Posts by Joe Grundy

336

The New Diary of Winston Smith

by WinstonSmith in

we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.

fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.

i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.

Joe Grundy

Winston:

Please keep the diary going. It's enjoyable and educational.

A few days ago I saw a couple of guys I recognised as dubs out on FS. The young man (college age) I've spoken to before. He is, no doubt, intelligent and was clearly uncomfortable trying to defend the 'Adam' concept. He was accompanied by a late middle-aged guy who looked worn-down, a beige wind-cheater (? an elder?). Neither looked happy and I happen to know that the door they were knocking on was the house of an immigrant family - they are muslims. Not much chance there, and as they knocked the rain started to fall like stair rods. My overwhelming thought was 'poor buggers'.

I've noticed an increase in FS locally. I wonder if this is connected with the fact that the mormons have recently started to build a new 'temple' locally.

Does anyone know, or can comment on, when one 'American sect' (cross-threading here!) shows up and seems to be doing well do other competing sects (cults) put on a special effort?

52

Do You Ever Doubt Your Efforts Are Futile?

by Elephant in

...hello folks.... ...i've read countless of posts, ideas, opinions, etc here and i'm interested in your response.... ...there is a whole gamut of feelings here from individuals that are simply annoyed with the wt organization, to those that come off as hellbent on putting the org out of comission.... ...others yet seem to have made it their mission in life to eradicate the concept of god himself.... ...to any of these, what is your motivation?

and do you ever doubt that these efforts are futile?

do you feel that you posses the power/ability/means to change the convictions/faiths of the masses?

Joe Grundy

Strange thread title - a sort of 'double negative'. Reading OP I'm taking the question as 'Do You Ever Think Your Efforts Are Futile?' so that's the question I'll answer.

As a never-was dub, I joined this site in an effort to find out more about the dubs. No, that effort was far from futile. I have learned a great deal, including the personal effects, doctrine, history, etc., and read some excellent scholarly material.

Having been touched by the dreadful experiences of shunning suffered by many, I made the effort to fly a US JWN member to the UK for a 'break' and an introduction to the 'real world'. She met my 'worldy' family and learned, or had reinforced, that us 'worldly' people outside the dubs are not so bad. (I spoke to her recently and she's doing fine). That effort was far from futile.

As a retired police officer who dealt with child abuse (and whose own daughter was raped) I have made the effort to contribute to discussions and add a 'professional' knowledge to those debates. Feedback suggests that those efforts were not futile.

And overall, as a 'worldy' never was dub, I have made efforts to offer support (practical or otherwise) to show that us 'worldly' people are not as bad as portrayed by WTBTS, that we are a 'normal' selection of good and bad, and that for those leaving the narrow and closely-controlled world of dub-dom there IS a world outside. It's natural, of course, to be apprehensive (as when entering any new environment) but there's no need to be scared. Again, feedback suggests that those efforts were not futile.

115

My brother died tonight

by poppers in

jw
friends

just got word that my youngest brother died of pancreatic cancer.

he was diagnosed in early august.

this has been really tough for me and my family..

Joe Grundy

So sorry for your loss. My condolences to you and your family.

45

The WT Encourages JWs to learn about the early history of the organization! - 8/15/12 WT

by 00DAD in

ironically, in today's wt, jws are encouraged to study the early history of the "earthly organization".

like them [the sons of korah], do you have a desire to study and recount the history of the earthly part of jehovahs organization?

the more you learn about gods organization and how jehovah supports his people, the more real gods kingdom will be to you.

Joe Grundy

(I never was a dub).

Many years ago I was interested in the history of the Mormons and the dubs. Both started about the same time in the same place.

Smith was a con-man who started a wacky religion based on dreams, gold plates only he could read, etc.

Russell was a con-man who started a wacky religion based on pyramids, chronology only he could understand, etc.

IMO, anyone who REALLY investigates the early history of the dubs will run, not walk, away.

43

Cedars article on new Governing Body changes

by MrsCedars in

for those who are interested.... .

.

http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/governing-body-says-we-are-the-faithful-and-discreet-slave.

Joe Grundy

(I never was a dub).

The saddest thing to me is that the vast majority of dubs won't question, consider, or even think about this stuff. They will accept it unquestioningly either because they want to (clinging to 'the truth' whatever that happens to be today) or because they are too scared to qestion because of what they've got to lose.

That is no way to live.

21

Mix the truth with lies in to a pudding and call it steak

by jgnat in

the "perfect storm" built up to an epic verbal battle between me and my jw hubby.

there's nothing like a pitched battle to bring out my best zingers so i thought i would share some of them here.

by the way, hubby and are fine.

Joe Grundy

JG: Don't know what to say except big hugs to you at this horrible time. Much love.

336

The New Diary of Winston Smith

by WinstonSmith in

we had to go off grid for a time, time and half a time as we thought we had been outed.

fortunately it was a false alarm, but it was a stressful time.

i asked for my original diary thread to be deleted in case there could be anything on there to identlfy mrs smith and i. i am always very careful when posting, and am sure there was nothing on there, but felt it best to have it removed in order to be as cautious as a dove.

Joe Grundy

Winston:

I never was a JW and so will forever be condemned as a 'worldly' (haha!).

My very best wishes to you and yours. PM me if I can be of any use.

Best regards from another George Orwell afficionado.

13

Detail SIMILARITIES between JWs and Mormons

by Black Man in

jw
friends

in some of my cursory readings about mormons, they seem to be as cultish as jws, but i don't know as much about them.

what are some of the similarities you see in them and jws?.

Joe Grundy

Both new religions started in the impressionable US in the mid 19th c.

49

Did Paul Invent Christianity?

by smmcroberts in

i think the answer is largely yes.

please read my latest blog and see if you agree.. the witnesses had better stock up on goats and stones to make up for lost time!.

Joe Grundy

Context is all!

49

Did Paul Invent Christianity?

by smmcroberts in

i think the answer is largely yes.

please read my latest blog and see if you agree.. the witnesses had better stock up on goats and stones to make up for lost time!.

Joe Grundy

" (One small difference here is that orthodox Christianity did not just draw on Paul but also other early apostles who contributed to the conceptual character of the Church). "

My knowledge of Christianity was always that favoured by the western churches - i.e. the RCs and the protestant bits that flowed from that.

One day in Cyprus I picked up an orthodox bible and read the foreword, which explained the differences and the history of the great schism in about 1000AD (?). Interesting, because most of us in western cultures take the RC based religion as 'christianity' we don't understand the differences. In fact, putting it in context, the eastern orthodox version (being geographically much closer to its roots) is probably closer to the origins.