Simon Templar

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Posts by Simon Templar

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  11

  Use of Tablets During Meeting

  by Simon Templar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as i seem to remember, in april 2010 i bought one of the first ipads.

  i saw the virtue of using it immediately.

  it was wifi.

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  Simon Templar

  As I seem to remember, In April 2010 I bought one of the first iPads. I saw the virtue of using it immediately. It was WiFi. At around the same time watchtower.org and JW-media.org were made available to the public although a little bit later on as I recall. I would take hard copy publications or parts of them to work, scan them, get them into the Books app via email and use them at the meetings. The Congregation which we attended had many people attending which were poor. One of the Elders was a Bethelite. After I made it a habit (about a month or two) to attend the meetings with the iPad and use it (or at least look at it) rather than a publication, the Bethelite gave a Local Needs talk. He lambasted the use of "modern appliances" at the meeting rather than a book. He clearly stated that this was a "showy display" of one's wealth and background (I was one of the only ones there that was University educated),and it was "unloving" to conspicuously use these devices in the KH in front of the brothers or to even own them. I was the only person that owned one, and the entire talk was directed at me. My wife was fit to be tied. I felt sorry for the man really.

  About 2-3 weeks later the Bethelite was sitting up in the front of the KH with an iPad! They gave him one at Bethel. He used it for various purposes. One of them was to time talks and then turn around the iPad and hold it so the person on the platform could see it and know they are out of time. He made a comment at a meeting shortly thereafter that we need to "keep up with technology so we can further the preaching work". This is in direct conflict with what he had said from the platform 3-4 weeks before. I saw him after the meeting and asked him if it was now okay to use an iPad at the meetings and he told me it was. Like that was some kind of a green light.

  Right then I decided that I need to get out of there and fast.
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  31

  Fade question: New Cong or stay.

  by Darkknight757 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i have a question with regard to fading.

  the wife and i have plans to move to another hall and continue our fade from the organization.

  we are already missing quite a few meetings and we are not reporting time.

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  Simon Templar

  I strongly believe that moving to a location where nobody knows you is best. Don't tell the locals that you are moving. Leave your publisher record cards with your present congregation. Just move and be done with it. Go to the meeting just prior to the move. Keep everything normal.Then just go to your new home. Its easier. Believe me.
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  38

  Hard to Remember but Back in the Ninteen Fifies...

  by new boy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my writing a book about my strange life as a jw.

  i need some help.. does anyone remember when they used to get these charts out at the service meetings which had all the hours, "back calls" and bible studies on it?

  what did they call that?.

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  Simon Templar

  I remember this. I don't remember the name of the chart. It was mounted on the wall of the platform and would fold out so all could see. I believe it was a separate job (position) just to keep it in order. When it was updated monthly, it would be discussed during a Service Meeting. The Brother would discuss the changes and how the numbers reported compared to lat month's numbers and the national numbers. The idea was that you compare yourself to this and either keep up or surpass the local and national reporting.
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  29

  One Person Baptized at Circuit Assembly

  by Simon Templar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i went to the circuit assembly with my wife yesterday.

  i have to keep peace in the family.

  there were less than 1,000 people for both the morning and the afternoon sessions.

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  Simon Templar

  ToesUp, they read the Accounts Report. There was a small deficit. A few thousand. They said they had to pay the Society $10,000 for the use of the Assembly Hall.
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  29

  One Person Baptized at Circuit Assembly

  by Simon Templar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i went to the circuit assembly with my wife yesterday.

  i have to keep peace in the family.

  there were less than 1,000 people for both the morning and the afternoon sessions.

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  Simon Templar

  Pontoon, this was not the Newburgh Assembly Hall
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  29

  One Person Baptized at Circuit Assembly

  by Simon Templar in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i went to the circuit assembly with my wife yesterday.

  i have to keep peace in the family.

  there were less than 1,000 people for both the morning and the afternoon sessions.

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  Simon Templar

  I went to the Circuit Assembly with my wife yesterday. I have to keep peace in the family. There were less than 1,000 people for both the morning and the afternoon sessions. I remember 12-1300 people for this assembly just 5-7 years ago. The attendance is down by a third. Anyway, the last talk for the morning session is always the baptism. When the Brother gave the talk there was only one person there to be baptized! He mentioned that and called her by name (I didn't get the name because my mind was wandering-as usual). He spoke there, to her, calling her by her name several times. The 900 or so other people just sat there and listened. He asked her two questions which she answered aloud, there was a prayer and off to the pool she went. We all had lunch. That's it. Only one person! I remember baptisms at the Circuit Assembly of 30-40-50 people. It has been dwindling down for years. Now it is only one.

  I said to my Wife, with all these witnesses here, almost a thousand. They all go door-to-door (almost all), they all preach, they spend thousands of hours in the FS, and there is only one convert? Not even a child of believers being baptized. What's going on? My Wife didn't know what to say. I said, honey, this is the end of something. Either it's the end of the world as these people have been saying for over 100 years, or it's the beginning of the end of the religion at least in the developed, English-speaking world. The growth in the English speaking world has really ended. It's freaky! I don't know what to think.

  Note: We live in a suburb of an American east coast City. The Circuit mixes in congregations from inside the City also. In these poorer urban neighborhoods (I won't use the word "ghetto"), the FS was amazing. There was always growth. That's where most of the growth was. Now there is none. The WTB&TS is moving out of Brooklyn, this growth thing is now really manifesting, the attendance is off by hundreds of people at the Circuit Assembly, I honestly don't know what to say. Something's going on. I was amazed to see this happening.
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  30

  To those who attended, attendance up or down at your memorial?

  by Crazyguy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  interesting to see if there's a noticeable trend in memorial attendance.

  also did they talk more then usual about ones not to partake?

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  Simon Templar

  Down. I didn't note the exact count, but visibly less than in recent years
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  31

  Question for those still attending the Kingdom Hall

  by ToesUp in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this a question more out of curiosity, because we have not stepped foot in a kh in 3 years.. how is the attendance at the meetings/assemblies?

  i know the answer will vary due to location.. are you (especially elders) receiving any notification or communication from bethel or co's that there is an upsurge of people that are simply disappearing or out right dis associating?.

  thanks, in advance, for your feedback!

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  Simon Templar

  I am still attending. I speak with many about this in general. It seems that they are resentful since the end never came and they feel lied to. There are at least four people in the Congo who will tell almost anyone that. We have 45-50 people for the mid-week meeting 70-75 on Sunday. This has slipped quite a bit over the past ten years or so. At the circuit assembly and special assembly day there are between one and four people baptized regularly. Most seem to be believing children. There are little or no converts in the English congregations anymore. Hours and hours of field service, little in the way of results. Mostly "not at homes". The Elders do not have the competency of prior generations. The meetings bore almost everyone to tears. Only the older Sisters say something pleasant to the Elders after the meetings. It is conspicuous that many of the members avoid them and just smile and speak nicely to them when they have to. The changing doctrines are getting people now, more so than before. I don't think fifteen percent of the Publishers can recite what the Generation now means. All the kids have left. Only some small minor children attend. Teenage and above are gone. It is almost amazing. Most of the people have no children in the religion anymore. There is a definite and palpable decline not only the number of members, but in attitude and energy. It's sad really. People can only take so much. They feel taken advantage of, as they tell me.
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  35

  Best pills meds or other to take before meeting?

  by Crazyguy in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  thought it would be good to share what ones take to deal with the meetings.

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  Simon Templar

  For about the past year, my wife has been taking a small-dose Xanax about 1/2 hour before the meeting.
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  19

  Talk on "Reaching Out"-Only What BOE Thinks Matters

  by Simon Templar in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  for the “living as christians” section of the workbook, “are you reaching out?” talk (15 min), the bethelite gave this talk at the meeting.

  he totally departed from the subject matter which is the watchtower of september 15, 2014, pages 3-6. he was so far off the reservation, it wasn't funny.

  here are a few highlights of what was said: 1) if any brother asked why they haven’t been appointed, and wants to know if there is a problem or condition that exists, that brother is too “presumptuous” and therefore, can’t be used.

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  Simon Templar

  For the “Living as Christians” section of the workbook, “Are you Reaching Out?” talk (15 min), the Bethelite gave this talk at the meeting. He totally departed from the subject matter which is the Watchtower of September 15, 2014, Pages 3-6. He was so far off the reservation, it wasn't funny. Here are a few highlights of what was said: 1) If any Brother asked why they haven’t been appointed, and wants to know if there is a problem or condition that exists, that Brother is too “presumptuous” and therefore, can’t be used. 2) No Brother should ask about this, but just wait on the body to act. If he isn't appointed, that means that the BOE feels that he isn't qualified. That's it. 3) Talent or skill doesn't matter for those appointed. It's what the BOE thinks and feels that matter. Nothing else.

  
  

  The implied thought was that the “Sheep” need to accept this and get used to it. They (the publishers) can't expect any of the appointed men to perform up to what they think is appropriate. If they don't like it, too bad. Correct yourself.

  My Wife has been active in the religion for 50 years. She is well studied and takes this religion seriously. After the meeting, she was furious. She said “Who does this man think he is to say these things to us, when they are not correct or in the Watchtower that is the subject of that part!” She ranted about him for a while. I was surprised. She spoke about the poor quality in recent years with almost any of the Elders and Servants and how this is harming the Congregation. Then she told me what the other Sisters thought of these people. I had no idea, not that I really care.

  
  

  This morning my wife was still upset. She mentioned that “They lied to us. The end never came as promised. When I was a kid, my Mother told me I would die if the end came and I wasn't baptized”. She mentioned that “When I agreed to be a member of this religion, everything was different. The end of the world, the Brothers, the congregations, the doctrines. There isn't any love in the congregation anymore. Things have changed. No apologies about the changes or doctrinal reversals , but I am supposed to do what I am told and shut-up.”

  
  

  She is hurt and P.O’d beyond belief. That one little 15 minute talk set her off big time. I had no idea she felt this way.