I'd have disfellowshipped Matt for his attitude; how dare he calmly stand up to the glorious ones.
As an elder said to me during my exit, "forget what Jesus said".
this is the final of my series of podcasts in which the 3 circuit overseers decide my fate as a jehovah's witness.. my blog- deathorobedience.blogspot.com.
podcast 12 the final verdict- play the audio.
also available free on itunes (just search on itunes).. .
I'd have disfellowshipped Matt for his attitude; how dare he calmly stand up to the glorious ones.
As an elder said to me during my exit, "forget what Jesus said".
this is the final of my series of podcasts in which the 3 circuit overseers decide my fate as a jehovah's witness.. my blog- deathorobedience.blogspot.com.
podcast 12 the final verdict- play the audio.
also available free on itunes (just search on itunes).. .
Ronnie Hunter knows the script re. 607. This isn't the first time he's been involved with a case like this. He's had it consistently and calmly pointed out to him, along with many other Watchtower errors. I don't think he's deserving of sympathy for doing what he did in this case.
The Scottish guy doing most of the talking is Martin Benzie, career-JW. He's the chairman of the appeal committee. The other Scottish guy, the beligerent one, is Philip Jones, career-JW and MTS-grad (he didn't take up his assignment afterwards, but prefered to return to his home congregation, where he lived with his mum. Interesting story; he got married in his 40s. He and his bride didn't have their own home, so he went back to live with his mum and she went back to live with her parents until they got their own place...), regular pioneer. The English-Mid-Atlantic sounding guy (he's lived in Scotland since his early teens, yet still clutches the strange accent picked up in Australia, 40 years on) is Ian Shanks, career-JW, single, lives with his parents, erstwhile CO.
All 3 on the appeal committee have served, either as stand-ins or permanent, Circuit Overseers. All 3 are regular pioneers.
So, Matt's first committee disfellowshipped him for believing Jesus should be worshipped (look this up in the Reasoning Book). The appeal committee upheld this even though Matt showed them that it's in the Society's legal charter that Jesus should be worshippped (it's also in the Bible, but since when did that matter?). The final decision taken to disfellowship was based on Matt not showing honour to the 'glorious ones'. Who are the 'glorious ones' in this scenario? The elders on the appeal committee.
take the average born again.
they begin their day imagining a powerful imaginary friend, and then go around mocking rational people and daring them to disprove the imaginary friend exists.
some even hear voices from their imaginary friend and claim he exercises magic for their benefit.
Yes, I would agree. I'll happily retract my previous statements.
take the average born again.
they begin their day imagining a powerful imaginary friend, and then go around mocking rational people and daring them to disprove the imaginary friend exists.
some even hear voices from their imaginary friend and claim he exercises magic for their benefit.
Yes, he has a mental disorder.
take the average born again.
they begin their day imagining a powerful imaginary friend, and then go around mocking rational people and daring them to disprove the imaginary friend exists.
some even hear voices from their imaginary friend and claim he exercises magic for their benefit.
Child molestation is a crime resulting from a mental disorder.
richard dawkins said this:.
"...well, i think it is fair to say that if you were to...".
you can read it in context somewhere else probably.
Touche.
take the average born again.
they begin their day imagining a powerful imaginary friend, and then go around mocking rational people and daring them to disprove the imaginary friend exists.
some even hear voices from their imaginary friend and claim he exercises magic for their benefit.
I was at a church in Port Glasgow on Sunday night that's affiliated with Teen Challenge, a Christian outreach aimed at helping people with addictions. The church was packed, but most of those there weren't Christians; they were down-and-outs, prostitutes, addicts; people in the worst straits imaginable. We sang songs, a few people told their testimony of how their life had been cleaned up and then at the end massive boxes of food; bread, cakes, tinned goods etc, were brought out and those who needed it were able to take what they wanted.
Each Friday night throughout Glasgow and the surrounding area buses arrive with hot tea, coffee, soup, sandwiches on-board, manned by Christians who want to feed the hungry sleeping rough in the city. There's no evangelising. They just want to make a difference. Some of my closest friends work on these buses and they are the most sincere, kind people you could ever meet.
I fully recognise the appalling crap done in the name of Christ, the nutters who let children die rather than go to a hospital because they want God to heal their child, people who blow up abortion clinics and similar. It makes me sick to my stomach. But I don't think the minority of nut-job so-called Christians take away from the majority of Christians who genuinely want to make a difference in the world, whether it's through feeding the homeless, building schools in Africa or knocking doors with a Christian Aid collection tin.
take the average born again.
they begin their day imagining a powerful imaginary friend, and then go around mocking rational people and daring them to disprove the imaginary friend exists.
some even hear voices from their imaginary friend and claim he exercises magic for their benefit.
PWP, I think on occassion that you are over the top, but (if you will allow me) I put you with Chalam and PSacramento as Christians who I enjoy talking and debating these issues with, in spite of disagreements, etc.
May your god bless you.
Cheers mate.
take the average born again.
they begin their day imagining a powerful imaginary friend, and then go around mocking rational people and daring them to disprove the imaginary friend exists.
some even hear voices from their imaginary friend and claim he exercises magic for their benefit.
How'd I know PP would show up spouting nonsense about his oppressed people? Now all we need is Perry.
Y'know, it's weird, but when I saw your typically blunt post about locking all religious people up, I wasn't at all surprised!
take the average born again.
they begin their day imagining a powerful imaginary friend, and then go around mocking rational people and daring them to disprove the imaginary friend exists.
some even hear voices from their imaginary friend and claim he exercises magic for their benefit.
Christianity is not a mental disorder. But there are Christians who are mental.
My friend Jeff nails it with typical grace and aplomb.