WT is not crumbling, but is rebranding. WT would prefer smaller, but loyal pack of followers, who would venerate the leadership and secure well off livelihood. They can care less if they have 10 millions members who are lukewarm to their ideology, but they care about having core that will ensure their survival. WT is a totalitarian organization. In totalitarian regimes, the government does not care much about annoymous masses, but cares about the grassroot of the loyal supporters. When WT is becoming larger, and diverse, it is harder to control people on global scale.
Posts by kaik
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63After Six Months of Hiatus, I can tell you the Watchtower is Starting to Crumble Faster than you think!
by SanLuisObispoTruthSeeker ini took a hiatus from jwn because the wall started to collapse because i lost several people ive known almost my entire life.
these were people i thought would never die, the lies told by the watchtower is unforgivable!
there was a party i attended keeping a low profile while documenting what was said.
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What were the calculations used to arrive at the 1874 date of Christ's return?
by Zoos inwe all know the calculations used by the wt to arrive at 1914. fall of babylon in 607 (false year), gentile times, no zero year, ta-da, 1914.. what did they use before that?
i know it wasn't russell who came up with it - he just adopted it.
i'm just curious what they had to explain away when they made the transition.. .
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kaik
Russell did not speculate, he believed his own shit. At least this is my perception reading his publications. He was extremely disappointed when his prophesies and secret mysteries of Bible did not come through. I would be interesting if he made it another three years to see the end of WWI. I do not see he ever deviated from 1874 nonsense. Addition to his work were done by Rutherford after his death, which tried to twist the 1874 fiasco by 1919. However, it was not until the Great Depression when the 1874 was moved 40 years later and when it was clear that nobody from 1799 was anymore alive.
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Christmas markets - apparently fine for JW's to attend
by FeelingFree inthis has got me really wound up and i feel the need to post.
our friend an ex jw has just returned from a famous christmas market in germany, now my husband mentioned this to his mum as they have connections there.
she got all excited about how amazing the german christmas markets are there and how she would of def gone to one this year if she had the time!
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kaik
I love Xmas markets, and certainly Nuremberg has the nicest one I have been. I miss the time where you can buy roasted chestnut, and spiced hot red wine. And the cookies- walnut and hazelnut cocoa bear paws wrapped in sugar.
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Elders and priests what 's the difference?
by sparrowdown inis being a "good" elder the same as being a "good" catholic priest?.
is there any difference between representing the rcc and representing that other bastion of child abuse the wt?.
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kaik
I agree with Oubliette that major difference is education. Catholic priests have at least four, but in general six years of university education. They have deep knowledge of history, sociology, literature, philosophy, and many of them studied social and natural science. Catholic universities are excellent and have good reputation. Some of the colleges have priests in their educational body. Can you imagine elders debating geology, advanced calculus, or roman history with Catholic priests?
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Top 10 Signs that Jehovah's Witnesses Want to Disfellowship You:
by OnTheWayOut ini've posted these years ago and was reminiscing, so i thought i would share the laugh with you again.. top 10 signs that jehovah's witnesses want to disfellowship you:.
10. there's two guys in suits staying all night outside your home in a four-door sedan.. 9. an elder you spoke to on the phone calls and asks you to repeat what you said the other day, but asks you to speak slowly and clearly.. 8. suddenly, jw friends stop by and ask an awful lot of the same questions.. 7. your laptop computer was moved, left on, or is missing.. 6. you left your car unlocked, it was thoroughly searched by someone but absolutely nothing is missing including your gps which was searched too.. 5. your boss asks if you are in trouble with the law or someone, stating some really polite men were asking about you and left some "tracts.".
4. someone picked up the cigarette butts around your back porch.. 3. the bartender at your favorite nightspot asks if you have ever before seen the guys in the corner booth that have been ordering "cokes" all evening and pulling out a camera everytime you order a beer.. 2. you receive registered mail and you already served on a jury this year.. 1. your jw mother who finally had accepted that you will never go back starts begging you to either go back to the kingdom hall or move with no forwarding address.. .
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kaik
- You are not choosen to answer any question
- Suddenly everyone shuns you in the KH
- Two brothers who never cared about your existence decides to stop at your place to "see" how are you doing
- Nobody wants to go into field service with you because they have their own service area to engage
- You find out from relatives, neighbors, and friends that some wierd people ask about you.
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50
What were the calculations used to arrive at the 1874 date of Christ's return?
by Zoos inwe all know the calculations used by the wt to arrive at 1914. fall of babylon in 607 (false year), gentile times, no zero year, ta-da, 1914.. what did they use before that?
i know it wasn't russell who came up with it - he just adopted it.
i'm just curious what they had to explain away when they made the transition.. .
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kaik
The year of 1874 was not dropped from WT publications until the 1930's, so their parousia was preached 50 years after the fact. Another important year for WT was 1844 and 1878, where he calls the era until 1844 a perido of Jesus' disfavor and after spiritual ministry of 33.5 years, he choose C.T. Russell as his God's communication channel.
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Greek Mythology influence on New Testament
by Magnum ina few days ago, i was in a book store, and i picked up a book providing a brief overview of classical mythology.
as i examined the opening pages, i read about tartaurus (place of punishment) and hades (god of the underworld).. it seems so odd that tartarus and hades would be mentioned in the new testament, and yet they were part of greek mythology which predated the new testament.
why would bible writers have used such terms?
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kaik
One of the biggest association of paganims Judeo-Christian thought is the act of baptism. While OT talks on sprinkling waters (Ez 36:25), the submersion into water is clearly pagan, similar to what Greeks myth describes in Achilles and his dipping into water to ensure immortality. John of Baptist was probably combining middle eastern religion of water god Oannes with a jewish beliefs of Essenes. Entire idea of water baptism never make sense, and probably did not make in the 1st century either; therefore, Christians invented spiritual baptism as something devine thus and unverified.
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Sunday Washington Post: Gay Christians choosing celibacy emerge from the shadows.
by Balaamsass2 inlocal.
gay christians choosing celibacy emerge from the shadows.
despite encountering criticism, the lgbt community is finding greater acceptance, even in religious circles.
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kaik
Evangelical movement find another heros of the crusades against gay people, a gay & lesbian people who do not have a sex. Decades ago, they prized gay people who married and breed children with opposite sex to show that they are not gay. In medieval times, when celibacy was prized as the highest virtue together with poverty and starvation, people often disfugured themselves to ensure they are not attractive. Women cut their noses and burned their breasts so nobody would tempt them, while men castrated themselves. So in their twisted reasoning, you can be gay in your mind, but you cannot engage in same sex relationship. They beat themselves in the chest how they sacrificed their sexuality and get paraded like did medieval beggers with leprosis in front of the church.
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What were the calculations used to arrive at the 1874 date of Christ's return?
by Zoos inwe all know the calculations used by the wt to arrive at 1914. fall of babylon in 607 (false year), gentile times, no zero year, ta-da, 1914.. what did they use before that?
i know it wasn't russell who came up with it - he just adopted it.
i'm just curious what they had to explain away when they made the transition.. .
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kaik
There were seveal crazy calculations by Russell who attempted to combine various era, years, jubelee and contemporary events to prove his points. In the Studies in the scriptures, he wrote numerous examples on how he got into this year. There are several pivotal years like 1799 in which Napoleon took over Rome, 539 with Justinan capture of Rome...
"While the time prophecies thus point to and harmonize with 1874 as the date of our Lord's second presence, assuring us of the fact with mathematical precision, we find ourselves overwhelmed with evidence of another character; for certain peculiar signs, foretold by the Lord and the apostles and prophets, which were to precede his coming, are now clearly recognized as actually fulfilled. We see that the promised Elias has indeed come; that his teachings have been rejected, just as predicted; and that therefore the great time of trouble must follow. The predicted Man of Sin, the Antichrist, has also made his appearance, and accomplished his long and terrible reign; and at the exact "time appointed" (1799) his dominion was taken away. The cleansing of the sanctuary was also accomplished as predicted, and at a time sufficiently in advance of 1874 to make ready "a people prepared for the Lord"--a people in devout expectancy of his coming--just as a similar work prior to the first advent made ready a people to receive him then. We find that the date 1874 is also in harmony with the prophecy of Daniel (12:1), which fixes the advent of "Michael" in the "Time of the End"--that is, somewhere between 1799 and 1914--and as the cause and precursor of the great time of trouble. When seventy-five years of this "Day of Preparation" had developed the proper conditions for the beginning of his great work, then the Master stepped upon the scene--quietly, "without outward show"--"in like manner" as he went away.
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Did you AWAKEN from the JWs by yourself?
by cultBgone ini was thinking about how so many posters here on jwn are frustrated and frantic to help their loved ones get away from the brainwashing of jws, and how much advice is given about how to help family members and loved ones.
i considered my own leaving and that it was internal turmoil based on the teachings getting weirder and child abuse issues, to name just a few, and it made me wonder:.
did you self-awaken or were you assisted by the gentle proddings of a friend or family member?
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kaik
What I had awaken me was study of the book, The Revelation, Grand Climax at the hand. My thought after this study was that WT just makes the stuff out. This was my awakening. Than I looked around and saw cold religion that cared little about anyone else. I walked away right after this 20 years ago. I think my mon knows its all BS but leaving cult at her age after decades, she worries to lose social ties that mean very much to her.