Posts by The Searcher

6

FOLLOWING/WALKING BEHIND

by somebody in

jw
friends

according to this publication published by none other than those who want to gain followers of themselves, christ assigned the preaching work to themselves and not jehovah's witnesses.. *** w07 4/1 pp.

24-25 loyal to christ and his faithful slave ***.

giving loyal support.

The Searcher

Sticking with the habit of a lifetime, the org perverts scriptures and speaks out of both sides of its mouth when "explaining" verses..

Case in point: When discussing 2 Corinthians 5:20 - "Therefore, we are ambassadors substituting for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us. As substitutes for Christ, we beg: "Become reconciled to God," they claim that the ambassadors are only the elite "anointed" J.W.'s.

Logically, can the work assigned to such "ambassadors" only be carried out by them?

Nope. The org invents a subservient title for non-anointed and introduces the title of "envoys" into the J.W. psyche, in order to convince the rank & file that they must share in the unique ambassadorial work!

Note to lurkers: The org loves to take the high ground when pointing out some of Christendom's unscriptural vocabulary, such as "immortal soul," "hell-fire," "immortality of the soul", and "trinity."

Guess what? Not only are "governing body," "new scrolls", and "judicial committee" not found in the Bible, but neither is the word "envoy" used in the Bible to describe a Christian.

If they claim that only they are the ambassadors, let them do it all. It's their job, not yours!

21

Hypothetical: If WTS Reformed...?

by Cold Steel in

as i said in the subject line, this is purely hypothetical.

what do you think would happen if the wtbts leaders decided to reboot some of the organization's more controversial practices.

not that they would deny their claims to be jehovah's earthly representatives, nor the key elements of their eschatology; but in administrative outlooks.

The Searcher

I firmly believe that the org's major doctrinal reversals in recent years - especially those in the Watchtower July 15 2013 - not only provides cast iron proof to faders (if needed!) that these charlatans never represented any god but themselves, but also drives a wedge of doubt into many J.W.'s minds, as testified by the growing numbers on sites like this.

Keep it up WTBTS!

15

WOW - 18 Elders in ONE congregation!!!

by The Searcher in

hazel grove congregation in stockport, cheshire, u.k.. not only is the congregation saturated with elders, it is/was pretty well saturated with cash - according to its 2014 financial statement to the charities commission.

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/accounts/ends82/0001066282_ac_20140331_e_c.pdf.

its elders are listed as frank broadhurst, nick ashton, nigel bailey, noel crossley, peter davies.

The Searcher

Hazel Grove congregation in Stockport, Cheshire, U.K.

Not only is the congregation saturated with Elders, it is/was pretty well saturated with cash - according to its 2014 financial statement to the Charities Commission. http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Accounts/Ends82/0001066282_AC_20140331_E_C.pdf

Its Elders are listed as Frank Broadhurst, Nick Ashton, Nigel Bailey, Noel Crossley, Peter Davies. Nick Gould, Jack Hallard, Jack Lewty, RoyLoxton, Rob MacCrea, Mark Meredith, Jeremy Richmond, Alan Rowbotham, Carl Rowbotham, Paul Sidebotham, Dave Simpkin, Pom Srisuthikul, & Dave Torkington.

Its financial statement also included this info:

" A legacy of £42,075.58, a gift aid tax refund of £1,244.75, a congregation donation to WTBTS for new bibles and witnessing stands of £750, kitchen refurbishment of £1500 and finally, we have £264,000 in trust with the WTBTS."

I wonder how much of this cash has now been "donated" to the org - thanks to an Elders' recommendation to the flock?

Anyone know of a congregation with more Elders than this?

24

BEARE OF INDEPENDANCE - Leaked Talk On My YouTube Channel

by pale.emperor in

brother melvin mallett delivers a talk entitled beware the spirit of independence.

(because, you know, thinking for yourself is not what jesus wants.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7znpzkakaki.

oh, and remember folks... this isnt a cult or anything!.

The Searcher

Some of the org's past "independent thinking" statements:

w58 8/1 p. 460 Dawns a New Era for the Irish - "To ask a sound religious question is a demonstration of lack of faith in God and the church, according to the clergy. As a result, the Irish people do very little independent thinking. They are victims of the clergy and fear; but freedom is in sight." (LOL)

w66 6/1 p. 324 Intellectual Freedom or Captivity to the Christ? - "Today, too, there are those who, by their independent thinking, question Christ’s ability to have and use on the earth a specially appointed governing body of imperfect humans, to whom he has entrusted all the Kingdom interests or "belongings" on earth."

w72 3/15 p. 170 par. 7 The Delight of Jehovah Will Succeed - "Man possesses a mind and a heart, not controlled automatically by instinct, but capable of independent thinking and reasoning, making plans and decisions, exercising a free will, building up strong desires and motivation. That is why you are capable of exercising the fine qualities of love and loyalty, of devotion and integrity. That is why you are also capable of understanding what God has revealed in his Word respecting his will and purpose, and how you can find achievement and contentment in bringing your own life into complete harmony therewith." (due to your thinking abilities - your independent thinking!)

w83 1/15 p. 22 par. 21 Exposing the Devil’s Subtle Designs - "How is such independent thinking manifested? A common way is by questioning the counsel that is provided by God’s visible organization."

(yup, become a J.W. and your "very little" independent thinking will quickly become "zero" independent thinking!

39

Can Someone Explain To Me, Are The Org In Debt Or Rich?

by pale.emperor in

hi guys.. im aware of the orgs blatant hints to donate, donate, donate to the org, the sacking of bethel staff, selling of buildings, reducing mags and books, emphasis on digital rather than physical books etc which is obviously a money saver - but are the wt org in money difficulty?

because elsewhere on here and on youtube there's stories of the watchtower being mega rich, one even called it "a billion dollar organization".

and if there is any money in there, who's benefiting off it?

The Searcher

Hi SBF - someone put up some info a while ago which showed the U.S. Branch income was about $900m back in the early 2000s. It seemed to be a nice little earner. Since then, the org seems to have pushed the self-destruct button with all of its cost-cutting measures, redundancies, changes to meetings, huge money-grab, and numerous "new lights." It should have money pouring out of every orifice, and yet they continually beg for more!

I reckon many J.W.'s are feeling alienated from the religion they once knew as "the truth", and are bewildered at the direction this corporation is taking. And I personally know of two zealous J.W. households who have ceased contributing.

39

Can Someone Explain To Me, Are The Org In Debt Or Rich?

by pale.emperor in

hi guys.. im aware of the orgs blatant hints to donate, donate, donate to the org, the sacking of bethel staff, selling of buildings, reducing mags and books, emphasis on digital rather than physical books etc which is obviously a money saver - but are the wt org in money difficulty?

because elsewhere on here and on youtube there's stories of the watchtower being mega rich, one even called it "a billion dollar organization".

and if there is any money in there, who's benefiting off it?

The Searcher

Shortly after the 2008 crash, a very trustworthy old J.W. friend told me that he'd had a conversation with one of the Greenlees dynasty in Scotland. (most prominent J.W. family in Scotland years ago) My friend informed me that Brother Greenlees told him that a senior U.K. Branch Committee member had said that the org had serious money problems - but that he was certain it would be sorted.

Hence my belief that the org's money-grab is the result of need - not greed!

I'm of the opinion that the org had to implement all of their draconian measures in order to stave off being made bankrupt by some serious Wall Street creditors.

Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but killing the goose that lays the golden eggs doesn't add up.

47

CO visit... Circuit is not growing at all, he said during midweek meeting

by StarTrekAngel in

so that was a "shocker".

i was not able to attend the meeting.

i had a more important one with my other apostate friends in the area.

The Searcher

Isn't it faith strengthening to see the huge increase in the "true religion!"

Oh sorry, I forgot - it's religions like Mormons and Islam which are growing faster! :)

22

Feeling very lonely

by BlackWolf in

jw
friends

the past few months i've been feeling really depressed and kind of hopeless.

the few people that actually were a little bit friendly to me at the hall recently moved away, and i'm feeling like more of an outcast than i already was.

every meeting i just stand by myself by the wall and nobody cares, i feel really lonely and unloved.

The Searcher

I know that it's easier said than done Blackwolf, but try and look for the really big positives in your life, in your thinking, and in your potential future.

The greatest positive is that you are a very bright and inquisitive person who has the intelligence to recognise what is good for them and what is not, especially when it comes to very destructive cults.

Your life is now a blank canvas - go and paint a beautiful picture!

13

Community Outside of a Religious Setting

by What Now? in

jw
friends

this is the one thing that i have struggled with since leaving the organization.

i recognize the need and value of belonging somewhere, being a part of something, showing up weekly to a community where me and my husband and children are loved and utilized and incorporated and cared for.

a place where are my kids qualities are nurtured and encouraged , and then reigned in and developed when needed.

The Searcher

It's hard for many to adapt to a non-judgmental, non-restricted, and liberated life after being in the org for so long. Can take a bit of getting adjusted, especially trying to make a new social circle with folks whose outlook on life and attitudes are radically different from what we were used to.

Better the devil you know.........................?????? Why need to know any devils?

50

Elder asking for help

by untruth in

this is my first time posting on here so i’m not sure where to start.

i’m trying to keep it as short as possible since i could expand much more.

i’ve been in the process of waking up in the last year and a half.

The Searcher

Welcome UNTRUTH. Now that you've taken the huge step to join others "in the same boat", just take your time and plan your strategy. Personally, I wouldn't focus on the org's personalities or business practices when speaking with a J.W. - especially your wife. As you've already shown, she's got her "conversation stoppers" ready, stuff such as "wait on Jehovah", "they're imperfect men", "there's nowhere else we can go."

Concentrate on the doctrinal lies by asking her questions about a certain topic. Let her reason on the gulf between what the org says and what the Bible says. Only then can she begin to see that the WTBTS is not God's organization - that it's no better than any other cult/sect which claims to be "the true religion."

You have a P.M.