to thank you for taking the time to read this, because i feel that it is extremely important.
over the years we have been waring against the watchtower, and our battle field has been the internet.and we have been very successful in establishing discussion forums and online resorces exposing false teachings and we have used youtube to further shed light on the watchtower, we have even written books to this end.. .
yes we have attacked watchtower at its weakest point, the internet and we have been able to do this as small groups and even individualy.
Man, Ekruks, like Simon I agree that's the truth, but wow is that kinda depressing. Cynically I laugh, but that kinda hurt.
edit post : @ Tim Hooper. Like newly baptized JWs who weren't born in. So zealous for several months to upwards maybe a few years. Afterwards they go through the motions like any other halfhearted dub.
a few days ago i posted my estimations about how much the wt actually makes a year.
you guys were all really helpful and provided a lot of useful info.
a good estimate would be 2-3 billion dollars a year.
Apog, you remind me of something Slimboyfat posted which I'll never forget. He said to never underestimate how much the leadership truly believes. With that in mind, Ray Franz is a good example in that there's no telling how long he would have remained a JW had they not moved on him first. That said, these endless speculation threads are hollow to me. It's all just fantasy, imagination, speculation, endless rumors with flimsy evidence if any evidence at all. So they're filtering obscene amounts of cash from donations, properties, etc., yet there's no evidence of anybody really reaping the benefits. I'd like to believe the GB are just a smokescreen for someone or some really insidious people behind the scenes, but, in this case, what you see might really be what it is. Everything else is speculation. By the way, I'm on a tablet and flipping between tabs before posting causes me to lose what I typed, so I'm going off memory, but did someone mention, the mob?
to thank you for taking the time to read this, because i feel that it is extremely important.
over the years we have been waring against the watchtower, and our battle field has been the internet.and we have been very successful in establishing discussion forums and online resorces exposing false teachings and we have used youtube to further shed light on the watchtower, we have even written books to this end.. .
yes we have attacked watchtower at its weakest point, the internet and we have been able to do this as small groups and even individualy.
Adamah
to thank you for taking the time to read this, because i feel that it is extremely important.
over the years we have been waring against the watchtower, and our battle field has been the internet.and we have been very successful in establishing discussion forums and online resorces exposing false teachings and we have used youtube to further shed light on the watchtower, we have even written books to this end.. .
yes we have attacked watchtower at its weakest point, the internet and we have been able to do this as small groups and even individualy.
Lol Outlaw. Basically, that. Like jumping from the frying pan into the skillet.
a few days ago i posted my estimations about how much the wt actually makes a year.
you guys were all really helpful and provided a lot of useful info.
a good estimate would be 2-3 billion dollars a year.
Endless speculation.
a friend of mine recently had his co visit and in the elders meeting the co out-right asked the question: how are the friends doing in your cong.
as regards pursuing higher education?
the co continued...you know in view of all the counsel from the slave regarding the dangers.
i can't believe hubby and sis in law actually went out in service today.
when he left this morrning i reminded him to inform those who didn't slam their doors on them that if they join your cult that this will be the last christmas, holiday and birthday they will be allowed to celebrate.
i thought it very inapproiate going out today to knock on doors trying to get converts..
Even when I really believed, going out on Christmas and Thanksgiving just seemed ultra disrespectful. I mean showing up uninvited at any time of the year is obtrusive, but especially so on a holiday that non-JWs are only all too aware that JWs don't celebrate. I mean every non-dub unfamiliar with just how bonkers this religion is, is familiar enough to know we don't celebrate Christmas. I texted our resident go-to-for-demo-last-minute-young-gung-ho-regular pioneer to see if she went out in FS, and she scoffed at the thought. Her family is ultra zealous, but they all treated today as a holiday.
a friend of mine recently had his co visit and in the elders meeting the co out-right asked the question: how are the friends doing in your cong.
as regards pursuing higher education?
the co continued...you know in view of all the counsel from the slave regarding the dangers.
You guys might want to watch the generalizations being tossed around as a factual consensus. That's not to say that some of the bleak scenarios posted in this thread don't exist, but just how rampant and extensive is subject to personal experience. I'm thinking right now of the congregations that I've belonged to and when it comes to the older dubs, most likely would not have attended college even if the WT's tentacles hadn't have got to them. I'm talking working class, proletariat, poor, black, Good Will Hunting, Archie Bunker types, etc.. Some are in low income geriatric high rises, some in projects, some stay with either dub or non-dub family. However, to contrast your statement, Snare, most of these ones are certainly old now and to be sure are still waiting on the end, but they're not starving, most are homeowners, able to go on vacation a couple or few times a year, and buy a new car if necessitated. In other words, they're not in sh!t. They're not in sh!t no more than I'm in the janitorial or window washing business.
That said, I'm under the impression that the writers and those that influence WT articles on education are from the same time frame as the older dubs I referred to earlier. For them, a college education wasn't absolutely necessary and I believe they're transferring their experiences on this generation irresponsibly. The world has changed, but they're too far out of the loop in Walkhill and Warwick to understand and relate. Also, not everybody is college material, and it's delusional to think that attending will set someone for life. I know far too many people that went to trade schools who are doing better than many college graduates. That's not to say I don't find the WT's stance on education to be irresponsible, because I do and it's one of my biggest beefs with them.
Another thing, the whole congregation vs. family responsibility is such a fine line to walk. I can't tell you how many people I've moved, did shopping for, sometimes spending my own money on items that should have been a family responsibility, taken to the meetings, taken to the doctor, etc.. Meanwhile, these folks had adult family members, often adult sons and daughters, both dub and non-dub that were capable but simply irresponsible. To be fair, sometimes it was just more convenient to make a call to someone in the congregation. Again, this is another thing that I think gets forgotten here on JWN, is that you cannot generally say that older ones are forgotten in the congregation. I remember as a kid my father dragging me along to help clean a roach infested apartment of an older sister who had adult children that should have handled it. I might give my identity away by revealing this but it's important to me that this thread has balance. In the long run, three elders got together, including my father, they pooled their money together and moved her. It wasn't that her adult relatives and kids weren't capable or relations were strained due to the WT. No, it was irresponsibility on the part of the family. My belief is, primary responsibility lies with family, that includes DFd adult kids. The funny thing is, the DFd and non-JW relatives will have contact with their elderly JW relatives, but will leave the uncomfortable work up to the congregation. Not saying its a general rule, but I've seen it and experienced it enough.
this is a very lonely time of year for me i admit it.
i'm suppose to be going over my aunties house wednesday after work.
but going to christmas/holiday parties and get togethers, i still kinda feel out of place.. i really wish i grew up celebrating the holidays more.
I feel conflicted when this time of year comes around. On one hand, I'm happy to see people in a festive mood. On the other hand, the commercialisation of the holiday season is something I find to be repulsive. I feel like more people who celebrate these holidays should be like Jesus when he tossed the merchants out of the temple, especially since Christmas is supposed to be about Jesus. Then again, as an active dub, I don't celebrate it. As a born-in, I've never celebrated it, so I'm not supposed to get it. To be honest with you, I don't really want to get it. I have to say the mixed emotions turn into a little bit of misanthropy and self ridicule. I walked by our break room today and on the TV was The Talk. For a second I cynically thought to myself, "why couldn't all of them(the hostesses) have herniated discs in their backs instead of Tony Romo? It's just not fair." Then for a second the self-pity kicks in like, "how'd I get born into this religion?" Then the stubborn prideful side of me kicks in like, "glad I'm not like these people celebrating this stupid holiday." It's a strange bunch of emotions and none of them are dominant or define my emotional state during this time of year. Rather, all the emotions fight for airtime.
The thing that leaves me the most unsettled during this time of year is figuring out what to do with myself. Got off work early this afternoon and after going home and crashing, I flirted with going back to the office. I just might go to work tomorrow. My routine has been disrupted with this holiday. I refuse to go out in service. I love "the friends", but I don't want to go bowling with them or do anything else social with them as they tend to be a little more sanctimonious than usual during this time of the year. Holiday television is usually pretty bad and I can't see myself reading all day. I'll be glad when this season is over and we can get back to some normalcy, regardless if normalcy is a bit of an oxymoron as a dub.
Edit post: EmptyInside, I played my "bored on a holiday then go to the movies card" too early. I went to see American Hustle last night, and Out of the Furnace a couple weeks ago. I should have waited until tonight and tomorrow. Now there's nothing else I currently want to see. Wolf of Wall Street isn't until next week I believe. Sighhhhhhh.
hello ya'll.
was just listening to great guitar music from some of my favorites.
who are your all time favorites?
Jimmy Page
Angus Young
Josh Homme
Hendrix
Prince
Dr.Know
I'm getting ready to pass out and when I wake up other guitarists will come to mind.
