Posts by Shepherd Book

7

if i was to write a letter to the WTBS what would be the address ...?

i would like to write the wbts a letter and ask a question..one that maybe confronting in regards to their doctrane.... .

what would be the address?..........

and has anyone written before on confronting issues and recievd an answer.....?.

Shepherd Book

To answer your other question: Yes, I have written to the Watchtower Society confronting them on an issue and received an answer. I put it all on the web: http://www.watchtowerletters.com/

27

Kingdom Hall is packed

by Junction-Guy in

jw
friends

right near my apartment there is a kingdom hall that sits next to the interstate.

i passed by there tonight at 5 pm and it was totally packed.

i mean there were cars lined all up and down the driveway.

"Drinking the Kool-Aid" is certainly how the expression goes...but it is untrue to say that this is what Jim Jones gave his followers. Here's something I copied from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kool_aid): "The idiomatic expression, “drinking the Kool-Aid”, was originally a reference to the Merry Pranksters, a group of people associated with novelist Ken Kesey who, in the early 1960s, travelled around the United States and held events called “Acid Tests”, where LSD-laced Kool-Aid was passed out to the public (LSD was legal at that time). Those who drank the “Kool-Aid” passed the “Acid Test”. “Drinking the Kool-Aid” in that context meant accepting the LSD drug culture, and the Pranksters’ “turned on” point of view. These events were described in Tom Wolfe’s 1968 classic, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.[4] It is also now closely associated with the 1978 cult suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Jim Jones, the leader of the Peoples Temple, convinced his followers to move to Jonestown. Late in the year, he then ordered his flock to commit suicide by drinking grape-flavored Flavor Aid laced with potassium cyanide. In what is now commonly called the "Jonestown Massacre," a large majority of the 913 people later found dead drank the brew. (The discrepancy between the idiom and the actual occurrence is likely due to Flavor Aid's relative obscurity, compared to the easily recognizable Kool-Aid.)" Sorry to be a spoil-sport... -Shepherd Book www.watchtowerletters.com

22

1930s Article on Disfellowshipping

by Shepherd Book in

back when i was just lurking on this board, someone posted some information from an old wtower or awake!

that showed the society was against disfellowshipping.

the society said it hurt people, and that if people choose to disagree with the borganization, they should have full liberty of conscience to do so.

Shepherd Book

Blues Brother--

Thanks for the compliment! I came up with this contradiction after having a discussion with my wife. We realized that the Ark (if it was true) must have had a small passenger list, but then the species must have multiplied very very rapidly. "So...they evolved?" my wife asked. That was like a lightbulb going off in my head - Witnesses have to believe in evolution if they believe in the Flood. Crazy.

Again, thanks for the compliment.

22

1930s Article on Disfellowshipping

by Shepherd Book in

back when i was just lurking on this board, someone posted some information from an old wtower or awake!

that showed the society was against disfellowshipping.

the society said it hurt people, and that if people choose to disagree with the borganization, they should have full liberty of conscience to do so.

Shepherd Book

Abandoned and Burger Time-- Thanks for the compliments on the site. Even the Society's first letter was discouraging to me, but that last one was a doozy - the way they told me to stop doing research. Very hypocritical. Everyone else-- Thanks for the scans. This is way more than I was asking for, which will be of great help to me on Friday. Thanks.

22

1930s Article on Disfellowshipping

by Shepherd Book in

back when i was just lurking on this board, someone posted some information from an old wtower or awake!

that showed the society was against disfellowshipping.

the society said it hurt people, and that if people choose to disagree with the borganization, they should have full liberty of conscience to do so.

Shepherd Book

Back when I was just lurking on this board, someone posted some information from an old WTower or Awake! that showed the Society was against disfellowshipping. The Society said it hurt people, and that if people choose to disagree with the bOrganization, they should have full liberty of conscience to do so.

You probably already know what I'm asking for: does anyone know how to find this thread? Or, does anyone know which old Watchtower article I'm referring to?

Any help will be greatly appreciated and will go towards a discussion I'm gonna have with a JW on Friday.

Thanks.

-Book

http://www.watchtowerletters.com

10

Anyone out there use Airborne?

by lovelylil in

jw
friends

i just picked some up today.

i work in health care so i am around lots of sick people.

right now is the worst time of year with flu season and all.

Shepherd Book

I think it works, though maybe it's just psychosomatic. It's nice when my throat is feeling a bit sore and I sip down the hot drink. It's less than $1 a cup...so it's cheaper than buying a coffee at the coffee shop.

2

Christmas greetings from the ex-presidents of the Watchtower Society!

by there are four lights in

jw
friends

click here to view.

this is slow on the first view, but on the second play it is much better as it wont stop to load.

Shepherd Book

That's hilarious!

12

To those who've been DFed...

by IsaacJS2 in

jw
friends

i was just wondering if anyone ever tried to find a mature way to defy their supposed authority to judge you this way and what sort of reactions you got.

i haven't been dfed, but it could certainly happen some day.. i'm not planning to meekly put up with the preaching next time witnesses try it on me, which has made me wonder about this.

it seems a bit immature to go right up to them and say "hiya!

Shepherd Book

Isaac:

You ask if anyone has found a mature way to defy elders 'authority' over them in regards disfellowshipping. I guess it's up to you as to whether I handled things in a mature manner or not, but I suggest this:

If the elders call or stop by and wish to meet with you, especially if it's concerning certain 'accusations', don't give them a straight yes or no answer. Tell them you want to think/pray about the matter and promise to get back to them. Then send them this letter: http://www.watchtowerletters.com/our_letter_elders.html.

When the elders called me, this is exactly what I did and I have not heard from them since then (it's been >3 months since the phone calls). I have not been disfellowshipped.

Here's my home page: http://www.watchtowerletters.com, and from there you can listen to my phone conversations with the elder and read more about my situation, if that helps. There's a link to my email address there, too, if you have any more concerns.

Hope it helps.

11

I Come Bearing Gifts! Part 3 of 3

by Shepherd Book in

after my phone conversations with the elder, it seemed only right to attempt to contact our accusers.

since the elder violated the biblical directive and refused to put me in contact with my accusers, i was unable to contact them directly.

i did not know their phone numbers, email addresses, or home addresses.

Shepherd Book

Dogon--

Maybe it's a needless defense, I don't know. But here are 4 reasons why I wanted to make the post:

1. I spent years ensuring that I left the organization for only one reason - because it's not the Truth. I had no desire to leave the Org just to celebrate a birthday. So, I resolved that if anyone accuses me of leaving for any reason (and they have), I will defend myself and explain that there is only one reason why I left: becuase it's not true.

2. As I was not DF'd or Disassociated, my accusers may have wondered what happened to me. As I said in the blog, all I know for sure is that they visit my website. So, this was my way of telling them what happened when the elders contacted me, and how I dealt with the situation.

3. Many of my friends, relatives and co-workers have never been JWs, and so directing them to this blog is a good way for them to see the absurdity of the WTower's birthday policy.

4. Maybe I was just so incredibly indoctrinated, but I like to "keep checking" that what I currently believe is closer to the truth than any belief I've discarded. So, when the elder called and told me I had sinned by celebrating a birthday, I was compelled to re-research the topic (in the WTower's literature) and remind myself once again why I believe it is not a sin. The blog entry, therefore, is the result of that mini-research project.

11

I Come Bearing Gifts! Part 3 of 3

by Shepherd Book in

after my phone conversations with the elder, it seemed only right to attempt to contact our accusers.

since the elder violated the biblical directive and refused to put me in contact with my accusers, i was unable to contact them directly.

i did not know their phone numbers, email addresses, or home addresses.

Shepherd Book

Thanks, guys. Yeah a few JWs I'm still in contact with seem to think BDays are on par with murder and theft in the sin department. Maybe it's even worse than showing up at the meeting without a tie.