AndersonsInfo

by minimus 189 Replies latest jw friends

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  steve2

  The anonymous peanut gallery on JWN are entitled to their opinion, but ultimately it weighs less.

  Actually, I agree: You are correct. That's the way it works among humans. People build up reputations that earn them respect and a fair hearing in some circles. What most of us here share in common - whether we are "out" by name or anonymous - is being subjected at some stage in our lives to the exact opposite of respect and a fair hearing: Being subjected to judgement and dismissal by "powerful" bodies of elders. No matter how well we thought we appealed to reason, we were regarded as worthless. At some level, it hurts and seems unfair, but at another level it's about accepting the way the world turns. Often, what people say counts far less than who people are in the first place.
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  Broken Promises

  The anonymous peanut gallery on JWN are entitled to their opinion, but ultimately it weighs less.

  Really? To whom?

  I respect everyone's opinions on this board. Just because some had had the interest/time/energy to explore the JW world doesn't mean their opinion is more important than anyone elses'.
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  miseryloveselders

  FaceBook rules the world whilst MySpace languishes as a footnote.

  A big part of that is real identity, and the trust that comes with it. MySpacers had usernames, FaceBookers have real names.

  Barb Anderson, Randy Watters, Ray Franz, Paul Grundy & Simon Green are real names the WTS knows very well. The anonymous peanut gallery on JWN are entitled to their opinion, but ultimately it weighs less.

  Take your pick.

  I might be reading this post out of context, someone correct me if I'm reading this wrong but I have the feeling that we've just been insulted..........hmmm. Who would have thought that apostates have class distinctions. So there's the 144,000 true apostates, and then there's the Great Crowd of Peanut apostates.....interesting. All this time I thought we all shared a common cause! Golf Wang.
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  steve2

  Who would have thought that apostates have class distinctions.

  That thought crept through my mind too, Golf Wang, but you've expressed it so well. It's known as "inverted snobbery": Some people such as Ray Franz and Barb Anderson have "earned" the right to express their opinions but others have not earned that right and are audacious to even dare to express their opinions so let's shame them into silence. All of a sudden some people have gone full circle right back into JW-thinking where who you are counts for far more than what you say.
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  miseryloveselders

  That thought crept through my mind too, Golf Wang, but you've expressed it so well. It's known as "inverted snobbery": Some people such as Ray Franz and Barb Anderson have "earned" the right to express their opinions but others have not earned that right and are audacious to even dare to express their opinions so let's shame them into silence. All of a sudden some people have gone full circle right back into JW-thinking where who you are counts for far more than what you say.

  I've been out of town for the past three days working, and I'm catching up with the JWN board. I was surprised as well as disappointed to see the direction this thread took. I'm under the impression that some folks were overly sensitive on this thread. There's a possibility that they may have have even felt threatened which I may or may not be reading into correctly. I like how you put it, right back into JW-thinking. There's always this us vs them mentality, as well as an I Have A Title Or Reputation vs You Don't thing going on. Golf Wang.
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  jwfacts

  Steve2, Besty is not saying that others should not " even dare to express their opinions". Rather, people that put their name to a comment need to be a lot more careful about what they say, as their reputation is at stake, and so people naturally count their opinions as holding more weight. However, everyone's opinion needs to be weighed on its own merits, not simply who is saying it.

  Barbara, is such a well known, outspoken critic of the Watchtower, she will be one of the first in line for a Watchtower lawsuit. That deserves respect.

  Look at what is happening to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. There have been plenty of people leaking information in the past, but his openness has gotten his information a lot further than anyone else, but at a terrible cost to himself.
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  jwfacts

  All of a sudden some people have gone full circle right back into JW-thinking where who you are counts for far more than what you say.

  I don't think that is JW mentality, that is human nature. In every aspect of life there will be managers/employees, politicians/people, moviestars/followers, experts/laypeople. Managers, politicians, moviestars and experts are regularly wrong, but human nature has it that they will get a better hearing than someone else that may in fact be correct.

  I doubt I will ever be a manager as I do not enjoy trying to tell other people what to do. For that reason, my voice holds little influence where I work, despite having a good knowledge of the systems in place. It is annoying but has to be accepted as part of life.
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  Broken Promises

  Having respect for someone does not mean we are silenced into not disagreeing with them or not being able to comment on their style of delivery.

  Just look at the way Rick Feranon/Six Screens has fell into disrepute simply because of his style. While some of what he presents may be true, his sensationist style detracts from any potential food.

  I think the way Barb Anderson presented the info from Steve Unthank was in a slightly sensationist style and that it came across as though it was the Next Big Thing that would bring down the Watchtower. However, I respect her enough to know that she normally isn't a drama queen herself.

  I doubt that Steve Unthank will get anywhere with his appeal. Again, it's his style of delivery, with his flowery talk of speaking in the name of God and all that. And no, he doesn't gain any respect because of this.
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  Simon

  I might be reading this post out of context, someone correct me if I'm reading this wrong but I have the feeling that we've just been insulted..........hmmm. Who would have thought that apostates have class distinctions. So there's the 144,000 true apostates, and then there's the Great Crowd of Peanut apostates.....interesting. All this time I thought we all shared a common cause! Golf Wang.

  I don't think that is what he said or meant.

  The simple fact is that there is typically more inherant trust in the message someone is saying when they are using their real identity than when they are an anonymous identity and *may* not be genuine.

  I've met Joe and Barb and they are good people and have done a LOT to expose the WTS. This doesn't take anything away from what other people do but it also doesn't mean that they should be criticised or accused of self-promotion just because they are honest and open about who they are.

  Some of us chose to use our real identity, some aren't in a position to and post using an alias - it doesn't make anyone better than anyone else and I wonder at people trying to insinuate that it does.
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  Broken Promises

  Some of us chose to use our real identity, some aren't in a position to and post using an alias - it doesn't make anyone better than anyone else and I wonder at people trying to insinuate that it does.

  Well, besty insinuated that it does ("anonymous peanut gallery").

  Ironic since he doesn't post under his own name.