Posts by SAHS

44

Did the WTS make an atheist out of you?

by JH in

jw
friends

shouldn't a religion bring people closer to god?

it would seem that many became atheist after being deceived by the wts.

unlike other religions, the wts was very precise in what was to happen during the 20th century.

SAHS

I?m not completely an atheist. (I guess I would be an agnostic.) I believe that there must be some kind of intelligent force that is responsible for the engineering of such a complex variety of living organisms. However, I think that, like so many other things, ?God? is most likely quite different than people have understood him (or her, or it, or whatever) to be.

Most people are conditioned to believe that you can?t have the Bible without God, and vice versa. I believe that the Bible does exist. I have my own copy, which I can hold in my hands. It is real paper, ink, binding, etc. But is its representation of God based on reality, or is it yet another product of human creativity. As you all know, there are many other ?holy books,? each, of course, claiming authenticity?and exclusivity. Also, there are many religious doctrines and philosophical ideas throughout the earth, many of which, of course, conflicting with other such doctrines and ideas. Now, it is obvious that many religious systems of belief must, by pure logic and observation, be false (i.e., made up, fantasy, bogus, BS!). So, is it possible that all known religious beliefs are in that category, at least up to this time?

My point is that there seems to be some intelligent ?cause? of our world as we know it. However, people seem to have a tendency to ?make him up? according to their own ingenuity?kind of like composing a sort of ?cosmic Mr. Potato Head.? For example, the ancient Greeks formulated a vast and intricate collection of mythological ?deities,? and wrote a literary script for their roles in a sort of ?theological soap opera.? Other civilizations, such as the ancient Babylonians, Hindus, Aztecs, etc., did likewise. It could be that we sill don?t, and possibly never will, know the true nature of this ?cause,? or force, which we call ?God.?

Incidentally, the being I serve and care about more than anything beyond our atmosphere is my friend?s dog. She is my walking partner, as well as a loyal friend and companion. I give her offerings of raisin bran muffins and filtered water, and worship her by lavish affection. So, at least for me, there is a ?God??I just arrange the letters backwards!

?SAHS (of the nature-loving philosopher class)

21

They need MORE $$$$$

by TallTexan in

i haven't been to a meeting in years, but i was recently told by a friend of mine that they have really been hammering the 'use of your valuable things in support of the kingdom' in many of the talks and thursday night parts.

i know they used to mention it all the time, but he said it's gotten really bad lately.

i told him that's because the membership in the western (translate that to "richer"...lol) countries has really fallen off and even become negative in many countries and that the 3rd world countries can't contribute enough to support the great publishing empire.

SAHS

?TallTexan?:

If it really were the ONE true organization, you'd think that Jehovah would take care of them no matter how much or how little the R&F 'donate'. It's funny to think that "God's only representation here on earth" would have to worry about going out of business because they're running low on funds.

This reminded me of a couple of quotes from Pastor Charles Taze Russell:

As early as the second issue of the Watch Tower, in August 1879, Brother Russell stated: "?Zion?s Watch Tower? has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: ?All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,? fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication." Consistent with that, there is no begging for money in the literature of Jehovah?s Witnesses."?Jehovah?s Witnesses?Proclaimers of God?s Kingdom, chap. 21, p. 340.

Charles Taze Russell refused to imitate the churches. He wrote: "It is our judgment that money raised by the various begging devices in the name of our Lord is offensive, unacceptable to him, and does not bring his blessing either upon the givers or the work accomplished."?Jehovah?s Witnesses?Proclaimers of God?s Kingdom, chap. 21, p. 342.

Isn?t it interesting how the hypocrisy has developed up to this time? Here?s where we?re at now:

To assist individuals desiring to benefit the Society through some form of charitable planning, the Society has prepared an English-language brochure entitled Planned Giving to Benefit Kingdom Service Worldwide.?The Watchtower, 1999, p. 22.

Nowadays, the WT is encouraging everyone not just to donate cash and cheques at the Kingdom Hall, but also to donate things such as ?life insurance policies, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, real estate, wills, and trust funds.?. . . . . Yikes! (See The Watchtower, 1999, pp. 20-23.)

?SAHS

10

ALERT ---Sunday's Watchtower Study!

by apocalypse in

the watchtower study for august 1, 2004 (w 6/15/04) is an attempt to encourage the use of blood products.

that?s a bold statement, but it is true and this post is written to prove it.

furthermore, prepare your comments for sunday?s study now.

SAHS

The watchtower decided to use archaic blood classifications (red,white,plasma,platelete) and ban them. This allows JWs to 100% of modern fractionated blood based medical products.

Well, there are four primary components of blood (red, white, plasma, and platelets). Therefore, any one of those primary components is one-quarter of the number of primary components. Sooooo, one-quarter?i.e., ?1/4??well, it sure looks like a ?fraction? to me. It may not be splitting hairs quite as finely as the WT standards dictate, but a fraction is a fraction!

?SAHS

22

Service Time Records and Recording

by c5 in

jw
friends

does anyone still have thier old service time slips?

i still have all of mine dating back to when i first started counting my time!

i always kept a copy for myself besides the one i turned in.

SAHS

I must say that I am completely meticulous in filling out my time! That?s right. I record the two hours I spend on Saturdays attending the field service group, accompanying my elder dad to a couple of return visits (I pretty much learned how to sleep standing up), and going to the coffee drinking / doughnut eating place for the better part of an hour.

I mean, time is time, eh. It?s time that, theoretically, I could have been spending on a part-time second job making money. It?s really on my time, so I keep the old meter running.

?SAHS

60

What Was The Stupidest Rule In Your Hall?

by minimus in

jw
friends

....or even, "what's the stupidest organizational rule that you know of"?

SAHS

? Nobody (even worldly relatives) allowed to clink glasses at a wedding.

(Might bring the demons, stumble somebody, or it?s pagan?I dunno!)

? Not allowed to say, ?Good luck,? or ?God bless you? after a sneeze.

(They?re just common expressions. They should really also make a law forbidding the phrases ?Thank you,? ?You?re welcome,? and ?How are you?? They could be ?pagan? too!)

? No going to any food place outside district convention grounds.

(I think they hand out elder sheriff badges in the convention administration department.)

? No wearing beards.

(You wouldn?t want to look like a Christian, would you?)

? No sister shall read any paragraphs at the Congregation Book Study?.

(A sister might be the president of a large corporation, but she can?t read a friggin? paragraph even in someone?s private home? Give me a break! Also, why the hell can sisters take turns on the main reception desk at Bethel, and also read scriptures at the Book Study?, but they?re not allowed to read paragraphs from the book? Hello!!)

? No smurfs.

(Once at a JW social gathering, they only had a plastic tablecloth with smurf cartoons on it. So they actually turned it over so no-one would be stumbled! It?s true, folks?I?m not making this one up!)

? No hanging up posters of famous people.

(Unless it?s of Charles Russell, Judge Rutherford, or your local presiding overseer.)

As for wearing only white shirts, it doesn?t really matter to me what colour they are?they?re still just as uncomfortable!

?SAHS

19

Do All JW Children Suffer From Psychological Damage? The First Bit..

by Englishman in

jw
friends

..and if so, what form does such psychological damage take?.

my own experience is that damage does occur.. i was 8 years old when my parents became converted, so i wasn't exactly a totally white canvass on which my personality could be painted.

but i was a light shade of grey, so the impact of wt teaching was still quite considerable.. i think the most damage that i suffered was in the area of guilt and unworthiness.

SAHS

I confessed to everything and even exaggerated my wrongdoings so that if I had left anything out I would have some credits in my personal Armageddon bank to draw upon.

I, on the other hand, bottled everything up inside because I was too afraid and embarrassed to divulge the ?real deal? with my feelings, desires, and ?secret sins.? Sure, I thought about confessing to the elders about my ?unnatural fantasies,? but I never did because my dad is an elder, and I didn?t want to bring embarrassment and shame on my family or myself.

I know all about the guilt, fear, anxiety, and sadness which comes with being in such a situation, especially as a youngster going through puberty . . . the nightmares, the depression, the drinking to ?escape,? and then later on, frustration, anger, and resentment after perceiving my father?s misrepresentation of God. (He used to scare me about being condemned for sins.) Then, of course, all the more anger and resentment after learning the truth about ?the troof.?

I like Danny Hazzard?s expression, ?soul raped.? It seems to hit the nail right on the head!

Add to that the experience of so many other JWs of seeing their mother constantly put down and told to ?know her place,? as per the WT?s ?proper view of headship,? and seeing your ever popular elder father have fits of temper (complete with the fancy swearing and intimidation), and it?s not too hard for anyone to understand the underlying anger and bitterness of so many folks that walk through these electronic doors.

So, ?Do All JW Children Suffer From Psychological Damage?? Well, do all heavy smokers and gluttonous eaters suffer from health damage? The answer is, To what degree?

?SAHS

9

IMPORTANT -- WHO IS ALEX REINMULLER?

by AlanF in

jw
friends

it has come to my attention that alex reinmuller is scheduled to give deposition testimony on behalf of the watchtower society.

has anyone ever heard of this guy?

alanf

SAHS

Sounds like a NAZI

I?ve heard one of his brothers give a public talk on Sunday, and he was so wound up that he actually clicked his heels a few times on the platform! It?s true! (Nervous habit, I guess.) My mom even remarked that he looked like a Nazi.

I?m pretty sure that?s the same Reinmuller family I?m thinking of?they have about seven boys, (most, if not all, in Bethel), and a couple of girls. The parents have been JWs for quite some time. They?re nice, but, like I said, wound up.

?SAHS

37

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Similar To Terrorists In Any Way???

by minimus in

jw
friends

whaddaya think?

SAHS

JWs wouldn?t actually be considered ?terrorists,? but they do practice ?terror? (denying children blood, disfellowshipping, intimidating the public by ?foot-in-the-door? proselytizing, mind control, blackmailing members with the ?big-A or new-system destiny,? etc.).

They ?terrorize? in a mental/emotional way, but because they don?t actually pick up stones, clubs, or guns (at least presently), they don?t fit the bill for being ?terrorists? in a legal sense. (Although, I imagine that the governments would keep a close watch on the group in any event, just in case.)

?SAHS

34

WT Run By Out Of Touch Old Men? Proof!

by metatron in

jw
friends

take a good look at ezekiel's post regarding the district convention's talk on behavior at meetings and note the.

society's complaint that too much gum chewing and paper rustling is going on.

kids, they note, have been observed.

SAHS

Well, come on folks. The Society has reason to warn parents about their youngsters chewing gum (which could end up in someone?s hair), and making Karate-like movements at the Kingdom Hall (which could inadvertently strike someone in the balls).

If such clearly dangerous behaviors are left unchecked, there is no doubt that it could lead to masturbation, and clinking glasses. Now wouldn?t it be sad, all you moms and dads, to know that your children were observed at a wedding clinking glasses, or saying ?g**d l^ck,? or ?h^ppy b#rthd*y?? (Excuse my language, but I needed to allude to those phrases in making my point. Please don?t disfellowship me, Simon. I won?t do it again. Really, I won?t. I?ll be good now. Really, I will.)

[For those of you who havn?t picked up on it, this is an old Monty Python fan here, and, yes, I am only kidding! Now, to everyone I shall clink my glass farewell, and say good luck with your masturbation. But please, on a serious note, don?t make any Karate movements at the hall. My balls have been through enough!]

?SAHS, of the John Cleese class

40

Did You Think That You Would Be In Paradise By 2004?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i never did.

i hoped it could be true but i never took any stock in dates....what about you?

?

SAHS

[[[[[[[[[[?doogie?]]]]]]]]]]

? i don't think i ever thought i was going to get in ?

[[[[[[[[[[?Junction-Guy?]]]]]]]]]]

? . . . I always felt like my life was a death sentence ever since I was born . . . I wished I could have been born back in the 50's, at least there would be some time left. Being born in 1970 I had always thought I would be destroyed by the age of 30 . . . I never thought I would be in paradise by 2004 but just the opposite-destroyed in Armageddon. ?

[Above hugs are of the square-bracketed, manly variety.]

Guys, I can certainly relate to what you wrote. I never dreamed that the big A wouldn?t be here by the end of the last millenium?and I never really had any confidence in my survival through it, if it should come.

For many years, I had reoccurring nightmares about seeing a dark, foreboding storm on the horizon with funnel clouds, and running for my life. (Guess what that symbolizes.) At first, when I was really young, I thought that I was going to be okay, but then my elder dad kept scaring me about sinning against the holy spirit and being condemned. This started at around eight years of age, but it wasn?t until around puberty that I really became cosumed with the fear, anxiety, and sadness (you know what I?m talking about). I wish I could just rip that page right out of the Bible.

All well. At least?thank God for Web sites like this one. A couple of years ago I thought I would just take a peek at ?the other side of the coin? on the old Internet to see what all the fuss was about. The more I looked, the more all those JW date speculations (scare tactics!) seemed to run together into a blur of idiocraty. The fear still doesn?t disappear, but at least the big A boogey man seems to be getting a sweet does of vallium.

[([([([([(Sincere hugs to all, male and female, who have had to live in fear)])])])])]

?SAHS