Doubting Bro

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Posts by Doubting Bro

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  50

  Is the WT SLOW-ly Changing the importance of the Door to Door preaching work to something more profitable?

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  its been a couple of weeks since a new c.o.

  was appointed to the circuit and im starting to hear tidbits of his talks..

  one brother told me that in one of his talks he asked the question; .

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  Doubting Bro

  A) Thousands (meaning as little as what 3,000) worldwide - Yes? Significant numbers compared with a) the worlds population or b) even the population of JWs? NO.

  B) They probably aren't any LESS effective since door to door is the biggest waste of time there could possibly be. I'll bet more literature is placed via the carts than on a typical weekday morning where no one is home. But is that an effective means of gaining converts, uh NOPE

  C) I think its really the only thing they care about.

  The real issue is that door to door work 1) keeps members busy, 2) allows for a shared miserable experience which helps galvanize an "us against the world" mentality and a persecution complex (if this wasn't Gods work than Satan wouldn't be trying so hard to stop us by making it difficult). and 3) provides a way to measure "spirituality" to determine if men qualify for leadership positions. Although you have some other touchstone (contributions!). There's no way that any JW thinks door to door is effective.

  That being said, I don't see them dropping anytime in my lifetime. It's one of the fundamental parts of being a JW and about the only thing the general population knows about them. It's a signature trait.
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  30

  Where you are in your life now.....What would you have preferred .... To be left in ignorance ? ...Or to know the truth about the truth

  by smiddy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i think possibly their are a few valid reasons for either options to this question ,depending on a number of factors .. such as how old you might be, how long you have devoted your life to the "truth" as you believed it .

  ?....how it may affect your mental/physical health and well being.?.

  how it will affect your financial position in your life ,?

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  Doubting Bro

  Although it's caused some problems, I would always choose reality over fantasy. I'm glad I know the TTATT and work on making sure the cycle stops with my generation (a real generation as opposed to the WTS version).
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  27

  Instructions from the Old Elder's Book

  by John Aquila in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  last night i was looking over the notes on my old elders book and one of the instructors told us to write this down.

  "when you want to get the friends to believe and obey anything, just keep saying it over and over and over and eventually they will believe it and follow whatever they are being told.

  when i went back to school, i learned this quote in one of my world history classes..

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  Doubting Bro

  But was it under the clothes or over???
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  25

  For Those of You Who Still Serve... How Do You Do It?

  by Kingdom Evader in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  new here... been lurking for some time now.... i still serve... but with each passing day, it gets harder and harder.

  i'm slowly... slowly working on my wife (i call her mrs. hardcore) and even my m-i-l (who taught my wife how to be hardcore).

  making some amazing progress... they are still hardcore... but unrecognizable from a couple years ago!.

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  Doubting Bro

  While I still attend I have no responsibilities anymore, don't comment, sing or say amen at prayers. I will say that while an elder, it got increasingly harder to find ways to handle parts without feeling like a hypocrite. None of the halls I was associated with did shepherding calls so that was easy.

  Over the space of a year or two, I began cutting back and finally was able to step down for "family reasons". What a relief!!!

  Actually, having to deal with JCs was what really got to me. I could fake the other stuff but I couldn't live with having a part in deciding whether someone would get cut off from their family and friends.

  If it really bothers you, devise a plan to step down.
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  9

  People Magazine: Who Was Vester Lee Flanagan, the Man Who Allegedly Shot 3 People on Live TV?

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.people.com/article/vester-lee-flanagan-bryce-willams-the-man-who-allegedly-shot-3-people-live-tv.

  people magazine: who was vester lee flanagan, the man who allegedly shot 3 people on live tv?.

  born in 1973 in oakland, california, to vester and betty flanagan, he was raised as a strict jehovah's witness.

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  Doubting Bro

  WC - I totally agree. And the reason why they mention his religion is because it's a non-mainstream cult which makes it interesting. If he were a regular Baptist, Catholic or whatever then its not interesting. But, a JW, LDS, really strict Evangelical or Muslim, that makes for interesting reading.

  He didn't flip out because he was raised a JW and I'll bet this guy would have snapped regardless of his religious affiliation. However, its bad publicity for the WTS so I'm glad they casually mention it.
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  39

  2016 SPECIAL TALK---ARE YOU ON THE ROAD TO EVERLASTING LIFE?

  by suavojr in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  are you on the road to everlasting life?.

  note to the speaker: help bible students and interested ones to understand why and how to make further spiritual progress..

  emphasize the many sources of help available, and warmly encourage them to act without delay.

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  Doubting Bro

  Like the apostle Paul, be willing to change your beliefs when presented with evidence (Ac 26:9-20)

  This is exactly why I don't believe in the WTS any longer! Yet, if I told people, everyone I know would shun me and my wife would be encouraged to leave me. Stupid cult

  
  
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  26

  My 67 Year Old Elder Brother Is Depressed Because The Younger Elders Are Taking Over

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  he was the school overseer but they relieved him of that to allow younger elders the privilege of the job.

  now he is depressed and actually shed tears, believing his worth has diminished.

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  Doubting Bro

  So he actually WANTED the School? Most guys view that as a second tier job and want to get rid of it.

  It is crazy how tied up in positions elders get. But, I do understand and I'd likely be insulted too. Maybe he'll step down?
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  49

  Phone call straight after the Royal Commission

  by umbertoecho in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  straight after the commission ended today within minutes, the phone rang.

  it was one of the people who are working on it.

  firstly she established if i was alright and did i want to talk.. i said i was too tired and unhappy that geoffrey jackson managed to do some preaching....she said they were aware of that.

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  Doubting Bro

  Thanks for the update. Nice to know they can see through the BS
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  19

  Is Jackson embarrassed to be a JW?

  by Doubting Bro in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i listened to the majority of jackson's part one testimony and it seems apparent to me that he either:1) is embarrassed to be a jw or 2) doesn't really believe.

  i've heard countless times from the platform and in print that we should be proud to be jws and take every opportunity to defend our beliefs.

  yet, it seems jackson didn't even want to admit that he believed he was being directly used by jehovah to lead the congregation as his spokesman.

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  Doubting Bro

  Certainly theocratic warfare on some of the points but the exchange on corporal punishment just puzzled me. He said he personally didn't believe in it although at his age I would say the majority of the world DID think that was the way to go so that was sort of surprising. He could have said that the WTS doesn't comment on whether its appropriate or not leaving it to parents to decide and I think that would have been a legitimate answer. And for the record, I'm not a fan of it and don't use it on my kids. But I know some with opinions contrary that have compelling points and may decide in certain circumstances to utilize it.

  Point is that the WTS doesn't officially condone or condemn corporal punishment in the sense that no discipline will happen from the org either way. Yet he didn't seem to know that. It was really strange to me.

  millie210 - He did come across pompous and I love how when he was referring to a scripture, Mr. Stewart beat him to it. A few times during that exchange he gave the page number in the NWT and Stewart was already there. LOL - "worldly" educated people are also familiar with the Bible.

  LUHE - you'd expect someone in his position to be a #3. The fact that he's either 1 or 2 just seems odd to me.

  Sir82 - Agree, this likely won't make a difference to most but to someone already having doubts, his testimony was not faith strengthening.
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  19

  Is Jackson embarrassed to be a JW?

  by Doubting Bro in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i listened to the majority of jackson's part one testimony and it seems apparent to me that he either:1) is embarrassed to be a jw or 2) doesn't really believe.

  i've heard countless times from the platform and in print that we should be proud to be jws and take every opportunity to defend our beliefs.

  yet, it seems jackson didn't even want to admit that he believed he was being directly used by jehovah to lead the congregation as his spokesman.

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  Doubting Bro

  I listened to the majority of Jackson's part one testimony and it seems apparent to me that he either:1) is embarrassed to be a JW or 2) doesn't really believe.

  I've heard countless times from the platform and in print that we should be proud to be JWs and take every opportunity to defend our beliefs. Yet, it seems Jackson didn't even want to admit that he believed he was being directly used by Jehovah to lead the congregation as his spokesman. Clearly the RC knows that printed material shows the official belief of JWs is that the FDS is the spokesman for Jehovah on earth today and that the WTS is the "earthly part of Gods organization".

  I realize that he's trying to distance the organization from financial responsibility but Jesus nor Paul or the other apostles hid who they were in the Bible accounts. Why didn't he answer the question Mr. Stewart put to him with "you yourself have said it" when asked if he was Gods spokesman?

  He would have been better off telling the truth. I wonder how a rank and file JW would react to his cowardliness? So, I have to tell my workmates or school mates at every opportunity my beliefs but Mr. Jackson can't tell a lawyer what his beliefs are?

  I always thought the GB was deluded but true believers. Now I wonder if they know it's all a scam?