Athanasius

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Posts by Athanasius

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  24

  Children of WT GB Presidents?

  by NonJW88 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have been doing some research on the early presidents of the wt and the gb.

  i was struck that as far as i can discover, there is no record of any of them (russell, rutherford, f. franz) having children?

  have any of the subsequent presidents had any children, or any of the current gb members?.

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  Athanasius

  Hi Slim.

  I'm just recovering from major surgery so I don't spend as much time on this forum as I used to. Also economics has forced me to curtail my research of old Joe Rutherford. However, my book is partially complete, in that I've completed 15 chapters on his early life, 1869-1917. The Watchtower version of Joe's early life is pure bunk.

  Anyway regarding the quote about Malcolm. Page 1 of the November 11, 1892 BOONVILLE ADVERTISER reported: "Born to Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Rutherford, yesterday morning, a twelve pound Democrat. Joe tells us that the first thing the young man said, was 'Hurrah for Cleveland.'" Rutherford had been very active in the politcal campaign to return Grover Cleveland to the White House and so he used the birth of his son to promote the Democratic Party. It's doubtful that the infant was capable of speech being new born. I'm sure Rutherford spoke in jest. Nevertheless, Joe was very serious about Democratic Party politics and was in demand as a Party spokesman. The young Joe Democrat was very different from the old Joe Watchtower dictator. In fact for the time he was considered a very liberal politician.
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  12

  Female Elders, have you heard anything?

  by Slidin Fast in

  1. jw
  2. friends
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  Athanasius

  Don't know about today, but back in the 1970s and 80s some of the elders' wives in our locality were called elderettes.
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  52

  Is it really so that some people here became Catholic after leaving the Borg?

  by gubberningbody in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wow.. unbelievable.. .

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  Athanasius

  After leaving the JWs I was received into the Episcopal Church. So I consider myself Anglo-Catholic, though like Newman and Knox, it's possible that I may eventually drop anchor in Rome.
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  7

  News Article- Utah Latinos give Jehovah's Witnesses A Boost

  by miseryloveselders in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/49821718-80/witnesses-god-bible-utah.html.csp?page=1.

  "that particular outreach began in earnest after the 2002 winter olympics and now has taken off.

  today, witnesses have 34 spanish-speaking congregations in utah (compared with 38 english-speaking ones).".

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  Athanasius

  Here in Northern California the JW growth also comes from the immigrant population. You look at the signage of the KHs around here and they are in both English and Spanish. In fact some KHs have more Spanish meetings than English. One also has to wonder how many of these new JWs are in this county legally.
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  15

  To honor it being one year since Michael Jackson died.

  by free2beme in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  to honor it being one year since michael jackson died.

  i would like to point out the real reality of what michael was known as, before he died and created a guilt in saying it.. he was a -.

  child molester.

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  Athanasius

  Michael Jackson was the most fameous JW who ever lived.
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  199

  Are you an active Jw or an ex-jw?

  by XPeterX in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  active unbaptised publisher here.you?

  (though i already know the answer for some people).

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  Athanasius

  I'm an Anglo-Catholic Christian who spent some time with the JWs but left the cult voluntarily. Who wants to carry the ex-JW label for the rest of your life.
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  24

  Where has your spiritual journey lead you?

  by thraxer68 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just curious, to those of you who have left the "truth", where has your spiritual journey lead you?

  have you found another religion?

  are you not really a religious person?

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  Athanasius

  I have called spiritual journey "My Spiritual Aeneid," rather than a "Spiritual Odyssey." An Odyssey takes you on a journey, but returns you to the home that you had left. Whereas, an Aeneid involves not merely coming home, but coming home to a place you have never been in before, one that combines all that you valued in the old home with added promises of a future that is new.

  I left the JWs in 1984 and for a few years didn't attend any church. However, in 1987 I was taking a New Testament Literature class at the local college. A classmate invited me to attend Episcopal services, which I did. I liked the services so I continued to attend. In 1991 I was baptised and confirmed in the Church. Like most churches, the Episcopal Church has problems, but at least the leadership admits to having problems and tries to do something about it. Moreover, the services are alway positive and one isn't sent on a guilt trip like at the Kingdom Hall.

  However, I got married last year and my wife is Russian Orthodox. This has given me a new perspective of Eastern Christianity. So perhaps there are more miles to travel before my Spiritual Aeneid is complete.
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  22

  Anyone been out for a long time, then for whatever reason went to a meeting or convention? What was it like to you now?

  by Think About It in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've been out 15 yrs and never attended again.

  anyone been out a long time and for whatever reason went to a meeting or convention?

  what was it like to you then?

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  Athanasius

  Back in 1991, after I'd been out for seven years, my fiancee asked if I could take her to a JW convention to see what it was like. My fiancee was Jewish, but was taking a class on comparative religion and wanted more information on the JWs. So I took her to the Saturday morning program. It was so boring that I slept through the morning talks. My fiancee stayed awake, but after three hours of talks, she had had enough so we left when they dismissed the audience for lunch.

  However, in October 2002 Robdar and I attended the Ministry School and Service Meeting at a local KH. This was more fun as we went undercover so to speak. The JWs thought we were just a couple interested in their religion, so we got the usual love-bombing. But the meetings hadn't changed a bit, just the usual religious sales pitch.
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  16

  JW in Wal-Mart Parking Lot - I couldn't believe it

  by RubaDub in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm on my way home from work and had to detour due to an accident on the highway.

  i passed a wal-mart and instead of just sitting in the traffic, i pulled in to get some stuff i needed for the garden.. on my way out, i spot someone who appears to be selling something (rather common in parking lots here in south florida).

  anyway, as i got closer, here was a brother sitting in a lawn chair under a tree on one of the little grassy areas where they plant the trees in the parking lot.. at his side, he had pulled a wal-mart shopping cart up on the grass.

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  Athanasius

  A few years ago the JWs had set up a table in front of the local Walmart with Watchtower magazines and books on display. So I asked them if they had the Book of Mormon. They said no they didn't. What surprised me was they left it at that. I expected them to say they were JWs and not LDS.

  Of course it is also possible that the JWs placed all their Books of Mormon.
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  138

  What year Did you Stop Attending Meetings - How Long were you a JW ?

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm trying to compare some statistics and figures on this to share later in the thread to see if more long-time witnesses are exiting- or are newer witnesses exiting after a shorter period of time.

  and - are more people exiting in the last 10 to 15 years than before.

  so your answers would be helpful in looking into this .

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  Athanasius

  Was born in but left the JWs in 1984 when I was 38.