My attempt to join Touchstone

by borgfree 7 Replies latest jw friends

borgfree

I went to the Touchstone site and filled out their registration form. I thought if they were really open to discussions it might be interesting. I do not have the registration post but the following is the correspondence that followed after I registered.
Email from Wrench:
Hello Roy,

Since none of us at Touchstone know anything about you would you please tell us why you wish to join. Have you read the board agenda announcment and are you in agreement with it?

I notice the name BORGFREE. Since many of our opposers like to refer to us as the BORG, I was wondering if you are a former JW. Are you? If so, are you now in opposition to us? Are you what we would consider to be in an apostate condition? I mean no offense by these questions but it is something we would like to know.

Best regards,
Wrench
My email reply:
I was born into a family of JWs. My father was a "Company Servant" when I was born. I believed The teachings of the Watchtower Society until I was 54 years old. I no longer believe their teachings at all.

The name Borgfree is indeed referring to being free of the "Borg" or Brooklyn Organization. I have read your board rules and do agree to comply with them.

I would be considered an apostate by JWs, however I am a strong believer in my Lord and my God, in fact I am a stronger believer than I ever was as one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

You do not offend me by your questions, I am fully aware of the teachings of the WT and do not fully blame the average JW for believing what has been instilled into them.

I have joined several forums and post once in a while when a topic interests me. My reason for attempting to join this forum is the same. I do not wish to be a disruption on your board since it is your forum, I would think however that your members could discuss and debate bible subjects, isn't that what your forum is for?

Whether you wish to accept my membership or not is of course up to you, I will continue to live (God willing) either way. Thank you for your consideration.

Roy A. Lathrop Sr.
Email from Wrench:
Hello Roy,
We will not be able to approve your membership as it is the board policy to not have those that would be considered apostate on our forum. This is nothing personal to you. We feel that are hands are tied in this area due to what is stated at 2 John 9-11. We feel it would be against our understanding of scripture to engage in scriptural debate with one who would fit this description. However, if you can convince me that this does not apply to you then we can consider your application, that is, if you still desire to. If not, then I wish you the best for the future.
Wrench
My email reply:
Well, obviously Wrench, the scripture does not apply to me. I fully accept all of the teachings of the Christ. I would say that you and JWs do not, however. The Christ, Jesus, did not refuse to discuss scripture with anyone.

The Christ did not teach or even elude to many of the teachings of the JWs, such as 1914, great crowd being on earth, treating your father and/or mother with contempt because they do not follow the dictates of some organization.

In fact he had a few things to say about children who do not honor their parents and children who were more concerned with giving to the temple rather than to their parents.

You can judge for yourself who is pushing ahead of the Christ, even putting an organization in the place of the Christ e.g.. "you must come to Jehovah's organization for salvation" The bible clearly says "there is salvation in no one else" referring to Jesus the Christ.

I am very happy to be a born again Christian after 54 years of giving my loyalty to an organization. I have a personal relationship with the Christ.

I do not post a lot, and really couldn't care less if your forum accepts me or not. I registered with the intent of communicating with your members if your members truly had an open mind and were not enslaved by the commands of an organization. I see they are not, and that is your choice. I respect your right to do so.

I wish you well, not in your efforts to prop up an organization, but that you may truly learn the truth. John 14:6

Borgfree - Roy A. Lathrop Sr.
"Without knowledge there can be no genuine faith--only superstition on the one hand or speculation on the other" Robert Banks
David Gladden

Aaaa, you forgot about using "Spiritual Warfare". According to the JWs, if you deceive the "enemy" of god it is technically not a "lie".
aChristian

Roy,
Very well put. I hope it gets him thinking. Maybe it will. You've planted fine seed. Now let's pray that God will make it grow.
Mike
borgfree

David,
My heart wasn't really in it, I was curious whether or not they would let a person join if I admitted my true beliefs.
aChristian,
Thanks and amen.
Borgfree
"Without knowledge there can be no genuine faith--only superstition on the one hand or speculation on the other" Robert Banks
sf

Please post the sites url.
Thank you, sKally
borgfree

I just received another email from Wrench and think it only fair to post it. I have not reply'ed and don't know if I will or not.
Skally, the url might be on this email, if not I will post it. I did not see your post before I started mine.
Hello Roy,

You stated:
Well, obviously Wrench, the scripture does not apply to me. I fully accept all of the teachings of the Christ. I would say that you and JWs do not, however. The Christ, Jesus, did not refuse to discuss scripture with anyone.

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Since we are of the conviction that God does not tolerate a sectarian Christianity, the converse to that is "one" acceptable religion. You at one time were evidently baptized and dedicated to what we perceive to be true Christianity, the teaching of the Christ. Since you have abandoned that and now are in opposition to those doctrines, from our standpoint, you would fit the description of 2 John 9-11. I can appreciate that you do not personally feel that it applies to you, but since we are inviting you into our forum, this is ultimately about how we would view you in relation to 2 John 9-11. This was not intended to insult you although I know it is difficult not to take something like this as personal, but it isn't, truly. You see we believe that 2 John would actually describe a class of people that Christians would not discuss scripture with and as is obvious, we would think you as being in that class.
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The Christ did not teach or even elude to many of the teachings of the JWs, such as 1914, great crowd being on earth, treating your father and or mother with contempt because they do not follow the dictates of some organization.

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Of course I would disagree with your assessments here to at least one degree or another. Since I know nothing of your personal life and what happened with your family I am not qualified to make evaluations in that regard.
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In fact he had a few things to say about children who do not honor their parents and children who were more concerned with giving to the temple rather than to their parents.

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Again I have no idea of what transpired so I can be of no help in your personal situation. I do, however, sympathize with your scenario.
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You can judge for yourself who is pushing ahead of the Christ, even putting an organization in the place of the Christ e.g.. "you must come to Jehovah's organization for salvation" The bible clearly says "there is salvation in no one else" referring to Jesus the Christ.

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I am fully convinced that the scriptures reveal Christianity to be an organization that has certain elements within it that we should be willing to submit to and obey. Autonomy is unscriptural, but, we are not here to debate that.
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I am very happy to be a born again Christian after 54 years of giving my loyalty to an organization. I have a personal relationship with the Christ.

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I am sorry to here of that decision against us. I feel you have made a grave error but I wont pursue it.
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I do not post a lot, and really couldn't care less if your forum accepts me or not. I registered with the intent of communicating with your members if your members truly had an open mind and were not enslaved by the commands of an organization. I see they are not, and that is your choice. I respect your right to do so.

I wish you well, not in your efforts to prop up an organization, but that you may truly learn the truth. John 14:6

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I too, wish you well for the future. Take care.

Best regards,
Wrench

Borgfree
"Without knowledge there can be no genuine faith--only superstition on the one hand or speculation on the other" Robert Banks
borgfree

Skally,
This should get you there
http://www.touchstoneforum.org/
Borgfree
"Without knowledge there can be no genuine faith--only superstition on the one hand or speculation on the other" Robert Banks
Andyman

That sounds like Wrench.
He came to the CARM boards and got upset because he couldn't run things so he brought in a bunch of JW's do disrupt the board, it worked. They soon figured out they still could not run things and that issues about the society they did not want to discuss were still going to be discussed whether they like it or not.
He opened his own board and took all the JW's with him, and tried to get most of the posters to come to HIS board from CARM. A few did, but soon they found out just what kind of a "onesided" board it was, and most have left. Now it's just a bunch of JW's slapping themselves on the back telling each other how great they are.
They still try to steal posters, but from what you posted it looks like they are being pretty "un-openminded" about things. I too left the borg and Wrench and I did not get along at all.
All they want there are people who don't know the facts about the society so they can have a "JW" bible study with them. It's sad indeed. They really don't want the truth.
I think the name "borgfree" got to them. I saw where you had signed up, but really did have doubts about your getting in.
This link will take you right to the main discussion board:
http://www.touchstoneforum.org/~dchoi/cgi-local/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=list&forum=DCForumID1&conf=DCConfID1
Take care.
Andyman:

My attempt to join Touchstone

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