The HQ Bethelites had a particular bad name as they came across as very boastful because of being close to the GB and calling them by first names. I remember one telling me, he would only serve at Brooklyn since that’s where the GB is and the ‘food’ for the congregations is prepared. It’s the closest you can get to Jehovah’s presents!
Ones in a while we’d have prominent brother giving talks (including GB members) at our congregation and some of them were extremely arrogant as they entered the hall during the song and left the same way not speaking to any of the locals. In their speeches they spent half the time speaking of themselves the other half about the expansion and massive real-estate plus luxury buildings owned by the WTS.
There was always much talk after these visits, since the displayed attitude was not encouraging but made people think. Gene Smalley was the worst one I remember. Brothers were shaking their heads as he was speaking -so much in love with himself- asking: “Do you know horse racing here in Germany? Do you have buildings like the Empire State Building? Do you know pizza? Etc.” as he was relating personal experiences. It happened to be, the week before on the service meeting the KM emphasised that visiting speakers should not use time of the 45 min. public talk for personal introduction of wife and self, and visiting speakers should arrange to stay for and participate in the WT study. So Br. Smalley left us with a very bad impression like some of the other Bethel speakers we had.
Freetosee
freetosee
JoinedPosts by freetosee
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12
"Never Trust a Bethelite"
by drew sagan ini remember a long time ago hearing the phrase.
during my time as a witness i've known a few, and the amazing thing is that it really is quite true.
the two i really got to know both had problems, in fact they where much in the same personality wise.
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freetosee
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Drama - To Whose Authority Do You Submit?
by truthseeker infrom the 2006 d.c. program
wonder what an independent spirit is eh?
another 2001, korah, dathan and abiram example to obey the fds and the elders.
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freetosee
"Why Timothy didn't go to College."
I can’t believe they would go so far and make up a story that is in no way indicated in scriptures (not even their twisted NWT)! Let alone make it a drama at the DC.
As a child I loved and couldn’t wait for the dramas to start. Later I found them embarrassing and told my bible studies it was mainly for the children (knowing it wasn’t true). I know many still active JW who are uncomfortable with the dramas and whish they were left out. There was a short time we only had modern-day dramas, to the relieve of many, but I guess the OT dramas were popular and came back.
Maybe I’ll go to the next DC coming up, just to see how it will be like sitting there knowing what I know now.
Freetosee
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were you forced to join the (misery ) ministry school?
by headmath in.
maybe you have some fond stories of this.. my story is that i was forced to join when i was about 12. i always got an assignment that dealt with beastilaity in exodus or somethin.
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freetosee
I had my first No. 2 Talk when I was about 9y old. It was Genesis ch. 6 and I’ll never forget it. I had to practice and read it so often I could memorise it. I got beating for not reading the difficult words correctly. So every time the school overseer handed out the speeches I was terrified when I received one. In later years, no longer in need of my fathers ‘help’, I actually enjoyed giving talks.
Freetosee
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"My Dad is Watching Pornography" JW TEEN part 2. BAD!
by Dune infor those who are not familiar with the story heres the page.
so just to sum it up a bit, this girl caught her dad watching porn, told me about it and then talk about ways to get him to stop watching it.
apparently she never told the elders and apparently he stopped watching porn.
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freetosee
Yes, please let us know how things turn out.
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When you were a JW true believer, what were you most afraid of?
by under_believer init's been pretty well established that all religions use fear as a motivator, to some degree.
the jw's have honed this practice to a near art form.
what were you most afraid of when you were a jw?
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freetosee
The fear of losing out on everlasting life, displeasing Jehovah (I felt being watched all the time), demons- especially at nights as a child, to be deceived by Satan and every now and then having nightmares “what if this is not the truth?”! Fear of death I still have. Freetosee
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Voting at meetings
by wozadummy inyears ago when i went to meetings there were announcements made about use of money ,whether to redecorate halls, send money to the society etc.
and i used to vote like everyone else looking around to see if there were any detractors.
well one day i had thought about the procedure and came up with this:.
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freetosee
The voting at meetings is pseudo-democratic, be it monetary matters or resolutions. I always followed along and never saw any voting against whatever came from the platform.
Freetosee
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"My Dad is Watching Pornography" JW TEEN part 2. BAD!
by Dune infor those who are not familiar with the story heres the page.
so just to sum it up a bit, this girl caught her dad watching porn, told me about it and then talk about ways to get him to stop watching it.
apparently she never told the elders and apparently he stopped watching porn.
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freetosee
Dune, you should (must) call the police and tell them everything you have been told by her. This is a crime and has to be stopped and punished! Also call the child care department (or equivalent) and make sure to mention they are JW’s, hopefully they might be familiar with the special problematic. Call the police NOW! Don’t wait!
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interesting experience....
by hallowedbethyname inhello all.. just wanted to pass along an experience that i had about a month or so ago.
i was invited to a jw wedding of a friend of mine.. also invited was a 'marked' brother who is a very close friend of the bride.
he was recently marked after the invitations were sent out, so he came along with his 'worldly girlfriend'.. anyways, long story short, about 10 upstanding jw's decided to make a stink just before the bride and groom were to enter the reception hall to do their first dance.
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freetosee
When the JW left after finishing their dinner, how did the non-JW at the wedding react to this was it noticed? Or was it mainly JW’s at the wedding and most of them didn’t know of the ‘marking’ of the brother?
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Disaster : ( My niece wants to get baptised soon.
by Spectrum inhow do i stop her?
she's is only 16 and is bent on getting baptised.
i know for a fact she is doing it for show, to show that she is a mature sister.
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freetosee
If that’s what she wants to do, let her go ahead. If she is doing it for show she is not going to last very long, unless she has a change of mind and ‘makes the truth her own’. Many youngsters and interested ones I’ve seen drifted away sometime after the love-bombing cools off. All the attention and compliments disappears after they are safely ‘in’ and then the responsibility of being a baptized member will awaken her to the reality of strictly controlled repetitious time-consuming JW activities. No longer sweet encouragements but “do more, do more, do more...prove your love for Jehovah”.
Freetosee
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Education
by dinah inthis is one of my pet peeves about the society.. drilling it into our heads that an education is useless in a world that is coming to an abrupt end--any day now!.
i graduated high school 7th in a class of 118. guess what?
i worked at mcdonald's.
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freetosee
And the WTS still discourages higher education down to this day. I started pioneering just before the policy change on learning a trade and I was praised for trusting in Jehovah. As soon as the WT game out regarding having an apprenticeship before pioneering I was criticized by the same people. I am 34 now and started studying in evening school, it’s never too late.
Freetosee