it's been over 3 years since the book study in private homes was discontinued and some jws are still scratching their heads over it.
although a letter was read to all congregations explaining that "book study night" would now be "family worship night", there was still much speculation among jws as to the real reason behind this decision (the great tribulation was about to start, jehovah was simplifying the lives of jws, to lessen the burden of poor jws who had no money for gas, etc.)...
but as we all know, decisions like these from the gb invariably have some ulterior motive behind it... and discussion boards such as this one usually finds a way to dig up the truth for all to see... but after reading several threads on this subject, i'm really not sure we've uncovered all the facts yet.... so i have to ask... what do you believe really ended the book study in private homes?
Is there any truth to the rumor that the Society hired consultants to improve the educational aspect of meetings, and this is what led to the shorter public talk and the symposiums at conventions?
I have heard that several times, though don't really believe it. I think the shortening of meetings and elimination of the bookstudy night had more to do with having 3-4 congregations using the same hall and needing to juggle the meeting schedules
this website is odd.
it seems to be the witnesses, but maybe not?
honestly i don't know what to make of it.
It seems to be in favor of the Witnesses in every way, but uses the name Yahowa's Community, and seems strangely out of date. For instance their Announcements says things like
During the month of December, the book What
HasReligionDoneforMankind? and a booklet will be offered to truth-seeking people on a contribution of 50c.
and recommends reading the 1952 Yearbook.
Is this a splinter group or are they living in a time warp or what?
this website is odd.
it seems to be the witnesses, but maybe not?
honestly i don't know what to make of it.
this website is odd.
it seems to be the witnesses, but maybe not?
honestly i don't know what to make of it.
This website is odd. It seems to be the Witnesses, but maybe not? Honestly I don't know what to make of it
just got a google alert regarding the bossert that was printed in the new york times, hope somebody hear knows how to do the cut and paste for that.. was it a well known fact that the bossert is free for all jdubs visiting the nyc area or does the article have it wrong, i've always been aware of the bossert but thought it was part of the residential buildings for the bethelites.. .
The article states:
The group took over the building in a state of disrepair in 1983
My recollection was that it was before 1983. My family actually stayed in the Bossert as paying customers before it was taken over by the Society, this was in about '77 or '78, then I remember my brother taking us to see the lobby and how much it had changed after the Society started to work on it. He left Bethel in '80, so the must have started work on it in about '79 or '80
if not, were they incouraged to "forgive" the loan?.
Just to chime in, my father once loaned money to them under the conditional loan system and he received it back with no problem as soon as he asked.
Interested Observer said this:
No, but one thing that I did find interesting is that in the loan documents, it states that, if the lender dies, the loan is converted to a gift to WBTS. Basically it prevents family members of the lender, or the lender's estate, from requesting repayment of the loan.
Is this really the case, can anyone confirm this?
just got a google alert regarding the bossert that was printed in the new york times, hope somebody hear knows how to do the cut and paste for that.. was it a well known fact that the bossert is free for all jdubs visiting the nyc area or does the article have it wrong, i've always been aware of the bossert but thought it was part of the residential buildings for the bethelites.. .
I seem to remember that hotel type housing was available for visiting witnesses for a <wink,wink> donation... free but not free
jehovah's witnesses' land sell-off has brooklyn dreaming bigcrain's new york business - amanda fung-1 hour ago.
at stake are 34 mint-condition properties in brooklyn heights and dumbo that the jehovah's witnesses spent decades accumulating and now are considering ...it's always has been about the money...they talk about pristine real estate and the excellent pool of skilled craftsmen/women .
hey what about the paradise for my family 4 generations that slaved?.
"a swelling crowd"
Is this the same as the great crowd they keep talking about? It is all starting to make sense now...
they were married for some 51 years.
you cannot stand up against them in battle.
you cannot stand up against him in battle.
How did you get my notes from the big meeting? That's exactly the notes I took!
hi guys.
i've been plucking away at a podiobook about going from jw to atheist and why jws should think about how they treat xjws.
(this will be bigger than my 15 page essay from a while back.
Thanks slimboy for the link, I had not seen it before.
This probably has been discussed here before, but here are a few of the details:
The report is at http://religions.pewforum.org/pdf/report-religious-landscape-study-full.pdf (210 pages)
It is based on telephone surveys of 35,000 people in the US, of whom 215 were current Jehovah's Witnesses. They were asked, among many other questions, their current denomination and the denomination they were raised in as a child. The figure of 37% would be calculated from the responses to those two questions.
The report contains this statement on page 30 :
"Two of the religious groups with the lowest retention rates are Jehovah’s Witnesses and Buddhists.
Only slightly more than a third (37%) of adults who were raised as Jehovah’s Witnesses still
identify themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Half of all of those who were raised as Buddhists
(50%) are still Buddhists."
There is a chart on page 30 showing how this 37% compares with other religions.
