Rod P

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Posts by Rod P

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  133

  The saddest song you've ever heard

  by littlerockguy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what is the saddest song that brings tears to your eyes just about every time you hear it?

  mine is harry chapin's cats in the cradle

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  Rod P

  I get sad for different reasons, and by different songs (like pretty well everyone else, I suppose. So here are a few that just get to me:

  "Little Rosa" by Red Sovine.

  This is a story about a poor man whose little girl has just died. He went into a flower shop to get a rose, but he couldn't afford one. He begged the florist for a rose for his "little Rosa". The florist said that if he told his story, then maybe he could help him. He told the story, and in the end, the florist gives him the biggest and brightest red rose in the store so the man could place it on his daughter's grave....Nobody can listen to this song and not be deeply moved!

  "Teddy Bear" by Red Sovine

  This is the story about a little crippled boy who has lost his daddy in death, who was a trucker. The little boy would be at home, playing with his dad's short wave CB radio and microphone, talking to all the truckers on the road, using the lingo of the truckers and his daddy. His mommy had to work, and they were poor, and the mother could not really replace the dad in this little crippled boy's life. So he would love to talk to truckers on the radio. In the song, this trucker was listening to the little boy, and asked him "What's your handle" and he replied "Teddy Bear". He explained how he and his mom were alone since daddy passed away. And he acknowledged just how busy all those truckers were....Too busy to listen to a little kid like him...But if he could just have a ride in one of them rigs, like he used to when his daddy was alive........

  The song goes on the describe how this trucker decided to take a detour to give this little boy a ride in his rig. As he rounded the corner, he discovered all these trucks lined up for blocks, waiting to give this little boy a ride, and how this little boy was in his glory, as each one in turn, gave him a ride. Momma Teddy Bear came on the CB and thanked all those truckers for what they did for her son....I defy you to listen to that song and not be moved!

  Amazing Grace

  I don't care if you are religious or not, this song can get to anyone. There is an amazing history behind this song, and how it came to be written. No-one could possibly write such a song unless they had been there. I don't have the words in front of me, but most people know it already. It hits me whenever I attend a funeral service, and the song is played or sung, or both. Bagpipes accentuate the atmosphere, which goes right thru me, being of Scottish descent.

  Candles in the Wind- by Elton John

  I mention this one, because the world was deeply moved at the funeral of Princess Diana, at which Elton John sang and played this song of his own composition. Originally this was meant for someone else, but the words fit so appropriately about a woman who was taken before her time.
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  53

  Does God speak directly to GB today?

  by Bambie in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  it's been 15 years since i was df'd, but i seem to recall as a jw that the belief was that the only human after adam that jehovah spoke directly to was jesus.. my question has to do with what the org.

  teaches regarding modern day communication with jehovah.

  it was my understand when i was a jw, that the gb does not say that jehovah speaks directly to them.

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  Rod P

  Years ago I read a book by an ex-JW who had been high up in the Organization, with a kind of finger on the pulse on how the GB works.

  Anyway, the gist of the advice being given about what is the truth from Jehovah, and what is not, went something like this:

  "You can debate it all you want (i.e. a point of doctrine or prophesy or interpretation), but omce it comes off the sixth floor of the Watchtower (i.e. where the printing presses were), then that is "the Truth". At that point, there shall be no more debate.

  So now you know exactly when what they say becomes "Truth" or "New Light"- when it hits the printed page! Perhaps we should all now bow down to the idol of the printing press, for that is the mouthpiece of revelation from Jehovah!
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  133

  The saddest song you've ever heard

  by littlerockguy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what is the saddest song that brings tears to your eyes just about every time you hear it?

  mine is harry chapin's cats in the cradle

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  Rod P

  I have two:

  1) The first one was when my marriage fell apart and I had left the JW's. I was in agony, thinking about my three little daughters, driving down the highway. I was especially thinking about my oldest daughter who was in Grade One. All of a sudden this song comes on the radio, by Wayne Newton-

  Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast!

  In which he sang about how he and his wife were separated, and after a visit to his broken family, with their child left behind, when he turned to leave, his little girl tried to run after him, and cried out:

  "Daddy don't you walk so fast!"

  My daughter cried,

  "Daddy don't you walk so fast!"

  "Daddy, slow down some,

  'Cuz you're makin' me run....

  Daddy don't you walk so fast!"

  There I was on that lonely highway, and I just lost it, and had to pull over and cried my eyes out in agony. There was no way to reconcile a religiously divided home, when dialogue was not allowed by JW rules.

  The second song was one by Neil Sedak (and others), called "Solitaire":

  "Now solitaire's the only game in town,

  And every road that takes him, takes him down.

  And life goes on around him everywhere,

  He's playing Solitaire!"

  This was during my in between state, between a broken marriage, and rebuilding my life to a new and brighter future. Stll, after all these years, when I hear those songs, they trigger all of the pain from my past. It's so sad, but glad it is in the past!

  Rod P.
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  13

  Jesus is Jehovah!!!!

  by hibiscusfire in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  .

  and the word was god or "a god" (kai theos en ho logos).

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  Rod P

  Gandhi, when he was trying to get India's independence from Britain, and unite his people, once said something to the effect (paraphrasing from fallible memory):

  "When I am in a Christian Church, then I am a Christian.

  When I am in a Hindu temple, then I am a Hindu.

  When I am in a Moslem mosque, then I am a Moslem."

  So you see, Gandhi didn't have an identity crisis, and neither should we.

  Rod P.
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  32

  If this was your last post on JWD, what would you say?

  by Rod P in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  suppose something came up that was beyond your control, but you were given one last chance to say something on this forum for all the posters here.

  what would you say to all of us for the last time?.

  rod p.

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  Rod P

  Suppose something came up that was beyond your control, but you were given one last chance to say something on this forum for all the posters here. What would you say to all of us for the last time?

  Rod P.
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  11

  My appreciation to all on this forum!

  by AK - Jeff in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been posting here for 6-8 months i guess.

  it has been the best therapy i could have had.. i wish we could have a great big party and meet all the posters here in person.

  i have not agreed with all, but i have been so aided in my recovery from the mental prison that is the wtbts by all your comments.

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  Rod P

  ditto.
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  2

  Everyone Welcome!

  by Rod P in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  remember those little leaflets we used to hand out to people, inviting them to the assemby to hear those great public talks.

  this little leaflet would highlight the theme, along with the date, time and place of the assembly.

  on the same page was the nice heading "everyone welcome!".

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  Rod P

  Remember those little leaflets we used to hand out to people, inviting them to the Assemby to hear those great public talks. This little leaflet would highlight the theme, along with the date, time and place of the assembly. On the same page was the nice heading "Everyone Welcome!"

  After I had been disfellowshipped, and my JW wife and I were divorced, living in separate towns, she visited my mom and stayed with her for the weekend, while she went to the Assembly. She handed mom one of those leaflets and uttered the words, "It's free, and Everyone is Welcome".

  My mom's reaction was swift and to the point. "That's a lie!" she said. "The day there is a sign on the wall of that assembly place that says my son 'Rodney Patterson is Welcome' is the day that I will come. Then I will believe the words 'Everyone Welcome'. Until then, this is just a lie!"

  My Ex left the house on her way to the Assembly, being somewhat in a pretty embarrassing position. After all, this is her mother-in-law, where she is being put up all weekend for free, while she goes to her Assembly at which everyone is Welcome.....Not!
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  51

  Now Elders Are Making Elderly & Infirm Feel Guilty For "Being Hooked Up"!

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my mom as well as a few others are "hooked up by phone" to the meetings.

  lately, the elders are saying in their talks that if a brother or sister could be at the meetings but instead are "hooked up", then they are hurting jehovah by not having regular association with the "friends" at the kingdom hall.

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  Rod P

  So, by the logic of all this, what happens if a JW gets sick with a communicable disease, such as measles, influenza, tuberculosis. Does he/she have to attend, and if so, wouldn't that put the rest of the congregation at risk? When I was a JW back in the early 1960's, I don't recall this ever being an issure.
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  12

  A decent and viable substitute for the WTS

  by greendawn in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let's suppose that a large number of ex jws decided to get together and set up a new religious entity to provide any spiritual benefits, that were provided by the wts but as we all know in an exploitative and destructive way.

  in a devious way much bitterness was added to whatever benefit they gave.

  what would your suggestions be in the way of forming such an entity?

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  Rod P

  Perhaps we are already in a kind of "network brotherhood" around the world, united in, and devoted to, the cause of "freedom from religion".

  I would describe us all as part of the "Worldwide Church of Bahh Humbug!" (not about things spiritual, but about Organized Religion. The trouble begins when you start to "organize" and develop "articles of faith" and a "code of ethics" and "rules and regulations" and a list of "do's and don'ts", and so on. We spent a lot of time, energy and angst getting out of the trap; let's not fall back into another one.

  I would rather be a maverick than a member!

  Rod P.
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  11

  Is The Governing Body Guilty?

  by Honesty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  all i heard the whole time i was a jw is, "satan is working hard to break up the family arrangement in the organisation".

  well, the only ones i ever saw breaking up families is the jw religion.

  if you leave the religion for any reason you and any of your jw family are publicly estranged from each other with the threat of being df'd hanging over the heads of each of your active jw family members if they have more than minimal contact with you.

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  Rod P

  You bet your sweet biffy they are!

  The path of destruction to families the GB has left in the wake of their policies of fanaticism, mis-interpretation, mis-information, judgment and condemnation, as well as autocratic dictatorship and heavy-handed control is beyond belief.

  It is mind-boggling to contemplate the thousands upon thousands of individuals whose lives have been destroyed, and the family units that have been ripped apart over the years. Have a good hard look at this JWD forum, and you are but glimpsing the tip of the iceberg. If we unite and persist in this work, I believe we will create a ground swell over time, and become a force to be reckoned with, if not already.

  This is not about picking on the sincere and well-meaning JW's as individuals, who are being victimized too, but just don't realize that yet.

  This is about exposing a despotic system, a religious organization that should not be allowed to run rampant in the world, sowing it's seeds of deception to get new members in on the one hand, and once they are in, "dumbing" them down with their unscriptural propaganda, with all kinds of twists and turns and obfuscation in the name of "New Light", telling these unsuspecting, starrey-eyed victims that the GB, and the GB alone, speak for God, and you better listen to us, or else you're gonna die at the big "A". It's "Baaahhhh! Baaaaahhhhh! black sheep. Tell me how high I have to jump, and when can I come down. Don't think for yourself. We'll do the thinking for you, and then all you have to do is listen, learn and obey. That is Jehovah's way....." What a pile of crap!

  When anyone dares to think for himself/herself, and sees thru this for what it really is, and then starts to question anything to do with doctrine, prophecy or policy, and does not repent from this, that person will be caste out from their midst and into the world, with a virtual death sentence pronounced on their head. Let the shunning begin! You must be made to swallow the "bitter pill" of Disfellowshipment in the name of Love, to help you see the error of your ways, to repent and come back into the fold of Jehovah's "loving Organization". Then watch the destruction this reaps....(Excuse me, I think I am going to vomit...)

  The GB reminds me very much of the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, who hides behind the curtain, the veil of anonymity, while shouting his orders as the "Mighty Oz" to the masses thru loudspeakers for all to hear. The sound resonates with such authority, that no-one dares to challenge the Might Oz, and all obey without hesitation or question. This keeps the kingdom in perfect "harmony and order". Then when someone pulls aside the curtain and discovers who the Mighty Oz really is, we discover this puny old man, who is more like the Cowardly Lion that has to be propped up with the big lie and cover-up. How brave would these aging members of the Governing Body be if they were made to meet with, and look into the eyes of, each of the people of all these destroyed families caused by and thru them and the Organization they control?

  Are they responsible? How about the little sign on the desk of the U.S. President that reads: "The Buck Stops Here!" I'll bet the GB doesn't have such a sign on their desk.

  Rod P.