My half-day at the Portland Bible Students Convention (page 2)

Glenmore

Actually, that's one more.

Dogpatch

LOL You got the record on this one Glenmore!

Did they addle you with secret spybots?

peace and good to see you posting,

Randy Watters

TonyT

I've had the same problem pasting from word.

LittleToe

Copy and paste it into Notepad, and then copy and paste it to the thread.

I'm intrigued by what our newest "Junior" menber has to say (even though you've been around for an age).

Princess

LOL...what Ross said. Another poster was having the same trouble the other day. You are more determined though.

RR

Oh Glenn, must I do everything for you????

I enjoyed it; it was like old times in a way but with no pressure to conform. I now know RR's real name, and a bunch of folk there knew him. A Br. Leslie, great-grandson of Van Amberg (a Rutherford director - his children left in the 20's) was there. Also, there was an English "sister" who used to live in South Woodford (London E18), where I lived in the late 50's.

Everyone was fine, not that much different than some small older Kingdom Hall's. There were about 80 people, but a lot from elsewhere. Interestingly, there's a Bible Student Retirement Center in Gresham OR, about two blocks from my mother-in-law, where about 30 meet in what sounded like 2 ecclessias. One a bit more liberal than the other - which I think meant one was very Pastor Russell and the other wasn't.

I did meet one convert; the rest seemed to be raised-in-its. As you'd expect there were very few young people; and just a couple of kids. I liked the fact there were lots of breaks and the hymnal had regulars hymns in it as well as IBSA ones. There's a lot of "old" language as the KJV was the most referred to. I didn't hear the word Jehovah except when talking about me. As an apostate XJW the word got around quickly. All very pleasant, especially as I am not anti-Russell. They know more about the JDubyas than vice versa. They can have different opinions, even on doctrine. Imagine that! And I heard that from the stage too, that was refreshing. Different opinions about "sleeping saints" apparently.

There are about 10,000 worldwide in ecclesias (classes). There are two in Portland (Gresham and Tigard) but the Gresham one has two sides (liberal/conservative?). A few of the ones I talked to traveled a lot, I suppose they must be Pilgrims, I didn't ask. Places like India and Romania. They use the Internet a lot and keep in touch via email. It was kinda sweet. Without the Rutherford, Knorr and Franz influence they don't count time and magazine placements, and they have no personal records apparently. You can come and go as you please.

Most of the women wear a head covering, many are like lace doilies, but this is a personal preference not a requirement. As I recall in Russell's day women couldn't speak in the congregation. They do now. And like many sisters I knew, their comments were insightful, actually most were.

The Study session was on Right Habits. The program contained the scripture Phil 4:8, a reference to a reprint of a Tower R4826-4828 and 6 questions (I don't think they like to say Watch Tower). And that went on for one hour, and it wasn't boring, and personal opinions were shared, different ways to think of the "right things". And because they are all consecrated (which I assume is being anointed but without being a separate, special class) there was a lot of heavenly references, about the other side of the veil.

Brother Bill from Winnipeg had me come to lunch with him and his wife. Lunch was family style. I talked the ear off him and Mike, the Operations Manager from the retirement center. One of the points they made was how frustrating it was for the Bible Students of yore to wait on the Lord while Rutherford took control of the WTS. Apparently a number of them had found their suitcases outside Bethel when they came in one day. If you weren't a Rutherford man you were out. They consider that Rutherford and the JWs left the Truth, not vice versa. He's the man of sin and the evil slave - and I agree.

Bill said that he knew a few JWs that had left and had attended their meetings but were quite content having the earth to look forward to (the general resurrection of mankind) because they never wanted to get caught up in a religion again, and periodically attended their meetings but wanted no further involvement.

The hymn that started the afternoon was something like Onward Christian Soldiers, definitely a regular hymn. One Discourse was a PowerPoint presentation; the other had a handout on doctrinal differences in Thessalonians. They were both very Pastor Russell, but there was no quoting chapter and verse, just referring to this Volume or that.

Plenty of books - Russell reprints, Pyramids, Israel. Since the ecclesias are autonomous - no Brooklyn - they publish their own newsletter, Internet sites etc. etc.

RR or should I say R****** R********, I bet you can fill in the gaps!

Glen

minimus

Glenmore is working on"repetition for emphasis".

My half-day at the Portland Bible Students Convention