i have often asserted on this forum that the published totals for publishers and hours.
are not to be believed.
first, because i'm a fake publisher ( like many) and second, because.
Meta: This post, and your other recent one, paint a fascinating picture. On the one hand, the WTS is clearly concerned about the lack of seriousness displayed by the R & F when it comes to the all important "live saving" work. On the other, accuracy in doctrine is not nearly as important as moving out the old stock of books.
Portrait of an organization in decay.
it has been accomplished, it's over, done, kaput.
a chapter of my life that has lasted 5 and 1/2 years has reached its final page and the book is now closed.
(no, i'm not talking about my sex life, that's been more than...erm, well, never mind).
This is a significant milestone, expecially considering where you were when you started. I'm impressed, and I don't even know you. It took me even longer to work my way thru, and I didn't have the dub thing to contend with (long, long time ago). Despite all the hard work and sacrifice, it will be so worth it. You'll see. Congratulations!
i remeber about 20 years ago wts still go against psychiatrist and in this awake !
mentions some jws did go to psychatrist.
huh !?.
I think any shrink worth his salt would recognize a cult victim.
Exactly. And thus the attitude that permeates the WTS.
i've heard the expression a few times here but have normally not taken much notice.
i've been exited for 31 years and 4 months, well before the onset of elders, reproofs and marking.. i understand the first 2 but am all at sea about the the third.
someone please tell me exactly what "marking" is and how one becomes marked or a marker.. or markee!
"Marking" is one of those WT procedures that came into being back in the 60's or 70's when the society determined it needed a rule for every conceivable situation. As this thread testifies, it has been difficult to understand and explain since its inception, and there was always mass confusion about just what form it should take and how it should be employed. Many elder bodies just don't use it, because of this confusion. It's been many, many years since I've heard a 'marking talk.' The WT made it clear it was a congregational action, its use determined by the elders, and that individuals could not "mark" others (however, see "guard your association"), and no names were to be used in the talk. For that reason, many publishers heard "marking talks" and had no idea that's what they were.
Today, the congregation has gravitated towards "local needs" parts, which are worked into the Service Meeting schedule about once a month. They serve the roughly same purpose but are not limited to acts of individuals.
That's my take on it, anyway.
i remeber about 20 years ago wts still go against psychiatrist and in this awake !
mentions some jws did go to psychatrist.
huh !?.
Eup's WT excerpts DO support his point that the society has "loosened up" on this, but careful reading exposes WT doublespeak. Last sentence in each article, for example: In the first, they caution no one should be criticized for their decision to seek such help; the fact that the "friends" would think to criticize such a personal decision speaks volumes about what they've previously been taught. In the second article, this:
What, though, about accepting treatment from a psychiatrist or a psychologist? This would be a personal decision to be made with due caution.
Note the "personal decision" and "due caution" caveats. JWs know what that means; it means it might be okay under certain circumstances, but it is not recommended.
Within the past couple of years, I had this experience:
A sister talked to me about her depression, which was severe and causing serious family problems. I recommended she get professional help, including a full physical check up, and inquire about certain helpful drugs, such as Paxil. She was so relieved to get that advice; she left our discussion in a hopeful frame of mind.
About a week later, another elder approached me and struck up a conversation about this sister. He said she had come to him for advice about her depression. "She told me what you said about it," he related. "But I just wanted you to know that after she and I talked, she's come to a different decision."
I asked what that was. The reply: He gave her a WT article to read and suggested she and her husband read it over carefully and discuss the contents. He felt that if both of them applied the scriptural counsel within, their problems would be over. Looking me in the eye, he cautioned me about sending "our dear sister" to worldy psychiatrists who would "just blame all her problems on the truth." After taking a few seconds to think about what he said, I replied that he was way out of step with current WT thinking and that he needed to do some more research. As for the woman, she never sought outside help and her family and personal problems continue unchanged.
My point is the WT has in recent years offered some enlightening material on this topic, in a very guarded way. But the word hasn't gotten down into the ranks, even among some elders. Euph's defense of the WT overlooks the real issue: Their "advice" is inconsistent and always subject to change, so that interpretation is open to personal opinion. This leads to a wide variety of experience on the part of the poor publishers, whose very lives ebb and flow based on the intellectual quality of their particular body of elders.
i've been posting my progress on my efforts to get microsoft certification which i hope wil be good for work, esp.
when we move abroad.. i passed my exam !
wohoo ... passed another exam !.
Not to steal your thunder, mate, but I, too, have recently passed several such tests, to wit:
1. Turning on the computer
2. Figuring out how to use the little mouse thingy
3. Learning to use "favorites" instead of looking for the scap of paper with Simon's URL on it and typing in the whole thing, then fixing the typos
4. Deciphering the post reply process
I'm a bit chuffed, as well. Welcome to the club!
i posted this on the aol boards....maybe you'll get a chuckle from these.... .
please do not be drinking or eating at your computer while reading these.. .
splatter against the screen is a pain to clean up.. .
They're bad at prophecy, bad at science, and bad at social relations.
Yeah, but they're good at everything else.
from the church as an abuse victim this year, he came up.
into how church lawyers worked to deter lawsuits, minimize.
the diocese, said that she had worked with mr. scamardo and.
He said he prayed and believed in God "more than ever." But
the last time he went to church was on the Feast of the
Pentecost in June. "I have a lot of grief because my whole
belief system in the church is just gone," he said.
Wow! A lot of us can relate to THAT sentiment, eh?
just wondering if anyone has done any research regarding the estimated number of christians around during the 1st and 2nd centuries.
it seems that there would have been well over 144,000. if so, there certainly would not have been any remaining spots to fill during the 20th century.
of course, the bible doesn't seem to set a number limit on those going to heaven.
The Watchtower has done this research, although they haven't published it in about 50 years, not since they wrote about hundreds of thousands of Christians being put to death in the first century and then got a question from readers (at one time, those Questions really were FROM readers) challenging their math. Their reply: Well, many of them must have been unfaithful because we haven't reached the magic 144K yet. Uh huh. Faith unto death, just not faithful enough. Anyway, don't have the CD handy so someone else will have to post the particulars.
i'm going thru an incredible range of emotions since conversing with my fleshly sister yesterday.
i've posted a few times here, but, haven't yet gained enough "notoriety"
terri
It might help for you to recognize your sister for what she is: A total whack job.
JWs position themselves as holier than thou, their literature citing example after example of how "true Christians" are superior human beings. After a short while, they come to believe that.
Their actions, however, speak louder than words, as in the case of your sister's insult... and that's what it was, a slap in the face. She would not dare do that to her employer or some other person in her secular life she views as a superior. You, however, are just nothing in her book. But to those of us on this board, who understand what you're going through, you are very precious. No doubt you are precious to other people in your life as well. Cling to them. Avoid the sickos and the whack jobs. Disfellowship your sister from your life and tell her that she brought it on herself. Turnabout's fair play!
Your sister is enmeshed in a cult; she does cult thinking, has cult attitudes, and as one poster already said so eloquently, she is about as far away from the teachings of Jesus Christ as she could possibly be. She is not manifesting any sort of Christian love.
My mother tore up all the photos of our kids, her own grandchildren. All because their mother and I decided to become JWs. Every witness I ever knew who heard the story thought she was evil incarnate. When the shoe's on the other foot, they see it differently. Pure hypocrisy.
Hang in there. This is a good place to get well. Lots of people here will be there for you.
