Posts by ScenicViewer

The subject, Fully Utilizing Kingdom Hall Auditoriums, puts a positive spin on a big problem. Rather than saying 'meeting attendance is down, Kingdom Halls are at 1/3 capacity, and donations are decreasing, they begin by citing a situation that rarely, if ever exists.

When an auditorium is overcrowded and no additional meeting times can be scheduled, building a new Kingdom Hall may be the most practical solution.

How often does this happen? Standing room only at a K.H.? I remember this in the early 1970s locally, but when I stopped attending meetings in 2006 the K.H. was 2/3 empty for mid-week meetings and about 1/2 empty on Sunday; I doubt there has been a boom in meeting attendance since.

If new Kingdom Halls are built when there is an overcrowding situation, figure on about '0' new Halls.

Presented second is the real situation, the 'on the other hand' scenario.

On the other hand, the master plan may identify auditoriums that could be better utilized. [...] Could congregations merge in order to make better use of the auditorium capacity? Could a congregation relocate to an auditorium with sufficient parking and seating?

As usual Watchtower is handling a problem, in this case low meeting attendance, without clearly identifying what the real problem is. Witnesses will be left thinking there is growth even though it isn't happening in their area; many will see there is low meeting attendance in their Hall, but think they must be the exception.

And when the extra Kingdom Halls are sold, the ones left over after congregations merge, where will the proceeds go? Straight to Watchtower of course. It will ultimately be another cash grab by "God's Organization."

Edit: This amounts to a HUGE double dip. First Watchtower takes congregations' savings accounts by claiming that new Kingdom Halls are needed, and Second they sell off existing Kingdom Halls that are left over after the merge, pocketing even more money. Smooth.

13

Why is shunning unloveing

by poopie in

jw
friends

please give reasons for all the lurkers.

and why does shunning show the same attitude as the pharisees?

ScenicViewer

I'm not sure why this happens, but when I first loaded the pictures they appear full size, but after a minute or so they are reduced to a smaller size. It makes them very hard to read.

Anybody know what's happening to cause them to be downsized?

13

Why is shunning unloveing

by poopie in

jw
friends

please give reasons for all the lurkers.

and why does shunning show the same attitude as the pharisees?

ScenicViewer

Back when the Watchtower Society still rejected disfellowshipping, and the shunning that accompanies it, an Awake article was written showing how unchristian, unscriptural, and pagan it is. Just 5 years after the article was written Watchtower adopted the very pagan practice is had condemned.

The article is about excommunication, but the Watchtower magazine has repeatedly shown that excommunication and disfellowshipping are the same thing.

(W 1-15-1961 p63-64, QFR)
According to the law of Moses, which set forth shadows of things to come, the receiver of a blood transfusion must be cut off from God’s people by excommunication or disfellowshipping.

(W4-15-1996, p15, par18)
“If the religions of Christendom were conscientiously to apply the Christian discipline of disfellowshipping, or excommunication, for all the lawless acts committed by those claiming to be its members, what would happen?”

Awake, 1-8-1947, p27-28

17

BBC Radio 4. The Report. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and Child Sexual Abuse''. Thursday 9th July 8pm.

by ThomasCovenant in

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0612hjs

ScenicViewer

1Averagejoe: Perhaps knowledge of this upcoming broadcast has added heat to the GB concerning their history of mishandling child abuse cases, as noted in Morris' address in trying to wash their hands clean.

I believe you are right.

This broad cast, plus the public hearing of Australia's Royal Commission later this month into Watchtowers child molesting issues (July 27), coupled with the negative public attention already out there from the Conti and Lopez cases, and the recent UK High Court judgement, all cases lost by Watchtower, has got the GB in self-defense mode.

They are trying to stave off any more damage by attempting to get in front of these two broadcasts that will expose their child molesting policies, but it's too late. Anthony Morris, by making an announcement in the JW TV broadcast, is simply informing Jehovah's Witnesses who were previously unaware of the problem.

They have boxed themselves into a corner. They can't keep quite any longer because public attention is growing and demands a response, but they can't speak out without exposing themselves to their members, plus any public statements they make will be nothing more than lame excuses, which will draw even more criticism and scrutiny to Watchtower.

The Governing Body is right where it deserves to be on this - between a rock and a hard place !!!

More on the Royal Commission investigation July 27...

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/357050009/royal-commission-into-institutional-child-abuse-australia

40

July Broadcast Denies That JW Children Die Rather Than Have Medical Care

by BluesBrother in

anthony morris 3rd delivered the broadcast this month and advised that lies are circulated that they let children die rather than have medical care .

he says this is so inaccurate as to be a boldfaced lie ...... further he says it is "up to the parents to determine what would be the best treatment for their children" .

now, does this mean that parents are really free to make a decision to accept blood for their minor child, if they so choose?

ScenicViewer

...lies are circulated that they let children die rather than have medical care . .....
Further he says it is "up to the parents to determine what would be the best treatment for their children"

I am beginning to wonder if the entire Governing Body has two brain cells to rub together. They say such idiotic things these days that almost any Witness can detect the flaws and see through their obvious lies.

It's up to parents to decide the best medical treatment for their children? No need for Doctors then I guess.

The GB likes to talk about attacks from Satan's world and from apostates, but seriously, they are their own worst enemy. They are crippling their own religion.

Three cheers for Tony Morris!!!

98

Anthony Morris III goes on an eight minute rant over child abuse

by Richard_I in

jw
friends

this is in the july 2015 monthly program on tv.jw.org cedars wrote about it too.. starting at around 42:30 in the video, morris talks about the child abuse situation for almost 10 minutes.

link to video.

i'm writing a transcript right now.

ScenicViewer

The two witness rule

The problem with Watchtower is they stop when there aren't two eye-witnesses. But often there is a second witness in the form of forensic evidence that only professional investigators (police) can find, if they get to it in time.

Anthony Morris claims Watchtower doesn't discourage going to police, but they don't encourage it either. And in a way they do discourage it, not in writing in a Watchtower magazine, but by the elder's counsel..."You wouldn't want to bring reproach on Jehovah's name, would you?"

There are ways of discouraging going to the police besides directly saying not to, and a "second witness" is lost as a result.

98

Anthony Morris III goes on an eight minute rant over child abuse

by Richard_I in

jw
friends

this is in the july 2015 monthly program on tv.jw.org cedars wrote about it too.. starting at around 42:30 in the video, morris talks about the child abuse situation for almost 10 minutes.

link to video.

i'm writing a transcript right now.

ScenicViewer

From par 3, lines 1 and 5 of the transcription,

(Line 1): numerality (?)
(Line 5): "The Numerality"

I believe he was saying "new morality."

Morris is a terrible speaker. It's often very difficult to understand his words, in addition to the fact that he sometimes drops a sentence in mid-thought.

6

Australian Royal Commission 2 witness live stream

by possum in

july 27th 2015 australian royal commission into institutional child abuse will be live streaming evidence from two witness victims.

you can listen on your computer live streaming from royal commission website.

ScenicViewer

Possum: "the best disinfectant is sunshine"

I like that. Sure hope Watchtower doesn't find a way to weasel out of this.

67

How do you feel about exJW's who resist our efforts to effect change?

by nicolaou in

i've met a few.

i'm not talking about the jw who, whether df'd or not, falls off the radar and just gets on with living a normal life - good luck to them and may there be many more!.

i mean the former jehovah's witness who is now enjoying all the benefits of a cult free life thanks to the efforts of many bloggers, posters and activists, but is critical of the efforts of someone close them to free more jws.

ScenicViewer

Smiddy: The rest seemingly have the attitude " I have tried the religion (some after many years) decided for one reason or another it`s not for me , and walked away" , they have simply turned off religion and are just not interested in talking about it anymore.(as they used to do when they were witnesses)

I wonder if the ones who are the most vocal after leaving are the ones that really understood the religion the best. Many Witnesses don't get most of it; to them there simply is no immortal soul, no trinity, and no blood transfusions, and that's about it.

But the ones that took it more seriously understood the deeper issues such as what the Gentile Times meant, how 1914 was arrived at, what the 1914 Generation was all about, and the workings of the Organization. When the more knowledgeable ones discover it isn't the truth they have more to talk about.

Probably most of the posters on this site fit into the latter group.

Individual personality may have something to do with it too; some people are more vocal than others by nature.

As a side thought, I've always felt that the ones who never leave are the least knowledgeable. In other words, Watchtower is mainly losing it's best people, and the best ones will talk.