Posts by DNCall

16

What makes a WORLD famous musician?

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

my brother attended a college for those who " f..led" up at school and got a second chance to do the exams.

anyway george michael and andy ridgley, were two of those fu..k ups, and my brother was quite friendly with both.

as a result i met george and andy before they found fame with wham.. geri hallaway ( spice girl) also came from watford when she grew up and was a friend of my sister ( her mum a j.w) and i once spoke with geri on the phone when she rang asking to speak with my sister.

DNCall

From across the pond . . . having grown up in Los Angeles, the son of a music publisher/record label owner, I have known great musicians all my life and especially when becoming active in the music business. I'm not going to drop names of the many that I have known (you can PM me for that); however, I will give you the story of Otis Redding, whom I met when quite young. My father was the first person to record him. He was 18 or 19 at the time. His talent was fully realized at that age. Because my father didn't have strong promotion for his label and because he would not practice payola (paying radio program directors--it's technically illegal--he was a Witness), the records didn't go anywhere. Otis didn't give up. Within two years he landed a contract with a major label that did have the power to promote him, and the rest is history.

I have observed that world class musicians have these things in common: a great deal of talent, drive, are allied with those who have drive, discipline and luck.

The website LuteRecords.com is a tribute to my father's label. More information about my family's niche in the music business can be found there.

75

"The way of the truth is the best way of living. No better way can there be found."

by nicolaou in

"the way of the truth is the best way of living.. no better way can there be found.".

remember that?

it's the opening line to 'make the truth your own'.

DNCall

I missed this thread when it originally appeared. I left Jehovah's Witnesses after 56 years and I must say that my life has improved tremendously since leaving. The original lyrics were: "The way of the Truth is the best way of living, but no one can live it for you." I know because I wrote those lyrics along with the melody that goes with them.

Many here, like me, are out after being in. We are in a better position to inform those who are still in as to how much better life is since leaving. I realize that this is as hard to understand for those still in as it would have been for me when I wrote those words. But if you are still in, please know that a better life can be found. And it isn't found in just one place. It can be found in as many places as there are people on this amazing planet we all share.

46

Can somebody explain the songs and songbook obsession?

by careful in

i've been out a while and have only put in a rare appearance at a memorial or brief visit at a convention/assembly to keep people off my back, so i haven't kept up on the songbook.

but one thing i've noticed that the org.

has been doing that they never did when i was in is all these "supplemental songs" that keep appearing.

DNCall

Having worked in the music department for 20 years, from 1986 to 2006, I can say that all of your responses are correct and show excellent deductive skills.

The only thing I can add is to reinforce that David Splane is the game changer. His approach was well received among the music people, as we had been clamoring for music to play a more prominent role as an emotional vehicle for some time. Other factors are that one of the professional arrangers used on occasion suggested adding new songs to see what the reaction would be. Any song that was a "hit" with the r&f would be considered for inclusion in the next book. The lead musician has long been of the opinion that group singing has always been a healthy pastime, and although not practiced as much in modern times, should be revived.

What have always stifled the creativity and quality a number of the musicians are capable of, are the restrictions imposed by and musical taste of the GB. So long as the GB signs off on the finished product, you are going to have uninspiring, poor-quality music.

As far as connecting with young people, I think the Pew studies show how effective JWs are with this. Kind of like the way George Burns described having sex as a 90-plus-year-old: "It's like shooting pool with a rope."

72

My RC hearing brought forward. Will be in two weeks

by umbertoecho in

through this forum of wonderful freaks, i have met someone who is coming with me to my hearing.

initially i was slated for next year, but will be attending in two weeks time.

all is in place from travel vouchers, support, where to go ............very efficient and well done.

DNCall

I think Bafh's list is succinct and stays within the issue at hand. The only thing I could think of in addition to Bafh's list is that trained women within each congregation be used to inquire of and counsel female victims. These specially-trained women should be made known to the congregation so that female victims may approach them with their accounts of abuse.

I also believe that revoking their tax exempt status will act as a strong incentive for Watchtower to comply with the mandated policy changes. Historically and from testimony given by Witness representatives, it is clear that Watchtower does not make policy changes mandated by outside authority. It is a matter of religious principle with them. This calls for the type of drastic measure that revoking their tax exempt status would be.

4

Just Saw "Spotlight"

by DNCall in

we just returned from seeing spotlight and really enjoyed it.

the film is based on the account of the boston globes expose of the systemic problem of pedophilia within the catholic archdiocese of boston.

the end crawl of the movie documents the prevalence of this problem in archdioceses worldwide that have come to light since that time in the early 2000s..

DNCall

We just returned from seeing “Spotlight” and really enjoyed it. The film is based on the account of the Boston Globe’s expose of the systemic problem of pedophilia within the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. The end crawl of the movie documents the prevalence of this problem in archdioceses worldwide that have come to light since that time in the early 2000s.

Of course, the scale is much, much smaller within Jehovah’s Witnesses, but one thought from the movie especially resonated with me. It put forth the idea of a conspiracy of silence growing out of priests knowing that a high percentage of them violated their vows of celibacy through, among other things, pedophilia. This idea speaks to the psychology behind a conspiracy of silence such that it’s not just about protecting the image of the Church. There is a personal component that drives it.

This rang true to me, knowing as we do that there is knowledge among the Governing Body of similar abhorrent sins by its own members. Although there is no celibacy doctrine to obey, there is the expectation that the Governing Body of the One True Religion be “unspotted, unblemished.” Knowing that this has not been the case fosters a culture of silence from the top down.

I should point out that I am not just accepting anecdotal evidence of this level of sin among the Governing Body. When I was serving as an elder, in the course of conversation, a sister in our congregation volunteered that her younger brother was molested by a member of the Governing Body back when they were members of the same congregation in Brooklyn. The Governing Body at the time dismissed their fellow member but he remained in good standing, serving as a Special Pioneer outside of Bethel.

As of now, we have heard “conspiracy of silence” applied to cases of pedophilia among Jehovah’s Witnesses in court documents and in transcripts from the Australian Royal Commission proceedings. I think a personal component driving the conspiracy of silence has merit. What do you think?

44

Decrease of numbers in Jehovah's Witnesses via Deaths, DFings, or Turning Inactive

by flipper in

jw
friends

so i'm sure a good number of us saw the chart that i believe the poster splash put on another thread of figures since 1990 regarding how many baptized and % of increase each year .

i started analyzing it ( and i know some referred to it briefly on the other thread ) and guessing of reasons the % of increase didn't match the number of newly baptized.

and of course common sense tells us that either jw's leave the cult each year through death, fading into inactivity, or getting dfed.

DNCall

Coded Logic: It took me a moment grasp your point but I think I understand you. It has to do with those newly baptized already being counted as unbaptized publishers. So, if you subtract the increase in publishers from the total of newly baptized, the remainder would be those who were allowed to be baptized without first being unbaptized publishers. Is that correct?

16

Crazy things said by Higher Rank Witnesses

by GrownMidget in

it was the week when circuit overseer comes and my relatives wanted to offer the food.

i had got my school friend, a muslim girl, going into the meetings and she actually progressed and went to the field service, but never got baptized and one day she just disappeared.well anyway, this overseer comes for the free lunch and then when we are sitting in the table with his wife and my relatives, the muslim girl comes as the subject.

overseer throws out this absurd asshole joke that because their family doesn't like witnesses his father will come with a truck and drives it through the kingdom hall wall and then it explodes.

DNCall

VI: I remember that being at the L.A. Sports Arena. ?? Knorr was there too. He borrowed my songbook. Never got it back.

47

Suicide or Real Freedom? - My Story As One Of Jehovah's Witnesses

by dubstepped in

"sometimes i think the only thing i could do that wouldn't upset someone would be to kill myself.".

those were the frustrated words of my friend as we stood out in his large yard in the country, just about to enjoy a nice bonfire on a beautiful night.

what was it that could have been a lesser evil than killing himself?

DNCall

You have been up against so many things your entire life. Congratulations for enduring it all and conquering. Congratulations to Jenny as well. You both are so deserving of (and unless you've been a Witness or a hostage or critically ill, you wouldn't understand) normalcy. I wish you every success.

47

Taking bets on how long this cult will last and what will happen to it

by macys in

i wanna make a poll here.

how many years do you think the jdub cult will exist as is and what will happen to it?.

i say the growth stops this year and starts to decline.

DNCall

First let me say, You Rock! The first post I read of yours said, "Jesus was gay. True story." Really funny, and since reading a number of your other posts, I appreciate your positive approach to life.

On topic, I think the stage is set for a significant collapse of the organization. The only thing that has been cited that may keep the organization going is that some people will always need what they're selling. I see this eroding along with everything else that has sustained the organization's existence. Maybe not at the same rate as the other things, but erosion nonetheless. Scandal, decades of wrongheaded business management, brain-drain at the top and an unsustainable theology will change it forever--and maybe even end it. At the rate it is going, ten years seems like a reasonable time frame for all of this to take place.

31

Hello everyone! I am new here and want to tell you about myself - my bio

by Hollywood20 in

jw
friends

grew up in east la in a bad neighborhood to a black mother and white father.

i never knew my father because he died in a car accident when i was a few weeks old.

my mother converted as a jw soon after when two sisters came to her door and offered her comfort, which was something she needed.

DNCall

Hi Hollywood, and welcome. It has been my experience and also my observation as a musician, that if you suppress your gifts it never fails to hurt you at some point. For the most part, I have stayed active in the music business, even during the 50 years that I was a JW. Like the others, I would suggest you try to salvage the opportunity you had several years ago if that is possible. You describe it as a "once in a lifetime opportunity." Maybe it was. But don't let it be your only opportunity. I recently heard a saying that struck me as being so true: "Successful people have had many more failures than less successful people." Both in my life and in the lives of people I have known who have been famously successful, this has been the case.

I live not far from you. If I can be of any encouragement along these lines, please private message me.

Wishing you all the best.