an older man on the elder body i was on, once said at an elders meeting, just prior to a co visit:.
"brothers we want to be careful not to bring up any dirty laundry with bro...co when he comes to visit" i didn't say anything at the time because i was duly doing my duty as a non thinking jw or at least non speaking and i also knew i was outnumbered.. even though i put this in quotes, i really don't remember exactly what he said but the general idea is there.. so the question is, has anyone else had a similar experience?.
perhaps some may have some thoughts on the many shows that go on in a kingdom hall..
Aside from what decision the BOE make prior to the CO visit, keep in mind that in many congos there is at least one elder who is "friends" with the CO and upon whom the CO relies for a candid and frank assessment of the state of the congo.
The PO who told the body not to air any dirty laundry may have been aiming his admonition at that guy.
i know this is a couple years old but i found it referenced on another site and had to share it--assuming it hasn't already been shared.. www.time.com.
Do they really attract the same amount of converts? Or just kids whose parents encourage them to get baptised...?
Dubs are baptizing their kids, otherwise there'd be countless conventions with zero baptisms.
i love criminal minds and the newest criminal minds that was showcased last night.
and i love law & order svu!.
My opinion: The Good Wife is one of the best dramas on TV right now. Glee may be the best show overall. Harry's Law is our favorite new show.
wow!
jehovah's witnesses show over a 4% increase and are the fastest growing religion!.
because of this they are overflowing with donations, right?
They can report whatever numbers they want. I don't have a way to double check these particular figures. The WT numbers that I do have knowledge of are highly inflated, e.g., field service hours and magazine placements.
Publishers (and congregation secretaries) often fabricate the FS reports. For example, 15 minutes of face to face witnessing (or less) on Saturday ends up as 2 to 3 hours on the report for the vast majority of JWs.
The society prints millions of magazines but the average dub family throws away many of those, having failed to place them at doors. Those that are placed are often deposited in the trash by householders who either take them to be polite or find them under the mat on their front porch.
So, if the numbers we know are false, how are we to react to the ones that come down from on high? Garbage in, garbage out.
was watching abc world news and they showed the religions/denominations with most increase and those that are experiencing decreases.. the j.w.
's was number 1 on increase while most of the larger main stream churches where losing members.. they have already posted a link on the news website...will post it in just a few..
Whatever happened to accurate reporting? The self-reported "increase" is actually 1.7% and more notable ex-dubs would include Michael Jackson and the Garridos (on trial for kidnapping Jaycee Lee Dugard who was held captive and raped for 20 years).
That a "reputable" outfit like ABC news would just run the press release and not check facts says a lot about the sorry state of journalism today.
have any of you who formally diassociated yourself from jehovah's witness by letter sent anything in writing to the entire congregation?
would it be considered bad form to send a letter to friends in the congregation regarding your decision and the reasons for it, before/after/simultaneously you send a letter to the boe?.
i think i would feel compelled to, out of acknowledgement that most of them would not speak to me after "the big announcement.
What Black Sheep said.
And why would you write them a letter at all? Just stop going, and don't answer your phone when they call (if they call).
The DA letter is the Watchtower's tool, for their benefit, not yours. In this man-made prison without walls, the incarceration stops the moment you no longer give them any power over you.
i have been lurking on this site and others for a couple of years now, and i feel it is time to step out and say "hello!
" when i first began investigating my beliefs, it was innocent enough.
i had been reading an article on scientology, thinking; "wow, these people are just plain nuts!!!
Yours is a difficult position, but consider all those "worldly" people who joined the JWs and the many challenges they faced in making radical lifestyle changes. To become a JW means abandoning family and friends, "studying" WT publications to learn a new way to think, to adopt a whole new paradigm or world view. It means no longer celebrating cherished holidays and events, to the dismay of family and former friends. It means putting your children's life on the line (and yours) with regard to potential life-saving medical procedures, to say nothing of forcing your childen to become outcasts among their peers in school. And the list goes on. Who, faced with all that, would even begin the process? The reason some do is that they don't have to make all these changes abruptly, but rather a step at a time.
Your situation is just like that, only in reverse. You studied your way in, now you have to study your way out. Having now learned the real "truth about the truth" you are conscientiously bound to move forward. As you continue "studying" the real truth about the Truth and get stronger and learn the difference between jay-dub spirituality and the real thing, obstacles will start to fall.
You've received excellent advice in this thread, including what Terry said, above. You had to adopt an attitude and stand the moral high ground, having determined that you now see the forest for the trees. Once you have seen the real truth, there is no going back. You can either stand still and be miserable or move forward in your journey. The discovery process will be enlightening and you may be amazed at the changes that take place around you.
My wife and all my children (all grown) followed my example and are no longer JWs. It took surprisingly little time, once we began talking about what I was learning and applying it to dub principles. As Terry suggests, I positioned all my discussions from "within" rather than attacking the organization. Focus on the things about JW teachings that you know drive your wife crazy. JWs live a contradictory life; spotlight those contradictions in a kind way.
Sift all the advice you're getting thru your own personal screen and use it however it best suits you. And move forward, slowly but steadily. Read everything you can, including Crisis of Conscience. But cite biblical texts and JW writings whenever you make the case for "examining these things daily."
And be sure to demonstrate your love for your wife; she is frightened of what you are learning for many reasons, but chief among them is the fear that you will leave her and break up the family. Make it clear to her that you have no intention of doing that.
If you select a path for yourself and follow it, you will like yourself better and have a good conscience. And, if it's meant to be, your loved ones will see your example and follow.
seeker4 - robert smith from vermont.
former jw, elder, pioneer, etc.
i've got a few thousand posts on these sites, but haven't posted for a year or two.
seeker: your letter of resignation set the bar and inspired me back in the day. Your experience was one that paved the road for my exit, so thanks. I've been absent from the board for several months until a few weeks ago, as I've been traveling on business. I was in upstate NY last summer, not far from Vermont, and thought about you but had no way to contact you - you'd disappeared from the forum. Otherwise, we'd have paid you a visit. I'm an old newspaperman so we have a lot in common. Good luck with your newest venture.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/scandals/103353/1/the-news-is-bigger-than-dateline-bbc-cbc-etc.
as many of you know, i made the "big news" statement when kerry louderback-wood's scholarly article about watch tower's blood misrepresentation that was published in the journal of church and state was just about to be published.
i was excited about it because lives were at stake and weve never had such an article before to be able to use to show how the watch tower misrepresents the blood issue through its literature and people die because of it.
I thought it was big news, too, but am not surprised at those who don't. There is no conventional mindset among ex-dubs; they are all over the map intellectually and emotionally, just as when we were in. Many former dubs didn't recognize what their membership in JWs was all about, and still don't.
My secular work and previous connection to an HLC elder meant I knew more about this issue than most and I believe what Kerry did (and you promoted) was an enormous step on an important journey. Keep up the good work, Barbara!
hi guys, i found a link that was posted here a while back, that had recordings of a ca in december, 2010.
(thanks) now, my friend would like to listen to all of it, as her college daughter just attended one here in arizona recently.
our question is - how similar are they to each other?
The outlines provided to the different speakers are all the same. The outlines assign an allotted time to the talk. This leaves little room for veering off course. However, some elders who pride themselves on being "teachers" will expand on some of the footnoted material (scriptures that the outline allows to be cited or a WTS magazine article that may also be cited if the speaker has time). So you could hear a program part delivered by two different elders in different locations and they would be similar and contain the same main points - but one may have an anecdote, an experience, or some interpretation of a scripture that the other lacks.
Also, some guys are way better at public speaking so it's also possible to hear the same talk from two speakers and feel they are substantially different.
