In the past you could blame the body of Elders for a boring meeting. But now that nearly all of the parts are either a Q&A from the workbook, scripted or a video ... the blame now lies with the Governing Body. Their drive to either make a more unified message or to compensate for the lack of Elders and Servants, has actuality made things worse.
no-zombie
JoinedPosts by no-zombie
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23
Why the meetings are boring and uninspiring
by UnshackleTheChains ineach individual may have their own views as to why they feel the meetings are boring and uninspiring.
in my case i find the midweek meeting so, because of the constant emphasis on pitching watchtower literature.
its just monotonous and one big yawn.. i watch other christian faiths where they open up a chapter of the bible and discuss it's contents.
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no-zombie
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58
Don't you think that some people are just better off within the org?
by paradiseseeker inthis is my first post, i will introduce myself later.
first of all, i must say that english is not my mother tongue (i'm spanish), so excuse me if i make any mistake.. do you think that some people simply can't cope with being outside the jws?
some of them are too worldlyphobic to be around non-jws, too dependent on a fixed set of rules in order to carry on with their lives, too dependent on the hope of paradise and resurrection, too unable to leave their personal comfort zone within the organization.
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no-zombie
But OnTheWayOut, I reckon that people return to the Organization (or never leave mentally) do so for the good that they feel. If we are all honest, through out all the years we were menially in, was not there many times we actually enjoyed being a Witness? I enjoyed being an Ministerial Servant and Elder ... well I got the satisfaction of helping others, my friends in the congregation despite being very busy. I felt the satisfaction of a person knowing that had the 'truth' and was a little special. I felt safe amongst people who were my brothers. And I was happy that I had a good future to look forward to. We all had those feelings at some time.
Of course, those feelings were based on a lie and all most none of it was real but we still felt it.
And I guessing that many people would stay with the Society even if they knew it was fake, because they would consider it still better than being outside. Anyway thats what I though.
In any case I wish everyone a good new year ... and I'm sure the Governing Body will provide for us many interesting topics for us to discuss in the weeks and months to come.
no zombie
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58
Don't you think that some people are just better off within the org?
by paradiseseeker inthis is my first post, i will introduce myself later.
first of all, i must say that english is not my mother tongue (i'm spanish), so excuse me if i make any mistake.. do you think that some people simply can't cope with being outside the jws?
some of them are too worldlyphobic to be around non-jws, too dependent on a fixed set of rules in order to carry on with their lives, too dependent on the hope of paradise and resurrection, too unable to leave their personal comfort zone within the organization.
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no-zombie
OnTheWayOut ... you are right in saying that everyone has the right to know the TATT but I was just trying to say from my (and many of us here) experience, that most witnesses will not accept what we've got to say, nor appreciate our good intents. And as a consequence, they have committed themselves to a particular path, on which they will travel until their death or that of the Society.
But don't you guys get blown away by the story behind the Matrix and the position we find our selves in ... and I'm sure there must have been a time or two when we've all wished for a second to be re-plugged in become blissfully ignorant once more.
However we are not ignorant and we cant unlearn what we know. And as a result we have become more like the Greek princess Cassandra, who was given the power to truthfully prophecy the future ... but cursed by the fact no-one would listen. As a result, she was seen as a liar, a madwoman and ultimately imprisoned by her family and countrymen. Tragically she went insane because despite her best efforts to warn of an approaching disaster, people never paid heed and sadly suffered as a result of doing so.
And perhaps the lesson here is that we should be a little pragmatic and realize the risks in trying to save people who by and large, do not want to be. All the while, taking care of our own mental heath so that we can fight (or rather help) another day.
no zombie
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16
Is Happiness Without Religion Possible?
by Brian J inaccording to the 11/2017 study watchtower.......apparently not.
is it really true that one can be happy without religion?
certainly an individual can be happy without false religion, but a person cannot be truly happy unless he has a relationship with jehovah, who is described as “the happy god.” (1 tim.
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no-zombie
Of course people can be happy without religion. This is because, as one psychologist said, happiness is “the experience of joy, contentment, or positive well-being, combined with a sense that one’s life is good, meaningful, and worthwhile.”
This being the case, any person who works to help others in some meaningful way, regardless of that person's religious views (or lack there of) has the opportunity to be genuinely happy. Conversely, self-centered and selfish people are almost always unhappy regardless of that person's religious devotions, because its all about themselves.
Sadly in our Organization, the Governing Body has long focused on people performing visible religious acts for salvation that often becomes as dry and meaningless as those who use rosary beads to say their many prayers to God. Whereas the path to happiness can often be found when a person starts to cultivate, what we would call the fruits of the spirit. Qualities such as love, joy, peace and long-suffering; qualities that can be grown independent of the Kingdom Hall ... as shown the the thousands of police, firemen, doctors and nurses who dedicate their lives to help strangers in trouble and who receive the reward of contentment when they have the opportunity to do some good.
no zombie
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58
Don't you think that some people are just better off within the org?
by paradiseseeker inthis is my first post, i will introduce myself later.
first of all, i must say that english is not my mother tongue (i'm spanish), so excuse me if i make any mistake.. do you think that some people simply can't cope with being outside the jws?
some of them are too worldlyphobic to be around non-jws, too dependent on a fixed set of rules in order to carry on with their lives, too dependent on the hope of paradise and resurrection, too unable to leave their personal comfort zone within the organization.
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no-zombie
In addition to what I've just said, is this ... the burden of being strong; is the need to support the weak.
But how can we do that, if so many of our loved ones do not want to hear the truth about the Truth?
For me, I think of things this way.
One day, it might be this year or in ten years time, the Organization will collapse to the point that even the blindest of witness will understand that a cosmic change has occurred. And when it happens, then I'll be there to pick up the pieces of my family and friends. Helping them in any way I can to reintegrate into the real world around them.
We may be a unsung hero, but Its a cross that we must bear ... and an act of kindness that even Jesus would approve.
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58
Don't you think that some people are just better off within the org?
by paradiseseeker inthis is my first post, i will introduce myself later.
first of all, i must say that english is not my mother tongue (i'm spanish), so excuse me if i make any mistake.. do you think that some people simply can't cope with being outside the jws?
some of them are too worldlyphobic to be around non-jws, too dependent on a fixed set of rules in order to carry on with their lives, too dependent on the hope of paradise and resurrection, too unable to leave their personal comfort zone within the organization.
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no-zombie
What you have said is very interesting, paradiseseeker. And for a fact, for many within the Organization, people think that they have found it a 'safe' environment. However in reality, their 'safety' is quite relative and may be only a illusion, depending upon the makeup of the congregation and the body of Elders who look after it.
But in reference to the person themselves, I believe that its true that many witness could not cope mentally being in the real world if they where thrust out into it, for whatever reason. And that's why many who are disfellowshiped endure the humiliation of reinstatement just to be allowed back inside their comfort zone.
And I think that the reason why this is the case, is because people's mindsets ... their frames of reference and values are so set, that they cannot think beyond the parameters that they currently live.
Is it wrong to try to wake these ones up? That question is a hard one to answer.
Many posters here in this forum have made reference the movie the Matrix and the red / blue pill moral problem. But even the movie notes, that even they (the movie characters) recognize the problem of freeing a mind that have been plugged into the Matrix too long. "They have trouble letting go" was the comment made. And so it is for real life and the question we are discussing here.
Will all witnesses be better off if we force the real truth upon them? Will everyone's quality of life improve? Or will many become overwhelmed by the cruelties of the real?
Perhaps we could take some guidance from those in end-of-life care. Is is better to remove the morphine drip out of their arms so that they can reconnected with the real world and be awake to their friends and family ... or do we just let them go peacefully, free of pain and anguish? It a hard situation that I've been in twice.
As a result, I believe that some are just better off as they are ... because many (including many whom I love) will never understand what we know ... nor appreciate our efforts to help. Most have been just plugged in too long to change and are now totally dependent on their synthetic view of the world.
no zombie
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16
Intro
by jc1985 inhello all, many years i have been lurking on this site.
gradually i’ve learned the real truth, gone from serving as a servant and at bethel to inactive for almost a year, barely ever wasting time going to meetings.
my family is large and very active and so is my wife’s so leaving altogether is difficult.. though it seems now that everything is about to change.
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no-zombie
We all need friends. So do you upmost to join a club that you've always found interesting but never have the time to get involved in the past and make those human connections. Going to university is another option. It will be a bit strange being with 'worldly people' in the beginning but very quickly you'll see that most are non-judgemental and not as immoral as we've lead to believe.
no zombie
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17
Crisis of conscience
by Jrjw inhi everyone.
what does anyone think of the crisis of conscience book?
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no-zombie
After reading both of Franz's book, 'Crisis of Conscience' and 'In Search of Christian Freedom', I feel that he ultimately was a Reformist at heart despite being disfellowshiped. But no-one can deny the unique insight he gave about in the inner circle of the Governing Body and their thinking. Sadly, you could say the Franz probably did more good after his expulsion from the Organization that while at the head of it ... better late than never, I suppose.
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Worldy governments and the WTBTS are closer than most think
by no-zombie inevery day i read the web log of generational dynamics.
it a political/current affairs commentary, which over the years has proved to be quite insightful.
however, today's commentary (for the 23rd) is quite relevant for witnesses and i encourage you to have a look at it, if you have a few minutes.
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no-zombie
Every day I read the web log of Generational dynamics. It a political/current affairs commentary, which over the years has proved to be quite insightful. However, today's commentary (for the 23rd) is quite relevant for Witnesses and I encourage you to have a look at it, if you have a few minutes. Because for us, its not that hard to see the application between the attitudes and behaviors of certain despotic regimes and our own beloved Governing Body.
http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ww2010.weblog.htm
no zombie
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48
Latest JW.org Statistics Are Confusing & Lack Context
by steve2 inearlier this week a new post on this forum announced that the 2017 worldwide annual service report was available on jw.org.
wow - that's earlier than the statistics for the 2016 service year which appeared in the 2017 yearbook last january!
good effort, jw organization!
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no-zombie
Like everyone else, I was disappointed the they didn't have the guts to come clean by releasing a full annual report, but ultimately we all should have expected that this would occur at some point in time.
However far from being bad news, it is actually good. For it is just another proof to all of us, that the Organization's decline is real and that this feeble attempt to muddy the statistics by the Governing Body shows that the best they can come up with is to cover-up what is really going on with the Organization.
What will occur in the future in regard to the annual report?
Well remembering that the annual report has not been used the the service meeting for quite some time, there is no actual compelling reason for them to have one. So I recon that next year we'll get even less and it will not bother most witnesses as long as they get their regular fix of Kaleb and Sofia cartoons.
In the mean time, some interpretation of what we do have conclusively shows the flat-lining of publisher numbers. Whether we examine 'peak publishers' or 'average publishers', the trend is the same, as both follow each other. In actuality the 'peak publishers' figures will always be slightly higher and be slightly more volatile (due to people's emotional situation at the time), but it still can be used as a reasonable indicator while we have the data.
What ever the GB does though, congregations will continue to contract, halls will continue to be sold ... and the rot will continue it spread.
no zombie