but compelling. Not in JWdom. At least not in my experience. Might be a local thing but all the speakers here try to act and talk the same way. It's very weird and kinda unnatural and disturbing.

15

They are increasingly appealing to emotion

by cookiemaster in

they always have but lately, they've taken it to a whole new level.

the new convention video about the end, the many videos at conventions and meetings, the new songs, all highly emotionally manipulative.

and they're working.

cookiemaster

They always have but lately, they've taken it to a whole new level. The new convention video about the end, the many videos at conventions and meetings, the new songs, all highly emotionally manipulative. And they're working. At conventions, I see people in tears. It's pretty worrying to me. They make the average JW so emotionally enslaved that they'd pretty much do anything. I almost feel like they'd drink the cool aid if an emotionally manipulative video at a convention asked them to.

26

What Should I Say?

by cookiemaster in

i need a bit of advice.

i've been pimo for a long time and fading more and more.

i occasionally attend for family but never give any answers or actively participate in any way.

cookiemaster

Okay guys, so I thought I'd offer a quick update. I told them we can't meet at home as I would be busy into town but they insisted so we met at the hall. Apparently, the old elder that had me pegged as an apostate is leaving to become a CO and a new elder has come. He's only come to the meetings a few times and seems really nice (compared to the old one). Anyway, they already had made up their mind about me before the meeting. They are sure I'm suffering from depression because I'm always serious at the hall and don't talk much with anyone.

I really didn't have to say much at all. They told all the excuses for me and only asked me if their suspicions were right. I said yeah, and that I was very busy with work too. They just said that I can only get encouragement at the hall and they think I should set myself the objective to talk more to the brothers and get involved with spiritual activities. I told them I would think about it. That's about it. Apparently, they think depression can be cured by being more of a slave to the borg. Yeah, no thanks!

They're just desperate because we're a small dying congo. When I was a kid there were 65 members. Now 35 and most a elderly and dying quickly. I'm the only male under 40, and I don't give a crap about it, so I bet that this congregation will be extinct in a decade, unless they give some artificial member infusions from other congos. It's the only congo on a 50 mile radius too, so JWs are really becoming extinct here. It's great. They're really desperate for members and the only new members they can get are very old lonely ladies.

26

What Should I Say?

by cookiemaster in

i need a bit of advice.

i've been pimo for a long time and fading more and more.

i occasionally attend for family but never give any answers or actively participate in any way.

cookiemaster

Thank you for all the replies. They truly are helpful. Unfortunately Morpheus, they do have me pegged as an apostate. You see, years ago when I started fading and still was stupid enough to have JW friends on social media, I made a comment to a worldly friend's post about how I can't wait to get my family out of this cult. Of course, a JW friend saw it and turned me in to the elders. Fortunately, the account wasn't exactly with my real name, so I denied I was the one that made the comment, but ever since they've been conducting periodic witch trials against me.

Every few months the gestapo comes for another round of interrogations, and it was all fine because I kept denying everything and kept up appearances to be a regular JW. Lately however, I have not felt like keeping up appearances in meetings anymore, so now if they'll ask me why I don't comment or go to field service, I'm not sure what the best response it not to get all the alarms ringing, as I've started making a tiny bit of progress waking up my parents and other JW family members and don't want to be branded as an apostate and be instantly dismissed by everyone.

I can postpone the meeting them but they'll search for me at home and keep insisting. It's what they do. The elders in this congregation are a bit more gestapo than your average elders.

26

What Should I Say?

by cookiemaster in

i need a bit of advice.

i've been pimo for a long time and fading more and more.

i occasionally attend for family but never give any answers or actively participate in any way.

cookiemaster

Thank you both!

I said social anxiety kinda sounds stupid because it's clear to them that I am able to socialize just fine. I do have some social anxiety and always had but I am able to overcome it in most situations. Just thought it wouldn't seem believable in my case to have it as an excuse for total disinterest and apathy.

26

What Should I Say?

by cookiemaster in

i need a bit of advice.

i've been pimo for a long time and fading more and more.

i occasionally attend for family but never give any answers or actively participate in any way.

cookiemaster

I need a bit of advice. I've been PIMO for a long time and fading more and more. I occasionally attend for family but never give any answers or actively participate in any way. I report some fake hours to not draw attention. Just sit there and play on my phone and the minute the meeting is over I leave for my car. Thing is, we now have the CO visit and he told me he wishes to speak to me. An "encouragement" visit, which will likely be an interrogatory on why I don't participate with answers in the meetings and my general apathy.

I honestly don't know what to say. I can't say I just don't give a f*ck anymore because that would get me in trouble and my still devout family members will not take that kindly. So I need to appear to still be mentally but somehow justify my fading and lack of involvement. I thought I should say I suffer from social anxiety but that sounds kinda stupid. Another excuse could be work, no time to prepare for meetings, etc. IDK. Do you guys have any ideas?

39

"Deficit" at JW Assembly

by cookiemaster in

i've recently been at an assembly here in romania and there was an announced they were running a 10,000 euro deficit and urging all attendees to donate more money besides the already 5k has was donated during that day.

i really don't understand these things.

it's their own assembly hall.

cookiemaster

I think one issue with the lack of transparency is that they guilt trip you and make it sound through their announcements that the expenses of the assembly cannot be covered and thus they will be in dire financial trouble, which kinda panics everyone and makes them donate more before the assembly ends. At least that's the feeling I got at the assembly and I think this type of emotional manipulation of people is a pretty crappy thing to do.