Posts by scotsman

49

Is the WTS preparing for a MASS EXODUS?

by passwordprotected in

hobo ken and i were chatting about this yesterday.. the wts has past experience of losing vast numbers of members very quickly.

from their post-25 and post-75 experiences they will know how best to prepare their organisational structure to remain afloat when they experience another exodus.. we're only 5 years from the 100 year anniversary of ct russell walking into the dining room and announcing the gentile times had ended.

since then, millions of people have molded and adjusted their lives and personal expectations based on the date 1914. the wts must know that 2015 is going to bring with it one or two upset jws.... so, is the wts preparing for a mass exodus right now?.

scotsman

The nice thing about having an evolving "truth" is you can change with the times. JWs have and will no doubt continue to. I've come across a number of JWs whos relationship with their religion is very similar to other main stream Christians i.e. not devout, letter of the law types, with more of a social approach to their faith. They may be viewed as flakey by hardliners from within but they seem content. These may become an ever increasing component, puting in very few hours (or 15mins) each month and missing meetings for other events. These people weren't dfed in my time and don't seem to be now.

When you leave being a JW you percieve it with fresh eyes and because you've been duped once start seeing signs where there aren't any. Cutting back on publication and centralising authority seems sensible to me, becoming a more lightweight and possibly responsive corporation. Locally they're experiencing a resurgence through immigration - but globally it seems like stagnation persists which means a gradual shrinkage may follow. Saying that, the winds of economic change may blow some into the kingdom hall.

21

Any Leonard Cohen fans?

by I quit! in

jw
friends

i bought the leonard cohen "live in london"concert on dvd the other day and finally got around to playing it today.

it is a wonderful.

his song "hallelujah" was featured in shrek.

scotsman

It doesn't get any better than Take This Waltz, based on a Lorca poem.

70

What really matters to the elders- Podcast 9 Judicial Hearing

by Hobo Ken in

this is the next part of the story, when the judicial hearings begin.

click on the link here to listen...deathorobedience.blogspot.com.

also free on itunes here.

scotsman

It's late and I'm razzled and probably shouldn't be posting....

Ethical?? why on earth would one expect a JC to be ethical? I'm unsure that "ethical" would even appear on their CDRom. Besty's rules #1&2 are exactly the case and while some JWs might hope for some empathy if faced with a JC, anyone who has expressed thoughts contrary to the WT knows they're for the high jump. It's their game and that's why I didn't play it.

70

What really matters to the elders- Podcast 9 Judicial Hearing

by Hobo Ken in

this is the next part of the story, when the judicial hearings begin.

click on the link here to listen...deathorobedience.blogspot.com.

also free on itunes here.

scotsman

IKA, no need to bring up my warts, I'm getting treatment for them.

As an addendum: I asked my mum if she wanted continued contact with me and it seems she does. She's intriguing as although she wont spend time with my partner (they've met in passing) she agrees that they'd get on well if she did. Because I'm going to die at Armageddon it's her desire that I enjoy and make the most of my life. Her relationship with God supercedes all others which is a shame as she reckons she'd work for Amnesty International if she wasn't a JW. I go easier on her as she's in her 70s and she's navigated a fairly tortuous path to remain close to me. A good person trapped in a bad ideology.

58

Atheists choose 'de-baptism' to renounce childhood faith

by whereami in

jw
friends

do you think the wts would except this?.

.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-07-21-atheists-debaptism_n.htm?csp=usat.me.

scotsman

Or is it like meeting with a JC when you don't think they have any authority over you?

70

What really matters to the elders- Podcast 9 Judicial Hearing

by Hobo Ken in

this is the next part of the story, when the judicial hearings begin.

click on the link here to listen...deathorobedience.blogspot.com.

also free on itunes here.

scotsman

If we're swapping brother stories...

When I broke the news that I wasn't a believer there was the weeping an nashing of teeth but contact was maintained with both my brothers. A year later when they found out I was in a same sex relationship things changed. The eldest encouraged my mum to inform the elders what she suspected and he cut contact but did meet me for coffee to tell me he loved me but couldn't be my friend. That was the end of that. Things were more complicated with the other one. We worked together but had no social contact, and when we parted company in business terms he still met up with me for lunch as we sorted out work stuff. He would still meet up with me now but I decided I'd had enough. We had been close but we now met to talk about his life, his work and for him to moan about the family that I had been cut off from. He wouldn't meet my partner. Eventually I told him that meeting him was faintly depressing and that I couldn't see any point in it continuing.

Sometimes I wondered if my ending the contact with #2 was harsh, but I think the crippled contact we had kept me hoping he'd relent and was stopping me from moving on. It's a shame, as my brothers were good company and would have got on with my partner and they've missed out big time. I'd welcome either of them into my life if they dropped the homophobic stance, even if they remained JWs.

Anyway, back to Ronnie Hunter.

58

Atheists choose 'de-baptism' to renounce childhood faith

by whereami in

jw
friends

do you think the wts would except this?.

.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-07-21-atheists-debaptism_n.htm?csp=usat.me.

scotsman

Is "ritual" the sole preserve of the theists?

58

Atheists choose 'de-baptism' to renounce childhood faith

by whereami in

jw
friends

do you think the wts would except this?.

.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-07-21-atheists-debaptism_n.htm?csp=usat.me.

scotsman

The longer I spend on JWN surrounded by such a great cloud of atheists

lol PP, fruity language! Agree that the notion on de-baptism is hilarious but the idea that atheists are an organised group is pretty far from the truth. The atheists I know don't share values, just the disbelief in God, and none of them are bothered about proselytising. Most of them do love a good debate though, and aren't threatened when you disagree with them.

Funny how perspectives differ; I'm continually amazed at how dominated the board is by people with faith, normally spoiling for a fight.

15

Something that can be said to JW's at the door

by DT in

jw
friends

imagine this conversation.. witness: so would you enjoy reading this book which explains the bible based hope for everlasting life on a paradise earth?.

householder: yes, i would love to read that.

it sounds fascinating.

scotsman

In the 7 years I've been out they've not knocked at my door either, and working from home means I'm a likely catch. Never seen them on the streets either. They're clearly making a very big effort elsewhere in the last days...

70

What really matters to the elders- Podcast 9 Judicial Hearing

by Hobo Ken in

this is the next part of the story, when the judicial hearings begin.

click on the link here to listen...deathorobedience.blogspot.com.

also free on itunes here.

scotsman

Thanks for the reply IKA. I understand the desire to maintain contact although even though JWs are a high control group I personally still see my family as having chosen to subject themselves to it and I wasn't prepared to play the game for contact, it was too high a price. Responding to the elders who initially tried to contact me would have dignified them when they were nothing to me. That's great his parents remain in touch, siblings are often judgemental, mine are.

I thought you were in touch with your Mum on a fairly ongoing and civil basis

See my mum increasingly sporadically and something tells me it's about to become rare as we no longer have a business connection. Seeing me is probably distressing for her, it's not exactly fulfilling for me. I post too much, I should have other priorities!!