Posts by TonusOH

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

So nothing like Lloyds situation, whereby people donated to his Indigogo of £25,000 but still had to buy the book.

Just to be clear, I'm defending crowdfunding as a viable concept, not Evans' particular use of it.

The nice thing about crowdfunding is that you can structure it however you want. As long as prospective supporters know what they're getting into, it's fine. The idea that your support doesn't also get you a copy of the book... isn't something I would do, but as long as your supporters know the score, it's on them. To me, the dark side of crowdfunding is that it's another way to scam people, by asking for support and either lying about what they are paying for, or taking the money and not delivering. As far as I can tell, he didn't do that.

Taking the money and publishing an unflattering book that ultimately helps to cement your reputation as a creep and a jerk... is also something I would not advise a prospective author to do. But this is page 268 of a topic dedicated to his lack of sound judgment, so it's also not surprising.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

In his post where he announced he started writing his book, it was clear that he was thinking a publisher would pick it up and give him an advance.

Was he not aware that there were already quite a few books from exJWs, talking about the organization and their own experiences? By the time I'd even heard of Lloyd Evans, I had probably read a half-dozen of them. And did he somehow think there was a large market for exJW material? Crisis of Conscience is easily the best known book about the org, and it's never been a best seller. He certainly knew about that book...

It would fit with the personality of a narcissist, if he thought that his book would be the one to break through and become a big seller. He has made a comment or two about moving on due to the supposed toxicity of the exJW community. Maybe he is thinking that his book on the exJW community will be fast-tracked for a Hollywood script if he only offers to write one.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

His book was self published and there was no barrier to entry.

Correct, that is the point I am making about crowdfunding a creative work. If he said he needed the funds to print the book, he was either misinformed or a liar. But the idea of paying an advance is to provide the author with funds while he is working on the book. Crowdfunding replaces that when there is no outside publisher. Sure, you can create the work and publish it without crowdfunding, which is also a great option (and keeps you free from any obligations, so you can manage it yourself). But it's a nice option to have, if you want/need some up-front money to get your project off the ground.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

It's like an advance, if you were working with a publisher. The difference being that the investors don't recoup this advance; they are doing it specifically to support the author. I like the concept, it helps creators get around the gates put up by publishers and industries to maintain control of a product they don't actually create.

It's not well regulated, so people need to be smart and cautious when deciding where to spend money. Evans actually published the books, so I assume his backers are satisfied. Whether they're comfortable with backing him after finding out what he's really like... I don't know. I assume a few of them wish they could take it back. As Nancy Pelosi would've said, they needed to read the book to know what was in it.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

So, the guy telling other people to watch their blood pressure seems to post a lot of angry tweets, and the person telling Kim to grow up is using childish insults. Looks like Evans isn't the only one lacking in self-awareness.

Lots of people forget their masks when they log on to Twitter.

49

Start of the Great Tribulation will be announced soon

by joey jojo in

at the 2021 annual meeting, samuel herd revealed new light and claimed the anointed will all have passed away before armageddon.

it has since been revealed that while they will die before armageddon, there will be some anointed still around that will witness the start of the great tribulation.. so the question is, how many years until the existing members of the governing body have passed away?.

im not a doctor, but based on their age and various stages of obesity, im thinking 10- 15 years- give or take, sounds about right.. with that in mind, the great tribulation could be announced any day.. the new understanding has now freed the org from the burden of having to identify a particular generation in relation to the date of armageddon.

TonusOH

After 7 years, then what will they have to say?

Overlapping tribulations?

25

Rutherford's Coup

by RolRod in

a new book on the events of the 1917 schism titled rutherford's coup is officially out on amazon.. authored by rud persson.

description.

raised a baptist, in 1906, joseph franklin rutherford, a provincial missouri attorney with a shrewd and scheming legal mind, became a baptized “bible student.” in 1907, rutherford became the legal counselor for the group's legally chartered corporation, the watch tower bible and tract society of pennsylvania.

TonusOH

Yeah, Rutherford was something of a sanctimonious buffoon. With a chance to clear up the messes that Russell had made, he instead went nuts in his own unique way. The JW organization had one hell of a beginning.

11530

It's been a long 9 years Lloyd Evans / John Cedars

by Newly Enlightened in

original reddit post (removed).

TonusOH

The amazing coincidence is that the cheapest lawyer happens to work so close to where he lives.

34

History repeated: pre-1975 trend of selling homes to ‘downsize’

by LongHairGal in

jw
friends

i saw this thread on reddit.

i think the reason for this is that the 1975 fiasco is never mentioned in the jw religion.

nobody mentioned it to me when i came in the years after.. the problem with this is that all the sad stories were never told (or hushed up) of people who sold off homes, etc.

TonusOH

I was raised in the JWs in the early 70s, and the only thing I knew about 1975 is what the GB said about it. I only recall people repeating the company line: that the WTS had not made any definitive statements about it, and that some JWs simply misread the info and made their own predictions. I didn't see a single mention of what had actually been said until I was out, some 35 years later.

My mother took the WTS version to heart, even though I am certain that she knew better. But she had joined in the mid-60s, just as the 1975 talk was getting started. I think she was looking for a way out of a life that was not turning out as she had hoped, and so she has clung to that hope for more than 50 years now. She has never stopped reminding me that "the end is near."

32

Bad Associations spoil useful habits. Are the JWs right? Scripturally?

by Open mind in

it has been interesting for me to learn the various ways that the jws twist the scriptures to fit their own dogma.

(of course jws aren't alone in that, but that's another topic.

) two quick examples of jws not following or going beyond the bible are blood and birthdays.

TonusOH

Isn`t that statement "Bad associations spoil useful habits " just plain common sense ?

Yep. As someone on the first page of this topic pointed out, it's the equivalent of the saying "if you lie down with dogs, you'll wake up with fleas." There are probably a hundred other ways people make that point.

The WTS takes it further, of course. Any association that isn't a JW in good standing is a "bad association" who can spoil useful habits, such as going to all of the meetings, going door-to-door, annoying everyone around you by constantly preaching, shunning disfellowshipped family and friends, and so on. Hang around the wrong people long enough, and you'll lose yourself to Satan. Next thing you know, you've grown a beard!