respectful_observer

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Posts by respectful_observer

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  10

  My chat with an elder

  by awakening in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my second chat with an elder focused on the lack of any archaeological evidence that the exodus happened.

  quite simply it seems to me that a company of 3 million plus livestock could not possibly be sustained in the wilderness, and if they were there then there would definately be evidence.

  one writer described the size of the crowd as - imagine 10 people stood side by side, well the line would be 120 miles long with a 3 million crowd.. the elder went through the insight book and discussed the organization of the crowd which has the encampment spread into divisions etc.

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  respectful_observer

  My example was the crazy one from the revelation book that the trumpet blasts were prophecy fulfilled by historic assemblies!! He seemed to pale when i mentioned this and i got the feeling that he even thought this was strange, the subject was quickly changed.

  Made me laugh....I remember sitting at a DC in the mid-90's when they had us all verbally agree in unison to several pre-written "declarations" (can't recall the specific term at the moment, must need more coffee). I sat there thinking to myself, "This is bizzarre and feels a little 'culty'. Are they doing this now, so that in X number of years they can come back and say that this convention fulfilled some obscur Bible prophecy like they did in the Revelation book?"
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  36

  Has anyone accidentally stumbled across someone they knew on here?

  by SecretHeart11 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i keep hoping and doing searches on the site for people in my area.

  so far no one i recognize.

  i have a few df'd friends that i lost touch with long before they were out (two who were elders actually when they got the boot) and would love to find out they were on here, but don't know if they plan on coming back.

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  respectful_observer

  There are several members I likely know, or have at least (nearly) met:

  oppostate (who I'll see at the next CA...I just won't know it)

  zoiks (common friends at least)

  CuriousButterfly

  coffee_black (common acquaintances)

  Of course, we can't confirm our identities to each other for fear of being cut off from our families for the rest of our lives.
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  27

  Amusing line in April 2014 KM

  by respectful_observer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  under "2014 convention reminders":.

  seat saving: when the doors to the facility are opened each morning, please to not rush to the seating area of your preference as if competing with fellow attenders.

  a self-sacrificing spirit that moves us to seek the good of others identifies us as true christians and moves onlookers to praise god.. ................................................................ i personally don't recall them previously making reference to the jw-version of the "running of the bulls" that takes place every morning when the doors open at 8:00 a.m. have seen it myself many times, it's always good for a laugh.

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  respectful_observer

  If I was still stuck in the borg, I'd be tempted to use more creative items:

  • maxi pads (bonus if you could find some from the 1970s with the belts)

  • McDonald's napkin (with the words "approved headcovering" scrawled on it)

  • adult undergarments

  A brother I know was once an attendent at the DC and looked to see a sister tying one leg of pantyhose to one seat and stretching it across most of the row and tying it at the other. When he approached her and asked her to remove them she told him to "get stuffed".
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  27

  Amusing line in April 2014 KM

  by respectful_observer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  under "2014 convention reminders":.

  seat saving: when the doors to the facility are opened each morning, please to not rush to the seating area of your preference as if competing with fellow attenders.

  a self-sacrificing spirit that moves us to seek the good of others identifies us as true christians and moves onlookers to praise god.. ................................................................ i personally don't recall them previously making reference to the jw-version of the "running of the bulls" that takes place every morning when the doors open at 8:00 a.m. have seen it myself many times, it's always good for a laugh.

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  respectful_observer

  Do they still mention that you can only save seats for your immediate family and those traveling with you in the car?

  Yup:

  "Seats may be saved only for those living in your home or traveling in your vehicle or for your current Bible students. Special seating has been provided for the elderly and the infirm. Since this seating is limited, only one or two persons directly assisting the elderly or infirm individual may sit with him."

  (I'm guessing Jesus said something similarly as detailed at the Sermon on the Mount.)
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  27

  Amusing line in April 2014 KM

  by respectful_observer in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  under "2014 convention reminders":.

  seat saving: when the doors to the facility are opened each morning, please to not rush to the seating area of your preference as if competing with fellow attenders.

  a self-sacrificing spirit that moves us to seek the good of others identifies us as true christians and moves onlookers to praise god.. ................................................................ i personally don't recall them previously making reference to the jw-version of the "running of the bulls" that takes place every morning when the doors open at 8:00 a.m. have seen it myself many times, it's always good for a laugh.

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  respectful_observer

  Under "2014 Convention Reminders":

  Seat Saving: When the doors to the facility are opened each morning, please to not rush to the seating area of your preference as if competing with fellow attenders. A self-sacrificing spirit that moves us to seek the good of others identifies us as true Christians and moves onlookers to praise God.

  ...............................................................

  I personally don't recall them previously making reference to the JW-version of the "Running of the Bulls" that takes place every morning when the doors open at 8:00 a.m. Have seen it myself many times, it's always good for a laugh. I can only imagine what's running through the minds of the "onlookers" (a.k.a. "worldly facility staff") when this happens.

  Brothers guarding the door at 7:59:

  

  8:00:01:

  

  I think I read it somewhere before on this forum, but someone came up with the snarky comment that "Oh, they're just practicing for the 'land rush' after Armageddon." I've used that line a few times since reading it. It usually gets a big initial laugh, and then they realize how morbid that comment really is since it means the death of billions of people.
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  13

  Elder friend is reading 1984 from George Orwell - How to make him relate?

  by alonein321 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey everyone.

  i have and elder friend, he is 33, and he likes to test his faith by reading some science books.

  he didn't wake up yet, but he is reading 1984 from george orwell now.

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  respectful_observer

  Have you already told him you've read it? If you said...

  "Yeah, I've started reading it a couple of times, but it made me really uncomfortable."

  "Really, why?"

  "I'm probably reading too much into it (give you an "out"), it kept reminding me of some of the efforts the Society goes through to ensure we limit our exposure to concepts that goes against the Society's current teachings."

  ...or something to that effect.
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  33

  Baptisms only at regional ( district ) assemblies from 2014 / 15 service year?

  by dozy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just a rumour but i guess it makes sense - i've a friend on a circuit committee ( he knows it's not "the truth" but for family & work reasons he stays in ) & he says that the wtbts have told them not to book a swimming pool for next years one day assemblies as the plan is to have only one baptism a year at the main regional ( what they used to call "district" ) convention.. with the drop off in baptisms so that sometimes there isn't anyone baptised or just a handful , i guess this is inevitable.

  i remember going to a baptism a few years ago - we had hired a municipal 25 metre swimming pool and only one person ( a rather confused and scared middle aged lady who hadn't been in a swimming pool since her youth ) was being baptised - it was all something of a farce with the "worldly" staff looking on very puzzled at such an elaborate & expensive ceremony for one person.

  ) also with both assemblies being one day with just short morning & afternoon sessions , i suppose it is sensible to ditch the baptism talk - it tends to be something of a snoozefest anyway at the end of the morning session.

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  respectful_observer

  The CA just wouldn't be the same without walking into the Assembly Hall at 9:00 a.m. to be greeted by waves of chlorine wafting over from the baptism pool (and of course the poor guy who has to stand there and hand out programs).

  If this rumor turned out to be true, it'd be funny to see what happened the first year...

  "Brothers and Sisters...wasn't it encouraging to see over 20 new brothers and sisters get baptized at LAST year's District Convention? Well it brings me even greater pleasure to annouce that we had 25 brothers and sister baptized...A TWENTY FIVE PERCENT INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR!!! What evidence of Jehovah's blessing!"

  This will be followed by gasps of delight and tremendous applause as everyone forgets the only reason the number is higher is because no one was able to get baptized at the CAs that year.
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  84

  BOE Letter: New Adjustments

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  **this was predicted from some members here**.

  to all congregations .

  re: adjustments in organizational terminology and assembly arrangements .

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  respectful_observer

  No disrespect to Pixel, the o/p , but if like me you like to have things verified - you may be pleased to read that when I looked at the staunchly pro J W site JW Talk, they were talking about the same letter.

  I don't have a jwtalk.net login, but I would LOVE to read their take on it. Do they see it as "Jehovah's Chariot" or are they depressed that it's one less day of congregating as a larger group?
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  17

  Patterson New York JW Tourist Destination

  by Pete Zahut in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i saw a photo on facebook of a jw couple i know, apparently you can now get your photo taken with the stars of the jw animated children's videos, at patterson.

  i've tried to share it here but it isn't showing up.. basically, you stand in different cartoon scenes of the door to door activity, holding a bookbag and the hand of one of the children's characters from the viedo.

  the houses are pastel colored, the cartoon brothers are wearing brightly colored shirts and ties , no jackets.

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  respectful_observer

  
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  56

  Now predicting increase of anointed?

  by jgnat in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i came across this nugget in the may 2014 issue:.

  "are you moving ahead with jehovah's organization".

  ....at one time, the anointed remnant were like the little one, but their number grew as other spiritual israelites were brought into gods organization.

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  respectful_observer

  I ran across a rumor on the Topix forum for JWs last week that stated some Bethelite whispered that this summer's DC would announce NuLite TM that 144,000 is a symbolic number. Maybe that's why there are so many video tie-ins this year?

  Again, just pure speculation based on the oh-so-reliable internet rumor mill.