Posts by abbagail

12

Comments Please

by searcher in

isaiah 10:1,2 (nwt) .

woe to those who are enacting harmful regulations and those who, constantly writing, have written out sheer trouble, 2 in order to push away the lowly ones from a legal case and to wrest away justice from the afflicted ones of my people

sounds prophetic to me!

abbagail

Hi searcher! I'm looking at Amos 3:13,15:

'"Hear and give witness to the house of Jacob,' is the utterance of the Lord Jehovah, the God of the armies. For, in the day of my holding an accounting for the revolts of Israel against him, it will also hold an accounting against the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will certainly be cut off and must fall to the earth. And I will strike down the winter house in addition to the summer house. And the houses of ivory will have to perish, and many houses will have to come to their finish,' is the utterance of Jehovah.'"

I threw in v. 14, too. So what do you make of the winter and summer houses? And the rest of the houses I would think means the K.Halls, eh?

I've never been able to get a copy of the Isaiah book nor the newer Daniel book, but I'd be interested how the society is currently interpreting Daniel because I hear several TV evangelists giving their views on it, and I have to admit what they say makes sense, i.e., the antichrist will come out of the Roman Empire per Daniel, they say, which they explain is the same as the new European Union... and many other facts which I cannot remember now. When I hear them talk about it, it's quite fascinating.

Grits

14

Damn Straight

by D8TA in

abbagail

Just your 50 cents Grits!!!

Ahhhh, how right you are, searcher!

And I remember when a year's sub for the mags was like one or two bucks!

In the late '70s if you wrote the WTS about literature, they would send you a list of what they had with prices. Even in the backs of the older books, on the last page where it would show other titles of books, they always had a price next to those, too.

And now that you mention it, I do remember in the late '80s the big mess with another religious group being before the courts about having to pay taxes on their literature, and I remember the "buzz" around the KHalls was that the society was being pro-active by changing to the contribution-mode in order to keep the 'wild beast' from attacking the society for charging for literature. I had forgotten WHICH religious group, so it was Swaggert, eh?

Almost every change they make is prompted by outside events.

But what about food at the conventions? What brought about them stopping food service? And what year did that happen? (I've been out since '90).

Grits

24

"Work that will be completed in our 20th c...

by 67mustang in

i read an article about a 1989 watchtower that stated the preaching work would be completed in our 20th century, but was revised in the bound volume to say "in our day".

i told my brother this and he said, "if it's on the net about jw's it's a lie".

i want to prove to him it was a fact.

abbagail

Haven't been here for a few days, but it looks like Mustang is now covered with that '89 WT?

I just now looked thru my box of old mags before checking this site, and I could not find a loose copy. The first '89 issue I had was February. I do have the '89 bound volume, so I guess I didn't keep all of the loose '89 copies.

Glad someone was able to get it for you, though.

And Saint Satan, who in the world is paying $100 for old WTs? :-)

Grits

9

WT: Practice What They Preach?

by abbagail in

this watchtower excerpt was on the silent lambs guestbook page.

the wording is so crystal clear, you wonder how they got so off track with the sex abuse?

fwiw, i found this very very interesting indeed... grits.

abbagail

Thanks searcher, I see what you mean... I forgot about that scripture - hypocrites in their whitewashed graves. And with the news of Bill Bowen's DF'ing, all the more hypocritical in all aspects, i.e., df'ing the one who takes action about abuses; yet they keep the ones in the congs doing the abusing. Something's totally backwards!

And blondie, hey girl! Thanks for the hard work posting all that info from all those WT's!! It consistently appears they wish to keep their traps shut and keep themselves out of any tanglings with the law by saying over and over, "That Ain't MY JOB, Man!" Not paying taxes is a long shot from VIOLENT CRIME, like sex abuse, rape, torture, domestic abuse, etc.

I think they showed their true double-standard in the last paragraph: "If anyone steals, murders, libels, cheats on his taxes, rapes, defrauds, uses illegal drugs, or in any other way opposes lawful authority, he will face severe discipline from the congregation..." OH REALLY? Doesn't appear so in the case of the sexual abuses they've been sitting on for decades.

Arrrgggh!

Grits

30

STUPID ELDERS AND CIRCUIT OVERSEERS

by minimus in

jw
friends

how many stupid elders and co's have you known???

years ago, one co used to stop at music stores so that he could sit behind a piano and play beethoven.this was during field service!

i knew of a stupid elder that knew a father who had been an elder and was deleted for immorality with his daughters, and this stupid elder wanted to recommend him to be an elder again!!!

abbagail

Minimum! LOLOLOL!!!! Now I get what you mean. Can't believe the "friends" (sound more like bozo's) willingly sat in the car while Liberace went inside to play! Too funny.

And, Dismembered, yeah. If I knew THEN what I know NOW, I would have done everything differently. For one, I never would have offered/confessed to anything. I would have taken the JW 5th, i.e., "You yourselves are saying it." AND, I might not have stayed away all the ensuing years, IF I had had their backup and support when everything came crashing down.

Dear ugg! Here's a [[[[[[[[HUG]]]]]]]]] What a nightmarish scenario you painted there. Sounds like a true mysogynist, your spirit-appointed-elder-hubbie. So sorry!

Grits

14

Damn Straight

by D8TA in

abbagail

That's a Nifty Sign for sure! Black and Red says it all -- Really gives it that Satanic effect.

True about pricing. The literature definitely used to have a PRICE LIST. I had them in my own hands. It changed when they switched to the contribution system back in the late 80's, I think it was.

But, like GA says (I'm in FL, so yes to the southern hospitality, I guess) -- It didn't matter to ME whether John Q Public was supposed to pay or contribute... Either way I 99% avoided asking for or suggesting donations/contributions. I just bought the literature myself, and if someone was really interested, I gave it to them. I hated asking (or suggesting) for MONEY, period. I mean, big deal, a quarter or fifty cents? It wasn't worth the humiliation of asking/suggesting the householder for moola.

Just my Two Cents. ;)

GRITS

12

Comments Please

by searcher in

isaiah 10:1,2 (nwt) .

woe to those who are enacting harmful regulations and those who, constantly writing, have written out sheer trouble, 2 in order to push away the lowly ones from a legal case and to wrest away justice from the afflicted ones of my people

sounds prophetic to me!

abbagail

Thanks for this, searcher! I commented on it on the Joe Anderson page, I think it was...

The phrase that jumped out at me was this one:

...and those who, constantly writing, have written out sheer trouble

WHO could be the seen as prolific writers even MORE SO than the Watchtower? What other religious group has MORE books, mags than the WTS? Even the CC doesn't have FOUR MAGS a month, does it? That phrase really socked me. Amazing how, even though having read the Bible probably 10 times thru during my JW years, I don't ever recall reading that scripture ONE single time. I love how the Bible is ALIVE and EXERTS POWER at just the right time!

And if there was EVER a scripture to describe EXACTLY what the society is doing/has done to the sex abuse victims, this IS IT!!!

in order to push away the lowly ones from a legal case and to wrest away justice from the afflicted ones of my people.

Whew! That is HEAVY and sooo perfect!

And thanks to Chester for edifying us on what the fairly new Isaiah book has to say on that verse. Shoulda guessed the GB would apply it that way... "Get the rafter out of your OWN eye," comes to mind...

Grits

Edited by - grits on 24 July 2002 7:43:34

30

STUPID ELDERS AND CIRCUIT OVERSEERS

by minimus in

jw
friends

how many stupid elders and co's have you known???

years ago, one co used to stop at music stores so that he could sit behind a piano and play beethoven.this was during field service!

i knew of a stupid elder that knew a father who had been an elder and was deleted for immorality with his daughters, and this stupid elder wanted to recommend him to be an elder again!!!

abbagail

Good thread. I love reading elders stories. Tell us more!

Wish I'd been in the piano-elder's group while in service: Get to get out of the hot sun, go inside to air conditioning, get to sit down and get off your feet, and get your own private concert to boot. :-) Always loved watching people play the piano anyway. Amazes me how they can DO that...

SunshineToo: When I turned myself in, the elders didn't exactly shed tears, but they really were PAINED and BEGGED me to reconsider with earnestness and caring in their voices. So I remember them as basically good guys, too. Or, let's say I never had a bad run-in with anybody. Now, did they ever make shepherding calls all during my JW years? Not a one. Guess they figured I was well-grounded so why bother? The first four years I lived next door to an elder and his wife, so I guess they figured he was the one to make sure I was OK. Near the end when I was "drifting in my heart," no one even noticed until it was too late.

Being a single sis with no fleshly family in the org, you could say I had been a CO/DO 'groupie' in that I loved it when they came to town and livened up the meetings, and went out in service w/the group as much as possible, thinking I'd get some of their "wisdom" sprinkled on me in the process, sort of like Peter-Pan/Disney World "star dust." -- Even had a DO and his wife carry boxes up 3 flights of stairs when I was moving apartments. Can't remember how that came about, though. (I was ALWAYS moving while a JW -- you know, trying to find the cheapest place to live so I could work less so I could go out in service more... EXHAUSTING! all that moving around!)

Now, were some of the local elders ODD? Yes! Were some of them stupid acting? Yes! Were some of them ANNOYING in their boring talks or habits? (enough to really try one's patience, yes yes!!).

Grits

73

Joe Anderson's Letter

by silentlambs in

jw
friends

j. anderson

june 5, 2002

service department.

abbagail

PS: For more insight into the PERSON and life of Joe Anderson, go to this link:
< <a href=" http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=32862&site=3>"; target="_new"> http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=32862&site=3>;;

Edited by - grits on 24 July 2002 4:36:0

36

I spoke to Joe Anderson...

by Littlebit in

jw
friends

joe anderson thought you'd like to know what caused him to be invited to attend a judicial hearing held in his honor.

fyi, joe sent a copy of his resignation letter to two governing body members, dan sydlik and jack barr, men who joe and barbara were quite friendly with.

he thought that since so much time had passed since barbara's appeal letter was given to the local elders and nothing was happening to bill bowen or barbara, that maybe these gb members were holding things up because of receiving his letter and giving more thought to the whole issue.

abbagail

Yes, littlebit, thanks for sharing insight into the PERSON of Joe Anderson, his background, years of service, his feelings, his life, etc. It helps all of us out here to know moreso the kind of honest brother he really is.

And welcome, I see you are a brand new newbie. I like your name, littlebit. Petite?
There was another newbie who posted, but I can't see the name from this page. Welcome anyway!

And JT: Loved your story/memories of days gone by. It's always really neat to hear what others experienced, especially the feelings of the black brothers. The cong I was in for 11 years was 75% black.

When I got to work in the Admin. office at 2 DC's, I thought surely I had been "blessed with privileges" by Jehovah God himself (and all the "perks" that went with it, such as getting to PARK right at the big garage-like-door of the back entrance of the coliseum rather than a mile away; and got to wear that A-badge you guys describe). Now to find out I was just an employee for another corp. Ho Hum.

To any visitors who might see this thread, for the rest of the Joe Anderson story, go to this link:
< http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=32601&site=3&page=1>;

Grits