Should I continue to support Bill Bowen?

by Gamaliel 83 Replies latest jw friends

  • JT
    JT

    Hopefully, silentlambs.org can get back to its stated agenda of helping "silent lambs" rather than fighting wars, rumors of wars and wars of rumors.

    #######

    excellent point,

    one of the sad things about the angle that BB has chosen to take is that Ray when he left wt did the exact opposite of what everyone thought he would do, START an organization

    i recall CO telling stories that ray wanted to be the President of wt and how he started his own church - when in fact he just had a few close friends over and the read the bible together and expressed their thought, NO 20,000 member Mega Church after he left wt, just living pretty much a quiet life, no talk shows, Made for TV movies , pretty much "Chilling and Illing"

    BB on the other had has formed the foundation of an excellent org with help of the net, and it has literally become a thorn in the wt side

    my only hope , esp since ray is viewed like "Sh!T" in the eyes of wt the same as BB is

    Is that the focus of his efforts and so many others don't lose site of the intended purpose to bring some type of closure/justice/peace of mind to what we know now are literally 1000's of folks who have been involved with WT

    Only Time will Tell

    unlike hims

  • JT
    JT
    I can see how this Ray vs Bill thing is so flamed. But for me I look at it and say what a waste of time. Which then is applied to all of it and I go full circle. I think it is time to get off the mary go round.

    yep this is how i see it as well

  • JT
    JT
    It waters down his entire effort. He should remain focused on his primary mission and let Ray alone. Totally. Using up any space on his site to argue with Ray makes him look like some kinda kook. I wish he'd stop it.

    well stated ,

  • Cappuccino OC
    Cappuccino OC

    Good observation Prisca. Gamaliel is a newbie - 1 post.

    The screen name made me curious & l looked up info on who Gamaliel is. The info is pretty interesting.

    Gamaliel: the Elder", ....and remained a member of the Sanhedrin for the purpose of helping secretly his fellow-Christians (the bold & underlining are mine.)

    (Greek form of the Hebrew name meaning "reward of God").

    The name designates in the New Testament a Pharisee and celebrated doctor of the Law.

    Gamaliel is represented in Acts, v, 34 sqq., as advising his fellow-members of the Sanhedrin not to put to death St. Peter and the Apostles, who, notwithstanding the prohibition of the Jewish authorities, had continued to preach to the people.

    His advice, however unwelcome, was acted upon, so great was his authority with his contemporaries. We learn from Acts, xxii, 3, that he was the teacher of St. Paul; but we are not told either the nature or the extent of the influence which he exercised upon the future apostle of the Gentiles.

    Gamaliel is rightly identified with an illustrious Jewish doctor of the Law, who bore the same name and died eighteen years before the destruction of Jerusalem.

    In the Talmud, this Gamaliel bears, like his grandfather Hillel, the surname of "the Elder",and is the first to whom the title "Rabban", "our master", was given.

    He appears therein, as in the book of the Acts, as a prominent member of the highest tribunal of the Jews. He is also treated as the originator of many legal ordinances; as the father of a son, whom he called Simeon, after his father's name, and of a daughter who married the priest Simon ben Nathanael.

    The Jewish accounts make him die a Pharisee, and state that: "When he died, the honour of the Torah (the law) ceased, and purity and piety became extinct." At an early date, ecclesiastical tradition has supposed that Gamaliel embraced the Christian Faith, and remained a member of the Sanhedrin for the purpose of helping secretly his fellow-Christians (cf. Recognitions of Clement, I, lxv, lxvi). According to Photius, he was baptized by St. Peter and St. John, together with his son and with Nicodemus. His body, miraculously discovered in the fifth century, is said to be preserved at Pisa, in Italy.

  • Cappuccino OC
    Cappuccino OC

    So elder, (newbie) oh yeah, Gamaliel,

    Are you trying to cause division beteen us?

    Are you trying to make us doubt Bill?

    It isn't going to happen.

    You claim to have helped SL. It's only a claim. We don't know if you really have.

    What's your motivation for posting now?

    Why didn't you even take the time to introduce yourself. If you were a regular here you'll notice how "newbies" introduce themselves.

    Or are you the WTS posting as Gamaliel?

  • JT
    JT
    So elder, (newbie) oh yeah, Gamaliel,

    Are you trying to cause division beteen us?

    Are you trying to make us doubt Bill?

    It isn't going to happen.

    You claim to have helped SL. It's only a claim. We don't know if you really have.

    What's your motivation for posting now?

    Why didn't you even take the time to introduce yourself. If you were a regular here you'll notice how "newbies" introduce themselves.

    Or are you the WTS posting as Gamaliel?

    now this post is funny - i hope this post was tongue-in-cheek

  • Gamaliel
    Gamaliel

    hamptonite:

    You are probably right that the agenda hasn't changed, and I know that really it seems to have taken on its own life anyway. Still, I am worried for Bill himself. Something is obviously wrong. I am even more concerned for the abuse victims. I get a very uneasy feeling when I read such illogical attacks and defenses. I don't buy into the whole brainwashing/cult mentality theories that I started to buy into when I first left the JWs, but I do believe we are observing almost first-hand just how easily a "personality cult" can be formed and therefore how easy it is for someone to take advantage of what often appears to be blind trust.

    I guess I am just frustrated based on hoping that this would remain as pure and worthy as it seemed to be at first. Something that I hoped all ex-JWs could be proud of.

    Gamaliel

  • Trauma_Hound
    Trauma_Hound

    "personality cult"

    LOL, what a nice thing to say about abuse survivors. Man some of you people make me sick.

  • avishai
    avishai

    Welcome, Gamaliel! The way I see it, Bills opinion & Silent lambs are two totally seperate issues, just the same as many of us have differences of opinion on doctrine, life, etc. So I would say that you can continue to support silent lambs w/ a clear conscience, as he has done a good job there thus far.

    However, if this is not an option for you (you have the right to your opinion & who you support) I suggest that you look under child abuse in this forum & contact the love & norris atty. firm w/ any info you might know of child molesting in your area, no matter how old. After all, if you were a baptized publisher, you are also by law a minister, & if your state has mandatory reporting laws are obligated to report it, to the police as well.

  • Dutchie
    Dutchie
    Still, I am worried for Bill himself. Something is obviously wrong. I am even more concerned for the abuse victims.

    My what a big heart you have. You are worried about everyone involved. Do you have any suggestions or proposals to make things better?

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