Posts by Reefton Jack

- personal experience that has been largely learned at the University of Hard Knocks - after having first gained a Diploma in Idiocy at the Botchtower University's Damnfool Campus.

Jack.

10

On the Death of a Petty Hitler:

by SixofNine in

jw
friends

a petty hitler

by wesley k. clark .

march 13, 2006; page a18 .

Reefton Jack

Petty Hitlers - yeah, I know the type well!

I hav eto work with one such bar steward.

6

Eric the Drunk opens a bottle of beer using a Jehovah's witness pamphlet

by lisavegas420 in

my son just showed me this sitehttp://www.youtube.com/ i found ton of funny videos.

check this one out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou9mmndnghs .

Apart from JW's, do others still feel 1914 was a turning point in history?

by jwfacts in

the watchtower claims that hisorians say 1914 was when the world changed forever.

as a jw the year 1914 is repeated so endlessly that it seems it must have been the turning point in history and hence the beginning of the last days.

but i have never really heard anyone else ever mention that year, apart from the odd history lesson on ww1.. do people in general ever think of or discuss 1914 as being a year of any significance?.

As seen from a purely European point of view, the First World War could be considered a turning point in history - but only one of many, many other events over the millenia. The way the JWs tell the story, of course, 1914 was THE ONLY turning point in history!

As seen from a soldiers' point of view of any war - the war they fought in would be the pivotal event of their lives (I remember that from high school, where many of the teachers were returned servicemen from WWII).

As to quoting others who seem to agree with the WTS:

- No matter what idea you express (crackpot or otherwise), you can usually find somebody who will agree with you.

- Also, you have to ask yourself when it was that such persons made that remark - and under what circumstances. For example, the infamous "Truth that Leads to Eternal Life" book of 1968 quoted ontime West German Chancellor Konrad Ardenauer as saying that his country "has never known peace since 1914." When Ardenauer made that comment (if indeed he ever did!) - was that before or after seeing the 61 years of stability that Europe has enjoyed since the end of WWII (Bosnia excepted)? Did he say that before or after seeing the prosperity his country has achieved since that time? - or before or after the collapse of the old Soviet Union? ect. ect. ect.

- One thing is certain, the WTS is rather selective in whom they quote.

The observations of a raggedy-arsed electrician, anyway!

Jack.

16

Assembly/Convention Likes and Dislikes

by KW13 in

jw
friends

i really hated the long sessions without breaks and how the brothers would say things, i think well aware that they'd get applause.

"so bro's and sisters....don't you...bla bla bla?

" **insert lots of clapping**

Reefton Jack

Assembly / Convention dislikes - just the whole bloody thing!

I went along with it for so long only because I thought that there must be something wrong with me:

-like there was a point I (and only I) was somehow missing.

After all, everybody else was forever prattling on about how "upbuilding" the assembly was. To my everlasting disgust, it took along while to wake up to what a charade the whole thing really was (similarities to the old story about the "Emperor's New Clothes").

Jack. Diploma in Idiocy, Awake University, Blockhead Campus.

63

July 15 2006 WT - Uncleanness - disfellowshp?- details

by BluesBrother in

.

hope the scans show up ok.. the article is presented as it comes, for your own assessment.

you could not make this stuff up!

Reefton Jack

This is the first Watchtower article I have read since parting company with them twelve years ago:

- After reading this lot, I am reminded of why!

I am also reminded of why much of my life has been so #%cked up - reading this sort of BS from age 11 up until to my late thirties (as another poster on this thread has stated: such stuff should not be available for public consumption - it definitely should not be accessible to children).

On another matter, it is a bit rich the way the Watchtower quotes Greek words - when in all likelihood the writer has had no schooling in Biblical (Common) Greek. It sounds like they turn to a Greek / English dictionary, and think that this makes them "experts" on the matter.

Jack

Holder of a Diploma in Idiocy

Awake University (Blockhead Campus)

19

Threw away educational opportunities

by Cabin in the woods in

i actually wrote this late last night and when i tried to submit it i was rejected.

the reason for that is still a mystery to me and i vowed not to rewrite it as it would mean visiting myself and that is never easy.

sometimes as i look through the site and read to many posts i marvel at the beauty of the words and the complexity of the reasoning.

Reefton Jack

Cab,

Hearing of your experience, and that of the others who have commented on this thread, is enough to make a person weep! I actually view the JWs as a menace in the community - as much because of their attitude to education as anything else.

Like yourself, in 1971 I had the chance to be sponsored through university to do an Engineering Degree.

However, the local Congregation Overseers found out about that, and you can imagine the rest! Instead, I took a job as a Trainee Telecommunications Technician. However, they could not leave matters at that, and after twelve months talked me into throwing that away, also (well - the end was coming in 1975, wasn't it!).

After five years "Pioneering", working at various times as a Farmhand, Timberworker, Fruit-Picker, Truck Driver, Factory Hand, Crane Driver, Tractor Driver, Village Idiot ect. ect. ect, I finally woke up to myself.

I managed to get into the Electrical Trade as firstly a Trades Assistant, which eventually led to a full apprenticeship as an Electrical Fitter. I was what is now termed a "Mature Age Apprentice" - but in 1979, this was very unusual.

It was certainly different - a 24 year old married man, father of one child with another on the way - in with a group of 17 - 18 year old school leavers.

It was hard, but I was happy to have been at least given a second chance at things.

Mind you, the Congregation never forgave me - THE END was soooo close! (nearly 30 years ago, now - how absolutely b----y stupid!). I did as a consequence get myself into the Bad Books of those who matter in the Scheme of Things, and was over 35 before being appointed an MS.

On completion of my apprenticeship, I would have liked to have followed on and done the Diploma of Engineering course at the local Technical Institute. The company I was working for offered to sponsor me in this (I could have gone to the Polytech on full pay) - and I actually commenced studies towards the Diploma. However, my wife of the time found out about it, and almost had a nervous breakdown as a result! Not that I can blame her - just doing an Adult Apprenticeship was extremely hard on the family.

So, the my highest scholastic achievement is a Certificate of Engineering - something that is gained by an extra six months of post-apprenticeship study. (The congregation took exception to this, also! I was well and truly on their Shit List by now).

Of course, I have learned quite a bit both before and after at a place called the "University of Hard Knocks." (Not to mention the Bachelor of Stupidity that we all received from the Awake University's Damnfool Campus!)

Since that time, I have never been able to get back into formal, extended studies. Some one on this thread has mentioned survival? I know all about that!

I do read copiously all the time, though, just to stay abreast of things. Over the years, also, I have done a lot of short courses at Technical Institute level. None of these things,though, adds up too anything close to a Diploma - let alone a Degree in Engineering.

These days, I work as a Manager at a Power Station in a Third World Country. Located deep inside a malarial jungle - with a semi literate, semi mutinous work force - this Power Plant supplies the electricity for a huge Goldmining operation.

It is all-right, given the almost mind-boggling salary - and the fact that it is Fly In / Fly Out, on a 16 days on / 12 days off roster.

It is certainly about the best that a raggedy-arsed electrician can ever aspire to achieve!

The experiences of others do confirm that indeed it is never to late to resume studies.

While in no way wanting to discourage anyone from taking up where they once had to leave off, I will say that the best time for learning things is when you are straight out of school.

That is why I feel strongly that the WTS should be figuratively and collectively hung from the highest yardarm in the fleet, for the way they still completely screw up the lives of the R&F !

My thoughts anyway,

Jack from Reefton.

19

What are some Watchtower rules and customs that have no biblical basis?

by jwfacts in

there are a lot of customs that jws cant do without any clear scriptural backing (off course there is always some infered scriptural principle to back up what they say) .

when i was a teenager my study conductor disciplined me for burning incense, reading me some mosaic laws that obviously do not apply to christians.

though this was a personal opinion not a watchtower ruling.

Reefton Jack

The no beard rule has no biblical basis - nor any other basis from what I can see:

- i.e for one thing ,the Jews were actually forbidden to shave their beards off. So, yes, Jesus and the Apostles were bearded.

- The WT Society's prohibition on beards extends to countries, such as Papua New Guinea, where the custom always has been for most men to wear a beard.(So much for "stumbling" some one).

Is it anything to do with the power struggle that developed following the death of C.T. Russell, as some have claimed? (Charles Russell wore a beard - the Drunken Judge didn't).

More than anything else, this led to my breaking with them in the end:

- The penny finally dropped that we were all allowing ourselves to be hemmed in by just so many man-made rules. On its own, maybe not too bad - except that some of these man-made rules (eg. the one on blood transfusions) are life threatening.

10

Do you think that "Armaggeddon"/Hellfire damnation" is just scare tactics?

by booker-t in

jw
friends

many people have come to believe that the churches, religions or the world today just use "punishment" as a form of scare tactic to get controll over people.

i am beginning to think maybe these people are right.

it is hard for me to believe that a "loving" god would destroy 6 billion people just to save a "few" people at armaggeddon.

Reefton Jack

I heard of a case once where, when challenged about Hellfire, a Presbyterian minister volunteered that this was an idea developed " just to scare people into going to church."

In retrospect (remembering that Hindsight is always 20/20!) the JWs use a much more effective way of getting the R&F to toe the line than fear:

- i.e. Guilt.

Particularly when "survival of your children depends on your own survival" is waved around as a bludgeon to beat a person into submission.