Merry Magdalene

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Posts by Merry Magdalene

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  23

  Poll:What is the "average" age of people's baptism in the org?

  by megsmomma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was 14....and that seems pretty common for those that were in it young....... .

  how in the world is a 14 year old ready to commit themselves to anything life altering?.

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  Merry Magdalene

  17 and under increasing pressure cos I had been dragging my feet for so long
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  39

  Stay alive Til seventy-Five

  by + in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  http://video.google.de/videoplay?docid=-5984242675481103105

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  Merry Magdalene

  Welcome +. I very much enjoyed Stay Alive Til '75! It reminded me of my mother's convention scrapbooks, some of which I gave to my JW cousin and her husband, so I sent them the link to watch this. I hope it might give them pause and cause them to think a little bit.

  Well doneThanks for sharing.

  ~Merry
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  19

  who should be held acountable? footsoldiers or leaders ?

  by The Dragon in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  would our leadership be of better quality if they knew they would be held accountable for their decisions, orders and examples they set to their subordinates?

  or are they confident/cocky they will never have to answer for their mistakes and do things the way they want to do them as a result of this perhaps shortsighted view on things?.

  i mean who is going to police the police so to speak?.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Thank you for those interesting links, Narkissos. Made me think of a recent speech by Bill Moyers at the National Conference for Media Reform. http://www.freepress.net/news/8120

  ~Merry
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  82

  Please say hello to my wife.

  by nicolaou in

  1. social
  2. family

  i've been posting here for quite a long time, so long in fact that it just doesn't feel right that my wife isn't a part of it.

  earlier today i created an account for her with the username heron, she'll know why.

  i'm not sure if my wife will ever post here but i would feel much more comfortable knowing she is aware that i do.. this is the one post i am going to ask her to read.. so, i'd really appreciate it if you could say hello to my lovely wife.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Glad to add my own warm welcome. Hope you don't feel too overwhelmed to say hello.I was quite nervous myself when I first posted, but, a couple years and a couple computers later, I'm still hanging about.

  Good wishes.

  ~Merry
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  155

  MAT 24:14 HAS BEEN FULLFILLED MP3 FROM BETHEL HEAVY

  by What-A-Coincidence in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  warning: the wtbts is becoming more cultish as evidenced in this mp3.

  listener take heed.

  turn on all your cult warning alarms on.. .

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  Merry Magdalene

  Wow. You guys weren't exaggerating when you said "creepy"! His voice makes me want to take a hot hot shower just to try to remove the residue. And the way he said "naked" when reading from Revelation made my skin crawl. Another highlight for me was "the faithful slave feels that THEY have fulfilled Matthew 24:14." Have they now? And they did that all by themselves, did they? I can think of a few other prophesies they have fulfilled, but none of them are that flattering.

  ~Merry
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  13

  Info needed on M.A Howlett, prominent Bethelite from the 1920's and 30's

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i need information about a m.a howlett who was at bethel during the 1920's and 30's.

  ken rain's online articles quote roy d. goodrich as saying that howlett used the abram's electronic machines (also known as the e.r.a.

  machine) to diagnose and treat people at bethel.

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  Merry Magdalene

  For those curious about the machine itself: http://www.americanartifacts.com/smma/abrams/abrams.htm

  This is an interesting article for those, like me, previously unaware of what you are talking about: http://www.premier1.net/~raines/goodrich.html

  Goodrich learned in the early 1940s that E.R.A. treatments were still being administered at Bethel by a Dr. M. A. Howlett. Howlett used the method of stroking a glass plate until he got a "reaction" by his fingers sticking. It was the same "yes" or "no" ouija board principle he had complained about before. Goodrich again sent letters, this time to Dr. Howlett, the Society's board of directors and to the Society's president N. H. Knorr.

  In Goodrich's first letter to Howlett, he mentioned that he heard from a "Bethel boy," Chester Nicholson, that Howlett used a "radio-clast" to treat him. Chester's description of the procedure convinced him it was the same as the oscilloclast of Dr. Abrams. Howlett's only response was the following sent on a post card:

  You have evidently been misinformed regarding my connection with E.R.A. I know nothing of it and have never used it. There is none such at Bethel. [12]

  Goodrich responded with a letter to Howlett dated June 9, 1943, saying he had Chester Nicholson's description of his treatment by Howlett in writing. He also later pointed out that the E.R.A. was used by Work at Bethel since 1922 and Howlett came to Bethel years before then so his comments that he had never even heard of the E.R.A. as a Bethel doctor was absurd. Goodrich therefore believed that Howlett lied to him. He 'took it to the church' by writing a very lengthy letter to the Society's board of directors also dated June 9 and an "Open Letter" to the Society's president, Nathan Knorr.

  I find Goodrich's response to Howlett and the Society fascinating at times. Goodrich, as a JW in good standing at the time, wrote to Howlett confronting him with his use of what he called a "Rahab technique." This is what JWs now call "theocratic war strategy" which involves "misdirecting" the "enemy" with false information. Most people would call it lying, and Goodrich, once convinced he was thus "misdirected" as to the truth of the matter, called Howlett on it. He said in his June 9 letter after quoting Howlett's response to him:

  The one possible import of those words conveys an impression entirely contrary to the fundamental facts as I know them. I must believe, however, that your motive in writing them is the highest, -- a desire to honor Jehovah's name. Remembering Rahab's approval and the statements at the top of page 177 in RICHES, you have seemingly clear and logical justification, no doubt, in your own mind.

  Page 177 of Riches says(Emphasis mine):

  A LIE is a false statement made by one to another one who is entitled to hear and to know the truth, and which false statement tends to work injury to the other. A false statement made for the purpose of deceiving and working injury to another is a deliberate and malicious lie.

  This implies there are some who simply are not "entitled" to know the truth and that if a person makes a false statement without intending to "work injury" to another, it isn't a lie, but what Goodrich called a "Rahab technique." Otherwise, why didn't Rutherford simply say a lie is a knowingly false statement, period. Goodrich viewed it this way and this is way the Society has since defined lies versus using "theocratic war strategy." [13] Goodrich continued his letter by saying:

  Your words above quoted could be a malicious lie, in case Satan has gained a sufficient foothold in your mind, by this subtlty [sic]. Those words could tend to work very great harm to yourself and others. The only alibi is the one above suggested; and love can only hope that you did in fact intend a faithful Rahab technique. In this instance, however, such technique becomes a dragon to devour your position, and leaves your last state worse than your first.... In all kindness then, Bro. Howlett, the inescapable logic of the fact is that your postal to me, must be one or the other of the two following things, to wit: (1) a potentially malicious lie; or (2) an admission before the Lord that you have been practicing demonism and "fibbing" out of it. There is just one divinely provided way of escape both for yourself personally, and for the Society, from the two horrible and deathdealing horns of this dilemma. The sin, - - no matter how innocently and ignorantly committed, - - must be recognized, repented of, turned from and renounced, confession made and forgiveness sought.... A spirit medium in Bethel is a "sick" man. (Emphasis in original.)

  Goodrich's 13 page letter to the Watchtower Society's board of directors and his letter to Nathan Knorr were equally direct. As a result of charging "God's organization" with "demonism," Goodrich was disfellowshipped.

  However, ten years later, the Watchtower Society began printing material on the E.R.A. that made the same claims about the E.R.A. for which Goodrich had been disfellowshipped.

  ~Merry
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  34

  What Do Men & Women Want From Each Other???

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i recently read of a survey regarding unhappy wives.

  it seems that nearly most women wouldn't do it all over again with the same man.

  they were unhappy for various reasons.

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  Merry Magdalene

  No, Hemp, you read it right. It still lies in the realm of the unrealized.

  ~Merry
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  31

  What's up with Islam?

  by Tyrone van leyen in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a religion i am not too familiar with.

  so forgive me where i err.

  it seems that this religion accepts jesus, but only as a minor prophet.

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  Merry Magdalene

  That is also interesting, syf.

  ~Merry
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  34

  What Do Men & Women Want From Each Other???

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i recently read of a survey regarding unhappy wives.

  it seems that nearly most women wouldn't do it all over again with the same man.

  they were unhappy for various reasons.

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  Merry Magdalene

  Love your aunt and uncle story JWdaughter

  What I wanted (and expected) when I first got married was an adventurous best friend who would explore the world with me while we explored each other; a mutual sharing and reshaping of the good and bad in each of us (acceptance combined with natural transformation, not attempts to change and manipulate each other); appreciation, kindness, respect, solidarity, comfort. I won't tell you what I got instead.What did he want? I can't speak for him on that.

  What I have now is someone who tells me I'm his best friend, who wants to explore me and the world with me, who tells me I make him a better person (and I feel likewise), who displays kindness and gentleness, expresses for appreciation his parents and siblings, is intelligent, concerned about the world around him, loves kids, and is a man of faith and conscience. But who knows what it would be like in the midst of shared real-world pressures? Hopefully the same, only more so. Hopefully we'll have a chance to find out some day...

  ~Merry
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  31

  What's up with Islam?

  by Tyrone van leyen in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this is a religion i am not too familiar with.

  so forgive me where i err.

  it seems that this religion accepts jesus, but only as a minor prophet.

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  Merry Magdalene

  This Bernard Lewis? http://www.counterpunch.org/alam06282003.html

  Thanks for the suggestion. I shall add it to my list, as always keeping my salt shaker handy

  ~Merry