Posts by Derrick

12

Hourglass2 Outpost Archives 1996-2001

by Derrick in

jw
friends

all credit and many thanks go to our dear brother osarsif for making the hourglass2 outpost archives 1996-2001 online internet resource a reality: .

http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/h2o.htm.

that's right, all 6 years!

Derrick

I get a little sentimental: I found one of my first posts (if not the first) on 11th September, 1996 under the name Waiting

I remember choosing that name for I thought something was wrong in the organisation but I wanted to wait on Jehovah. :-(

Makes me feel sad in that we share common feelings in this regard.

The difficult part is to decide we have waited long enough, sit up and pull ourselves from the warm embrace of our proverbial beds, get a cup of coffee and then hit the road in the pouring rain. (So to speak.)

If I were to write a book and call it "Wake Up and Smell the Coffee! My Reality Check as a Jehovah's Witness," that would be the first sentence I would write.

Oddly, I get a very strange feeling going through those ancient posts; all the memories about those strange days rush in like a tsunami. Freedom in Christ takes some getting used to. Pardon my philosophical indulgence in comparing myself to a grasshopper in a glass jar who was let out; instead of hitting my head on the lid when I instinctively tried to get out, I jumped through the open jar so high that a gust of wind caught me, and carried me far away from my confines.

Creating a place for these discussions that are now archived, seems to have helped many to also find true freedom. Not fleeting "sexual freedom" or other false substitutes for true freedom. Rather, to find true freedom in Christ and freedom from the confinement of the flesh, and freedom to soar spiritually on the currents from Jehovah God's own Holy Spirit.

If nothing else comes of H2O, and reform efforts by various ones fail and go the way of failed reform efforts in the middle age Church (as I suspect shall become another sad chapter of Church history), at least I will have the satisfaction knowing this: Many like yourself stopped waiting on Jehovah because they finally "heard" in their hearts his voice telling them to stop waiting! Time to start moving in the right direction down the path that ultimately leads to the his kingdom! Time to stop bothering people early Saturday mornings! Time to stop shoving Watchtower magazines in peoples faces! Time to set an example by enjoying our freedom as those who have accepted the eternal sacrifice of Christ!

All this came about, at least in part, due to H2O and its predecessor AJWR, and the efforts of so many like Kristin, Sandman, Gina, Aussie Boy and other Australian JWs, and other faithful ones around the world. And the results? Spectacular. So many were like grasshoppers freed from their glass jars, like a plague of locusts now descending on the current generation of JWs living at Bethel and running the "show." The blood curtling screams of once silent lambs can be heard internationally, and bear witness to the truth about the wickedness of some under the cloak of Jehovah's written Word.

In summary, I believe it never was about the Watchtower Society. It was all about those in it, in positions of responsibility whom we rely upon to operate it, who strayed from the fundamental basics that built this organization from the ground up! It was all about some who became worse hypocrits than some clergymen in Christendom, and looked the other way while its leaders (allegedly) raped young virgin sisters in their youthful prime if Pat's public accusations are proven true! These men, if their corruption proves them this wicked, must be expelled from this organization and permanently barred from reinstatement for their crimes. They deserve no "pension" or other consideration but rather should be cast out onto the mean streets of New York if their wicked acts are proven. Unless a full investigation is conducted in a manner that is recognized as serious and thorough, how will we ever know if our GB are innocent or guilty? Perhaps they are wrongfully accused. Without a full accounting, how can any honest hearted person feel good about entering a Kingdom Hall, and maintain a clean conscience before God?

Derrick

53

Give Bill a deserved break!

by Derrick in

jw
friends

islandwoman, i hope you don't take this topic as a personal attack because none such was intended.

in the topic why is bill bowen attacking us?

the topic's author asks about bill bowen, "why is he attacking ray franz, hillary_step and from what i've heard on this board also reinhard lengtat?".

Derrick

At the risk of taking a brief side excursion off the trail this topic is leading to, I have a question to anyone who knows Pat:

Could they get Pat online and have him/her (I assume it's her, but Pat can also be a male name as well) describe exactly what happened?

Perhaps the horrific details will help those "doubting Thomas's" like myself to get a sense of the REALITY of Pat's claim (based solely on what I have read on this site) that a member of the GB, years ago while in a lower level of responsibility as CO in the Los Angeles county area, was held down by "brothers" while he raped her (and all the horrible "rites of passages" so to speak that she endured while being groomed for this dubious and unbelievable sex crime)?

Also, there is a forum called "The Judicial Machine" run by a "Brother Thomas" who attends a congregation in the Los Angeles area, at this web address:

http://h2o.aimoo.com/forum/categories.cfm?id=311102&CategoryID=2972

I'm sure that Brother Thomas would like to hear of a judicial crime in "God's organization" that, if proven, could cause this GB member and possibly the entire body to get DF'd and replaced by other baptized JWs in good standing.

Perhaps someone could get Pat to post her account over there, as well as over here? Many JWs pass through Brother Thomas "Judicial Machine" forum all the time, and might be interested in hearing about this unbelievably shocking testimony.

Derrick

95

Who else went sex crazy?

by buffy in

ok, question for all the non dubs.

am i the only one who went totally wild (sexually) when i got df'd?

well, i actually went wild when i turned 21 and became inactive.

Derrick

You know what I find interesting about this topic?

It's that SwordOfJah simply responds with a citation from the book of Galations, to Buffy's public declaration of involvement in a sexually immoral lifestyle. That is all.

Yet, although this site's URL is "jehovahs-witness.com" and its owner encourages all viewpoints (especially from JWs for whom this site is named), some call SwordOfJah a "troll" for simply quoting the Bible.

In fact, has not the individual with the screen name SwordOfJah made a very strong point about this site, that many of its participants are really attacking the Bible's condemnation of sexual immorality regardless of the proverbial "messenger" of its proclamations?

Just my opinion.

Derrick

12

Hourglass2 Outpost Archives 1996-2001

by Derrick in

jw
friends

all credit and many thanks go to our dear brother osarsif for making the hourglass2 outpost archives 1996-2001 online internet resource a reality: .

http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/h2o.htm.

that's right, all 6 years!

Derrick

All credit and many thanks go to our dear brother Osarsif for making the Hourglass2 Outpost Archives 1996-2001 online Internet resource a reality:

http://www.geocities.com/osarsif/h2o.htm

That's right, all 6 years! Starting with Sandman's legendary "Welcome!" topic posted at 19:40:31 EST on August 11, 1996, all the way forward through H2O's much discussed disintegration in the early 2000's. All there for you, thanks to Osarsif!

Enjoy it, download it, burn it to your CD, or share topics with your favorite links in posts. Afterall, it's like an "encyclopedia" chronicling the beginning of the end for the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society as many oldtimers "in the truth" know it since its derailment in 1980.

It's awesome to think that JWs surfing the net in the years since H2O's breakup have been enjoying this vast online vault of Watchtower and JW related information.

As I read it, I run across the oldtime 'greats' that made it both educational, informative and entertaining. I estimate that if you printed out all the 300,000+ postings that you would need a very large floor-to-ceiling bookshelf with over 600 looseleaf binders (each 1-inch thick) weighing several hundred pounds! There was that much text written in almost 6 years on H2O.

By the way, for those of you who came onto this site in the last few years, H2O is resting peacefully in "hypersleep" but occasionally stirring, at the following address: http://h2o.aimoo.com/forum/freeboard.cfm?id=311102. You can help revive her with a 'kiss' in the form of a post. She's an important relic from the past, many will attest, because the issue of reform has never become a moot issue. I think the problem of inactivity is that many lurkers to H2O want reform, but few can fathom how to change an organization so large and seemingly intractable. However, when its time for reform to break out, H2O is there as a resource.

Although H2O's International Open Forum for Jehovah's Witnesses seems to sleep only to awake on occasion, and the JW Singles Forum occasionally stirs with passion like a sleeping volcano, there is a very active Finnish speaking version of the International Open Forum on H2O run by moderators in Finland! If you speak Finnish, why not visit the above link and scroll down to the Finnish speaking forum? Brothers and sisters were warned by the Society at Finnish conventions, evidently, to steer clear of this popular forum. In other words, it's considered taboo to many of you! Why not sneak a peek if you speak Finnish or even if you want to learn the language?

Again, I cannot thank Osarsif enough for putting the entire set of H2O archives online.

Derrick

Edited by - Derrick on 13 October 2002 6:5:20

53

Give Bill a deserved break!

by Derrick in

jw
friends

islandwoman, i hope you don't take this topic as a personal attack because none such was intended.

in the topic why is bill bowen attacking us?

the topic's author asks about bill bowen, "why is he attacking ray franz, hillary_step and from what i've heard on this board also reinhard lengtat?".

Derrick

Thank you all for your outspoken opinions. I personally believe that Bill is personally not above criticism and his resolve to Silentlambs.org is not weakened.

However, I just want to add to those who sharply criticize Bill, that when a man is busy toiling in the hot sun with little water to quench his thirst his speech might seem terse and his temper may flare. Most of those on this site who criticize Bill so sharply are watching him toil under the hot sun from their air-conditioned offices, lazyboy armchairs with laptops, or on a wireless laptop "wi-fi" connection while they sip lattes or estate grown coffees at some Starkbucks location (grinning).

In other words, many of you and myself included watch Bill work his butt off while sitting there in relative comfort. I believe that overlooking trespasses and giving generous attaboys and pats on the back to encourage Bill, considering that he's doing all the hard work and suffering for it, is downright decent.

Those who sharply criticize, in contrast, have good intentions! Hey, good intentions keep paving that legendary autobaun! Good intentions keep widening the lanes to accommodate the increasing traffic going to an infamous place so talked about!

Bill, always remember that the silent lambs outnumber the critics.

Derrick

53

Give Bill a deserved break!

by Derrick in

jw
friends

islandwoman, i hope you don't take this topic as a personal attack because none such was intended.

in the topic why is bill bowen attacking us?

the topic's author asks about bill bowen, "why is he attacking ray franz, hillary_step and from what i've heard on this board also reinhard lengtat?".

Derrick

IslandWoman, I hope you don't take this topic as a personal attack because none such was intended. In the topic Why is Bill Bowen Attacking Us? the topic's author asks about Bill Bowen, "why is he attacking Ray Franz, Hillary_Step and from what I've heard on this board also Reinhard Lengtat?"

Bill Bowen is carrying much of the weight of uncovering one of the potentially greatest religious scandals in modern-day Christendom. Even the Catholics are not accusing the Pope and other high officials in the Vatican of molesting children. In sharp contast Bill's efforts brought forth a woman and perhaps many others who are accusing the "faithful and discreet slave" whom JWs, a mainstream religion of over 6 million baptized members, believe Christ himself appointed over his "domestics" and earthly belongings!

Many can sit in their comfy armchairs safe in their secured homes under democratic freedom and level accusations against any gaffes and misconceptions about those in the public eye. Many good people like Bill and his wife place themselves in the public eye to expose the truth. The result is they face public "stoning" by hypercritical but otherwise good people who hone in on their human flaws and misconceptions about them, from their oftimes misunderstood words.

IslandWoman wrote on Oct 9, 2002 17:42:To claim Bill Bowen is deeply involved with the silentlambs issues is not enough explanation.

IMO, that should be adequate explanation.

My sister lost a son to the blood issue, my niece was molested by her JW father, my family has run the gamut of JW abuse and problems. Yet, we do not do what BB has done, we do not attack our friends. I do not understand this man.

I have lost close family members and friends over the years to tragedies, and feel intense emotional pain and a longing to see them again in the new world. Still, I have yet to outwardly express these pent up feelings through tears, and I have not resorted to alcohol or prescription pain medication in a vain attempt to numb the pain. However, others equally close to them have shown outward emotions such as breaking down in tears, and have expressed hopelessness and dispair in the possibility of never seeing them again, through the use of alcohol and prescription pain medication. Is it right to psychoanalyze the dispairity between my reaction and theirs?

Some of those who try too hard to analyze the reasons for differing reactions to these tragedies seem to have drawn conclusions similar to these:

Psychoanalysis 1

They do not cry for those who are gone, simply because they do not care about their loss as much as those who do shed tears.
They are delusional to think we will all be reunited in a resurrection, when the likelihood is the dead cease to exist forever.
Maybe they are even hiding behind the guise of believing we will be reunited in a resurrection, in order to justify not crying, and mask their true insensitivities and lack of love for those who have died in these tragedies.
When they finally do cry, maybe it is to put on a show for others.

Psychoanalysis 2

They cry for those who are gone because they deeply love and miss them.
They have the strength to face the most likely probability that there is no resurrection, and the courage not to rely on a concept of God as a mental crutch.

Psychoanalysis 3

The people described in the first two psychoanalyses above likely have equal love for, and deeply miss the loss of, their deceased loved ones.
Each human being responds to stress, tragedy, adversity or loss differently and often exactly opposite to others.

Lastly, who says that Bill meant to "attack" his friends or anyone? Who can know Bill's heart except God?

You do not understand this man? That is a true statement, because nobody can honestly claim to understand anybody else.

Derrick

70

Ted Jaracz - the accused

by Nathan Natas in

at the silentlambs march in brooklyn ny on september 27, 2002 a woman made a public statement which began, .

i'm pat garza, and i'm here today because i was raped by theodore jaracz when i was a little girl, in the city of los angeles, he was district servant.

there are two boys; their initials are "m.v.

Derrick

I cannot express the grief I feel in hearing of these shocking allegations.

This should be on all the news stations. Did I miss the headlines? Admittedly, I have been juggling work, the recent sudden death of a very close family member, horrible grief and trying to help the family tend to the affairs such as funeral and other responsibilities.

As a result, this has struck me hard. I get feelings of panic at the very thought of entering a Kingdom Hall and will no longer attend until this is resolved. That is why I need to know if there is any real substance to these horrific allegations.

I never wanted the GB brought down on false allegations, and need to know if this is the honest to God truth. If so then it should hit the media as the most shocking religious scandal of modern times, making Tammy and Jim Bakker look like two British girl scouts who embezzled summer camp contributions by comparison (grinning).

This is extremely serious, and I sincerely hope Simon and his assistants are on full alert to prevent grandstanding, sensationalism and outright slander from overtaking this forum. The truth is what we all need right now, backed with solid evidence or very strong circumstantial evidence at the very least.

Derrick

213

Governing Body Summoned For Jud Hearing

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

service committee .

25 columbia heights

brooklyn, ny 11201 .

Derrick

Hi Bill,

You are one of the few real ones I have met online whose life demonstrates walking the talk, and sacrificing oneself for others through grassroots activism.

I cannot help but ponder about how your dedicated witness to the molestation of children by those we trusted not so long ago as our "shepherds" and "apostles," has given me the strength to stop attending corporate meetings in a place that has become tainted as the Jewish temple in Jesus day.

By your allowing the repressed memories of the victims to get heard publicly, those on the present Governing Body and their proteges are exposed as those whom Jesus surely would consider "workers of lawlessness." The GB and those non-anointed individuals they are grooming to sit on the Watchtower's throne, seem like lazy "ancestors" of Pastor Russell who drink the fruit of the vine, but are unwilling to till the rich soils of this world.

Unwilling to put forth their own grassroots efforts to spread the truth in Jesus Christ with the fervor that the founder of their own religion Pastor Charles Taze Russell put forth with his mobile preaching efforts through the streets, declaring that "religion is a snare and a racket!" publicly, the present individuals in charge of the Watchtower legacy seem tainted and corrupted.

Until their replacement, I can no longer in good conscience worship Jehovah God through Jesus Christ in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Thanks to you, Bill, my eyes are open. Pondering about whether my efforts on H2O years ago in some way, along with other important influences, helped ignite the catalyst of the SilentLambs organization today, I consider the following scripture:

"Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again."
(Ecclesiastes 11:1)

Thanks to you, I have just found the bread I cast upon the waters after many days.

I sense that many angels have been assigned to protect and confort you and those you love. May Jehovah God give you victory over this "Goliath" thus proving to the countless victims of molestation that He does love them dearly.

Finally, I want to comment on those child molestation victims in New York who have found the loose threads to the poorly tailored "garments" that cover their so-called annointed molesters! Isn't it rather shocking to see these "holy ones" partially naked with tatoos and piercings (figuratively speaking)? Are these molestations the tip of a giant iceberg of grotesque sexual misconduct? Are those blood stains on their garments, sown out of colorful Watchtower publications and words artfully woven over the years, now disappearing quickly as their victims pull the loose threads? My only regrets, Bill, is that their garments did an excellent job hiding those nipple piercings. Their nakedness is rather ugly if I should say so myself. If their victims whom they molested keep unraveling the threads of their garments, they shall render the emperor and his enterage stark naked before the world.

I remember only good people, my brothers and sisters, over the years. I will miss them until major changes have turned the organization around. Perhaps this is Jehovah's way to clean up an organization that has strayed so far away from its original founder's dedication to teaching the Bible to others? Only time will tell.

Sending you my love and asking Jehovah and Christ to care for your family's every need. Stay the course if you can, remembering to remain as cautious as a serpent but always gentle as a dove.

Derrick

67

Wrong ASSumptions from apostates

by bomatt6 in

jw
friends

the apostates here have so many wrong assumptions.

anyone that posts against them they assume is defending the society.. i'm neutral towards the society.

i don't defend it nor do i attack it.

Derrick

Fred Hall & Son

It's been weeks since I visited this site and it's the same old bottomless "Dante's Inferno" seething with apostasy today!

Getting to the point:

Is the background in your photo an attempt to confess something to all.

Derrick

P.S. Simon, you really should put this board software on the market and make some real money, because you've done an excellent job in "evolving" it into a really cool piece of forum software!

15

Stuffed Lambs

by Stephanus in

jw
friends

do you think, in light of the epidemic of stuffed lamb planting going on within the ex-dub community, that owning a toy lamb will become as harshly dealt with by the borg as wearing a cross symbol?edited by - stephanus on 10 september 2002 17:12:35.

Derrick

Here's something fun to do: I bought some candles from Bill & Sheila's company (I think it's www.triplescent.com) and I'm trying to decide which elders I want to give them to. As a purely loving gesture, of course! And of course I'm telling all the Witnesses I know to buy these perfectly wonderful candles. Might as well get a little back, right?

I got a brainstorm idea in reading your post:

Those who want to support Silentlambs.org could buy a dozen or more scented candles from Bill Bowen, sneak into their local Kingdom Halls at night, place the candles around the Kingdom Hall in a nice ceremonious pattern, light them, and call all the elders attending that Hall anonymously: "Brother [Elder's Name], someone is burning candles tonight in our local Kingdom Hall on behalf of all the congregations who attend there, in observance of all the young silent lambs who have been molested by elders and other members of the congregation. You may wish to go to the Kingdom Hall tonight to enjoy the smell of incense from those burning candles, and to pay your respects to silent lambs who attend Kingdom Halls with their parents around the world."

Of course, make sure all candles burned are placed on a fire-safe base so they can safely burn out. The point is to raise healthy awareness of the problem, not to inadvertently cause damage that would anger the elders and give their consciences an excuse to become even more defiant against this problem.

Derrick