Posts by Fouramese

5

The social club of JW

by beroea in

jw
friends

here in the west/central/north part of europe jw have facing general declining in bout number of publishers and baptises during the last 10 years or so.

a lot of congregations are down to 40-50 persons (with 100-150 sitting places) and the publics service are without any kind of result.

if someone gets a bible study with someone new this person is close to brain-dead.

This kind of “stick together” became the social life and identity of many. The social life is the light way of living and small talks. The purpose of being a Christians are long time gone. A lot of JW are filling the life with this “party line” to full fill the lost of real meaning of Christianity.

So I expect that the “party line” will grown and many JW stick to the BORG only by social reasons not religious. JW will by that be able to survive religions crises and scandals. That’s why an UN case doesn’t move anything in general. People have no other place to go and don’t want either. They want to stay with the social JW club. The religious aspect will play a smaller role in the future.

AMEN! You are so right. And it stands to reason when one is cut off from anyone on the outside the seque into the world may be problematic. Fortunately, we had it pretty good...we both left together and our one daughter who could never stomach the life and as soon as she was of age bugged out and who we basically disfellowshipped even though she was never baptised for her attitude has now been enjoying a real relationship with her parents. She will be 34 in February .. we've been out 3 yrs...after nearly 30 yrs of life as Witnesses. We have lost the association with our other daughter, grandchild and my brother and his family but it is all temporary..this too shall pass. There will be something that clicks and they too will become fed up with the silliness of the facade.

Social clubs aside at one time or another the truth of life faces you and it is usually when you approach retirement age with no retirement because you had spent your entire life expecting the end to come before you got this old...

11

I Got My Book!!!

by sweetone2377 in

jw
friends

it's been a while since i've posted here.

but i am just so excited.

i ordered a copy of crisis of conscience from borders and just picked it up.

Fouramese

I want to thank everyone here, for, without finding this site I would have never known about Ray Franz's books. I am still in search of the other one and have a number to call about it.

I got mine from Borders...it was way cheaper. It too is a great read...I know you will be blessed by reading both of the books.

8

brotherly love in bethel

by josephus in

jw
friends

following up on refiners story, i heard a good one about the gb.. one of the gb (im not sure which one was visiting ireland.

he walked in the door and stopped.

turned around ran his finger over the top of the door, and wiped it looking for dust.. when he finished he ignored the greeting of the local bigwigs and demanded, "whos in charge od bethel cleaning ?

Fouramese

This one wasnt in a Bethel but the beard story reminded me.
On a local KH over the xmas period they needed to do some major ground work and lots of brothers turned up from other congs as volunteers. One fairly new brother had come about 50 miles at his own expense and was a construction worker by trade, but of course he wasnt suitably qualified to drive the digger that they had hired in because he had a beard!! Not only that his beard actually disqualified him from working on the kh site totally. He ended up going home.

<eyes rolling> UGH! Well, you know those privileges...it is a grand privilege indeed to shave one's face so that one may qualify for a larger better privilege of working for free on a construction project. So...I hope the 'rest of the story' as Paul Harvey says..was to tell the project overseer "take this project and"

My daughter had only recently been reinstated when our Hall was being built...her privileges hadn't been reinstated yet..it was okay for her 4 yr old daughter to be used but she was unable to be used. I made a big enough stink over it saying that as a family if we could not all work on the Hall then we would none of us work...they needed the bodies...they put her to work in the nursery. A month after the completion of the Hall...one of the key persons working 'with privileges' was disfellowshipped for several infractions of the Bible and to think she was busy working her side interests right there on the project..So the days have passed when God says things like because David had blood on his hands he could not personally build the temple...people have dirty little secrets who have privileges all the time. A beard? That is still way too much legalism for moi.

7

Downsizin'& Your Witless Relatives

by metatron in

jw
friends

downsizing.

remember that word when changes come to the organization.. your witless relatives might object to your saying that.

the "organization is dying".. so, ease them into the concept slowly,.

Fouramese

Re: Downsizin'& Your Witless Relatives Dec 11, 2001 19:37

"Aren't we glad brothers at the new simplified food arrangements at the conventions so that everyone can get the full benefit of the program?"

I loved this! You are so right....that was such a wheel barrel load and it is one that most everyone totally did not buy. The only ones who sighed in relief were the elders who were proverbially in charge and the ones who volunteered or were volunteered for each assembly/convention regardless. Kinda like habit.

7

Downsizin'& Your Witless Relatives

by metatron in

jw
friends

downsizing.

remember that word when changes come to the organization.. your witless relatives might object to your saying that.

the "organization is dying".. so, ease them into the concept slowly,.

Fouramese

Or...'You have to learn to be patient and rely on Jehovah...but you can go to the elders if you want it resolved now.'