Joe Grundy

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Posts by Joe Grundy

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  74

  Please don't take offence at this ...

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not a jw, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.. having read several of the wt mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc.

  i'm aware of jw 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e.

  not a good or necessary thing) so i can understand why many jws raised in it may not challenge the publications.

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  Joe Grundy

  Thanks again to all.

  As Dido summarised, the crucial point seems to be vulnerability - vulnerability which leads to the suspension of disbelief or questioning. I suppose this doesn't just apply to religion, it can also affect, for example, major purchases.

  As far as the publications are concerned, I believe that a problem that WTS has is wanting complete uniformity. In the real world media target their style and content towards a particular audience. WTS obviously can't do that and still maintain that their content, timing and methods are directed by their god.

  I still have other questions (sorry!) and will raise them separately.

  Cheers.
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  74

  Please don't take offence at this ...

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not a jw, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.. having read several of the wt mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc.

  i'm aware of jw 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e.

  not a good or necessary thing) so i can understand why many jws raised in it may not challenge the publications.

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  Joe Grundy

  Dido, I was asking about education level rather than intelligence. I'm sure, of course, that there are many many intelligent JWs.
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  74

  Please don't take offence at this ...

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not a jw, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.. having read several of the wt mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc.

  i'm aware of jw 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e.

  not a good or necessary thing) so i can understand why many jws raised in it may not challenge the publications.

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  Joe Grundy

  I suppose one factor that might stop people asking awkward questions in the early stages is that they don't want to be impolite to a pleasant and polite JW. This is certainly a factor in conman/victim relationships in the real world.
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  74

  Please don't take offence at this ...

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not a jw, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.. having read several of the wt mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc.

  i'm aware of jw 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e.

  not a good or necessary thing) so i can understand why many jws raised in it may not challenge the publications.

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  Joe Grundy

  Thanks very much for the information and opinions (and greetings).

  I know that even if I were to believe the WT stuff I could never be a JW 'cos I just can't stop questioning things.

  I appreciate the point made by several people about vulnerability. I was a police officer for 30 years (mostly as a detective). It is a common pattern with conmen, who have seem to have an instinct that enable them to find the vulnerable and tell them what they want to hear. The word 'bullying' comes to mind, too.

  I suppose that my experience with interviewing people has taught me to go for the questions they haven't prepared for, and to persist until proper answers are provided. The pre-prepared questions in the magazines (as has been pointed out) made me wince, and the couple of occasions I went to a meeting and saw the magazine article and questions trundled out parrot-fashion left me cold. And yet the old guy who read out the magazine paragraphs seemed so proud. Is that one of the 'privileges of service' they talk about?

  Thanks again. You can read all you like, but nothing beats getting information from people who have been there.
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  74

  Please don't take offence at this ...

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not a jw, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.. having read several of the wt mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc.

  i'm aware of jw 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e.

  not a good or necessary thing) so i can understand why many jws raised in it may not challenge the publications.

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  Joe Grundy

  "I think we oaught to be careful and not say things like JW's are stupid and uneducated." - from Kero-Kero

  I am definitely NOT saying this, and apologise if that was how my post came across.

  My point was really that higher/professional education tends to teach critical and independent thinking and research, and that while WT publications seem to me to exhibit a superficial scholarship some/ a lot/ most of it doesn't stand up to close scrutiny, let alone independent peer review.

  My point about the tone of the publications may partly be accounted for by the differences between US/UK. What is it they say about 'two nations divided by a common language'?.
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  5

  Blessings from Jehovah...

  by misguided in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  ...today i brought home a new (to me) mini-van.

  i've been driving an oil-leaking, 1990 caravan with radiator problems and no heat.

  i paid $5000 for a 2001 dodge caravan - not the long one, but fully loaded.

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  Joe Grundy

  Missguided - as a single mother of 6 you have my deepest respect for just being able to get through the day, let alone have time to buy a new vehicle.

  Many happy miles, and good luck. x
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  74

  Please don't take offence at this ...

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not a jw, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.. having read several of the wt mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc.

  i'm aware of jw 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e.

  not a good or necessary thing) so i can understand why many jws raised in it may not challenge the publications.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Joe Grundy

  I'm not a JW, never have been, and in no danger of becoming one.

  Having read several of the WT mags and publications (and many more extracts on this and other sites) they come across to me as being very patronising in tone and full of pseudo-scholarship, misquoted (or unnamed) sources, references taken out of context, mis-translations, etc. I'm aware of JW 'teaching' on the subject of higher education for its members (i.e. not a good or necessary thing) so I can understand why many JWs raised in it may not challenge the publications. (Obviously from what I have seen here and elsewhere, many do, and a good thing too!).

  My question is this: in all the door-to-door canvassing and 'bible studies' do JWs attract what might be called 'academics' or professional types who have had a high level of education? Or do 'these types of people' see through it at the start? And do JW congregations contain any of these 'types'? (Sorry to generalise about types of people, but I hope you can see what I'm trying to say).
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  35

  Anyone ever just picked up and moved far away

  by Cabin in the woods in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone here ever just gotten so sick of it all that they just packed up their belongings and pets and left?.

  did you know people in the place that you went to?

  how did you find work?.

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  Joe Grundy

  Someone once said that what we regret most are NOT the things we tried that didn't work out, but the things that we didn't have the courage to try. I agree with that.
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  30

  I've had it. I want to DA myself

  by White Waves in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  but i am afraid to send a letter to my old kh.

  what should i write to make sure they don't just df me?

  also, they refused my request to da myself before.

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  Joe Grundy

  Don't know much about JWs, but what would happen (if you had the cjones to do it) if you put a notice in the 'public notices' section of your local newspaper saying something like:

  'Mr ------------ is delighted to announce that he has decided that he will no longer in any way be connected with the Jehovah's Witnesses religious organisation because of their wrong teachings and practices.'
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  40

  My God, this is outragous - HP Sauce to be made in Netherlands, not Britain

  by Simon in

  1. social
  2. current

  hp sauce is the sauce to have with a fry-up at breakfast.

  not like that horrible american ketchup nonsense.

  http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2006/05/10/hp-british.html.

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  Joe Grundy

  Sorry, I forgot the black pudding.

  You don't like kidney?