respectful_observer

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Posts by respectful_observer

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  12

  BOE: 2016-03-21 Re: Donations to “Jehovah’s Witnesses of India”

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  march 21, 2016 to all bodies of elders in the united states branch territory re: donations to “jehovah’s witnesses of india”

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  respectful_observer

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXE_n2q08Yw

  
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  48

  Circuit Overseer Guidelines (tg-E) October 2015

  by wifibandit in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  circuit overseer guidelines (tg-e) october 2015. http://bit.ly/1utgizt.

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  respectful_observer

  Interesting point which confirmed my earlier suspicion that, although the Branch or GB no longer "appoints" elders/MS, the CO is still under the thumb of the Branch on this:

  Chapter 17.3: When the body of elders of a congregation has decided to recommend the appointment of one or more brothers in connection with the upcoming visit of the circuit overseer, the Congregation Service Committee will send him a completed Recommendations for Appointment of Elders and Ministerial Servants (S-62) form at least one month before his visit. The circuit overseer should immediately forward the form to the Service Department. Such recommendations should not be considered until clearance to proceed has been received from the branch office (BOLD is in original text). Even when clearance is received, this does not indicate that the branch office has endorsed the recommendations. It simply means that the circuit overseer may now give consideration to the recommendations during the upcoming visit. The branch office does not perform a check of the person’s age, marital status, previous appointments and deletions, or the like (emphasis mine).

  So the Branch doesn't "appoint" or "approve" appointments-- they "endorse". The Legal Department's fingerprints are all over this. Great way to insulate the Branch from claims they are legally/financially liable for elders' actions.

  I have no doubt that what the Branch IS checking is whether the brother is on the WTS "non-existent" accused child molester database.
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  18

  New Memorial Songs Were Very Good, IMO

  by RubaDub in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i guess we can agree to differ, but i personally found the new memorial songs (147, 149) to be very good, at least from a musical perspective.

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  rub a dub .

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  respectful_observer

  I thought the closing song (149) was reminiscent of the opening score from The West Wing:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JivPEYjYd20

  I don't know...you be the judge:

  https://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/sing-to-jehovah-new-songs/149-grateful-for-the-ransom/
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  24

  How much is the Bethel allowance now? It used to be $14!

  by Maryo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am wondering how much the bethel "allowance" is now?

  it used to be $14!

  is it true they really sign a vow of proverty now?

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  respectful_observer

  Was just visiting some friends there a few weeks ago and they mentioned they currently get $130(ish) a month. I can't remember the exact figure, but it was right around that number.
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  36

  Memorial campaign with videos??

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good morning from the east coast.

  i have a question.

  a friend of mine texted me and one of the things she said was that they were getting a lot of great responses with the campaign because they are showing the video.

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  respectful_observer

  Based on a quick search, it appears the dedicated Memorial invitation distribution campaign started 9 years ago:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/130927/help-locating-some-info

  Given the effort, time, and expense involved in this global annual month-long campaign, one would expect to see -- starting in 2007-- a marked jump in the incremental year-over-year increase.

  
  

  (Memorial Attendance chart courtesy of JWFacts.com)

  Call me stupid, but I don't see any evidence that the invitation campaigns have done a single thing to increase attendance.
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  36

  Memorial campaign with videos??

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good morning from the east coast.

  i have a question.

  a friend of mine texted me and one of the things she said was that they were getting a lot of great responses with the campaign because they are showing the video.

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  respectful_observer

  In all the years of handing out memorial invitations, I can think of zero people that ever just showed up off the street because of the invite. The other people attending were always family members of JWs or inactive ones.

  As with all "new" forms of activity, it is for the purpose of keeping those IN occupied and distracted...NOT about those outside....

  I'd love to see the data. I suspect if you looked at a bar chart of memorial attendance over the last 30 years, I suspect you'd see ZERO impact on that chart since the invitation work started.
  
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  17

  Elders & Ex Elders, did knowing sins of congregation members change how you treated them?

  by Wasanelder Once in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when you found out all the sins of fellow witnesses did it effect how you treated them?

  it was shocking when i found out the range of bs these people did to each other.

  i don't mean sexual abuse, i mean fraud, theft, infidelity and more.

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  respectful_observer

  Not as an elder, but as a child of an elder, it had an impact. My father never shared any details with us, or even pointed to certain individuals; instead, very early on my parents decide to limit who and how we (me and my siblings) could associate with our peers in the hall. When we were young he saw and heard stuff as an elder that led him and my mom to decide that most of our association with other J-dubs had to be at our house, under their supervision, and that sleepovers only led to trouble-- hence they were verboten for us. Result: virtually zero friends.
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  36

  Memorial campaign with videos??

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good morning from the east coast.

  i have a question.

  a friend of mine texted me and one of the things she said was that they were getting a lot of great responses with the campaign because they are showing the video.

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  respectful_observer

  Video showing is now part of what we HAVE to report monthly.

  Thanks for the reminder! I'll be sure to include the views from this thread on my report for March!
  
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  36

  Memorial campaign with videos??

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  good morning from the east coast.

  i have a question.

  a friend of mine texted me and one of the things she said was that they were getting a lot of great responses with the campaign because they are showing the video.

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  respectful_observer

  Guessing this is the video:

  https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/memorial/remember-jesus-death/
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  18

  A frothy question ABOUT DEMONS

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  have you ever been to a circus and seen a "clown car"?.

  the little "bug" volkswagon drives out and clowns get out.

  lots and lots and lots and lots of clowns!.

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  respectful_observer

  Why have TWO ARMAGEDDONS?

  Don't forget the third one...after the end of the 1,000 year reign in the "Paradise". Gotta take care of those headband-wearing hippies once and for all.