respectful_observer

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Posts by respectful_observer

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  27

  Stay Alive Til 2020

  by FrankWTower in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been playing around with wt statistics recently, helped by the great data available on jwfacts.com.

  i wanted to share somehting with the community, maybe you've seen something like this before.. continuing the trend of decline seen during the last 30 years, i was able to extrapolate the year when wt growth might finally end.

  if trends continue, we may only have to wait about 8 more years, 9 years to see it reported if the wt decides to report it at all, to see publisher growth end and possibly reverse.. the graph shows the annual growth rate of average publishers during the last 31 years.

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  respectful_observer

  The historic growth numbers have often been propped up by concentrated rates of high growth (e.g. Eastern Bloc countries after the collapse of the Soviet Union).

  What we can't predict is how these numbers will be affected by "the preaching work opening up" in countries where it is under ban today. If China were to lift the ban in, let's say 5 years, the growth numbers will jump up (and stay up) for a while. Putting arguements of China being a non-Christian culture aside, there's the potential of another 1 million new J-dubs over in China.
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  17

  New Light From Governing Body About Faithful Slave Greeted Rapturous Applause From All In Attendance Indicate Jehovah's Approval And That They Final Got It Right

  by frankiespeakin in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  of course this was ment to be a sort of satirical joke in the coverage of a special annual business meeting :.

  "all those in attendance rose from thier seats with rapturous applaus as they were delighted to find out that they were now part of the domestics and would be gladly serving with prominant annointed who make up the governing body(surveilllance camera shots showing all applauding).".

  "this certainly was a milestone in the glorious history of the organization, and proper appreciation was shown by all even prominant governing body member anthony morris said:"i like the idea" with a broad shit eating grin.

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  respectful_observer

  Wait, wait. Is anybody else wondering where all the grotesquely obese people were in that video? You know the ones I'm talking about. They're so disgusting, they can only wear mumus and have to sit on the area floor in the "Disabled" section because they're so big. And where did all the weirdo go who walk into the assembly hall with their ugly polyester suits and 20-year old hairstyles?

  They must have made all those people watch from a remote location!!
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  19

  Fake money in contribution boxes

  by enigma1863 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  someone posted a great idea i felt should have its own discussion thread.

  i think it would be really cool if we could get people around the country or world to donate fake money in the contribution boxes that have thought provoking messages.

  kinda like money tracts.

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  respectful_observer

  I see that the Chuck Bucks have "ZERO DOLLARS" written on them. Does that mean that if there were coins, they'd have an image of some other Org heavyweight along with the words "ZERO SENSE"....oh, wait, I meant "ZERO CENTS".
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  20

  where will you go away to? versus whom shall we go away to?

  by soft+gentle in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this thread was sparked by punkofnice's thread and started a lively "discussion" in my mind about patriarchal power.

  so i didn't want to derail punkofnice's thread or tec's subsequent one, but am interested in a discussion.. punkofnice's thread.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/245335/1/the-gb-are-gods-mouthpiece-rebuttal-to-elders .

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  respectful_observer

  In my mind, highlighting the semantic distinction to a J-dub:

  1. provides the person with a gentle reminder that J-dubs do not have a monopoly on offering a path to Jesus' teachings.

  2. reminds them that plenty of people leave the WTS, not because of some sinful practice, but because they truly feel in their heart that "the Truth" (The Narrow Road) to Jesus can be better found outside of the WTS.
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  41

  My wife is feeling uncomfortable about the NEW LIGHT

  by sosoconfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so my wife is aware that i am totally disillusioned and i am having problems with lots of things.

  one day she can see the crap(such as this past watchtower question from readers about ivf... what a pile of insanity.

  if someone carries me and my wifes baby i have committed porneia rofl!!!

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  respectful_observer

  (Lev. 18:20, 29; Prov. 6:29)

  D'oh!!! I forgot we're still subject to the subtleties of the Mosaic Law! Wait, if that's the case, isn't there someone who needs to be stoned?
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  20

  where will you go away to? versus whom shall we go away to?

  by soft+gentle in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this thread was sparked by punkofnice's thread and started a lively "discussion" in my mind about patriarchal power.

  so i didn't want to derail punkofnice's thread or tec's subsequent one, but am interested in a discussion.. punkofnice's thread.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/245335/1/the-gb-are-gods-mouthpiece-rebuttal-to-elders .

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  respectful_observer

  Haha...this "where/who" issue always makes me laugh.

  A few of us were sitting around recently and the subject of a DF-ed friend who "has doubts" came up. A Bethelite chimed in with the "where will you go away to?" I looked at them with a perplexed look on my face and said "Don't you mean "Who?"

  "Huh?"

  "You said 'Where will you go', but the verse says 'who will you go away to', as in following someone else instead of Jesus. As far as I know, Mr. DFed isn't Shinto or anything, is he? I just wanted to make sure you weren't implying he had converted to Islam, or Shinto or something."
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  60

  what ever happened to the king of the north and king of south?

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  after the daniel book came out, nothing has ben said about it in at least 10 years.

  did that prohecy get thrown out the window when the soviet union fell?.

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  respectful_observer

  Billy,

  The Talk #3 last week was taken from the Reasoning book section of "What prophecies remain unfulfilled?" It was pretty much every one you just listed. The theme the speaker wove throughout the talk was that the Bible represents 4,000 years of human history, but that since the last of these prophecies was recorded almost 2,000 years ago, not a single one of these prophecies has been fulfilled. I almost fell out of my chair because she never once said they ever would be fulfilled-- only stated what they were, that they've never been fulfilled, and that Christians continue to wait patiently.
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  60

  what ever happened to the king of the north and king of south?

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  after the daniel book came out, nothing has ben said about it in at least 10 years.

  did that prohecy get thrown out the window when the soviet union fell?.

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  respectful_observer

  I think by the mid-Nineties when it was obvious that the world was moving on, they put that prophecy on the failed shelf in Brooklyn.

  They'll dust it off again if:

  - China ever asserts itself militarily against the US/NATO. Especially if conflict ever reignited between North and South Korea. China would support (the King of the) North Korea, and the US would support (the King of the) South Korea. (Anyone for a proxy war??)

  - or if the non-Christian states ever united militarily against the (traditionally Christian) Western powers.
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  41

  My wife is feeling uncomfortable about the NEW LIGHT

  by sosoconfused in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so my wife is aware that i am totally disillusioned and i am having problems with lots of things.

  one day she can see the crap(such as this past watchtower question from readers about ivf... what a pile of insanity.

  if someone carries me and my wifes baby i have committed porneia rofl!!!

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  respectful_observer

  My wife brings up the seeming contridictions of doctrine and the apparently bizarre Nooo Lite TM that seems to be coming out faster than ever. Of course, her reaction is "Who cares? What does it really matter? Why do so many people get bent out of shape over it?"

  I wonder if she'll still think it doesn't matter years from now...when our children have grown up, knowing there's a 70% chance they'll have left the Org by then and she won't be able to talk to them anymore.
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  35

  Do the GB 2.0 Travel First Class? What Do You Know About That?

  by Scott77 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i know bethelites have signed a vow of poverty and recieve about $100 monthly stipends.

  however, when it comes to air travel, does the governing body of jehovah's witnesses aka watchtower society in new york state (gb 2.0) travel first class?

  what do you know about that?.

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  respectful_observer

  +1 to RubaDub.

  I'd be shocked if the WTS PAYS for any Business/First class airfare, even for the GB members. But given how often and how far they fly, I'd be equally shocked if they hadn't built up enough FF/air miles to just get the upgrade automatically; they'd have to be completely stupid if they hadn't. Plus, as RubaDub pointed out, any halfway competent travel agent will be able to at least get them on the short-list for upgrades.

  R_O