freddo

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Posts by freddo

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  8

  Approved in 1919?

  by Labate in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i'm a little puzzled.

  if the wtbts was not approved by jehovah and christ until 1919, does that mean that they were not spirit guided until then?.

  if not, that would explain the countless errors in doctrine up to that time.. if, however, they were spirit guided, wouldn't that indicate that they had already been chosen?.

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  freddo

  If Rutherford and his cronies were approved by God in 1919 then I'm the King of England.
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  21

  Picture of Stephen Lett in 1976!

  by Iamallcool in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  https://macsdowell.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/1976-9-17-new-bethelites.jpg.

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  freddo

  The years have not been kind ...
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  30

  Flying Scotsman Visits My Town

  by cofty in

  1. social
  2. current

  the iconic steam engine the flying scotsman has been restored and is back on tour along the east coast main line between london and edinburgh.

  this evening it crossed the royal border bridge in berwick-on-tweed for the first time since it was put out of service in january 1963.. here are few shots.. .

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  freddo

  Flying Scotsman:

  Last run by B.R. in 1963. Bought by Alan Pegler and run as a private venture with some government backing until 1970. This loco often wore "smoke deflectors" but not always.

  The second tender was made to carry water in 1966 for railtours as steam facilities on the east coast of Britain were being withdrawn. By the late summer of 1968 all B.R. regular steam had been withdrawn.

  I believe the black and white picture by cofty was in late 1968 as the engine had been painted in LNER colours and is running a second (water) tender. Shortly after this final East Coast UK railtour Flying Scotsman toured the USA.

  Britannia:

  Built in right at the end of 1950 and entering service in January 1951 by British Railways as the first "standard" locomotive and withdrawn from service in 1966. She was used for King George VI's funeral train in February 1952. It has always worn "smoke deflectors"

  This locomotive is preserved and in running order being used for railtours.

  These engines are of similar power output - the Flying Scotsman being a more complicated 3 cylinder design with slightly bigger driving wheels for fast passenger work up to about 100 mph whereas Britannia was a post war "economical" 2 cylinder design equally at home on fast freight trains.
  
  
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  17

  Challenging JWs at Cult Carts

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if i have time i always talk to jws when i see a cult cart.. they are in a public forum promoting a harmful ideology therefore they are fair game.

  having said that, the individual jws on the trolley are not the enemy so i think it's better to keep it as friendly and non-confrontational as possible.. being realistic no jw is going to admit they are wrong because of something we say to them on the street but don't underestimate the long-term effect of doubts.. so what are your ideas for how to approach them?.

  personally i like to use the literature on the cart.

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  freddo

  @Cofty

  You said you used the literature on the cart.

  In the "Good News From God" brochure (A current favourite for JW's) Chapter 13 page 26 there is a priceless gem in the first paragraph.

  I quote from Chapter 13 - p.26.

  WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT RELIGION?

  1. Is all religion good?

  There are sincere people in all religions. It is good news that God sees those people and cares about them. But sadly, religion has been used for evil ends. (2 Corinthians 4: 3,4; 11: 13-15) According to news reports, some religions are even involved in terrorism, genocide, war and child abuse. How this saddens sincere believers in God!

  Read Matthew 24:3-5, 11,12.

  Red print highlight is mine of course.

  My dream:

  Me to JW's on cart: "What is the good news?"

  JW's: "We have a brochure about that ... here look."

  You: (After listening politely - turn to P26 and read out loud the complete paragraph above) "Hmmm ... Child Abuse eh? In Australia between 1950 and 2014 1006 cases of child abuse were recorded by Jehovah's Witnesses and not one of them was reported to the police. How sad does that make sincere believers in God?"

  JW's: "Err ummm apostates flounder ummm ... self justification ... "

  Me: "Shame on you! Shame on Anthony Morris 3rd! Shame on Geoffrey Jackson and the whole Governing Body!" (Stand perfectly still, say nothing for ten full seconds while they stammer and fluster. Hand back the brochure and say:) "And shame on you for standing here presenting your religion as being the so called "TRUTH".
  

  (Turn your back and walk away shaking your head.)
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  13

  1st Year not attending RC

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i feel relieved to spend that time doing anything else but sitting in a stadium for 8 hours with only an hour break listening to the same talks i've been hearing since i was a child.

  not to mention trying to keep my young boys quiet so i wouldnt get the evil looks in my section😂😂.

  lot of walking was going on for us to try and tire them out.

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  freddo

  I think my first year will be next year - as in at least some of 2017. I'm just being "bad" this year by going to a different one than the one I'm supposedly assigned. That way I figure I can have a weekend off when my congregation goes to the assigned "proper one" and we will have no meetings at our KH. Also I get the midweek meeting off before that one as well.

  A small victory bearing in mind that I have never missed before.
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  3

  Divination in a congregation in the early 80's?

  by purrpurr in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i was recently told by a jw relative about a congregation in the 80's i think in the uk but i'm not sure.

  this cong got involved with divination big time, like the whole cong pretty much.

  oujia boards the works and the branch had to go in there to clean up the cong, about half the cong were df'd and the whole elder body was taken down and replaced.. this is news to me, can anyone shed some light on this?.

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  freddo

  @ purrpurr

  Not as severe as the one you've mentioned but I remember an inner city UK congregation late 80's early 90's with more than half the publishers and several elders being from different ethnic backgrounds (Africa/Caribbean) where some of the teens were mucking around with "voodoo" dolls and the like. Big elder involvement and of course all the reports of "we couldn't burn this or that" (like demons stop things burning - ha). No removals of elders.

  Probably some kid made an effigy of his least favourite elder and started sticking pins in it! LOL!
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  21

  Question about baptism around 1973- can anyone answer for me?

  by Virgochik in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am hoping someone will take a look at this and be able to help me with my question.. i was baptized in 1973, you know, because i was a teenager and old enough to stand on my own when armageddon descended in 1975. .

  perhaps elders, or any former elders especially, but anyone who was around then could help me with this question, because i honestly don't recall, and really need to know.. what were the baptismal questions the candidates responded to back then?

  were we still asked if we repented of our sins, turned around, and were being baptized in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit?.

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  freddo

  Pre 85 it was the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit - don't know if it was different again in the early seventies.
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  9

  Children, you can go to Bethel when you grow up!

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/family/children/become-jehovahs-friend/videos/caleb-sophia-visit-bethel/.

  for those who haven't watched this, enjoy!.

  hang in there for the very last comment from caleb!

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  freddo

  While wearing a dress shirt and bow tie ...
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  25

  Raising kids in a split faith household

  by rathernotsay in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi guys, don't know if this is the right place to ask but id like to hear other peoples experiences with raising kids in a household with split faiths.

  just for a bit of a back story, my wife and i have been married for comming up 6 years.

  we have 3 kids, 2 boys aged 5 and 3 and a 8 week old girl.

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  freddo

  Give them an alternative that is appealing and rooted in common-sense. Ask them gentle questions. Offer alternative points of view.

  E.g.

  You to your 5 year old: "Tell me about Noah and the animals son?"

  5yo: "Two by two ... built a big boat ... bad people ... etc."

  You: "That's great! Then what happened?"

  5yo: "Jehovah saved them because they loved him!"

  You: "What about all the people and animals who didn't get in. What happened to them?"

  5yo: "They all died because they didn't love Jehovah!"

  You: "What they all drowned?!"

  5yo: "Yes!"

  You: "That sounds awful! I'd never kill anyone because they didn't love me. Perhaps some of it is just a story? Anyway, shall we go and get a McDonalds?"

  
  

  Or ... once a month during summer ...

  You to the whole family: "I'm going to the beach/lake/picnic on Sunday, who's coming with me?"

  Family: "We've got the meeting."

  You: "Well I'd love you to come to the beach - we can have fun together!"

  Wife: "Our meetings are important."

  You: "And so is family time so I'm going to the beach with the kids. If you want to take the baby to the meeting you can make other arrangements, I don't mind it's up to you."
  
  

  Little bits here and there. Little and often, little and often.

  
  
  
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  91

  My brother died last night

  by LisaRose in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i found out this morning that my brother died last night, he was also an ex jw, 73 years old and died of heart disease and kidney failure.

  it was not totally unexpected, as he had been in poor health, but it's a blow, especially as i just lost another brother two years ago.

  there were six of us, now only four.

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  freddo

  Sorry to hear this Lisa Rose.