Posts by Syme

8

Musings

by thedog1 in

jw
friends

apropo of nothing, i just wanted to share some thoughts.

i have started reading and posting here recently.

i have previously mentioned that i am an active jw, an elder who conducts the wt study.

thedog1: it my long-held conviction that the chances of falling into depression icrease rapidly for those in the full-time service. Even more increased are for the Bethelites, CO's and their wives. My explanation is because this is an unnatural work, as the society itself aknowledges from time to time. ("God did not create us to knock at doors; he created us to make children and fill the earth", as is often heard). When you give all yourself to an unnatural work, the depression is going to knock your door someday. This is made worse by the fact that the "pionner" believes he/she HAS TO appear "happy" to the other sheep, and to the world, by all means, by all costs. This leads mathematically to antidepressants.

About your situation as an active elder: I can feel for you to some point. I am also active in, at least appear to, and served as an elder in the recent past. What are your plans, really? Me, there are 2 major themes that keep me in. 1st, my work and my house are my father's property, so I would be facing the chance of starving homeless, if I just left. 2nd, I like the company. My best close friends are jws (but thinking ones). On the other hand, today's article made me almost sick, since I've studied evolution, and the whole 'reasoning' of the article was for the circus.

Extreme practice of "doublethink" could eventually lead to actual schizophrenia, don't you think?

72

Did you ever have a supernatural experience?

by XPeterX in

jw
friends

ok i know some of you are going to mock me but i don't give a shit and you'd better get dafaq outta this thread if you don't beleive in this stuff.. .

so,you ever seen somethin strange?shadow people?felt cold spots?touched by something you can't see?beaten by an unseen force?heard voices/whispers/growls/screams etc?are you sure about it or was it just your imagination?you ever been into the occult?c'mon share your experiences and stories!personally i've never had an encounter with the other side..

Syme

I don't believe in supernatural experiences, but I'm not dogmatic. So, here's a spooky one:

One night I was alone in the room watching "The Mothman Prophecies" on DVD. It's about a woman who has some vision of a dark kind of butterfly (or bat) before she dies in an accident, and then her husband sees those visions again; something like that (it was some years ago). In the midst of the movie, my mother from the nearby room, who had been sleeping, suddently wakes up screaming "My God, Jehovah". I go immidiately into the room, and ask her, what's wrong? She says she saw something in her sleep, that scared so much that she woke up. I started to get anxious and asked "What was it?".

"I don't know, something".

"What was it, tell me!".

"It was something black, with wings, like a bat".....

The thing is, even after that incident, even after I knew I shouldn't be watching this 'evil' movie, I went back to my room and continued seeing it to the end... Nothing happened again. So yes, I believe it was a coincidence, since it wasn't doublechecked. It's been 8-9 years now. Still, as I write this, I get the shivers...

15

1984, Big Mother, and the Watchtower on freeminds2.org

by DS211 in

1984 and big motherby randall wattersno one thought much of the book when it was first published in 1949, nor, in fact, did it stir much attention for a number of years thereafter.

in the last two decades, however, the book1984 by george orwell has drawn a much greater reading audience.

orwell portrays a society brainwashed by political ideologies to the point where they are intolerant of any other mindset.

Syme

For thinking witnesses who are nevertheless afraid to read Crisis of Conscience, the 1984 book would be the next best thing.

49

The Governing Body Have Stabbed Many Old Bethelites In The Back By Not Taking Care Of Them In Their Old Age

by frankiespeakin in

these guys are real company men when they have mass lay off of older bethelites tossing them to the curb and making the congregation they are assigned to carry some of the load, so that the watchtower corporation can cut costs of providing for these nolonger young people who have devoted theirs lives to the corporation.. they are heartless bastards aren't they?

i wonder what kind of undercurrent this is causing at headquartes?.

Syme

BluePill2: Thank you for your kind words! From your own posts I see you have a lot of experience. I'm looking forward to reading more from you and learn.

I would be grateful if you shared your view about a topic that concerns me, posted here: www.jehovahs-witness.net/members/private/268162/1/Need-help-How-can-I-save-them.

49

The Governing Body Have Stabbed Many Old Bethelites In The Back By Not Taking Care Of Them In Their Old Age

by frankiespeakin in

these guys are real company men when they have mass lay off of older bethelites tossing them to the curb and making the congregation they are assigned to carry some of the load, so that the watchtower corporation can cut costs of providing for these nolonger young people who have devoted theirs lives to the corporation.. they are heartless bastards aren't they?

i wonder what kind of undercurrent this is causing at headquartes?.

Syme

Old-timers were a problem in Stalinist USSR. Old-timers were a problem in Oceania (of 1984).

When someone takes control of a regime, it is essential that they purge the high-top old-timers, and replace it with their own creatures.

Old-timers are useless in the best case, and a danger in the worst, for every totalitarian regime.

Old-timers have seen their lives passing away and the End not having come. Old-timers have seen huge amounts of changed doctrine being presented before their eyes. Ask an old-timer how he feels about the New^n explanation of the Generation. Ask how he sees the changing of the preaching practices, from something personal and emotional, in his time, to a calculated, using-a-tablet, business-like advertisment of "jw.org" today.

Old-timers are a living history which cannot be re-written or wiped out. Old-timers, in short, are a liability.

45

Depression amongst JWs

by tornapart in

jw
friends

has anyone seen this post on facebook?

the comments below it are staggering!

so many suffering from depression... along with the few judgementalists.

Syme

Depression may hit some R&Fs who lose their jobs or are underpaid, but this is not a really different from the rest of the world, especially in this time of economic crisis. In my country where the unemployment is about 30%, depression hits like the Spanish Flu.

It's the ''higher ups" who suffer from the depression the most, not the R&F. Bethelites, traveling overseers, special pioneers: these are the groups more susceptible to depression. The depression rates are ridiculously high in those groups, and THAT is the most interesting. One is supposed to "pursue spiritual goals", "a career in the organization", so that they're most satisfied with their lives: isn't that the bait they throw in the late teen jws so they give up education and do pioneering? How on earth, then, those that *should* be THE most satisfied of all, are THE most depressed of all? The answer is no secret: this service is unnatural, even the Org itself aknowledges it. Those guys (and wives) lead THE most unnatural life one can imagine, and I tend to feel pity for them, especially the poor wives. But it frustrating to see those people consume HUGE amounts of drugs so that they *appear* happy in front of the sheep. And how can one who has his brain liquidated from drugs claim to be "reliable" and "mature spiritually"? Who can he proceed to give ANY advice to normal people?

Depression rates are evidently lower in R&F ranks, in people who lead a more or less normal life.

Maybe a new "Youths - What Will You Do With Your Life?" brochure is ought to be published, one which will state: "Youths, do you want to lead a full, satisfactory life? If yes, continue your education please, read a lot, listen to music, make love, be humans. On the other hand, do you want to have an 40% increased probability of depression? If so, apply NOW for regular pioneer, Bethel service, Evangelizers' School, and see what drug addiction means!"

Yup, that would be a nice brochure.

27

24 hour field service marathon ??

by gingerbread in

jw
friends

field service for up to twenty-four hours non-stop.... it's a bit of a fad in our area with pioneers - the twenty somethings especially.

we've heard from other family members and a jw friend that it's a thing in their part of the country as well.. it sounds like a group decides on a day and then piles into a van or suv to 'work' the territory - 12, 18 and even 24 hours.. anyone else hearing of this?.

ginger.

Syme

The most I had done was 13 hours, when I was exactly 20. I was an arrogant bastard back then. And I thought that was the threshold! But, yes, it seems that fanaticism has its way of getting through and expanding, in youths especially. Now, all these fanatic practices make me so sad to hear about... The thing is those poor kids think they do something really progressive... Those young kids, it's in their hands to be conscious, ethical humans, or surrender to being blind warriors and sheep at the same time.

41

Surrounded - Yet All Alone at the same Time

by offgrid5150 in

jw
friends

i've been lurking for a while,but figured i'd introduce myself.

i was born in, and i'm 30 years old.

it's hard to just read as a guest, and not share with anyone eventually.

Syme

Welcome, Offgrid. I'm new here as well, with some similar circumstances: am 30 too, and still active. So I can't give you any advice on what to do next, because I haven't done any actual step yet, apart from discussing with some very close friends, as well as my parents.

So, I'be glad to hear your future news, as well as share mine!

Be well!

21

'Evolution' of the Creative Days length

by Syme in

we all know that wts likes to distance itself from the young earth creationists, who believe in the literal 6-day creation.. so are we supposed to be something fundamentally different from the yecs?

not so much.... i did some research some time ago about what the society believes abouth the length of the creative days.

this is what i found:.

Syme

We all know that WTS likes to distance itself from the Young Earth Creationists, who believe in the literal 6-day creation.

So are we supposed to be something fundamentally different from the YECs? Not so much...

I did some research some time ago about what the society believes abouth the length of the creative days. This is what I found:

Publications written in the 60's and 70's: the creative days are 7,000 years each. (with regards to geological time, this is about the same as 24 hours; no big difference to YECs)

In the 80's and 90's this appears instead: The creative days conist of thousands of years each. (how many thousands? Tens? Hundreds? Millions?)

However, in a 1987 Questions from Readers, the "7,000 length" view is repeated again (for the last time).

In the 00's, this changes to: The creative days consist of long periods of time. (right. Very specific!) In recent publications, you'll see the "thousands" word has been dropped off completely.

And the best for the last: the Life (lf) brochure (2010) in p.23,24 has a graph depicting a soccer field. This represents the 4.5 billion years of Earth's history. A line is drawn at 1/8 the length of the field, representing the Cambrian explosion, which represents supposedly the creation of animals (hilarious, but our point is the length of the days). So: 1/8 of 4.5 Bya = 562.5 Mya ==> So, the creative days took place over 500 M years ago, says the Watchtower. Now, that's a step forward. But if the creative days last so long, then what about the 7th day? When was Adam created? If all days have equal length, when will the Millenium begin? In some million years??? You see the whole 7 days theology breaks down.

One good point is that the WTS seems to be getting closer and closer to scientific facts as decades pass by, albeit in a giant turtle speed. Maybe in some future generation it will endorse theistic evolution, who knows.

15

Elders oath

by Crazyguy in

is it true that the elders swear an oath when made elders and what is this oath???

?.

Syme

Sorry, no oath there. Nothing ceremonial.

Only a question is done in private before the announcement: "Is there anything in your personal/family life that would disqualify you?" This applies to MS appointments as well. If you answer yes, the appointment is aborted.

Maybe you heard something about the Poverty Oath that Bethelites make. That is true, but for Bethelites, not for elders.