Here in Dallas we say "PURRRR-TAYYY-Ter"
we also say "TERRR-MAYYY-Ter"
and that's the truth.
James
james_woods
JoinedPosts by james_woods
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29
Confession time :-)
by damselfly ini can not say the word "potato".
it's true, i have sinned against the english language.. then he tells me, you say "badado" .
now that i'm aware of my mispronounciation it's worse because it's very obvious i am trying to say it correctly.
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New user in Pittsburgh, Pa
by somlat ini feel a little odd in posting this..... i am a 39 year old former witness, former elder, former just about everything.
been through much in the last two years... realized not all things i believed were true to me, not all things in the faith work the way i thought.
no anger about the past... i did what i believed to be true to myself, and what others do is their decision.
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james_woods
Add me to your list... went to Servant school in Pittsburgh Pa. way back in 1970 before the elder arrangement.
Quit in 1980 along with R. Franz and the Dunlap brothers.
Hang tough,
YF James
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71
Quick survey for apostates - please everyone just yes or no answer
by slimboyfat indo the other witnesses with whom you associate/once associated in general know that you are an apostate or have apostate inclinations?
the reason for the phrase "in general" is that it may be the case that one or two close friends know how you feel, but others in general do not.
in my own case, one other witness knows, but no one else, so i would answer the survey question with a "no".
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james_woods
Have gun, will travel.
About 30 years ago.
Yes, James
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24
Oh, how I hate ex-spouses!
by caligirl insorry, i just need to vent.
my ss will be 18 very shortly.
the state that they live in actually allows child support to continue until the age of 21(wtf?
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james_woods
So, this newly divorced lady comes upon a weird little oriental bottle, rubs it on a whim, and out pops a genie...
Genie says - look, I have been in here 500 years, and you only have ONE wish!
She thinks hard, tries not to be selfish, and comes up with this: "Here is a map of Jerusalem I got at Sunday School. Could you make peace for these people so they don't bomb each other any more?"
Genie says: "Look - I have only been in here for 500 years, but they have been fighting for over 3000 years...can you give me something easier?"
She says: "Well, what I REALLY want is a REALLY decent man - someone who can fix the car, cook, takes my kids to daycare, makes good money, doesn't sleep around...blah blah blah..."...
Genie says: "OKAAY - So, lets see that map of the middle East again"
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10
Had to spew on C.O. Bennett
by james_woods ini know, made my own thread from the discouraged c.o.
/ but i saw it needed some editing.. little circuit overseer bennett!
i am not sure but this may be a guy that i crossed swords with in about 1980 or 1981 when i left.
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james_woods
LDH, I have a little better sense of humor than Sir Dianetics Thetan Isaac Hayes. Trust me on this. I thought it was funny.
Besides, I heard the poor guy had passed and noticed that nothing happened when we all trashed over the GREAT Albert Schroeder.
BTW, I did a follow up this AM on that memorial service I did that he went ballistic with me over, but I messed up the subject and got it under child abuse. It was "Ides of March - My Last Memorial -" One of the locals told me that they put guards at the door to keep me out of the following memorial - YESSS!!!
Also, GermanXJW - I made my bible dinosaur into a Godzilly with non-authentic backbone spikes and atomic fire breath. But I still don't think these things died so we would have high octane for our Porsches. Your point is good, though - maybe Bennett got his fantasy from that illustration. I still don't remember seeing the idea in print at all.
James
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Sign the JW reform petition now!
by inquirer in.
http://www.jwreform.org./petition1.htm .
try to make life easier for those who are still jw's.
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james_woods
Ray Franz was an honest reformer and he was on the Governing Body. I think he had some others on the Body convinced, too.
Look where it got him.
They are going to listen to a rank & file petition? Apostate petition? No way I can see that ever happen.
But it could be useful if it got current witnesses who signed it disfellowshipped!
James
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Beware the Ides of March & My Last Memorial -
by james_woods ini was going to save this for memorial day (the jw date) but then i realized a lot of other posters may want to do that topic then.
also, my post # two hundred just came up by chance today.
also my jw ex-wife's birthday is today.
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james_woods
I was going to save this for Memorial day (the JW date) but then I realized a lot of other posters may want to do that topic then. Also, my post # two hundred just came up by chance today. Also my JW ex-wife's birthday is today. Great cosmic forces seemed to be at work...
So - "beware the Ides of March" and here goes!
The last JW memorial service I ever attended was also the last one which I personally conducted for the congregation. It did not follow the Society outline. It was also what triggered me out of being a fading doubter and into an activist who voluntarily left the borg.
It was in the buildup to the Ray Franz witch hunt days. I believe that this was in the spring of 1978, but it could have been 1979. Marion Dunlap and I had been talking over the core apostate issues for about a year. He was corresponding with his brother Ed at the NY bethel. This was also the time when Ed had just finished that publication on the bible book of James.
For both Marion and I, (and from his visits with Ed) the central issue was the absurdity of the two-class system and the inconsistent talk on "who is your mediator". We felt at the time that the WTS was sort of making itself the mediator. We were well aware that FDS really meant Governing Body. Those old men and women who were partaking at memorial had no say at all. Also - for us, neither of whom had put any stock in the chronology for a long time, the 1975 failure was no shock at all - rather a sort of perverse vindication of our skeptical viewpoint. So the really fundamental issue became "who really should be partaking of the emblems"? We all agreed it should be everybody.
When I say all, I mean Marion, Ed, myself, and a couple of other Elders who shall remain nameless and who in fact did not end up leaving. Ray Franz was not specifically part of our conversation, but I am sure he influenced Ed who in turn invluenced us.
This was also at the very end of the true Elder rotation episode. I understand that this got stopped later, but back then the tradition was that whoever came up in turn was the Presiding Elder and also did the Memorial that year. That was me for this year. So, while Ray and Ed were having the BIG CoC at Bethel, Marion and I had our own little one in Oklahoma City.
Marion, who was a wise older man, advised me to just not take the memorial that year. James, who was a rash young man, was not about to pass on this - especially when I knew in my own heart it was all over for me anyway. Of course, the Society provided an outline which mostly picked around random context scriptures to weave a ragged cause for the 144,000. I also knew I could not give that argument for them.
So, here is how it went down: I simply stated at the start of the ceremony that there had been various interpretations of the timing, the meaning, and the significance of this holiday over the years. I also stated that I did not feel impelled or qualified to place my own or anyone elses particular interpretation upon it. I suggested that perhaps it was a matter for each Christian's own conscience. I then turned direction to the NW translation and pointed out that I had done research to find everything possible which actually mentioned this ceremony "in context". I read those verses word for word up to the loaf. We then had prayer over the bread, passed it, and moved on the the cup. Same for the wine, prayer, and then passed it. There were no partakers. Concluding comments included the usual mention that after final prayer the emblems were no longer of religious consequence. This was not scriptural IMHO, but I had a reason for making that comment. I was covering my own butt. I also used the suggested songs just to not be a total bomb-thrower at the WTS.
The aftermath - first, this ceremony was over in record time. I was still on the platform, while a lot of the friends milled around the stage. I crunched up some of the bread, ate it, commented to the sister who made it how good it was, and washed it down with some of the wine. (Sterling Vinyards Cab. Sav. 1975 - I thought that was a great vintage and also an appropriate year!) A lot of the congregation kids came up, fascinated, and I let them sample both. No big deal at the time.
Aftermath part two: The rumors started that I had not followed the outline, I had partaken of the emblems, I had encouraged children to do so as well. I had JW legalistic defenses on all the above except the outline - but I had followed the BIBLE! The circuit overseer at the time was that Bennett guy we have been discussing on the CO threads from yesterday. I was ready to hang on as elder for as long as possible and make life miserable for him, but I had had a sort of catharsis by doing this memorial celebration. It was enough. When Bennett came to give me his WTF??? lecture on it, I resigned as an elder immediately after telling him my true opinion of the society.
I attended a very few meetings after this, and only one assembly (for about 5 minutes). But this was the spiritual end of the bad journey.
James
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Had to spew on C.O. Bennett
by james_woods ini know, made my own thread from the discouraged c.o.
/ but i saw it needed some editing.. little circuit overseer bennett!
i am not sure but this may be a guy that i crossed swords with in about 1980 or 1981 when i left.
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james_woods
So, I guess concensus is building that my Bennett is also the Bennett of Oldrade, the CaptainS,Pistoff, No Apologies, VirgoChik, and Balsam.
LOL Oldrade - squealed like a piggy! I think miss breadcrumbs had him pretty well whipped over, too.
Great the way he was able to touch so many in such a positive way.
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Had to spew on C.O. Bennett
by james_woods ini know, made my own thread from the discouraged c.o.
/ but i saw it needed some editing.. little circuit overseer bennett!
i am not sure but this may be a guy that i crossed swords with in about 1980 or 1981 when i left.
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james_woods
I know, made my own thread from the discouraged C.O. / but I saw it needed some editing.
Little Circuit Overseer Bennett! -
I am not sure but this may be a guy that I crossed swords with in about 1980 or 1981 when I left. I saw that Balsam, VirgoChik, No Apologies, and Pistoff all mention him with details that I remember except I can't recall him being British.
Lets see if it is possible: I think he was C.O. or maybe about to be brand new D.O. in 1980 in Oklahoma City. Little short shrimp of a guy. Kind of effeminate if might say, but very bossy. Made a big deal about being a vegetarian. He would have been late 30's or so back then.
If it is not the same guy, I apologize - but my C.O. guy (and he really was named Bennett) did the following in just one visit-
1. This was the idiot that made the statement that God's purpose for the Dinosaurs was to produce the oil reserves. I called him out on it in the elders meeting afterward and he defended his position by pointing out that Sinclair Oil had a big green Dinosaur on their company logo. No Joke!!! He really thought oil was squished down Dinosaur goo. Not to my knowledge society stuff, he just made it up. In the same talk he also went way off the deep end about hypoglycemia for kids (no sugarbars or drinks!) and advocated all of us to follow his lead as a vegan! WTF? Asked him about that too, and he just said he felt very strongly about those issues and needed to say so for our own good.
2. Same Visit - Some of the early twenties (jkw) kids got caught by him and the D.O. in the bar in a Steak and Ale during the visit. The elders got a royal upbraiding about how they were partying in there and having drinks.! So, being the young cool elder with a sports car, I got the young guys off to the side for a little heads up before they were to get their butts chewed upon. Question came up, how did they find you in the bar? Well, turns out that the D.O. and wifey + C.O. Bennett and wifey as a foursome were also in that bar having drinkies!!. Now, an interesting legality was that in Oklahoma at the time we did not technically have liquor by the drink. (but it was usually ignored by the authorities) So all of them, including D.O. and C.O, were kind of breaking the law. Dear Brother Bennet, the health freak, cleared HIMSELF of it by claiming that D.O. + wife, plus his own wife were in fact drinkiing alcohol but did not know there was a law. He, of the super-health movement, only had Tomatoe Juice that just looked like a bloody mary. Needless to say, the kids skated on this and he had to apologise to none other than Marion Dunlap and the other city elders!
3. Same Visit - Bennett knows that young elder Mr. Woods has about had it with the WT Society and with him. Just sensed it, I guess. I got a little personal counseling session over the way I had conducted the previous memorial. (more on that next month) He wanted to know what was wrong with my attitude. I made the the statement that I had come to recognize the society as being quite "monolithic"...exact word. Bennett did not know what monolithic meant. I kid you not. I am getting the "near apostocy" lecture and had to define this word for him. I resigned as an elder on the spot. Needless to say, this was the last circuit overseer visit that I put myself through during the vanishing.
I really kind of think this was your same Bennett, ladies and gentlemen!
James - who got into that sports car the day after and took a road trip up into Colorado.
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Are Circuit Overseers Getting Discouraged?
by metatron ina sister i know went out with the c.o.
's wife in service recently.
sister c.o.
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james_woods
Bennett! -
I am not sure but this may be a guy that I crossed swords with in about 1980 or 1981 when I left. I saw that Balsam, VirgoChik, No Apologies, and Pistoff all mention him with details that I remember except I can't recall him being British.
Lets see if it is possible: I think he was C.O. or maybe about to be brand new D.O. in 1980 in Oklahoma City. Little short shrimp of a guy. Kind of effeminate if might say, but very bossy. Made a big deal about being a vegetarian. He would have been late 30's or so back then.
If it is not the same guy, I apologize - but my C.O. guy (and he really was named Bennett) did the following in just one visit-
1. This was the idiot that made the statement that God's purpose for the Dinosaurs was to produce the oil reserves. I called him out on it in the elders meeting afterward and he defended his position by pointing out that Sinclair Oil had a big green Dinosaur on their company logo. No Joke!!! He really thought oil was squished down Dinosaur goo. Not to my knowledge society stuff, he just made it up. In the same talk he also went way off the deep end about hypoglycemia for kids (no sugarbars or drinks!) and advocated all of us to follow his lead as a vegan! WTF? Asked him about that too, and he just said he felt very strongly about those issues and needed to say so for out own good.
2. Same Visit - Some of the early teen kids got caught by him and the D.O. in the bar in a Steak and Ale during the visit. The elders got a royal upbraiding about how they were partying in there and having drinks.! So, being the young cool elder with a sports car, I got the teens off to the side for a little heads up before they were to get their butts chewed upon. Question came up, how did they find you in the bar? Well, turns out that the D.O. and wifey + C.O. Bennett and wifey as a foursome were also in that bar having drinkies!!. Now, an interesting legality was that in Oklahoma at the time we did not technically have liquor by the drink. (but it was usually ignored by the authorities) So all of them, including D.O. and C.O, were kind of breaking the law. Dear Brother Bennet, the health freak, cleared HIMSELF of it by claiming that D.O. + wife, plus his own wife were in fact drinkiing alcohol but did not know there was a law. He, of the super-health movement, only had Tomatoe Juice that just looked like a bloody mary. Needless to say, the kids skated on this and he had to apologise to none other than Marion Dunlap and the other city elders!
3. Same Visit - Bennett knows that young elder Mr. Woods has about had it with the WT Society and with him. Just sensed it, I guess. I got a little personal counseling session over the way I had conducted the previous memorial. (more on that next month) He wanted to know what was wrong with my attitude. I made the the statement that I had come to recognize the society as being quite "monolithic"...exact word. Bennett did not know what monolithic meant. I kid you not. I am getting the "near apostocy" lecture and had to define this word for him. I resigned as an elder on the spot. Needless to say, this was the last circuit overseer visit that I put myself through during the vanishing.
I really kind of think this was your same Bennett, ladies and gentlemen!
James - and I am now so into this I may just make a new thread.