Sour Grapes

Joined

• started 146 topics
• posted 635 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Sour Grapes

• 
  21

  The inner workings at Bethel in the 70's

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  while doing some research, i stumbled upon a blog written by a former bethelite.

  his name is john bechtel.

  the blog is several years old.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  Just a thought from the blog. If the Governing Body voted to make a collective decision, why would God inspire them to have differences in opinion?
• 
  21

  The inner workings at Bethel in the 70's

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  while doing some research, i stumbled upon a blog written by a former bethelite.

  his name is john bechtel.

  the blog is several years old.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  His sucess is proof there can be a good life beyond the walls of the Witchtower Babel and Trick Sobriety. He put his writing skills to good use.

  Sour Grapes
• 
  21

  The inner workings at Bethel in the 70's

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  while doing some research, i stumbled upon a blog written by a former bethelite.

  his name is john bechtel.

  the blog is several years old.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  Nathan,

  I don't have the answer to your question. Maybe someone else knows.

  Sour Grapes
• 
  21

  The inner workings at Bethel in the 70's

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  while doing some research, i stumbled upon a blog written by a former bethelite.

  his name is john bechtel.

  the blog is several years old.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  I am reading more of his blog. It feels like I am pulling back the curtains on the Wizard of Oz. I wish that JW's weren't so afraid to look at our forum. If they have the Truth why not defend it? When I was as elder I looked for good Bible debates with preachers and I used their tracts as talking points. So much has changed. Back to John's blog.

  Sour Grapes
• 
  66

  THE LINGERING SHADOW OF '75

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  none of you are old enough to have been there, i suspect.

  i had been in prison two years as a jw conscientious objector when the exciting news about 1975 spread like wildfire.i was paroled from prison in 1969 and immediately began pioneering.

  the pressures began mounting throughout the organization.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  The excuse immediately after October 1975 was when was Eve created? If Eve was created 6 months after Adam's creation that would put us into 1976. Perhaps Eve was created a year after Adam? The Eve BS died out in about 8 months.
• 
  21

  The inner workings at Bethel in the 70's

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  while doing some research, i stumbled upon a blog written by a former bethelite.

  his name is john bechtel.

  the blog is several years old.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  While doing some research, I stumbled upon a blog written by a former Bethelite. His name is John Bechtel. The blog is several years old. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop. I guess what goes on at Bethel doesn't stay at Bethel. He was one of Bethel's young rising stars and his experiences as a young Witness were both funny and sad. Climbing the ladder at Bethel, he ended up on the Writing Committee. No doubt some of the spiritual food that we received in the 70's, which I assumed were almost like direct dictation from God himself, were written by John. He certainly believed and practiced carpe diem during his stint at Bethel. I found his early childhood experience as a JW to be fascinating because I too had my childhood taken away from me because my mother answered the door one Saturday morning and gave one thin dime to an old 70 year old Witness for the Watchtower and Awake in the late 50's.

  I would like to post a link to his blog. Here it is: http://www.johnbechtelblog.com. To start at the beginning of the blog you have to go to the right had side under "Archives July 2009" and go to the bottom of the page. After doing some digging, I was able to find his contact information on another website http://www.greatplainsdrifter.com. It appears John, after leaving the Truth™, has had a successful life.

  I would imagine that there are many on this forum who remember him from Bethel.

  Sour Grapes
• 
  66

  THE LINGERING SHADOW OF '75

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  none of you are old enough to have been there, i suspect.

  i had been in prison two years as a jw conscientious objector when the exciting news about 1975 spread like wildfire.i was paroled from prison in 1969 and immediately began pioneering.

  the pressures began mounting throughout the organization.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  Being a JW in the late 60's and early 70's was invigorating. We knew we had the Truth and Armageddon was only a few short years away! The mantra was "stay alive till 75". Our congregation grew like crazy. On many Sunday mornings, there was standing room only at the back of the Kingdom Hall. Sisters were looked down upon if they got pregnant in 1974 or 1975 because of the hardship that their babies would have to experience in a few short months.

  I told my Bible students that if they were not baptized by October 1975 that they were going to die at the Great Tribulation. Several told me that JW's have a history of failed prophecies. I guaranteed them not this time. Look at how bad the world conditions are and 6,000 years of mankind's existence proves that Jesus will in the fall of 1975 begin his 1,000 year reign.

  At our circuit assemblies, 6 years before 1975, we had a large poster board display to the right of the stage with how many months until October 1975. Every 6 months we got more excited as this countdown continued and the number dwindled much to the excitement and giddiness of the Witnesses.

  At the first circuit assembly in 1976 the poster board was gone, not a word was spoken about it. It never happened. I wish they would have a poster board at the assemblies now with how many months have passed since October of 1975. We would be approaching the 500 mark.

  But I guess that we should fear not because once again the end is near so don't buy any green bananas. It is on the horizon, right around the corner, so close that you can almost taste it. One elder recently told me how bad the world conditions are and they have never been this bad thus proving just how close the end is. I told him world conditions were a lot worst during WWI and WWII. His brain could not handle that thought process and he changed the subject.

  Sour Grapes
• 
  3

  Worshipping the Governing Body

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it is very obvious that jehovah's witlesses worship the faithful and discreet slave.

  during last sunday's washtowel study, everyone bowed before them for the excellent job they did in translating the new bible into so many languages and for the direction they give to the congregation.

  (i guess i sorta thought that jesus was in charge of the congregations.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  It is very obvious that Jehovah's Witlesses worship the faithful and discreet slave. During last Sunday's Washtowel study, everyone bowed before them for the excellent job they did in translating the new bible into so many languages and for the direction they give to the congregation.(I guess I sorta thought that Jesus was in charge of the congregations.) So much praise for so little mention in the Bible. During the concluding prayer the brother mentioned them three times and all Jesus got was "in Jesus name amen." It is embarrassing.

  Sour Grapes
• 
  18

  DF'ed arrival/departure times at meetings

  by dubstepped in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i didn't want to derail another thread, but something said made me wonder.

  i know that i noticed df'ed people come in right when the meeting started and leave right when it left most of the time.

  is that some sort of actual rule?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  My ex wants to be reinstated and was going to a hall for 6 months that had 3 congregation's. She would go to the one of three depending on her work schedule. She asked one of the elders how long it would take to get back in? He told her the 6 months of attendance doesn't count because she has to go to one hall all of the time. Can you feel the love?
• 
  15

  Proof of Jehovah's fast moving chariot!

  by Sour Grapes in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  at the meeting sunday, the brother giving the "public talk" (no one from the public is ever there) was talking about how the organization is moving so fast.

  as proof of this he held up the new field service time slip.

  yep, that was plenty of proof for me, a smaller time slip to guilt the congregation to use their tablets in service to show video's.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Sour Grapes

  At the meeting Sunday, the brother giving the "public talk" (no one from the public is ever there) was talking about how the organization is moving so fast. As proof of this he held up the new field service time slip. Yep, that was plenty of proof for me, a smaller time slip to guilt the congregation to use their tablets in service to show video's. I would imagine that in less than 2 years you will be criticized if you dare place and count magazines.

  Sour Grapes