by Blue Grass 52 Replies latest jw friends
It's nothing personal agaisnt Terry. After viewing his threads and reading his stories it's just seems so fake. He always confronted by a religious person for not apparent reason and every time he gets his point across just in time to show how right he is. It just seem so scripted.
But does it matter Blue Grass?
It does matter to people who have been lied to time and time again, and hurt by those lies.
ExJWs of all people should be aware of the need for honesty.
Hey - I like Terry.
Besides he works in a bookstore (religious at that) so that would afford him many opportunities for discussions about religion. DUH! Nothing amazing about that. It's not difficult having discussions about religion. You know that saying "there are two things you don't talk about?.....religion and politics." Well nothing's further from the truth. People LOVE talking about religion and politics and sharing their views.
Cult Classic
I enjoy reading Terry's posts. And if I didn't enjoy them or I thought they were bullsh!t, then I just wouldn't read them. That's the freedom we all have now. We can read whatever we want or we don't have to read something. We also have the freedom to say whatever we want or think whatever we want but if we say or express those thoughts then remember that others can then say to us whatever they want. It's a great thing and it's called freedom.
LD
As I remember, Terry works in the religion and philosophy department, so he will meet religious people every day. There is a fair amount of poets licence with much of what many of us say on this site. As long as what is said is interesting, I don't much care. Terry talks more sense that anyone else on this site, except me of course - Cough!
I started reading Terry's posts many years ago and debating with him when I posted in my real name. He has been a major influence in helping me clear my mind of the mystical approach I had to life. He has humoured me and taken the time to reason with me. Learning to be objective and more objectively conscious, has lifted me out of difficult period in my life. I have thanked him often but not enough.
Terry does not demand that we agree with him but that we examine his argument and try to fault it. He likes to be challenged and enjoys a successful challenge that leads to him changing his mind.
He hits hard and backs up what he says with reasoned argument. He is generally polite and entertaining. The remarks of other on this thread confirm that they too appreciate his input. This site would not be the same without him.
Over the years I've been with Terry, a time or two, when one of these "Amazing Stories" unfolded. I can assure you "Amazing", or other wise, they are true. Of course a few of the details may be strained here and there, that's to be expected when one retells something that happened, it's a human thing, a little hyperbole will creep in.
Now, if you do not care to accept what he says that's fine. I will tell you two things, if your desire is to draw him in to a debate, written, or in person, he'll carve you like a Christmas turkey. The other thing is, if he's wrong, he will not weasle around, he'll acepte it, and yes I'm biased. Terry is a good friend of mine. Lest you think we're struck from the same mold, we're not. There are many times we disagree and that is the best friend you can have.
I like Terry. Sometimes I learn something from him, sometimes I think he needs to go learn something or stop overthinking things. Sometimes I think he's got something really interesting to say, sometimes I'm not that interested in what he is writing. We've agreed, debated, it's all good. If you don't like his posts, don't read them.
One thing, however, that consistently bugs me about Terry's writings....USE A PARAGRAPH, DUDE! Everthing doesn't have to be it's own sentence. Your posts would be like, 1/3 the size they are if you used a paragraph!
OK, I've got that out of my system. Used to write for a living, so, you know... I'm all better now.
I will tell you two things, if your desire is to draw him in to a debate, written, or in person, he'll carve you like a Christmas turkey.
It's not like he's Superman. He is a formidable opponent, but at best he's like...I dunno, maybe Batman or the Green Lantern.
May I comment? Thank you and may you all have peace! Since TAI's comments inspire me, I'll use those, if that's okay...
Regardless if one believes Terry's stories or not is not the point...
I would have to agree with that, dear TAI... as well as say that this should be true for EVERY post(er). If one doesn't believe what another poster... posts... common sense (okay, even UNcommon sense)... would say don't read their posts. There is no "prize" here for believing/agreeing... and no "penalty" for disbelieve/disagreeing. Criticizing in this way, however, does... what? And asking others to criticize with you on such a topic does... what? Needing others to agree with your point of view... on anything, IMHO, but particularly on something like this... is of no true benefit (although having it done can tend to make one "feel good," for whatever that's worth. But , then, so do drugs and alcohol. Ummmm... at least, that's what I've heard - ).
The point is in human society senority gains a person a certain amount of respect. For a relatively new person to call out a respected long time member over nothing is really showing a lack of manners and respect.
Unfortunately, I have to take exception to this statement, dear TAI. Seniority/longevity shouldn't be the basis for such respect. Honesty, truthfulness, integrity, dependability, reliability, accountability, and things like that... should be the basis. Even if it's "over nothing." Otherwise, we should just all go back to "respecting" the GB... and no "newbie" JW should ever bother to question anything they are taught. Think about it.
This call out serves no purpose other than to possibly try to embarrass someone.
I'm not sure I agree with that. Given the ample berth of FREEDOM of "speech" granted and shown on this Board, dear BlueGrass most probably thought it was "safe" to "say" what was on his/her mind/heart about the matter. Some apparently see that and gave him/her more information (i.e., dear Terry's occupation, which would understandably give rise to the kinds of occurrences he writes about). Perhaps dear BlueGrass' question(s) is/are... ummmm... for lack of a better word, "wrong." With very few exceptions, however, we have ALL said/asked the "wrong" thing here at some point or another. I certainly have.
At the same time I don't want to try to bring negativity to Blue Grass.
Good for YOU!! That IS one of the things I LOVE about JWD.net and those who post here: for the most part, everyone here "tries." I've seen folks go at it, I mean get down and dirty... and then come back forgivingly and as if nothing occurred. Not "keep count of the injury". If nothing else, THAT is something to be proud of leaving/being kicked out of the WTBTS for!! The same freedom to LOVE... as to speak!
Dear BlueGrass... peace to you, as well! You may not like or agree with what dear Terry posts - that is your "right." But it is also his "right" to post whatever he wishes. As one who is SELDOM believed... and whose posts are probably ridiculed and picked apart more than any other poster... I have to say that just because something doesn't sound true to YOU... does not mean it isn't. The LOVING thing to do would be to give the poster the benefit of the doubt... unless and until you have some kind of PROOF that he/she is indeed being untruthful. Otherwise, shouldn't everything YOU post be subject to the same doubt and scrutiny... and what YOU post be subject to the same accusation of untruth?
If you believe differently, then you are a hypocrite... and I don't believe you are. As I stated above, it sounds to ME as if you just kind of took your "freedom" of speech a little too far which, again, most of us have also done here at some point or another (on one occasion I let my personal opinion cause me to try and be someone elses' conscience, for which I needed to apologize and did).
If you think dear Terry is... ummmm... embellishing... that's okay - you're entitled to your opinion. But you should probably ask for a few more details (i.e., "Terry, how is it that you come to have all of these kinds of experiences. I seldom/never run into such folks or have such conversations and it is curious to me that you do. What's up with that?"... or something like that)... BEFORE publicly polling others as to THEIR opinion on such things. That way, you won't look "mean" or "rude" when you don't intend to be... and won't have to defend what was intended to be an honest assessment of what you perceived taking place.
Trust me - having to defend yourself here isn't always fun... even when what you've posted is absolutely true and not directed at anyone in particular. I can't imagine it being fun when you've made a statement that IS personal in nature, lacking details, and directed at a specific poster.
Again, I bid you both peace!
A slave of Christ,
SA
Heh, heh, heh....ok notverylikely Batman it is...
