Posts by BonaFide

33

Do you wish SUFFERING on some human beings? Should you?

by BonaFide in

with the recent illness of a gb member who has hurt many people, some have commented that they would like to have him suffer, various ways have been mentioned including having his mind fine, but his body suffering.. we all here have a hatred for child molesters, abusers, those who make others suffer.. and there are many examples in history as well.

hitler, josef mengele, john wayne gacy, and many others.. is it right to want them to suffer for what they have done?

should they be made to undergo the exact same suffering they inflicted on others?.

BonaFide

LWT, I love your photo. It looks like your baby girl is looking right at you. Very cute.

I hope to have children one day, I bet I would feel the same way you do if someone harmed them.

BF

23

Circuit Overseers are under pressure to produce - My experience

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

so we have all seen the yearbook or the wt with the yearly statistics.. when i became a c.o., at my first meeting with the other c.o.

's at the branch, i was handed a piece of paper with statistics on it for that past year, both of the circuit i was assigned to serve, and the total stats in the country.. here are the stats that the branch keeps track of:.

publishers, congregations, bible studies, baptized, memorial attendance, pioneers, aux pios, etc.

BonaFide

So we have all seen the Yearbook or the Wt with the yearly statistics.

When I became a C.O., at my first meeting with the other C.O.'s and D.O.'s at the branch, I was handed a piece of paper with statistics on it for that past year, both of the circuit I was assigned to serve, and the total stats in the country.

Here are the stats that the Branch keeps track of:

Publishers, Congregations, Bible Studies, Baptized, Memorial Attendance, Pioneers, Aux Pios, etc. These numbers everyone has.

BUT THEY GAVE THE TRAVELING OVERSEERS MORE STATISTICS: (Annual)

Memorial Partakers

Number Disfellowshipped

Number Reinstated

Number Irregular

Number Inactive

Number Reactivated

Percent Publisher Growth

Number of Elders and Ministerial Servants

At our C.O. and D.O. meetings with the Branch that we had every year, we went over and over these numbers. The C.O.'s with the highest percentage of increase were asked to tell us how they did it. We got into some serious competition to have the most growth.

They also focused on the contributions, although we did not get numbers about that. They told us that a circuit's spirituality can be measured by its contributions to Jehovah.

Thought you might like to know.

BF

426

One of the Governing Body had a stroke yesterday

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

on may 19th, theodore jaracz had a stroke.

he's in very serious condition in the hospital.. that's all the information i have for now.. barb.

BonaFide

I know those of us that have been treated rather well by the Society are a minority. I had two surgeries actually, while a missionary. Both in NY. Both my airfare round-trip to NY was paid. And the surgeries? I never saw a bill. The doctor's offices I would be sent to by the Bethel Office would hand me an envelope and say, "Give that to your people at Watchtower." I suppose it was the bill.

The one thing that I think some members here are having a hard time getting their head around, is why Ted Jaracz acted the way he did.

I think you might like this background info. My Branch Coordinator in my missionary assignment, who has since passed away, was in brother Jaracz's congregation here in the US when he was a boy. Brother Jaracz was the Congregation Servant at age 19 or 20. Yes, that's right. 19 or 20. I can't remember what city, though, I have it in some old notes somewhere.

Anyway, my Branch Coordinator said that brother Jaracz was very focused as a young man. He took his responsibility seriously as Congregation Servant. So for someone like him, who GREW UP in the Organization, then was appointed as a young man to a position of responsibility, he would really take it seriously.

I was the same way. I could not believe I was appointed as an elder at 24. (Foreign countries appoint younger men) Then at 28, I was appointed as a circuit overseer. I remember praying for hours in my room in the missionary home over this. The Branch Coordinator told me that I was now the shepherd for 1200 people. He told me to be careful as I was a young C.O.

So understand that Ted Jaracz would have been indoctrinated as a young person to follow the Organization. Then he was appointed as a young man to be Congregation Servant. Lots of responsibility, and the idea that God appointed you to have that responsibility.

Then he went to Gilead, and became Branch Servant of Australia, as they called them then. Can you imagine a young man thinking he is appointed by God to be a Branch Servant of an entire country? In his mind, he is more important than the president.

Then eventually he was appointed as a member of the Governing Body, again the youngest one I believe. He would have been about 50 years old. By that time his entire life would be in the Organization.

So when we try to figure out why he didn't make sense, and why he didn't seem to care about people, well, in his own way he did. You can see in that interview on Panorama, he is uncomfortable because he can't see why a worldly person would have the right to ask him anything! He is a man of God! An appointed member of the Governing Body! How dare she ask HIM a question! He is only God's servant doing what he is supposed to do! God's Kingdom will rid mankind of all those problems, so why raise a fuss NOW?

Another thing I think is interesting is that in my understanding, brother Jaracz refused to have his life story published in the Watchtower. My Branch Coordinator told me once that all the GB were told by the Writing Department to have their life stories in the WT. I think I remember only brother Jaracz and brother Henschel refusing. The others gave photos and experiences and were happy to have their article published.

I just never saw brother Jaracz look for personal glory. In his talks, he never seemed to direct attention to himself. He saw himself as a servant of God with a heavy responsibility. He thought we was like Moses and Paul, he really did. "I must lead the people of God."

I think that those of us that were in "special service" for years, we can see how some things could happen. I mean, I lived and breathed the Organization for almost all my life. I used to write letters to the Branch regarding policy. I even wrote to NY a couple of times, and they answered me through the Branch. I worked hard for reform, as I saw it. I didn't think for myself because I never learned how. I looked up to the GB and brothers like Jaracz. I accepted the reality that was presented to me as being the truth, the only way.

Brother Jaracz, I really believe, would have gone and lived in a hut with no electricity and no running water, if he thought that was Jehovah's will.

There is a subtle way of directing attention to yourself on the platform, I have done it I am sorry to say, and I have seen others such as C.O.'s and D.O.'s do it many times. And in groups as well, talking about how "even those of us as circuit overseers" are "counseled" by the Society, and how "even we as circuit overseers need to progress."

I have never seen brother Jaracz do it.

Yes, he has to shoulder a lot of blame for so much suffering. But I am unsure that some here realize WHY he did what he did, and WHAT REALLY MADE HIM TICK. If you are CONVINCED that you are God's appointed servant, and that God will soon fix everything, and not to worry now, what would YOU do?

Ok, rant over.

BF

4

Who was the guy...

by jamiebowers in

jw
friends

that was the first non-anointed one to be put in charge of one of the wt's corporations, and what was he in charge of?.

BonaFide

Don Adams, Pennsylvania corp, 2000?

BF

33

Do you wish SUFFERING on some human beings? Should you?

by BonaFide in

with the recent illness of a gb member who has hurt many people, some have commented that they would like to have him suffer, various ways have been mentioned including having his mind fine, but his body suffering.. we all here have a hatred for child molesters, abusers, those who make others suffer.. and there are many examples in history as well.

hitler, josef mengele, john wayne gacy, and many others.. is it right to want them to suffer for what they have done?

should they be made to undergo the exact same suffering they inflicted on others?.

BonaFide

With the recent illness of a GB member who has hurt many people, some have commented that they would like to have him suffer, various ways have been mentioned including having his mind fine, but his body suffering.

We all here have a hatred for child molesters, abusers, those who make others suffer.

And there are many examples in history as well. Hitler, Josef Mengele, John Wayne Gacy, and many others.

Is it right to want them to SUFFER for what they have done? Should they be made to undergo the EXACT SAME SUFFERING they inflicted on others?

Would you PERSONALLY be willing to inflict that punishment on them? Or does a person who tortures a torturer perpetuate a vicious cycle and become just like that person?

BF

46

What was the stupidest advice you ever taken from the Kingdom Hall?

by asilentone in

.

BonaFide

A circuit overseer told me, "Only the married brothers can hug the sisters at the Kingdom Hall. The single brothers can't. It's because the married sisters don't expect anything other than a hug."

True story.

BF

28

Does anyone have actual EVIDENCE that Bethel is watching this site?

by BonaFide in

jw
friends

or is that not a good question to ask because bethel will read it and use the information somehow?.

i am still curious though.. bf.

BonaFide

Scott77, I sent you a pm

22

My JW Daughter's M-I-L Tries to Shun Me in Bank Parking Lot- Sad / Funny

by flipper in

jw
friends

the way the jehovah's witnesses treat us is so bizarre - you couldn't make this stuff up !

have i ever had two weeks from jw hell.

so i parked at the bank and as i was getting out of my truck my jw's daughter's mother in law ( also jw ) was walking to her truck.

BonaFide

Sorry that happened to you Mr. Flipper. I haven't really experienced that yet.

I will say though that when I was a believer, I WANTED to talk to the DF'd ones, but I thought the BEST THING FOR THEM was to not say hello. Sometimes I just went ahead and said hi, especially if they looked kinda sad. But I thought it was for their good, their everlasting good that i didn't speak to them.

I remember several comments at the meeting saying how the best way to show love to a disfellowshipped person is to not speak to them. They will feel bad and will come back to Jehovah.

I understand you are not disfellowshipped, but I think's its possible that some are being plain old mean, but that others ARE SINCERELY TRYING TO BE OBEDIENT FOR YOUR SAKE.

Remember, that's what we were taught. It still must hurt though.

BF

426

One of the Governing Body had a stroke yesterday

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

on may 19th, theodore jaracz had a stroke.

he's in very serious condition in the hospital.. that's all the information i have for now.. barb.

BonaFide

To C.T. Russell and others. I guess I should give some background. My father was never a Witness, and of course I was raised being taught that he was worldly, and had worldly wisdom.

I thought I needed a spiritual father figure. I didn't really get one as a young boy. When I was 19, I applied for Bethel and was rejected. Don't know why. Then, a year later, I was at a Kingdom Ministry School for elders and servants. Brother Jaracz was there, and he was talking about the new Ministerial Training School. I went up to him after and I asked about Gilead. He said, "MTS is the school for you." He seemed to me at the time genuninely interested in me and my "theocratic future." I was very motivated. I applied to MTS and was accepted. Then brother Jaracz came to our MTS class, and gave a couple of talks. I reminded him of his encouragement a couple of years previous, and he said, "Jehovah knows where to put us." He congratulated me on my having received a missionary assignment at such a young age and said that the future of younger missionaries rides on the reputation of current younger missionaries.

It was a couple of years later while visiting Bethel from my assignment that he said hello to me by name in the Bethel hallway. I guess as a young person, and his GB status, I was very impressed.

A few years later, I saw him again at a convention, I didn't have my badge on. He said, "Let's see, I know you are in Central America, I am trying to remember where." I was impressed again that he remembered me, and I talked about the growth in my assignment.

Later, when I needed some medical attention in NY, I called his office all the way from my missionary assignment. I don't know why I did that, I spoke to his secretary, who put me on hold. Then he said he would call another office, but for me to call them tomorrow. My medical attention was approved, they paid for me get a ticket to NY, and a Bethel driver picked me up. They paid for everything, actually, all of YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS paid for everything. When I was recuperating, and I felt fine, I offered to work at Bethel while waiting to go back to my assignment. The office told me not to worry about it, just enjoy the time off for a month.

So although I know he is responsible for so much suffering, I have learned a lot of his real personality lately. I was one of those who actually was treated well for the most part by the Society, at least as far as privileges were concerned. And personally by brother Jaracz as well, at least as far as I seemed to do well in my assignment.

I really think he thought he was Jehovah's instrument on earth. He thought that all of the problems and complaining were going to be solved soon by Jehovah, so why worry now? Why make changes to the Organization now? Jehovah is behind everything. He was delusional I think.

Anyway, that's why I said those things about him. I recognize the damage he has caused to so many, although not personally.

BF

426

One of the Governing Body had a stroke yesterday

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

on may 19th, theodore jaracz had a stroke.

he's in very serious condition in the hospital.. that's all the information i have for now.. barb.

BonaFide

I wonder what will happen now. Seems like Brother Jaracz was the one who ran everything. Seems to me anyway.

BF