Posts by Juan Viejo2

65

I walked out of an Elder's Meeting

by AlmightyDog in

well here goes... i apologize in advance if this turns into a long and disjointed rant, but i just have to begin typing in order to keep from exploding.

i realize that what im about to say could seriously jeopardize my anonymity, but i think ive reached the point that i just dont care.

i want this to be over.. let me explain what caused me to rip up a letter and get up and walk out in the middle of an elders meeting two weekends ago.. our boe has been embroiled in a nasty fight for the past 2 years over a certain brothers business dealings.

Juan Viejo2

AlmightyDog - You have a PM

JV

41

After leaving the JW's, why would anybody seek another religion

by Star tiger in

after such a traumatic experience in the jehovah's witness religion and reasoning on all other versions of religion, why do so many just jump ship into another religion offering the world but still delivering nothing!.

appreciate your comments,.

star tiger.

Juan Viejo2

I am always surprised at how many former ex-JWs end up in evangelical community churches. Some of them even support and practice "shunning" of dissident members. This totally amazes me.

It's like trading white wine for red. It may look different and even taste different, but it will still make you drunk and kill you if you drink too much of it.

BRCI, and some other more prominent ex-JW groups, seem to push a more liberal Southern Baptist teaching and ethic, like Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in Southern California. I've been to that church and I've read Warren's book, but it's still the same message that all evangelical churches push. While they really don't push their theology on stage, deferring to "feel good" music and "love your neighbor and be a good family member" sermons, when you go in for their "Bible studies," it's the same Trinitarian, Hellfire and brimstone, born-again theology most of us have realized to be the same warmed over Calvinistic crap we all tried to escape when we joined the Borg. An overweight, goateed, Hawaiian shirt wearing Bible thumper may be a more relaxed and entertaining religious leader, but he's still spouting the same fairy tales that conservative religous groups have taught for 600 years.

Is following Warren, Pat Robertson, Joel Osteen, Bob Schuller, Paul Crouch, and Benny Hinn the way to escape a religious cult. And the Mormons - I've known some very well - and they are for the most part good people, but they believe bigger fairy tales than the JWs could ever preach and their corporate structure is even more corrupt than that of the Watchtower.

When you finally escape from the cult, why in the world would you want to dive right back into another similar situation. Remember, William Miller (of the "Great Dissapointment"), the great-great grandfather of Jehovah's Witnesses - was a Baptist preacher.

JV

77

DC 2011 Strange omission from the releases

by JWFreak in

jw
friends

there are 3 really basic releases for the dc this year.

revised vol 1 of young people ask.................hmmm lot of work in that one.

new brochure.

Juan Viejo2

"Petting" vs. "Heavy Petting"

Heavy Petting is when you are no longer just "brushing by the nasty parts," and are actually manhandling them...

I think that's right. It's been a long time since I ever did any kind of petting. The only petting I do now is scratching the back of my Maltese.

JV

43

Menlo Park Kingdom Hall 3

by Juan Viejo2 in

for those of you that have been following the ongoing story of the forced take over of the menlo park, california kingdom hall, please go to:.

http://ex-jw.com/fear-and-loathing-in-menlo-park.

i'm sorry, the article is still a little rough and still needs a lot of editing, but i wanted to get it up by today at the latest.

Juan Viejo2

rebel8,

Sorry I missed your question. I can't can't get to all of the court records because I don't live in the area, although I travel there frequently. Some of the court documents are posted online on Justia, but not all. The local reporter has been helpful by getting PDF copies of the court documents and sending them to me. If you read the article "Fear and Loathing in Menlo Park" on Ex-JW.com, you will see at the end of the article I have posted copies of all the court documents that were available at that time.

Police reports are a different situation. Reporters can often see the police reports, but most are not readily available to the general public. Some other legal documents are also restricted unless you have official status or are a reporter for a local newspaper.

There are a lot of documents that I've seen in connection with this case, but not allowed to publish or make copies. Some of my contacts will tell me what a document says, but will not or can not provide me with a copy. So I must be careful to not overreach and make statements that can not be supported by clear evidence.

There is much more to this story. I have feelers out all over the country to find out the facts about other KH situations where the Kingdom Hall was snatched, taken over, or sold out from under the existing congregation. There is plenty of evidence that these things are going on, but it would be better to have names, dates and places to support the articles I write. For someone like me, who has no official status or credentials - as well as branded as an apostate, getting documented facts can be very difficult.

JV

1

Sacramento, Ca area Kingdom Halls

by Juan Viejo2 in

i'm hoping someone can help me with this:.

as many of you know, i've been reporting and researching on the takeover scandal at the menlo park kingdom hall.

there is much more to report on this case, which i will as soon as possible, but i've been asked to hold off for a bit while some things sort themselves out.. two requests:.

Juan Viejo2

I'm hoping someone can help me with this:

As many of you know, I've been reporting and researching on the takeover scandal at the Menlo Park Kingdom Hall. There is much more to report on this case, which I will as soon as possible, but I've been asked to hold off for a bit while some things sort themselves out.

Two requests:

1. Can anyone point me to three or more Kingdom Halls in the USA that have recently been taken over, shutdown, or combined where the existing elders were basically fired and maybe disgraced. I've heard from an anonymous contact located in Western Pennsylvania that this type of thing has happened there and also in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. Unfortunately, the information was only "a tip" and no specific locations could be provided to me or other contacts.

Richard Rawe, a well-known ex-JW elder from Washington state, experienced a situation like this, but his story dates back to the early 1990s. I'd like to hear something more current.

2. I've received a tip that a congregation in or near Sacramento, CA actually VOTED DOWN a proposed replacement or change in their Kingdom Hall. I do not have any specific information, but it seems to be similar to the Menlo Park situation, but the locals stood up to the RBC / WTBS and voted down a proposed merger or replacement. The rumor is that the RBC backed off, possibly because they did not want to have another Menlo Park scandal to deal with.

I'm located in Oregon, but travel to northern California frequently. If anyone knows about this case, or another similar situation, please contact me via PM or by email at jviejo@ex-jw.com. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I guarantee your total anonymity if you choose to assist me.

Thanks everyone! I've had a lot of help through this forum that I can never pay back, especially on the Menlo Park story. I expect a major turn of events in June (2011) in connection with that ongoing court case.

JV

51

Big JW mutiny in the Vancouver BC area!!

by 1914BS in

well this year'a assembly is over and the dubs in the vancouver bc area are mad at the gb.

about 100.000 dubs had to travel all the way to kamloops bc about a 300 mile drive one way!!.

i have heard that that each dub had to shell out $500 bucks and more for food and lodging just to hear some druel about scolio.

Juan Viejo2

Blondie - you have a PM...

87

Gems from the August 15, 2011 WT

by Ultimate Reality in

pdfs can be obtained at jw.org.... spiritual gem #1. perhaps witnesses should apply the standard the wt recommends for gathering information on the internet to wt publications; from page 4:.

(1) who published this.

material?

Juan Viejo2

If most of the most recent appointees to the Governing Body were still serving in local Kingdom Halls - and partook of the emblems - they most likely would be called in to account for themselves before a bunch of non-"anointed" elders. Everyone in the congregation would immediately suspect that they were mentally imbalanced or faking it.

Of course, in my mind there is no doubt that everyone on the Governing Body is faking it. If they were "anointed" they wouldn't be treating the rank and file like a bunch of inebriated dodos.

JV

37

Post a favorite male/female duet song

by journey-on in

here's one of mine:.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkfx0mmqb48.

.

Juan Viejo2

Mrs. Jones, that Kenny Loggins concert was amazing - and I just missed out on a chance to go to it. Loggins' duet with Michael McDonald ("What a Fool Believes") took a totally different approach to the Doobies' standard that Loggins co-wrote with McDonald. The back up musicians were first rate.

What a beautiful place to enjoy a concert, surrounded by massive redwoods. Sorry I missed it, but I have the DVD.

I won't post them here, but McDonald and Patty LaBelle's duet ("On My Own") and Patty Austin and James Ingram's "Baby Come to Me" are two others that I never tire of hearing.

JV

66

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

by Quendi in

i know this has been discussed before, but i want to reopen the topic.

i am currently reading ray franz's memoir crisis of conscience and ran across this footnote with respect to the new world translation of the holy scriptures:.

"the new world translation bears no translator's name and is presented as the anonymous work of the "new world translation committee.

Juan Viejo2

Quendi,

While I will support your position that the name "Jehovah" was published in some form as early as the 12th century, I stand by my initial statement:

==> "Jehovah" is the English version of the Greek version of the Hebrew version of the YHVH with added vowels <==

Yes, of course other languages use their own variations on the name Jehovah. I wasn't talking about German, or French, or Spanish or Swahili. That goes without saying.

There is no evidence of Jesus, while surrounded by his followers, commanding or even suggesting that they call the Father "Jehovah." Nor is it likely that he told them to call Him "Yahweh," although that is more likely than "Jehovah."

I still hold my position that there is no evidence that the name JEHOVAH has any particular significance or any higher accuracy than any other name for God Almighty that some cult wants to pull out of their ass.

JV

24

Its been six months...

by MrFreeze in

today is my 6th month anniversary of leaving the organizations.

time to have a beer and celebrate!.

Juan Viejo2

I'll drink a case of Corona in your honor, Mr. Freeze! Chilled, of course, with lime.

JV