Posts by Flip

5

Who controls the WTS?

by Defender in

jw
friends

many exjws, inactive or those still in but see the many problems that are associated with the org keep asking when will the society change.

they keep wondering whether the gb is aware of the problems and if it is, why does it not do anything.

certain gb members might even comment privately about some misgivings they may have toward certain policies or doctrine, yet fail to act.. i believe there are a number of reasons, but the main ones are gb internal dynamics and external influence.. concerning gb internal dynamics, it has been known that in a tight knit authoritarian system, whether it be a dictatorship, committee based, or even sometimes democratic, the one that suggests a major change does so at his own peril.

Flip

Interesting post, Defender

Saddam thanked the minister and then had him executed.

Among many others, this comment stood out because it illustrates what appears to be a common tactic used by both despots and corporations.

What seemed to be benign or thoughtful consideration to address conflict resolution was actually designed, from the beginning, to accomplish something totally unrelated and sinister.

In GB minds, these letters and experiences are tantamount to evidence of divine direction.

You may call why those controlling the WTBTS publish what they do…a product of divine direction if you want…I simply call it marketingby a corporation that punishes the associated individual practicing "product disloyalty".

The only thing “divine” about the WTBTS set-up…is the profits.

Flip

82

JW Organization On Autopilot

by AlanF in

jw
friends

these days it's pretty clear that the jw organization is running on autopilot.

charles taze.

russell, joe booze rutherford, nathan knorr and freddie franz all had a certain amount of vision.

Flip

He was probably drunk from Canadian booze when he said it.The lush.

Yeah right…there ya go again…blaming Canada for Brother Joseph Rutherfords unseemly behaviour.

At least evidence indicates he wasn't a cheap drunk.

Flip

24

The evolution of an exjw

by Marilyn in

jw
friends

us and our neigbhours have a guy who trims our trees annually.

he's a jw.

for the last 2 weeks our neighbours have engaged him to pave their driveway.

Flip

I’m absolutely certain I’ve met someone like him, Marilyn during my tenure as a Jehovah’s Witness.

I would rather not contemplate if I thought better of going in that direction myself, or whether I couldn’t hack convincing the right people because lack of talent in that regard.

Flip

24

The evolution of an exjw

by Marilyn in

jw
friends

us and our neigbhours have a guy who trims our trees annually.

he's a jw.

for the last 2 weeks our neighbours have engaged him to pave their driveway.

Flip

However, can you explain to me why some educated, happy, comfortably off people bother (and not born into it either)?

Hi Mar,

Of course, there are as many reasons as there are people why some “choose” to become Jehovah’s Witnesses, but appearances can be deceiving.

Some attracted to the WTBTS may not actually be as educated, happy and comfortable as they appear, or may feel some personal inadequacy that they themselves or the casual observer is unaware of. Everyone, and I mean everyone is in his or her own personal state of growth.

I firmly believe, those you would think, who should know better are influenced by the strong social stimulus or dynamic of the WTBTS more so than any documented evidence of WTBTS falsehoods that can be brought to bear by others, religious or otherwise, at the beginning of their personal experiment, associating with the WTBTS.

At the expense of logic and fact, many are looking to fill a void or something lacking within, such as friendship, status and/or achievement through volunteerism, etc.

As for the really disingenuous, looking for a way to take advantage of someone or a group for their own personal gratification, yet have the cunning ability to continue to be perceived as innocuously popular within the organization, not necessarily always the WTBTS hierarchy either.

Those who financially control the WTBTS know exactly what the loyal consumer (Jehovah’s Witness) wants, and it gives him or her their own group validated fantasy in spades.

In return you the consumer (Jehovah’s Witness) is “asked” to provide virtually free labor, buy (donate) their products (publications and conventions), and will your estate to the “planning desk” when you die.

Unless, eventually one comes to their senses sooner and realizes that the facts of documented WTBTS ineptitude and self-serving wrongdoing out weigh the dwindling personal gratification and increasing cognitive dissonance the individual experiences while in association with the WTBTS corporation.

Flip

54

advice needed--please respond

by lisaBObeesa in

jw
friends

this is a question my df mother would like me to post for her:.

would it be morally right to go back to the jws, even though she doesn't feel it is god's org?

she would do this in order to speak with her life long friends and her youngest daughter, all of whom are quite emotionally distraught due to her dfing.

Flip

Would it be morally right to go back to the JWs, even though she doesn't feel it is God's org?

Your mom has already appeared to declare that there is no evidence that the WTBTS has any cosmic significance then her above question would carry as much relevant weight as if she asked, if it's morally right to drink Pepsi when she actually prefers Coke a Cola.

Until your mom actually comes to terms that all factual evidence points to the WTBTS as simply being a financially successful business like any other, she will completely miss the point and continue to equate lack of product loyalty with guilt.

Flip

11

The future of the watchtower...

by TheApostleAK in

jw
friends

multiple choice:.

what is the future of the watchtower??.

1. reform.

Flip

The Watchtower is a publishing corporation.

*Fact*

It is a mere tool of Jehovah's servants that they have used to declare the name of Jehovah and his coming kingdom. When once the kingdom comes and this system is thrown into its terminal descent, then it stands to reason that Jehovah's Witnesses will no longer need a publishing organization to announce the coming Kingdom. Interestingly, the Watchtower's name is dervied from Isaiah's prophecy in the 21st chapter, and our well known logo is a dwelling tower. With that in mind Isaiah 31:14 says: "For the dwelling tower itself has been forsaken, the very hubub of the city has been abandoned; Ophel and the WATCHTOWER themselves have become bare fields...until the spirit is poured out from on high." So, the watchmen stand the watch looking for the arrival of Jehovah's executionary armies, however when once these arrive, is it necessary to continue to stand the watch? Of course not. The physical organization then, which is devoted to massive printing operations, is indeed expendable; while the spiritual aspect will remain, being inffused as never before with Jehovah's spirit to accomplish what is not possible presently.

*Speculation*

/ You Know

*Hearsay*

Flip

24

The evolution of an exjw

by Marilyn in

jw
friends

us and our neigbhours have a guy who trims our trees annually.

he's a jw.

for the last 2 weeks our neighbours have engaged him to pave their driveway.

Flip

But if you tell a Witness about the numerous dates that JWs have wrongly predicted stuff, they quickly dismisses it and even worse, they become suspicious of how you know such things.

Hi Mar!

The reason for this classic response by Jehovah’s Witnesses, is less than cosmic.

Where else can an indistinguishable person who trims your trees and drives a beat up truck, buy a suit for the equivalent of an ounce of gold and wear it as a pre-requisite to associating with a like minded group who have been told “they” are the Chosen People who have been favored over all the other nations on earth.

Seems like a reasonable price, for a garden-variety tree trimmer to pay for both immediate self-validation and immortality.

Why would any likewise “thinking” Jehovah's Witness want to threaten their "hard earned" fantasy of physical and spiritual segregation through alternative informational discovery?

Flip

82

JW Organization On Autopilot

by AlanF in

jw
friends

these days it's pretty clear that the jw organization is running on autopilot.

charles taze.

russell, joe booze rutherford, nathan knorr and freddie franz all had a certain amount of vision.

Flip

Now that these luminaries are gone, the JWs are run by committee. Things have deteriorated in the usual way...The organization falls into the hands of bureaucrats who are mainly concerned with keeping the organization going so as to keep their place in it. The founder's goals are given lip service but play little part in the real activities...

I suggest this link… http://www.nydailynews.com/2000-10-14/News_and_Views/City_Beat/a-84142.asp …which, I believe, seems to illustrate somewhat, the bureaucratic atmosphere “hinted” about in the above quote.

Real people have died because of these men!

Instead of levity, you’d think they’d come up with a statement a little more inspirational and deserving of those sacrifices…unless, of course, the WTBTS “bean counters” aren’t.

Flip

46

Remembering Will

by SlayerLayer in

jw
friends

i didn't really know these people that well.

i was only ten.

we were at their house eating dinner, one sunday after the meeting.

Flip

...Everyone in Apostatedom knows my name.

Hmmmm...learn something new everyday. I could have sworn it was Freudian Slip. :)

Flip

15

Who are these elders???

by freakshow in

jw
friends

having only started to study with a jw she has yet to inform me of these elders, the book she gave me says a little, but after reading this board i see there is more i have yet to learn.

who are these elders?

i'm picturing a bunch of old men in velvet purple robes sitting around a circular table.

Flip

Hi Cop,

But in the org, you’re only as good as your last time slip.
Oh well. . .

The same as most other mundane employment.

Only instead of a paycheck, you receive conterfeit ideas for your efforts while the WTBTS or whatever you call it these days, expands its real estate and investment empire.

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing... :)

Flip