Posts by slimboyfat

178

Charging $150 To Tell Your Stories

by Bangalore in

jw
friends

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/how-to-escape-from-jehovah-s-witnesses-religion#/.

for $150: collaboration with the backer so that their story of successfully escaping an abusive belief system (300 words max) features along with others in the final pages of how to escape from jehovah's witnesses.

the text will be written by the author but will include a minimum of one quote worded by the backer.

slimboyfat

I feel sorry for the people who pay to have their names and stories included. I guess they think it has value, but I'm sorry it just seems embarrassing. They may look back and cringe. Lloyd seems to lack self-reflection. Everyone can make errors in judgment, but most people can see adverse feedback and respond and adjust accordingly. It was the same over the Facebook issue, where Lloyd insisted on his own anonymity for a long time, but considered others' loss of privacy as trivial. And would not back down or acknowledge the problem.

44

Things You Still Agree With The JWs On

by Fred Franztone in

aside from obvious things that most people agree on, like theft being wrong and the importance of family, i can't think of a single thing i agree with the jws on, nothing that's specific to their religion anyway.

do you have any?.

slimboyfat

Was Jesus real?

44

Things You Still Agree With The JWs On

by Fred Franztone in

aside from obvious things that most people agree on, like theft being wrong and the importance of family, i can't think of a single thing i agree with the jws on, nothing that's specific to their religion anyway.

do you have any?.

slimboyfat

It's the old king Saul argument isn't it? A bad king doesn't stop it being Jehovah's people. It's worth considering at least.

44

Things You Still Agree With The JWs On

by Fred Franztone in

aside from obvious things that most people agree on, like theft being wrong and the importance of family, i can't think of a single thing i agree with the jws on, nothing that's specific to their religion anyway.

do you have any?.

slimboyfat

I talked about JW unique stand on God's name here.

https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6276841381822464/most-successful-teaching-jehovahs-witnesses-amazing-new-book-on-divine-name

44

Things You Still Agree With The JWs On

by Fred Franztone in

aside from obvious things that most people agree on, like theft being wrong and the importance of family, i can't think of a single thing i agree with the jws on, nothing that's specific to their religion anyway.

do you have any?.

slimboyfat

To me the two central teachings of JWs are not to fight in wars and the importance of God's name. I think they're right about both of them. JWs are the largest peace community in the world and they are the most consistent defenders of God's name. So they have some things going for them. But breaking up families, shunning, disallowing freedom of thought and education, are absolutely intolerable. If JWs reform they could evolve into something good.

60

2017 Service Year Report Grand Totals

by Drearyweather in

jw
friends

2017 figures released to bethel families worldwide:.

peak publishers: 8,457,107. total baptized: 284,212 .

regular pioneers: 1,225,279 .

slimboyfat

Most churches are declining and would be more than happy with a "smaller increase than last year".

Methodists in Scotland for example decreased by 6% last year and Church of Scotland by 5%. Those are the sorts of figures that cause real panic in some churches, because if they continue there will be no church within a couple of decades.

A "smaller increase than last year" for JWs is hardly something they will worry about.

I am surprised. I expected them to decrease this year.

60

2017 Service Year Report Grand Totals

by Drearyweather in

jw
friends

2017 figures released to bethel families worldwide:.

peak publishers: 8,457,107. total baptized: 284,212 .

regular pioneers: 1,225,279 .

slimboyfat

I know it's easier, but the increase is over last year, when the same conditions pertained. And to be honest, I would have thought pioneering would be boring these days, standing around doing nothing much of the time, accomplishing nothing much, encountering nobody interesting except maybe a couple of angry apostates, if you're lucky. And pioneer numbers have been increasing for decades now. It has to reach a limit at some point.

60

2017 Service Year Report Grand Totals

by Drearyweather in

jw
friends

2017 figures released to bethel families worldwide:.

peak publishers: 8,457,107. total baptized: 284,212 .

regular pioneers: 1,225,279 .

slimboyfat

Also interested to know number branches, if down from 89 last year.

Given the peak figure, it's difficult to see how there could be a decrease in average publishers this year.

I am amazed that JWs are still increasing to be honest.

But the figure I am most interested in is number of congregations.

I'm also amazed that more and more JWs are becoming pioneers. It tends to undermine the idea that JWs are becoming increasingly skeptical. Unless there is a bifurcation taking place between JW skeptics on the periphery and hardcore JWs who are becoming more committed.

Morris promised the figures would be published on the website "as soon as they are available".

12

Greek Bethel up for sale: video - 77 Kifisias Avenue, Marousi, Athens

by darkspilver in

jw
friends

the greek bethel at 77 kifisias avenue, marousi, athens, is up for sale.

below is the sales video:https://vimeo.com/242230932see also: http://www.danos.gr/property-sale-in-marousi/.

from the bethel tour brochure:.

slimboyfat

It's not a still picture. Maybe it didn't play properly for you.

I just find something a bit crass about the same music that was used to inspire JWs to join and support "Kingdom work" also being used in a sales pitch for the closing down sale.

50