Posts by Spiral

62

2019 BOE Elders letter May 13 England - Ireland Data Protection

by Not_Culty in

https://tinyurl.com/y2bzncu9.

Spiral

Growing up and being a young adult JW, having good records and a "magazine route" and a full book of RVs with proper records about the interested person was paramount.

Is anyone doing any RVs any more, anywhere?

Recently, we had JWs come to the door. Hadn't seen any in over three years. We didn't answer. But we watched (lol). They walked up, rang the bell, waited maybe 15 seconds, and walked off. No attempt to leave any literature (I guess that whole thing is gone) and no records were taken. I'm in the US, but I'm thinking this trend is everywhere, given the interest in many countries about privacy protection.

I guess if you have interest, you have to remember it in your head? (yeah, like that's going to happen)

I didn't realize the extent of this, and I wouldn't want to bring it up to the JWs I know. (They'll want to instruct me.)

Service is just wandering around now, it seems.

25

Recent circuit overseer visit - meant to scare ones into doing more?

by BourneIdentity in

have any of you just had a recent circuit overseer visit?

we have him this week and his opening night was a doozy.

his whole talk focused on persecution.

Spiral

This always seemed to be the purpose of the CO visit, special talk, and the conventions.

Sometimes you'd get a CO that was all warm and fuzzies (good cop) but you could be sure the next one would be hard as nails (bad cop).

I also was a child of the 60s, and we had lots of persecution talks and demonstrations. So, I'd have to say, nothing has changed.

24

JW.org marks International Women's Day 2019

by neat blue dog in

for the second year in a row, the org has marked international women's day.

this time, it's an article that lists most female bible characters in alphabetical order with a brief summary for each, topped by a picture of them in 'empowering' poses.

rey and captain marvel would be proud lol.. .

Spiral

I think Blondie is on to something. We all know the GB could care less about women, or any "worldly" event like International Women's Day. Something else is going on here.

And I guess there are no modern JW women to mention. Oh, yes, that's because they are minimized at every turn.

Funny, this whole thing.

11

Anxiety

by BourneIdentity in

the first half of the may 2019 jw broadcast focused on anxiety.

for them to devote this much time to this issue is evidence there are many jws suffering from it.

i would assume at least half of the members from my observation over the years.

Spiral

Yes, indeed.

Several of the JWs I still know suffer significant anxiety. By their own admission, they have already found out that praying does not help.

The definition of anxiety is "a worry about future events".

How ironic that Jehovah's happy people, who have the utmost faith that he will protect them from the upcoming events of Armageddon would suffer from ANXIETY.

I'm surprised the GB would even acknowledge that their members suffer from anxiety. To me, this is admitting to an EPIC FAIL on their part.

Meanwhile, the sufferers are crying for help and wondering why their faith doesn't make them feel better.

The "bunker videos" are abusive, looked at from this context.

I was asked a while back by one JW acquaintance how I dealt with anxiety. The question was framed in such a way that I think the person just assumed everyone has anxiety every day. I did not answer completely, because yoga and meditation help keep me on track.... but if this person asks me again (might happen), I will answer correctly.

Beyond sad.

54

CO at assembly in Ohio repeatedly says great tribulation is "only minutes away"

by LevelThePlayingField in

snippets of two talks by co at ca and during his visit to a congregation in ohio.

fear mongering at it's best.

has anyone else heard their co say the same nonsense?.

Spiral

It's been minutes away my whole life.

If they really believed that, and had any ethics, they wouldn't be begging for money on one hand and building very nice (if not "luxurious") digs for the GB and the elite on the other.

Such a scam, so obvious.

26

Any ideas about what the ‘special’ talk is on Memorial Day?

by Bubbles001 in

the family are very excited because there’s a special interruption happening this friday which has supposedly only happened once before when rutherford announced jesus’ ruling in heaven.

requires tuning into jw.org.

meant to be this coming friday before the memorial.

Spiral

Tenacious, I remember that tract. How embarrassing. I remember a lot of people thought it was the "message of judgment" aimed at the world's religions (aka "Babylon the Great" in JW speech). Nothing came of it, of course.

They pull this "special meeting" message stunt occasionally. Just enough to get people excited, but not enough to draw attention/questioning from the rank and file. You have to be at least a bit "out" before you question these events.

1

Medium article mentioning the JW

by thetruelie in

i was reading medium and came across this article, even though the mention is short, i'm wondering how many blogs are posting stuff about the jw.

.

https://medium.com/@abram.oxford/how-much-has-adams-bite-cost-us-7e50ba5e164c.

Spiral

This is an interesting way of explaining the whole idea of inherited sin. I don't think people in general (all religions) ever question the basic idea that, in their view, every human problem devolves around humanity having to pay (over and over again) for Adam and Eve eating a piece of fruit.

21

It doesn’t make Sense

by HappyBlessedFree in

so my husband and i had a long conversation last night about why i no longer believe.

this is our 10th conversation about all the same things which we have been talking about for the last four months.. he says “you have let yourself be deceived”.

i try my best to show him my sincerity in my motives.

Spiral

Because he doesn't really want to. And (sorry, don't mean to be offensive) it might be easier to hide behind you, his wife that doesn't want to go. He is "Eve shaming" you.

I think you should read the article (and share it with him) that thetruelie just posted (look a few posts down in the feed) from an online publication called "Medium". I've always wondered why people buy into that original sin/now we need a sacrifice/meanwhile we all live in shame kind of thinking. This article asks the same question.

But it's a powerful bit a programming that generations of humans have lived by.

40

Holy Spirit - Present or Gone in the Congregations?

by BourneIdentity in

i was doing some reminiscing and remember the days back in the late 80s and early 90s where i truly could say the meetings were so encouraging and that i felt the holy spirit present and operating on all of us.

today when i attend, there is nothing of the sort.

is it because jehovah has withheld it?

Spiral

I believe it was all just group think or group hysteria, whichever was at work with the particular congregational group.

Growing up, we went to two congregations that were like going to a funeral every meeting. We were then transferred to a different congregation that had a great vibe - but that was a reflection of the people themselves.

I've personally been to business meetings that had a great vibe and been more productive than any WT study I've ever attended.

And of course, we've all been to meetings at work that were so boring you lost your will to live.

It's all about the group. I don't believe in God or that "he" has ever had anything to do with it. Look at the International Conventions - those that are "privileged and chosen" (UGH) to go are so happy. Frequently, they've never traveled much before so it is a big, happy event for them, especially because they were "approved" to go. But that doesn't mean there's a supernatural spiritual force at work.

12

Jws don't really have "communities" or "functions" like churches do?

by nowawake14 in

jw
friends

i've noticed how this religion is kind of narrow.

all they ever do is preach, study the watchtower, or their meeting or convention.

no other organized functions that i know of.

Spiral

Truthlover, I haven't seen any real "get-togethers" in years in any of the congregations I've been around.

We were in one congregation around 2000 that did parties including dancing and skits. A new CO came in and put an end to ALL of it. Boom! Worldly! Bad! Stop the fun NOW!

Where I am now, someone will host a pot luck occasionally, but they are drab, solemn affairs. Not even any ball playing for the kids. (That might spark a "competitive spirit" - bad!)

The only other time the congregation gets together is either after a funeral, a wedding, or an anniversary party. The anniversary parties are probably the next thing to get stopped.

But again, these are so boring most JWs don't even want to go. The people who do go comment on how things aren't like they used to be.

I saw an ex-JW the other day (kinda POMI still) who even commented on this, and how boring meetings were, especially for the children. It was like she knew she should go back, but couldn't face going to the boring meetings.

I think this is a big part of the shrinkage being experienced in the US. In some places, where individual JWs have some money, there are groups that do things (including going on cruises together), but as mentioned, you'd have to be in their clique and have the money. For the more humble JWs, there's not much real socializing left.