i became involved with the jws, because i was idealistic....
was that evil....????
i wanted to help make a better world...
the biblical msg seemed like a good short-cut!!!
so! i guess that places me in the 'dumb'category!!!!!!
i do not mind their having 'rules', and i really (now) do not care about being dfed. that was a short sharp kick in the head that woke me up -- which is what dfing is supposed to do...but, it woke me up in a way they did not intend.... i had no place in their 'dream-world' anyway!!!
neither have you joelbear!!!!!!!!
what i think we are seeing happening is (as they are becoming increasingly institutionalised), they are letting the 'tough' guys become the jailers...
these guys do not have many feelings and have a certain enjoyment of power, and they are ignorant, in the sense of being uneducated.
ted jarasz would fall into that category.
when i was first in the truth - i wanted to discuss my homosexual feelings with someone... (well! no-one could have helped anyway),
my group study (ken frame - a really nice guy) was working in bethel and when he saw i was being troubled about something (he did not know what)****, suggested i come to bethel and talk to jarasc, who was branch servant, (the title in those days).. (in those days everyone was much more on a personal level - only about 12 congregations in sydney)
so i did... but i was also a dam shy kid (i was only 17) and i got veri nervous and ashamed and he lost patience and let it be seen... so i confessed to masturbation -- and got the usual (little) lecture on praying and service...and then the big lecture on not wasting the time of important brothers, and should talk to the cong. servant first etc...etc...etc...
i should have seen the writing on the wall then.... but like i've said -- i was a dumb kid.
if jarasc is the most influential person in the gb at present...well, what we see is a reflection of his personality...
so joelbear -- where is the evil?????????
**** and please remember, in those far off days, the only mention of 'homosexual' was an occasional item in the newspaper of someones arrest in a public toilet for trying it on an undercover cop...
now there is something that is really evil, joelbear!!!