by JT 66 Replies latest jw friends
HS:
Thanks for offering an explanation, even though you didn't need to.
You are one of the good people who quietly do a lot of work without demanding a lot of fuss in return.
I will certainly miss you additions to the forum and the assistance that you have given us.
- Simon
Hey, Hawk!
I'm totally relaxed!
But I'll look forward to your e-mail!
out
(who agrees with a LOT of what Dave wrote ---- again!!!!!!)
Out,
I have developed a unique open minded perspective on life because of one main reason. I was never good enough to be a MS or an elder. Three cheers for spiritual lackadaisicalness.
Crazy,
I agree, it's time to open up the damn bar!
Dave
Dave,
I was never good enough to be an MS or an elder, either.
out
Bill Bowen is no newbie to the xJW world, having actually left long before he was disfellowshipped. Many here are much newer than he is but would not expect a fellow xJW to do what he asked of HS.
Mr. Bowen made repeated demands that I make an apology and pledge my support for *him*. I was asked twice to pledge support to him personally and I twice countered saying that I support the oppressed in any religion, in any walk of life, but that under no circumstances would I support *him*. The worrying specter of what I have fought tenaciously against this past twenty years had again appeared before me. Here appears a man who thinks himself more than a man, dictating my allegiances for me.
I found this to be the most surprising and also the saddest part. This type of request will, I suppose, produce a rabid reaction from many xJWs, why would Bill Bowen ask such a thing? To an "outsider" such as myself I can only conclude that while deploring the pedophile problems in the Watchtower he does not deplore the whole system of authoritative hierarchy that really is responsible for the flawed pedophile policy in the first place.
He seems to have started an organization which is beginning to appear quite similar to the one we left. An organization where public (or even private?) criticism is looked upon as being disloyal to the cause, an organization with divine connections, an organization which is autocratic in nature rather than democratic. These are building blocks for trouble in any man made venture.
IW
Edited by - IslandWoman on 8 October 2002 17:53:10
I was unaware of this information until today. I am sad for how things have been presented. I refuse nor do I have the energy to embark on a campagne of trying to assasinate a person behind their back nor publicly on a forum.
All I can say is the purpose of my emails to HS was to defend Pat. There was private information disclosed therein that I did not think she would have wished shared on a public forum, thus the reason for my private email. I will continue to defend her and support the decision she made to speak out about her abuse. At silentlambs we support ALL abuse survivors and simply tell them they are believed, I have no ego when it comes to this. I am sorry that portions of private email is being allowed to cloud the real issues that must go forward, I am sorry that some allow bitterness to keep them from seeing the big picture.
From day one I have never defended myself from personal attacks, I have only defended when victims are attacked or what the purpose of silentlambs as an organization is. I will continue that venue.
For those of you who have questions raised in your minds, I think the record to date is all I have to stand on. It is my wish to help people not hurt them, to bring people together for a positive purpose in helping protect children. I have no ill will toward HS he of course is entitled to his opinons, if you email or call me I will be glad to address any concerns you may have about silentlambs or the direction that we intend to go in the future, but I refuse in anyway to speak ill of HS. He is a good man and I hope he comes around.
silentlambs
Edited by - silentlambs on 8 October 2002 17:50:58
"...not deplore the whole system of authoritative hierarchy that really is responsible for the flawed pedophile policy in the first place. "
This is what keeps eating at me as well. If one endorses said wt policies and literature, would not one also trust what was written to be absolute truth? ALL IT'S TEACHINGS are accepted then, no?
If you still believe that wt and it's DESIGNED BIBLE are truth, how can you say the scriptures re: 2 witesses is twisted? YOU ENDORSE IT, no?
See, it all confuses me. And lies and fabrications to be in the forefront, enrage me. I am only for TRUTH. And lately, I feel lied to and deceived and am struggling with my own crisis of conscience with some recent 'issues'.
To see this entire effort and action blow up into pieces, instead of beautifully implode, because someone didn't check their 'wires' first and thought they were 'well placed'...and once brought to the 'demolation teams' "supervisor" that indeed there is A 'missplaced wire', and that is 'shrugged off', will truly set many off into unpredictable reactions ('fallout' from debris).
(What is sKally on about now? 'god' she was born weird, what WAS 'god' thinking anyway?)
sKally...making sure of ALL things...KLASS
Just want to give my regards to Hilary, my respect to Bill Bowen and to say... when I came to this board, I had not heard of silent lambs. While child abuse is of concern to me, it was not something that dominated my feelings with regard to the religion I left behind. As I have said many times, there are 101 other issues such as deaths from the blood rules, mental health issues, doctrine and so on.
The way I viewed silentlambs posting was that he was using this message board as a notice board. But I did not see this, and I don't think anyone else sees it as a problem. These posts were informative and provoked conversation. The only time I have seen a negative impact is when the board is 'taken over' by this one issue. These are the times when I felt like leaving. I don't entirely relate to the issues and you will see I rarely comment on them. The purpose of the board isn't up to me, that's Simons job, but I certainly am an advocate of balance, and not too much of one thing.
Just popping in to say - please don't abandon this DB altogether HS. We need your intelligence and wit and humanity here.
So Bill, did you really call Hillary a "dickhead", as he says? Because if you did, then I am in complete agreement with all of Hillary's comments. And when you say, "I hope he comes around" what exactly do you mean? Did you ask for a "pledge"?
