Oh dear Grace...mouthy.....so good to have you back here again. You ar number one and one of the first I had contact with back in 2004. You are a legend among exJW's trying to help those with questions. You are sooooooo loved and I hope to meet you in heaven one day.
Love,
HappyDad
When I got my first computer in 1996 I typed in Jehovah's Witnesses and that began my exit out. I was already disgruntled and what I read back then opened my eyes. Everything I read I passed on to my daughter and then I bought her a computer. To make a long story short......we are both out now for 15 years or so. She woke up before I did. Our life is so wonderful now. She has a career and I am happily retired in Florida.
HappyDad
this will be the first time i have communicated with former witnesses in this manner, so please be patient with me as i figure out how this all works.. it would be great to find a brother in scotland who could trace the membership records of the knights templar division of the masonic lodge that russell belonged to.. if indeed he was a 32nd degree master mason in the order, then he would have been practicing secret rituals for a considerable number of years during his adult life in order to achieve the title of master mason and being referred to as "worshipful master".. small wonder he was so determined to have his father (a mason with powerful contacts) on board the original bible study group.. makes it somewhat more understandable how he was able to give lectures in carnagie hall, and attract financing donations during the early years of the society.. what more could the rich families in america that supported the early zionist movement ask for than to support zion's watchtower and it"s elitist form of heavenly class distictions.. there are claims that joseph rutherford was also a member of the same masonic lodge as his mentor charles russell.. all this begs us to ask can a rotten tree ever produce good fruit?
or can a crooked tree be made to grow straight?.
welcome your thoughts and comments.
FYI. The Masonic connection with CTR is a moot point. It has been talked about to no end on this and other forums. If you actually kept up with this forum, you would have seen that Barbara Anderson actually contacted the hightest Masonic people to see if there ever was a connection and the answer is NO! How plain does it have to be? Your research is not to be condemned, but it hasn't gone deep enough. Just check Barbara's web site and you can get all the research answers you need to this and quite a few other questions about the early society.
Glad to have you here though!
HappyDad
joe, sorry, you'll have to eat some humble pie.. .
thank you so much for the poster on extj.com who sent these pics!!
can't have been better!!.
Even in the U.S. it is the law that every public building have an American flag somewhere on the premises. In my old KH it was in a corner of the library. I think state flags are required also but don't quote me on that. But for them to display it as they are doing makes me go (hmmmmmmmm?).
HappyDad
howdy....well, what do you think?
of everything?
is it all crazy?
67 years old......retired and living and loving life after the borg in southwest Florida. And I'm over all the crazy after being out for almost 15 years now. I've learned to tolerate and get along with anybody. No more judgemental bullshit for me! But I can still be very opinionated when it comes to issues!
HappyDad
i was in the den when the old lady yell, "your friends are here".. at the door stood a jw.
hi sir (no good morning sir) we have a web site,.
jw.org in different languages.
I'd like to see someone with a lot of computer knowledge start a competing web site called JW.BORG. It would be a collaboration of all the anti ORG sites such as JW Facts and a lot of others to show the dark side of the WTBTS.
HappyDad
long time, no posts.... .
those that remember me, well, i'm doing ok, so far.. those that remember my wife, she passed away as of june 26th this year after a long battle with various health issues for the past 6 years.. thought i'd drop a note to say hello to everyone that knew me.. .
i hope everyone is well.. .
Yiz.............I remember you well! Welcome back...but I'm very sorry to hear about your wife passing away. I remember about her health issues. I've been through that and it is tough. Please hang in there my friend and keep all the good things in mind!
HappyDad
when i read coc, i was stunned that the 2 elders (theotis french & rob dibble) were on ray franz judcial committee.
i have known these men for over 20 years having done rbc and convention work with them.
they are still elders today which means they were in their early 30's(which is unheard of for a case of this importance to have inexperienced elders to sit on) on this committee.. without revealing myself, i have never tried(but have wanted to), ask them about their on having to judge a former gb member.. then out of the blue, about a year ago, i was mentioning how hard it is trying to get younger ones to volunteer to one of these elders, and he says"this is nothing compared to to sitting on the committee that had to disfellowship ray franz".
Thank JJ for this info. I'm sorry that a few posters always have to be nit pickers. They behave the same way JC elders do! Guess they still haven't got over it!
HappyDad
i'm at starbucks .
just outside in the courtyard.. i'm trembling.
my hands are shaking.. wow!.
That's awesome Terry! If I were in the same situation, I think my mind would go blank and not be able to have a conversation at all.
HappyDad
i visited the russell gravesite with the pyramid yesterday with my local jwn guide.
a very interesting experience and we even met some real and enthusiastic jw pilgrims on the site.. but do any of you guys know anything about the gravesites of rutherford, knorr, franz or henschel?
where are they and how do they look?.
If you speak with your jwn guide again tell that person to PM HappyDad as I was once an elder in one of the congs. about 13 miles south east of Pittsburgh. Hope you are enjoying your travels!
HappyDad
