Shoveling Snow

IslandWoman

Some have complained that the Bill Bowen/Ray Franz problem is being talked to death, that it's time to move on.

I think that's a little unfair and very unrealistic. Those that continue to comment, comment mostly because the "snow" keeps falling folks! After Bill's initial post there was "shoveling" to do, then came Amazing's post, more shoveling; then Ray Franz' post, again more shoveling; COJ, Jim Penton. All of these required the attention of those who wanted to express their opinion one way or the other.

Then of course there were the splinter threads. Nothing new about that!

In addition, this is not the ordinary poster slamming another poster kind of thing, this is two men who are not only greatly respected but who also are very much loved here and elsewhere. I imagine the board would explode if Farkel and AlanF ever got to blows with each other and started posting serious accusations and slander against one another. Yet, with all respect for those two men, the people involved in this debacle are even more prominent and each thought of by some as a "father".

My point is, Jim Penton just posted yesterday. The fact that his thread is still up along with others on the same topic should be expected considering the subject being discussed.

IW

kelsey007

IW One can not but help to notice that these threads you are refering to are the hottest threads here. Some may say that a dead horse is being beaten but given the popularity of the posts most active posters here must enjoy beating this dead horse. IMHO.

IslandWoman

Good point Kelsey!

IW

kelsey007

IW little doubt that if you had called this the "I hate BB" thread 30 posters would have responded already- LOL or the "I hate Ray" thread.

expatbrit

Hello IslandWoman:

Your statement

the people involved in this debacle are even more prominent and each thought of by some as a "father".

is the concise root of all the conflict, I think. It means that there are emotional attachments to the main "characters". In the case of Mr. Franz, his books have been instrumental in helping large numbers of people out of JW serfdom, and in the case of Mr. Bowen, he has worked much and succeeded much in exposing the heinous WT child abuse situation and giving validation to many victims.

So it is natural that people will have emotional attachments to both these gentlemen. Unfortunately, emotional attachment invariably leads to an impairment of objectivity with regard to analysing instances of their actions and words.

Yet the simple fact is that the much good someone has done in the past does not disqualify the possibility of them doing something less than sterling now. Nor do the many right things they have said in the past disqualify them from being wrong now. Each action and each instance of argument or reasoning must stand upon its own merits, or be viewed as erroneous. To fall into the reasoning that someone cannot be questioned or criticised is to become credulous sheep once again.

It is emotion prolonging these threads and discussions, not reason.

Expatbrit

Guest 77

Yes, while where at it, let's go the full the rounds! Let's get our monies worth. Why stop now? Can it get any worse? I don't think so.

Guest 77

IslandWoman

Hi Expatbrit,

Yet the simple fact is that the much good someone has done in the past does not disqualify the possibility of them doing something less than sterling now.

This is a very good summation of both "sides" of the argument. After reading your statement some may think of Ray Franz, others may think of Bill Bowen.

To fall into the reasoning that someone cannot be questioned or criticised is to become credulous sheep once again.

Ray Franz has been "criticized" before and he has been "questioned" before. Bill Bowen went beyond that! He called into question the man's moral character, his integrity. That's what lighted the canons and caused a shiver to come over this board, one the like of which has never been seen before. imo

IW

kelsey007

Yes IW the bowenites seem not to want to acknowledge why this all started- Let us forgive only those we decide to forgive- No longer driving on one way streets, it is nice to be able to have traffic going both ways and choose ones own direction on the street.

Guest 77

This is turning out to be an IW and the 007 show? What happened to Bo & Ray? Or is it no longer news worthy?

Guest 77

IslandWoman

Guest 77,

Since this is your second post on this small thread I suppose it could be called the:

IW, 007, and Guest 77 show as well.

IW

Shoveling Snow

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