Posts by TonusOH

27

How many times did they say armagedon was coming?

by Witness 007 in

1914 1918 1925 1940s 1975 1914 generation what did i miss?.

TonusOH

The change in 1995 had a big impact because the WTS depends on a sense of urgency to push its message and control the rank and file. In the years leading up to 1975, the ranks grew quickly because people will hedge their bets 'just in case.' They had long been using the "1914 generation" teaching to show the urgency of the times, even in 1975 (the 1914 generation would have been in its 60s or 70s by then).

They designed that famous cover in 1984 talking about that generation, which would have been 70+ by then. By 1995 the sense of urgency would have been critical; the 1914 generation was now in its 80s and 90s. It is hard to see the "change in understanding" as anything other than a convenience; as a way to get rid of a growing problem. It should also be no surprise that many left around this time, because it's hard to avoid the feeling that you were being pranked.

But the loss of urgency is a problem. That's why they decided to revive the "this generation" teaching and came up with the "overlapping generations" abomination. I'd really love to know who decided that it was a good idea to do that. I wonder how many JWs who held on after 1995 saw this and realized that they were following a bunch of clowns.

4

1975 Quiz.

by mikronboy in

jw
friends

having been asked to prepare and present a general knowledge inter-pub quiz, i decided to include a question relating to jw's.

there were 12 teams in all, 4 persons to each team.

this was the question:.

TonusOH

Five out of twelve is 42%. Honestly, that sounds a bit high. I doubt that many people in the US would remember that the JWs were predicting the end way back then. Or that anyone was. It was a big deal for JWs, but not for anyone else. And it stopped being a big deal for JWs even before 1975 was over.

11

6 billion people to bury who rejected Witnesses

by Witness 007 in

so i guess the "paradise" earth is going to be stinky to the point of vomiting with 6 billion dead bodies of not witnesess.

how long would it take to bury these people?

maybe 2 years.

TonusOH

"Welcome back to life! Jehovah has given you a great gift. Now, here's a shovel and a hacksaw. We have a very important task for you..."

13

Those Who Ascend To Heaven - As Revealed By YHWH

by EisMe in

martyrs ascend to heaven, the 144,000 are preserved.

many believers wonder about who truly ascends to heaven after death.

some hold that all believers go to heaven, while others believe only the 144,000 ascend.

TonusOH

EisMe: The distinction matters.

No, it doesn't. It's just a way to try to confuse the matter. When Jan says she is a Christian, she is saying that she is a follower of Christ. In other words, a disciple. Trying to make it seem as if she is not a real follower because she uses one word instead of another is dishonest.

37

Reddit thread on convention video urging cutting off contact with Faders

by LongHairGal in

jw
friends

i just read this.

don’t know if anybody here has seen the video.. the intended result of this is to obviously scare ‘faders’ out of the shadows.

now, they are being threatened with loss of association with their loved ones and friends.

TonusOH

LongHairGal: I don’t want this energy in my life

Exactly. I knew too many people (including relatives) whose viewpoint was that the world was ending soon and life would not truly begin until after Armageddon. They wanted to get to the end with as little effort as possible, because they felt it didn't matter what you accomplished in the 'old system.' The 'new system' is when they can finally begin to live.

My mother has wasted almost sixty years of her life, now. Still waiting, still doing nothing with her life aside from wondering what the new system will be like. She depends on others and has no compunction about taking advantage of them, since Jehovah will settle all debts in the end. She would never consider herself a 'taker,' but she drained a LOT of my time and money as she waited for an end that is now some 50 years overdue.

It is tragic, that the people who would shun me are the people I am perfectly happy being shunned by. This is what they do to families and to individuals. I'm glad enough I was able to get out mostly intact, but there is always a price that is paid when families become fragmented thanks to their policies and beliefs. I spent many years taking care of my mother, but these days we hardly speak. If there is no money to be squeezed from me, she would just as soon not bother.

7

NOT on JW.org. Massive growth of new congregations in Africa? Really?

by Balaamsass2 in

lady shares her experience attending a "jehovah’s witness church after accepting an invitation from one of their members".

a nigerian lady shares her unexpected and comically awkward experience attending a jehovah’s witness service for the first time after accepting an invitation from a persistent male friend, who was a member of the church.. a nigerian lady shares her unexpected and comically awkward experience attending a jehovah’s witness service for the first time after accepting an invitation from a persistent male friend, who was a member of the church.. .

she shared a video detailing her experience, with a caption that read;.

TonusOH

I don't think the organization will look poorly on this fellow. He appears to be a dedicated and loyal True Believer, and in places where there is almost no presence, a local with that kind of drive and dedication is worth his weight in gold. This also shows the potential of Zoom and remote teaching; this is the kind of thing they could not have done in the past, and this poor fellow would be required to walk long distances to attend meetings. That would make it very difficult to recruit others.

The WTS can't afford to be picky these days, but they're probably seeing it as a double-edged razor. It's nice to get more people to join, but there isn't much cash to wring out of them.

37

Reddit thread on convention video urging cutting off contact with Faders

by LongHairGal in

jw
friends

i just read this.

don’t know if anybody here has seen the video.. the intended result of this is to obviously scare ‘faders’ out of the shadows.

now, they are being threatened with loss of association with their loved ones and friends.

TonusOH

LongHairGal: Now, they are being threatened with loss of association with their loved ones and friends.

My reply to that is: "don't threaten me with a good time."

34

Remember Hour Quotas?

by blondie in

jw
friends

hour quotas timeline.

back in the old days long before 1952.

“after staying in our ‘home’ for two days we decided that if we were going to meet our quota of 140 hours for the month.

TonusOH

They required five or six hours of field service every day for 30 days. You can tell that the people making up this rule did not have to follow it themselves, or they would have ended field service entirely.

It also puts them in the position of constantly reducing the requirement as we supposedly get closer to the end. So, is it more urgent to act now, or less? Make up your minds!

5

The Prophetic Days in Daniel Fulfilled

by EisMe in

“this will be the final topic i post.

the structured fulfillment of prophecy has now been made undeniably clear, and after completing one final task—the letter to the governing body of jehovah’s witnesses—i will take my rest.

the truth has been presented, the timeline confirmed, and all that remains is the culmination of prophecy itself.” estephan leuese.

TonusOH

They forgot to add:

- September 12, 2025 - when the current prediction fails, start working on the new one.

3154

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars (continued)

by Simon in

jw
friends

uh oh, looks like the mega thread gave up the ghost, so while i investigate / fix it just continue the discussion here .... it's been a long 9 years lloyd evans / john cedars.

TonusOH

Worth it.