Posts by dozy

1

Deborah 13 tv program

by dozy in

jw
friends

anybody see this program , which was on bbc 3 in the uk a couple of weeks ago?.

"documentary about 13-year-old deborah drapper, who, unlike other british teens has never heard of britney spears or victoria beckham.

she has been brought up in a deeply christian family and her parents have tried to make sure she and her ten brothers and sisters have grown up protected from the sins of the outside world.

dozy

Anybody see this program , which was on BBC 3 in the UK a couple of weeks ago?

"Documentary about 13-year-old Deborah Drapper, who, unlike other British teens has never heard of Britney Spears or Victoria Beckham. She has been brought up in a deeply Christian family and her parents have tried to make sure she and her ten brothers and sisters have grown up protected from the sins of the outside world.

Deborah is a bright, confident girl who has big ambitions for her life and the film spends a summer with her as she ventures out in the world to see what life outside her family could be and starts putting her beliefs forward to a wider audience."

Now on BBC iplayer (which I think is only for UK residents)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j6l77/Deborah_13_Servant_of_God/

5

Jehovah's Witnesses - the antitypical Pharisees

by processor in

the following comparison of pharisees and jehovah's witnesses was included in my letter of disassociation.

it will also be featured in the next witchtower issue.

but since it is a serious topic, i wanted to post it here:.

dozy

Good comparisons.

65

Left the WT but why the loss of your faith in God?

by Luo bou to in

jw
friends

sure the wt deceived you with its claim to be god's channel but why for so many is there a subsequent loss of faith in god ?

it puzzles me and makes me wonder why they were jw's in the first place..

dozy

Some good comments on this thread.

I have to agree with a few of the posters who argue that most (though not all) JWs are not really religious people at all. The whole system is geared to getting people to go out on the service, which is primarily simply a door-to-door selling activity, rather than building up faith & trust in God. I’ve spoken to brothers who are very high up in the Org admitting that they aren’t use whether there is a God at all , yet they comfortably hold very responsible positions , give talks at conventions , even pioneer or serve as Circuit or District Overseers.

Many in the churches have their faith strengthened by a strong relationship with Jesus , which of course JWs don’t have , as the WTS simply teaches him as an “example”. You very rarely hear anyone express appreciation for Jesus in congregation or assembly prayers , whereas the “Organization” or the “Governing Body” are thanked constantly. So when belief in the WTS evaporates , the average JW is left with nothing other than a residual notion of a belief in God. In time , this often disappears as well.

19

June 15 Study Watchtower now on jw.org

by dozy in

notably contains an article on "the faithful steward and it's governing body".

only skimmed over the account , but it seems to cover a number of bases - eg.

anointed individuals are not to think they are above "god's channel".

dozy

Notably the article makes no effort to develop or identify any concept of a FADS class between the death of the apostles and the structure that exists today.

37

New anointed rejected by the WT-society

by Kosonen in

new anointed rejected by the wt-society.

i listened through the lates download wt, june 15, 2009. www.jw.org there is an article: the faithful steward and its governing body.. this article makes it clear that new anointed will not be consulted in preparing spiritual food.

other sheep are also told in other words not to listen to the opinion of new anointed in the congregations.. .

dozy

The WTS has made sure that anointed ones are hardly ever , if ever ,appointed on Branch committees or given any responsible positions outwith Brooklyn that could lead to a competing power base being formed.

It is easy for the WTS to dismiss a “maverick” anointed in Chucksville congregation who sends them a letter from time to time or who requests a meeting with the CO when he visits who humorously tolerates him / her. It would be another thing if a few “anointed” JWs in Millhill or Selters began to think they knew better than Brooklyn & started challenging them.

19

June 15 Study Watchtower now on jw.org

by dozy in

notably contains an article on "the faithful steward and it's governing body".

only skimmed over the account , but it seems to cover a number of bases - eg.

anointed individuals are not to think they are above "god's channel".

dozy

Notably contains an article on "The Faithful Steward and it's Governing Body". Only skimmed over the account , but it seems to cover a number of bases - eg

Anointed individuals are not to think they are above "God's channel"

Paul & Barnabus got their authority from the GB.

Although the cong judges , it is actually the elders who represent them.

Unusually it references Lukes account about the "faithful steward" which the WTS rarely links with Mt 24:45 (to the extent that there are no cross references in the NWT from Matthew).

http://www.jw.org

88

British Sociologist Predicts Possible Collapse in Jehovah's Witness Numbers

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

a newly published article by british sociologist david voas argues jehovah's witnesses may be about to experience a collapse in numbers.

contrary to claims by american sociologist rodney stark who predicts strong future growth for jehovah's witnesses, voas shows that jehovah's witnesses' efforts at recruiting new members have become increasingly unsuccessful over the past few decades: the rate of increase has steadily declined, and the number of hours each publisher must preach to produce an extra convert has gone up substantially.

voas suggests a reason for the stagnation may be that there is a natural limit to the number of people in a given population that are susceptible to conversion to sectarian groups like jehovah's witnesses - the 'carrying capacity' of the population, and that the limit has largely been reached.

dozy

It is difficult to examine the motives of JWs , especially when we approach the matter from a standpoint of fading or ex-JWs who are disillusioned with the Org. I don’t doubt that there are a core of “true believers” who are pioneering like there is no tomorrow and diligently trying to obey all the WTS directives.

My own perception , though , is that these ones are in the minority. 30 years ago you simply couldn’t miss a meeting unless you were virtually dead. Now whole families consistently miss meetings for the most casual of reasons – slept in on Sunday , bit of a headache etc etc. Attendance is 70% and falling – as the figures include children & “interested ones” , only about 60% of JWs attend meetings on any given day.

We had a meeting a few months ago with a very gung ho public talk that insisted that the ministry was the most important work we had to do , followed by a Watchtower on a similar theme. Answer after answer was given from the cong about how vital the service was , what a life-saving work it was , whipped up by an enthusiastic & sincere Watchtower conductor. Afterwards there was a meeting for field service – I was the assigned brother to take it. Not one brother or sister turned up out of the whole cong. I waited to see if anyone had gone & were returning but no one came back. I just turned off the lights & went home.

I was chatting with a long-established elder who has been a JW for 50 years & is always on the assembly program. The conversation started to get a bit deep as I discussed my reservations about the WTS. “You know what , Dozy?” he told me. “I sometimes wonder whether there is a God.”

What I am saying is that the majority of witnesses have been trained from birth to go through the motions. They know what to say , what they can (and can’t) get away with. The WTS has created millions of superficial individuals who have a strong family & friends network and a devotion on a certain level to the “organization” but no spiritual depth , no meaningful relationship with God or Jesus. The result is stagnation and perhaps an inevitable decline.

88

British Sociologist Predicts Possible Collapse in Jehovah's Witness Numbers

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

a newly published article by british sociologist david voas argues jehovah's witnesses may be about to experience a collapse in numbers.

contrary to claims by american sociologist rodney stark who predicts strong future growth for jehovah's witnesses, voas shows that jehovah's witnesses' efforts at recruiting new members have become increasingly unsuccessful over the past few decades: the rate of increase has steadily declined, and the number of hours each publisher must preach to produce an extra convert has gone up substantially.

voas suggests a reason for the stagnation may be that there is a natural limit to the number of people in a given population that are susceptible to conversion to sectarian groups like jehovah's witnesses - the 'carrying capacity' of the population, and that the limit has largely been reached.

dozy

Interesting article. I would go for the stagnation rather than collapse scenario , however (assuming one of the nuclear threats to “the truth” doesn’t materializes - a major schism / high level scandal or WCG style acknowledgement of failings / profound change of doctrine (eg scrapping blood ban / 1914) / financial crisis.)

2 factors not mentioned in the article have to be considered.

(1) Huge hurdle in leaving JWs

(2) “The rewards of membership are found in possessing and proclaiming the truth, rather than in access to rituals, emotionally uplifting worship, or a range of social opportunities.” I venture to disagree – I think the primary motivation of most JWs is the social circle – especially in mature JW countries where most JWs are 2 nd , 3 rd or even 4 th generation , with numerous interlocking family members & friends. Most JWs accept that there is very little “reward” in the ministry & go through the motions. They aren’t motivated or even expected to produce any recruits.

25

U.K. JW Pedophile -- Sentenced !

by Rabbit in

former teacher jailed for trying to abduct girl in holywellmar 12 2009 by our correspondent, western mail.

a former teacher, businessman and senior jehovahs witness who tried to abduct a five-year-old was yesterday jailed for six years.. robert edward bill, 54, was told by a judge that he was still in denial about his predatory interest in young children despite a series of convictions.. he has been found guilty at separate trials of the attempted abduction of the girl in holywell two years ago, of indecently assaulting a seven-year-old 10 years ago, and of possessing 730 pornographic images of children.. prosecuting at caernarfon crown court, simon medland described how the girl had been returning home from a playground when bill, for malign purposes, drew up in his car and asked: have you seen a cat?.

by chance the girls uncle arrived at the scene at that moment and her mother, who had been watching from a window, ran to her.. mr medland said bill of the roe, st asaph, denbighshire, had been driving slowly around areas where he was likely to come into contact with children that same day.

dozy

"a large number of the congregation, elders included, actually knew all along that he was a paedophile and molesting young girls ."

Hi Kizzie. I'm sorry to hear your story but are puzzled about a few aspects of the account. Are you a JW or just an "interested person"? If it was common knowledge in the cong that this man was a paedophile , why was he an elder , if indeed he was? JW official policy is that any paedophile can never be appointed to a position of authority in the congregation. Is he now disfellowshipped and what about his wife & son , both of whom seem to habe been complicit in trying to cover up the man's crimes.

10

Christ presence started in 1914: Acknowledge since 1925?

by Nick! in

christ presence started in 1914: acknowledged since 1925?.

according to the second wt article in the march 15th edition of this year, paragraph 4 states that (translation) jehovahs witnesses recognize since 1925 that the first world war and the events which followed, constitute a clear evidence that christ presence in his heavenly kingdom started in 1914.. could someone kindly scan the english version of the above article and post-it online?.

it is the first time, at least personally, that i read such a statement in a wt literature.. according to the book captive of a concept by don cameron, chapter 3 page 22-23, the first time the wt recognized that christs presence happened in 1914, was only in 1943.. how is it possible that this article of 2009 points to the year 1925 as the time when the jw first recognized the true event associated with 1914?.

dozy

Discussed here http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/170089/1/Notice-the-major-u-turn-in-the-March-study-WT