Posts by popcorn

74

Will Embracing the Internet lead to Increased Growth for the Watchtower?

by jwfacts in

more important than the reduction in the size of the new magazine is that the watchtower will be actively promoting its website and encouraging people use it to download magazines.

my concern is that this has the potential to lead to an increase in growth for the watchtower.. the door-to-door preaching work has been one of the most inefficient means imaginable to gain converts, and done little more than tie up the time of active jws.

now, by directing people to the internet, witnesses can spread their message at an alarming rate for little cost.. do you feel that this has the potential to lead to a surge in growth of jehovah's witnesses?

popcorn_eater

The one thing the Internet won't be able to do is draw people in, out of a sense of guilt or obligation like the door to door work does. A lot of people who were found in the door to door work didn't really buy into what they were hearing at first but were drawn in by a sense of obligation to those nice well meaning people who kept coming back and who they just couldn't say no to.

Absolutely exwhyzee. I am an outsider and I can tell you that I have only accepted magazines due to just feeling kind of sorry for the people at the door, or personally feeling like they were nice and not wanting to turn them away completely. My atheist sister got snared in a couple of return visits for the same reason -- the people were a sweet older couple and she felt guilty about saying no. No one feels guilty about saying no to a website.

Also -- Their websites are totally not user friendly and are pretty off-putting. Terrible content aside, the sites are lackluster and not easy to find things. And they are full of totally corny suspicious looking pictures. A person who was interested in learning about the JW's would naturally want to visit the source, their own official website, but the information on the site is so clearly biased toward their own beliefs and so, for lack of a better word, "cultish" in wording and appearance, that that person would not take it completely seriously. That person will then turn around and visit the other sites the google search turned up, like JWN, JW Recovery and JW Facts.

Sites generally have to pay Google, don't they, to make their results come up first on the search? Or like "sponsored results". I wonder if they will make this arrangement.

18

Yahoo! Answers is swarming with JWs

by DilemmaGF in

almost all the questions in yahoo!

answers related to jw are answered by jws.....

popcorn_eater

You can also find a bunch of JW's posting defensive reviews on a movie Netflix used to have called "Witnesses of Jehovah". These "reviews" admit to never having seen the movie but all spout the standard crap. You are right, mind_blown, it's all cocky stuff with NO evidence or backup, same old tired bible verses, totally predictable. Also many of them say "I am not a JW but study with them and know many JW's" which is a red flag that the person is in fact a JW. The movie itself is unavailable, possibly due to it being checked out by JW's and then lost... maybe that's just a conspiracy theory. It's about 1975. I wish I could see it. I wonder if they count hours on posting stuff like this.

27

has anyone tried to "study" and get baptized again in a far away congregation?

by Sofi in

....so you didn't have to go through the process of being reinstated?

please, share your experiences!

.

popcorn_eater

I have thought about "studying" and joining the local JW congregation, getting baptized, and then disassociating myself/ getting disfellowshipped, simply because I really can't stand my JW stepdaughter's mom and hope never to ever speak to her again. HAHAHA

In all seriousness I considered (for only about five minutes) becoming a JW myself when I acquired the stepdaughter because I thought it would be a good way to grow close to her, understand her life, and make new friends. Too bad the borg is what it is. And thank heavens I researched it first. I would have to not only become indoctrinated myself, but i would have to indoctrinate others, or at least attempt to. As many of you have lived, it's not sustainable to fake being a JW long-term.

22

rules about kids going door to door alone?

by popcorn_eater in

jw
friends

my stepdaughter, who just turned 12, was telling me about her most recent door to door experience and how excited she was to get her first return visit.

i was pretending to be happy for her and not horrified, and listening to the story.

but then she said that the other person with her at the door was her 13 year old friend, also a girl.. i know the org doesn't seem to care much about children and their welfare, but is this normal?

popcorn_eater

Interesting point steve2. I too remember going door to door, in the '90s, selling candybars. But it was in my neighborhood; I knew people.

I think I am going to the memorial (unfortunately) so I was thinking that might be a good time to pull aside this one dude I sort of know, who I think is someone higher up, and voice my concern.

22

rules about kids going door to door alone?

by popcorn_eater in

jw
friends

my stepdaughter, who just turned 12, was telling me about her most recent door to door experience and how excited she was to get her first return visit.

i was pretending to be happy for her and not horrified, and listening to the story.

but then she said that the other person with her at the door was her 13 year old friend, also a girl.. i know the org doesn't seem to care much about children and their welfare, but is this normal?

popcorn_eater

My stepdaughter, who just turned 12, was telling me about her most recent door to door experience and how excited she was to get her first return visit. I was pretending to be happy for her and not horrified, and listening to the story. But then she said that the other person with her at the door was her 13 year old friend, also a girl.

I know the org doesn't seem to care much about children and their welfare, but is this normal? Should they not at least have an adult with them? She said there were adults around, but they were down the street at other doors and could have done nothing but watch if something bad happened to these girls.

Do I need to do something about this?

51

I Was Offered A Bible Study By The Elders

by minimus in

jw
friends

2 elders, the cobe and his sidekick, a former bethelite and a young ms (elder in waiting) stopped by my mom's home while i was visiting with her.

they were very congenial and eventually asked me if i got invited to the memorial and whether they could arrange a future visit with me and a possible study.

i thanked them and told them i appreciated their invitation but that i was going to "pass at this time" but thanked them for their concern.. they recited a "wonderful experience" about a young man that was raised in the "truth" but wanted out so he decided to go to asia where he could not be found by witnesses.

popcorn_eater

Assuming this isn't a trick question. If it was and I didn't pick up on it, feel free to make fun of me.

Well, you should do what your heart and intelligence tell you to do but I think most people on this forum would say H*LL NOOOOOOO! Absolutely not. Not unless you want to be sucked into a high-control organization that you will never be able to exit from gracefully. Not unless you like obeying. A lot. And giving up posting on JWN or any other sites like it. I don't know your back story (you post here a lot) but ... touching stories and nice people can be found elsewhere too, with less to sacrifice.

6

The "Worldlies"

by popcorn_eater in

jw
friends

i just wanted to say that i think it's disgusting that jw's refer to people who happen not to be in their religion as "worldlies.

" like we're not even people, just some other group, like aliens.

i suspect jw's would also not be beneath calling homosexual people "the gays" which is kind of similar.

popcorn_eater

I just wanted to say that I think it's disgusting that JW's refer to people who happen not to be in their religion as "worldlies." Like we're not even people, just some other group, like aliens. I suspect JW's would also not be beneath calling homosexual people "the gays" which is kind of similar. This overt or covert bashing of what they call worldly people happens a lot at meetings, I gather, but it happened to me for the first time when I was at the horrible Sunday WT study meeting where they went over the "mentally diseased" article and how to shun your loved ones. This would have been Oct or Nov of last year, I think. I've been fuming about it ever since. I have never encountered less love and more self-righteousness in such a short amount of time.

I attend meetings sometimes with my husband's JW daughter and her crazy family, just to insinuate myself and keep tabs on everything. This us vs. them attitude (or holier than thou if you prefer) is awful and I plan to combat it by introducing her to more "worldlies" at volunteer events and other public stuff. But every time I plan something, it's "no, I have phone service this morning" or "I have a special meeting at the KH" or "I have to study my watchtower." Grrr. It seems like there is never a good reason for missing any type of JW event.

Sorry, just one of us worldlies venting.

9

Thinking about going to the memorial and...

by popcorn_eater in

partaking.. background: i have never been a jw.

i have been brought into their world (and the way better ex-jw world) through having a jw stepdaughter and extended family.

i have really come to love my stepdaughter and frankly all this jw stuff pisses me off to no end, as you all might imagine.

popcorn_eater

Wow, LS, thanks for all that background information; I was unaware (although I should have known) that it was that convoluted and what the background was ...

... but I think it would damage your relationship with your JW stepdaughter. It just depends on how good a sense of humour she has?

You could be right. she does have a great sense of humor but it does not seem to extend to things JW, which she gets a little defensive about despite her occasional misgivings.

As long as you appear to be a potential recruit, they will talk to you. Use that to corner them into having to answer questions that they have been programmed to not answer.

Subversive! I like it! I definitely plan to dress like a JW to get on their good side. I've been to a few meetings. I think my kid's mom knows I have ulterior motives and my kid wrote in her diary that she thinks I'm an ATHEIST. I'm trying to walk the line of insinuating myself and gathering information/planting seeds, but remaining noncommittal, without seeming like I am ready to be recruited. I spread out my attendance sporadically, the occasional meeting or gathering, and make nice to their friends but never anything beyond that.

But back to the Memorial, who wants to drink out of a cup that other people have also drunk out of? Yuck! Unappetizing. Even annointed people might have mono or cold sores.

Thanks for your responses, all.

9

Thinking about going to the memorial and...

by popcorn_eater in

partaking.. background: i have never been a jw.

i have been brought into their world (and the way better ex-jw world) through having a jw stepdaughter and extended family.

i have really come to love my stepdaughter and frankly all this jw stuff pisses me off to no end, as you all might imagine.

popcorn_eater

Partaking.

Background: I have never been a JW. I have been brought into their world (and the way better ex-JW world) through having a JW stepdaughter and extended family. I have really come to love my stepdaughter and frankly all this JW stuff pisses me off to no end, as you all might imagine. The more I research the more pissed I get. I come from a Methodist background and although I am agnostic now (with maybe atheistic leanings) I used to really think it was great that anyone who wanted to receive the bread and wine at communion was welcome. Learning about the JW approach to the memorial and those who are permitted to participate in the meal is repellant to me.

I have had fantasies about releasing this anger (and sending a message) by going to the memorial like my kid wants me to, and partaking. But part of me feels this is horribly disrespectful: I know the rules, it's their house I'm going into, it's not my place to screw with them. Another part of me, the pissed off part, wants to do it, just to mess with them and make the statement that anyone should be welcome to receive Jesus's sacrifice. I don't believe in the necessity of that sacrifice since I am not Christian, but I do believe that if it were true, it should be open to all. And finally, another part of me doesn't want to boost the partaker numbers. Maybe they wouldn't count me anyway.

I would welcome input on this, from those who know best.

14

Catching the Manipulation in Sundays Watchtower Article

by Butterflyleia85 in

inspired by many on jwn board, my goal is to every sunday study the article and find the manipulative parts.

if you would like to join me that would be great!

we can then find them together and then find what the scriptures or insights truly means with research, our own understanding, or maybe how it should be interpreted to ones self.

popcorn_eater

Love the idea of a weekly post along these lines. Blondie does her indepth comments/analysis but I like the idea of a condensed discussion specifically of manipulative language (AND images) that are used, to supplement her work. I generally make several pages of notes that I keep in a file weekly. Somehow it makes me feel better to know that at least some people are reading this stuff with a critical eye, and not just passively absorbing it.

In this past week's article there was a picture of a man struggling to "race" while pushing a wheelbarrow full of items the WT obviously considers to be distractions. The things in the wheelbarrow were mostly means of communication with the outside world -- phones, computers, I think a TV or VCR or something. Just more passive aggressive attempts to control the information you choose to seek out (for those wh control your access to information control you.) Oddly, though, an acoustic guitar was also in the wheelbarrow. So music is also forbidden. PUKE. Really this stuff is so manipulative it should be criminal.

I have my notes at home but I will maybe post some additional examples later. And next week's is full of fodder.

popcorn_eater

Posts by popcorn_eater