Billy the Ex-Bethelite

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Posts by Billy the Ex-Bethelite

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  35

  Hello from North Dakota

  by ndmom73 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am fairly new here.

  i came across this site a few years ago and tried to join but i wasn't approved as a member for whatever reason.

  well, recently i came across this site again and decided to reapply to be a member and it was approved.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Welcome!

  "Part of me wonders what in the world my mother was thinking. Why would you raise your child, especially your daughter to think that they shouldn't strive for all of their goals."

  Just thinking back to the time that your mom bought in, she was likely convinced by the Fred Franz era prophecies of the end coming soon, and the promise of the "spiritual paradise" that would fix all the flaws in her marriage and her life. But the "spiritual paradise" is a scam. You were able to see through that, get out, and live a "normal" life. I wish I would have seen through the lies back when you did. Sigh. But for me, better late than never .
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  12

  This just new: Thirty-hour quota for auxiliary pioneering (letter)

  by pixel in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just wanna post post this.

  to all congregations.

  re: thirty-hour quota for auxiliary pioneering.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  "They're obviously running out of ideas."

  Indeed. Since WT reduced the frequency of the magazines, shortened the public talk, reduced the hours for reg. pios, eliminated the book study as a separate meeting, reduced the size of the magazines, etc., they've taken the "less is more" expression to heart. When WT lowers the bar like this, it creates some initial excitement, but then they can't raise bar again. WT certain couldn't get the rank and file excited with the prospect of returning to things like 8 day conventions, or even 4 day conventions. They have a hard time getting the sheeples to show up for Friday of the 3 day crapvention.
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  68

  Anonymous v. Silentlambs... things are starting to get ugly

  by cedars in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  bowen fights back.... .

  http://www.silentlambs.org/trustsilentlambs.htm.

  cedars.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  "Get serious! You're comparing Bill Bowen to MLK? Exhale whatever it is that you're smoking!"

  144001, Reread my post, I wasn't comparing Bill Bowen to MLK. I was comparing his earlier work with Silentlambs to the Union soldiers who fought in the civil war, as well as many others who also fought for civil rights before MLK was born. I wasn't comparing anyone to MLK. The point is that there were many different people that were involved in civil rights issues before and since MLK, just as there have been many different people involved with exposing the WT pedophile issues.

  I'm no disciple or particular fan of Bill Bowen. I haven't paid any attention to the drama that has surrounded him, as evidently you have been. But I respect what I've seen of his work with Silentlambs in exposing WT's mistreatment of molested children.

  But I suspect that I'm wasting my words on you. It appears that you would now turn this into a personal attack on me, suggesting that I'm on drugs. I see that you haven't forgotten your WT training on twisting logic.

  "Candace Conti would have had the same legal and circumstantial opportunities to bring her case if: [1] Bill Bowen had never been born; and/or [2] the Dateline segment had never aired."

  No kidding. I already said in the first paragraph of my post, "Jonathan Kendrick, the North Fremont Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, and WT Corporation made Candice Conti's case possible". I didn't mention Dateline or Bill Bowen as directly involved in her case. Get it?

  I find it odd that you only find Candace Conti's case to have been of any value. You really don't care about any of the other molestation cases that came before hers? You don't care that Silentlambs was speaking up about flawed WT policies 10 years ago?
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  27

  My mum says her grandchild will be killed by Jah...does he kill Millions of under 12 kids at Armagedon? God is LUV!

  by Witness 007 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  talking with my anionted mum she tells me how worried she is that our lovely cute grandaughter/neice sarah, 9 months, will have her head cut off by jehovahs angel at armagedon.

  {my sister is disfellowshiped and i'm inactive former pioneer/servant 10 years} this sickens me.

  i told her how jah loves "even the embroy" of an unborn child.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Just ignore the part of the Bible saying that God hates violence.
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  68

  Anonymous v. Silentlambs... things are starting to get ugly

  by cedars in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  bowen fights back.... .

  http://www.silentlambs.org/trustsilentlambs.htm.

  cedars.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  144001, If you're going to be technical, just say that Jonathan Kendrick, the North Fremont Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, and WT Corporation made Candice Conti's case possible. That happened nearly 20 years ago.

  However, if you look back 10 years ago in 2002, it was the story on Dateline, which included footage with Bill Bowen, that brought the issue of child sexual abuse to national attention. And I still kick myself for being an obedient JW and not watching the story because we were told in bethel not to watch it. He, Barbara, and Carl and Barbara Pandello were DF for being part of the story. And Silentlambs still seems to have the most readily accessible history of JW legal battles with molestation cases. But I digress. I'm assuming that you consider that story on Dateline 10 years ago as being worthless history and a waste of their time.

  In honor of tomorrow being MLK day, we can say by illustration that he did great things, however, there were many that came before him that did great things for civil rights as well. And if you look at the abolishionists in the North, do you think that the white union soldiers that fought for the Union in the Civil War to end slavery had done nothing to advance the later work of MLK?
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  73

  If you drink coffee . . .

  by compound complex in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  do you prefer regular brew or the fancy offerings?

  can you drink it -- the leaded stuff -- any time, night or day?.

  no survey here, just curious.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Although I use a very ordinary drip coffee brewer, I'm rather particular about what I brew... As in, I roast my own coffee.

  If anybody else wants to become an elite "Roast at Homer" , one good starting point is http://www.sweetmarias.com/index.php.

  I don't drink coffee within about 4 hours of bedtime. It doesn't necessarily keep me awake, but I often have problems falling asleep. So I don't want anything to possibly hinder shut-eye.
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  26

  Hi everybody!

  by Pickler in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi everybody.. well, i've been lurking for a few weeks & have made a few posts, so it's time to bravely introduce myself some more.... i was raised in the religion, baptized & then df'd in 1992. i live in sydney and youll be pleased to hear i have survived armageddon (also known as the hottest day on record for sydney 45.6c).. ive never looked at any witness related stuff online, but my son showed me something about the conti case and i was so intrigued!!!!

  following links led me to this & other websites..... since then i have spent literally hours on the internet discovering all this information.

  so many late nights/early mornings.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Welcome!

  "And there's no book study group, whaaaat???? "

  I know what you mean. We always used to be told that it was so important because the book study group in private homes would be %1 resource when the tribulation started. And they reason stated for dumping it was gasoline prices? And the vast majority of JWs were so thrilled when that meeting got tossed, I thought, "Why not toss all the meetings?"... So that's what I eventually did. LOL
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  68

  Anonymous v. Silentlambs... things are starting to get ugly

  by cedars in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  bowen fights back.... .

  http://www.silentlambs.org/trustsilentlambs.htm.

  cedars.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Silentlambs was the first website I checked out when I heard the NBC news report years ago. It clearly had the ring of truth to it. From there, I found my way to JWfacts and here. Frankly, there were plenty of other "apostate websites" that were crazy enough to probably have convinced me to return to WT, but silentlambs got through to me, motivating me to investigate more.

  People like Bill and Barbara were brave to step forward and speak up about the issue of WT protecting pedophiles in the congregations. I realized that their courage to step forward would make them targets of personal attacks and smear campaigns. I have no expectations that they're perfect or superheros. Dig deep and you'll find plenty of flaws in them, and certainly in me. Flaws that WT hides with propoganda, lawyers, and money, and that anonymous hides with anonymity.

  So what's next for anonymous? Since they haven't destroyed WT yet, perhaps they will...

  • Start an attack on Silentlambs to deface or shutdown the website?
  • Go after Barbara or anyone else involved with helping victims, but weren't victims themselves?
  • Post scathing expose of Raymond Franz?
  • Attack Rick at Screens and reveal Johnny's real identity?
  • List every factual error posted here on JWN and a database with all our real names and addresses?

  If anonymous can't think of anything better to do than to attack Silentlambs and Bill Bowen, I think they need to clarify their raison d'être.

  Does my posting this now mean that anonymous is going to focus their efforts to bring down Watchtower on personally attacking me?
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  100

  Post 607: Reject 607 BC if You TRULY Trust the Bible!!!

  by Londo111 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  therefore, if the 70 years period is for the destruction of jerusalem and exile at babylon:.

  if zedekiah had not rebelled against babylon, had he surrendered during the final siege that lasted two and a half years, then the destruction of jerusalem and the deportation need not have happened.

  then in the jubilee year, they were set free and their hereditary land was returned to them.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  scholar will not be bothered with trivialities like get spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar correct.

  scholar will begin every sentence with either "scholar" or "I", randomly switching between first and third person.
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  42

  I am new here and need help...or just a listening ear

  by Fallingaway in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my husband and i have two small children, one of which recently became an unbaptised publisher and joined the school.

  my husband is an elder and firmly committed to our family and loves me deeply as i love him.

  i would like to find a way for all of us to fade away as we have family in the organization that we do not want to lose.

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  Billy the Ex-Bethelite

  Welcome!

  We're coming out of the JW world where we're told what to think, do, and believe. Once you realize that their "spiritual paradise" is a sham, there are no easy answers for the real questions in life. How do you get out of the JW cult? Can you keep your family? Should you still believe the Bible? Will you still believe in God?

  You'll find a lot of different opinions and experiences here. The first step is to take the time to think, plan, get to know yourself and what you want out of life. Think about your options and look for opportunities. Remember, you don't have to be in a huge hurry and rush any decisions, it's not like armageddon is coming tomorrow.