Btw, Mildred Barr died some years ago. Jack Barr is as universally loved (if not respected) as a GB member can be. He misses Mildred VERY much. In 2005, he was still going relatively strong. I wouldn't know how he is doing these days, but he is still alive.
AllTimeJeff
JoinedPosts by AllTimeJeff
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48
Do you think the Governing Body is having internal conflicts?
by stuckinamovement ini ask because the number of gb is lower than any time in history.
basically with the 7 (8 counting barr, is his head frozen?
) currently on,you have an average size elder body.
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48
Do you think the Governing Body is having internal conflicts?
by stuckinamovement ini ask because the number of gb is lower than any time in history.
basically with the 7 (8 counting barr, is his head frozen?
) currently on,you have an average size elder body.
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AllTimeJeff
Karl Adams was Joel and Don's brother. Don is semi retired, and if memory serves, the first "non annointed" president of the WTBTS once the GB let minor leaguers run the legal stuff. Joel was head of the Service Dept when I was at Gilead.
It was very telling to me when David Splane and Sam Herd both lectured the Gilead class I was in and said that the GB 'were made up of different men, with different personalities, but we all respect one another.'
That was just plain weird to hear.
It is my belief that the GB is like any other body of elders, just the stakes are higher. The strongest personalities and the most eloquent, persuasive arguments win. Cliques are everywhere, and it reaks of politics.
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27
JW Euphemisms
by gubberningbody inshepherding = spying on, interrogating, hassling.
encourage = hassle, pester.
evidently = no logical segue, so we just assume it.
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AllTimeJeff
"..even Jehovah's people are not immune to problems." = You are more f*cked then you know.....
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172
Top 10 reasons why JWs don't have the truth - please contribute
by oldlightnewshite ini thought it would be an interesting exercise to ask everybody on here what their 'top 10 reasons why jws don't have the truth' actually were.
maybe we can see some correlating views/patterns/ideas that may help us de-programme the newbies that come on this site.
if eventually most people have an outstanding gripe/concern it'll help everybody understand the ex-jw mindset a little better.
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AllTimeJeff
"The Truth" is a catchphrase that the leadership of Jehovah's Witnesses use all the time. It distorts the meaning. It is helpful to know what the phrase means to JW's in general.
"The Truth" represents the entirety of bible teacings and dogma that are currently taught and believed upon by Jehovah's Witnesses.
There is actually a definition for that in a Watchtower, but I have long ago forgotten which issue its in.
"The Truth" has nothing to do with what is true and false. That's why arguements on the veracity of "The Truth" are pointless endeavors. JW's are just as guilty of believing in their own traditions, (esp around 1914 and other dates) as any other religion.
So they call it "The Truth". Doesn't mean a damn thing.
Are they wrong about a great deal of what they insist is true? Hell yeah! From "Armageddon is just around the corner", to avoiding blood medicine, to their lies about what teachings have changed and why, there is a ton wrong.
So its up to JW's to be honest with themselves. Do they believe what the evidence points to? Or the latest spin that JW leadership puts on it? The trends suggest that more and more that JW's are slowly figuing it out.
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12
Lies and Damn Lies
by AllTimeJeff inthe greatest mistake and the greatest harm i ever did to myself as a jehovah's witness is lying to myself.
about everyone else secondly.. i believe in very few constants in life.
i think we all are on journey's and it takes a lot to get to where we are going.
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AllTimeJeff
Hi there Stephen. I don't feel bad. But its not honest unless I admit why I ultimately went all in in JW land. I had noble motives too. I really wanted to help people, and it prevented me from being an ass on occasion.
As far as how I am doing, I have been on a 4 year upswing. :)
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12
Lies and Damn Lies
by AllTimeJeff inthe greatest mistake and the greatest harm i ever did to myself as a jehovah's witness is lying to myself.
about everyone else secondly.. i believe in very few constants in life.
i think we all are on journey's and it takes a lot to get to where we are going.
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AllTimeJeff
By the way, for any believing Jehovah's Witness who read this, it isn't my place to tell you anything about what you believe. You know where I stand. I would have only one question that you only need to ask and answer yourself.
Why is the principle work of Jehovah's Witnesses to go around with literature, and persentations designed to get into people of other religions heads so that they question their beliefs, yet baptized Jehovah's Witnesses are expressly prohibited from reading about their own faith from other religions when it could cause precisely the same effect?
That simply isn't honest, imo. But ultimately, thats a question you, and every believing JW, must answer.
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12
Lies and Damn Lies
by AllTimeJeff inthe greatest mistake and the greatest harm i ever did to myself as a jehovah's witness is lying to myself.
about everyone else secondly.. i believe in very few constants in life.
i think we all are on journey's and it takes a lot to get to where we are going.
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AllTimeJeff
Hi there theSheep. You said
Please know that fighting the temptation is not lying to the person in the mirror.
No, no it isn't. But the only person who would ever be qualified to tell or know whether the temptation is merely a disingenuous attempt to do something really wrong (such as, rob a convenience store, rape, etc) is you. Other temptations, like cheating on your partner, are more complex. Is it because its over? Is it because you were hurt and you are acting out? Is it tempting because you aren't being honest with yourself or your partner? Would a real honest conversation alleviate the temptation?
Thats the interesting dynamic when it comes to a conversation about being honest with yourself. Ultimately, you must answer to yourself. It's not anyone else's job or responsibility. If one chooses to accept or do certain things that they are uncertain of, it is the ultimate test.
So if you feel you are being tempted to do wrong, then I guess you are. The reasons why though are just as important to figure out, imo, as to what is tempting you, and that my friend, is where being honest with yourself really matters.
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Odd Deconstructive Moment in the Dec 2010 Awake
by Cadellin inwhen i saw the article, "more major earthquakes expected" in page 20, my first thought was wtf?
haven't they learned their lesson about predicting increases in earthquakes?
then i read the article, which shies away from any explicit claim that seismic activity is on the increase.
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AllTimeJeff
At least your brain hurts. Their brains don't work!
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27
JW Euphemisms
by gubberningbody inshepherding = spying on, interrogating, hassling.
encourage = hassle, pester.
evidently = no logical segue, so we just assume it.
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AllTimeJeff
"Organizational Arrangements" = The JW Hiearchy System
"Modest clothing" = Anything a sister must wear in the summer to hide the fact that she is a woman and to roast her alive in her own sweat.
"may stumble other weak ones" = In fact, this is bullsh*t that means 'the GB is offended by it, and we will hide behind new ones so we don't have to deal with it.'
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84
DF'd and struggling....LONG POST........my story.
by confuzzled777 inhow do i make a long story short?
i am fully aware that if anyone in my area were to read this that they will know who i am.
i was disfellowshipped on january 28th 2010 after an "interview" about an evening of bowling with friends and family back in november 2009. i was among 4 who were disfellowshipped and 6 who were publicly reproved.
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AllTimeJeff
Sometimes, we learn the truth about evil groups when they mistreat us first.
That isn't to say that the people you know are evil. Far from it. I know of very few JW's who are evil. (pedophiles and some leaders are who I group into that). Most are duped.
You have been mistreated because the leadership demands strict control, and teaches the elders who disfellowshipped you to do their controlling for them. As a former elder, I can say that most elders, even if they were on their high horse, felt bad for what they did to you.
Is that a reason to go back? May I encourage you to learn and ask questions about your faith. I did. As a Gilead grad who himself went through some pretty serious crap, I can only say that to have the freedom to research Jehovah's Witnesses on your own the way we as Jehovah's Witnesses encourage people of other religions to do the same is enlightening and freeing.
Wishing you the best. Know that you don't have to go back, or do anything. Only be honest with yourself first, and what you find out about JW's.