Magnum

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Posts by Magnum

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  18

  How did you pass the time when the Kingdom Hall meetings became boring and repetitive/

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  another boring and repetitive ''watchtower study.

  '' all the articles are about the ''faithful and discreet slave.''.

  for whatever reason, you tolerate this for years.

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  Magnum

  I hated wasting time at boring meetings and was still a believer at the time, so I read the Bible and kept notebooks of questions, things that didn't make sense, good points, etc. I also read a book on Koine Greek as I was learning it at the time.

  Towards the end of my time as a JW, I had resigned as an elder and there was an elder (40ish) who had recently moved into our area. He was actually a more normal type person. I could actually gripe to him and he sometimes agreed with me. One time, I ran into him at a grocery store where I was doing some work. I told him in a very sincere, but strong tone "something is wrong; something is wrong" (I was referring to the religion, the organization, etc.) He looked at me with a serious look on his face and walked away as if he was really thinking about what I said. He got halfway to his car in the parking lot and looked back over his shoulder at me and paused for a bit before leaving. I think what I said really affected him. He was far more intelligent and reasonable than the other elders in my area.

  Anyway, this guy kind of watched me because I think he connected with me and recognized that I, too, was more intelligent, reasonable, analytical, etc. than other JWs in the area. He seemed to be curious about me. He came over to me after a Sunday meeting and asked me what I was reading. I told him I was studying Greek. He looked interested. He asked in a sincere way - not a way indicating he was trying to correct me.
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  36

  We are now 23 Years past Armageddon as the GB stated

  by JohnTron7 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so the end was going to come by 2000 as documented in the magazines back in the late 80's early 90's.. so how did they get the time off so badly ( over two decades and still nothing) since the gb is jehovah's earthly mouthpiece right ?

  .

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  Magnum

  baldeagle, thanks, I was not aware of that mag and am definitely saving that reference for future use.

  Here's another that a lot of JWs and exJWs are not familiar with, but it's in black and white:

  Shortly, within our twentieth century, the “battle in the day of Jehovah” will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom. - "The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah" - How? page 261 (published 1971 (I think))
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  53

  What`s the reason some of you think JW`s are in decline ?

  by smiddy3 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  from what i can see no such thing is happening.i became a jw in 1960 and remained for about 30 years and the numbers of active jw`s today in the world are far greater than they were back then.. and here in australia the numbers are much higher than they were back then .. so i don`t see that their in decline or have any worries about losing support .. don`t the numbers speak for themselves ?.

  is it just wishful thinking on your part ?.

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  Magnum

  I agree with nicolaou. The religion that I once loved and served has declined and is declining. It truly is not the same religion it was a few decades ago. My now-deceased JW grandfather would be shocked to see what the religion is now.

  It used to appeal to intelligent, thinking, reasonable, stable, successful, discerning people, but not anymore. Just in my area alone, I know of eight engineers (5 electrical, 1 mechanical, 1 chemical, 1 civil), two dentists, an attorney, two medical doctors, a college professor with a doctorate, a schoolteacher with a bachelor's degree in physics, and a number of successful business people who became JWs back in the 80's. Also, in the 70's, a number of really smart ex-hippie types came in - the kind who think deeply.

  That does not happen anymore. JWdom no longer appeals to such ones. The internet has killed "the truth." If JWdom were what it claims to be, the internet would have been a great asset - a great tool for the advancement of "the truth." Ironically, JWs claim to be lovers of light, whereas the org actually wants/loves darkness. It doesn't want the great light the internet brought. It can't stand up to scrutiny under the light of the internet. It wants to operate under the cover of darkness.

  The org preferred the time when information was not readily available or easily attainable. It used to write about how the Catholic Church didn't want the Bible to be available in the everyday languages of the people so that they could be more easily controlled, wouldn't be able to recognize wrongs in doctrine, etc. Well, similarly, the JW leaders don't want JWs and others to be well-informed. They don't want their wrongs, deceptions, failed predictions, outright corruption, looney teachings, etc. of the past to be known. The org can no longer be deeply analytical or doctrinal in its writings because it knows it can be easily challenged now. It has to play it safe now. It is now more of a social or lifestyle religion. The parts of the religion that appealed to the intelligent types of people mentioned earlier are gone.

  It really doesn't matter to me what kind of numbers the org reports. The whole "feel" of the situation is different now. The JW "preaching" work is now a lame, puny, faint whisper. So, the whole damned world is about to be violently destroyed? If so, where is the clear, bold warning? Where are the Israelites marching around Jericho giving a great, clear, bold shout?

  JWdom is a mere shadow of its former self. It is a sinking ship. Its glory days are over. Its heyday is over. It is flapping at the water trying to keep from drowning. It is no longer proactive; it is now just reactive. It will never again regain the momentum it had in, for example, the 80's. In this 'final hour of the last days' when it should be growing and strengthening, it is weakening. Its presence and appearance and countenance and actions are indicative of sickness.

  So, yeah, it's declining.
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  362

  Just read that Carl Olof Jonsson died yesterday

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for newbies, who was carl olof jonsson?

  he was a jw in sweden who was challenged by a householder in the 1960s, who pointed out to him that secular history books don’t agree with watchtower that jerusalem was destroyed in 607 bce, but instead place the event 20 years later.

  the reason the date is important is because it is the starting date for jw chronology which leads to 1914 as the end of the gentile times, and the beginning of the last days, as jws understand it.

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  Magnum

  Gorb: It is not about the details, but the fact that COJ had a mindset of his own, and spoke out against an awfull system. That's what I respect so much.

  I feel the same way. Although I am interested in the specifics of his research, I really appreciate the fact that he was willing to think independently and honestly seek truth. I like the fact that he presented his research and conclusions to the org and stood his ground and didn't cower to the JW leadership.
  
  
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  362

  Just read that Carl Olof Jonsson died yesterday

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  for newbies, who was carl olof jonsson?

  he was a jw in sweden who was challenged by a householder in the 1960s, who pointed out to him that secular history books don’t agree with watchtower that jerusalem was destroyed in 607 bce, but instead place the event 20 years later.

  the reason the date is important is because it is the starting date for jw chronology which leads to 1914 as the end of the gentile times, and the beginning of the last days, as jws understand it.

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  Magnum

  slimboyfat, excellent synopsis!

  ****************

  Las Malvinas son Argentinas: What stood out to me in reading Jonsson’s original treatise was not necessarily that he was trying to refute WT, but as a loyal member he was trying to correct information he found to be incorrect and misleading. It sounded like he was genuinely concerned and felt WT could benefit from such information.

  That's the exact impression I've always had.

  ****************

  It seems to me that the GB members and other higher-ups back in the time of the Jonsson correspondence were at least somewhat able to comprehend Jonsson's work; some of them were at least somewhat scholarly (like Schroeder and Fred & Ray Franz). However, I don't think any of the current GB have the mental equipment to address the issue.

  ****************

  Jonsson's death is a great loss. He wasn't the typical JW robot drone. He was a truthseeker. He was honest. He was intelligent. Most of his type have left JW land. It's getting to be more and more such that the only ones remaining therein are the ones who lack intellect and/or honesty and/or strength of character.
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  17

  Can watchtower really continue with cart preaching?

  by Hellothere in

  1. social
  2. current

  can watchtower really continue with cart preaching?

  it has become like zoom.

  we're people attending zoom not wanting attend halls.

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  Magnum

  This religion has become a joke

  And, I so agree. I was a zealous, 100% believing reg pio back in the 80's & 90's. I sweated, sacrificed, hurt, was eaten up by bugs, etc. in the ministry. I walked neighborhoods by myself in 104degF heat and high humidity. I faced guns four times (might have been more; I just remember the four explicitly). I had doors slammed in my face. I was cussed out and yelled at and ridiculed. I was bold and I faced it all with strength and courage.

  JWs today are wimps. How possibly could they really believe that the whole damned world is about to experience a great cataclysm during which most humans will be destroyed and think they're providing a sufficient warning? There's no way what they're doing could be classified as being a sufficient warning. There's no way a just God could judge people based on the way they react to the almost nonexistent warning work of JWs. If JWs are really what they claim to be, they should be like the Israelites marching around Jericho on the seventh day - giving a great shout.
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  34

  Betty Georges - The Female Helper to the Governing Body

  by MillennialDawn in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  betty georges is listed as a helper to the governing body service committee, according to this page on the website: https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/governing-body-jw-helpers/.

  anybody know anything about her?.

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  Magnum

  Not a "her". Betty is a male. Same with Jody (mentioned right above).
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  23

  If you have a question maybe I can help doctor of theology and one of Jehovah's witnesses

  by Jehovahisgod in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my name is ari matthew davies.

  i am a life experience consultant counselor i have a doctor's degree theology psychology clinical addictions and computer sciences.

  i am also baptized as well as jehovah's witnesses.. if you have a question i've got a lot of experience and a lot of real life training.

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  Magnum

  I also can help you if you have a chemical addiction problem

  I can help you if you have a mental addiction to a religious cult, the members of which are delusional.

  **********************

  I'm really not trying to be mean, but I just can't help but notice that your writing is indicative of one who has very little education and/or intelligence. If English is not your first language, then I certainly understand; however, if English is your first language, then you should not have graduated from the 6th grade.

  You write that you have "a doctor's degree theology psychology clinical addictions and computer sciences." Do you mean you have one degree with concentrations in all those areas? That would be odd, but that's what your wording indicates. Or, do you mean that you have several degrees, each with a concentration in a different area?

  Again, I'm not trying to be mean - just honest. It seems to me to be presumptuous for you to come on here and think you are going to instruct us. One of my favorite quotes is "An educated man is one who is aware of what he does not know." I don't think you are aware of how much you don't know and how much we do know.

  From where did you get your degree(s)?
  
  
  
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  57

  Reading the Watchtower and Awake! is like getting a college education!

  by kairos in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  anybody remember hearing this?.

  --.

  is that comment in print anywhere?.

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  Magnum

  punkofnice:

  Knowing things doesn't equate to intelligence.

  I have said that often, and that's something a lot of people don't understand. I liken the situation to two different computers. One has vast "intelligence" - that is, massive processing power, but it has very little "knowledge" - that is, its database is almost empty. Another has puny processing capability, but lots of "knowledge" - files and files of info.

  Also, consider the fascinating case of Kim Peek. His mind was filled with vast, inconceivable amounts of knowledge, but his dad had to help him dress - not because he was physically not capable of dressing, but because he lacked the intelligence to dress himself. A psychologist who was interested in him knew he could easily absorb and remember simple facts (names, dates, etc.), but wanted to know to what extent he could understood more abstract or figurative type language. He asked Kim "What does it mean to get a hold of yourself?" Kim laughed at him as if it was obvious what it meant and then Kim proceeded to literally try to hold himself: he wrapped his arms around himself.

  ****************

  The term "college education" is virtually meaningless. One's having a college education in no way indicates he's intelligent. I know people with college educations who, and I mean this literally, should not have been let out of the seventh grade. I know college graduates who can't do simple arithmetic; they can't figure out what 1/2 of 1/3 is. They can't reason. They're illogical. They don't know simple grammar; they don't know the difference between adjectives and adverbs or transitive and intransitive verbs. They don't know what a gerund is or what the difference between the objective and nominative cases is. That's all seventh grade (or earlier grade) stuff.

  If one has a degree in math or the hard sciences or engineering, then he has to have some kind of good intelligence, but, not necessarily overall, well-rounded intelligence. One summer years ago, I took two semesters of organic chemistry in a period of four weeks. It was all day classes with labs later in the day. We had two different instructors because it would have been too much for one. Both of them knew organic chemistry well, but I found that neither was what I really view as being intelligent. They both had bad grammar and just weren't that smart in an overall way.

  I think that one's having a philosophy degree would indicate intelligence. I think that people like Christopher Hitchens are brilliant - much more intelligent than, for example, the two with organic chemistry PhD's who taught me that summer.

  Anyway, sorry for the ramble.... it's just something I'm really interested in. My main point is that JWs' saying that reading their mags is like getting a college degree is totally meaningless.
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  773

  Breaking News: Anthony Morris III no longer serving on the Governing Body

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this has been announced on the jw's official website, in the "jw news" section.

  this is not a joke.

  anthony moron da turd is out as a gluttonous body member!

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  Magnum

  ExBethelitenowPIMA:

  "Is it even possible to come off being gb and still be an anointed JW?

  Is it possible to come off being anointed and be other sheep and still be an Bethel elder?"

  When I was in, this was the org's teaching on that:

  One cannot be "demoted" from anointed to other sheep. Decisions that men in the org make (such as disfellowshipping, removal from GB, etc.) have no bearing on one's being or not being anointed. The anointing is from Jah, and men cannot remove it.

  In the first century, all Christians were anointed. When one was disfellowshipped at that time, he was still anointed unless Jah had completely written him off and deemed him doomed to everlasting destruction. The disfellowhipping removed him from the congregation, but not necessarily from Jah's favor. If he was reinstated, he was still anointed.

  So, today, Tony's removal from the GB or even disfellowshipping would not indicate he's no longer anointed. If Jah removes the anointing from a person, that person is doomed to eternal destruction; he or she does not have the option being part of the other sheep. Once anointed, always anointed unless determined to be worthy of Gehenna.

  P.S. St George of England, as you can see, I agree with you.