Posts by dozy

13

Did you understand the individual books of the bible ?

by Steel in

the last couple years i have been really getting into watching these videos called the bible protect.

there is no real dogmatic axe to grind.

just simple 10 -15 min videos on the individual books of the bible and kind of how it’s all connected together.

dozy

Most JWs - myself ( as an now ex ) included - just have a pretty superficial knowledge of the bible. It is anchored on the basic Society principles of "obey the slave" and "go out and preach". It's basically a kind of kindergarten level. Remember - JWs are actively told not to do any external research or to learn any hebrew or greek.

I remember an elder asked me to accompany him on a return visit he had on a guy who was a 20 year old theology student. We discussed things like the early history of the church in the NT and the trinity. Both of us thought we "knew our bibles" but the guy totally tore us apart - showed scriptures and used reasoning that we had never come across.

The Society quotes we used ( eg from the early Christians ) were shown to be pulled out of context or embellished. 80 combined years of attending meetings between us counted for nothing - we were left furtively looking up the concordance at the back of our bibles trying to make a defence. It really brought home to me just how little we actually knew and was a big "eureka" moment in me realising that this wasn't the truth.

65

Would You Ever Go Back To The Witnesses??

by minimus in

jw
friends

every once in a while you hear people say they actually “miss” their old witness friends and or family.

some would have even stayed in the organization if they became a bit more liberal and open minded.

.

dozy

No. I do sometimes miss my old friends and family but I'd never return.

27

Ever notice a lot of JWs don't have pets?

by JimmyYoung in

i was told by several elders to not get a dog when i was looking for one in the 80s.

the end was close and we needed to focus on the preaching work.

i know some have pets but a lot don't.

dozy

I don't recall any illustration in the Societies publications or any JW dot Borg video showing a family with a dog or cat. Even the "New Order" ones tend to depict them petting lions etc rather than any domestic animal.

For any "strong" JW committed to the religion , having a pet , particularly a "higher maintenance" one like a dog , is difficult to combine with the hamster wheel of never ending Watchtower related activity.

39

Who make up the new memorial partakers?

by jwfacts in

when the doctrine regarding 1935 being the close of the calling was done away with in 2007, it was not unexpected to see the number rise.

over the next few years it went from around 8,500 to 10,500. this seemed to indicate that there were a couple of thousand people that may have felt they had the calling all along, but too shy to profess it.

for the 30 year period between the mid 1978 and 2007, parktakers had barely dropped.

dozy

I have often wondered about the mechanics of JWs becoming "anointed". Presumably it is a kind of "born again" style psychosis as explained here https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-belief-through_b_216364

But it often doesn't seem as emotionally charged - it is as if the individual has "a strong feeling" that they are chosen without the kind of emotional fanfare. And as other posters have said - rather than being encouraged by the Society , it is positively discouraged and other JWs are , at best , usually somewhat unimpressed by the person becoming "anointed". Maybe it is a kind of "born again lite".

21

3/2020 WT Baptism Rigmarole

by neat blue dog in

remember those pesky scriptures about 'put faith in jesus and you will be saved' & 'getting baptized without delay'?

well, in this time of the end ™ we know better, and the latest march 2020 study edition wt sums it all up:.

before you can get baptized, there are a few other things you need to do.

dozy

At least the Society have explicitly stated that the person should make a dedication first.

I remember a couple of times as an elder going "through the questions" with JW youngsters and asking them when they made a dedication and being met with a blank stare. They hadn't done such a thing. They didn't seem to understand that baptism , as taught by the Society , is supposed to be a "public declaration" of dedication - all they knew was that it really was about time they got baptised - a kind of JW rite of passage.

39

Who make up the new memorial partakers?

by jwfacts in

when the doctrine regarding 1935 being the close of the calling was done away with in 2007, it was not unexpected to see the number rise.

over the next few years it went from around 8,500 to 10,500. this seemed to indicate that there were a couple of thousand people that may have felt they had the calling all along, but too shy to profess it.

for the 30 year period between the mid 1978 and 2007, parktakers had barely dropped.

dozy

Talking to a PIMO cousin about this subject ( a sister in his congregation has recently started partaking ) he is of the view that with the ditching of the 1935 teaching and the appointment of younger GB members , there simply isn't the stigma that there used to be when people suddenly announce they are "anointed". This is despite the Society trying to discourage new partakers by suggesting they are mentally unstable etc.

In percentage terms as well , there only needs to be a tiny number of new partakers in percentage terms to shift the numbers. The increase of 12,000 or so in the last few years only equates to one in every 700 JWs becoming "anointed" - that is basically 1 JW in 10 congregations in a 12 year period.

In addition , most of the new partakers are relatively young so the residual number is hardly decreasing as people die off. The sister in my cousins congregation is in her 40's , so she ( presumably ) will potentially stay on the anointed list for 40 years or more. There also definitely is a copycat effect as well- my cousin is convinced that the sister was influenced by another JW in a neighbouring congregation doing the same.

In terms of demographic etc - purely anecdotally and on only a small sample - generally middle aged 2nd generation lifetime indoctrinated female JWs.

12

Amber Scorah on cults

by dozy in

amber gives a superb talk here.

i couldn't help but contrast her delivery - fluent , articulate , without any notes - not even a rostrum or podium to hide behind - with the numerous talks and items i heard when i was a jw.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7wfpaqcqcw.

i am reading her book " leaving the witness " just now - it is superb - i just can't put it down.

dozy

Amber's interview with John Cedars here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhgulIPYbok&t=2343s

12

Amber Scorah on cults

by dozy in

amber gives a superb talk here.

i couldn't help but contrast her delivery - fluent , articulate , without any notes - not even a rostrum or podium to hide behind - with the numerous talks and items i heard when i was a jw.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7wfpaqcqcw.

i am reading her book " leaving the witness " just now - it is superb - i just can't put it down.

dozy

Amber gives a superb talk here. I couldn't help but contrast her delivery - fluent , articulate , without any notes - not even a rostrum or podium to hide behind - with the numerous talks and items I heard when I was a JW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7wFPAQcqCw

I am reading her book " Leaving the Witness " just now - it is superb - I just can't put it down. Strongly recommended.

26

Notes From an Elders Meeting

by WinstonSmith in

so in this past week i came across a stash of my old elder stuff.

i've scanned a bunch of notes and agendas, and public talk outlines.. check out an agenda and my notes from the meeting here: https://imgur.com/gallery/qqmyczn.

i’ve put an explanatory note on each image in imgur.

dozy

Thanks to OP for posting.

I was an elder for 10 years or so but always found elders meetings really boring and unproductive , to be honest. A lot of time was taken up with reading out letters from the branch on matters like child abuse and data protection.

There were usually a few elders who enjoyed the power and the gossip and one or two who you knew would always come looking for trouble and started verbal fights but to me it was usually a pointless waste of an evening. I laugh when I see how the elders meetings are portrayed on jw dot org - it is so far removed from reality.

40

Double Standards of the Watchtower

by Vanderhoven7 in

are you aware of any double standards promoted by the organization of jehovah's witnesses?

here a a few i am aware of:.

1. the wts equated joining the ymca with apostasy but felt free to join the un for 10 years (1991-2001).

dozy

The Society are fond of quoting the scripture " he who doesn't work shall not eat".

Yet they have absolutely no qualms in people working minimum or zero hours and claiming every state benefit possible in lands where there is a generous social security system , especially if the individuals are pioneers. Circuit overseers living in private accommodation claim full housing benefit to pay their rent.