Marvin Shilmer

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Posts by Marvin Shilmer

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  5

  Undisclosed policy versus Public portrayal

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  today a reader left this comment on my blog regarding research on watchtower's position on pledging national allegiance: .

  i live in an african land as an elder who has stepped down due to being disheartened that all my life has actually been at the service of con men rather than to god.

  i also began my search into what was really going on and confirmed my suspicions.

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  Marvin Shilmer

  I believe the problem with the Pledge was that it was a pledge to the "flag", which in the minds of the Watchtower leaders was akin to somehow pledging allegiance to an idol of sorts.

  That recollection is not wrong, but it's not the whole story. For example, in schools many JW children were presented the option of not pledging to the flag and, instead, simply stating that they pledged allegiance to the government of the United States. These children refused this option for the same reason that so many adult JWs did the same thing: they thought it was wrong based on what Watchtower put out there for consumption for the general population of JWs. The linked article offers several examples of this.

  So because of what Watchtower was teaching we had JWs refusing to pledge the exact same oath that Watchtower leaders were pledging, and not once did the leadership just come right out and say "Here is the national pledge of allegiance to the United States government, you should not have any mental reservations about pledging this oath of allegiance." Not one time did Watchtower leadership come right out and say this to the community of JWs. Not once! Instead Watchtower leadership put out that phoney-baloney alternative oath, which by itself suggested to JWs that there must be something wrong with pledging the standard national oath of allegiance.
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  5

  Undisclosed policy versus Public portrayal

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  today a reader left this comment on my blog regarding research on watchtower's position on pledging national allegiance: .

  i live in an african land as an elder who has stepped down due to being disheartened that all my life has actually been at the service of con men rather than to god.

  i also began my search into what was really going on and confirmed my suspicions.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  Marvin Shilmer

  Today a reader left this comment on my blog regarding research on Watchtower's position on pledging national allegiance:

  I live in an African land as an elder who has stepped down due to being disheartened that all my life has actually been at the service of con men rather than to God. I also began my search into what was really going on and confirmed my suspicions. Your article is very informative and I hope more individuals within Jehovah's witnesses will come to such knowledge and free themselves.

  To me, one of the most damning aspects of this whole sorry episode of Watchtower hypocrisy is the Alternate Oath that Watchtower officials presented in legal briefs (and in Watchtower publication) that JWs would gladly pledge and without mental reservation. Here's the alternate pledge Watchtower put forth:

  
  “I have pledged my unqualified allegiance and devotion to Jehovah, the Almighty God, and to His Kingdom, for which Jesus commands all Christians to pray. I respect the flag of the United States and acknowledge it as a symbol of freedom and justice to all. I pledge allegiance and obedience to all the laws of the United States that are consistent with God's law, as set forth in the Bible.”
  
  It is striking today to realize this alternate pledge was no more and no less than Watchtower putting one idea in the heads of JWs about the religion's position on pledging allegiance to, in this case, the United States while the whole time Watchtower's top officials were all pledging the usual national oath of allegiance, the same one that Presidents of the United States pledge (and military personnel and other government officials). Oh, and this pledge is made without any mental reservation whatsoever, which is also part of the pledge.

  
  So the national oath of allegiance that Watchtower officials were all pledging themselves to was apparently not good enough for rank-and-file JWs, despite Watchtower officials swearing to this oath with no mental reservation whatsoever! If that does not scream "Let's keep our pledging of allegiance to the United States government secret and feed BS to the membership" I don't know what does.

  
  The reader's comment is available HERE.
  
  
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  81

  The incredibly white NAACP leader

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  this is a bizarre story.. there is a woman who is the local leader of the naacp who is obviously trying to mislead people into believing she is black who is actually white.

  very white.. she obviously gets a tan regularly but looks more orange.

  yes, orange really is the new black!.

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  Marvin Shilmer

  The latest piece of ultra stupid behavior:

  Of Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal (biological parents of record of Rachel Dolezal) the Incredible WHITE black woman says:

  I'm not necessarily saying that I can prove they're not [my biological parents],” “But I don't know that I can actually prove they are [my biological parents]."

  Well, yes you can Ms. Incredible WHITE black woman. You can take a DNA test.

  The mystery is solved to the question of HOW could this gal get any dumber or more bizarre.

  Answer: She only has to open her mouth and make sound. Deed done.
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  81

  The incredibly white NAACP leader

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  this is a bizarre story.. there is a woman who is the local leader of the naacp who is obviously trying to mislead people into believing she is black who is actually white.

  very white.. she obviously gets a tan regularly but looks more orange.

  yes, orange really is the new black!.

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  Marvin Shilmer

  I can't decide if she's nuts or its cynically milking the system for personal benefit.

  Beaten with Baboon whips. Born in a teepee. Hunted her food with bows and arrows. Lived in Africa. Sued university for discriminating against her, a white woman. Rose in the ranks of NAACP as a black woman. Tells her black brother (adopted) not to "blow" her cover, and then claims her demise is an "unexpected firestorm".

  She's nuts. Or, to put it more precisely, completely nuts.
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  17

  Would you warn your neighbors if a child molester lived on your street?

  by Stealth in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just found out that someone who lives 4 doors down was convicted of molesting a 4 year old child twice.

  the second time was after he was arrested and released on bond from the first arrest.

  having two 4 year old children living in my home, i am concerned.

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  Marvin Shilmer

  Would you?

  Hell yes!!! Plus more!!! The pervert would not live on my street.
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  15

  Malawi CRAP in April 15 2015 Watchtower

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  near the top of page 15 in the april 15, 2015 watchtower shows a photo of the malawi congress party card made the center of jws being severely persecuted in malawi in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

  the lie is furthered in this watchtower article is that the whole issue was over jws refusing to involve themselves in politics.

  readers who want to know the whole story of what caused this persecution are invited to consider evidence in the following article presentations: .

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  Marvin Shilmer

  There was no registry of party affiliation because there was only one party, and it was expected that you would support it.

  Lack of a central membership directory (or any membership directory) means membership was not the issue in relation to the MCP card. What mattered was either having a card when you were asked for a card, or not having a card when you were asked for a card. If you didn't have a card that was a good thing from the perspective of the Youth League because it presented an opportunity for them to get money for compelling you to had over 25-cents for a card.

  But it is clear that many did not and the touchstone was the membership card. The suggestion that this was about the money ignores the nature of African politics and the megalomania exhibited by Dr Banda throughout his rulership.

  When it came to prison camps during the Banda era, it didn't matter if a person had an MCP card on their person or not. If Banda or the Young Pioneers viewed you as a threat for any reason, you ended up in one of these camps. If having an MCP card on the person made the difference between living in one of Banda's prison camps or not, 99-100 percent of the population of these camps would not have been there; they would have forked over the 25-cents and had one of these innocuous cards on their person. But they were in the camp whether they had a card or not, because either Banda or someone in his militarized Young Pioneers viewed the person as a threat.
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  15

  Malawi CRAP in April 15 2015 Watchtower

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  near the top of page 15 in the april 15, 2015 watchtower shows a photo of the malawi congress party card made the center of jws being severely persecuted in malawi in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

  the lie is furthered in this watchtower article is that the whole issue was over jws refusing to involve themselves in politics.

  readers who want to know the whole story of what caused this persecution are invited to consider evidence in the following article presentations: .

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  Marvin Shilmer

  The arguments that suggest the card did not indicate nominal affiliation and support for the Malawi Congress Party ignore the fact there were repeated card-checking campaigns in a bid to force party membership on the entire population.

  Not a bid to force party membership. It was a bid to get money. There was no registry of party affiliation. The card-checks you speak of demonstrate this. A person could have been an MCP supporter, but if they didn't have a card on them during a card-check guess what, they had to pony up 25-cents. It was about the money. Insofar as Banda and the then government was concerned, every Malawian citizen was a member of the MCP. The MCP was the government in Malawi.
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  15

  Malawi CRAP in April 15 2015 Watchtower

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  near the top of page 15 in the april 15, 2015 watchtower shows a photo of the malawi congress party card made the center of jws being severely persecuted in malawi in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

  the lie is furthered in this watchtower article is that the whole issue was over jws refusing to involve themselves in politics.

  readers who want to know the whole story of what caused this persecution are invited to consider evidence in the following article presentations: .

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  Marvin Shilmer

  That’s all the people of Africa need. Symbolic stands against dictatorships with orders given from one of the most free and wealthy nations on earth.

  I think it helps people to have a cause compelling them toward a productive end. But in this case there was no productive end for the Malawian JWs and Watchtower knew that perfectly well. Certainly it was a cruel hoax for Watchtower to make those Malawian JWs think it wrong to pledge allegiance to the Malawian national government when that is precisely what Watchtower leadership was doing the whole time (toward the United States government). Watchtower saw it as another opportunity to sell the "Look! We are persecuted!!!" card. The whole thing is sickening to think about.
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  2

  Rachel Dolezal -- "unexpected firestorm"?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. social
  2. current

  by now most readers here are aware of the rachel dolezal story.

  (the white woman in "blackface" according to ezra dolezal, the adopted son of rachel dolezal's biological parents) .

  today she resigned from her leadership position inside the naacp.

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  Marvin Shilmer

  I actually feel sorry for this women, ...

  Me too. I hope she finds a productive way forward. People tend to be forgiving, and I'm sure she can move forward if she wants. She might have to find another place to express her enthusiasm other than racial issues. At least for the time being. But she's gonna need some professional help. Something's compelling her to make up all this stupid stuff she's been making up for years, and she'll have to find out what it is and manage it.
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  2

  Rachel Dolezal -- "unexpected firestorm"?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. social
  2. current

  by now most readers here are aware of the rachel dolezal story.

  (the white woman in "blackface" according to ezra dolezal, the adopted son of rachel dolezal's biological parents) .

  today she resigned from her leadership position inside the naacp.

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  Marvin Shilmer

  By now most readers here are aware of the Rachel Dolezal story. (The white woman in "blackface" according to Ezra Dolezal, the adopted son of Rachel Dolezal's biological parents)

  Today she resigned from her leadership position inside the NAACP. This is no surprise. She really had no choice, and I'm sure NAACP leadership made this clear to her over the past few days. Born (or grew up) in a teepee? Hunted food with bows and arrows growing up? Lived several years in Africa? These are among things allegedly asserted by Rachel Dolezal yet each is disputed by family members who should know, and this is not even the serious stuff; this is just stuff that's no more than stupid to invent!

  Then comes today. In her resignation letter she speaks of the recent controversy calling it an "unexpected firestorm"?

  I'm sorry. This lady is sick, and I'm not being facetious. She is really sick. Additionally, she's hurt folks she claims as her own people, and black females in particular. How can this whole thing blowing up in her face be an "unexpected firestorm"? What did she think was going to happen, ultimately? Her own brother (adopted) says a few years ago she told him not to blow her cover. So she knew there was a bombshell there waiting to explode.

  Individuals like this make me wonder what on earth are people thinking these days?