blondie

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Posts by blondie

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  12

  Bible Reading Schedule, Dumbed Down?

  by Slidin Fast in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has any body noticed that the bible reading schedule has been reduced to one chapter per week.

  does any one know if this is a policy change or something temporary?

  at this rate the complete cycle will take 22 years plus..

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  blondie

  The WT study articles are so dumbed down, the WTS repeats the same phrases and key words in every paragraph and nothing is new. In fact I think only 4 new magazines are printed and the rest are old magazines from the past. One reason I stopped doing my reviews.
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  12

  Bible Reading Schedule, Dumbed Down?

  by Slidin Fast in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has any body noticed that the bible reading schedule has been reduced to one chapter per week.

  does any one know if this is a policy change or something temporary?

  at this rate the complete cycle will take 22 years plus..

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  blondie

  I knew an ex-Bethelite, who advanced to being an ex-jw. I asked what was his "aha moment." He said he had to read the whole bible in one month to prepare for this training. He had never read the bible all the way through only the scriptures quote or cited in the publications. When he got through Genesis, that was his "aha moment." He stuck it out for about 2 months, then asked to leave because of health problems. Then he slowly eased out of the congregation. Yes, really reading the bible opened my eyes, I had so many questions after reading Genesis, I slowed down my meeting attendance and "preaching." I was so blind back then. No more.
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  51

  1975 !

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how many of you here remember 1975?

  i hope the newer generations never forget.the true believers got shamed for it.

  those who were hedging their bets, fared much better.

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  blondie

  I agree DOC, I don't worry about the past, I'm glad I got out.
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  2

  Recently UK KH Up For Sale

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently refurbished uk kh recently refurbished up for sale, tentative 500,000 pounds!https://uk.news.yahoo.com/former-jehovahs-witness-hall-conversion-040000931.html .

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  blondie

  Thank you, Phizzy. I get news items every day from Google News sometimes post one on jwn. I have my filter set to bring up articles with references about jehovah's witnesses. There is a KH near us with 4 congregations in it. Have to schedule 2 public talks/WT studies on Sunday and 2 on Saturday, and 4 weekly meetings Monday through Friday. Sold 3 KHs doing that, but then the money went to headquarters. Not like the days when KHs were built for 250 seating in our area (pre 1975). They have had to take up chairs from the back rows so the KH doesn't look so empty. Yes, they have to drive farther, but this is a city over 200,000 people. But some of those in the rural areas, have to drive 30 to 40 miles one way to get to a meeting. And now even the "book study" is combined with 3 meetings being back to back at the "mid-week" meeting. Property prices have gone up a lot during and post covid. It is almost impossible for people to find "starter" homes under $400,000. We bought our house 17 years ago, and we could sell it for $550,000 twice the cost we paid for it. My husband said if someone had said to us that we would be owning a house more that half a million dollars he would said they were crazy. Our mortgage is only half what people pay for a 2 bedroom apartment! I notice that regional conventions are being held at the nearby assembly hall, every weekend during May through September.
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  58

  Probability of Earth and life being how it is

  by ballistic in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  there are some things we don't know about existence and whether the earth is a simulation or even a creation.

  but we can do some statistical analysis on it.. the probability of a planet like earth existing in the goldilocks zone and having a moon that perfectly eclipses the sun is extremely low, but it's not impossible.

  the habitable zone (or goldilocks zone) around a star is the region where a planet could potentially support liquid water on its surface.

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  blondie

  How did this topic go so far off from the original post? "There are some things we don't know about existence and whether the Earth is a simulation or even a creation. But we can do some statistical analysis on it.The probability of a planet like Earth existing in the Goldilocks zone and having a moon that perfectly eclipses the sun is extremely low, but it's not impossible.

  • The habitable zone (or Goldilocks zone) around a star is the region where a planet could potentially support liquid water on its surface."
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  2

  Recently UK KH Up For Sale

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently refurbished uk kh recently refurbished up for sale, tentative 500,000 pounds!https://uk.news.yahoo.com/former-jehovahs-witness-hall-conversion-040000931.html .

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  blondie

  Recently refurbished UK KH recently refurbished up for sale, tentative 500,000 pounds!https://uk.news.yahoo.com/former-jehovahs-witness-hall-conversion-040000931.html
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  51

  1975 !

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how many of you here remember 1975?

  i hope the newer generations never forget.the true believers got shamed for it.

  those who were hedging their bets, fared much better.

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  blondie

  I remember 1975 hype. My family were 3rd generation and my grandparents had lived during the 1925 hype that the end would come then. They were not on the ship though, they remembered this scripture: Matthew 24:44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it." So we thought it could not come in 1975, because Jesus said it would come "at an hour that you do not think it to be" like a thief in the night. Thieves don't tell their victims when they are coming, nor would Christians be told by god. But we kept it to ourselves and did not make any crazy decisions.
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  13

  Loyalty to the Governing Body? Timeline to Change

  by blondie in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://jwfacts.com/watchtower/governing-body.php .

  here is an example how the wts has "adjusted" scripture.

  the governing body has gone as far as to change the text of micah 6:8 in their 2013 new world translation of the holy scriptures (nwt) in order to be able to demand loyalty.

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  blondie

  https://jwfacts.com/watchtower/governing-body.php

  Here is an example how the WTS has "adjusted" scripture

  The Governing Body has gone as far as to change the text of Micah 6:8 in their 2013 New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) in order to be able to demand loyalty. Early versions of the NWT used the word "kindness", in line with Strong's Concordance.

  NWT 1961 - Micah 6:8 "And what is Jehovah asking back from you but to exercise justice and to love kindness and to be modest in walking with your God?"

  In 2013, NWT changed "kindness" to "loyalty", despite few other translations using the concept of loyalty (ERV, MSG) or faithfulness (HCSB, NET).

  NWT 2013 - Micah 6:8 "And what is Jehovah requiring of you? Only to exercise justice, to cherish loyalty, And to walk in modesty with your God!"

  This change in the 2013 edition has opened way for Watchtower leaders to start using Micah 6:8 in application to themselves.

  "Today, as in the past, Jehovah wants all of his servants to be loyal to him and respect those whom he allows to have authority.—Read Micah 6:8." Watchtower Simplified 2016 Feb p.22

  
  
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  68

  Did the Fred Franz style of writing cease after he died?

  by SydBarrett in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was completely out by 1991 and 1989 would have been the last time i had to attend regularly.

  that over the top franz writing style was still there in the 1980's although i've heard he wasn't actually doing much writing by then.

  but his style was definitely picked up and imitated for many years beyond its wacky, outlandish peak of the the 50's - 70's.

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  blondie

  Fred Franz mostly was behind all the articles etc. After he became incapable of coming up with "individual" info, the WTS mostly just reused his info and changed it a bit. The writers after that did not have the skill to carefully trick jws and kept having to adjust or clarify what appeared in the publications. Like throwing crap at the wall and seeing what sticks. The WTS also deals with difficult past teachings, by not mentioning them any more in future publications, like the 7,000 year creative day.
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  29

  800-why-1914 helpline, Marilyn Zweifel

  by coffee_black in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for many years, since the mid 80s, marilyn zweifel manned the help-line.

  several months ago, the help-line stopped due to marilyn's serious health issues.

  marilyn was hospitalized a few weeks ago.. she has serious health issues and has suffered from 2 serious falls... she is now in a nursing home.

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  blondie

  To find out more about Marilyn and her contemporaries in the fight to educate people about the Watchtower Society: https://sites.google.com/view/channelc2-experiences/experiences/barbara-joe-anderson