ours was on making use of phone witnessing and letter writing.
both ineffective and wastes of time.
another local cong.
Under the former system of things which has now passed away, local needs were scheduled in the OKM every 2/12 @ 10 minute allocations.
Under the new system of things, it appears that local needs are scheduled 1/12....
Jan MWB. - 8 mins
Feb MWB. - 10 mins
Mar MWB. - 5 mins
Apr MWB. - 7 mins
Time will tell what the significance of this change is.
ours was on making use of phone witnessing and letter writing.
both ineffective and wastes of time.
another local cong.
Further information re Britain Local Needs
Item titled: "Unless Jehovah Builds It..." based on Psalm 127:1. The video featured Paul Gillies several times - tall Scot whom I believe was the branch representative who tried and failed to give a riposte to the Guardian re the UN NGO scandal. I have a feint memory of him being on a video for elders and coming across as a real toughie on "apostates".
The video claimed that the UK work is "speeding up" and hence more KH's are needed. They showed a few minutes of a build in Corby and stated that 157 KH's were needed in Britain as a whole and 213 needed to be renovated.
When I heard this, I then realised that perhaps this is why they left the % increase box blank in the annual report. How can they claim the work is speeding up with all those KH builds and renovations needed if the % increase box was either nil or negative!
The other thing I noted is that hitherto, "Local Needs" meant needs specific to the congregation and determined by the local BoE. Now "local" is subject to semantic shift and can mean national (branch) needs! Perhaps this direct influence over / ingress to congregations explains the motivation for directing BoE to spend money on screens and projectors!
They didn't ask for money as such, but Paul Gillies did thank bros for their "continued support". They get NOTHING FROM ME!
yesterday's meeting was again, quite soporific.
however, i felt indignation when it came to paragraph 16 of the watchtower catechism.
it reads..."the remarkable growth that we see today is the result of our faith in god and full acceptance of the bible..."i won't deal with the first part of that sentence here, but the claim at the end - this is just an outright and most egregious lie!
it's amazing how the expression "the truth" has become such an ingrained term used by witnesses.. "we have 'the truth'".
"is he 'in the truth'?".
most here have found out so many facts about the organisation, and felt the effects of being "gut-punched" as we realised these facts.. so how do you feel about the expression "the truth" now?.
I no longer use the term. "The truth" as JW's put it, as it is a capricious entity. I discussed it more in depth on the following thread....
watchtower teaches jws that christ's presence began invisibly in 1914. they also teach that the start of christ's presence coincides with the start of the last days.
whether you believe in the bible or not, watchtower claims these teachings come from the bible.
so does the bible actually agree with them?
A very interesting summary / analysis.
I have noted a little retiscence on the part of the WTBTS / GBoJW since we reached and passed the 100 year point. This is seen in that they no longer flaunt Rev 12:12..... "...the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing that he has a short period of time."
By no stretch.of the imagination is 100 years + a "short period of time"! It's as if Rev 12:12 is being boycotted by WTBTS / GBoJW in their publications!
some scattered thoughts about the granting or denial of privileges of service as a control mechanism:.
this method of persuasion involving reward or punishment is so deeply ingrained in watchtower function, it is second nature.
although sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant, everyone from new bible study to traveling overseer is subconsciously aware of the possible limiting of his official opportunities to serve god and his brothers.. .
This link details the original meaning of "privilege" and evidences that the WT use of it reveals their arrogance (among other things......
i've been drawing back lately and looking at the big picture going on in the org, somewhat like slimboyfat has also been doing, but i am wondering about different possibilities.
so the current gb has modernized recently in various ways.
they have done a strong and sudden about-face regarding the electronic world, from viewing the whole thing suspiciously and condemning bros. use tablets from the platform to suddenly embracing them and causing the r&f to do so to such a degree that old ones are spending hundreds of dollars to buy devices that they have no clue how to use; they have heavily embraced this media for their message, very much like the churches have been doing for years, especially with their jw broadcasting and their caleb and sophia animations.
I was thinking about the technology scenario. Budgeting for such falls to the congregation and individual. The changes strongly suggest downward pressure on costs as does elimination of DO's SP's and reduction of Bethelites.
My congregation was visited by a relatively new and young CO. However, he sounds so institutionalised, bland, repetitive. He was very disparaging of higher education and use of web dating services. He drives a nice new car. Were I in his shoes, I might be somewhat anxious re the security of the CO role bearing in mind the retraction in other personnel grades. After all, CO's do represent a significant cost. Maybe their elimination could be the next cost saving feature. If so, no tears on my part!
I recollect this possibility on another thread with speculation that the role msy be filled by "loyal" and "capable" elders.
first scripture used by the public speaker was jeremiah 31:34 - "and they will no more teach each one his companion and each one his brother, saying, know jehovah!
for they will all of them know me, from the least one of them even to the greatest one of them, is the utterance of jehovah.
for i shall forgive their error, and their sin i shall remember no more.immediately, i was distracted.
Yes WO - they have it backwards.
Yesterday, in discussion with an awake friend, we were discussing how most of the elders whom we know are far removed from the role of "shepherds". Rather, they tend to mimic the Saudi Matawa - policing thoughts on the part of the sheep and summoning them to JC's upon even a weak prima facie case. Thus, we view them with considerable caution. But as for child molesters, the training of elders is quite unsuited. In another blog, I highlighted the training given to professionals in the UK, which has 4 levels depending on the nature of the professional role. WT elders do not access this training. The WTBTS sees its own resources (being a "sperate from the world" organisation mind you) as quit sufficient. Thus, elders are not competent to handle this issue, and nor is the combination of elders and the branch legal desk competent. So the issue is systemic and has the effect of protecting the perpetrators to a large extent, and exacerbating the mal-experience of victims.
In paragraph 15 of the WT study article cited in this thread, it is stated:
"...when a man named Nathanael heard that Jesus had come from Nazareth, he said: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) Based on that comment, how might you have labeled Nathanael? Critical? Prejudiced? Faithless? Jesus exercised insight and looked for the good in Nathanael."
This is another galling paradox, for the WTBTS / GBoJW is indeed critical, prejudiced, and faithless (with the exception of FDS promotion / veneration). They are highly critical of anyone who disagrees with them even a little, and regardless of the point of disagreement having the authority of scripture. They are most definitely prejudiced against many institutions (charities and NGO's) in today's world which otherwise do a good job. I would go as far a saying that they are quite sectarian (anti-catholic especially) despite them paying the RC Church the highest of compliments by emulating some of their practices (the Magesterium, clergy/laity distinctions, elevation and veneration of some individuals). Yet their policies do have the effect of protecting child molesters. The elder who receives a report of such abuse from a victim or the victim's parents and who recommends contacting the police \ child protection services (those with the appropriate skill mix), that elder will at the very least have his "qualifications" reviewed and may have to relinquish his role. This rather like elders who would be supportive of their youngs ones having a university education.
So we do really have a paradox in that innocent but dissenting ones are pursued but responses to child molesters are misguided / protected from the law. The meeting I mentioned was galling and nauseating. The content of the meeting and written material was poor. Then again, what more can be expected from today's WTBTS / GBoJW? the maxim is indeed true, that "they who expect nothing, shall not be disappointed!"
first scripture used by the public speaker was jeremiah 31:34 - "and they will no more teach each one his companion and each one his brother, saying, know jehovah!
for they will all of them know me, from the least one of them even to the greatest one of them, is the utterance of jehovah.
for i shall forgive their error, and their sin i shall remember no more.immediately, i was distracted.
