I am so embarrased to have been a JWs at one point - at least I can blame my parents for it LOL!

by Bella15 7 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Bella15

  Seriously!!!!???!!!

  The Beth-Shan deed

  The deed to the Beth-Shan house and property were, like Beth-Sarim, made out to Abraham, David, and the other Old Testament "princes." In reading the deed to Beth-Shan, one could get the impression that it is simply Beth-Sarim, part II --the two deeds are very similar. Both of the residences and property were held in "trust" by the Watchtower Society's leaders for the Old Testament "princes" awaiting their return. The deed to Beth-Shan stated in part:

  TO HAVE AND TO HOLD FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES, to wit: Whereas the grantor herein W. P. Heath Jr., was entrusted with the duty and obligation of improving the premises hereinbefore described, and a number of persons... furnished the money for the purpose of improving said premises, and

  WHEREAS the said W. P. Heath, Jr.... has erected a house and other improvements..., and

  WHEREAS the grantor and the other parties interested, and who have contributed toward the improvement of said premises, thoroughly believe and expect the return of faithful men to earth who are hereafter named and who according to the Scriptures (Psalm 45:16 and Isaiah 32:1) shall be made the visible rulers on earth, and desire to prepare said property for them.

  NOW THEREFORE this trust is created and said trustee shall hold the title to said property in trust for the use and benefit of the following named persons, whose names appear in the Bible at the book of Hebrews, chapter eleven, verses one to forty, to wit: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sara, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, Jephthae, David, Samuel,

  Until such time as the aforementioned persons return and identify themselves to the legal representatives of the said WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY and the consent of said Society take possession and control of said premises, the President of the WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY shall have the right and be duty bound to direct the management and use of said premises hereby conveyed and to determine who shall be in possession and have the active management thereof. [4]
• 

  designs

  Blaming parents helps, Lots! My mother became active as a JW after being gone for 30 years, just when I was entering High School, you can imagine the 180 degree turn my life took- no college no career to follow my dream to be an architect. What followed was Pioneering, arrest and prison over the Draft, no support from the Watchtower during that period even with Written requests for help with my case, actually they did write back and said I was on my own at Trial. MS, Elder, wicked addiction that damn near killed me and finally after 4 decades FREEDOM!

  So I understand the mixed paterfamilias.
• 

  Band on the Run

  I was born-in. Usually, I send people laughing so hard at the thought of me, knocking on doors at ten, and asking of adults, "Do you believe in eternal life?" with a quotation from Revelation. I never made it to the end of Revelation. I am full of rage for what my childhood could have been. My father and uncles were Bethelites. My mom's family was with Russell but my mom said it was like two separate religions.

  My father was extremely abusive. He terrorized me and Jehovah was his bullypulpit. I was dragged against my will, literally, at thirteen. He kiciked me and pinched me in full public, elder view. When he died, I told my mom with much bravada that I would never be seen in a KH again. She would have to drag, kick and punch me. She took my siblings to one more meeting and they never attended again.

  I put in heavy duty time as does any person raised in the False. Part of me wanted me to be wrong to justify all my pain. 1975 was the year I graduated an Ivy League college and worried about A. YOu never know. There is still a Witness self getting in the way. My mom put me through hell with flag salture, no holidays, and other horrors to just drop it. Evidently, she was dragged against her will, too. She was expelled from high school b/c of flag salutre. My gm would have saltured in half a second if she were on the line.

  I now realize since coming here how much my mom empowered me behind the scenes. She always had a flippant remark. An observation. A piece of history. She did not go out of her way. She lost an education and worked in low paying jobs her whole life for what? She exposed me to Manhattan and wider culture.
• 

  Band on the Run

  I wonder if the trust was legal. Noah, Moses, David, Solomon aren't lives in being. It seems to violate the Rule Against Perpetuities. How is a court going to determine who has title? Really, does Mr. Noah bring his passport, while Mr. Abraham shows a valid drivers' license. It was a charitable scam.

  It would be an interesting trusts and estates/property question on a law school exam. Would minor Bible characters such as Joel and Malachi be entitled to residence or do they go to the city homeless shelter?

  I once stated that the Russell trustees that opposed Rutherford had legal obligations they did not begin to meet. A putsch occurred. The sad thing is that I am certain no one responsible said "Boo" about the validity of this transaction.

  I need to be a caretaker at the Dakota and the Pierre in Manhattan with a weekend residence on the Champs Elysee in Paris so that Stephen has a nice home when he returns. Stephen or Thomas. John is my favorite evangelist by far but doubting Thomas I love. The Witnesses need some Thomases.
• 

  serenitynow!

  Yes, I remember hearing about Beth Sarim and wanted so badly for it to turn out to be a wicked apostate lie! I was so embarrassed. I wish my grandma was alive so that I could ask if she knew, and if so, how could she join or stay in a religion so wacky?

  Also the "miracle wheat" thing, totally crazy!
• 

  designs

  Scamming the Public with Religious bobbles and health cures happens everyday on Trinity Broadcast and the other Televangelist TV and Radio shows.
• 

  Quandry

  Didn't one of those places have a bomb shelter?
• 

  Band on the Run

  The question about a bomb shelter reminds me of the atom bomb fear in the 1950s and 1960s. A Cold War that felt very hot to me. I had to memorize all the possible routes to a shelter between home and school. School was interrupted so we could learn to survive an attack by crunching up against a wall and covering our eyes - ten miles from NYC, Right!

  Since we lived in the NY area, we drove past the UN frequently and toured often despite the Society's teachings. I walked past hotels where Soviet diplomats were living. I was terrorized. It was far worse than 9/11 cumulatively.

  To have this ever present fear, magnified by Tv, the Cuban Missile Crisis and growing proliferation, coupled with A. was too much for me. I was certain I would never see six or seven. My worst fear was being separated from my mom when the end came. I wanted to die with her at home when the Soviet ship was stopped by the U.S. blockade. Agony. Armageddon blended in. If anything could be worse, my father announced that we were half Russian. He spoke and wrote Russian. My brother and I just wailed to be the most evil people in human existence. My mother told us not to tell anyone at school We were say were fully Dutch.

  Tv showed the UN in session frequently. The end seemed near. Now I've learned recently that no American policy maker expected nuclear annilation but a protacted ground war with Russia. Could have fooled me. Armageddon seemed so credible, a logical conclusion. One person's trigger finger could end everything forever. Maybe some rats would live. Cockroaches, too. History, the media coverage, and the WT teachings seemed to meld into the inevitable. Strangely, despite global warming, I no longer fear imminent nuclear annihilation. Oh, the folk songs and the Witness songs.

  No one would laugh about Armageddon then. Armageddon was used frequently by secular reporters and commentators.

  Being called Russian was cruelty. I later learned that my father's family is part of an ethnic group, like the Kurds, with no homeland but a separate identity. Rather than being Russian and reviled, we were Russia's enemies, actively resisting them more than Americans did. The language is close enough to get along in each one. The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Also, next to Paul McCartney, I loved Illya Kuryakin.

  Adult born ins should get reparation payments. I'm laughing b/c it was so bad I could just cry forever.