Posts by TTATTelder

178

Honest survey question on effectiveness of 'apostacy'

by Simon in

jw
friends

it seems like lots of people have big dreams of 'destroying the watchtower'.

it's usually linked to a story of how they were wronged and want some revenge.

do these 'in your face' attempts to convince people that the truth isn't the truth really have an effect?.

TTATTelder

I think there is a "straw that breaks the camel's back" factor. I think all JW's are carrying at least some doubts and have noticed their fair share of discrepancy.

It is just a matter of time before many of them have simply had enough. This may be when something bad happens to them or to someone else at the hands of the elders or whatever the case may be.

I just believe that there are always cracks in the foundation before this happens. Otherwise they would go along the whole "Jehovah is just allowing this to happen for some reason" routine as many "faithful" do.

I will add this: This new light business is creating cracks for many people. It also reminds people of their old doubts (generation change etc). They aren't leaving immediately, but it piles more on the "camel's back" for when the big "straw" comes down the line or they simply can't take it anymore.

Sites like this help solidify the "break" once it happens. Jwfacts was priceless for me. This site gave me a place to vent and realize how many people are in the same boat.

52

What was your "Aha!" moment?

by Hortenzie in

for me it was when i learned that gb makes their decisions by 2/3 majority vote, not by direction of holy spirit..

TTATTelder

My aha interestingly came from dealing with things in the congregations I've been in. I have dealt with and seen politics, nepotism, and outright slanderous deceit from elders off and on my entire life.

As if dealing with the bad seeds wasn't bad enough, the "good guys" would often sit idly by and do nothing. The CO's would turn their heads and even look at concerned publishers as the troublemakers.

Then one day it hit me.

I looked at the organization like a business for the first time. When you have rampant problems in a large corporation it is always reflective of the upper management. If you have a back-biting, nasty, political environment in a company, it's because the upper management is indirectly if not directly creating that culture.

The politics and deep seated problems in the WTBTS go all the way to the top. That's the only explanation of how some of these congregations can get to such a deplorable spiritual level and nothing be done about it. The emphasis on status quo over spirituality goes all the way to the top. I have now confirmed that through research and investigation.

28

"They're only human!" (the most common defence of the Governing Body)

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkjk3eyd7ee.

TTATTelder

Moses performed miracles that proved God's backing.

Where are the GB miracles?

I guess the miracle of it taking 6000 hrs of angel-directed field service to produce one baptism?

I guess the miracle of not understanding who the FDS was until 2013?

I guess the miracle of teaching a false 'generation' teaching to an entire generation of people?

15

Sometimes you just want to scream

by Separation of Powers in

well, i have been posting here on and off for a while now.

it is good to see the progress that so many have made.

i have appreciated your experiences, your humour, your struggles, etc.. as i sit here today, i realize that i have made progress as well.

TTATTelder

I know how you feel SOP.

I am going through the same thing. Imagine being appointed an elder right when all of this starts coming together for you.

I can't believe people lap it up like they do either... but then again it hurts to face the truth. You are talking about people's complete world-view being ripped out from under them if they face facts.

I also am shocked at all the recent talk about money. I mean we all know they are sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars and yet are still constantly asking for more.

I am waiting for something big to come along and make this easy for us to walk away from. May not happen.

3

for those of you that do'nt go to the meetings anymore you missed.......

by nowwhat? in

at our service meeting we studied for half an hour on what our meetings are like!!!!

through the who is doing gods will brochure.. another letter asking for more more money!.

an 80 year old brother that was totally giddy he placed two tracts at a door!.

TTATTelder

We also had a letter about the school for single brothers being combined with the school for christian couples. It will now be called the school for kingdom evangelizers I believe and will include single sisters now.

They also added this new change and THIS IS A DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE LETTER including the parentheses:

"Additionally, the maximum age to apply for this school has been raised to 65. The stipu-lation for anyone between the ages of 50 and 65 to apply is that they must be self-sufficient (meaning they can provide for themselves) and are in no need of financial or medical assistance from the organization. As with all of the other students of the school, it is expected that these ones will be willing to move wherever the organization assigns them and that they can care for their material needs wherever they are sent."

(My Footnote)**So if you listened to us scream the end was coming and are now dirt floor poor in your retirement years - screw you! We won't be giving you a dime of our millions. But you better be willing to move to wherever we tell you to and market our company full-time or you won't get any of this brand-new, piping-hot, special status we just invented.

The very next part on the meeting went over all the ways you can send them money!

I mean they will take anything. Money, property, jewelry, stocks, bonds, and they even will accept no-interest loans (ain't that mighty nice of 'em.)

51

Categories of Former Jehovah's Witnesses

by neverendingjourney in

jw
friends

i was never disfellowshipped, but it's been about 10 years since i was an active jw.

i've made an occasional meeting or half-day at an assembly here or there, strictly at the behest of family (maybe once a year), but i'm completely disconnected.

more importantly, mentally i'm 100% free.. we all have a tendency to project our views and beliefs onto others, and tending to believe that other former jws share our views is no different.

TTATTelder

Good Post.

I forget about group 2 people. They do exist out there though. They need to come on sites like this to move to group 3 or 4 to get past the guilt.

19

JW MECCA!!!! ANY THOUGHTS?!?!

by DATA-DOG in

so...the wife wants to go to new york.

she wants to visit the holy land and see the new bible museum.

( sorry, trying not to vomit..) do you have any idea what it costs to fly to ny and get a room?

TTATTelder

1) GB T-Shirts

2) GB autographed silver bibles

3) New Light scented candles

4) Stuffed Caleb Dolls (by the way I have a friend with a two year old that just toured NY a couple of weeks ago and they sent us a pic of their kid hugging a life size cut-out of Caleb - No Joke!)

5) Locks of GB hair (some more rare than others)

6) Posters of Caleb getting his tail whooped for playing with Sparlock

7) Commerative Rutherford Scotch

8) Pioneer Tiaras

9) "Kiss Me I'm an Elder" Pins

10) Novelty Duct Tape for Sister's Mouths

443

The 1914 generation is still going strong 100 years later - 2014 study article.

by THE GLADIATOR in

january 2014 watchtower study article.

let your kingdom comebut when?.

this generation will not pass away.

TTATTelder

Now the "dwindling number of annointed" can't be verified in the stats published by the Society. We can never know how many are part of the "overlapper class" as Data Dog put it.

They can now say the number is dwindling regardless of how many "crazies" bite and sip each year.

So they have delivered their one-two punch:

1) They demoted the annointed last year by saying that they are just domestics in an attempt to reduce the appeal of partaking.

2) They have explained away the significance of the total number by introducing this "overlapper" class as the only partakers that matter as far as the last day's prophecy is concerned.

Makes you think that punch one didn't work. It will be interesting to see the memorial numbers for 2013. I guess we won't see those numbers until they release the 2014 yearbook.

56

They are really begging for money again..

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

sorry i don't know how to post the actual letter but here is the text of it.

lol.

christian congregation of jehovahs witnesses 2821 route 22, patterson, ny 12563-2237 phone: (845) 306-1100.

TTATTelder

JV,

I will say this. If that scenario you described played out in our hall, I would be quite upset. It would "expose" me to some degree. For them to say "ask the congregation" for more funds is absurd. The congregation already gave the money. They no doubt see the flock as an endless well of funds.

56

They are really begging for money again..

by XBEHERE in

jw
friends

sorry i don't know how to post the actual letter but here is the text of it.

lol.

christian congregation of jehovahs witnesses 2821 route 22, patterson, ny 12563-2237 phone: (845) 306-1100.

TTATTelder

There is also something in place now that I'm not sure if many people know about.

They encourage congregations to keep any excess funds on deposit with the branch. They call it "Funds On Deposit". Our congregation has several thousand dollars on deposit with the branch. We only keep about 2-3k in our checking account.

The arrangement is to let them hold and use the money until if/when we need it in the future. So basically it is a no-interest loan.

That makes you wonder how many congregations have how many thousands "On Deposit" with the branches around the world?