JAVA

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Posts by JAVA

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  77

  Bro. Schroeder dies

  by bythesea in

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  2. friends

  i just received this news from a bro who has connections in bethel.... .

  bro albert d schroeder died at 10:30 am new york time today at brooklyn bethel...he was 94 yrs old.. he was born on april 7, 1911 in saginaw, michigan and entered bethel service in 1932. he was appointed a member of the governing body on december 18, 1974. bro schroeder's life story appeared in the march 1, '88 wt pages 10-17: entitled: "my life in jehovah's spirit-directed organization.".

  i don't know if the "today" means it was actually today...as i can't be sure when my friend received this news... but anyway, another of the old guys bites the dust.. .

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  JAVA

  zgborn -- Thanks for the post, and a BIG WELCOME to the forum!
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  77

  Bro. Schroeder dies

  by bythesea in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just received this news from a bro who has connections in bethel.... .

  bro albert d schroeder died at 10:30 am new york time today at brooklyn bethel...he was 94 yrs old.. he was born on april 7, 1911 in saginaw, michigan and entered bethel service in 1932. he was appointed a member of the governing body on december 18, 1974. bro schroeder's life story appeared in the march 1, '88 wt pages 10-17: entitled: "my life in jehovah's spirit-directed organization.".

  i don't know if the "today" means it was actually today...as i can't be sure when my friend received this news... but anyway, another of the old guys bites the dust.. .

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  JAVA

  I was doing some pre-convention work in Pittsburg, PA in the late 60’s, and Schroeder came by during a large get-together at someone’s farm Saturday evening. Schroeder was invited to address the group, and he talked at length about his early days at Bethel. He told about the time a couple of them had the opportunity to drive Rutherford’s 12-cylinder Cadillac on a short trip. They loved driving the car, but worried about what would happen to them if something happened to Rutherford’s Cadillac.
  
  I should have wondered why Rutherford had a 12-cylinder Cadillac when JWs (most of America at that time) didn’t have enough money to put food on their tables, but I didn’t. JW blinders are very thick.
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  28

  My account of a trip to the 1969 District Assembly

  by RunningMan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, i've decided to try my hand at a different type of writing.

  my atheist's book of bible stories is nearly complete, so i thought i would write the epic masterpiece history of my family, from the time that they came to canada until today.

  i am calling the book "east of edenwold" (which is a small town in saskatchewan).

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  JAVA

  
  RunningMan -- I enjoyed every word; thank you so much!

  I also have a copy of the Atheist's Book of Bible Stories, and loved every page. It's kept in an area of the house for others to see, and I can't tell you how many people stop dead in their tracks when seeing it! Several have taken it home to read and share with others (I still like giving a "good witness" after all these years).

  Thanks again for sharing your story on the Forum. I look forward to more.
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  17

  How Did Things Change After You Were Baptised?

  by whyizit in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've noticed that a lot of jws and former jws have said there was a big change after they became baptised.

  how were you treated before, as compared to after?

  is there really that noticeable of a difference?

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  JAVA

  I noticed a huge change after I stepped aside as an elder. For the first time in many years I witnessed how JWs treated each other compaired to elders. I was amazed how quickly the gloves came off when the elders and publishers view you as nothing more than another rank-n-file member.
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  14

  Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian

  by Elsewhere in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  top ten signs you're a fundamentalist christian

  10 - you vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.. .

  9 - you feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the biblical claim that we were created from dirt.. .

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  JAVA

  GREAT -- Thanks for posting these gems. I've been reading "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris, and your "ten signs" can be summed up nicely on page 17 of the book:
  "as a species, (we) have grown almost perfectly intoxicated by our myths. How is it that, in this one area of our lives, we have convinced ourselves that our beliefs about the world can float entirely free of reason and evidence?"
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  8

  Did you avoid typing/saying Jehovah?

  by Mysterious in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  did anyone else avoid typing or saying jehovah after they left?

  i used to to the point where i would type "jwd" in google to get the site link not wanting to type it out and it not being safe to bookmark on the computer at the time.

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  JAVA

  In one e-mail address I use "Jehovah" is part of the address. From time to time a JW will send an e-mail asking if I'm a JW--it's always nice giving them "a good witness." :))
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  45

  Just how hyped was 1975?

  by MuadDib in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  aight.

  i was raised in the jws, but i'm still young (22) and all my life what i've been told is that the society never really promoted 1975 as the definitive year for the coming of armageddon.

  what i was always told is that some overzealous witnesses took certain things out of context and developed a very extreme reaction - ie selling their houses, quitting their jobs, dropping out of school, etc.

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  JAVA

  It’s a fact (as seen from the posts above) that the Tower started the 1975 hype and fully benefited from the increased activity and number of JWs. The fact that followers didn’t seek a good education and others retired early to spend their last dime made little difference to the Tower. When it came time for them to admit their mistake, and harm caused by their mistake, they blamed the Witnesses who were foolish enough to trust the Watchtower Society!
  That was the straw that did it for me. I was there, lived through the Tower’s 1975 hype, and witnessed how the Tower lied about it after the fact.
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  10

  The End of Faith - Sam Harris

  by atypical in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone read this book: the end of faith.

  religion, terror, and the future of reason, by sam harris?

  i just bought it and i can't put it down.

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  JAVA

  Here's a link of Sam Harris being interviewed about his book.

  http://www.slumdance.com/blogs/brian_flemming/archives/001324.html
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  33

  Do You Believe In The Bible At All?

  by minimus in

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  do you believe god used men to write his thoughts?

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  JAVA

  I don't believe the Bible is inspired and/or directed by God. Indeed, if the Bible is really the word of God, it doesn't speak well for His followers or for that matter, God himself.
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  10

  The End of Faith - Sam Harris

  by atypical in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone read this book: the end of faith.

  religion, terror, and the future of reason, by sam harris?

  i just bought it and i can't put it down.

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  JAVA

  I wrote this on the forum last November 21st.

  Sam Harris' book "The End of Faith, (Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason)" is out in paper back. It had been on "The New York Times Bestseller" list for some time, and I just picked up a copy yesterday. Has anyone else on the JWD read this book?
  
  He points out that in a 1996 Gallup, 35 % of Americans believe the Bible is the literal and inerrant word of God, and another 48% believe it's inspired though certain passages must be interpreted symbolically. Which means only 17% of Americans doubt that the Bible is the word of God in 1996. He believe that a survey of Hindus, Muslims, and Jews around the world would yield similar results. Harris says the following on pages 16 and 17:
  
  "The idea that any one of our religions (he is speaking about world religions here) represents the infallible word of the One True God requires an encyclopedic ignorance of history, mythology, and art even to be entertained . . . we, as a species, have grown almost perfectly intoxicated by our myths. How is it that, in this one area of our lives, we have convinced ourselves that our beliefs about the world can float entirely free of reason and evidence?"
  
  It looks like an interesting read, and I wondered if some here have already read it?

  I agree with others; the first part is outstanding, and gets a little slow towards the end. It's an excellent book--well worth reading.