I'd support a version of JW LITE if it looked something like this ...
1. If it supported and encouraged the development of a person's Christian conscience.
2. If it supported and encouraged personal Biblical research and free speech.
3. If it had a minimal organizational structure, that wasn't a worshiped identity.
4. If it moved the Governing Body and other Church leaders into the background.
5. If the Governing Body clearly admitted being an accomplice in covering up past child abuse claims, with a solid commitment to directly report new child abuse reports to the police (regardless of being mandated or not).
6. If the Governing Body clearly took responsibility teaching or procedural errors.
7. If it 'taught' core Biblical truths, while it 'offered' explanations and interpretations for less solid Bible concepts.
8. If it supported core biblical moral values (like no sex before marriage, non-heterosexual sexual activity, drunkenness or drug use).
9. If it supported the basic nuclear family, by discouraging (not banning) divorce as a solution to marital problems.
10. If it protected congregational members from those who practice serious sin, through a 'marking' arrangement rather than a 'disfellowshiping' arrangement.
11. If it supported and encouraged a strong social congregations, through fellowship and real external outreach programs.
12. If the Organization provided clear, open and fully transparent financial accountability, world wide.
13. If it allowed people to exit the Faith without punishment or shaming.
and finally ...
14. If JW LITE didn't end up being some kind of emotion driven megachurch or arm waving evangelical movement.
no-zombie
JoinedPosts by no-zombie
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If you were to design a new religion?
by ExBethelitenowPIMA inwhat the jw sect has become and is slowly becoming is far more near what i thought could be a good religion based on the bible.. no more counting hours and no more blindly following direction now they admit they are not inspired.. i would like to design a new sect inside the jws.
it has to be kept secret because the elders would not like it.. this new sect involves giving a tick every month or so saying you are still kindof active talking about the bible.. going to meetings occasionally and attending on zoom sometimes.
very rarely go to ministry groups but don’t ever do first call, just say you are doing street work and have a nice walk somewhere maybe the shops or the park.
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no-zombie
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Real reasons behind this change?
by Gorb injust a good conversation at home about the hour report change.. we think the change was not impmemented because the gb are such a lovely bunch of old grandpa's having the best in mind for us individuals.. there will be only, and we say only, an organizational reason for it.
a legal reason, to protect jw.org and it's officials and wealth.. next step?
maybe selling more kh and when jw hollywood studio's in rampoo are ready a change to tv subscription.. what do you think?
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no-zombie
Vidiot ... you are right of course, but I'd add that its because of ignorance that devout Witnesses allow themselves to believe in the Governing Body.
I have learned that the more that a person really studies history (not just superficially skimming through it), the more a person understands that war, famine and pestilence are mankind's constant companions ... and in some ways, their appearances not chaotic at all.
There is a term used by historians and political commentators sometimes ... the long peace ... that helps to describe the peace the modern world has enjoyed under Pax Americana. It was real. But now that America is a declining empire, 'the dogs of war' are once again slipping their chains. Call it a power vacuum, a fourth turning (see Strauss–Howe), call it whatever, but the world goes a bit unstable at the end of a world power's domination. It happened at the end of all the classic world powers that we know of ... and it will happen again.
So in many ways it should be expected that the weak, the depressed and impressionable will begin to feel like they are drowning in fear and be full of anxiety over the future. And like any drowning man, they will naturally grab hold of anything floating around them, even if it is a piece of rotten old wood ... or a insincere religion.
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List of main points from 2023 AGM
by ExBethelitenowPIMA in1. doctrinal changes how new light comes about.
the gb raise questions then talk about it, unless it’s unanimous they wait, then years later talk again if it’s unanimous it then gets announced as new light.. 2. the gb are imperfect and sometimes make mistakes.
they are not to apologise or even admit they were wrong.
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no-zombie
ExBethelitrnowPIMA ... can you explain your point below, a bit more?
"... now they are saying pretty much everyone will make it through and then during the 1000 year reign everyone can decide if they want to live in paradise ..."
thanks
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This answers the question if the organization was going to go more Hardline or mainstream.
by nowwhat? inlooks like we can expect a kinder, gentler jehovah and jesus during the great tribulation.
the door will not be closed to all non jws at the start of the tribulation.
but will have time to repent after false religion is destroyed.
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no-zombie
Maybe ... just may be ... this is the real reason why Tony M got the chop ... mmm.
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This answers the question if the organization was going to go more Hardline or mainstream.
by nowwhat? inlooks like we can expect a kinder, gentler jehovah and jesus during the great tribulation.
the door will not be closed to all non jws at the start of the tribulation.
but will have time to repent after false religion is destroyed.
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no-zombie
I'm with nowwhat? on this one.
Not because it really make much sense for the GB themselves and their power, or for those who have done the 110% in the Organization ... but only because going mainstream is the only chance the GB has in stopping the rot.
Of course this 'new light' trend needs to be continued; to elevate the power of an individual's conscience, to come clean and admit it had/has a child abuse problem, and modify the disfellowshiping rules into some kind of kinder arrangement.
While having a truly social religion would help in stemming the tide of young ones leaving, you have to ask if it is all a bit to late?
Only time will tell.
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No more REPORTING field service!!!!!!!!!
by BoogerMan inthis is going to break the hearts of a lot of uber-jw's!
reddit has now removed the video link of samuel herd telling jw's they will no longer have to report time or placements - just tick a box which says "active.".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akdshyx79rm&t=13s.
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no-zombie
While some people may think that this change is part some kind of master plan, I'd like to remind everyone that the GB have always made decisions reactivity and never proactively. Either have they demonstrated a collective wisdom that has amazed us. A great example of this was their multiple explanations of the 'overlapping generations' prophesies, which was stunning for all the wrong reasons. Rather I see this new reporting policy, as an attempt of GB Gen 3.0 (or what ever is the newest generation) to make their mark in steering the Society, to reverse the death dive trends, so clearly seen by all.
However, just as the move into the digital space, did not connect with younger people to build publisher numbers, you can be sure that while a few more people might start tick the field service box ... many, many will take the opportunity to stop witnessing all together.
Finally, it must be remembered, that no matter what the GB does, the quality of the Brotherhood will not change by this move ... and as the quantity of effective witnessing hours continues to decrease, so must the real number of new publishers.
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No more REPORTING field service!!!!!!!!!
by BoogerMan inthis is going to break the hearts of a lot of uber-jw's!
reddit has now removed the video link of samuel herd telling jw's they will no longer have to report time or placements - just tick a box which says "active.".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akdshyx79rm&t=13s.
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no-zombie
If this is true ... the Annual Report is finished and it will be impossible for anyone (in or outside of the Organization) to track any of its markers. And it seems that someone in the GB has finally understood the Brotherhood's attitude towards witnessing and has made the call, thus covering up the fact that no one cares about it ... or wants to go.
In summery ... just another cover up.
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Cult or High Control Group?
by MillennialDawn ini see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.
" i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.
"cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.
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no-zombie
LongHairGal
While I do appreciate your comments (and I actually do) , you must also know that Islam is not just practiced in nominally Muslin countries. You can find it in the US, the UK, all over the world in fact... as you can the honor killings, female genital mutilation, polygamy and child marriages done by members of that religion in the west, quite regularly. But if want to exude this religion, we could talk about the Satanic death cults that operate in Europe ... or the sex religions of North America. Modern Japan has a fascination with these kind of things too.I'm sorry but people just can't cherry pick their sample data. Otherwise objectivity goes right out of the window.
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Cult or High Control Group?
by MillennialDawn ini see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.
" i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.
"cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.
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no-zombie
Thank you LongHairGal for your considered and thoughtful reply.
However my comments were based on the original question on high control religions in general, which would naturally include those that have existed throughout time.
Many here still refer to the Jonestown suicide cult of 1975 and others like the Japanese Aum Shinriko (Supreme Truth) suicide cult of the 80's, so I thought that it was relevant to include a thought about the Spanish Inquisition. And as the original question was not limited to North American, not traditional, Christian faiths with the numbers of worshipers less than 10 million ... I thought fair to include Muslim religions.
And finally I don't think that you appreciate the structure of Arabic theocratic governments. While there may be a elected President at the top of the political tree, REAL and INSTITUTIONAL power lies directly with the head of the country's Islamic religious faith ... just like the Pope of Rome directly controlled European Kings of the past. Iran is not a political organization with a religion flavor ... no, it is a religious organization that operates in the political space. Thus Iran's morality police are legally able to beat 16 year old girls into a comatose state, over a tuft of hair or the palest of lip gloss.
Religion is a snare and a racket this is for sure, just a Russell said. However the WBTS is not the center of the universe, and there are bigger religions (and non-religious organizations) that fit the BITE model, with problems that are far more worrisome.
If you doubt me, just research Iranian modern history and battle tactics (regarding the willingness to martyr waves of 10 year old Iranian boys on bicycles against Iraqi heavy armor) ... and now think of Ayatollah Khamenei with nuclear weapons.
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Cult or High Control Group?
by MillennialDawn ini see this phrase a lot: "the indication of a cult is what happens when you leave.
" i'm not sure where that originated, but it is a faulty categorization.
"cult" is almost always used in a derogatory way.
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no-zombie
Funny that ... another incident involving Iranian morality police.
Do you still believe that we are in a high control religion?