Posts by konceptual99

56

Southern California USA Congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses On High Alert

by JW GoneBad in

circuit overseers, elders, ministerial servants, pioneers and rank & file are stressed out over an ex-jw (kevin) who has visited nearly 20 congregations (orange county) and has high-jacked the opening prayers and done some effective witnessing before he is escorted to the back door.

and everything is caught on video!.

kevin is also visiting numerous jw cart locations from the los angeles area to orange county and giving a most effective wiitness at each location and they're all on video.

konceptual99

You'll never know if someone has the guts to visit jwfacts or fact-check ARC at the privacy of their homes. Witnesses don't care if most people reject their kingdom message, they just go on, repeating lies that come directly from their GB. With all respect, why then should activists who tell the truth quit just because others don't see enough benefits compared to the costs?

You're right - individuals can do what they want and if someone feels that they want to interrupt a meeting then that's their prerogative just so long as they are peaceful about it.

My personal view is that if you are going to try and approach Witnesses directly then the best way is through the carts. That's where Witnesses expect to talk to members of the public and you are free to use any approach you like to introduce alternative reasoning points.

I think Kevin's cart work in reverse witnessing was far more potentially productive than starting a prayer in the hall and being out of there in 60 seconds.

Either way I would agree that his manner comes across quite well and he did make make smile.

I didn't mean to say that Derek O'Hare is nuts, just that I know people who know him and have experienced his activities and they think he is nuts - in other words, his actions have simply overwhelmed the valid points he has. His personal story is pretty tragic and he has every right to feel aggrieved - probably why that translates into the direct activism but I think his is the example that proves the point.

56

Southern California USA Congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses On High Alert

by JW GoneBad in

circuit overseers, elders, ministerial servants, pioneers and rank & file are stressed out over an ex-jw (kevin) who has visited nearly 20 congregations (orange county) and has high-jacked the opening prayers and done some effective witnessing before he is escorted to the back door.

and everything is caught on video!.

kevin is also visiting numerous jw cart locations from the los angeles area to orange county and giving a most effective wiitness at each location and they're all on video.

konceptual99

Overall I agree that the cost/benefit of potentially waking someone up compared to simply reinforcing views about bitter and twisted apostates simply makes these actions not worth the effort. However, I did watch a few of his hall antics and some did make me smile a little but ultimately I can't see them having much of a positive effect.

The guy in Kent, Derek O'Hare was similar and got himself banned for his constant interruptions. I know several people that know him and experienced his work first hand and they all think he is simply nuts.

28

Jehovah's Witnesses target Manchester after terrorist attack

by jwleaks in

the location is outside the arndale centre, manchester, after it was evacuated.

.

konceptual99

That of course is very true.

51

Did you ever have a discussion with an apostate that helped your journey out.

by jwfacts in

there seems to be a number of different ways that apostates try to get jehovah's witnesses realise they do not have the truth, ranging from subtle comments to aggressive attacks.

do you have any that looking back helped you finally leave.

some of the methods include:.

konceptual99

I didn't have any specific face to face discussions with anyone but I would say that there several people did "speak" to me through three routes.

One was Ray Franz through CoC and ISOCF. These were critical books in helping me develop the freedom of thought to question the GB and organisation.

The second was jwfacts.com. This was and remains the most important and comprehensive source of unbiased and well researched material on JW teachings and history. It provides a wealth of content that presents the truth about the truth. I cannot thank Paul enough for putting in the hard work it must take to collate and maintain this resource.

The third is this site. This is where I have been able to discuss my changing thoughts, have open debate and receive support in coming to terms with my loss of faith and realisation that the truth is anything but that.

Since then I have found other routes for conversation such as FB and reddit but the above three are by far and away the most important virtual ways of having conversations with those already awake.

28

Jehovah's Witnesses target Manchester after terrorist attack

by jwleaks in

the location is outside the arndale centre, manchester, after it was evacuated.

.

konceptual99

Because the title of the post and the image implies that JWs were pro-actively targeting the attack venue to take advantage of people's shock and grief.

The reality is that, whilst the location is close to the attack site, it's a shopping centre where Witnesses regularly set up their cart and for them to be there during the day is not unusual. Of course they would be hoping to use the tragic events to feed a conversation but there is no evidence to support any kind of assertions that the Witnesses were descending mob handed into the area to exploit the situation or similar, something that this picture has been used to try and imply in various threads I have seen here and elsewhere.

To be fair, some on the JW side of the fence have also been quick to create pro JW propaganda from the image as well.

The truth is that this is one cart in an area you would find it most days of the week and the Witnesses manning it would only have had the opportunity to evacuate from the nearest bench with their coffees and smartphones.

28

Jehovah's Witnesses target Manchester after terrorist attack

by jwleaks in

the location is outside the arndale centre, manchester, after it was evacuated.

.

konceptual99

It's real. It's from Sky News

http://news.sky.com/story/manchester-arndale-centre-evacuated-after-security-alert-10889787

28

Jehovah's Witnesses target Manchester after terrorist attack

by jwleaks in

the location is outside the arndale centre, manchester, after it was evacuated.

.

konceptual99

Sorry but this has been on three threads now. It's nothing to do with Monday night's attack. It's outside a city shopping mall which was evacuated on Tuesday as a precaution after an alert. Typical "aftershocks" of these types of events. The mall is close to the arena but nothing to do with the original attack.

JWs have a cart there as regularly. They were doing what they always do and had to leave it after being told to evacuate.

Nothing to see here.

17

Un freaking believable. Taking advantage of a tragedy level = JW's only.

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

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konceptual99

It's the Arndale Centre. Today. Nothing to do with last night's location.

17

Un freaking believable. Taking advantage of a tragedy level = JW's only.

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

.

konceptual99

This was today at the Arndale Centre - a shopping mall in the city. This is just them having to leave their carts behind when told to evacuate. Here is the context and another version of the image.

http://news.sky.com/story/manchester-arndale-centre-evacuated-after-security-alert-10889787

65

Major changes to convention security beginning in 2017

by Edison Trent in

short info on interesting changes to the major conventions this year: there will be a new security concept that will be implemented at all regional conventions in 2017.. similar to other major events (e.g.

festivals, concerts), there will be admittance controls in stadiums.. - at each entrance, there will be a massive presence of attendants that look at each visitor.. - there will be pocket checks at the entrance.. - suspicious persons are no longer left on the convention grounds.. - suppliers to the stadium will be intensively inspected by attendants.. - there will be a special sign for attendants that must enter the stadium before 7.30 am.

all others (even all attendants) can only enter after 7.30 am..

konceptual99

It's a terrible event and brings home the vulnerability of places like this to this type of attack.

My point however was not really about any escalation in threat - going back I remember being warned about bomb threats from the IRA at assemblies when I was a child in the late 70s and early 80s.

All I was saying is that mandatory training for attendants has been a feature of assemblies in the UK for years. Bag searches have also been around for at least two years. Brothers have had increasing secular certification requirements here over the past 5 plus years. It's started years ago with low key with mandatory events covering duties, safety etc, having to wear high viz tabards, early morning briefings for the entire cohort before the doors open, special attention being paid to those that don't have a badge etc. but has increased over the years, driven by secular obligations either with the law or from what the venue has imposed.

For example, when we first met at the Brighton Centre (early -mid 90s) the venue said we could not use attendants, we had to use their staff. This represented a significant cost but the assembly team managed to convince the venue that the Witnesses were experienced and could cope with the H&S requirements. They only agreed once the team agreed to a day long training event that would be mandatory for every attendant. This pattern has been followed every year since, continues now the venue is the Amex stadium and has been introduced for every assembly location in the UK for years.

Requirements may once again have increased this year but for the UK it's not a sea change as many of the mechanisms they are talking about for other places have been gradually introduced here already.

It's not a big deal overall but I just don't think that UK attendees will see anything significantly different to that they have already experienced.