Posts by willyloman

4

Russian view: Totalitarian sects exist only for money and power

by Gopher in

this is a disarming & honest look at jw's and other sects in russia, and how their infiltration is viewed by government watchers.

http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/364/11175_sect.html.

there are up to 500 various sects in russia.

willyloman

Read the original in Russian:

Uh, I'll pass on that, but thanks for sharing...

25

Basketball and JW's

by lastcall in

jw
friends

when i was a jw it was pretty much a weekly thing in the cold weather months for different congregations(actually someone within the congregation) to rent a gym for th bros to play ball.

i really like playing ball.

when i left, that as something i actually missed.

willyloman

I think they're just a group of frustrated wannabe jocks who were never allowed to play sports and want to make sure that everyone knows they would have been a super star if they had.

Precisely. When the number of healthy outlets are suppressed, the few that are allowed get ugly in a hurry. Speaking from experience, lots of competition on the JW field. Our congo played "touch" football on Sunday afternoons. Elders called a stop to it because of so many injuries.

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Those of who are trying to get out of the Borg....

by Flowerpetal in

jw
friends

are you still going in service?

if so, how do you present your message?

i'm sure you disagree with a lot of wt teachings, so how are you handling this?

willyloman

I just don't. I turn in two hrs a mo. I figure they're like dividends for all those years I put in, and I'm reinvesting them.

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Letter to my brother

by funkyderek in

background: in march, my jw brother became a father, and i became an uncle for the first time.

see http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/49049/1.ashx.

i wrote him the following letter about a month ago.

willyloman

The above is harsher than I intended, disjointed and inelegant

Not so. Your letter is really beautiful.

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Any of you getting bored of reading this sorta stuff?

by ignored_one in

jw
friends

more propaganda to blanket out the reports of child abuse?

published thursday.

october 23, 2003 .

willyloman

The quick build program is the natural outgrowth of a preponderance of guys with building trades skills in the organization. Education has been historically frowned upon, so the only way to make a living has been to go into the trades and become a contractor, plumber, carpenter, etc. No education is required and the license is easy to get if someone vouches for your skill level. If a large number of JWs were scholars or bookworms by trade, we'd have "reading rooms" (a la Christian Science). If we were all architects, we'd build cathedrals. You put guys in charge of stuff and they move the group toward some activity they all can grasp.

As for the publicity, hey, it's news. Building erected in 2, 3, 5 days. That's unique.

33

What do you think the cover title will be of the Jan, 1st, 2014 Watchtower?

by cyberguy in

.

here?s mine (he-he): armageddon, it?s closer than you think!

1914 and the "gentile times.

willyloman

"Why Are You Looking Forward To ~~1975 1984 1994 2000~~ Never Mind"

13

Talk 2 And 4

by Paradise Found in

jw
friends

.

just curiouse.

but why was the format of the theocratic ministry school talk 2 and 4 changed last year..

willyloman

This "adjustment" was probably where they really lost me. Back then, I was hopeful of "reform" and when they announced there'd be a new arrangement for the school I was excited. Figured this was the beginning of some simplification that might lead to one less meeting, another "free" night during the week, and a lighter burden on everyone. I mean, hey, they were actualy recognizing that JWs were staggering under a heavy load imposed on them. Hah! I was speechless when they outlined this "new arrangement." It added a talk to the school, creating more work for elders and MS. As someone above already said, it "dumbed down" the program.

It created change for the sake of change, without actually "improving" anything. It confused the hell out of most of the rank and file. I never heard a good explanation for why the whole thing was done. Once in practice, it was clearly NOT an improvement of any kind. However, it did create an instant market for at least 6 million books to be sold to a captive audience.

Oh. Maybe that was it! That, and control. It made more work. And there was already enough "make-work."

On the plus side, it clarified things for me: Given an opportunity to streamline one of its programs for the good of the participants, the WTS just couldn't do it. It revealed much about who they are and what they stand for. As a result, I stopped wanting reform and started looking longingly at the back door.

25

The weird way JWs view death and Armageddon

by logansrun in

when princess diana tragically died a few years ago, my sister (an ultra-orthodox, ex-bethelite dub) said something that i simply find, well, pitiful.

"in a way, i'm glad she's dead because now she has a hope.

she dared not say that around any non-witness for obvious reasons.

willyloman

(...taps foot, waits patiently while Brad and Tink take turns looking thru Brad's pockets for room key...)

Funny, now i'm back at home with the JW family for a bit, and i've noticed a couple of very interesting things. first of all, they're not as strong in the truth as they once were. in fact the only one who faithfully attends every meeting is my sister and none of them go out in service on a regular basis. so much has changed in the three years i've been gone. second, NO ONE ever mentions armageddon.

Tink: I have been seeing and hearing this for a year, now. There's a very casual attitude running thru the congregations, particularly as regards meeting attendance and field service. Back when I was still going out (or acting like I was), it was incredible to me how little field service actually got done. Now that we are fading and our meeting attendance has gotten spotty, I'm also surprised that when we do go, almost nobody acts surprised to see us... it's more like they haven't noticed we were even gone. I think that's because others are gone so much they don't want to call attention to your absence because they don't want anybody asking about theirs... or else, they're gone so much they didn't even KNOW you were gone. As for the Big A, lip service is still paid to it in social gatherings and at meetings, but you get people in a party mood and it's clear that NO ONE is holding their breath for this non-event. In the past year, we've heard of three couples in their late 30s, all current or former pioneers, who have given birth to their first child. That speaks volumes about how their expectations for the future have changed, doesn't it?

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