Posts by Bonnie

to the brother's directions:Michael said that when the brothers first went into the Astrodome, it was a scene of chaos, as the people in authority tried to pull everything together for the evacuees comfort, but no clear plan or directions were yet in effect, so we can imagine the scene. The brothers then asked those who were in charge of the evacuees if they knew of any Jehovah's Witnesses in this first group that were brought in. They were told that no, they did not specifically know of any

Witnesses, but that the brothers were welcome to set up an information booth as many of the other churches and groups had done. Instead, the brothers

mentioned to those in charge that they were more than a little familiar with the Astrodome and its facilities (from years of assemblies held there), and so

would they mind if they "poked around a little bit" to see what they could find out. "Of course not, please go ahead," they were told.

Within minutes, the brothers had the PA systems going, and an announcement was made for all Jehovah's Witnesses in the facility to gather at a specific
location, and within thirty minutes, all that were there at that time were accounted for, gathered up, comforted, and on their way to homes that were
providing lodging and comfort for them. As they loaded the families and friends into vans provided by the friends, the brothers got a charge
out of hearing the PA system crackling with messages and direction as the other groups followed their example.

Thirty minutes!! How organized Jehovah's people are, and how fortunate that we are used to following directions from brothers in charge !! And what a
reminder for all of us to follow directions from the brothers at times like these!

Thanks for all the updates you are sending to us regarding the friends from the Gulf coast area. One name that you had mentioned and forwarded email
information from, was Sister Mary Ritter. I recognized her name because she had studied with Martha Gonzalez' mother when she lived in ,

and so I was glad to be able to pass the information on that she was safe. (But she had already called Martha's mom by the time I could reach Martha,

so I was pleased about that!!)

With Christian love,
Joyce and Chuck

17

Comments You Will Not Hear At the 9-11-05 WT Study (Reward)

by blondie in

comments you will not hear at the 9-11-05 wt study (august 1, 2005 issue date).

review comments will be in red.

quotes from other sources will be in quotes boxes

Bonnie_Clyde

Interesting how this article talks about our feelings of worthlessness and how Jehovah really cares for us. However, the Oct. 15 WT harps on our need to be humble and not be haughty and think too much of ourselves.

7

lyman swingle... tape recording... death.... farkel

by Cygnus in

responding to an old post of mine regarding jw funerals, farkel wrote:.

"but here is the problem: i have a tape recording of governing body member lyman swingle's funeral.

it was five-odd minutes of bible discussion about the hope of the resurrection for second class wt citizens and immortality in heaven for first-class wt citizens, and a full forty minutes of eulogy and anecdotes about swingle.".

Bonnie_Clyde

When did Swingle die?

7

Service Meeting for September 5, 2005

by TheListener in

song 98.

10 min: local announcements.. 15 min: "conducting progressive bible studies - part 12" * arrange in advance for one or two publishers to comment on what helped them to make progress in starting and conducting bible studies.. 20 min: organizing to assist the elderly.

talk by an elder based on the august 15, 1993, watchtower, pages 28-9, under the subheading "organizing is valuable.

Bonnie_Clyde

So there is a 20-minute part on helping the elderly! Wow! I have been complaining for years that we don't do anything about the needs of the elderly. Even when there is an article in the Watchtower or Awake every couple of years or a short blurb about it, it is so little emphasized. I recently asked an ex-elder when was the last time he could remember anything in the Kingdom Ministry that encouraged helping the elderly or anyone sick in the congregation. He couldn't remember.

This is an issue that finally broke the camel's back as far as my loyalty to the organization. The WT volume guves several good suggestions on how to care for the elderly, but it really doesn't encourage much in an organized way. In my father's congregation the elders did absolutely nothing for my parents. A small handful of compassionate sisters (I could count them on one hand) helped a little, but over a seven-year period it really didn't add up to much. The congregation left it up to "family" members (that was me) and it finally broke my spirit.

Do you think that 20 minutes on a service meeting about caring for the elderly, probably the first time it has ever been done, will make any difference? Don't you think they should put as much emphasis on that as they do on the preaching work?

As a side note, once my mother died and my father was nearing the end of his life, all of a sudden other family members became quite helpful, and now my loyal JW daughter has taken over all control and talked my father into gifting her his home. They told my father that I had complained against the FDS which was a half truth. I had only made a brief comment that there were some things I didn't understand.

11

finally reading "Crisis of Conscience"

by glenwoodswoman in

jw
friends

i never had the desire to read the book in all the years i have been "liberated".

joining this board got me curious about the book and i am finally reading it....and i am blown away by it!.

i left for reasons of my own- the society and i could not agree on who should run my life- them or me-i always felt that this life style works for some people, but not for me.. now that i am reading coc, i see the whole issue in a much bigger light!

Bonnie_Clyde

I remember the article in "Time" magazine way back in the early eighties about Ray Franz. I was still a loyal witness, and my teenaged daughter showed it to me. I replied, "What other organization is there?" About five years later, I saw an article in a local paper about a couple who had read the book "Crisis of Conscience" and had tried to show it to the elders in their congregation as well as their grown children. As a result, they were disfellowshipped and were shunned by their children. Once again, my thoughts were, "What other organization is there?"

Interestingly enough, about ten years after that when I was beginning to have my own doubts, I went onto a search engine and guess what I typed in? Franz, 1975, Jehovah. For years I had secretly been curious about what Franz would have to say about the debacle of 1975 plus all the happenings at Bethel. The first thing I did was order Crisis of Conscience. It really blew me away. Up until then, I still believed that JW's were right about 1914 and the blood issue.

I've read both his books from cover to cover, and still get them out occasionally to thumb through them. I often wonder how he managed to keep his sanity going through what he did.

36

A JW PEODOPHILE RAPIST WAS BLINDSIDED TONIGHT !!!!

by Apostanator in

to give you some quick details, my ex-wife and her two sisters were repeatedly raped and molested for years by their jw father.

we went to the elders, and as you probably know, nothing ever really happened to him, all he got was privately reproved.

well,...fast forward,, i remarried and have a wonderfull wife who is also an ex-jw.

Bonnie_Clyde

I have the impression that you aren't really sure this guy was your ex-father-in-law.

9

My list of 32 questions-Part A

by Goldminer in

the following is the first 15 questions that i handed over to the elder that was over at my house on the 24th of august.i will post part b as soon as i can.feel free to comment on any question.. where does the bible make such statements:.

1.that god has an "organization" on earth and uses a governing body to direct it?.

2.that the "faithful and discreet slave"is a "class" composed of only certain christians and that it operates through a governing body?.

Bonnie_Clyde

Add to the list: Where in the Bible does it say we can take blood fractions but not blood components?

14

Hey you slacker elders...get off yer duffs!

by sir82 in

jw
friends

probably the last "gilead update" from the infamous "friend of a friend", as the class graduates this upcoming weekend.. here is one of the topics discussed recently in class:.

sometimes the elders feel overwhelmed with taking care of a large .

abraham's slaves then he obviously he trained them personally.

Bonnie_Clyde

You say there is more? Let's hear it....

9

Silent Lambs Scam Alert for Jehovah's Witnesses!

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

.

http://www.clickpress.com/releases/detailed/3565005cp.shtml .

Bonnie_Clyde

OK - what happens if I write a check payable to the WTBTS and note at the bottom that the check is for the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief? Aren't they then required by law to use the money solely for the Hurricane Katrina disaster? Wouldn't they then have to place the money in a separate account for that purpose? Or do you think they would not cash the check or even return it?

Bonnie

Bonnie_Clyde

Posts by Bonnie_Clyde