DocBob

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Posts by DocBob

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  35

  I am attending an assembly.

  by jwbot in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the circuit assembly is coming up in september.

  there are several reasons i am going:it is at the maine center for the arts, at my college.

  i really like this place, it would be interesting..my mother told me that i would not be shunned ("what would be the point on going?

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  DocBob

  The Maine Center for the Arts is at the University of Maine in Orono. Stop on by! :)

  When?

  Orono is a fair hike from Kittery, but depending on when it is, I just might stop on by.
• 
  35

  I am attending an assembly.

  by jwbot in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the circuit assembly is coming up in september.

  there are several reasons i am going:it is at the maine center for the arts, at my college.

  i really like this place, it would be interesting..my mother told me that i would not be shunned ("what would be the point on going?

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  DocBob

  The circuit assembly is coming up in September. There are several reasons I am going:

  • It is at the Maine Center for the Arts, at my college. I really like this place, it would be interesting..
  • My mother told me that I would not be shunned ("what would be the point on going?" she said)
  • My mother, brother and brother-in-law all have parts. I have never seen a family member have a part.

  ~

  JWbot, which school and what is the date. Maybe I'll drop by :)
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  27

  Would You Go To A Seminar Exposing The Society's "Secrets"?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was sent a letter stating that on friday august 27, 2004, there will be a seminar exposing the watchtower society's history and secrets.

  during the program, they will have a guest speaker telling his story as to how he was abused by a governing body member at world headquarters.

  another will testify that he was about to be appointed a ministerial servant while carrying on in an adulterous relationship.......besides exposing the "secrets", the letter says they'll be exposing the occult connections of the society, the mental manipulation and mind control, even elevated anxiety and mental illness amongst jws.

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  DocBob

  Neon:

  DocBob is a friend of mine, and he posts on this board from time to time. I don't believe he is putting on the seminar, but it is in his area. I also believe a lot of the material to be used at the seminar (in the way of physical displays etc) was shown at last year's "Witnesses Now for Jesus" conference. If so, it should be a pretty interesting seminar, especially for any who might attend who aren't as jaded to the Watchtower's dirt as all of us are. If I lived closer, I'd be there for sure.

  sKally:

  DocBob is a very good friend of mine as well. He stops in to chat occassionally in the jw chatroom on yahoo. He told me about this conference. If I'm not mistaken, 'UndauntedDanny' will be there too.

  If I could be there, I most surely would be. Anything that expose the WTBookEmpire as a corrupt, deceptive organization, is a good thing...in my mindseye.

  We did discuss videotaping it, or at least getting it audiotaped so as to put it up on the net. I hope that is still a great possibility. Best wishes

  Bob in this endeavor.

  Neon, sKally, thank you for your kind words. I'd love to see you both there.

  I'm doing the part on mind control. I'll be covering some stuff from Steve Hassan's "Combatting Cult Mind Control", Lifton's 8 criteria of mind control and cognitive dissonance. Much of it is familiar ground for those who have been out of the org for a while. But the target audience for this is questioning and exiting JWs.
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  13

  Baptist funerals vs. JW funerals

  by jws in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went to a funeral at a 1st baptist church this past weekend.

  it was for the son of a former co-worker.

  travis was 18 and was about to start his senior year in high school.

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  DocBob

  Here is the WTS funeral discourse outline:

  FUNERAL DISCOURSE

  REMARKS REGARDING THE DECEASED (Use any that apply and are appropriate.)
  Details regarding age, birth, when married, and so forth
  By whom the deceased is survived
  Dedication record, including privileges of service
  Exemplary qualities displayed by the deceased (Eccl. 7:1)

  THE HOPE THE DECEASED ENTERTAINED
  Worshiped Jehovah, the God of wisdom, justice, love, power
  Had faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12)
  Appreciated God's purpdse regarding earth (Gen. 1:28)
  Sure to be realized (Isa. 11:9; 55:10, 11; Rev. 21:4)

  Why good people die
  Disobedience of Adam (-Gen. 3:19; contrast with Genesis 2:7.)
  Offspring inherited deat6 (Rom. 5:12)

  Condition of the dead
  Soul is mortal (Ezek 18:4, 20)
  Dead are unconscious (Ps. 146:4; Eccl. 3:19; 9:5, 10)
  The resurredion hope
  Made possible by sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Matt. 20:28)
  Christ's resurrection a guarantee (1 Cor. 15:22, 23)
  God uses Jesus to raise the dead (John 5:28, 29)
  For the anointed, resurrection is to heavenly life (1 Cor. 15:51-54; Rev. 20:4, 6)
  "Other sheep" resurrected to life in earthly Paradise (Luke 23:43; John 10:16)
  Armageddon survivors can hope to see the deceased one again soon
  Others too are in line for resurrection (Ads 24:15)

  WHY IT IS GOOD TO GO TO HOUSE OF MOURNING
  Can comfort the bereaved; loss is mutual
  Take to heart uncertainty of life (Ps. 90:12; Eccl. 7:2)
  Makes us think about how we are using our life

  HOW WE CAN BENEFIT FROM BEING HERE
  While living, make good name with Jehovah God (Eccl. 7:1)
  Lay up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:19-21)
  One way is to take zealous part in witness work, if qualified (Matt. 24:14; 28:19, 20)
  In this way and by godly conduct, we contribute to sanctification of Jehovah's name
  (Prov. 27:11)
  Resurrection hope an incentive to learn and do divine will(l Cor. 15:58)

  (Note: Instead of eulogizing the deceased, use the material in this outline to give a fine witness
  concerning the truth. Good balance should be observed in this regard. Doctrinal points can be
  presented as beliefs of the deceased, which served as motivation for him. Purpose of talk is to
  uphold Jehovah God as a God of love and mercy and at the same time bring comfort to the
  bereaved. Use of a song such as No. 102 (53) or 187 (93) is optional. A brief prayer at the close
  is fitting When arrangement is made to go to the grave, it is well to consider quite briefly the
  hope through the Kingdom, reading one or two scriptures, such as Job 14:14, 15 and
  1 Corinthians 15:5413-57. This service may also be closed with prayer, thanking Jehovah for
  the resurrection hope, which is of great comfort. The talk need not exceed 30 minutes.)

  Printed in U.S.A.
  S-3 11/90
• 
  13

  Baptist funerals vs. JW funerals

  by jws in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i went to a funeral at a 1st baptist church this past weekend.

  it was for the son of a former co-worker.

  travis was 18 and was about to start his senior year in high school.

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  DocBob

  I went to a jw funeral recently...it's quite shocking how similar these things are...

  That's because they are all done from the standard outline that is supply by WT HQ. I'll post it when I get home.
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  40

  If wars were outlawed.......................

  by WildHorses in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  .

  do you think the world would be a better place or not and please explain why.

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  DocBob

  If wars were outlawed ... only outlaws would have wars.
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  139

  Those big bad Bible Students

  by RR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh, those big bad bible students, taking over the world, a big threat to christianity as we know it.

  that was the gist of rev.

  robert c. hill, christian apologetic, who decided that there wasn't enough being done by the christian community to combat the resurgence of "russellism".

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  DocBob

  If you have moved so far beyond where you were that you cannot or will not reach back and help those who are where you were, you may have missed the object of the exercise.

  I'm not exercising Doc. Those gettogethers can serve a purpose in the beginning, but eventually they turn into a joke. A place to hang out, a social club.

  I guess I did not explain myself well. Let me try again.

  The "excercise" I was talking about was our time as JWs. I believe that there is an object or reason for whatever we experience in life. If we fail to discern the "object of the exercise" of any given experience, that experience is wasted. I learned a lot of valuable lessons as a result of being, and now not being a JW. I firmly believe that the lessons I learned during those years

  I agree with you that gatherings of former JWs serve a purpose at the beginning. I assume you mean at the beginning of your journey out of the WT. That being the case, the purpose of attending those gatherings is to receive information and support that will help the receiver to continue their journey out of the WT. But if everyone who leaves the WT goes to one or two of those gatherings and receives the needed information and support and then "get's a life" and doesn't go to any more of them, who is there to give the information and support to the next generation of people leaving the WT?

  I feel that as former JWs, and especially as former elders who helps perpetuate the WT system, we have an obligation to do what we can to help those who are still in to leave and to support those who are leaving and who have left. Think what would have happened - or not have happened - if people like Ray Franz, William Schnell, Bill and Joan Cetnar, Jim Penton, Bill Bowen, Joe and Barb Anderson, Kent Steinhaug, Norm Hovland, Jan Haugland, Joey Stagnitto, Jan Groenveld, Simon and countless others had just left and "gotten a life". You and I and many others might still be POW's (Prisoners of the Watchtower).

  If you go to gatherings of former JWs with the thought that they are a joke, a hangout, a social club, that's all they will be and it's just as well you don't go to them. I would guess there are some people who go to their Kingdom Halls or churches or even Bible Student gatherings who also see it as no more than a joke, a hangout or a social club.

  But if you look at gatherings like WNFJ or BRCI as an opportunity to give back what you received in the way of information and support that you received on your way out of the WT, they are no longer just a joke, a hangout or a social club. They are what you make them.

  Having said all that, I realize that some are called to that sort of activity and some are not. If you are not, that is fine.
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  139

  Those big bad Bible Students

  by RR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh, those big bad bible students, taking over the world, a big threat to christianity as we know it.

  that was the gist of rev.

  robert c. hill, christian apologetic, who decided that there wasn't enough being done by the christian community to combat the resurgence of "russellism".

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  DocBob

  I sat in for one talk and walked out in the middle, it was David Reed's, he apparently doesn't even know basic Watchtower history. I spoke to Joan Cetnar herself and she confirmed the guy leading the praise worship was an athiest!

  I think you may have misunderstood what she said.

  As to the Harvey's are they former Mormons ANd former Christians, or former mormon and NOW Christians?

  Yes, former Mormons and NOW Christians. Sorry for the confusion. I have had the pleasure of their leading the music there since I started going in 1998. They are a wonderful Christian family. Ruthann is (IMHO) a Broadway quality musician, actress and songwriter. They bought an old church a couple years ago and are turning it into a Christian theater.

  Doc, no offense, but I've been to a few of these events, sponsored by different groups, they all smack of whining. Sory guy, but I can't see myself going to these events year after years mulling over the same old tired story, when I could put all of that behind me and get a life! I know, you guys don't like that term, but that's exactly what it is.

  It's not just a matter of mulling over the same old tired story. I think you are missing a couple of very important things about this type of gathering.

  In the case of the many testimonies at WNFJ, it's not just the story of what was bad about their time as JWs, but the story of their coming to Christ. While I escaped the WT org relatively unscathed, many of these folks have suffered terrible abuse from JW family and/or JW leadership. Their stories need to be told and need to be heard by others Their telling their story to a group of people who understand them is therapeutic. Sometime you gotta vent, and if there is a sympathetic audience, all the better.

  Many of the people at WNFJ are involved in ministry to JWs and exJWs. It is a good time for us to network with one another. While I am not a big fan of the "professional" ministries, they do serve a purpose. I generally find some good, useful stuff to purchase there.

  Every year there are new people there. Some are still active JWs who are exploring, some are in various stages of the exit process. They need support. Who better to support them than those who have trodden the path they are now on?

  I've thought a lot about this 'moving on' business during the years since I left the org. I think that whatever we go through in life is for a purpose. If you have moved so far beyond where you were that you cannot or will not reach back and help those who are where you were, you may have missed the object of the exercise. For some, their life is to help others get a life - the real life.

  Just like this forum, get a life

  What are YOU doing here? :-)
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  139

  Those big bad Bible Students

  by RR in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  oh, those big bad bible students, taking over the world, a big threat to christianity as we know it.

  that was the gist of rev.

  robert c. hill, christian apologetic, who decided that there wasn't enough being done by the christian community to combat the resurgence of "russellism".

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  DocBob

  Hmmm ... Let's see .... I went there for one reason and one reason only. To put faces to names. About 30 or my old AOL chatroom buddies weere there, including DocBob, whom I've met on afew occassions and eeven attended a few Bible Student conventions.

  Yup, I remember that. I even have a picture of us all together :)

  We were there for about half a day. And allwe so were people whiningabout their life in the Watchtower Society. Here you have people saying the Society is one big money making scheme and there were bookstables everywhere by the likes of David Reed and Duane Maganani and others sellling their books. The biggest insult was to have an athiest lead the praise and worship service, and everyone including the sponsors seemed pleased with that! It wasa mockery!

  I forget who was speaking while you were there, but I think that you do a disservice to the conference judging a three day event by when you saw in just a couple of hours. The people who have lead the praise and worship at WNFJ for many years now are far from being atheists. Mike and RuthAnn Harvey are former Mormons and Christians
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  13

  What a great day!

  by Bryan in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  this is a very special day me and i would like to share it with you all.

  it was one year ago today, oleg and i came to the apex of our journey together.

  not knowing each other, we put our faith in god and our fantastic doctors at texas transplant institute, and went under the knife that oleg may live a better, longer life.

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  DocBob

  I had decided seven years prior to hearing of Oleg to donate. I wanted to help someone in a way they could not help themself, though I did not want to look for the opportunity. Oddly enough, once I found out about Oleg, even after the surgery, I never thought twice. It was almost as if I had a job to do and this was my job. No soul searching or second thoughts. Very odd if you ask me. Regarless, Oleg is doing great and so am I. I hope many more people will consider the idea of donation. I have absolutely nothing telling me I have one less kidney. My scar even is almost non-existant.

  Hi Bryan,

  Are you by any chance affiliated with a group known as Jesus' Christians? I get online newsletters from them and several of their members have donated kidneys to people they didn't know.

  It's an amazing thing to do. I'm glad it worked out for both of you