Posts by Bungi Bill

10

1970's Fred Franz prophecy books and current events

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

i am convinced that world history will go on and on, and don't believe in an end time scenario.. but... and... .

when events occure like trumps tomahawk strike on syria, putting bombing a place and many, many coalitions are made with friends and enemies, my thought are going back to a 40 years ago, when i was a litle boy raising up in a cold war naval harbour town in northwest europe.

my jw grandfather learned me to investigate history.

Bungi Bill

Do you still have this feeling with current events?

Not at all - woke up to that one long ago!

Admittedly, Crazy Fred could tell a good story - and some of it might have been true, too! (e.g. Your Will Be Done On Earth).

The fact is, every generation - almost every decade, even - has had its "doomsday" scares, which groups like the JWs are quick to capitalise on.
steve2 has listed one such example (out of many), when Ronald Reagan was elected US president. When that happened back in 1980, the WTS was quick to inform us that a device known as "The Doomsday Clock" automatically moved itself forward to just several minutes before midnight. (Nobody seemed to know where exactly this device was located, but it very definitely rolled the time forward to almost midnight !)

33

Has Anyone Ever Just Gotten Mad and "Popped" an Elder?

by Cold Steel in

it has to have happened.

people get stressed out, an elder or overseer takes just two steps over the line and gets a fat lip for his trouble.. does that ever happen?

or maybe someone "counsels" a brother at the wrong time and tempers flare at the old kingdom hall?.

Bungi Bill

I only ever knew of one case in which an elder was physically assaulted by another brother. By all accounts, this elder received a very sound beating. Not knowing the details of what led to this incident, I can't comment on the rights or wrongs of it. I do know, however, they the guy who administered the beating did have a problem with anger management (or lack of it) - and came a family that was quite renown its brawling.

4

1928 mansion built for Christ's return sells for $6.2 million

by jwleaks in

jw
friends

the home was built in 1928 by a group known as the outer court of the order of the living christ, which operated under the belief that when jesus eventually makes his glorious return to earth, he will want to live in a palatial setting in… the bronx.

interestingly, beth-sarim was built in 1929 by a group known as the watch tower society, which operated under the belief that the holy ones when resurrected will want to live in a palatial setting in... san diego.. https://therealdeal.com/2017/04/06/divine-intervention-bronx-mansion-built-for-christs-return-finally-sells-for-6-2m/.

compare with beth-sarim below.. .

Bungi Bill

Village Idiot

Good question. I understand that the building was quietly sold off sometime in the late 1940s.

4

1928 mansion built for Christ's return sells for $6.2 million

by jwleaks in

jw
friends

the home was built in 1928 by a group known as the outer court of the order of the living christ, which operated under the belief that when jesus eventually makes his glorious return to earth, he will want to live in a palatial setting in… the bronx.

interestingly, beth-sarim was built in 1929 by a group known as the watch tower society, which operated under the belief that the holy ones when resurrected will want to live in a palatial setting in... san diego.. https://therealdeal.com/2017/04/06/divine-intervention-bronx-mansion-built-for-christs-return-finally-sells-for-6-2m/.

compare with beth-sarim below.. .

Bungi Bill

In fact, the only purpose Beth Sarim served was somewhere to exile JF Rutherford to. He was then - for the winter months at least - out of everyones' way in New York, where his drunken habits had become an embarrassment.

(According to James Penton, anyway)

It is alleged that the only "King David" who attempted to take up residence there was a street person of the same name!

27

Jehovah's Witnesses and Love

by Cold Steel in

comments?

stories?

reminiscences?.

Bungi Bill

But love is not actually lacking within them.

Based on my own experiences, I beg to differ with you on that one!

For decades, I did try to believe that only the JWs met the requirements of Jesus Christ's "by this, you know that they are my true followers, that they have love amongst themselves". However, after many a hostile snub at a District Convention, I had to reluctantly conclude that the Witnesses displayed love amongst themselves no more and no less than anybody else.

To a degree, this seemed to mirror the local community. My first congregation was a small one, in a thinly populated part of the world. People in general were open, friendly and helpful towards one another. It should have been no surprise that the congregation, too, was much the same. Nonetheless, it did deceive me into swallowing the WTS's propaganda that all JW congregations were like this. It took a long time to wake up to that myth!

80

President Trump launches missile strike against Syria

by jwleaks in

jw
friends

pesident trump authorized the missile strike because “it is in the vital, national security interest of the united states to prevent and deter the use of deadly chemical weapons.” .

59 tomahawk missiles were launched from two us navy ships.. russia has condemned the action.. https://youtu.be/4svp3yfneyq.

.

Bungi Bill

The term "Byzantine" would not even begin to describe the present situation in Syria.

Rudyard Kipling may well have had a point, when he penned the following lines:

Now, it is not good for the Christian’s health to hustle the Aryan brown,
For the Christian riles, and the Aryan smiles, and he weareth the Christian down;
And the end of the fight is a tombstone white, with the name of the late deceased,
And the epitaph drear: ‘A fool lies here who tried to hustle the East.’

There does certainly seem to be a long list of well intentioned Westerners - but fools nonetheless - who have come to grief whilst trying to "hustle the East". (With the "East" in this context meaning all of the Asian continent, regardless of its religious affiliations).

31

Why more highly educated people are less into conspiracy theories

by Mickey mouse in

jw
friends

i've seen discussions here about how jehovah's witnesses seem to be prone to believing conspiracy theories... https://digest.bps.org.uk/2017/04/05/why-more-highly-educated-people-are-less-into-conspiracy-theories/.

this last paragraph seems particularly relevant:.

importantly, van prooijen said his findings help make sense of why education can contribute to “a less paranoid society” even when conspiracy theories are not explicitly challenged.

Bungi Bill

President Eisenhower's foreknowledge of the Pearl Harbor attacks.

Huh?

33

Why are the individuals who make up the Governing Body so deluded

by UnshackleTheChains in

surely these men must see what's going on.

if they can afford fancy pinky rings, they must have smart phones.

if they have smart phones, they must be inquisitive as to how they are perceived.

Bungi Bill

At least some of them have probably heard so many lies repeated for so long that they have ended up believing their own propaganda.

70

Apologists saying that the JWs shouldn't be banned, what the hell!??

by Crazyguy in

it's been brought to my attention that there are xjw that say they support the witnesses and don't think russia should ban them.

i would just like to remind all of you that jws are guilty of murder, causing higher rates of suicide, covering up child molestation, and keeping members in prisoned because if they leave they loose family, financial support, possible employment etc.. sure their not strapping bombs to their chests but they easily get members to kill themselves with their blood policies.

they are an extremist group!

Bungi Bill

If anything was going to finish off the JWs, it would be apathy.

That fact has been noted by many others who contribute on this discussion board, and is certainly recognised by the JW leadership. (Over 30 years ago, I can recall the Circuit Overseer doing a rant about how apathetic we were all becoming. I have little reason to believe that much has improved since then!)

In the JW world, one thing gauranteed to counteract apathy is an outbreak of persecution. So much so, that it was often noted that in the places where the JWs became legalised, there then began a slow but steady trend towards apathy.

Trying to ban the JWs may inflict some harm on them, but would likely be more than offset by the shot of adrenaline that it would subsequently release!

70

Apologists saying that the JWs shouldn't be banned, what the hell!??

by Crazyguy in

it's been brought to my attention that there are xjw that say they support the witnesses and don't think russia should ban them.

i would just like to remind all of you that jws are guilty of murder, causing higher rates of suicide, covering up child molestation, and keeping members in prisoned because if they leave they loose family, financial support, possible employment etc.. sure their not strapping bombs to their chests but they easily get members to kill themselves with their blood policies.

they are an extremist group!

Bungi Bill

this is NOT your grandpa's generation

That may not mean too much. Certain persons claimed that the JWs were going to all fall in a heap after 1975, for that very same reason:

- "Grandpa's generation" after all, was looking forward to a "Heavenly Hope", whereas the pre-1975 lot very much believed they were about to step directly through into a "Paradise Earth".

Well, such predictions were bloody wrong!

Likewise, I believe a ban on the JWs would work no better now than at any other time:

- That lot are a bit like that old song Close the Door, they're Coming though the Window i.e. "The more you slapped them down, the more they multiplied".