Nothing would surprise me at this point. Previously they have said for years that tithing is unscriptural. Decades really. That can all change in about two new Watchtower articles revealing new truth with some examples like David, Solomon, the Jews returning from exile, etc, and stretch it out to how it applies to us, and so-on. Most of the JWs don't have the resources to do a 10% tithe, so they will make it a lower amount, or one that the JW member selects, but it must be monthly and regular. I could see that happening.
Simon Templar
JoinedPosts by Simon Templar
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Could they make not donating a disfellowshipping offence?
by purrpurr ini'm wondering at how far the borg could go in begging for money?
their halls are already resembling the"money changers in the temple".
as they get sued more and more due to their pedophilic paradise their coffers will be ever more drained.
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Use of Tablets During Meeting
by Simon Templar inas 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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Fade question: New Cong or stay.
by Darkknight757 ini 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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Hard to Remember but Back in the Ninteen Fifies...
by new boy inmy 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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One Person Baptized at Circuit Assembly
by Simon Templar ini 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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One Person Baptized at Circuit Assembly
by Simon Templar ini 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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One Person Baptized at Circuit Assembly
by Simon Templar ini 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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To those who attended, attendance up or down at your memorial?
by Crazyguy ininteresting 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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Question for those still attending the Kingdom Hall
by ToesUp inthis 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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Best pills meds or other to take before meeting?
by Crazyguy inthought 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.