Terry

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Posts by Terry

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  11

  New-Old Light on Alternative Military Service

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  not sure where i picked this up.

  "new-old light on alternative military service.

  fact 1: the watchtower sanctioned both military service and alternative military service under charles russell.. .

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  Terry

  It's easy to translate: "We cover our ass."
  I was specifically counseled what I should and should not do and say.
  I was admonished to say I had made up my own mind without any Watchtower influence or Elder influence.
  Translation: I was under compulsion. I was counseled to lie. "Theocratic strategy."
  I was questioned by my local civilian Draft Board, by two Federal F.B.I. agents,
  and by the District Judge who sentenced me to the Youth Correction Act provision of an "indeterminate" sentence from 6 mos to 6 years" depending on the fancy of the prison Parole Board (which met once each six months.)
  I was 20 when I went to jail and I was 23 when I was paroled. (1967-1969)
  Without the strong influence (admonition) of my Overseer and his assistant - I would have taken the Alternate Civilian option of working in a hospital.
  
  According to the above pronouncement by the Watchtower, I am a victim of myself.
  I do not agree :)
  
  
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  2

  The Meaning of Life (according to me)

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  (by terry walstrom).

  ohhhhhhhh….. life is for the fun of it.

  it’s such a happy day for one and all .

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  Terry

  You're a new age Dr. Seuss.
  
  Well, I'm 73. I don't know how "new" my age is...:)
  Thanks
  I like rhythmic inside and outside rhyme schemes.
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  2

  The Meaning of Life (according to me)

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  (by terry walstrom).

  ohhhhhhhh….. life is for the fun of it.

  it’s such a happy day for one and all .

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  Terry

  The MEANING of LIFE

  (by Terry Walstrom)

  _____________________

  Ohhhhhhhh….

  Life is for the Fun of it

  Throughout the daily run of it

  Be telling everyone of it in everything you say

  All the cheers or tears you give in every single year you live

  It’s worth a grateful happy hip hooray!
  
  

  All the scholars and the sages who have lived throughout the ages

  Would have thought it quite outrageous if you told them JUST HAVE FUN!
  
  

  Tyrannosaurus Rex had fun in terrorizing everyone

  You bet Jur-ass sick sense of humor having fun was but a rumor

  But it gave a future to the creature feature loved by Boomers …

  Enjoy a chortle! Have a chuckle!

  Everyone who gives a fukkle

  Win the Game of Life enjoying moments in the sun!
  
  

  Well Done, I say.

  You hear me say ‘Hooray”?

  It’s such a happy day for one and all

  So have a smile awhile because

  Having fun’s the Meaning of it all!
  
  

  Birds:

  I suppose the crows I know would surely say that this is so

  With every prank and Hi-jinx we have fun!

  Goofing off and playing tricks - the crows will do it just for kicks

  Be “caws” our sense of humor's sick

  and how we love a pun!

  The meaning of our life is : JUST HAVE FUN!
  
  

  Dogs:

  Life is for the bark of it

  The running through the park of it, we really make a lark of it

  when peeing every tree

  Gnawing every bone of it while squatting for a shit a bit

  You’re right... it might be worth the frickin’ fleas

  Occasionally a bad case of rabies…

  (gaining momentum)

  A Frisbee toss, pat on the head, a hump or too and then we’re dead

  (pause)

  I must admit it …

  It was a heap of FUN!
  
  

  Everybody:

  Life is for the Fun of it

  Throughout the daily run of it

  Be telling everyone of it in everything you say

  All the cheers or tears you give in every single year

  you live

  It’s worth a grateful, happy hip hooray!

  How ridiculous is boredom in a universe of fun?

  Living’s not a chore dumb as our luck can sometimes

  run.
  
  

  Birds:

  Life is for the flap of wings as all the cawing crows can sing

  Atop the trees we plop and poop and pee . . .

  On everyone with such a sense of glee!
  
  

  Heaven:

  Living up here in the sky I often find I ponder “Why”?

  Why is it - every living thing finds misery and strife?

  Longitude to latitude the Earth’s prevailing attitude

  Seems to be no gratitude for all the fun in life!

  There’s the lesson of the day:

  let Fun be one to have its say

  And every night you bend to pray

  please send this message on its way:
  
  

  ANGEL VOICES:

  Well Done, I say.

  You hear me say ‘Hooray”?

  We’re very very thankful, Hip Hooray!
  
  

  Universe:

  Life. is. for. the. Fun. of. it.

  Throughout the daily run of it

  Be telling everyone of it in everything you say

  All the cheers or tears you give in every single year you live

  It’s worth a grateful happy hip hooray!

  All the scholars and the sages who have lived throughout the ages

  Would have thought it quite outrageous if you told them JUST HAVE FUN!
  
  

  Remember every breath we take is just a game of paddy-cake

  A point of view that very few are capable of playing …

  My Friends, I’m only saying :
  
  

  The first and only purpose for each pickerel and porpoise,

  For Chimpanzee, or orangutan, or three-toed sloth:

  You might be the Pharaoh or a dancer just like Jay-Lo,

  Or a Cannibal or creepy Visigoth

  GRATITUDE’S the ATTITUDE it’s not a corny platitude

  Life is Fun, Just have Fun, JUST HAVE FUN!!
  
  

  (Dramatic Whisper)

  LIFE’s a whim or a choice

  To be grim or rejoice

  Be alive, be alert, stay awake!

  Just remember

  every Eden has its snake!

  _______

  

  
  

  
  
  
  
• 
  27

  What went WRONG with the Great Pyramid teachings of Isaac Newton, Piazzi Smyth, Pastor C.T. Russel

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  pyramidology .

  of isaac newton, piazzi smyth, pastor c.t.

  russell:)what went wrong?let’s keep our investigation simple!where and how was the obsession with the great pyramid begun?

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  Terry

  Very interesting . . .
• 
  27

  What went WRONG with the Great Pyramid teachings of Isaac Newton, Piazzi Smyth, Pastor C.T. Russel

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  pyramidology .

  of isaac newton, piazzi smyth, pastor c.t.

  russell:)what went wrong?let’s keep our investigation simple!where and how was the obsession with the great pyramid begun?

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  Terry

  I used to work as a Bookseller at Half Price Books & Music for 5 years in the Religion & Philosophy sections.
  I shelved that book many times and have read most of it.
  As far as I know, only apologists find fault with Finklestein and his books.
  Tamperers with history have a lot to gain and Israel has paid the price over and over again for their claims.
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  27

  What went WRONG with the Great Pyramid teachings of Isaac Newton, Piazzi Smyth, Pastor C.T. Russel

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  pyramidology .

  of isaac newton, piazzi smyth, pastor c.t.

  russell:)what went wrong?let’s keep our investigation simple!where and how was the obsession with the great pyramid begun?

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  Terry

  As far as I know (correct me if I'm wrong), there is zero archaeological or paleontological evidence of the
  Jews as Slaves scenario in Egypt.
  Wiki page:
  
  
• 
  27

  What went WRONG with the Great Pyramid teachings of Isaac Newton, Piazzi Smyth, Pastor C.T. Russel

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  pyramidology .

  of isaac newton, piazzi smyth, pastor c.t.

  russell:)what went wrong?let’s keep our investigation simple!where and how was the obsession with the great pyramid begun?

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  Terry

  For me, speaking only for myself, the most glaring flaw in a genuine GOD as Supreme Being

  (as told in scripture) is his low intellect approach to maintenance.of humans.
  Instead of a direct communication telling everybody EXACTLY what they should know, there is
  way too much reliance on a silly, roundabout, open to re-interpretation game of hide-the-cheese.
  Imagine going to your doctor for medicine or a diagnosis and he examine you and hands you a photo of the Great Pyramid and tells you, "It's in here."
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  27

  What went WRONG with the Great Pyramid teachings of Isaac Newton, Piazzi Smyth, Pastor C.T. Russel

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  pyramidology .

  of isaac newton, piazzi smyth, pastor c.t.

  russell:)what went wrong?let’s keep our investigation simple!where and how was the obsession with the great pyramid begun?

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  Terry

  I'd go so far as to say this. The last twenty or thirty JW's I've spoken to don't know 90 per cent of the cringe-worthy history of their own religion.
  WT and the GB have gone out of their way to sanitize themselves.
  The policy of destroying old "literature" is especially noteworthy. Hillary Clinton would be proud.
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  4

  consciencious objection.

  by zeb in

  1. social
  2. current

  it seems in some countries brothers subject to military call-up can accept non military service instead but in others as in korea they regularly go to jail.. are they offered alternative service in korea ?.

  in the book "i wept by the rivers of babylon" by terry walstrom, the author gives clear insights into the ever changing wts opinions on this matter at least in the us.. can anyone enlighten me.. please?.

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  Terry

  WatchTower reasoning is a self-contradiction. They sometimes give reasons but they're not reasonable.
  The organization is a kind of BRAND and the devotion of its members when it comes to persecution
  is exploitation as advertising.
  Now that I'm much older and the internet exists for purposes of research, I see my previous vulnerability.
  
  Nobody in my congregation gave me proper advice or apprised me of my legal rights as such.
  The Overseer and assistant (today it would be presiding Elders, I suppose) took me back into
  the back room (library) and carefully cautioned me NOT to say to any law enforcement or legal authority
  that I had been given ANY counsel at ALL by them. I was to emphasize I had reached my conclusion on my own. In other words, "Theocratic strategy" otherwise known as lying your ass off.
  In 1967, unbeknownst to me, many provisions of the law were open whereby I could have been given alternate service without prosecution. I wrongly believed it was a cut and dried inevitability I would be sentenced to prison no matter what.
  To refuse to comply is what makes the JW legally without foundation and open to prosecution.
  Those Elders deliberately instructed me to refuse and that was definitely illegal. (Also, immoral.)
  To spend two years working in a civilian hospital helping people should be a privilege and a natural Christian action in contrast to wasting away in prison. It makes little sense to appear so unreasonable before a Judge and bull-headed defiance only enrages authorities.
  The fact of the matter is this: the law did not require Conscientious Objectors to even believe in God at all!
  The C.O. only needed to have firmly held convictions to become exempt from prosecution AS LONG AS the C.O. complied by working in an ALTERNATE venue named by the Federal Authorities (which, I remind you, we are in "subjection" to according to Romans 13.)
  From the G.B. point of view (the only POV which matters) it's much to be preferred that young JW boys make an example of themselves as extremely conscience driven and willing to be "martyrs" in a kind of spectacular proof that we have the only true religion.
  Holier than Thou is the correct expression, I would declare.
  
  I was only 20 years old and not legally an adult. I was sentenced as a Youth Offender. My sentence was one year longer than the adult sentence maximum. (Adult offenders: up to 5 years, Youth Offenders: up to 6 years.)
  Judge Leo Brewster, District Judge, gave me an INDETERMINATE sentence of "from 6 months to 6 years" depending entirely on the prison parole board (which convened every 6 months.)
  This is especially scary to a 20 year old!
  Why?
  The uncertainty!
  Being at the mercy and whim of 4 strangers who may well be prejudiced against you is terrifying.
  You can't kiss their ass or you are a pathetic sell-out.
  I was stone cold when it came to that. Pissed off, really.
  After 3 parole denials - I softened my demeanor without compromising. However, I made it clear that it made no sense at all to me to be punished for being conscientious!
  Where is the logic of expecting me to REFORM when that reform would mean denying my deeply held beliefs?
  I think I was finally able to get that one point across. I was sentenced in 1967 and began serving my indeterminate sentence. I was paroled in 1969. I spent my 20th, 21st, 22nd years in Federal prison.
  I was sexually assaulted while praying for help to Jehovah. (**Spoiler Alert**) There was no help!
  I never received a single letter or card from my congregation or members.
  My best JW friend only visited me 2 times.
  My mom and step-dad visited me regularly.
  My JW girlfriend and I were engaged to be married and she began dating about six months after I went inside.
  My "Brothers" outside pounced.
  When I was finally paroled and attended my very first Kingdom Hall meeting in 3 years - not a single JW asked me how it was in prison! This amazed me.
  Zero curiosity? Wow!
  One Brother called my stint in prison "JW college." That hurt my feelings.
  I wasn't inside the Kingdom Hall even 5 minutes before the presiding Elder came to me with a Full Time Pioneer application form -ALL FILLED OUT, and he handed me a pen to sign.
  Another kind of coercion! His son was Pioneering and needed somebody to keep him company.
  I felt used. Duh.
  Anyway ...
  All that is a long, long time ago.
  I wasted some of the best years of my life. That's all I can see it comes down to being: LOSS.
  
  
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  27

  What went WRONG with the Great Pyramid teachings of Isaac Newton, Piazzi Smyth, Pastor C.T. Russel

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  pyramidology .

  of isaac newton, piazzi smyth, pastor c.t.

  russell:)what went wrong?let’s keep our investigation simple!where and how was the obsession with the great pyramid begun?

  1. 
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  Terry

  Russell "fudged" the figures in reprints of Studies in the Scriptures in the latter years and that , to me, is proof enough of his intentions.
  This is a religion of gimmicks which outlived its mythos after the advent of the internet.