Posts by Amazing1914

7

Anyone from the chicagoland area?

by mjarka911 in

jw
friends

.

beside bradley (logansrun), is there anyone from the chicagoland area posting?

Amazing1914

I periodicly have lunch with Brad. So, feel free to call me at work. I work in Arlington Heights. I will PM my phone number to you. - Jim W.

25

many times on this board people post to say a factor in their leaving the wt was having read ray franz book(s) - many years ago william schnell published a book - 30 years a watchtower slave - have never seen this book but was wondering - has anyone read it ?

was it as effective as crisis of conscience in exposing the myth of "the truth"?

- did it have an imact when it was publised?

Amazing1914

I read schnell's book as I was becoming a JW in 1968. It was unimpressive slop and swill. I read Crisis of Conscience in 1989 and was extremely impressed. I then read Schnell's book twice again, and was still unimpressed ... it is still the same sad slop. There is no comparison because Ray Franz wrote for the benefit of the JW reader. Schnell wrote for himself and non-JWs ... but mostly it was a self-serving pity-party. The difference between the two books is that of night and day. - Jim W.

14

Life is good

by logansrun in

jw
friends

for the two or three of you who are interested.... things are really clicking, lately.

the past three or four months have been my best in the past four years.

some things that have changed about me:.

Amazing1914

Hi Brad,

I have been thinking about calling you lately. My schedule, likewise, has been filled to the brim ... diploma factory and all ... so I have been on JWD less. Anyway, I will call you today and see if we can have lunch. I have some interesting updates for you. - Jim W.

14

Conned By Black & Decker.

by Englishman in

jw
friends

i don't use b & d stuff much.

i much prefer to buy my tools from makita or bosch.

they last for years too.

Amazing1914

Hey E-Man,

"... chortled at the "plasticky" stuff ..."

Hardened advanced plastics are very desirable in the USA. They prevent electricution, are lighter and easier to handle. However, I can't speak for other aspects of quality or lack thereof. I generally do not buy Black & Decker, however, as I find other makes more to my liking. Most of my hand tools are Stanley or S & K. The rest are a hodge-podge of various brands. - Jim W.

109

An Apology Regarding "The Voice"...

by AGuest in

to the household of god that is israel... and all those who go with them... may you have peace!.

i have been coming here for some time (although not in recent months, my sincere apologies) to share with you various truths that i have received from the truth.

for some of you, there has been little or no doubt as to the "authority" by which i share such things, the true source of such understandings: i have not refrained from confessing to you time and again that they are not mine, but are what has been given me by my lord, jaheshua mischajah, son and christ of the most holy one of israel, the god of abraham, isaac and jacob, whose name is jah or armies.

Amazing1914

Shelby,

I see you are at it again, trying to be a modern-day "Prophetess." I see you are resorting to 'ad hominem' statements to deflect honest questions that you cannot answer, e.g.:

As always, there have been skeptics, even among those who claim to possess holy spirit, and those who claim to be "anointed" (or did, at one time), and those who claim to have superior understanding (based on scholarly study or just plain logic), and as many here will attest, I stuck to what I was directed to share, at times even in the face of great hostility.

Charles Russell would be proud ... were he running the Watch Tower today he would have been eager to put you on his writing staff.

18

JW Wrongdoers Unable To Pray?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

.

my dad, who was po of several different largish congregations at varying times, sat on a number of jc's during his lifetime.. he maintained that alleged wrongdoers confessed to being unable to pray to jehovah between committing the actual sin and appearing before a jc.. he told me that this was invariably the case and that confessing wrongdoers felt a great sense of relief after appearing before a jc because they were able to pray once more.. totally unable to pray..psychological, perhaps?.

englishman.

Amazing1914

Hi ezekiel3,

Interesting post. Those are relatively newer articles, but they resemble articles going back into the 1980s and 70s.

And only baptized believers have an unrestricted privilege of approaching the King Eternal in prayer.w90 5/15 p. 12 Fear Jehovah, the Hearer of Prayer

Oddly enough, this article deliberately defies the teaching in the Bible where God heard the prayers of Cornelius, who was not baptized, nor had he heard the teachings about Christ. Yet, God accepted his prayer and faith, then anointed him. Later, the Apostle Peter was dispatched to teach Cornelius and his entire household about Christ. At one time, there was a Watchtower article in the 1970s that discussed this, and accepted that God hears prayers of unbaptized believers. But, the Watchtower organization has become even more apostate than it used to be. - Jim

18

JW Wrongdoers Unable To Pray?

by Englishman in

jw
friends

.

my dad, who was po of several different largish congregations at varying times, sat on a number of jc's during his lifetime.. he maintained that alleged wrongdoers confessed to being unable to pray to jehovah between committing the actual sin and appearing before a jc.. he told me that this was invariably the case and that confessing wrongdoers felt a great sense of relief after appearing before a jc because they were able to pray once more.. totally unable to pray..psychological, perhaps?.

englishman.

Amazing1914

E-Man,

The couple I mentioned several days ago, that returned to the organization after over 20 years of freedom, stated that they prayed to Jehovah, and then sought reinstatement. So, maybe this is a good sign that they are going to come back out, since they did not go before a JC first.

I recall the 'prayer' issue being bandied about in the organization, that DF'd and DA'd people can't pray. Yet, they somehow manage to get Jehovah's attention, and return ... a sort of prayer without praying ... this does not fit the situation with my friends.

Also, there is the belief among many JWs that even if a DF'd or DA'd person does pray to Jehovah, he will not listen to their prayers until they seek out the Elders. Yet, when my friends prayed first, they said that their 'pride' melted away, and Jehovah opened up to them, and so they returned.

Ahhhh ... the wonderful magical world of Jehovah's Witnesses.

32

In defense of Bill Bowen and Silent Lambs

by Junction-Guy in

after reading some of the comments against silent lambs, i thought i would respond back with my own topic.

anyway, i have met bill bowen in person at the silent lambs summit in nashville back in march.

i did not feel that he was arrogant in anyway or egotistical.he seemed to conduct that summit in a very professional way and really put together a good program.

Amazing1914

HS,

Excellent post. This especially caught my eye:

This issue does inspire a fierce wave of emotion, and it is for this very reason that rationality should never become a victim to a mob mentality. Criticism is a *good*, not a bad thing in such situations. It tapers judgment and focuses resources and leads to the kind of wisdom that is necessary to face this sordid issue with a sense of permanence. No person in a position of responsibility that involves the life of others, should ignore constructive criticism.

Amen. - Jim W.

4

The Complex Consumes the Simple - Evolution?

by Satanus in

jw
friends

an interesting analysis.

whatchoo think?.

Amazing1914

Satanus,

Interesting article. There is some merit to it, but I find that sometimes, the simple explanation is closer to the truth. Example:

Cox stated: "From any point of view you want to take, the Europeans -- even the crudest of them -- were more complex than the Indians. And the outcome of the meeting between the two groups was inevitable."

I think this is a "simplistic" statement. The people living in the western hemisphere were very complex and advanced. e.g. the pyramid construction by central American people required advanced math and construction skills. Rather, the people indigenous to the Americas had not yet developed guns and gun powder. Even with this disadvantage, the Aztecs kicked Cortez' ass, and forced him out of their territory. Eventually, the Spanish returned in greater force, and overpowered the people living here.

Simply stated, the people in this hemisphere were out manned and out gunned. It is as simple as that. - Jim W.

8

SDA Church spawns a Cult

by barry in

jw
friends

yes thats right folks lock up you re friends and relatives and daughters because this cult makes the jws look weak in the cult market.. .

the lord our righteousness church and some of the teachings are.. .

micheal travesser has the soul of jesus and other members can become gods.. .

Amazing1914

Hi Barry,

I received your PM, thanks. Excellent and informative post about SDA. You are very correct about their teachings. And I liked your points about Ellen White. I still have her book, The Great Controversy.

Btw: I am most interested in how your group is reforming the SDA. Maybe you can write a text for ex-JWs so that they can build a plan to do something similar. Thanks again. - Jim W.