Posts by sparky1

13

Self Limiting Beliefs

by abishephard in

left the jw’s as a teenager; as with most exjws i have struggled throughout the years with being a successful adult.

i have recently starting addressing some of the psychological trauma of my childhood, and i wonder if anyone else here can identify with any of these self limiting beliefs:.

- pursuit of wealth is bad (i.e.

sparky1

Welcome, abishephard. I hope your stay here is productive and that what you have to say will add to the collective wisdom of fellow posters.

I certainly can identify with some of your concerns. When I was a Bethelite in the middle 70's I got some advice from an older gentleman that I took on tour at Watchtower Farm concerning money and wealth. He told me NOT to believe everything that the Governing Body and Watchtower Society says about money. In conversation he told me that he too was a Bethelite back in the late 30's and early 40's. Over and over they were told that Armageddon was coming any day and not to be concerned about money or material things. 'Make sure that you take care of your financial future', he told me, 'since nobody else will.' That was great advice. I semi retired at 47 years old, I will receive 85% of the highest amount of Social Security at 66 years old and I have a very healthy retirement portfolio. I am very grateful for his advice. Over time, your concern for pleasing men in this regard will fade into the recesses of your memory. Get to work on your own financial future and GOOD LUCK to you!

Education and the pursuit of knowledge is bad. Don't get me started on this one! I was blessed with a high IQ and was never able to formally put it to a 'higher' use. When I was in grade school, I had the opportunity to skip 2 grades and advance forward. Unknown to me, my religiously deluded god intoxicated mother would not have any of this! Also, my maternal grandfather was going to pay my way through law school but he died unexpectedly at a young age and that dream perished with him. So what happened to me on the education front? I quit high school in the 70's , pioneered and then became a Bethelite. I too like to read and so after I left Bethel I continued the tradition of being an autodidact. Don't give up on improving yourself in this manner. Life itself is a free education if you let it teach you what it has to offer. GOOD LUCK to you and never stop learning!

I'm sure others here can offer advice better than mine. Pay attention to what the many good and intelligent people here have to offer you and I hope your future continues to get better and better.

43

Did Russell come up with the no hell fire and no Trinity doctrine or did steal that belief from another religion as well?

by nowwhat? in

just wondering hate to give the devil his due.

sparky1

"We consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world...will be accomplished near the end of AD1915" - Pastor Russell quote from THE TIME IS AT HAND 1889 edition

truth noun

1 a (1) : the body of real things, events, and facts. (ACTUALITY) - Merriam_Webster online dictionary

What is the opposite or an antonym of the word TRUTH? It is the word LIE!

I would have given Pastor Russell a pass on this if he had said 'it is my opinion that such and such will happen by 1915'. Then I could 'swallow' the claim that he was 'just wrong' in what he believed. But he did not and rather claimed that his theological pontifications were truth. The events and facts of history proved this teaching to be a lie as nothing even close to what he claimed came true. His motivations, beliefs or sincerity do not enter into this. I am not claiming, nor have I ever claimed that Pastor Russell lied on purpose in order to deceive his followers. I am making the claim that the strictest meaning of the word lie that I have posted above applies to many of his teachings. And in the strictest sense of the word as I have pointed out above, he technically was a charlatan.

43

Did Russell come up with the no hell fire and no Trinity doctrine or did steal that belief from another religion as well?

by nowwhat? in

just wondering hate to give the devil his due.

sparky1

I NEVER said that Pastor Russell consciously lied or made a false representation on purpose. In fact, I never called him a liar. I stated that he propagated lies. You may want to reread my post on the word lie. I quoted Merriam-Webster's online dictionary as follows:

lie noun (2)

1 b : an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker or writer.

Pastor Russell sincerely believed the religious phantasies that he taught. Many of his theological pontifications turned out to be lies. History has proven that the charlatan Pastor Russell was teaching lies because the statements that he made about 1915 and earthly governments never came true.

43

Did Russell come up with the no hell fire and no Trinity doctrine or did steal that belief from another religion as well?

by nowwhat? in

just wondering hate to give the devil his due.

sparky1

Anastasia, since you are interested in the legal ramifications of calling someone a charlatan, I thought that I might provide for you the legal definition of such:

Charlatan. One who pretends to more knowledge or skill than he possesses; a quack; a faker. - BLACKS LAW DICTIONARY page 213 edition of 1979

"True, it is expecting great things to claim, as we do, that within the coming twenty-six years all present governments will be overthrown and dissolved." "In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the Kingdom of God will be accomplished near the end of AD1915." - Study IV The Times Of The Gentiles in the publication THE TIME IS AT HAND 1889 edition written by Pastor Russell

Since these direct statement never came true and the governments of the earth have not been dissolved, in the legal sense it would seem that Pastor Russell was indeed a CHARLATAN.

Since what he prophesied did not come true, he was also propagating LIES; albeit not in the strictest legal sense.

8

Article: Fresno, California JW elder sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl

by AndersonsInfo in

subject: fresno, ca jw elder sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl sept. 20, 2019 https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article235306577.html.

fresno, ca church elder makes plea deal in sex abuse case | the fresno bee.

a 45-year-old fresno man, who worked as a police dispatcher in madera, pleaded no contest on friday to charges he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl from his church.

sparky1

Oh my! Not to be flippant or disrespect the victim but here we go again. The Holy Spirit somehow manages to elevate another pervert to the office of Overseer. When will the average Jehovah's Witness congregant see through this charade and withdraw their support from this farcical religion?

43

Did Russell come up with the no hell fire and no Trinity doctrine or did steal that belief from another religion as well?

by nowwhat? in

just wondering hate to give the devil his due.

sparky1

"You still mis-define Charlatan."- Anastasia

No he doesn't.

charlatan noun

2 : one making usually showy pretenses to knowledge or ability - Merriam-Webster online dictionary

Pastor Russell wrote thousands of articles, magazines, books, tracts, etc., etc., in order to bring to 'ignorant mankind' his amalgamated and contrived version of biblical truth so as to point them to the way of salvation as he saw it. His sincerity does not preclude him being a charlatan.

43

Did Russell come up with the no hell fire and no Trinity doctrine or did steal that belief from another religion as well?

by nowwhat? in

just wondering hate to give the devil his due.

sparky1

lie noun (2)

1b: an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker or writer.- Merriam-Webster online dictionary

You are correct. Words matter. Sincere or not PASTOR RUSSELL TAUGHT LIES.

"I'm just telling you that your terms are wrong, grammatically speaking." Your statement is factually incorrect; however I don't have the formal education to conjure up a Latin phrase to buttress my position.

43

Did Russell come up with the no hell fire and no Trinity doctrine or did steal that belief from another religion as well?

by nowwhat? in

just wondering hate to give the devil his due.

sparky1

"Russell believed what he taught." So what? Sincerity of character doesn't make the lies that he taught any more palpable or acceptable. As a young boy, I knew two people that had association with him; they thought he was the most kindly and humble person that they had ever met. Pastor Russell is one link in a progressive chain of god deluded religious fanatics trying to save the world as self appointed do-gooders. (My opinion of Russell in no way is a critique of your mothers work)

6

Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses

by Vanderhoven7 in

thought this might be interesting for those considering leaving watchtower religion .

https://youtu.be/pjoor9e77g8.

sparky1

LongHairGal, I am glad that you never listened to the 'nonsense' spouted by arrogant and ignorant Witnesses in regards to financial matters. I semi-retired at 47 years old and still will qualify for social security at 85% of the MAXIMUM benefit when I turn 66 years old and I have a very decent investment portfolio. My ex-Pioneer partner came from a well to do and prominent Witness family. He has been an Elder since about 1980, pioneered off and on and served as a substitute Circuit Overseer. He and his wife subsist on a meager social security, have taken a foster child into their home for the money and just took out a mortgage on their home for money to live on. 'They reap what they sow' and 'they already have had their reward in full' in this life as far as I am concerned.

30

We pray for the governing body

by StephaneLaliberte in

since when has it become cool to pray for the gb?

i noticed that at the begining of my fade back in 2015, it had already been there for a good while and was already getting on my nerves.

i means, i grew up in it, but can't remember much further than the 90s and i don't remember this being always in the payers.

sparky1

"We pray for the Governing Body." - StephaneLaliberte

Well the Bible does say at Matthew 5:44 to...'pray for those persecuting you.'