TMS

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Posts by TMS

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  13

  Western Washington

  by gsx1138 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i would love to chat with some of you from washington.

  especially if you've been a part of the jw's for awhile and left or were df'd.

  i know a few of my friends who were df'd but i've lost contact with them.

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  TMS

  I knew Jim Hughes in Kent and Vi Lemm in Auburn.
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  11

  Tiny Cracks in the Foundation

  by TMS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  two unsettling incidents are lodged in my memory.

  they are unrelated, except in the general sense that they opened tiny fissures in the foundation of my belief system.

  returning from the summer assembly in kansas city, missouri in 1969, i was approached by tom moore, a plain-speaking circuit overseer .

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  TMS

  I know that no person is perfect, no group of people is perfect. The sin is not in making the mistake...the sin is in not owning up to it. --I am constantly reminded of the Pharisees in this connection.

  Amen, Frenchy!

  For example, if the GB had come out in '76 and said: "Brothers, we got carried away with what we thought was possibly significant chronology. It is with great sadness we have learned that some have made detrimental financial, health and career decisions based on our misleading direction. We humbly before Jehovah beg forgiveness for any harm we have caused."

  Many of us would have respected such a pronouncement.

  Of course, many such opportunities for humility have been missed and many of the best men and women have eventually moved on with their lives.

  TMS
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  11

  Tiny Cracks in the Foundation

  by TMS in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  two unsettling incidents are lodged in my memory.

  they are unrelated, except in the general sense that they opened tiny fissures in the foundation of my belief system.

  returning from the summer assembly in kansas city, missouri in 1969, i was approached by tom moore, a plain-speaking circuit overseer .

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  TMS

  Two unsettling incidents are lodged in my memory. They are unrelated, except in the general sense that they opened tiny fissures in the foundation of my belief system.

  Returning from the summer assembly in Kansas City, Missouri in 1969, I was approached by Tom Moore, a plain-speaking circuit overseer . He had heard that my wife and I had filled out Gilead applications at the assembly and wanted a word with me. Did I know that missionaries sent to foreign assignments generally needed to be vaccinated to get a passport and that some of the required vaccinations contained blood components? He correctly assessed me as someone who did not compromise. In those days, I would point out a two cent undercharge to a store clerk, so aware was I of not displeasing my heavenly Father. My wife and I visited about this potential quandary, both being disturbed about it, but, as things turned out, never crossed that proverbial bridge.

  Some years later, in the fall of 1980, I was sitting with the body of elders, listening to Fred Lanier, a kindly circuit overseer, then about retirement age. The elder’s meeting was just completed, but Fred was not making a move from his chair. Typically, CO’s make a hasty exit after this meeting because they have typing to do, recommendations or deletions to type out, the congregation report, etc. Fred Lanier obviously had more he wanted to say out of the context of the Society’s outline for the meeting. He started to throw out some details concerning the events at Brooklyn in ‘80, mentioning R. Franz and Dunlop. He warned repeatedly about “independent thinking”. He spoke of discussions at Bethel concerning the great crowd being a secondary heavenly class as opposed to an earthly class. Noting the consternation on my face, Fred, as an aside to me, stated: “Well, of course, on that level, discussions like that take place. But that is all kept in confidence.” I recall driving home from that meeting with the phrase “on that level” ringing in my ears. THEY could speculate, but WE could not.

  These are two tiny episodes in my life that I suppressed without further thought for many, many years. In almost any other aspect of my life, ignoring details is uncharacteristic. I agonize over which 13.5 ounce can of coffee is the best deal, but in making life’s most important choices, I chose to ignore many obvious warning signs.

  TMS
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  18

  Dissension

  by teejay in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  beginning over a hundred years ago with the sincerely misguided (albeit egotistical) pastor russell on down to todays corporate incarnation of jehovahs mouthpiece otherwise known as the governing body of jehovah's witnesses, all of the leaderships crimes can be traced to a single kernel of untruth that lies at the very heart of this ungodly organization.

  a typical expression of this single but immense seed of falsehood is clearly seen in the following quote, typical of thousands made in the watchtower over the years:... if we fall into the habit of ... ignoring counsel from jehovah through .

  his faithful slave class, it will not be long before our hearts become callous, .

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  TMS

  Not much in this life can truly be described as wholly contemptible, but that kind of intolerant arrogance of the viewpoint and, by extension, the personhood of others certainly is. Such an attitude will never be held by one honestly seeking real truth, for truth, the bona fide variety, welcomes, accepts, begs for a challenge – a different viewpoint, no matter its origin. Under such brutal scrutiny, the truth can only be refined and strengthened.

  The above paragraph, teejay, would easily fit into a hypothetical Watchtower article, "Are You Afraid of Truth?". Most of us recognize that the WTBS uses "two sets of scales".

  Thank you for this insightful thread.

  TMS
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  28

  Make up a word for how you felt Sats 3:42 at DAs

  by joelbear in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  make up a word for how you felt saturday afternoons at 3:42 during district assemblies.

  mine is.

  aggsniffilated.

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  TMS

  whatifipretendedtogotothemensroomandtoldmywifetomeetatthecarandavoidthetrafficjam

  TMS
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  20

  $300,000,000 - Percentage YOU Would Donate To WTS?

  by Derrick in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  you buy a state lottery ticket with a motherlode of a jackpot similar to one in california recently.. lo and behold you alone win the $300,000,000.. before and after the next meeting you share your joy with the brothers and sisters.

  some are naturally curious to know what percentage you plan on donating to the world wide preaching work and local congregation?.

  how do you respond?.

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  TMS

  Derrick,

  I would suggest that the WTBS avail themselves of appropriate government assistance for which they qualify, perhaps the SBA, for example.

  Practical suggestions would be given to the GB with respect to disposal of large, unnecessary real estate holdings, stocks, bonds and other assets.

  Surely, these loving suggestions from a mature brother would be well received.

  TMS
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  12

  How about an Overseer for the Elderly??

  by Mulan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was telling my daughter in law about this ongoing saga, with the elders and my mother.

  she isn't a jw, and attends a christian church.. when i told her about calling the local elder, who is the presiding overseer, she asked me why i called that elder.

  "is he the one in charge of helping the elderly?

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  TMS

  For a brief period in the 70's, "sacred service" was said to encompass caring for "widows and orphans", older ones, etc. Even the word "minister" was under review and temporarily dropped from meeting and publication titles as the ministry was briefly viewed as more than preaching.

  This liberalized view, along with the '75 fiasco, accompanied an overall drop in field service and so was discarded in favor of the former and now prevailing view that "our ministry" is our public and platform preaching.

  TMS
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  5

  Five Things I would Like To See Before Death

  by hillary_step in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  five things i would like to see before my ashes are scattered :.

  1) glen campbell singing the wichita lineman at the court of henry viii.. 2) henry kissinger dressed in spandex running for a bus.. 3) sergeant major mick jagger.. 4) freepeace giving tallyman the kiss of life - taste and see that i am good...lol.

  5) ted jaracz dancing wildly at a rave.. any additions?

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  TMS

  HS,

  The last forty years or so, knowing what I know now.

  TMS
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  8

  One Dimensional Salvation

  by Farkel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when one removes the blinders, it comes as quite a shock to discover what a simple, one-dimensional religion jehovahs witnesses really have.

  what is that good news?

  because you wont listen to the good news.

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  TMS

  Farkel, whose obviously been formulating these thoughts for years:
  

  But Jehovah can be playful and forgiving, too. Take Lot. He screws both his daughters and gets them pregnant. In a way, I can’t blame him. No one likes to screw salt-licks. Lot then gets praised in the book of Hebrews for being so righteous. He probably got away without having to pay any child support, too. Trivia question: under what circumstances can one have 4 children and 2 grandchildren with only 4 people total? How would you explain this to your average census-taker?

  Take David. He screws a guy’s wife and sends the poor guy to the front lines of battle, guaranteeing certain death. God kills David’s son, but lets him keep the dead guy’s wife for fun and games.

  These two accounts always tempered my judgement while serving on judicial committees. Jehovah was the same Jehovah who allowed these things, whether C.E. or B.C.E, right? Now, we're gonna ostracize a teen-ager for puffing on a cigarette?

  TMS
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  41

  Is The Governing Body EVIL?

  by jst2laws in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am going to stick my neck out and postulate that the gb is not evil .

  nor is the watchtower society as a whole.

  i'm sorry this got a little long but please accept the challenge and show me wrong.

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  TMS

  this interesting discussion included these telling, apropos words from Pathofthorns:

  It is the belief that this is "God's Organization" that is at the root of all of these problems. Everyone is expendible to protect it, and nothing is too evil in the end if it is considered for the greater good of the Organization.

  IMHO, the above mindset allows the GB to function oblivious to the human wreckage their policies generate.

  If "evil" is too strong a word, then calloused, insensitive, heartless are available adjectives.

  Even the world's beastly gov'ts recognize when economic policies inflict hardships on the citizenry and enact countermeasures, relief. Military excesses or civil right's abuses call for reparations.

  When companies feel forced to make brutal economic cutbacks, longterm employees are offered substantial buyouts.

  These are typical human responses when tough decisions are made that adversely effect others.

  But the WTBS just keeps on keepin' on insulated by the above belief so succinctly put by Pathofthorns.

  TMS