Edited to move to new post, on advice from Winston (below). See post at:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/58167/862423/post.ashx#862423
willyloman
JoinedPosts by willyloman
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83
My two week consulting trip to Bethel (the beginning of the end) Part 4
by seven006 inthe next day was going to be tough.
i had to do kind of a portfolio check session with the illustrators and work on some photo retouching for an up coming italian awake magazine and work with someone from the graphics department on the miniaturization issue.
as i walked around a little bit i noticed a large hell scanner sitting in a room with a plastic tarp over it.
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Question: What keeps the Watchtower Society going?
by Vitameatavegamin inhello folks, it's been awhile since i have posted, hope everyone is doing well!
i have a question, though, if the society is not paying the governing body, or other "big wigs" in ny large salaries, what would be the motivating factor for the society to continue to exist?
i am not saying that money is everything, but if none of the money is going into pockets, then the society must really feel that they are god's chosen channel, or something to that effect.
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willyloman
We recently saw a 70 year old sister from a congo we used to go to; she was passing through town and called to say hello. We had an interesting conversation. Her husband, once a pillar in the circuit, no longer serves as elder because of the "politics" he saw and resigned. She went off on a tear about how there are a lot of "weird" people in the organization these days and how no one is allowed to ask questions about changes in procedures or criticize anyone or anything. This woman was a pio for many years and goes, way, way back at least 50 years in the org. and was virtually a founder of congos that eventually split and re-split in a city that grew very rapidly since the 1960s.
I asked her what she thought she ought to do, and she said she's just decided that her relationship with God is not really tied to an organization but is a personal matter between her and Jehovah. So she continues to hang with several old sisters she's been pals with for decades, taking care of the sick and the infirm, and they get together to go out in service a couple times a week and get to some but not all of the meetings and when they do they sit together (and probably roll their eyes in unison).
Anyway, she says she's forced herself to "tune out" a lot of what she hears from the platform as "just someone's opinion." She feels the real spiritual giants are all gone now, and the people running the organization today are just treading water until they get a clue what the next step is. Her philosophy now, she said, is "that this is all temporary, the sickness, the death, the problems, the changes," and that soon she'll be dead and right after that in paradise and is content to let God sort it all out then.
As I listened, I was thinking how much easier it would be to take that avenue if you are 70 and only have to fake it for a few more years, rather than 20 or 30. All of this supports my theory that there are thousands, maybe 10s of thousands, or more, JWs who are sitting in KHs all over the world who are tuning out the drivel, staying below the radar, and living lives of quiet desperation, awaiting some miracle.
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If You Value Love, NEVER Become a Jehovah's Witness!
by metatron ini was observing my loyal wife sending out anniversary cards to other witnesses,.
as she has done for many years.
if we were ordinary protestants, we would probably.
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willyloman
What Blondie said. Oh, so true!
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I've heard all about you!
by SM62 ini have heard about this forum from someone, but i won't say who as i don't want to expose them.
i am in the process of evaluating my life as a jw.
it has been a pretty sad life - without a real feeling of 'belonging'.
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willyloman
Terri: you've already show a lot of courage by posting here; the first step is the hardest. Welcome!
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Question: What keeps the Watchtower Society going?
by Vitameatavegamin inhello folks, it's been awhile since i have posted, hope everyone is doing well!
i have a question, though, if the society is not paying the governing body, or other "big wigs" in ny large salaries, what would be the motivating factor for the society to continue to exist?
i am not saying that money is everything, but if none of the money is going into pockets, then the society must really feel that they are god's chosen channel, or something to that effect.
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willyloman
The "higher up" you get in the organization and the longer you've been "in" the more likely you are to have many doubts and disappointments, while at the same time becoming too immersed and interconnected to easily escape.
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They treat child molesters better than they treat us!
by Swan ini have been thinking about this a lot.. my family treats child molesters better than they treat me.
my sister-in-law's father was accused of child abuse by her sister.
since there weren't two witnesses to this terrible violation, he is still in good standing in the congregation to this day.
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willyloman
Poignant post, Lady Lee.
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My two week consulting trip to Bethel (the beginning of the end) part 2
by seven006 inas we entered a door of the administration building we did not head to the elevator to take us up the eight floors to the main administration floor.
i looked around the room and asked, "what's up with her?
i was going to work with the elder from hell who ran the photography department.
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willyloman
Dear lord frannie, how in the world do you have time to be so busy over here, and still have time to participate in another x-dub group?
Frannie's on track to post 8,000 times in a year, a pace exceeded only by... Fred Hall!
Her content is much better, though. -
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Are You Surpised By What You Don't Believe In Anymore?
by minimus in.
jehovah's witnesses must "believe" whatever the watchtower bible & tract society publishes.
now that you aren't forced to accept beliefs that you might not have wholeheartedly endorsed, there must be many different things that you don't accept.....what comes to mind?
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willyloman
Mulan: You've come far, pilgrim! And I mean that in a good way. (This from someone who has lurked on this board for more than two years and then went back and read every single post beginning with Simon's initial intro).
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Comments You Will Not Hear at the 9-7-03 WT Study
by blondie incomments you will not hear at the 9-7-03 wt study
what about adam?
what did jesus say about the pharisees?.
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willyloman
Blondie: This is a delightful series you've got going. Much more instructive than the live version on Sundays at a KH near you. Thanks for all the effort. You ARE making a difference!
You've exposed another viper's next of hypocrisy here, but quoting their own words:
Imagine a parent who has vast knowledge but who rarely speaks to his children. Are you not thankful that Jehovah is not like that?
Are they kidding? What other religion pays such lip service to taking in "vast knowledge" yet also advocates "rarely speaking to their children" when they are baptized at 13, screw up at 16 (as kids do), and DF'd?
Why don't they take their own advice and "be thankful Jehovah is not like that?"
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My two week consulting trip to Bethel (the beginning of the end) part 2
by seven006 inas we entered a door of the administration building we did not head to the elevator to take us up the eight floors to the main administration floor.
i looked around the room and asked, "what's up with her?
i was going to work with the elder from hell who ran the photography department.
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willyloman
Just piling on...
My trip to the Art Department was nowhere near as interesting as yours, Dave, but your post brings it all back. I met the exact same people and got the exact same vibe. The "special tour" was set up by a Bethelite acquaintance who got me in because in my professional life I was engaged in the same sort of business. However, I didn't recognize much of what they were doing there. I attributed it at the time to the difference between paid and volunteer labor. I was struck by the same things you were. Some of them were brusque and clearly uncomfortable with the awkward presence of a "visiting professional," and they mostly couldn't wait for me to leave. So what was supposed to be the highlight of our trip was a bit of a disappointment. I walked away thinking the same thing I always think whenever I interact with any art department, anywhere in the world: Artists are a little whacky and they don't play well with others.