under the radar

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Posts by under the radar

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  10

  HOMECOMING (The story of two people I met in a bar)

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  homecoming.

  my good friend bob and i usually try to get together on friday to listen to live music someplace and decompress from the week's pressures.

  robby knew betty back in high school.

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  under the radar

  Great story, Terry. You do indeed have a knack for story-telling. Looking forward to your next one.
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  8

  HAPPILY (NEVER) AFTER --a Story from my childhood

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  happily never after.

  (remembrance from my childhood).

  hers was a primal scream, cutting me with an icy blade of accusation..

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  under the radar

  Thanks for another great story, Terry. I felt I was right there with you, desperately wanting to help Lily-May but being powerless to do so. Your tales reveal an unusual talent for moving people and stirring emotions in quite unexpected ways. Bravo!

  I know it's just a meaningless coincidence, but my mother's name was Lillie Mae. Absolutely not the woman in your story, but it piqued my interest just the same.
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  11

  WORDS MY FATHER NEVER SPOKE

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  words my father never spoke.

  "the last time i saw wes he was standing over your baby bed reciting something from--oh, i don't know--shakespeare or the old testament.

  then, he leaned down to kiss you instead of picking you up.

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  under the radar

  Another great story, Terry! Trust me, we'll stay with you. It's a heckuva ride.
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  15

  THE MAN WHO HUNG THE MOON (A true family history)

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the man who hung the moon .

  (a story from my family's history).

  she never spoke about her parents, except to say they had been murdered.

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  under the radar

  Terry, thank you so much for sharing some of your family history. My heart dropped when I read what your mother did with your watch. It seems so unloving and uncaring, just a total disregard of what your feelings might be on the matter. In your place, I might eventually be able to forgive my mother, but I would never, ever, forget the lack of respect and common decency that allowed such a selfish act.

  I completely understand that recent family incidents can sour one's enthusiasm for learning more about common forebears. Unsavory episodes from the past that come to light can easily discourage one from investigating further for fear of what might be discovered. There were certainly a few in my own family.

  But I came to view family history as just that. Those involved are long dead, and who can know all the circumstances and what was truly in their heart? Family relationships and interactions can be far more complicated that the most complex watch ever made. Detailed police reports and excruciatingly graphic newspaper accounts of the day still do not give the whole picture. There are things in my family's past that I would be mortally ashamed of or embarrassed about if they happened today, or even in recent memory. There are other things I might take pride in until I realize I had absolutely nothing to do with it. So now I look at these tales as pieces of a puzzle, and I enjoy trying to put together the whole picture so I can understand what happened more fully. My family history doesn't reflect on who I am as a person in any way. Some of it is quite fascinating and would be great fodder for a movie. Some of it is downright scandalous. But either way, it's just history. Period.

  Whether you share it with us or not, I encourage you to look further into your family history. The story of how you came to have that watch is a precious memory no one can take from you. The watch itself would be a wonderful memento, but the treasure is the underlying love and the family story of how it came to you. Who knows? There may be other treasures out there, just waiting to be discovered. Good luck!

  PS: I join Marina in encouraging you to write and post more stories like this. I thoroughly enjoy them.
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  58

  35 Years Ago Today - John Lennon - Peace Advocate was Murdered

  by flipper in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in this age of violence with the san bernardino and france massacres sometimes it's good to reflect on the wise words of the peace advocates among us who proposed a better solution in bringing a more civil society to our universe.

  john lennon, martin luther king jr. - people who stood up for equal rights and world peace and denounced violence and war - no matter how that violence occurs.

  please feel free to comment on stories of john lennon on this thread and feel free to post any you tubes of his music that you may have enjoyed through the years.

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  under the radar

  Hi Flipper. I agree with you that no one is perfect. In fact, I can't think of a single person throughout history who achieved anything great who didn't also have their bad side, to a greater or lesser degree. Since we're all imperfect, I think we just have to let their accomplishments stand on their own merits and not let the "sins" of the person overshadow the good they did.

  Just a few examples, in no particular order:

  Isaac Newton discovered scientific principles that helped make possible many of modern society's advancements and achievements, but he was also an alchemist (which he kept secret for many years).

  George Washington helped lead the budding United States to independence and was its first President, declining to be made King when it was his for the asking. But he also kept slaves, bequeathing them to his heirs like property.

  Abraham Lincoln preserved the Union and freed the slaves, but he never viewed them as the social equivalent to whites. He held views that would be considered racist today.

  John F. Kennedy, against the advice of his military advisors, quite possibly prevented World War III by the way he handled the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. He also laid the basis for the Civil Rights Act, but he was a serial adulterer all his adult life.

  Martin Luther King accomplished a great deal as a moral and spiritual leader of millions of people, preaching non-violence and reconciliation instead of inciting a race war. But he too was a serial adulterer with a penchant for very young girls.

  Walt Disney and his ideas brought happiness and joy to millions upon millions world-wide. But he is also known to have been an anti-semite.

  Bill Cosby entertained millions for many years and he undeniably furthered the cause of civi rights by his words and deeds. But recently revealed news about certain sexual proclivities put him in a completely different light.

  Benjamin Franklin had a great scientific mind. Some of his inventions and discoveries are still in use today. He helped found the United States. But his sexual peccadilloes are renown and he was cold and indifferent, if not cruel, to some of those closest to him, including his wife.

  According to the Bible, King David was the "Anointed of Jehovah," destined to provide the line through which mankind's savior was to come. But he was also a murderer, adulterer, and schemer, and was directly responsible for the unnecessary deaths of thousands upon thousands.

  There could be many, many more examples. Some quite a bit more egregious than these. But my point is that a person's achievements can and sometimes should overshadow their personal shortcomings, and must be judged on their own merits. Nothing good comes from trying to rewrite history. It is simply wrong to try to erase or besmirch the memory of people who achieved a measure of greatness because other aspects of their lives don't measure up or aren't "politically correct" today. We have to view people and events in the light of historical context. Yes, expose it all, good and bad. Then you and I can decide for ourselves whether the good they achieved outweighs the bad.

  One more example: You cannot prove from the Bible that slavery is wrong. It does provide a few rules and regulations regarding slavery, such as distinguishing between fellow Israelite and non-Israelite slaves and codifying the acquisition and disposition of captured "sex slaves," but nowhere does it condemn it. In fact, it is presented as a societal norm. Even in the New Testament, slaves are commanded to be obedient to their masters in all things. And there are many other things in the Bible that are abhorrent and repulsive to most any modern-day "civilized" human being. But that doesn't mean that everything in the Bible must be rejected, or that it contains no guidelines applicable today. Each account, teaching, or principle needs to weighed on its own merit. I think the same applies even more to individuals and the different aspects of their lives.

  Please remit 2¢ for this insightful and pedantic diatribe.
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  15

  THE MAN WHO HUNG THE MOON (A true family history)

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the man who hung the moon .

  (a story from my family's history).

  she never spoke about her parents, except to say they had been murdered.

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  under the radar

  Another excellent and moving story, Terry! Thanks for posting it.

  If you're anything like me, that watch will never leave your family. Would you consider sharing a picture of it? I love to look at family heirlooms and imagine all the tales they could tell. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.
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  35

  2015 November 19, BOE! Circuit Account Balances!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  delete if already posted.. .

  2015-november 19, boe.

  .. re: review of circuit account balances.

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  under the radar

  Does their greed know no end?

  i predict that in the not distant future there will be articles encouraging individuals to donate their "excess funds" to the World Wide Work. Something like, "We are hearing of brothers who are donating all their excess property and funds and planning to live out their remaining days in this system sharing in the ministry. What a fine example for those who have more than they really need." There will be talks about how "unrighteous riches" in trust funds, savings and retirement accounts, and the like, could be put to better use by donating them to the Society. That shows that one is trusting in Jehovah and storing up treasures in heaven instead of trusting in one's self and storing up riches on earth. Far better to give everything to them than leave to it to worldly relatives who might squander it or use it to support immoral lifestyles.

  Basically, this letter directs the circuits to live hand to mouth and essentially plan to run out of money just before the next assembly. Then the begging can start all over. And this is on top of their rigging the contribution and expense announcements by front loading the expenses with a pre-determined contribution to the Society. It's duplicitous and deceitful, to say the least. I call it a shameless scam.
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  72

  CEDARS (Again) Is it really about religious beliefs?

  by Listener in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  john cedars has posted his latest blog "the trouble with apostates (and why it shouldn't put you off becoming one)".

  i acknowledge that he is entitled to his opionin just as we are ours but i am disappointed in some of his comments.. at this stage i'll try to be objective about it.

  he is defending his own position after all.. what bothers me most is his comments about athiests and christians which he seems to identify as being in conflict with each other.

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  under the radar

  i think this thread might be more appropriate in the Adult and Heated Debate section. I don't think it presents a very good first impression to any first-time visitors who might happen by.

  That said, I wonder why Listener chose to post his comments here instead of on the website more directly concerned. Is he prohibited from posting there? Or could this be a case of "forum shopping?" A less charitable person might see it as a form of evangelism or activism in itself, maybe even self-promotion.

  As far as I'm concerned, Cedars can post whatever he wants on his site. If you want to take him to task, do it there. If you don't want to hear what he has to say, don't read his posts. But it seems unfair to attack him on an entirely different site. That smacks of gossip-mongering to me.

  For the record, I don't agree with everything Cedars says and does. But he's performing a yeoman's work in exposing the Watchtower as a dangerous and mind-controlling cult. So is Simon, ApostaChick, Katie Kitten, Jakke Control, Mike & Kim, and many others, each in their own way. Some may be more to your taste than others. You might favor the approach of one more than another. You may find some cartoonish or even off-putting, but that doesn't diminish the value of the underlying message they're trying to put across . They are all to be commended for their efforts, even if you would have put or done things differently. Well, why didn't you?
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  15

  A True short story

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  ____a true story___.

  shortly after the incident, i drove back along the pacific coast in a euphoric daze of confusion, tears, and exhilaration; there was no place for it to go inside my head.

  i pulled over on the shoulder of the road and sat in stunned silence.

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  under the radar

  "Very nice, me lad, very nice indeed," said the grizzled old captain as I spun my tales of yore. (Scene dissolves into a beautiful ocean sunset.)

  Another good one, Terry. Keep 'em comin'...
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  29

  Is ANYONE in charge a real ordained minister? College degrees? Seminary? A real Theological degree?

  by WireRider in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  and i don't mean that stupid made up shit russell just invented only a 100 yrs ago.

  he never passed the 7th grade and declared that the world was too stupid to understand the bible without him.. who do you follow and pore money into the watchtower?.

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  under the radar

  prologos and adjusted knowledge:

  Years ago when I was traveling for work, I attended some meetings in the Fort Lauderdale, FL area. The Watchtower Study conductor emceed it like a game show. Or maybe a really enthusiastic news anchor. Most entertaining. If that guy wasn't in show business, he should have been.