Posts by TTATTelder

44

New video release at district convention. Do Jws live like this?

by solomon in

i just got back from the district convention and watched the new video.

can't remember what it is called but the main family live in a million dollar home and there teenage daughter drives a red convertable sports car.

probably worth about 50000$.

TTATTelder

I haven't seen the video yet. It seems, though, that the WT has been sending mixed signals for awhile.

Praise will always be given to the sacrificial lambs. Special titles, special meetings, put on a pedestal at assemblies, etc. That of course is in the WT's best interests. They want these "givers" to keep on giving. Free salespeople and laborers.

OTOH, they are also sending the message that they aren't exactly going to ostracize the money folks. Actually they are whispering "It's ok, we need you too."

I picked up on that a few years ago and privately adjusted my stance. That was before I even learned TTATT. The added benefits to this "balanced" approach (besides having more money) was - personally being less judgemental, less self-righteous, and interestingly less black-balled by men in the congregation that thought I was trying to out do them "spiritually".

LOL... What a nutball organization.

-TE

7

EVEN IF THE RESPONSE WASNT GREAT.....

by DATA-DOG in

... you felt what you did was great.

ahh yes.

preaching in foreign lands....in english.

TTATTelder

The WT is still riding the interest that still exists in "America" in less developed countries.

These people find it intriguing when English-speaking Americans come to their door.

Many assume these people are wealthy. Some are. So you can see the underlying appeal to an impoverished household in a poorer nation.

It brings in huge field service stats. The WT brags about these stats of course. The number that stick and actually get baptised are far far far less than the number that study.

But hey...bored dubs get to do something way cooler than marching around empty suburban neighborhoods in the US, the natives get an interesting experience with crazy, clean-cut, possibly wealthy, Americans visiting them and teaching them English and American customs, and the WT gets to keep people busy and get glowing reports of activity and interest!

win win win

The whole thing works with Canadians and others from English speaking countries as well.

-TE

17

Question About the Governing Body

by Wild_Thing in

does anyone know if any of the current governing body members became a jw as an adult, or were all of them raised and bred a jw from childhood?.

i have a theory that the jws that are "born in" and stay in tend to be more extreme and less reasonable because that is all they have ever known, especially if they are sheltered and groomed to be a good little jw.. and i was just looking at what i could find about the newest and youngest member, mark sanderson.

he was born on february 4, 1965, and he was baptized on february 9, 1975 ... a few days shy of turning 10 years old!

TTATTelder

Lett is a born in. He told everybody at the convention last weekend.

His mom was like a special pioneer or something.

-TE

28

Germany loses 22 congregations and 41 KHs in 3 years (2011-2014)

by Viva la Vida in

jw
friends

i just compared the latest data provided by the german wt and data i found searching for the same page in archive.org.

congregations 2011: 2232. congregations 2014: 2210. kh 2011: 1075. kh 2014: 1034. source: http://www.jehovaszeugen.de/statistik.18.0.html - this is a oficial site for germany.

.

TTATTelder

I think the determining factor is how greedy the controlling interests are in the short term. Betting on men not being greedy is a risky bet.

I could see the Ocean1111 scenario playing out. I hope it does, selfishly for my sake. The motivation there of course is taking the money and running. If for instance they are already fudging numbers and know the ship is sinking, this would make sense.

OTOH, I can see them splitting the difference (hedging their bets) and seeing what they can get away with over the long haul. Of course they will be stockpiling money and making money grabs all along the way.

Either scenario will see this Germany situation playing out in all the developed countries. We will see (as discussed many times on this forum) KH's closed and sold. Congregations consolidated. Property flips. High end properties sold off and replacement halls built in the less expensive growing areas. Yada yada.

Maybe we can determine long range objectives by watching how many long term projects are started. Headquarters doesn't count. That is for them.

It will be long and drug out either way. It will be interesting to watch, though.

-TE

8

"Worldly" P.R. and Marketing Firms ???? ...

by TTATTelder in

i have noticed a few comments lately about worldly pr firms and marketing companies being used by the wt.. does anyone have any information confirming this to be the case?.

for many jw's this would be borderline scandelous considering the venom constantly spewed about satan's world.. if i missed any threads about this topic, please give a link.. thanks for any input.. -te.

TTATTelder

Neon,

Apparently it isn't obvious the problem with worldly pr and/or marketing firms. So I will explain as a person still very much on the inside of this organization.

This organization villifies anything from the religous, political, or business sectors of society. They claim they are directed by God, guided by Holy Spirit, and are motivated by Christian love. Worldly "Big Business" is supposed to be greedy, corrupt, and immoral (Satan's world remember?).

In the "real world" there is nothing wrong with it, BUT, and it's a big BUT, in their world it is supposed to be beneath them. They claim divine blessing.

Angels are supposed to be directing people to the "truth". They are not supposed to have to use worldly advertising techniques.

Now getting people to create some web designs is not as much the issue as using a PR firm to help mold their image or guide them through such things as spinning this 2014 embarrassment.

So anyway that's that.

-TE

59

Books that changed your life-

by new hope and happiness in

i am not much of a reader as i have two many distractions, but i fancy a challenging read, so please list any book that has changed your entire world view on everything.

i remember as a teenager buying at a yard sale, norman vincent peales " the power of positive thinking" and at the time that had a big impact on me.

but i am a little bit more in to " realistic positive thinking" now..

TTATTelder

If JWFacts.com was a book then I would list it.

Also I would like to add:

JWFacts.com should have a book.

-TE

59

Books that changed your life-

by new hope and happiness in

i am not much of a reader as i have two many distractions, but i fancy a challenging read, so please list any book that has changed your entire world view on everything.

i remember as a teenager buying at a yard sale, norman vincent peales " the power of positive thinking" and at the time that had a big impact on me.

but i am a little bit more in to " realistic positive thinking" now..

TTATTelder

Oubilette,

Count me in!

PM me and we can put something together.

One idea - a thread for each chapter so it can be enjoyed progressively as people read it and/or add their observations.

-TE

8

"Worldly" P.R. and Marketing Firms ???? ...

by TTATTelder in

i have noticed a few comments lately about worldly pr firms and marketing companies being used by the wt.. does anyone have any information confirming this to be the case?.

for many jw's this would be borderline scandelous considering the venom constantly spewed about satan's world.. if i missed any threads about this topic, please give a link.. thanks for any input.. -te.

TTATTelder

I have noticed a few comments lately about Worldly PR firms and Marketing companies being used by the WT.

Does anyone have any information confirming this to be the case?

For many JW's this would be borderline scandelous considering the venom constantly spewed about Satan's world.

If I missed any threads about this topic, please give a link.

Thanks for any input.

-TE

59

Books that changed your life-

by new hope and happiness in

i am not much of a reader as i have two many distractions, but i fancy a challenging read, so please list any book that has changed your entire world view on everything.

i remember as a teenager buying at a yard sale, norman vincent peales " the power of positive thinking" and at the time that had a big impact on me.

but i am a little bit more in to " realistic positive thinking" now..

TTATTelder

I just read Animal Farm.

Pretty dang good from the JW perspective, especially since its only like 85 pages.

I have just started 1984.

Both are George Orwell. Scary how similiar totalitarian societies are with the Borg.

-TE

44

I Need Help Getting My Head Straight.......

by TTATTelder in

one of the things i have been wresting with mentally is unraveling the "us vs. them" mentality that has been driven into my skull in the organization.. i am starting this thread seeking advice on how others have come to grip with this.. this is what i struggle with:.

i like the feeling/thought of being among people that live, or try to live, or at least know they ought to live by higher standards of conduct (maybe it is just what i'm used to...).

when you walk out of a convention of people dressed up, clean-cut, shaven, non-smoking, less-profanity-speaking, fairly orderly etc and see what greets you in the streets outside, it is a big contrast.. i am also still trying to understand how a religion that has conned people (so is morally wrong) could also be so well organized and have a lot of truly decent folks among their ranks.

TTATTelder

Rebel8,

I usually come out INFP but just took that test and came out INTP.

I think once I came up INFJ but just once.

I like psychology so have taken the test multiple times.

It doesn't really nail me but is insightful nonetheless.

-TE