Posts by Juan Viejo2

45

OK, What is this summer's District Convention Theme?

by Quarterback in

jw
friends

got the news this week as to where we are going to be, but, the elder making the announcement couldn't tell us what the da's theme was.. is this now a secret?

.

Juan Viejo2

"Evidently It's the Summer 2012 Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses" convention...

JV

45

OK, What is this summer's District Convention Theme?

by Quarterback in

jw
friends

got the news this week as to where we are going to be, but, the elder making the announcement couldn't tell us what the da's theme was.. is this now a secret?

.

Juan Viejo2

"Evidently the Holy Spirit Is Not Communicating Too Clearly" summer convention...

JV

32

Can you be a JW in good standing and NOT go door to door?

by Terry in

the 2nd president of the watchtower bible and tract society, j.f.rutherford was criticised by some elders in the (then) independant congregations for urging members to go door to door while neglecting to do so himself.

rutherford responded:.

frequently some elder says: the president of the society does not go from house to house selling books.

Juan Viejo2

Len, you are so right. Yahoo! Answers and Topix are full of JWs spending their time asking inane questions about some JW doctrine that no one else in the world would give a hang about. Then their questions are followed up by a dozen other obvious JWs who have simply copied and pasted some (frequently totally irrelevant) text from the Watchtower CD. It just shows that JWs don't have the ability to speak the "truth" in their own words, they can only parrot exactly what the Watchtower prints.

You know that they're all counting time for this unproductive time preaching to each other. When I'm in the mood, I always jump on and try to write something that tells the truth as it makes them look ridiculous for wasting everyone's time. I also call them out for their copy/paste answers.

JV

44

SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Jehovah!

by Terry in

you live; you die.

r: but, why give us a bible.

why send jesus to die for us if everything is "meaningless" for us?.

Juan Viejo2

Canonize Terry? Absolutely! Quite a few people who have claimed to have spoken to God have become saints and gone on to better things. St. Patrick became a snake chaser. St. Joan led a French army to defeat and then turned to ashes.

I think Terry's accomplishment most certainly qualifies him. In fact, Terry, I think you should write book #67 of the Holy Canon, The Revelations of St. Terry.

JV

80

I feel ethically compromised by Rick Fearon being allowed to continue posting here

by sabastious in

jw
friends

i'm not entirely sure why, but rick has been the biggest trigger for me.

i have said some very mean things to him that i regret and i apologize to rick for them.

but what he is doing leaves me feeling dirty and i don't even know him.

Juan Viejo2

Sabastious -

I'm sorry, but I have no idea what your point was in posting those two links. I see no value, only online shouting and end times drivel on OBVES's FocusontheBible2011 link. OBVES offers nothing of value. So, unless you are OBVES in Sabastious' clothing, why would you even refer to his site?

Rick's website may be sensationalistic and dark, but at least it is professionally presented. Plus he has a large group of sincere backers and friends who have good intentions. Rick's enterouge is made up of former JWs who really want to help those caught in the Watchtower's web of deceit, not push a bunch of ridiculous and unsupported eschatology on us as does OBVES.

JV

80

I feel ethically compromised by Rick Fearon being allowed to continue posting here

by sabastious in

jw
friends

i'm not entirely sure why, but rick has been the biggest trigger for me.

i have said some very mean things to him that i regret and i apologize to rick for them.

but what he is doing leaves me feeling dirty and i don't even know him.

Juan Viejo2

I have to agree with Terry. We have a lot of characters and strange personalities on this forum, but the board has put up with them for years.

Deal with Rick Fearon's posts just as you would with anything else that makes you upset. I can't stand Fox News, but I don't call up my cable company and demand that they remove it from the program list. I just don't watch Fox.

OBVES has been on this site for years repeating his gibberish about his calculations for the end of the world. He basically predicts that practically every day of every year has some prophetic significance. He really wears me down, so I basically just give him the badmouth every so often and then ignore him.

The ones that I feel should be removed from JWN are those who are constantly on the attack against other posters - especially when their attacks are completely unwarranted and hateful. I also feel that Watchtower apologists that start new threads and then simply cut and paste from Watchtower publications serve no useful purpose here. If I want to read the Watchtower, then I'll download articles from my WT CD or grab a PDF of the latest magazines from JW.org.

As to Rick specifically: Yes, I wish he would not publish his announcements of upcoming programs as infomercials. His constant pushing of Johnny the Bethelite (he now has his own conference call program sponsored by Rick) is annoying and I personally find Johnny to be unconvincing. On the other hand, Rick has invested a lot of his time and money - not to mention his personal reputation - on the line in exposing the Watchtower for what it is.

Rick, if you read this please remember that I have supported you many times over the past few months. I think you should be a part of this forum. But (unless I totally missed it) you have not explained how you specifically verified Johnny's credibility to any of us. Johnny clearly states that he works in the Watchtower's Bethel IT Department and that part of his job is to monitor websites, forums, and emails looking for apostates. How could he not be discovered, outed, disfellowshipped and expelled from Bethel? His entire backstory is incredible and unbelievable. Please share with this group how you know that Johnny is all that he says he is.

I have a few acquaintances who have served in Bethel and they all agree that Johnny would have been out on his ear in less than a week after any of those "closet calls" that he made. They told me that there is only two possible answers to that mystery: (1) Johnny is a very well-informed fake and a liar (or possibly a former Bethelite who is misrepresenting himself); or, (2) a Watchtower plant, set up to establish his credibility and then use his connections to the ex-JW community to feed us false information or to out those of us who still have one foot in the organization. The Watchtower Society may be led by men of questionable morals and intent, but few in power are dummies.

The only other thing about Rick's programs is the constant evangelizing and doctrinal debates that go on between the regulars. If Rick held the call to two hours and stuck to his newsy subjects at hand, the calls would be so much more interesting. As they are now, the conference calls very rarely live up to the hype and tend to be sleep-inducing.

Let Rick stay...

JV

44

SPECIAL INTERVIEW with Jehovah!

by Terry in

you live; you die.

r: but, why give us a bible.

why send jesus to die for us if everything is "meaningless" for us?.

Juan Viejo2

Very good job, Terry. Will PM you next week after you've woke up from your nap...

JV

33

Some personal thoughts as 2011 comes to a close

by Terry in

jw
friends

first off, if you are in a safe place inside your head, merry christmas.

i was fortunate to have had childhood christmases in my home growing up.

many born-ins are probably never going to know what they missed.. also.... i am thinking about all the nice, friendly, happy things i've given up for jehovah and it saddens me.

Juan Viejo2

Morbidzbaby wrote: " I have to respectfully disagree here. As I got older, more and more JW's would go out to eat and socialize after the Memorial. Some would invite a group back to their home for snacks and association. Others here can tell you that in some congregations, the wine and "bread" would be taken back to the home of one of the elders and enjoyed with cheeses and fruit..."

I'm sure there were a few places where some small get-togethers took place after the Memorial. There were times, especially in the summer, when some JWs would get together after regular meetings. But I knew of far more situations where "celebrating" after the Memorial meeting did not take place even when some among the congregation suggested having a little party.

The Memorial occurs in mid to late March or early April. It has to begin by tradition after sundown. For most major cities in the northern hemisphere, that usally means that the meeting is not over until 9 PM or later. If multiple congregations use the same Hall, then the last meeting can be even later, some ending as late as 11 PM. That makes it quite late to start partying and most restaurants are already closing down for the evening. For work and school nights, that makes after Memorial "parties" problematic for most JW families.

Memorial can occur any day of the week. That being the case, people who work and children who go to school are not likely to go out "and party" after a late meeting on a weeknight.

When I was growing up (during a period when there were a lot more partaking of the emblems), I was aware that the congregation would buy a few extra bottles of wine. We often wondered why the brothers would by a short case of wine (4-6 bottles) to have enough wine to provide for a "half-dozen sips." Sometimes after the meeting, the extra bottles would be offered to anyone who asked for them or the servants would split them up, but for the most part only the older folks in the congregation would ever show interest. Manischewitz (and Mogen David) kosher red dinner wine was not (and is not) that appealing for most folks - and neither were matzo crackers. I never knew of anyone that took those items home to use for "celebrating" with their friends. In fact, doing so (especially after a Memorial "celebration") might have been considered to be in bad taste, "unspiritual," or even sacreligious.

For most of us, when the Memorial was over we just wanted to get home. It was just another boring meeting that we'd sat through. Celebrate? Hardly...

JV

33

Some personal thoughts as 2011 comes to a close

by Terry in

jw
friends

first off, if you are in a safe place inside your head, merry christmas.

i was fortunate to have had childhood christmases in my home growing up.

many born-ins are probably never going to know what they missed.. also.... i am thinking about all the nice, friendly, happy things i've given up for jehovah and it saddens me.

Juan Viejo2

I posted this article on Ex-JW.com yesterday that covers this same subject. http://ex-jw.com/happy-holidays

I was seven years old when I celebrated my last Xmas in my parents' home. I started acknowledging Christmas again when I was about twenty-five. It is now a regular part of my life.

In my own family, and among my friends, those who celebrate Christmas and the other holidays seem to have fewer family issues, are clearly happier as individuals, and have a larger base of close acquaintances. People I know (including some of my own family members) who are still Jehovah's Witnesses (or haven't completely made the break), seem more troubled, have fewer friends, and are not as close to secondary family members (cousins, nephews and nieces). Because they have no special events like holidays to bring them together, they tend to gravitate and get together with only their very closest friends at the Kingdom Hall.

Bottom line: Jehovah's Witnesses, especially born-ins and long-timers, simply do not know what they are missing. It's not about religion. It's not about worshipping ancient pagan gods or myths. The modern world does not care about Nimrod, Odin, Constantine. They don't really care about Herod, the Three Wise Men, or the Star of Bethlehem. None of that matters. What matters is good times, getting together with family and close friends, making connections with old friends and distant relatives with seasonal cards and phone calls. Everyone just seems to be closer to their families and happier overall - in spite of the crowds, the expense, and the miserable weather.

One point that I make in the article is that our Jehovah's Witness friends are not allowed to have a single day that allows them to just celebrate with their friends and family. They don't go out after Memorial and "celebrate." They just go home and turn on the TV like every other night. I am not aware of anyone that ever invited their Witness friends over to their home for a special Memorial Evening dinner.

I really believe this lack of celebration or the marking of any special occasion (other than maybe weddings), really adds to the depression and mental stress experienced by so many Witnesses.

In any case, I too would like to wish all of my good friends and correspondents here at Jehovahs-Witness.net a very happy holiday season. I want to send a special wish for a happy new year to Simon, the webmaster and chief moderator for keeping this great forum running and keeping all of us connected.

JV

46

Anti-Apostate blog has fascinating articles, photos and opinions!

by Terry in

the governing body of jehovah's witnesses has decided (oct., 2000) that the positions of president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, etc.

in the legal corporations (e.g., watch tower bible and tract society of pennsylvania, watchtower bible and tract society of new york, inc.,) do not have to be filled by anointed brothers.

therefore, all of the brothers that were currently holding these positions, all of whom were on the governing body, have resigned.

Juan Viejo2

I think Ray Franz's point about the Mexican military draft card scandal was that the WTBS / GB was willing to make a reasonable exception to allow the Mexican brothers to work the system and stay out of the military. Using small amounts of money to bribe officers or officials is more or less an accepted practice in Latin America (as it is or was) in some US cities.

But when it came to the JWs of Malawi they would not give an inch and insisted that the brothers and sisters there not buy a political party ID card. My understanding was that it was pretty much like a drivers license and it indicated that each person was a citizen and by default a member of the ruling political party. Didn't require the JWs to vote or run for office, just pay for the card.

Ray's point was that the GBs positions were inconsistent. It didn't matter that there were less than 100 JWs a year in Mexico that this draft card would apply to versus maybe several hundred Malawi JWs of both sexes and their children. It was that the general principle was the same and it was applied differently.

JV