FatFreek 2005

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Posts by FatFreek 2005

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  17

  Lakers Kobe Bryant -- blood procedure puts him at DF risk?

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  it may be a month old news but we're just hearing it.

  citing four unidentified sources familiar with the situation, the los angeles times on friday reported that the lakers superstar had a procedure about a month ago that is a derivation of platelet-rich plasma therapy.

  prp procedures are less invasive than many surgeries involving the knee.

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  FatFreek 2005

  That's a good'un, designs.
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  17

  Lakers Kobe Bryant -- blood procedure puts him at DF risk?

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  it may be a month old news but we're just hearing it.

  citing four unidentified sources familiar with the situation, the los angeles times on friday reported that the lakers superstar had a procedure about a month ago that is a derivation of platelet-rich plasma therapy.

  prp procedures are less invasive than many surgeries involving the knee.

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  FatFreek 2005

  It may be a month old news but we're just hearing it.

  Citing four unidentified sources familiar with the situation, The Los Angeles Times on Friday reported that the Lakers superstar had a procedure about a month ago that is a derivation of platelet-rich plasma therapy. PRP procedures are less invasive than many surgeries involving the knee. Detroit Free Press

  So to all you blood fraction experts, what is the Watchtower verdict on brother Bryant (ha! That is, if he were a JW)? Would such a procedure be okay by Watchtower standards?

  Len
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  5

  FINALLY! an honest recruiting poster for WTS and its ilk

  by chickpea in

  1. social
  2. humour

  .

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  FatFreek 2005

  And I thought Charlton Heston was dead.
• 
  40

  Hi, Newbie Here

  by Iseenow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well i have been lurking for the past couple of weeks and have finally decided to create an account.

  just wanted to introduce myself and relate my life story in the borg, specifically from the past few weeks- which i think has been a lot easier than many on the board.

  anyway, my mum began to study when i was 10 (2005) and since then has been babtized; she strongly believes it is the truth.

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  FatFreek 2005

  Hi Iseenow,

  It's hard to believe that your are of such a young age. You're at the age when I became baptized a few years ago (like in 1956).

  Yes, they don't claim inspiration but they claim being spirit-directed (go figger). You may want to check out this link on that topic.

  You don't mention their contradictions and that's a biggie. How about 8 flip-flops on one of their teachings. You'll find that all here.

  Wishing you the best,

  Len
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  14

  Watchtower Puzzle – Spirit-Directed vs Inspired

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  watchtower puzzle spirit-directed vs inspired.

  scan your bible and you probably won't find the term spirit-directed.

  i searched for that term online and could not find a dictionary that defines it.

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  FatFreek 2005

  Hi discreetslave,

  Sounds like discreetslave has more sense than that body claiming to be the faithful and discreet slave.

  Welcome aboard and we'd like to hear a lot more from you.

  Len
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  14

  Watchtower Contradiction of Major Importance

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  some know it as the big eight, the eight watchtower flip-flops, the eight flop puzzle, etc.

  the following essay, designed for those newly-interested in studying with jehovah's witnesses, cautions that person in what he / she may be getting into.

  it not only has a well-organized table of the classic wt quotations which watchtower cannot deny, but it explores the following questions.

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  FatFreek 2005

  Ooops! Thanks to the eagle eye of one our posters, he found a reference error in both these documents.

  In both the large table and the one in the mini-doc there was a reference to:

  Insight 1988 Jun 17 p 616

  It should have been:

  Insight V1 p 616 ( Jun 17, 1988 )

  Those documents have now been uploaded to Mediafire and are downloadable using the same links referenced above. My apologies to all.

  Len
• 
  14

  Watchtower Puzzle – Spirit-Directed vs Inspired

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  watchtower puzzle spirit-directed vs inspired.

  scan your bible and you probably won't find the term spirit-directed.

  i searched for that term online and could not find a dictionary that defines it.

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  FatFreek 2005

  Thanks, GOrwell and Ding. Very good ways to put it.

  Hi Juan. You now have a PM. Thanks for alerting me here cuz I seldom, if ever, check that static envelope.

  Len
• 
  14

  Watchtower Puzzle – Spirit-Directed vs Inspired

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  watchtower puzzle spirit-directed vs inspired.

  scan your bible and you probably won't find the term spirit-directed.

  i searched for that term online and could not find a dictionary that defines it.

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  FatFreek 2005

  Sorry about my original post. I'm having trouble with formatting. Let's try again.

  Watchtower Puzzle – Spirit-Directed vs Inspired

  Scan your Bible and you probably won't find the term spirit-directed. I searched for that term online and could not find a dictionary that defines it. That's puzzling in view of the fact that Watchtower publications have used it 33 times.

  I've also been mulling over the question about spirit-direction and inspiration as defined by those publications and I'm not certain that I understand a few other puzzles that seem to crop up. Maybe you can help.

  Let's first establish some Watchtower-defined principles to set the groundwork, examining what they've told the flock. You will see that the following is supported within pages of The Watchtower.

  1. Its organization is spirit-directedi and, in fact, is the only such one on this earthii.

  2. Jehovah's visible organization is under the control of a governing bodyiii (currently 7 men).

  3. Their governing body is Spirit-directediv.

  4. This governing body approves what is written and publishedv.

  5. The organization is run from the top downvi, “not from the rank and file up” .

  6. All Jehovah's Witnesses become rank and file at baptismvii and as witnesses are spirit-directedviii

  See if the nearby illustration conveys those principles.

  

  While not illustrated completely, it should be obvious that a heirarchy is suggested by the graphic. Fact is, between Governing Body and Rank and File, there's a chain of offices worthy of brief (not complete) mention – zone overseer, district overseer, circuit overseer; and in the local congregation, presiding overseer, elder, and ministerial servant.

  So while all positions inside that yellow-colored icon are explained to be spirit-directed, all are clearly not equal. Behavior, for one, is treated differently. How so? Well, those with higher positions have the power to invoke punishment on those with lesser positions but that does not work in reverse.

  • Any baptized member who uses tobacco and cannot quit (not deemed repentant) will be disfellowshipped. This equally applies to one who accepts a medically-recommended blood transfusion for any reason. Note there is no stated minimum age limit for baptism. A disfellowshipped 15-year old child is not permitted a relationship with any family members who do not live within his household. His baptized grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. are off-limits to regular family gatherings. Even his siblings who no longer live within his household.

  • The governing body is immune to punitive action from its members. The same group responsible for the failed published date predictions, doctrinal teaching contradictions and flip-flops, are not held accountable despite the fact that they've never apologized or repented of such egregious behavior.

  Spirit-directed vs Inspired There are two other puzzling Watchtower-stated principles that we should consider.

  1. The words of Jesus were spirit-directedix.

  2. The words of the apostles were spirit-directedx.

  What makes those statements intriguing is that Watchtower has understandably been quick to assert that those ancient Bible-based individualsxi were inspired.

  So, which is it? Or is it both?

  1. Are Jesus and the apostles demeaned when described by a term that equally applies to modern-day blunder-makers within the Watchtower organization?

  2. Or is this so-called visible organization somehow promoted when described by the same term used for Jesus and the apostles?

  3. Or does Watchtower secretly believe that the terms spirit-directed and inspired are actually synonymous and only deny the inspiration part when they are exposed in their throng of contradiction blunders.

  4. Is spirit-directed merely a recently homebrewed term (from 1968xii onward) that Watchtower uses to deflect the blame of critics when caught in the ever-increasing magnitude of their teaching contradictions.

  What am I missing here?

  Leonard R. Miller

  [email protected]

  (The above is my spam-guarded [remove the digits] email address if you wish to contact me.

  Addendum: Wish to email this free essay to another? Simply email the link:http://goo.gl/A81OD.

  i “Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?” The Watchtower, 1985, 6/1 p. 30

  ii “Consider, too, the fact that Jehovah’s organization alone, in all the earth, is directed by God’s holy spirit or active force.” The Watchtower, 1973, 7/1 p. 402.

  iii As of one month ago, the names of the 7 members of the governing body are: Samuel F. Herd, Geoffrey Jackson, Stephen Lett, Anthony Morris III, Gerrit Lösch, Guy H. Pierce, and David H. Splane. ref http://tinyurl.com/3snsbq7

  iv"In such respects, the Governing Body is organized to take the lead as Jehovah directs them by holy spirit." The Watchtower, 2008, 5/15 p. 29

  v "To this day the Governing Body follows similar guidelines. Each article in both The Watchtower and Awake! and every page, including the artwork, is scrutinized by selected members of the Governing Body before it is printed. Therefore, you can read The Watchtower and Awake! with confidence." The Watchtower, 1987, Mar. 1, p.15

  vi “ Hence it is patterned according to His design for it. It is a theocratic organization, ruled from the divine Top down, and not from the rank and file up. The dedicated, baptized members of it are under Theocracy!” The Watchtower, 1971, 12/15 p. 754

  vii “Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in association with God’s spirit-directed organization?” The Watchtower, 1985, 6/1 p. 30

  viii"Jehovah’s Witnesses from earliest times in the past century have understood that they must be willing to modify and correct their views of doctrine, practice and organizational procedure when it became apparent that Jehovah’s spirit was directing them toward such adjustments." The Watchtower, 1979, 7/1 p. 29

  "The publishers of this journal do not hesitate to say that Jehovah’s Witnesses fit the Bible’s description of the people having holy spirit." The Watchtower, 2010, 10/1 p. 31

  ix “JEHOVAH’S servants must pay attention to the spirit-directed words of Jesus Christ ....” The Watchtower, 2003, 5/15 p. 15 par. 1.

  x “... the same spirit-directed decree of the apostles and older men at Jerusalem.-Acts 15:19, 20, 28, 29.” The Watchtower, 1986, 3/15 p. 18 par. 11.

  xi "Let us keep ever in mind the inspired words of the apostle Paul ... " The Watchtower, 1995, 4/1 p. 15.

  xii "Failure to keep in mind such spirit-directed counsel has laid the majority of men open to the wily tactics of the Devil, ..." The Watchtower, 1968, 1/15 p. 54
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  14

  Watchtower Puzzle – Spirit-Directed vs Inspired

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  watchtower puzzle spirit-directed vs inspired.

  scan your bible and you probably won't find the term spirit-directed.

  i searched for that term online and could not find a dictionary that defines it.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  FatFreek 2005

  Watchtower Puzzle – Spirit-Directed vs Inspired

  Scan your Bible and you probably won't find the term spirit-directed. I searched for that term online and could not find a dictionary that defines it. That's puzzling in view of the fact that Watchtower publications have used it 33 times.

  I've also been mulling over the question about spirit-direction and inspiration as defined by those publications and I'm not certain that I understand a few other puzzles that seem to crop up. Maybe you can help.

  Let's first establish some Watchtower-defined principles to set the groundwork, examining what they've told the flock. You will see that the following is supported within pages of The Watchtower.

  1. Its organization is spirit-directed and, in fact, is the only such one on this earth.

  2. Jehovah's visible organization is under the control of a governing body (currently 7 men).

  3. Their governing body is Spirit-directed.

  4. This governing body approves what is written and published.

  5. The organization is run from the top down, “not from the rank and file up” .

  6. All Jehovah's Witnesses become rank and file at baptism and as witnesses are spirit-directed

  See if the nearby illustration ... [continued by link below] ...

  

  Len [continued]
• 
  37

  Trying to Fade, Now they want to interview me on the SAD!!!

  by burnedout in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i resigned as an elder some time ago, have been working on fading, the wife is getting used to the new 'me' (not stressed, better husband and father, etc.

  ), been missing a lot of meetings... even received a few statements such as: 'hi burnedout, it's good to see you!!!

  last sunday, i took my one of my sons to the local dragstrip to show him the races, oops missed the meeting.

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  FatFreek 2005

  Hi BurnedOut and thanks for sharing your heartwrencher.

  After my resignation as elder and just before my letter of resignation (DA), I was asked to stick to my committment of a public talk to a nearby congregation that was a few weeks later. I agreed (the talk was on an issue that I wasn't opposed to), and did the talk. As I looked into the audience from the platform it was a bizarre feeling. I knew that would be the last -- ever. I pitied all who were sitting there listening to this hypocrite -- me. I feel somewhat haunted by that to this day although I don't lose any sleep over it. That was 34 years ago.

  I am now an alcoholic and want to drive my car into a tree' (for real). Please, please, please think about this. The Society, the elders, the CO, the DO, the local gossip-mongers, etc., are absolutely not worth that. They don't want you to fade. They'd rather have you come out with it and disassociate yourself. That way they could wash their hands of you while quaranteening the rest of the cong from you.

  You express yourself very well in writing and we need more like you helping others as there are some 70,000 leaving the Watchtower each year. Prepare answers for new ones that are always coming here for help. Prepare and post essays on topics that you have a lot of passion about.

  Welcome aboard and stay with us.

  Len