Rufus T. Firefly

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Posts by Rufus T. Firefly

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  73

  Time to take my mask off.

  by braincleaned in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after more than two years here on jwn, i will unmask myself and finally close the closet door behind me, fully coming out.. let me be pithy.. my name is vincent deporter.

  i'm a writer/artist published a little all over the place.

  i started my career in france, about 35 years ago.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Vincent, please check your private messages. ~ Rufus
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  4

  "Take Me As I Am" (a song by Rumer)

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was deeply touched by a story titled i escaped a cult, and it ruined my life by rachel mirante saavedr which she posted on facebook.

  in it she makes the point that, to jws, "love is absolutely conditional.

  " it was my experience, too, that the concept of unconditional love is totally rejected by jws, and, thinking back, that may well have been the very first discrepancy i perceived between the christ-like personality and what i observed within the jw culture.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  I was deeply touched by a story titled “I Escaped a Cult, and It Ruined My Life” by Rachel Mirante Saavedr which she posted on Facebook. In it she makes the point that, to JWs, "love is absolutely conditional." It was my experience, too, that the concept of unconditional love is totally rejected by JWs, and, thinking back, that may well have been the very first discrepancy I perceived between the Christ-like personality and what I observed within the JW culture. Ms. Saavedr’s longing for unconditional love reminded me of a beautiful song called “Take Me As I Am,” written and recorded by a lovely and talented British singer/songwriter known as Rumer (real name Sarah Joyce). If I didn't know better, I'd think that Rumer might be a former JW herself. Please read these poignant lyrics, and check out the song on YouTube, if you haven’t heard it:

  Is there a place where all that I’ve lost will be returned to me? And is there a day the souls that I pray to are coming back for me?

  Don’t tell me it’s all right. It’ll never be all right.

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” I need a love that’s unconditional. Why don’t you try to understand?

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” If this love is unconditional, why don’t you take me as I am? Just take me as I am.

  The love that I seek, is it hidden beneath a wound that won’t bleed? Look, is there something you want, is there something you need from me, ‘cause I tell you now, these hands are empty. And it aches in my bones to be here on my own without it, watching the love that I’m craving getting further away from all that I wanted.

  So don’t tell me it’s all right, now. It’ll never be all right.

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” I need a love that’s unconditional. Why don’t you try to understand?

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” If this love is unconditional, why don’t you take me as I am? Just take me as I am.

  If you look in my eyes you’ll see sorrow rising and falling. Oh, ‘cause the love that I’m craving’s getting further away than all that I wanted.
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  22

  Interesting quote from July 15, 2013 Watchtower

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the article who really is the faithful and discreet slave in the july 15, 2013, watchtower contains a curious comment.

  in paragraph 10 it is stated: "in recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.".

  can anyone tell me who in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the gb?

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Julia, you wrote: <<Of course they've identified themselves as that in the last few decades.>>

  No, the governing body HASN'T identified itself as the F&DS. That is my point. Up unitl now the GB has taught that ALL anointed ones on earth made up that slave. So, who is it who closely identified that slave witht he GB of JW?

  The truth of the matter is that those who dared to say the the GB was in actuality the F&DS were disfellowshipped for apostasy. In particular, edward Dunlap was one who closely identified that slave with the GB, and he was disfellowshipped!

  That was the point I was making.
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  22

  Interesting quote from July 15, 2013 Watchtower

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the article who really is the faithful and discreet slave in the july 15, 2013, watchtower contains a curious comment.

  in paragraph 10 it is stated: "in recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.".

  can anyone tell me who in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the gb?

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  The article Who Really Is the Faithful and Discreet Slave in the July 15, 2013, Watchtower contains a curious comment. In paragraph 10 it is stated: "In recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses."

  Can anyone tell me WHO in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the GB? I know it wasn't the GB who did so!

  I cannot believe that JWs will let that statement go unchallenged.
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  12

  Disfellowshiping a pagan practice says AWAKE! magazine

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the [catholic] hierarchys excommunication .

  is altogether foreign to bible teachings.. .

  the encyclopedia britannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  “The [Catholic] Hierarchy’s excommunication . . . is altogether foreign to Bible teachings.

  “The Encyclopedia Britannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence. . . It was therefore after Catholicism adopted its pagan practices, A.D. 325, that this new chapter in religious excommunication was written.

  “Therefore, as the *pretensions* of the Hierarchy increased, the *weapon* of excommunication became the instrument by which the clergy attained a combination of *ecclesiastical power* and *secular tyranny* that finds no parallel in history.” (January 8, 1947 AWAKE!)

  It follows, then, that JW disfellowshiping “is altogether foreign to Bible teachings” and not without pagan influence.” Only by misapplying 1 Cor. 5:11 and 2 John 9-11 can the Watch Tower Society justify disfellowshiping conscientious Christians who are neither unrepentant sinners nor antichrists.

  Furthermore, notice the phrase “as the pretensions of the Hierarchy increased.” Is it not the height of pretentiousness for the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses to declare themselves to be the faithful and discreet slave? Not even C. T. Russell was so pretentious; rather, when asked by others if he was the faithful and discreet slave, he would reportedly respond, “Some say that I am.”
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  18

  Pre-Paid Legal Services...many JWs market it

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone know of any jws in the us who became involved in marketing pre-paid legal services?

  i believe it is now known as legal shield..

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Does anyone know of any JWs in the US who became involved in marketing Pre-Paid Legal Services? I believe it is now known as Legal Shield.
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  11

  JWs still in that believe and are lurking

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wanted to say hi.

  i understand how you may feel.

  i remember lurking here years ago cause i didn't want to tell the elders on myself and have a judicial committee if i could figure a way out of it.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Lurkers lurk because they know that most current JWs know it is not "the truth," but they don't know how to leave the only way of life they have ever known. The only ones who still believe it is "the truth" are those who aren't too bright to begin with.

  And I mean that in the nicest possible way. (You can say anything you want as long as you add that last sentence.)
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  20

  Angsty post

  by zound in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not far away from sending out a bunch of letters to all the jw's who i knew when i was one.

  the letters are the accumulation of the last few months of research etc.

  i've put a lot of effort into wording things just right so that that the jw's don't instantly throw it in the trash.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  "I've learned that people only pay attention to what they discover for themselves." Last line spoken by Anthony Perkins in the film Pretty Poison.

  In other words, don't bother.
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  3

  Dallas people?

  by Blttex in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  anyone from the dallas, tx area?

  pm me if you want to get together sometime.

  it would be nice to meet someone face to face who truly have learned the truth and have been set free!.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  snare&racket asked <<Do you guys play the Dallas theme through loudspeakers as you walk about?>>

  Yes. We do.

  And the slogan on the t-shirts was "I shot J.R."
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  51

  Family is drawing the line in the sand

  by dissonance_resolved in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so my family has obviously been noticing over the past several months that i've been missing meetings and fs.

  i've had excuses sometimes, but not others, so my parents are definitely getting that this is more than a long bout of illnesses or fatigue.

  i just received an email invitation to join them in service this weekend.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Share this quote with your family: “No one should be forced to worship in a way that he finds unacceptable or be made to choose between his beliefs and his family.” (From the article, “Is It Wrong to Change Your Religion?” July 2009 AWAKE!, page 28)