Just got back from the 2004-2005 circuit assembly here are a few thoughts.

by PaNiCAtTaCk 106 Replies latest jw friends

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  Mary

  The district overseer said that he was visiting with a man at the door and he read some books from the society and that they were college level quality. He said that we were getting thousands of dollars worth of education for free and come to find out this man had been the HEAD MAN AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY.

  Oooooh Blondie, great minds think alike! I was just thinking the exact same thing. Also, the "head man" at Oxford University would have to be the president of the university, as all the faculties are divided into different disciplines such as Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Arts, Environmental Studies, so which "head man" was he talking about?

  I think he got "head man" and "straw man" mixed up. While there has been some useful articles in the Awake magazine over the years (just general interest stuff), the Society's books and articles are most certainly not looked upon as being "college level quality" by any college or university. If they were, the professors would use the publications in their courses, which they don't. If they did, you can be sure that this would be told at every assembly, in all the towns, in all the world. The main reason no one would use the Society's publications, is because they're biased, they're historically incorrect (ex: 607 BCE) and should all start with "Once upon a time...."

  And given the negative view of "higher education" within the Organization, why are they so proud that a (supposed) professor would speak highly of their literature?
• 

  franklin J

  ....thank your for the vivid assembly memories...

  Your post just reinforces to me the fact that I made the right decision to RUN from that religion 20 years ago. The programs back then sound identical to the one you described.

  As for the head of Oxford University; I do not doubt your accurate telling of the story. But logically speaking, why would ANYONE from Oxford University ( much less the headmaster) or any other legitimate center of Higher Education quantify ANYTHING the Jehovahs Witnesses and the Watchtower teach.

  The teachings of Jehovahs Witnesses are not based on any historical fact; are not objective in reasoning ; are loosely based on the writings of the Judeo Christian books of the Bible (and then interperted by Watchtower and their appointed heirchy who are themselves not recognized educators or even secularly educated persons ) and cater only to those who are actively participating in the belief.

  The leaders of the Watchtower Society have no professional credentials; they have no credibility, except their own.

  THAT STORY sounds like one of the many JW urban legends....
• 

  PaNiCAtTaCk

  OH I also forgot another experience that he gave.
  
  Their were 2 sisters who after getting all the regular pioneer hours in thought they would go on a relaxing cruise. So they are on the ship having a great time and at the end of one of the days one sister retired early and the other sister thought that she might have a drink and listen to the calypso band. Well this really nice guy approached her and started visiting with her and he was just so nice. He bought her a couple more drinks and they continued to visit. Well they ended up dancing a few songs just really having a great time. Well when it time for bed our dear sister didnt go back to her room. She spent the night with this man she had met. Well after the alcohol wore off the guilt set in. The remaining day or so on the ship was very difficult for her on the ship. Well they pack all their bags and they are fixing to disembark the ship when this nice guy she had met yelled out for her saying "Wait I want to give you something for you to remember our nice time on the ship together." He gave her a little box with wrapping paper on it and told her not to open it until they got home. By the time she got on the plane for home she just couldnt take it anymore she just had to open it right then to see what it was. In the box their was a
  little coffin with a note in it that said "WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF AIDS" (the whole audience gasped for air!) The talk was about remaining clean and obedience to the organization.
  
  Oh and something else I remembered. My sister-n-law asked me if our special needs talk was about sideburns? I said what are you talking about? No it wasnt on sideburns! She went on to say that their special needs talk was about sideburns and how you shouldnt wear them below the ear lobe. Lots of the spanish brothers are wearing long sideburns now. She then went on to ask me if I thought it was wrong to go the oposite and cut them off. (its hard for me to contain myself when others ask ridiculous questions like this! She asked me this sincerely. I guess i should have warned her about questioning the society because that is how it starts with something small like sideburns! The next thing you know your skipping meetings. ( I have noticed though that recently the awake magazine has been showing more brothers with longer sideburns. So gradually they are introducting them to us a cenimeter at a time.
• 

  PaNiCAtTaCk

  You said "As for the head of Oxford University; I do not doubt your accurate telling of the story. But logically speaking, why would ANYONE from Oxford University ( much less the headmaster) or any other legitimate center of Higher Education quantify ANYTHING the Jehovahs Witnesses and the Watchtower teach.
  
  I am telling it exactly like he did. I didnt think that it sounded right either. Something that I left out was the fact that this man was interested to know if our organization had any schools. So of course he said YES! We have the theocratic ministry school and he wanted to see the book we study at this school so they brought him one back. After reading the theocratic ministry school guidbook and a few magazines the man said that our publications were on a college level and that we were getting a college education that would have costed thousands of dollars for free.
  
  I DID NOTICE THAT AT THE END OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT THE DISTRICT OVERSEER GAVE HE WOULD ALWAYS SAYS
  "TO MY KNOWLEGE SHE IS PLANNING ON GETTING BABTISED. OR TO MY KNOWLEGE THE SISTER WITH AIDS IS NO LONGER WITH US" (I started thinking most of these stories didnt sound like they had been validated. Except for
  the oxford experience that he had.
• 

  Golf
• 

  AlmostAtheist

  In the box their was a
  little coffin with a note in it that said "WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF AIDS" (the whole audience gasped for air!)

  Oh good lord! And they bought every word of it, didn't they? CNN must've failed to pick that story up. Shame, it would've made for great reporting. No criminal charges brought against the man? Shame, she would've had a good case.

  I wonder where you buy those little coffins, I'd like to turn in my DA letter inside one. A nice touch, dontcha think?

  Dave
• 

  Golf

  Thanks for your time and info. As the saying goes; "The more things change, the more they remain the same."
  
  
  Guest77
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  melmac

  "World of Aids"?

  Now, the dubs have become adept at borrowing every urban legend in the book?
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  NeonMadman

  So the brother giving the talk met the HEAD MAN AT OXFORD? Are we talking about the Oxford University in the UK???? That makes no sense that he'd be living in the US and make that comment. Maybe it was just some wing nut that said that, or it was made up.

  I looked at their website and currently the High Steward is The Rt Hon Lord Bingham of Cornhill.. He's a Lord, and I am sure lives pretty well.

  Maybe the guy was a head BOY at Oxford...like a RA here in the States?
• 

  catchthis

  By the time she got on the plane for home she just couldnt take it anymore she just had to open it right then to see what it was. In the box their was a
  little coffin with a note in it that said "WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF AIDS" (the whole audience gasped for air!) The talk was about remaining clean and obedience to the organization.

  And that ladies and gentlemen is how JW urban legends are born. I can already see several variations of this talk being emailed around. You know how it goes - one person whispers into the ear of the person next to them who in turn whispers into the ear of the next person and so on and so on until the story is totally different from the original. I'll bet that variations will include -- the pioneer sister will become inactive or irregular; the two sisters had a three-way with this guy, the sister marries the guy and gets divorced the next day AND gets AIDS, or whatever else a little witness mind can think of. It is so easy to take an "alleged" story that happened(which cannot be verified btw) and twist and turn it around until you have many different storylines which barely resemble the original.

  I still think someone needs to create a Snopes-like site just for these types of JW urban legends. That site would be hilarious.