under the radar

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Posts by under the radar

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  17

  Search for GB Fan Name

  by sparrowdown in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  justin bieber has beliebers.

  benedict cumberbatch has cumberbitches.

  surely the ego-stroking gb worshipping fans deserve a name.. gbsters?

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  under the radar

  Individually, I think of Governing Body devotees as "Slaves," or "Sheeple."

  As a group term, how does a "Delusion of JW's" sound?
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  8

  Watchtower spiritual "retreat"

  by Viva la Vida in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  wt applied for tax exemption to the town of ramapo, ny, on the ground that they use the land as a "spiritual "retreat", including hiking trails to facilitate spiritual meditation in the natural contemplative setting of the wooded property and reflection on the creative works of the almighty".

  tax authority didn't buy it and wt sued: one, two.

  i didn't know they did this kind of meditation or spiritual retreats....

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  under the radar

  It sure looks like they were not able to force Lorterdan to buy the property back.  Now, instead of admitting they made a mistake and have changed their minds about developing the property as originally intended, they are claiming they want to turn it into a "spiritual retreat."  All in a blatant attempt to weasel out of paying property taxes.  It seems that the local tax people can see through this charade and are holding firm that the property no longer qualifies for a tax exemption.  Good for them!

  I wonder if the Society wound up having to pay the "consulting fee" or not.  Does anyone know for sure?

  If the property really was worth $20M or so when they bought it, and they only paid a total of $11.5M, why don't they just sell it now and be done with it?  I have a feeling there's a lot to this story that hasn't come out yet.

  Stay tuned...

  
  

  
  
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  75

  New forum 'parousia' is upon us! (software version)

  by Simon in

  1. forum
  2. announcements

  the time has nearly come to switch over to the new forum software.

  of course it's not completely finished yet (and never will be) but i think it's good enough to go live with and probably already better than the current one.

  i'll give you a quick overview of what to expect and post more detail about the changeover process later.. cloud platform.

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  under the radar

  Thanks, Simon, for all the hard work you put into this update. And my hat's off to your bride as well. Without her cooperation and help on the home front, I doubt you'd be able to keep up with it all.

  I'm really looking forward to trying out the new site.
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  68

  If Your JW Parent Died Would YOU Go To The Kingdom Hall For The Talk?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i would like your thoughts, please..

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  under the radar

  When my father died in 2010, I did exactly that. Of course! I went to the memorial service in spite of it being held at the Kingdom Hall he had attended for decades. I went out of love and respect for him, even though we had very different beliefs on certain topics. He could not and would not accept anything critical of the Society. He had been the Congregation Servant since the 50's and an Elder from the beginning of that arrangement. He yearned for me to return and "throw myself on the mercy of the brothers," but he knew I never would. He accepted the Society as the big J's spokesmen, and I knew in my heart they were no such thing. Still, he never shunned me, never asked me to stop calling him, never asked me to stop coming to see him. For the last 3 years of his life, as he pined away after Mom's death, I called him each and every day and flew into town to see him at least once a month for a day or two.

  Even though I have never been officially DA'd or DF'd, my loving sister yielded to the influence of a certain (still unnamed) relative and decided that I was a de facto apostate and no longer welcome to stay overnight at her house when visiting Dad, or even fit to have meals with. She didn't like it when I pointed out that since I was neither DA'd nor DF'd, she was running ahead of the ol' chariot by treating me this way. Still, she couldn't bring herself to completely shun me. She would still talk to me on the phone about Dad, and she cooperated and assisted me in visiting him by picking me up and dropping me off at the airport shuttle whenever needed.

  No effort was made to dissuade me from attending Dad's service. But I was warned in no uncertain terms that if I showed up at the restaurant where my parent's lifelong friends were gathering to share a meal together and reminisce, there would be a scene. I acquiesced because I didn't want Dad's service and "visitation" marred by unpleasantness. I really didn't want to be around most of those folks right then anyway. I was heartbroken at Dad's passing and I just couldn't bear any gladhanding about how wonderful the Society is and how Paradise is right around the corner.

  Still, I would do it again. I loved Dad, and Dad loved me, despite his severe disappointment in my leaving the Truth©. I went to honor him for being the wonderful person and role model he was in so many ways, and to acknowledge the undying and unconditional love we had for each other, despite our wildly divergent, even diametrically opposed, views on "spiritual" matters.

  He was my dad. And I miss him.
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  6

  Thanks Mom and Dad - oh, and thanks Mother

  by berrygerry in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  http://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2013/2013bcsc2099/2013bcsc2099.html?searchurlhash=aaaaaqahamvob3zhaaaaaaab.

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  under the radar

  As much as I hate and despise the Society and its money-grubbing ways, I have to agree with the Court's reasoning.

  It's just a pity that this undoubtedly kind and generous old couple was so enamored of the Society. I hope they provided for their other heirs as well and didn't give everything to the Borg.

  I completely understand and sympathize with the family's feelings in this matter and don't blame them a bit for trying to get the "Conditional Donation" returned to the estate. I just don't think they had the legal grounds to prevail. Too bad. If the Society wasn't so greedy, they would consider the family's feelings and return the money voluntarily. But of course, that might set a precedent and they can't allow that.
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  42

  Creationism emails from a JW

  by TheStumbler in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  earlier this year, i received an email from a jw family member with a link to this video:.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ruhkgqjug.

  i wrote a long reply debunking the video (mostly copying talkorigins info).

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  under the radar

  "Triple intensification"... wow! Is that like "Repetition for Emphasis," one of the council points on the old Ministry School sheet?

  This guy should have been a numerologist. Anyone with enough time can find hidden meanings in just about any combination of numbers and/or letters. Remember when JW's were all abuzz about the name "Kissinger" having letters that added up to 666?

  Well, here's some more amazing facts. My last name has 7 letters. My son's first name has 7 letters. My birth year's last two digits add up to 7. My job is flying an aircraft called...wait for it...the 777, or triple-7!

  Coincidence? I don't think so!
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  32

  Want to hear something funny ?

  by troubled mind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my husband just won the city wide holiday light display for christmas i am so proud .

  just a few short years ago i was the one that put a strand of white lights around the porch railing ,and a couple of lighted deer in the yard ....that brought the elders around real quick (after three years of silence ) at that time my husband was still holding onto the notion his faith was not bond to a cult .

  it didn't take long after the 'loving sheparding call' for him to see things in another light.

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  under the radar

  Outstanding display! Congrats to the both of you. You're free of the Borg and its mind-control, and best of all, you have each other!

  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all here on JWN.

  Radar
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  28

  Brother Knorr's Cadillac and other secret perks

  by tim hooper in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  back when i was a wee lad, my dad told me that the brothers in brooklyn had voted to purchase a cadillac motor car for the sole use of the then president, nathan h knorr.

  he'd got this information from the london bethel, him being a chum of the then branch overseer, pryce hughes and his pal ron drage.

  religious leaders of non-profit sects are supposed to take a vow of poverty!.

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  under the radar

  It's not so much that Knorr received a Cadillac(!), oh my, it's that it was covered up and he treated it as a bribe by doing something he would not have otherwise.

  As far as the Cessna 402 goes, that was never covered up. In fact, there was an article (Watchtower or Awake!, I'm not sure) that talked about it and how they used it in Alaska to reach isolated communities.

  Cadillacs aren't that special anyway. I think it's just the name that's so iconic. Heck, I've bought several new ones over the years and I'm just a regular working man. I don't buy new cars very often, but when I do, I get a nice one. (Before anyone accuses me of putting on airs, the last new car I bought was in 2007, and it was not a Cadillac.)
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  45

  HELP ME COMPILE A LIST OF DISCARDED WORDS AND PHRASES from the WTS

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  in fort worth, texas around 1959. gradually i became aware of the argot.

  special, private language).

  jw's had these phrases they used over and over again.. upon first hearing, these words and phrases stood out as odd, weird or awkward.. however.

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  under the radar

  "Back call" is no longer used. I think they're now called "return visits."

  Then there was all the brouhaha over whether you were supposed to "vindicate" or "sanctify" the big J's name.

  And remember when the "Service Center" which became the "Rendezvous"?

  And all Servants were changed into Overseers. (Boy, is that a loaded word. Especially since the Borg has more black and Hispanic members than anything else. And that's where almost all the growth is nowadays.)

  Probably lots more I can't recall at the moment.
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  28

  Brother Knorr's Cadillac and other secret perks

  by tim hooper in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  back when i was a wee lad, my dad told me that the brothers in brooklyn had voted to purchase a cadillac motor car for the sole use of the then president, nathan h knorr.

  he'd got this information from the london bethel, him being a chum of the then branch overseer, pryce hughes and his pal ron drage.

  religious leaders of non-profit sects are supposed to take a vow of poverty!.

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  under the radar

  Just to be the Devil's advocate, I am a commercial airline pilot with lots of experience in light airplanes too. I am familiar with this particular airplane. There is no way you could rightly describe this Cessna 402 being flown in Alaska as luxurious. Spartan and utilitarian would be far more accurate.

  I will concede that this airplane was being used appropriately, given the circumstances. Scandal is to be found within the Borg,no doubt, but you will need to look elsewhere in this instance.