this newly released original 1987 archival footage - with voice-over narration, commentary and interviews with those involved - takes an in depth look at both the history of the durack kingdom hall and the construction of the current kingdom hall that culminated over two weekends in january 1987.. the original kingdom hall in durack dates back to 1960 - but as the jws continued to experience growth in australia - increasing by some 280% over the following 25 years, it was felt that a new, larger, kingdom hall was now needed.. the new kingdom hall was built in january 1987, but rather than simply pull-down the original kingdom hall, they decided to incorporate it within the new kingdom hall and have a somewhat large auditorium.. another interesting feature of this kingdom hall is the tiered seating used for the back few rows (for example see part 3 around 12:35 and part 4 around 10:50).
(see also the thread from last december - video queensland strathpine kh 30th anniversary ).
durack kingdom hall, 20 freeman road, durack, brisbane, qld 4077google map: https://goo.gl/maps/yhyubk4rvt92streetview: https://goo.gl/maps/lkmgvbmlk2d2.
I live locally and must say that the local congregations seem to have lost their zest for the door to door service.
I have had more Mormon visitors than JW's. I do see JW's around the area manning book stands from time to time in public places, though. I live about a 5 minute drive from the KH in the video, though I have never been in.
I am a long term fadeaway. Any locals who are fading away, or thinking about it, feel free to PM me for a chat or to arrange to meet up.
i today received the following email from italy.
my response follows.
if you have further advice or suggestions, i will pass them on.. hello, i found your address re: ex jehovah's witnesses.
I today received this further email from the Italin father whose daughter is associating with JW's.
I will pass on to him any helpful advice anyone may care to give.
Hi David, thank you so much for answering, I will look into the web site
right away. Unfortunately, Viola does not want me to talk to her about the
JW's, school or her boyfriend. As I said, she is conditioned by her boyfriend
who has taught her that avoiding any confrontation will make people leave
her alone. It is almost impossible to have any kind of dialogue with her
on those arguements. She is quite insecure and afraid of confrontation,
so a perfect "victim". You asked how involved her boyfriend is. He was quite
traumatized by a very difficult family situation (father liar and compulsive
wife-cheater) and an ugly parent's divorce. During that period, he found
solace in the tranquillity of family relationships he found in the hall.
Since Viola is with him, she has stopped seeing her old friends for his,
has stopped doing modelling which she had just begun because he is jealous,
and her relationship with me has deteriorated. And now the JW's! Viola continuously
mentions how happy all JW's families are; and how good they all are. There
is no making her reason. She is a really nice girl, even though so stubborn;
doesn't drink, take drugs, smoke, frequent discos, boys and she is so pretty.
It just breaks my heart to think she is becoming a religious fanatic. I
just cannot accept the idea and feel so impotent because she refuses to
discuss things with me. Thanks again, but I'm afraid that even after learning
more about the JW's through the site you sent, it will be useless. I will
try, however. Sincerely, Claudia
i today received the following email from italy.
my response follows.
if you have further advice or suggestions, i will pass them on.. hello, i found your address re: ex jehovah's witnesses.
I today received the following email from Italy. My response follows. If you have further advice or suggestions, I will pass them on.
Hello, I found your address re: ex Jehovah's witnesses. I am interested
because my daughter Viola, 18, is attending one of the halls here in Rome,
Italy, and I am really frightened she will become a Jehovah's witness. She
doesn't have a high enough cultural level or critique to defend herself.
Her boyfriend likes their way of reasoning, even though his actions would
not permit him to become a member. He has introduced her to them I think,
more as a matter of control over her. My daughter is very stubborn and tends
not to reflect or reason over things much. She is the youngest of three
sisters. She has some trouble with school and confrontation, as her sisters
are brilliant students with many cultural and artistic interests and talents.
She has always chosen simple people as friends for this reason. I have educated
them as free thinkers so you can imagine how terrifying the thought of Viola
becoming a J.W. could be for me. I love my daughter immensely and the rigidity
of their religion really bothers me. What should I do to slowly help her
understand that her choice could possibly be an error without destroying
our relationship? I need help as she refuses to listen to the logical/rational
arguements I offer. I have the feeling that she in a way has substituted
the dominating yet sweet character of her boyfriend with me and since I
have insisted on culture and open mindedness in her education, that it is
a form of rebellion, need for more structure. Please help me if you can.
Viola and her boyfriend are intentioned on moving to Perth in the future,
that's why I'm asking you for help. What is the Jehovah's witness comunity
like there? Is it so rigid everywhere and with such a low cultural level?.
Thanks for any info. Sincerely, Claudia
Hi Claudio Greetings from Australia! I have read with interest and concern your e-mail concerning your daughter. The below link is a goldmine of information for both you and her to discuss. Does she really want to devote the rest of her life to a religious organization without thoroughly investigating it's claims and history? If they have nothing to hide they should not have a problem with her doing this. Emphasize your love and concern, and that no matter what you will be there for her. Your concern for her well-being has required that you research the JW's, and you have found troubling information that is vital to her decision-making process. The fact that she is a free thinker is in your favour; those with open minds rarely join or stay with the JW's for any length of time. Also, that she has no family in the JW's would make it far easier for her to leave if she did in fact join. The JW organization is slipping in popularity in the western world, mainly due to the information available on the internet. This applies in Australia, where JW growth has been stagnant for many years. JW's are bound by many strict rules involving many things, including their personal relationships. They certainly would not condone her and her boyfriend living in a de-facto relationship; unless they were married baptism would not be permitted. Does her boyfriend have family in the JW's, what is his exact level of involvement? Please take the time to examine the net information yourself before presenting it to your daughter, but remember also that time is of the essence and the more involved she gets, the harder it will be for her to extricate herself. Let me know what happens. David
i was wondering if anyone has a soloution to this little problem: as we all know, the wt claims to be the faithful and discreet slave, jehovah's spirit directed channel, blah blah blah, but i don't think they ever actually said the word prophet in relation to themselves.
if they have, i've yet to find the quote.
does anyone know how to get around this problem when a thoroughly brainwashed sheep uses the defense that "the wt never said they were a prophet so that argument is not valid"?
If you have the Society's CD-Rom, look up these references:
WT 1 Oct 1982 p. 27
WT 1 Oct 1964 p. 601
WT 1 Apr 1972 p. 197
WT 1 Mar 1965 p. 151
Dave
Hi Spec, I live in suburban Brisbane. I was an active witness in NSW for several years before moving north. I have not been to a meeting for about 4 years. Feel free to contact me.
Dave
how's your weekend going (or gone!
mrs ozzie and i have had a very pleasant sunday, joined by prisca, and looking through holiday photos from our r&r.
yes, that "exotic location", mulan!!
I remember being in the supermarket one December, and being busted by an elder for humming to the christmas muzak being played!
I pleaded subliminal non-conscious infiltration, and survived with a private reprimand.
i found this and i had to share..... (with permission from the author of course).. are cats for christians?.
(completely fiction, but shows how anything can be manipulated into wtbts reasoning) .
by dave.
My response to the CATS article:
I humbly accept the admonishment which you have so
thoughtfully provided to us who have mistakenly allowed one of these demonic
creatures to infiltrate our lives.
To think of the number of times I have put off my diligent pre-study of the
Watchtower because my cat was on my lap and I did not want to disturb him in
order to get the magazines in order to partake of their spiritual feasts.
Surely Satan has used these contemptible creatures in many similar ways to
affect the preaching work also; how many pioneers have cut short a long day
of faithful field service with the excuse "oh I have to get home to feed the
cat".
No doubt the society will shortly be updating and reprinting it's entire
catalogue of spiritual food in order to erase all drawings and photographs
which depict these dastardly servants of Satan, namely the lions which can
be seen being hugged by innocent children in the new system.
All faithful servants of Jehovah will doubtless be inspired to dispose of
all their old literature and purchase the new! There will most likely be a
call for new ones to go to Bethel to assist in the work involved.
Surely Jehovah works in humbling and mysterious ways; this new light will
surely inspire many to greater devotion. I can even envisage Christian
congregations disposing of their felines in a mass sacrifice at the back of
their Kingdom Halls; joyfully tossing the horrid creatures into drums of
lighted paper and kero as they loudly sing Kingdom songs in praise of their
fearless creator.
Jehovah would surely also smile upon the new public talk outlines which are
surely in the pipeline, reminding the brothers and sisters that certain
common expressions are no longer acceptable to loyal Christians. These will
doubtless include the following:
- "cat got your tongue?";
- "missed it by a whisker";
- "the cat's out of the bag", and
- "been getting any pussy?".
Perhaps the carcasses of the slaughtered felines could be shipped en masse
to Brooklyn; this would no doubt delight the brothers on the Governing Body
as an expression of the devotion of their faithful followers.
Gotta go now; the cat's at the door and I've got to let him in.
Catch ya
Dave
i found this and i had to share..... (with permission from the author of course).. are cats for christians?.
(completely fiction, but shows how anything can be manipulated into wtbts reasoning) .
by dave.
My response to the CATS article:
I humbly accept the admonishment which you have so
thoughtfully provided to us who have mistakenly allowed one of these demonic
creatures to infiltrate our lives.
To think of the number of times I have put off my diligent pre-study of the
Watchtower because my cat was on my lap and I did not want to disturb him in
order to get the magazines in order to partake of their spiritual feasts.
Surely Satan has used these contemptible creatures in many similar ways to
affect the preaching work also; how many pioneers have cut short a long day
of faithful field service with the excuse "oh I have to get home to feed the
cat".
No doubt the society will shortly be updating and reprinting it's entire
catalogue of spiritual food in order to erase all drawings and photographs
which depict these dastardly servants of Satan, namely the lions which can
be seen being hugged by innocent children in the new system.
All faithful servants of Jehovah will doubtless be inspired to dispose of
all their old literature and purchase the new! There will most likely be a
call for new ones to go to Bethel to assist in the work involved.
Surely Jehovah works in humbling and mysterious ways; this new light will
surely inspire many to greater devotion. I can even envisage Christian
congregations disposing of their felines in a mass sacrifice at the back of
their Kingdom Halls; joyfully tossing the horrid creatures into drums of
lighted paper and kero as they loudly sing Kingdom songs in praise of their
fearless creator.
Jehovah would surely also smile upon the new public talk outlines which are
surely in the pipeline, reminding the brothers and sisters that certain
common expressions are no longer acceptable to loyal Christians. These will
doubtless include the following:
- "cat got your tongue?";
- "missed it by a whisker";
- "the cat's out of the bag", and
- "been getting any pussy?".
Perhaps the carcasses of the slaughtered felines could be shipped en masse
to Brooklyn; this would no doubt delight the brothers on the Governing Body
as an expression of the devotion of their faithful followers.
Gotta go now; the cat's at the door and I've got to let him in.
Catch ya
Dave
i wish to conduct a legitimate poll, or at least as legitimate as it can get on this forum.
unless you are or were a jw, please do not respond or make comments.
please simply give an answer, without extended comments.
None.
i have put in my final day at this year's test of posterior endurance---saturday at the district convention, 2001. i took quite a few notes today, because some had specifically asked about saturday's program.
i hope all will be suitably edified by them.
do not just listen to bits and pieces of the program, but to the whole thing.
I just wanted to make a few comments on the changed TMS format.
It appears to me that they are clutching at straws to get people to participate in the school.
Will they give thre student a mark in the new book? Will the school everseer make public comment on the talk at all? If not, how will a student know when they have 'passed' a particular quality?
In my day, the 1st talk was always from the Bible, and you had to do an intro and conclusion, within exactly 5 minutes (always fearing the gong reaper!). Am I to understand that the talk is now from either the Bible or the Watchtower? If no intro or conclusion are now required, surely they are hoping to get more takers, as no preparaton or research will be necessary.
As far as the written review goes, my experience always was that this was done as an 'open book' exercise, regardless of contrary instructions in the Society's publications. This of course had the desired effect of more people turning up for the meeting when the written review was due. Was this the general experience, or did most congs insist on 'closed book' written reviews?
I wonder if the time will come when the TMS/Service Meeting is abandoned entirely, or tacked onto the Sunday meeting. Are they yet running out of willing and/or capable public speakers?
Any comments on these matters would be appreciated.
