Posts by Tech49

19

Complete list of how "The Watchtower" make money

by usualusername in

jw
friends

i have been reading this forum for umpteen years and have heard of so many ways that the watchtower is making money.. .

would you mind contributing to help me compile a list?.

to start:.

Tech49

Long ago: "Mandatory" parking tickets at the District Convention.... Tacoma Dome, Washington, USA

More recently: Disaster zones, rebuilding the brother's homes for "free", then sticking their hands out for the insurance check.

10

The Books are Cooked: Grossly Misleading chart and graphic

by Tech49 in

are the charts and number graphics you see in the wt and awake articles factual?

or are they misleading?.

many have already discussed how verses, quotes, and facts are cherry-picked to fit a particular situation.. i came across another blatant misrepresentation of facts, in a grossly misleading chart-graphic.

Tech49

Here is yet another example of misleading charts/graphics, pure scemantics to make the "increase" look INCREDIBLE !!! :

In this weeks Study Edition of the WT, April 2014, inside the cover, we have a brief overview of the country of TURKEY.

Population: 75.6million

Publishers: 2,312

Bible Studies: 1,632

Publisher/Public Ratio: 1:32,711

And then there is this little sentence: Since 2004 the number of Regular Pioneers in Turkey has increased by 245% !

Praise G-hova !!

That sounds INCREDIBLE !! Surely Holy Spirit is making the work increase like WILDFIRE !!!

Wait, Look again, oh all ye faithful.

Let's take just a second to look at the figures, and in particular the last sentence. The 2014 YB shows the stats for service year 2013, there were a total of 278 Regular Pioneers. Quick math will show you that, without having a 2004 YB on hand, there would have been about 113 Regular Pioneers in 2004. So over 10 years, an increase of 165 or so. Ok, so then why dont they just say that? Why must we use a different number to make things look EVEN BIGGER!!? We know the answer. It's all scemantics, using a twisted reality to make things look shiny and brighter than they really are!

The bigger question I immediately had, was WHERE IS THE INCREASE? For 75.6 MILLION people in Turkey (roughly about 1/4 the population of the USA), and with only 29 congregations of 81 publishers each (on average, according to the 2014 YB)? A quick comparison would be like having just over 100 congregations in all of the USA....

What is everyone doing? Look at that publisher ratio..... 1 witness for every 32,711 people !!!?? Isn't that a HUGE territory? Shouldnt it be a land RIPE with increase, given the population of worldlings, those just BEGGING for someone to show them the path to TRUE HAPPINESS!?? In this modern day society, why isnt there a REAL increase in Turkey? (I dont have the answer, just wondering out loud...)

True, Turkey has only legally recognized JW's since 2007, but there have been "pioneers" there for over a hundred years.!

Apparently, G-Hovah doesnt like Turkey as much as the rest of us.....

Jack Harper, Tech49

111

CONGREGATION FLEECING RESULTS?

by The Searcher in

how much did your congregation and its bank account get taken for?

share your horror story!.

Tech49

$650/month over here, is the amount the congregation has pledged to send every month. No lump sum, as we dont have but about $3,000 in the bank right now.

The part that gets me though, is that we typically send around $400/month to the WWW, and about another $50 to the KHFund. Some months the friends dont contribute enough funds to cover the few bills we do have, and we pull from the small balance that remains, ending in a "deficit" to the contributions. So now we will be sending MORE?

I think the "pledges" were a great sparkling hope, one that will die quickly as reality sets in. The 75 (at best) in attendance every week will NOT be able to keep up. I see a LOCAL NEEDS talk coming in the next 6 months, when the cash flow dries up.

All I heard was... " HOW WONDERFUL this new arrangement is.... I mean we will need new carpet and roofing and landscaping SOON, and how WONDERFUL it is to not worry about where the funds will come from!!!"

Oh boy, are they going to be in for a shocker...

60

Midweek Meetings no longer Necessary

by Tech49 in

i am sure we have all seen the recent letter to the boe concerning the change that will take place to the meeting arrangement during the week of the co visit.

to recap the basics: the meeting that usually contains the cong bible study (book study) and a co talk will be discontinued, publishers are encouraged to use their family worship night that week to cover book study material.. so here is a point that i think has been missed, or not even considered:.

if that particular meeting is hereby deleted from the schedule, the co and his wife will never ever have to participate in or go to another "book study", or "bible study" night again.

Tech49

I dont want my original point to be lost: this new "arranagement" is a direct statement speaking to the lack of importance of the weekday meeting, as demonstrated by your fearless leaders in the GB... If it was important, they would keep it during the week of the CO visit. If it is so unimportant as to justify scrapping it and the accompanying talk by the CO, why should anyone attend the first 30 minutes of the meeting night any other week? If the CO and his wife NEVER have to attend the Bible Study portion again, why does anyone else?

60

Midweek Meetings no longer Necessary

by Tech49 in

i am sure we have all seen the recent letter to the boe concerning the change that will take place to the meeting arrangement during the week of the co visit.

to recap the basics: the meeting that usually contains the cong bible study (book study) and a co talk will be discontinued, publishers are encouraged to use their family worship night that week to cover book study material.. so here is a point that i think has been missed, or not even considered:.

if that particular meeting is hereby deleted from the schedule, the co and his wife will never ever have to participate in or go to another "book study", or "bible study" night again.

Tech49

I am sure we have all seen the recent Letter to the BOE concerning the change that will take place to the meeting arrangement during the week of the CO visit. To recap the basics: The meeting that usually contains the Cong Bible Study (Book Study) and a CO talk will be discontinued, publishers are encouraged to use their Family Worship night that week to cover Book Study material.

So here is a point that I think has been missed, or not even considered:

If that particular meeting is hereby deleted from the schedule, the CO and his wife will NEVER EVER have to participate in or go to another "Book Study", or "Bible Study" night again. They will not be considering the material with the congregation. The brothers and sisters will not get to hear their insight, or thoughts on the material being presented.

So by extension, why does anyone else need to attend? Can't we all reflect on the material privately? If its not important enough to warrant a meeting that week for the rank and file, and not important enough for the CO and his wife to EVER be a part of on a congregation level, then why bother?

Second point: I thought that the purpose of the CO visit was to encourage and get to know the congregation, to be a part of it, to show kindness and consideration, to be a real breath of fresh air to the brothers and sisters, to the families that work hard just to make a living? So how are they supposed to do that in 1 jam-packed night a week, with wana-be elders and ministerial servants breathing down their necks and vying for positions and appointments, and another ultra-jam-packed Sunday meeting where the CO does his best to hurry up and get the hell out of town while he has some time for himself before the next congregation requires his attention? Sounds to me like they are cutting cutting cutting at the expense of the flock (big surprise, right?). So its a 30% cut in meeting times, and opportunities for average folks to take advantage of the "grand spiritual banquet" that is so lovingly provided for them. How is that loving? Arent we continually admonished to "not forsake the gathering together"?

(of course, the obvious fallacy in all this, is the belief that these "grandios ones" are really that effective and encouraging in the first place anyway..)

My personal feelings are that eventually the "Congregation Bible Study" will be done away with entirely, and relegated to "personal study time". Its already a rush-rush hurry-up 30 minute Q&A as it is.

Yours truly,

Jack Harper, Tech49

45

BOE: Re: Midweek meetings during visit of circuit overseer

by pixel in

you read it here first!.

to all congregations.

re: midweek meetings during visit of circuit overseer .

Tech49

So heres an interesting point that I havent heard yet....if the Congregation Bible Study meeting is now cancelled on the week of the CO visit....that means that the CO and his wife NEVER will have to attend a formal meeting to discuss the material on a congregation level. It is ok for them to study it privately. I thought that the purpose of their visit was to encourage and build up the brothers, to get to know the congregations. Pretty hard to do that with 1 evening meeting, ya think?

So then, by extension, "evidently", is it ok for everyone else to skip that part of the meeting, on "regular" weeks, as well? What happened to "not forsaking the gathering of one another?"

Tech49

13

Picture of the Governing Body's Meeting Room "FYI"

by Iamallcool in

jw
friends

.

Tech49

Ha! I agree, that photo is NOT of their meeting room. That photo is staged to show their humble digs, $129 plastic office chairs, in a small little conference room. Even that photo above, depicting them at the other conference table, is so far from reality it is just silly.

When I visited 2 years ago, I got an insider tour, and was in the "Most Holy" conference room, in the Service Department. Yes, there is an ENORMOUS wood table, worth easily $50k. There are probably 20 chairs around it, each a HUGE leather monstrosity, easily worth $1200 each. There is a flat screen TV/Monitor on the wall that is at LEAST a 96", with remote wireless computer hooked up to it. I was told that NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, gets to see that room, unless you are there for a very specific reason.

Edit for P.S....... we were NOT allowed to photograph anything beyond the standard tour. On the flat screen monitor, they had GOOGLE EARTH pulled up, with a display showing EVERY SINGLE Circuit Overseer in the WORLD. If you zoomed in on him, it showed his congregation/territory. Kinda cool, kinda little bit creepy. Some big wig came in while we were in there, frowned alot, asked why we were being shown this room, grumbled something, and went on his way.

Staged photos, make-believe statistics, its all for show.

Tech49

10

The Books are Cooked: Grossly Misleading chart and graphic

by Tech49 in

are the charts and number graphics you see in the wt and awake articles factual?

or are they misleading?.

many have already discussed how verses, quotes, and facts are cherry-picked to fit a particular situation.. i came across another blatant misrepresentation of facts, in a grossly misleading chart-graphic.

Tech49

Are the charts and number graphics you see in the WT and AWAKE articles factual? Or are they misleading?

Many have already discussed how verses, quotes, and facts are cherry-picked to fit a particular situation.

I came across another BLATANT misrepresentation of facts, in a grossly misleading chart-graphic. So far beyond factual that I almost laughed the moment I saw it.

Please open your current study copy of the WT (dated March 15), and we can review. On the very first page (page 2), inside cover, is the chart highlighting the GROWTH OF PIONEERS in Australia. As you can clearly see, EVIDENTLY there was an ENORMOUS spike in Aux, Reg, and Special Pioneers over a 10-year period. For those of you without the current magazine, it shows Aux Pioneers in 2003 of approx 6200, and in 2013 about 21,000. Reg Pioneers in 2003 about 3,000, and in 2013 just over 5,000. Special Pioneers in 2003 an abismal 12, while in 2013 the number flew to just over 100 !

At first glance, to the average Borg member, these figures are fantastic, and a great witness, showing the HUGE effect that Holy Spirit must EVIDENTLY be having in Australia.

But if you stop and think about it for just a few brief minutes, you can see the fallacy. What they dont show, and dont remind you of, so as to not pop your little bubble, is that a huge change occurred in the years between 2003 and 2013. I will just focus for a minute on the AUXILARY PIONEERS, as this has shown the largest jump in numbers, OBVIOUSLY because of the efforts of the HOLY SPIRIT.

Here is the change: The required number of hours to "aux pioneer" was dropped dramatically. In fact, almost cut in half. So now almost anyone can sign up to pioneer, and "promise" to get their 30 hours in. (sidepoint: What happens if you dont make your hours? Answer: Nothing.) So OF COURSE the numbers went up! DUH! And then, the other half of the equation. You can sign up to Aux Pioneer 3 times a year or more, and get your 30 hrs in, during special campaign months (Memorial, District Convention, Special tract). So in effect, 1 person siging up 3 times a year (for 30 hrs each time) becomes a figure of 3 Aux Pioneers, for chart purposes.

The other thing they dont mention in ANY literature or charts is actually how many of those pioneers MADE THEIR HOUR requirement! When I served as secretary to the congregation (in multiple congregations), it was a RARITY to have anyone make the actual quotas. Regular Pioneers were the absolute worst! Special tract campaigns were a close second! We would regularly have 30-40 people sign up to Aux Pioneer for a tract campaign, and it would be a miracle if 25% actually got the 30, or even close. (sidebar: one CO visit we had, he focused on starting bible studies. He made sure to tell everyone that if you had 2 return visits on a person in one week, it could be counted as a study. So at the end of the week, he was able to report to the branch that the congregation had started 28 NEW bible studies this week! Absolutely stupid. Amazing but true, and the next month those 28 studies somehow evaporated.)

In review.... just in case you didnt already get the point....the numbers and charts you see are a sham. They are fake, are embellished upon, and are made up. Just a little thinking and research will remind you that you can't believe everything you see, even when it comes from the Most Holy.

Jack Harper, Tech49

143

Letter to BOE: Adjustment in process for appointing elders and ministerial servants

by pixel in

hello, you read it here first!.

governing body of jehovah's witnesses.

to all congregations.

Tech49

Ok, I will weigh in on this one. From the moment I saw this, when it came thru as a story from JWSurvey, I could only shake my head and plant my palm firmly into my forehead. (sidepoint: every time I get an update from Cedar's website, I cringe a little before I open my email. I think to myself: what idiotic thing has WT done THIS WEEK? Who dreams this stuff up? It's getting to the point to where I am just embarrassed...)

Most of you have already parroted my exact thoughts on the matter, but there are several obvious things that occured to me almost instantly, that should seem VERY out of place to anyone with even one eye open (most of this has already been covered by you astute little students, but allow me the pleasure to re-address):

1. HOLY SPIRIT. As was mentioned, and shown very clearly by Blondie, HS is supposed to be the one doing all the appointing, or at least WAS according to WT, and all the old-but-fading light. Soooo, now the CO gets the magical HS wand? Or is HS going to guide and direct HIM alone, as he has the ultimate decision-making ability? (I personally NEVER bought the story that EVERY single appointment recommendation letter gets prayed over at headquarters, and HS helps the brothers stamp it or not. Just a quick lesson in mathematics tells you that it is almost impossible....)

2. DATABASE. In order for the CO to make sure to NOT appoint pedophiles, without sending the info to the branch for them to check, there will certainly HAVE to be a database for him to submit names to. Databases can be hacked. Carry on... Anyways, I digress. Think about this scenario... What's to stop a disgruntled, pissed off, pedophile, wife-beater, lying cheating no-gooder to just move to a different state? Then, he could "pretend" to be a bible study, start fresh, schmooze the locals and the CO, and within a few short years.... BAM. Appointment. No checking with "Mother", just the local HR Rep.

3. ABSOLUTE POWER.... corrupts absolutely. Sure, many, maybe even most brothers will do what they can, and will be as fair as possible. But the reality is this... if someone pads your palm with a wad of 20's, almost ANYONE, including you and I, would have an unconscious desire to think more of that person than the one who didnt. Get enough of that going on, and soon, very soon, the "responsibility", "priviledge", and "qualifying" of a title loses its credibility, even more than it already has. There is so much ass-kissing going on right now, that all this will seem as a "blessing" to those brothers who are trying so hard to kiss the shiny shoes of the CO. My current CO is an idiot. He is impersonal, lackluster, and has no education whatsoever (other than "spiritual"). His wife was made in the same mold. Dumb. Can't carry on a conversation on a personal level. Dresses like a ragdoll. Brother CO has a little gaggle of brothers that treat him like a king every time he visits, and I can almost guarantee which ones will be up for appointments next visit. It is just sickening to watch. None of them "qualify", but will no doubt get the blessing of the Holy Spirit. ugh.

4. LEGAL aspect. Yep, that crossed my mind too. Brother CO, you get the wonderful blessing and personal priviledge of EXTENDED responsibilities, YAYYYY! (watch out for the bus tires, 'cause you will be the first one to get one to the head if things go haywire)

Personally, it disgusts me. This arrangement, no matter what "refinements" and "further instruction" come later, is frought with disaster. And for the GB to say that it "comes from the scriptures" is just stupid. (I thought the previous arrangement was from the scriptures??) Every day they seem to make shit up, then find a scripture to twist and shoehorn in to back up their made-up shit. They keep reading a letter a week to the congregations, and these poor bastards' head's are just spinning! We know you can't keep up, but you all better get your act together, cause it's time for another invitation campaign!

Listen, Obey, and Be Blessed!

Jack Harper, Tech49

69

Your Experience with Resigning as an Elder

by committeechairman in

i'm considering resigning as an elder.

i'm not planning to fade or stop as one of jehovah's witnesses, just stop serving as an elder.. i have responsibility in the congregation and in circuit, district, rbc, etc.

and i'm completely exhausted.

Tech49

Many of my feelings have already been commented on by others. CommitteeChairman, look at my opening posts on this forum, to see my experiences, as it may help to see that you are definitely not alone.

Sadly, over the years, we have been trained to accept the fact that a measure of a man's "spirituality", and character is defined by the titles and "privledges" that have been bestowed upon. When the time comes to call into balance the amount of mental and physical work that can actually and realistically be done, and we consider either giving up or cutting back on titles and responsibilities... we find ourselves in a state of confusion, shock, and panic.

We think to ourselves.."how can I even think of 'stepping down', I will no longer be a spiritual man?!" And so the internal fight rages on.

The REAL reality, is that you CAN'T do it all. I know, I have been in your position. And to reiterate what many have already mentioned... it doesnt seem to EVER let up! The more you do, the more is expected of you, until you start to crack. The faster you run, the faster the wheel turns. If YOU don't crack, your family will.

Personally, as soon as I saw that happening.... when my wife would be in tears after a meeting, the kids didnt want to go anymore, and ALL my spare time was wrapped up in "spiritual responsibilities"..... I took a step back. My family was more important than anything else. Even for myself, I could feel the effects on me physically and emotionally. I started to lose sleep, was drinking more, especially after meetings, to try and calm down. I didnt dare miss a meeting, or field service, for fear of being "looked down upon" as weak or "not measureing up".

It was a defining moment when I decided that I had had enough, and that my family and my health was more important than a title and a job. I REFUSED to believe that the measure of MY character was to be dictated by how many hours I got each month, or what my title was, or what "theocratic responsibilities" I covered. No sir, they are NOT privledges, they are WORK.

I prayed and prayed and prayed.... I took the CO out in service alone to talk about it........ and all I got was the standard response..."you need to be BUSIER in theocratic activities, rely FULLY on Jehovah, and you will be BLESSED! Obviously, you are not doing enough! The more you do, the more JOY will be found!" I stood there agast, and it was right then that I knew I was done serving as an elder. I would NEVER measure up to human standards.

Yes, my congregation began treating me and my family as if we had done something wrong. The gossip raged like a flaming fire, my fellow "brothers", elders, suddenly treated me like I had sold out, as if I was a traitor. They stopped using me for everything, like I needed to be "put in my place" for being so selfish. To this day, I get the "priviledge" of running the sound booth once in a while. Or giving a bible reading. I have given 1 prayer after a meeting in 2 1/2 years. That's it, suddenly I am a lesser man in their eyes, no better than the average 13 year old boy. All this, only weeks after being RBC key man, School Overseer, and Secretary. Honestly, it broke my heart a little. But I soldiered on, and am a better person for it. I don't let people walk on me, I dont care who they are. I havent really changed, I am a moral man, a man of my word, a man of good character, honest, faithful, and if anything I find myself actually beginning to enjoy my family, to enjoy life more. No "clipboard running", no elders meeting, no judicial meetings, nothing. If I dont make it to the meeting, no biggie. No one cares, no one judges (any more than they already do).

Yes, honestly, for me, giving up a title and the HUGE amount of work that came with it was a tough one, it was a mental struggle. It was gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, and gave me fits, even to tears. But the benefits have been enourmous. NOW I can finally be the husband and father I need to be, and that I want to be, without trying so hard to please PEOPLE. I can be ME.

But no matter what you decide to do, do what's best for YOU, and for your FAMILY. Don't let everyone else define you. Don't let an abstract vision and convoluted interpretation of the definition of a "spiritual man",by other imperfect and often stupid men, dictate who you are.