"No large conventions and renting of venues"
I must have missed this. What is this about?
so bethelites are being decreased...bethel homes even sold off.... special pioneers no longer being funded.. magazines getting smaller and published less frequently.. building work stopping or being reduced.. no large conventions and renting of venues.. etc.... so, money is not coming in anymore to cover the "expenses"??.
didnt the first ever watchtower said that when this occurs, it would be evidence of god no longer blessing the activity....
oh, and throughout the years, we have constantly been told that the "growth of the org and the projects such as buildings and contributions" etc were evidence of gods blessing.... .
"No large conventions and renting of venues"
I must have missed this. What is this about?
so bethelites are being decreased...bethel homes even sold off.... special pioneers no longer being funded.. magazines getting smaller and published less frequently.. building work stopping or being reduced.. no large conventions and renting of venues.. etc.... so, money is not coming in anymore to cover the "expenses"??.
didnt the first ever watchtower said that when this occurs, it would be evidence of god no longer blessing the activity....
oh, and throughout the years, we have constantly been told that the "growth of the org and the projects such as buildings and contributions" etc were evidence of gods blessing.... .
Getting out is really hard and once you are out there is no guarantee of success. I suspect that there are many "walking dead" within the congregations. These are the ones who no longer believe but don't have the will to leave. I am not saying this as a criticism of these ones - only an observation.
This is a real problem for the organization. A member does not mean this is a believer. Thus, declining donations, and correspond zeal will drive the organization even further into using desperate measures. Which will drive even more to a state of dis-belief.
I have seen and lived through several "song books." I remember the song book we used in the early 1960s; however, I am sure there were earlier ones. You bring up a good question, are there some songs that have remained over the decades. I assume that since you asked the question you know the answer....
Interesting question and one that deserves an answer.
" said francisco d'anconia.
"have you ever asked what is the root of money?
money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them.
i know we are all anonymous for our own personal reasons, so i understand if you would rather not say.
but if you don't mind sharing that would be cool.
i currently live in georgia, usa.
Born and raised as a proper JW in Richmond Indiana, spent time in congregations in Bradenton FL, Lehigh Acres, FL, south Pittsburgh, PA, and Columbia Heights, Brooklyn.
If you ask me where I am from, I am from a small town in Indiana. But living in Manhattan suggests that I am a long way from my roots.
" said francisco d'anconia.
"have you ever asked what is the root of money?
money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them.
I have very mixed feelings about Ayn Rand. In my transition away from the Watchtower I was very interested in Rand. Mostly because it was the exact opposite of what I was taught as a JW. I needed that "shock" value. As I have grown as an individual I understand Rand, but have ultimately disagreed with her on several levels. I believe there is a place for government. I also do not believe that we should be transacting business with gold nuggets.
That being said I have read Atlas Shrugged several times and The Fountainhead many times. I much prefer The Fountainhead. I find that it is an inspirational book. I always look forward to my next read of the book. I finished my last read 6 months ago and will probably read it again some time next year.
To Blondie's point, the protagonist of the story actually addresses the difference between the evil of "money" and the "love of money." Money is simply a measure. To suggest that money is evil is to suggest that the 12-inch ruler is evil. Measuring things is not a bad thing. Measuring wealth is a wonderful thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bhhs5lhr00.
words.....just cant find the words......
i was invited to a small get-together by a long time friend.
we both served as elders for years.
he is in his late 70s.
I would like to express my "WOW" on so many levels. First, the content of your post took my breath away. So, Wow. The second, related to the comments from others. Rarely does a single post with 11 pages of comments within 12 hours. Again Wow!
I think back to my mother who knew her stuff related to JW theology. If she were alive today, she would be embarrassed by the direction the society is taking in their role as guardian of the doctrine. I guess there are others of the same mindset.
the cobe of the cong we attended called me and left a vm, and also emailed both me and my husband.
this all happened yesterday.
he said he was checking in to see how our family was doing, which is a joke.
I actually feel sorry for the elder. It is a awkward position to be in to support stupidity, if perhaps the elder is not an idiot. If he is an idiot, then I take away my comment about feeling sorry.
Defending the indefensible is a hard job!
1. boring as s***e 2. extremely boring 3. boring as hell 4. boring.
5. slightly boring 6. not bad.
7. fair.