Spiral

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Posts by Spiral

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  7

  Brief Encounter

  by snugglebunny in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the witnesses knocked on my door yesterday.

  a married couple, 70's probably, and introduced themselves by giving their first names and stating that they were jehovah's witnesses.. it's 5+ years since we left our old address and moved a few hundred yards away.

  no-one visited us back then.

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  Spiral

  "Do you mind if I don't?"

  I love it. Do you mind if I use that if they ever come to my door?
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  108

  New Upcoming Changes - No More Publisher Record Cards & Reporting Hours

  by thedepressedsoul in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  publisher record cards and reporting hours will be going away.

  .

  coming soon.. made this post 4 years ago, it happened - https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/24020002/kingdom-consolidation-sales-coming-reliable-source.

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  Spiral

  I don't think they would eliminate reporting of field service as we know it (which we all, including them, know is pretty worthless) unless there was a real reason to do so, such as some sort of legal issue. (Wait -- they have many legal issues....) If they have to eliminate it as we know it, I'm sure they'll spin something in its place to keep everyone in line.

  Having everyone report online should be pretty easy to launch for them at this point. It might be useful to change the reporting parameters as well, that could cover the shrinking numbers without being too obvious and appear to be an adjustment that accommodates the cart work. (I personally don't trust their numbers, it could be the bOrg is much smaller now than we all know.) It also might make the consolidation of congregations easier, and they might think fading in that situation would be a little harder for people to do.
  

  On the other hand - those of us who have moved around in the last few years might be harder to trace, and can disappear entirely, not a bad thing.

  Sadly, I know more than one pioneer sister who would lose their only real status in the congregation if that title was eliminated.

  I know if this happens they'll spin this as an urgent adjustment for the time of the end. (Bahhh!) There is so little real change in the bOrg that any change is exciting to the R&F.
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  16

  "Leave it in jehovahs hands"...except .....

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when you feel your copyright has been violated and you have to hire a high priced legal firm with dedicated funds!.

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  Spiral

  Go Kevin!

  Must be something to it, or they wouldn't be so concerned.
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  16

  Small Field Service Groups, Method of Control?

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  okay, so our congregation announced that saturdays they would be switching to small fs groups.

  i found that odd because our kh is central to the territory and easy for most to get to.

  through talking with others i found out that this is a branch wide directive that has little to do with convenience for the bros and sisters.

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  Spiral

  Reading this, I can remember this being the directive from time to time. People would then start doing their own thing, or meet up with the person they wanted to go out with after the meeting for service. It never seemed to last for long. When I was "in" I always tried to have a side arrangement with someone, because otherwise you were paired with sister who had emotional problems or was just plain hard to get along with (and shouldn't have been going door to door anyway).

  Rogue, I also wondered if the powers that be think this could be an effective way for the elders to control a larger congregation (in areas where they've sold halls and combined congregations). In a large group it's harder to know what individuals are up to. Perhaps they think enforcing this small service group arrangement will help them continue to police the sheep (in the absence of any better idea).
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  35

  Should I do this?

  by CivilServant79 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  hi there this is my first post as i’m not sure what to do.

  my family (both sides) are well known in our circuit and very dedicated to the truth.

  but we’re relatively normal people and i love them all so much.

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  Spiral

  Hi CS79, you are on the right track. Welcome to your new life! If your immediate family are no longer JWs, that's a huge advantage already. I get that you don't want to lose uncles or cousins, but only time will tell how strong that bond is. YOU need to think of yourself first.

  And speaking of thinking, please don't trash yourself (in a totally JW cult way) by describing your current or future life as immoral. You said "I'm not leading an immoral life at this point." Wait - it's your life, don't judge what you do by the bOrg's standards. That will really mess with your head. If you work at deleting the damaging cult programming, you will be so much better off!

  Some good advice you already got on this site:

  john.prestor I get it, he's your uncle and you want to trust the guy. And I'm not saying you shouldn't trust him. But if he's an elder and the elders want to meet up he's acting on their behalf unless you know otherwise. I wouldn't do it, but I get why you might.

  Be careful, and don't be manipulated into explaining anything. You don't owe anyone an explanation about why you believe what you believe.

  Giordano Did you see the movie The Godfather or any gangster movie where one side wanted to put out a hit on someone? When they could........... they recruited that victim's close friend or a cooperating family member to set them up. I know this is a bit of a stretch but it's a good way to remember to be on your guard if a 'friend' wants to meet with you.

  I actually think Giordano's on to something. Be careful, and don't meet with anyone if you don't want to.

  Stan livedeath "my family (both sides) are well known in our circuit and very dedicated to the truth. "

  nope--it aint the truth. its merely a high control scam masquerading as a religion.

  if any one man elder wants to visit--and starts asking nosey questions--just say you had a very bad experience as a child with an elder--but you cant do anything about it because of the " 2 witness " rule........you wont see him again--for dust.

  I think Stan's on to something too... this would definitely put an elder off balance, these days.

  Big picture message is that it's your life, go live it the way you want! You don't owe any more precious time to anyone in the bOrg.
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  24

  Past 12 months, #watchtower has obtained more than 36 unique subpoenas

  by Not_Culty in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  https://twitter.com/mark_j_odonnell/status/1095514606657851392.

  "in the past 12 months, #watchtower has obtained more than 36 unique subpoenas to identify the people who have posted their documents, leaked videos, & images from their publications.

  this #watchhunt is a coordinated effort to locate & punish the leak sources.".

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  Spiral

  sir82:

  You'd think they would have figured out by now that there is no such thing as "confidentiality" anymore, especially not when they so assiduously create enemies and disgruntled ex-members (and, disgruntled current members as well).

  I thought the same thing - it's a little bit "live by the sword, die by the sword". For decades they've been abusive to people, because they think they have the right to be, "from God".

  But when they receive back what they put out, they claim to be blameless and unfairly persecuted.

  Narcissists, all of them.

  
  
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  44

  Big Announcement in Montreal

  by ZindagiNaMilegiDobaara in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just got the heads up from montreal that 16 congregations will cease to exist from 1 april 2019. also 3 kh are no longer going to be used anymore.

  this was a major announcement for many and upsetting.

  wonder where the r& f are going to be dispersed with what sacrifices in the way!.

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  Spiral

  millie210, sorry, I hit my mouse and accidentally gave you a dislike. Please disregard that.

  @waton, yes, the bOrg has often rearranged congregations in an effort to break up cliques, the kind that cause trouble. I can remember back in the day the CO rearranging the congregations, but the powerful/popular ones just disregarded the "direction" and went to the congregation they wanted to go to. Everything was back as it was before the rearrangement within six months. Now, with the sale of KHs added in, that would be much harder.

  I think a lot of people will just quit going if it's too hard. Things aren't what they once were, and the bOrg just really isn't much "fun" anymore, even for the devoted.

  This might be the next logical step to converting to the megachurch model.
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  30

  Legal concerns about: "picnics"

  by Darth FayDehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "congregation picnic"2.

  "congregation gathering"3.

  "spontaneous gathering of jws”.

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  Spiral

  @ToesUp ~ absolutely! It's beyond boring and you are always running the risk of being accused of something!
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  30

  Legal concerns about: "picnics"

  by Darth FayDehr in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "congregation picnic"2.

  "congregation gathering"3.

  "spontaneous gathering of jws”.

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  Spiral

  All they think about is themselves, and what could potentially happen that could hurt them legally. Especially since they've let the CSA cases get way out of hand.

  Whoever heard of a church-like organization who wouldn't even organize the smallest activity for their members? Most churches have all sorts of activities, that is part of the reason people like to belong.

  But the JWs can't even have a little event without getting all in a twist about what could happen and who is responsible - not just legally but even according to their own arcane and ridiculous rules.

  And don't even get me started about how ridiculous it is to try to plan a JW wedding. I observed the planning of one (from the way outside fringe, of course) recently, and by the time all the rules and requirements were met the event wasn't even worth having.

  It is interesting to me that an organization that is so invested in throwing blame around at the slightest pretext can't even provide a "service" (like a church picnic, for heaven's sake) that should be an integral part of their mission statement.

  When I was growing up (60s and 70s) we had congregation picnics all the time. Now, it's like "don't even think about it".
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  22

  this weeks video on older ones stepping down

  by road to nowhere in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what i caught was how they were baffled by having to be in "the world".

  then any and all help came from friends offering money, food, apartments, jobs.

  can't anyone see how they people are used up and then discarded?.

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  Spiral

  LHG, you are correct, no one should have to answer to anyone else about how they make a living. Except.... in the congregation, where everyone's business is open for discussion. I know a couple of situations where from the stage poverty was preached, but on the side plans were made to make money, and children went to college.

  One I know even refuses to help out elderly parents who spent their life "in the truth", because it's stressful and takes too much time and effort.

  In the real world, this type of hypocrisy is easily spotted and ignored (or denounced). But for many JWs, they still take the poverty message seriously, even when their leaders have provided for themselves.

  But - there's no helping someone who can't see this for themselves.