Posts by DwainBowman

124

Are JWs the worst restaurant customers?

by Alfred in

jw
friends

(a little background info before i ask my question...).

my sister-in-law (non-jw), who manages a popular chain restaurant near a kingdom hall, just found out that my wife and i have recently faded, so she decided to get something off her chest the other day... you guessed it: she wanted us to know that jws are the worst customers ever!

she then told us some really embarrassing stories about how jws would request a table for 15 to 20 people (after a sunday meeting) and then (when the bill came) some of the jws would start deliberating amongst themselves on whether or not the waiter was diligent or not (to justify the low tip he was getting anyway).

DwainBowman

One congregation I was in for a few years, I would call the restaurant we all went to after the Memorial, the day before to let them know a group of 30+ would be coming. There were a few that dud not tip, or did so poorly. My brother and I checked with the head waitress, (our sister) she said everything was good.

But I have been around many other jw's that were horrible, as guests, tippers, demanding, and messy! I want be caught with a bunch like that a second time!

I managed fast food restaurant's years ago. I hated any and all church groups. Demanding, loud, took up most if the restaurant from 8pm till closing, left such a mess, it took at least an hour longer just to get tge lobby cleaned and set back up!

Dwain

41

Praise For Witnesses On Welfare Who Full Time Pioneer!

by minimus in

jw
friends

the watchtower has always praised witnesses who are on welfare and decided to pioneer.

many in my congregation, including my mom, were given kudos, praise and assembly parts because they took advantage of jehovah's provision through the government....did you notice this, or was it obvious to me because i was raised in the inner city and many people recieved government help?.

DwainBowman

I was in a cong, back in the late 80's, that had 80% pioneers. I moved there with 13 years of being an MS, and 5 years of pioneering under my belt. but I was told they could not use me in that cong, because i was not setting the right example and pioneering. I ask where that was written from the org. I quickly found out that almost everyone there was on welfair and reciving food stamps, and working part time enough to have some cash to pioneer with!!! I moved in 2 months!!! It took 4 more years for that mess to get fixed. Ppeople in the area still have a bad taste for jw's!!!

Dwain

42

Congregation Pledge Disgusted Elder

by rrb2016 in

at the meeting the other night, the elder who had to read the announcements, which included the $$ info for the new donation arrangement seemed downright disgusted as he read the announcements and asked for the vote.

he said, "well, here is another organizational change" as he read the letter about the discontinuation of the 2nd meeting during co visit.

then after they voted, he said if you have any questions ask this other elder as if he wanted nothing to do with it.

DwainBowman

I heard that if they kept making loans, then they would come under new banking regulations, and therefore have to open there book to government scrutiny!

We wouldn't want that, now would we!

Dwain

62

Roll call of those of us stuck in for our spouse or whos spouse is still in!

by BU2B in

jw
friends

i just wanted to get a feel for how many here have awakened to ttatt but are still carrying on some jw activities to pacify them and keep the peace.

also trying to hear from those who have left, but whose spouse has stayed in the wt and in the marriage.. for me it comes down to my own mental anguish.

i am mentally tortured by attending the meetings, yet i feel compelled to because my wife would kill me with her personality if i had her drag 2 small girls by herself there.

DwainBowman

Yep, wifes still in, wants us to pioneer next month : (

Dwain

9

I'm confused! Just what is the "new" donation arrangement and how is it like "tithing"?

by booker-t in

i've been out so long but many of my ex-jws friends have been telling me of a "new" donation/tithing arrangement the wts is using today.

when i was a jws we had "contribution" boxes at the back of the kh and the elders would give talks about contributing to the kingdom interest.

we were not forced to give but gave as we pleased.

DwainBowman

I have already heard of 3 congregation having local needs parts, because, they have not given enough money to cover all the new DEBT!

6

memories

by Mikado in

jw
friends

reading others typically crazy jw experiences has made me remember one particularly distressing experience.... i did a careful fade long before i had even heard of the term and i didn't know of anyone else who did it.. i was an unwanted stepchild, and in all honesty a very difficult one i suspect, i had two much younger siblings, and was always excluded and the black sheep, as ina serious uber jw there is no room for any sort of noncomity, and i was never destined to stay a jw, or have anytime for religion i suspect.. i went to my grandmothers funeral, and the elder giving her talk, a very nice man, after all the preaching mentioned her two grandchildren of one gender...she had three and i am of the other gender.. it was a lightning bolt moment, i got up and walked out.... .

now with the benefit of hindsight it was no more than what i should have expected.... funny how things bring long forgotten memories up....

DwainBowman

My older sister, was df'ed back in the early 80's. When my mom died, we provided the jerk elder with a carefully writen eulogy, listing all her childern, grand childern, etc. My older sister was #3 on the list, (the list was numbered) when the jerk got to that point, he paused, cleared hus throat, coughed, and skipped her and her children, and went on to me. My poor sister, cried that much harder! It was obvious to all, he skipped her on purpose!

She is at peace now! Forced to be baptised at 13 to protect her, forced to marry someone she hardly knew, and did not want to marry, at 16, to proteced her. Df'ed when she was 19, for messing up one time! She never knew the so called "truth" much less understood any of it!

5

International Convention in Arlington, Texas

by Rufus T. Firefly in

jw
friends

this year there were only two conventions in texas.

an international convention at at&t (cowboy) stadium in arlington, and a regional convention in houston.

projections for the arlington convention ranged from 60-85k, with attendees coming from ok, ar and la, no to mention the international delegates; however, the peak attendance on sunday was 50,000..

DwainBowman

In Arlington, 480 something were baptized. I never could understand how people could watch a Baptism with such interest! I was in Memphis back in 73 when almost 3,000 were baptized, thst finished up around 6pm! And I am sure many went to the three motels pools to watch, and stayed till it was over!

Dwain

33

VERY short day at the Arlington/Dallas International Convention-My Observations

by CaptainSchmideo in

jw
friends

okay, some good takeaway:.

i have never been to a convention quite like this before.

a very friendly vibe all around, lots of banners and posters with sayings like "sending love to all our brothers", "see you in the paradise", "ecuador sends greetings", and "jehovahs-witness.net" (okay, i lied on that last one...).

DwainBowman

There were a couple of sister's in American Indian dress, down in the area I was in most, very pretty Indian girls!

Dwain

27

Tech49: Mini RC 2014 Review

by Tech49 in

jw
friends

i attended the regional convention (district convention) over the last weekend, and thought i would spend a few minutes putting down some thoughts, for your amusement.

i will bounce around a bit, as my notes and thoughts were a little craaaaazy.. we met at one of the smaller venues on the west coast, with attendance around 7,000.

(28 baptized.... <.04%) we were tied in to the international convention in arlington, tx.. my first thought, only about 2 hours in, was how much this sounded like a plain old sales meeting!

DwainBowman

I was in Arlington for the big deal! I left about 300 jwfacts.com printed business cards + another 100 post-it notes here and there! It helped make a rotten weekend a little fun sneaking around places. I even dropped a few in the contribution boxes. Someone else was learning post-it as well, I saw 2 of them.

Thr JW.ORG button's were commonly seen.

So glad to be home. But they sold my wife 100%. I have wanted to down size, and sale our place for a while now, but NO I Have my space. Well she told me to call the relator this morning, she wants to pioneer, starting next year : ( Please just shoot me!

Dwain

39

What happens after you get the registered letter?

by paul from cleveland in

my friend's daughter, who was baptized at 14, has decided to leave the witnesses.

she's in her early 20's.

she's stopped going to meeting a while ago and moved in with her father who is disfellowshipped.

DwainBowman

My oldest brother just found out he was DFed 14 years ago.

Dwain