Barb: I don't care what anyone says, you are my hero. I'm sure that goes for the vast majority of people posting/lurking here. You bring so much to the table. It would be a shame if you went away because someone is overcome with the power of the anonymous cyberspace spotlight.
I am having some reservations about Barbara Anderson
by JWoods 89 Replies latest jw friends
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minimus
Barbara, you are a most valued person here, to us. Learn from me. not everyone likes me but I've grown a thicker skin. I have heard every putdown imaginable but people will type anything about you but rarely would they say it to your face. No matter what people or a certain person negatively suggests about you, let it go! You can't win that battle.
And just because a poster feels the need to express his true feelings on a matter, it doesn't mean you HAVE to say it! I hope, JWoods, that you never surround yourself with overweight or ugly people----you just might have to express your true feelings about them....Sometimes it's simply wiser to keep your mouth shut.
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JWoods
I hope, JWoods, that you never surround yourself with overweight or ugly people--
I share your hope.
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SixofNine
It occurs to me if JWoods had the question he did that perhaps others do too,
That question being?
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undercover
I hope, JWoods, that you never surround yourself with overweight or ugly people--
I share your hope.
What about little red dot people wearing sunglasses?
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daniel-p
This is the most pointless thread I've seen here in a long time, so here's another dumb-fucking pointless post.
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tresdecu
Barbara, I echo the sentiments of those that are very happy you post here. Your view and insight of the WT org cannot be matched by most. Thanks for your time and effort to educate people about the innerworkings of the borg.
TD
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skeeter1
This is the most pointless thread I've seen here in a long time, so here's another dumb-fucking pointless post.
Sums it up to me. Barbara was just announcing an article. The AP thought enough of the article to publish it. After that article, the Watchtower officially announced a switch that hemoglobin was allowed. Another flip flop. Lawrence Hughes won at Appeals Court that he could sue the WTS for misrepresentation. This past summer, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled against the WTS on blood in another case, noting the coercion within the organization, something highlighted at www.freeminds.org on Kerry's blog. Now, Lawrence is appealing to the Canadian Supreme Court on blood. The Watchtower's "gig" on blood is coming to an end. It's got to go, and "by personal decision" become the new norm.
It sounds like JWoods is a bit jealous that Barbara someties has the inside scoop and is able to speak overseas to important people. I'm sure she moved them in unimaginable ways that will work themselves out, somewhat hidden, in a few years.
What's that old saying, "No one kicks a dead dog" (i.e. they only kick people they fear). Barbara is a jeweled asset.
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Leolaia
I completely missed the original brouhaha that led to this discussion....I posted to Amazing's first thread before things got out of hand and didn't check back, so I have no idea what the "ethics" controversy was about. But what I do know, having spent some time with Barbara in person, is that she cares deeply not only about her research but also how it should be best presented to others and how people could best be helped through it. I have been party to very lengthy discussions she's had on difficult questions of this nature and I know she is especially concerned with not repeating the mistakes of some who took rather counterproductive approaches. I'm sure she has made mistakes, as we all do, but I doubt they would have been from thoughtlessness or a lack of ethics. Regarding Amazing's second thread, which included Barbara's mention of the upcoming conference, I did read that one and did not think anything untoward of Barbara's post -- particularly since Amazing didn't want the dispute to continue any further and that Amazing has supported the conference in the past. Since the thread was going to be locked after her post, she simply wanted it to end on a postive note.
I also remember the "BIG NEWS" thing from several years back. IIRC, a lot of people speculated on what it would be and were disappointed when their expectations were not fulfilled. It led me to write this cute story I completely forgot till now that I wrote:
It was still early in the morning that fateful Sunday, and the disciples were huddled in their secret room. Several of them had been to the tomb and discovered it empty and were shaking with fear, uncertain what had happened. Then came a knock on the door.
"Open the door, it's me, Mary Magdalene!!"
Peter opened the door and let Sister Magdalene in. "Where have you been? We lost you down by the tomb."
"I know," Mary said quickly, "but listen....I have some BIG NEWS!"
"We know already," Andrew said, "The tomb's empty."
"No, not that, well not just that," Mary said. "There's something else, something REALLY BIG I just found out." Mary recalled in her mind her amazing encounter with the risen Jesus. He told her to go to the disciples and tell them to wait, for he was to come to them, but also he instructed her not to tell them yet that he has risen, as a test of their faith. Mary was filled with so much excitement, she wanted to tell them, but all she could do was tell them to wait for some AMAZING news.
"Well, what else is there to know?" said Peter. "Hurry up, I'm heading back home to Galilee to forget this whole thing."
"No, wait! Listen, I can't tell you exactly what it is, but just in an hour or two something REALLY AMAZING is going to happen."
Thomas piped up. "Oh I know, we're gonna be seeing the Son of Man coming on the clouds in great power and glory! It's gotta be that! It's just what our Lord foretold and nothing can be BIGGER NEWS than that!" And with that, Thomas rushed outside to go to the Temple Mount to watch for the Son of Man's arrival, and Bartholomew and Philip went with him.
"Naw, it's not going to be that," Peter said, "I was told to go to Galilee, and obviously whatever is going to happen is going to occur there. Adios, amigos!!" And with that, Peter went off in a hurry.
Simon the Zealot thought otherwise. "Obviously, it has to be revenge against the rulers who put our beloved Jesus to death! What could be more just than that. They have been so wicked, and now they will be exposed and punished for their sins. That's why they stole the body from the tomb, just to incite us to action. I must now go off to take part in their downfall. May Jesus our Lord be avenged!!" Andrew went off with him as well, to take arms against the Roman occupiers and religious authorities.
Mary stood there in shock seeing everyone overreact to her news, and follow their own interpretations. "Please, John son of Zebedee," Mary said, "Surely you have enough sense to know what I mean."
"Yes, I think I do," he told her, "Everyone has been foolish. I know for a fact that my friend Joseph of Arimathea had plans to rebury Jesus this afternoon in secret, so as to prevent his followers from taking his body as a relic and worshipping it. I now see that he actually did this in the middle of the night, with angelic help, to second-guess anyone else who wanted to take the body for himself. I understand, then, what you want to tell us. For you too encountered him, and know that I am going to meet him in an hour to lay Jesus to rest in a permanent sepulcher."
"That's not quite what I had in..." Mary said, but before she could finish her sentence, John put his finger on her lips and said, "Shhhh, don't say it, for I already know." And with that, he went off on his donkey to find Joseph of Arimathea, who lived outside of Jerusalem.
Mary now was alone in the secret house. All she did was hint to everyone that she had some BIG NEWS that she could not yet tell, but unfortunately each person interpreted it their own way and went off following their own hopes and illusions. Several moments later, there was a knock on the door.
It was Jesus.
"Where did everyone go?" he said, shaking his head.
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cameo-d
Barbara,
You are so very gracious and classy even in the face of adversity.
Even threads like this allow you to shine!