Greetings! I realize this is not my first post, but I’d like to introduce myself. My name is Shepherd Book. I was born into a 3rd generation Witness family. I am a very studious person by nature, and I loved studying about God and the bible. I joined the Ministry School before entering Kindergarten and I was baptized before entering Junior High. I got a job when I was 15 years old so that I could save up enough money to buy a car to use as a pioneer. When I was 16 years old, I became a regular pioneer and, within a year, I was appointed Ministerial Servant. Not only was I the youngest Ministerial Servant in the circuit, I was actually the youngest person the Circuit Overseer had ever recommended to be appointed as such. Within nine years, I had eleven parts on the assembly/convention, including a talk.
Soon after graduating (I graduated early so I had more time to pioneer), I went on a bus trip to Bethel. On the bus trip, I met a girl that I eventually fell in love with. We began dating about a year later. After marrying my girlfriend, I was at a meeting where the Circuit Overseer made an interesting suggestion. He said that some in the audience undoubtedly feel as though they don’t learn anything new at the meetings. They are so studious, and so well-learned in the Watchtower publications, that they are frequently bored with the average lessons. He suggested that if we feel this way, we should make it our aim to make studying interesting again. He suggested we make it our aim to learn absolutely everything we can about one particular bible subject.
This was an amazing moment for me. I felt as though the Circuit Overseer was speaking directly to me. My mind reeled as I tried to think of a bible topic in which I would love to become an expert. It was the CO himself who offered the suggestion that persons like me try to learn everything they could about Noah’s Flood.
So I did.
Needless to say, the Society’s literature did not answer all the questions that came up, and as I researched encyclopedias trying to find the answers, I was continually discouraged by the information I uncovered. I asked some of the elders about my concerns, but they either didn’t understand the concepts, or they just said to “wait on Jehovah”. So I wrote to the Watchtower Society.
Then they wrote me back.
Then I wrote them back.
Then they wrote me back.
And now I am here.
I have shared this information sparingly up until now. One person I shared this information with shared his story with the Infidel Guy. His story his here: http://www.ryansutter.net/audio/igshow_09062006.mp3 and here: http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/postmonth/mar04.html . Another person I shared this with was an inactive Witness who decided this past spring, for the first time, to not bother with the Memorial. Another guy told me that he had always figured the Society had ready-made answers to these questions, but that now he knew they had no idea what they were talking about. Another person I shared this with was my wife (her name is There Are Four Lights, and she’s posted here, too), and she’s not a Witness anymore, either.
I wasn’t going to make these letters available in a public forum, but, as you’ll see in the final letter I sent them, the Watchtower Society’s unresponsiveness is an implicit authorization for me to do so.
You can read the letters here: http://www.watchtowerLetters.com .
Enjoy!
I Come Bearing Gifts! Part 1 of 3
by Shepherd Book 16 Replies latest jw experiences
-
Shepherd Book
-
Gopher
SB,
Thanks for sharing that! I'm so glad you're on this forum.
That was interesting about how your first serious research project made you know that you were being misled. As is often said around here, the WT Society is losing its best and brightest. Your case is a good example of that, seeing all the so-called privileges you had.
After using you in so many ways, now the WT Society won't even deign to answer some serious questions you have? I guess they don't see any "usable" potential in you any more.
-
Shepherd Book
Thanks. Yeah, evidently "God is not unrighteous so as to remember my works", but the Society is.
-
sspo
I'm glad you are out and seen the lies of the watchtower
-
Gayle
That is comical about the CO suggesting to read 'everything' possible about any subject back then. Because of people like you they had to print the Sept OKM, to command everyone there to 'not' search everything. The GB can't handle researchers like you. I am glad you now can have your freedom of thought and that your intelligence is not stifled anymore. How any one doesn't get bored with that same-o same-o stuff just shakes my head.
-
Gozz
Good work, you brave man!
.
-
Shepherd Book
Thanks everyone! Hope you liked the new website. Yeah, when that new OKM came out, I immiediately thought back to how that directly contradicted what the Circuit Overseer said.
-
Hortensia
your letter to the judicial committee is really good and covers a lot of contingencies - it would be really useful to others, I imagine. Good for you!
-
jgnat
Congratulationsn on becoming an expert on the story of Noah's Ark! I like your site and your layout. Very plain and to the point. The scan of the ancient Awake is priceless. I particularly enjoyed the picture of the monkeys with their suitcases in hand.
-
new boy
Yes your right....the society want you to be an expert about things, my studing everything THEY HAVE WRITTEN about any given subject. NOT what other people have written about that subject.