Posts by no-zombie

54

If the org. Is being advised by consultants, is a name change in the works?

by nowwhat? in

let's be honest, there's a stigma to the name jehovah's witness.

if they are going more mainstream.

i imagine the first recommendation was a name change.

no-zombie

You're right of course TonusOH. I guessing that you must be half-full glass, kind of guy.

54

If the org. Is being advised by consultants, is a name change in the works?

by nowwhat? in

let's be honest, there's a stigma to the name jehovah's witness.

if they are going more mainstream.

i imagine the first recommendation was a name change.

no-zombie

It is a problem for the Governing Body, that's for sure. But I think that it would be saved for last, long after most of the current GB members are dead (or at least retired to the nursing home).

It will a problem because most of the existing Brotherhood, by their very ultra-conservative nature, will have a hard time processing it, as they will finally understand what they have is something new. And just Rutherford lost about 1/4 of the IBSA's members, when he reformed the Church in his image, there is the strong possibility the same could happen again.

29

Beards vs. Shunning announcements

by slimboyfat in

during lett’s announcement that beards are now allowed he elaborated at some length how brothers ought to feel and react to the change in policy.

he warned brothers not to resent not being able to grow beards earlier if they had wished to do so.

he also warned brothers who supported the old policy not to allow themselves to wonder what the point of doing so was now that it has changed.

no-zombie

I know that so many here think that its crazy (even for us) to suggest things like the adoption of Christmas, Easter and Birthdays could be a thing, but if the 10 year plan is real, then the Governing Body doesn't really care about stumbling a few brothers, if there is a net benefit in overall attendance.

Image you are a worldly person (with no previous Witness knowledge of history) and you are church shopping in the near future. All the previous negatives in becoming a Witness (like having to go out in the service, giving up family-based celebrations and the fear of disfellowshipping) no longer exist.

If the Governing Body get it right and makes the Organization into a social based religion, they might be able to ward off disaster, by getting people wanting to come in.

29

Beards vs. Shunning announcements

by slimboyfat in

during lett’s announcement that beards are now allowed he elaborated at some length how brothers ought to feel and react to the change in policy.

he warned brothers not to resent not being able to grow beards earlier if they had wished to do so.

he also warned brothers who supported the old policy not to allow themselves to wonder what the point of doing so was now that it has changed.

no-zombie

I think that the resent changes provide quite an insight into the average Witness mindset.

After years of being cultured to become dependent upon the Governing Body, the average Jehovah's Witnesses has nether their own personal conscience or the ability to reason spiritually or Biblically for themselves. This means that even if the GB seemingly lightens its control over the sheep, it doesn't mean that these qualities will return, no ... as previously commented by others in this post, the Brotherhood will de-evolve down to the new standard allowed. This should be seen by the immediate adoption of beards, women's slacks and the loss of ties. Why? As I heard one mature Brother say ... "Because we can". Which is really quite a childish attitude, when you think about it, for if you follow the idea that God deserves the best, then such relaxations would actually be meaningless to you.

And for the future, if changes to birthdays and Christmas becomes a reality, you can guarantee, their immediate and wholehearted adoption into the JW lifestyle, too ... purely on the basis that "we can".

But a thing we need to remember that these changes are not for us personally (by that I mean current members of the Faith) but for the potential members the Governing Body hopes to draw in. They know that after reforming the Church some will leave, however they are expecting much more will enter to compensate for the loses. Yet a thing that will become apparent, is that the new generation of Jehovah's Witnesses will never be as hardcore believers as those of the past.

Having not being put up with pain and embarrassment of refusing birthday cake or singing 'Happy Birthday' as children, or have to cut family off indefinitely through the current disfellowshipping rules, newer Witnesses will be more flexible and more willing to Church shop, than ever before.

Just as when the Popes of Rome lost their real power over Catholics in the 20th century, so the Governing Body will loose theirs, but not in the way that they thought or expected.

30

Will New Rules Bring JWs Together or Pull Them Apart?

by doinmypart in

jw
friends

there's been a lot of discussion about the changes in the org.

you might think all this would shake things up, especially for the older or super dedicated jws.

but remember when gb decided all the khs and the bank accounts needed to be transferred/managed from the top?

no-zombie

At the moment it seems that adjustments announced so far, have been taken rather well. Parents of disfelowshipped children now have a good excuse to call them, and the new dress code has brought a bit of relieve to others.

However once the more controversial doctrinal changes start being announced (birthday celebrations and the like) many older ones may begin to privately question the Governing Body's thoughts.

But the revision of the blood doctrine in particular, is likely to bring open discontent from the Brotherhood. Because, while few Witnesses have lost family by refusing a blood transfusion, a far greater number have had operations and personality contemplated the end of their lives, over this matter. And as a result, a lot of people could become angry after realizing that they have been misled, risking everything just over an opinion.

Will many leave like the Russell/Rutherford split, it remains to be seen. However I can't see the GB have the same authority they enjoy now. And I would expect that in the 10 plan, they might move into the background once again, until the storm of discontent passes.

108

Who really is the Faithful and Discreet Slave? The recent changes and the Governing Body's 10 year plan

by redsetter2 in

i am sure we were all shocked at the governing body update #2 with the unusual and impulsive changes set forth.. i am an insider at whq, and when i was on reddit and in communication with avoidjw i explained to the best of my ability that the approach on disfellowshipping was going to change based on the new light at the 2023 agm, that the jubilee rumor was false, and there were going to be changes on how jws approached disfellowshipping in response to the norway situation if it didn't turn out in watchtower's favor.

the decision came because of a legal blow to watchtower, not because "holy spirit" wad directing a faithful slave, who is going to become the "evil slave", more explanation on this soon.. everything i stated came true.

i left reddit exjw community due to the immature and mentally unstable nature there, and yet as has been the case my words came true.

no-zombie

redsetter2

From your understanding of the coming changes, where will be by the end of this year?

108

Who really is the Faithful and Discreet Slave? The recent changes and the Governing Body's 10 year plan

by redsetter2 in

i am sure we were all shocked at the governing body update #2 with the unusual and impulsive changes set forth.. i am an insider at whq, and when i was on reddit and in communication with avoidjw i explained to the best of my ability that the approach on disfellowshipping was going to change based on the new light at the 2023 agm, that the jubilee rumor was false, and there were going to be changes on how jws approached disfellowshipping in response to the norway situation if it didn't turn out in watchtower's favor.

the decision came because of a legal blow to watchtower, not because "holy spirit" wad directing a faithful slave, who is going to become the "evil slave", more explanation on this soon.. everything i stated came true.

i left reddit exjw community due to the immature and mentally unstable nature there, and yet as has been the case my words came true.

no-zombie

There is no need to put hate on anyone here.

Maybe some posters just make things up, others could be the real deal. Either way, as time will tell, let's just wait and see. However, it is more likely that 2024 will be an interesting year, and probably a better show than anything on TV.

194

GB Update #2, March 2024: Women allowed to wear pants, no ties/coats required if not giving a talk, & now able to greet DF ones in the KH!

by WingCommander in

jw
friends

you heard me correct, this is not a joke, and it is not april fools day!

the asl portion of the governing body updated #2 (march 2024) has been released a bit early and someone caught it.

summary: .

no-zombie

If this is true, I'm genuinely surprised, as I didn't expect more changes until the next AGM.

However, as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the rate at which communications are issued (even if they are encrypted), is an important indicator of the events that surround them.

This being the case, I imagine that the Wednesday Governing Body meetings, would be highly animated. And the 10 year plan, has well and truly started.

7

Former Soviet Country Witnesses who Rebelled Against the GB

by NotFormer in

i remember the story going around the traps (here, perhaps?

) a couple of decades ago, about a country formerly behind the iron curtain.

when the soviet union crumbled, the jws were able to re-establish contact with the underground jw movement.

no-zombie

Hi NotFormer,

While this story may apply to other countries to some degree, I believe that that the one your are thinking about is Romania.

Cut off from main stream Jehovah's Witnesses just after WW2 and forced to refer to older WT material, the divergence between Western Witnesses and Romanian Witnesses theocratically, grew. Many Romanian Witnesses were sent to prison in the communist period and a feeling of abandonment developed. Ultimately, two or three sub-Witness groups formed, each with their own Kingdom Halls, Elders and administrations. However in the late '90s, a push from the US to encouraged a reunification with the greater Church, was made

The Governing Body sent representatives and deals were made (primarily around some stumbling doctrinal differences and the issue of appointed congregational positions) and while much was made of this publicly, it seems that even today, Witnesses are not totally united in that country.

I expect that the core reason for Romanian dissatisfaction, lies in the fact that Romanians are generally a conservative people. Thus so it should not come as a surprise that these feeling have not completely dissipated. And realistically, if you got into your time machine and brought back any Witnesses from the 1970's and dumped them into a Kingdom Hall today, most would find the Disneyland song, the beards and the very flexible understanding of 'the service', quite hard to process.

(see the video "Gerrit Losch: Maintaining Unity Under Ban" in you are interest in the JW perspective of this story)

18

JWs in Norway lost to the state - will not get state support back

by BelisemDeBelimakom in

translated with google translate:.

the trial went before oslo district court in january, and now the district court has concluded that the state is acquitted.

jehovah's witnesses are also ordered to pay court costs of just over nok 1.1 million.. https://www-vg-no.translate.goog/nyheter/innenriks/i/2bljxg/staten-frikjennes-etter-aa-ha-blitt-saksoekt-av-jehovas-vitner-melder-dagen?_x_tr_sl=ka&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp.

no-zombie

Sorry Phizzy, court costs were only $103,960 USD ... pity though.

Yet it a good precedent, that will get the Governing Body's attention. I think that GB's master plan, better get a hurry on.