Posts by konceptual99

100

Exposing one's identity. When?

by kairos in

jw
friends

i've been toying with the idea of just coming out and posting my name and location as an attempt to be available to locals that secretly browse the forum that have known me for up to 25 years.

( "reaching out", so to speak ).

i'm not da'd or df'd, so this most certainly could end in a dramatic confrontation.

konceptual99

I am still in and fading (slowly but it is happening). I have met a handful of properly out exJWs from this site but I know they have zero interest in ever being malicious. People like cantleave and whizzstick have been great support.

Exposing your identity to ones in a similar position is a very risky thing. Not long after I saw the TTATT, I was thinking of opening up to a couple who simply left years ago who I occasionally bump into around the local area. Good job I didn't - in the past 6 months they have come back and are fully immersed again.

There is a one person here who I know is in the same circuit as me (St George) and I would love to say hi to but I suspect our identities will be unknown to each other for some time to come.

I would love to know how many people in my hall and area are on the cusp of or fully know TTATT but there is no way of finding out without exposing yourself to a very rapid, one way escalation of events.

8

Is anyone interested in getting a full financial report on the WTBTS of Britain?

by defender of truth in

this report provides information on watch tower bible and tract society of britain including:*.what their money is spent on*.amount raised for every 1 spent on fundraising*.5 year financial information*.how your donation helps.

here you can request the free report:www.charitychoice.co.uk/charity-report/watch-tower-bible-and-tract-society-of-britain-68372.

and this is a link to purchase a full in-depth report:http://choice.charityfinancials.com/store/buyreport.aspx?cn=1077961.

konceptual99

You can get most of this for free here:

http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1077961&SubsidiaryNumber=0

14

2014 Pew Research on US Religion

by adjusted knowledge in

jw
friends

the pew survey i've been reading is quite lengthy, but filled with interesting information.

it really explains a lot of the social issues.

impact of little education, donation issues, the issues of women finding marriage partners.

konceptual99

There's mormons everywhere and they have huge swanky "temples" and churches.
They are way more successful than JWw which is why the WTS seems to be trying to copy them.

The Mormons encourage higher education and professional, high paying jobs. They only soak up a young person's time for 2 years and then they are free to do what they want. JWs still actively do everything to stop young ones have an university education and building a well paid career. They encourage FS and meeting attendance above everything else. What the lack in scale of larger donations they make up for through free labour.

The WTS might be trying to copy much of the Mormon approach to worship but they need to change the tune on aspiration, education, careers and time commitment to really enable them to change the model from free labour to high income.

10

Newton versus Watchtower quackery

by opusdei1972 in

the following is a watchtower's criticism against newton:.

down through the ages, talented scientists have indeed made surprising breakthroughs in their search for answers to puzzling questions about nature.

some, however, have also made serious errors in the process.

konceptual99

Can't access the quote right now but I think they have implied his membership of that group of faithfully disposed ones through the ages that has supposedly kept the flame of truth alive through the ages for Jehovah.

21

Interesting Pew Stats on JWs--Alarming Trends for the Borg

by Cadellin in

someone may have linked to this already, but the this interactive page in the pew religion study is pretty interesting, especially when you look at the trends for jw between 2007 and 2014. here's what it shows:.

jws are increasingly non-white.

in fact, the percentage of white jws has decreased from 2007 to 2014 by 12%, while hispanic jws have increased by 8%.

konceptual99

Sorry for being a bit dumb but does that mean that the 34% of born in JWs that still identify with dubdom is +/-8%?

21

Interesting Pew Stats on JWs--Alarming Trends for the Borg

by Cadellin in

someone may have linked to this already, but the this interactive page in the pew religion study is pretty interesting, especially when you look at the trends for jw between 2007 and 2014. here's what it shows:.

jws are increasingly non-white.

in fact, the percentage of white jws has decreased from 2007 to 2014 by 12%, while hispanic jws have increased by 8%.

konceptual99

There is another side to that - there are a far larger number of women with UBM that men. Every congregation I know also seems to have more widows that widowers.

21

Interesting Pew Stats on JWs--Alarming Trends for the Borg

by Cadellin in

someone may have linked to this already, but the this interactive page in the pew religion study is pretty interesting, especially when you look at the trends for jw between 2007 and 2014. here's what it shows:.

jws are increasingly non-white.

in fact, the percentage of white jws has decreased from 2007 to 2014 by 12%, while hispanic jws have increased by 8%.

konceptual99

I am slight surprised that almost half of those that were raised as Witnesses go to another faith. I would have expected a larger number to simply keep away from religion.

10

Newton versus Watchtower quackery

by opusdei1972 in

the following is a watchtower's criticism against newton:.

down through the ages, talented scientists have indeed made surprising breakthroughs in their search for answers to puzzling questions about nature.

some, however, have also made serious errors in the process.

konceptual99

Errr... CTR.....Pyramidology.... Numerology.... Anyone?

36

Something tells me 1914...

by Monsieur in

after todays watchtower lesson, and the lessons coming, something tells me bigger and bigger new understandings are coming.

and that it will culminate with 1914. notice how jesus is now coming, and no longer already here.

the current understanding is both, he is here and hes also coming.

konceptual99

I am not sure what the long term position on 1914 & 607 will be but I am sure there is a long term succession plan for the generation teaching and the length of the time of the end. I can't believe they have not addressed the elephant in the room when it comes to what happens if the big A is not here within the next 5-10 years. I suspect they have already determined what the doctrinal changes will be over that period to allow people to just think the last days can be ongoing without giving it a second thought. I think they will have to accept that they cannot foster a long term view of the last days without compromising a sense of urgency.

I think the current changes to try and secure cashflow are there to pre-empt a drop in attendance as the urgency diminishes.

I predict increasing emphasis on texts such as the "love of the greater number cooling off" and application made to directly to Witnesses.

I suspect that they will seek to manage any decline by playing on the fears and cognitive dissonance of those left, shored up with the threat of DFing as a stick to keep people toeing the line. You cannot under estimate the strength of the pure psychology of people wanting to feel accepted by family and long term friends.

It could be that the seeming encouraging to get young ones baptised is part of the plan to get them ingrained in the system as early as possible.

I am sure this year's memorial figures will be down in many areas based on anecdotal reports which may be the first sign of a shift in attitudes and why the GB will be thinking about the plan for the next decade.

40

Comments at the WT this morning

by OneFingerSalute in

so as i am "listening" to the wt study going on this question was asked.

"how do you feel about refined understanding?".

some of the comments were:.

konceptual99

So discreet they have shed any pretence of being semi-anonymous to most of the flock and have their own TV broadcasts...