Posts by Spiral

6

New Letter CONG 06/20/2017

by Edison Trent in

a new letter became available.

i got it from a friend of mine in a german congregation.

he told me the book is not available until now, because the revised bible haven't been released in german.. to all congregations.

@ttdtt - what a riot this whole love hate relationship with the internet, tablets, and websites is. I can remember getting criticized for having a job that involved being on the computer and internet a lot (this was the early days, needless to say I didn't quit) because Satan was going to take over my brain, blah blah blah

Fast forward a decade or so when I was out and happy, I come back to take my Mom to meeting and she's upset people have stuff (i.e. ipads, etc.) and she doesn't have one or understand what's going on. She had been so "righteous" because she didn't know anything about the internet or computers and that really bit her in the backside. I bought her a ipad and we take that thing to EVERY meeting we go to EVEN THOUGH SHE'S CLUELESS just because I want to make a statement. (OK, and maybe it's partly "my mom with dementia has a better ipad than you" but anyway......) That's quite Christian of me, I think, and I learned it at the KINGDOM HALL

12

The most dangerous congregations are the isolated ones that only have 1 or 2 elders

by Chook in

the elders only have to fake it for cos visit, then the poor sheep get shorn for anther 6 months and just when publisher billy thinks the co will save their souls from these tyrants elders a new co comes onto the seen, and of course he is trained only to listen to the elders.

so the vicious cycle of religious rape continues until billy and his mates burnout..

Spiral

We went to one small town congregation where Stalin was the PO and it was horrible. Maybe 45 publishers, just a miserable place to be. That was the start of my way out the door. Stalin managed to DF the only other alpha male brother one year and that just made things worse. He moved and is now inflicting his special brand of misery on another small, rural congregation.

Here where my Mom is now is also a small rural congregation. Years ago when we were here it was surprisingly progressive with a lot of more sophisticated business owners, etc., but one particularly onerous CO put an end to most of the good mojo going on. Now it's just sad. No education, no business people, no prospects, just a wreck. Fairly nice people though, but messed up and distracted, so they don't fuss with me at all. (There's a plus.) The older ones that I still know I still try to visit and help out (they are all old and sick) which I would do for anyone.

11

1975 EX JW Critical Thinkers video.

by WHATSGOINGON in

hi everyone.

jt and lady cee have posted an awesome video about 1975, its very interesting.. check it out, i just watched it and its great.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6nocaq0x-8 .

cheers wgo..

Spiral

Spot on! I didn't know about the 7000 year creative day teaching going away.... learn something new every day.

6

New Letter CONG 06/20/2017

by Edison Trent in

a new letter became available.

i got it from a friend of mine in a german congregation.

he told me the book is not available until now, because the revised bible haven't been released in german.. to all congregations.

Spiral

@pale.emperor, does anyone know what the differences are between the Greatest Man Book and this new book?

Again, older people or ones who can't afford or learn to use a tablet are left behind. Funny how this is all working out.

19

Gog of Magog - Watchtower says it has two identities

by Listener in

the searcher started a topic addressing the gt, a comment from sparrowdown asked an interesting question -.

"...the political powers of satan's world will form a coalition..."that's the statement that interests me.

what are they alluding to?.

Spiral

This kind of s**t made my head hurt when I was in..... now it's just beyond ridiculous.

39

(Not so) Subliminal Shave Your Beard Message

by Funchback in

i'm in the middle of dissecting the june 2017 jw broadcasting video.. in the first minute, they summarize a story about a guy who apparently was a one-time bad ass (showed a picture of him with a beard while posing on a chopper).

then, they show him shaving at the exact same moment the narrator is saying how he regained "a clean conscience".. this no-beard obsession by the jws is beyond nuts.. .

Spiral

I think there's more to it now: it's to deconstruct the adult in the JW. Everyone has to be the same, down to the same type of suit, skirt (check that length, sisters!), type of job (education limits help create this) and basically any other individualization.

Now that I am forced to attend on occasion, I just see a lot of robots in sad clothing, with the same types of jobs and circumstances, depressed outlooks, basically "file folder tan" type of people.

Perhaps with the space of not attending for a decade this has become obvious, but I really think the "org" is making a real effort to keep everyone in line, in a very narrow space of being.

Mr. Spiral looks great in a beard, BTW. Haha.

12

Interesting Take on Vows

by konceptual99 in

so yesterday was the wt on vows.. it spoke, in part about two vows.

the vow you make in dedication and the vow of marriage.

here's how it describes them.. the most important vow that a christian can make is the one with which he dedicates his life to jehovah.

Spiral

The whole thing is messed up on a practical level. We all know JWs who are on their second or third marriages, elders included.

Baptising children used to be almost unthinkable (it's gone back and forth) but if they can't buy alcohol or drive they certainly shouldn't be making a lifelong vow of any sort - baptism or marriage. Ever. It's just ridiculous.

The whole thing is just a set up for failure. But the high emotion/trouble/failure/confess your sin/beg for forgiveness/back into favor cycle is a part of the control of the JWs. Ask a JW why this is a healthy way to live and you'll get a blank stare, or they'll run out the door.

10

A "Simple Life": Who's Footing the Bill?

by thebrokenkite in

after much lurking and even sporadic posting under an alias account, i've decided to come out of the "apostate" shadows.

this month marks my 1-year disfellowshipping anniversary.

it's been a long, arduous journey, one that nearly took my life.

Spiral

Oh boy what a topic. The JWs hate the "world" but because many of them are taught to live a simple life (read: poor and undereducated, struggling to find enough work) they often have to rely on benefits. I've seen so much of this in the last two years. The true cost to the government is huge, and the personal cost to those involved is also huge. You get to a certain age and you realize what a joke this is. On top of that, no retirement. I've met several sisters lately (and I mean several) who have decided they are too old and unhealthy to do housecleaning and windowcleaning (the mainstays here locally). And the elderly ones who have nothing...... sad.

Most of the JWs I know in this small town don't even seem to understand they were screwed over by pioneering out of high school and refusing (and I mean it, just watch the skits and experiences at the circuit assembly) to learn anything but basic skills to make a living. Remember, the new order is "just around the corner". Meanwhile, we have a college here and one within an hour drive away. Sheesh!

But the GB have everything they need for their old age in their new digs. I keep wondering why more don't see the disparity. Maybe they do and I just don't hear it. I shake my head every day.

6

My last talk

by Normalfulla in

so i was recalling my last talk , it was something to do with finding jehovah's treasures or something anyhow in my prep i decided to google "real life treasure maps " and i came across the copper scroll which was found with the dead sea scrolls https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/copper_scroll and i described the real life treasure map etc and of course likened it to the bible as if it were a treasure map to life (duh) anyway afterwards an elder present at my talk said "i wouldn't believe everything u read on the internet" .

i was totally pissed off by his comments as though if it didn't come from a wt publication it can't be trusted as true , this was before i woke up but i was so incensed by his comments it messed with me that he would doubt my research and then ..... i woke up but that wasn't what did it just an.event along the way.

Spiral

I've been told this too. What a self-serving comment for the org to make, to put doubt in your mind. So many JWs only read the JW publications, and remain totally brainwashed. Perfect for the GB to keep everyone in line! Sheesh!

13

The fate of all of Jehovah's Witnesses

by Half banana in

i have just posted elsewhere that there is no destiny for a jw other than to be deluded or disappointed, perhaps deluded or disillusioned would be a better expression.

there is no such thing as armageddon, no such thing as everlasting life, paradise is a mirage of wish fulfillment.. a friend of mine who is nominally a jw but who does not believe a word of it, told me about the dying words of another friend's father.

this man had been a lifelong stalwart jw and reared an exemplary jw dynasty but as he died he told his super zealous son that it (the jw religion) has got it all wrong.. ok, it's a social club for the majority of witnesses and an identity for those without self worth or clear goals in life, they will swallow the inconsistencies and biblical absurdities because it is in their community interests to conform.

Spiral

I can't even imagine JWs being around in 100 years. Time will tell.

But, like other religions, faith is just hoping that what you believe is true. Once you're dead, you find out. Unless, of course, once you're dead, you are just dead, in which case it was all a waste, but you don't know.

It's like a really bad gamble at the casino.