Posts by saltyoldlady

72

How were Rutherford's Cadillacs purchased?

by InterestedOne in

i mentioned rutherford's cadillacs to my study conductor, and he said maybe rutherford was able to purchase them because he was independently wealthy.

were they purchased from his own personal wealth or with the wt funds?.

saltyoldlady

Hey Farkel - I admit it - I am lazy. Too many years being part of the WTS - does that sound like a good excuse? LOL. And I realized after I had posted that reply that probably the archives are indexed per subject matter. I will do some exploring and poking around - even for me to be using the Internet is a big new experience and there is LOTS I have yet to learn about how to negotiate my way around - even to use all those little boxes above my screen here - most of it is like a foreign language to me.

Sorry about the COPD - I know firsthand what that is like because I myself battle it. But I haven't accepted it as a death sentence yet.........When I find the miracle cure I'll let you know - in the meantime we just keep trusting in the Lord, one day at a time, sometimes an hour or a minute at a time. Came near to going to ER room last night but decided - aw heck - they would just keep me waiting for hours in a cold reception room - I've been through that one many times before - think I'll just die at home warm and comfy in my own bed (not truly so comfy when one can't breathe) but guess what - I managed to keep chugging - Jehovah has given me one more day to live. Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

81

A roaring current of change.... Is The Watchtower in the process of a major overhaul of their religion?

by koolaid-man in

jw
friends

a roaring current of change..... what is going on at the world headquarters of jehovah's witnesses?

in the last couple of years unprecedented changes in policy, procedure, and doctrine have been coming forth in rapid fire sequence.

this uninterrupted episode of new information is beginning to backfire for the rank and file witnesses.

saltyoldlady

Won't Leave - Amen to all of your comments. Your experiences are so similar to mine. The boredom at the meetings and the inability to even perceive what is going on around them - I too tried to reason with a few friends before I left but their eyes would just get that "glazed over" look - she's talking apostasy - don't listen attitude. It was so frustrating. And while I can't say I was ever successful at starting studies with "intelligent" ones like yourself - at least very very rarely - I got so sick of going out on return visits to Charlie calls - people they had been calling on for decades in some cases - people who were never truly interested but just enjoyed the chit chat. And so rarely was the conversation ever on a spiritual level either at the Charlie call or even within the car group. There's a subject for a whole nother day.

The dumbing down of the literature is so real - try reading one of the early issues from the 1880's and then matching it to today's study about Singing at the Meetings. Heaven help us! It's no wonder the Spirit is gone - there is no food today, nothing to chew and digest anymore. And of course any exchange about spiritual gems you just discovered reading a particular scripture - that doesn't happen - you just get glanced askance at or the eyebrows go up and they ask what WT that came out of - page and paragraph number please.

And the mortification and cringing you are currently going through - I remember that stage so well. It finally got so bad I just walked out the doors never to return and never to regret my move. But I was blessed with the freedom to do so because I had no family left in - just a multitude of dear friendships forged over 20 and 30 years that can never be duplicated now unless I live to be 100. But Jehovah has sustained me with much joy even so. I too noticed how the hand clapping always seemed so perfunctory and never bore any relationship to the caliber of the talk, delivery or material presented. It was much like tipping a waitress at the restaurant - just something mandatory, ill manners if you didn't. I will be praying for you - enduring under those circumstances is never easy.

72

How were Rutherford's Cadillacs purchased?

by InterestedOne in

i mentioned rutherford's cadillacs to my study conductor, and he said maybe rutherford was able to purchase them because he was independently wealthy.

were they purchased from his own personal wealth or with the wt funds?.

saltyoldlady

Farkel - I can read but first I would have to find my reading glasses and sometimes I just can't find them because they cannot be seen when sitting on the top of my head. Read the archives you say - Good Lord, man - do you think I have another 76 years of life left in me to sit around reading the mountain of archives here? And if the money came through the Boyd family assets and the Boyd family married into the Heath family - there is still a connection there. But I am satisfied with your conclusion that the money came from the Heath family - it doesn't really matter where it came from - what matters was that it was a terrible waste of funds that could and should have been used for the King's work.

And re my "leap of logic" - man makes money from Coca Cola and man uses that money for WTS - no lack of logic there - thus Coca Cola helped support the WTS even tho unintentionally. The logic leap my dear boy was your own - you assumed that the reason I suggested Coca Cola was one of the devil's inventions was that it helped support the WTS. Sorry I led you to that inference because that thought never even entered my brain (or lack of brain as you assume) but my reason for calling it one of the devil's inventions was solely based on its physiological effects upon human body chemistry. Now do you want to wrangle with me on that subject? Save it for a different thread.

But no I have never tried cocaine myself - have had many Bible Studies with those who were users and it is ever so heartbreaking to watch what the addiction does to one's life. AS far as there not being enough cocaine to get a one-celled organism high there was enough to help the designer of the formula to deal with his dependency problems so where is your logic, dear brother? Perhaps you have never studied the subject of homeopathy - it doesn't take a "whole lot" to have amazing effects.

Loving your directness - blessings upon you, your ever lovin grandma.

50

Don't you DARE to get up!!

by stillin9 in

interesting points from this week's wt study (dec 15 2010 study edition):.

par 12: "do i encourage my children not to view the song between the theocratic ministry school and the service meeting or the one between the public talk and the watchtower study as a sort of intermission,an opportunity for them to leave their seats unnecessarily, perhaps just to stretch their legs?".

why do they have to make such a big deal out of everything?

saltyoldlady

Way back when.......I remember the days when we had a break between the Public Talk and the WTS - it actually was very nice - people stood up - talked to one another - circled around the hall and met newcomers, welcomed one another, caught up on each other's lives - then we were ready to sit for another hour - all happy and interested. Everybody sang the songs - mothers and children were not accused of showing irreverence for taking their children to the restrooms because ample time was provided. The removal of that break was to me one of the first negative "improvements" being made - maybe the beginning of today's rapid fire changes. I had the feeling then the change was made because they witnessed too many leaving after the Public Talk and not staying on for the WT study. It occurred to me then and I was very new at the time that pressure tactics were being used. The fact that one could leave quietly after the Public Talk was a good thing - especially if we brought a new Bible Student who just wasn't ready for WT Study idea yet.

And re singing the songs I was constantly amazed at how many did know the songs by heart - riding the bus to the convention as a group it seemed to me almost everyone could sing most of the popular tunes by heart - all FOUR stanzas too - and the group I was with were great at harmonizing - no professional recordings needed. I never was one of those so not blowing my own horn here. But being able to sing in a prison camp would be very strengthening - witness Paul's resorting to that. Of course these also were the days when we had a "live" pianist at the hall - the loss of that took something out of the meeting too as I remember. Standardization - yes - more professional maybe - though we had some pretty good musicians in this area. And the local orchestra group that met to prepare for conventions was a beautiful socialization activity that was removed by the standardization. That change brought a sadness of heart to those few also.

Get an old person started and they never shut up - LOL - but have to relay another funny experience I remember also - in one Kingdom Hall I attended for a few years out in the boondocks our water was supplied by our own private well. In the mid summer it dried up. So guess what - no one had to make bathroom breaks, no one ever had an inconvenience due to that, that I remember, and all the children remained in their seats with us for the whole two hours. That was usually the case for about two months - July and August. Also we didn't have to clean up the restrooms those months - Hurray! And yes we did have an outhouse out back but I don't recall anyone ever using it. If someone did you knew it was a REAL emergency.

21

I'm an HBH

by Lunatic Faith in

jw
friends

i have received two visits from car-groups this week and am trying not to freak out.

i think it is because the co's visit is coming up.

i have been home-but-hiding both times.

saltyoldlady

What a tragic experience you have endured. I am so sorry you should ever have been treated this way. Don't feel the least bit guilty about not answering the door. It is absolutely your right to choose either to answer the doorbell or the telephone. Neither one should ever have any demands upon us. I understand the desire to just avert discussions with them - there is rarely any happy resolution to the hurts and pain suffered because these people have one agenda and one agenda only - to get you back within the fold. When you feel up to it and have the strength you can just quietly tell them straight out you would like to be just left alone currently but I doubt they would give you the respect you deserve and leave the matter at that so your avoidance at the moment is probably the best action to take even tho it is so irritating to be constantly badgered like this. You may try not hiding but also not responding to the door - just shaking your head and waving them on. Frankly I am not sure how that would play out but at least it would give you a sense of honesty without having to take any DRASTIC decision making stands at the moment.

19

The Psychopathic Clown Parade. Updated Reports.

by villabolo in

jw
friends

i will be posting videos and articles where ultra right wing hatemongers spew some new insanity.

i know, they seem to be running out of new ideas and are desperately trying to get more creative every day.

but they sure do try their best.. now, for my first instalment.. it seems that the prince of clowns, glenn beck, is not being too creative after all.

saltyoldlady

Very very interesting. I've been meaning to investigate what Glen Beck is up to. Now the picture is crystal clear. I notice there is also a DVD by Schnoebelen exposing him on different lines but have not yet seen it - have you?

By the way I've enjoyed many of Alex Jones productions. Thank you for this first installment.

47

Blind Allegiance to G.B. supported by scripture?

by honorsthesis in

hey everyone,.

i have been getting in on going debates with brothers in the congregation about the role of the governing body.

i feel that jehovah would not want us to blindly follow a particular g.b.

saltyoldlady

You don't honestly think you are ever going to win a debate with them, do you? If so you are operating in the "Land of Illusion" my dear Honersthesis. If you want out just walk. It's so much more dignified than being "kicked out." Even if it is fun creating trouble.

28

Welcome back Outlaw!

by life is to short in

jw
friends

we missed you.

glad you are back things were not the same without you.. lits.

saltyoldlady

So happy you're BACK - love your graphics - this place is just not the same without them. If you lived nearby I'd be asking you to teach me HOW - old dogs CAN learn new tricks. I'm a goin ta try.

61

Why Would YOU Never Go Back To The Witnesses?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think my mains reasons would be i don't believe they have "truth".

and i refuse to allow them control over me..

saltyoldlady

I could never go back because I want to worship Jehovah with SPIRIT AND TRUTH. Both of these are missing in the WTS.

53

New member - my story

by Millions in

just a brief introduction, i thought i would try out one of the more established forums, have done some stuff on youtube and other places but thought i would give this a try.. potted history: raised jw by mother, in it for 30 years or so, baptised at age 18, regular pioneer at 20, ms a couple years later, mts at 26 and got assignment to a new cong, elder at around 29, came off pioneering around 31, came off as elder around 32, started to slowly wind down, completely stopped attending about 3 years ago, disassociated dec 2010. pause for breath.. the last 5 years or so have been a painfully gradual process of deconstructing myself and then piecing together fragments of my shattered life that are still valid outside the organisation.

the question 'who am i?

' has been a continual investigation; every day for the first couple of years i would realise another subject or issue that i didn't have my own opinions about.

saltyoldlady

Welcome Millions - And thank you for sharing your story and the video. We share so many of the same observations - in particular the one you had about realizing right or wrong I don't want to spend eternity with this bunch - that was so real for me also - those inside the WTS seem to become a bunch of robots - friendships never seem quite REAL and spiritual JOY is so rare among them. I chose much the same route as you - a gradual slacking off and then a formal DA letter. Making a clean and clear break was so vital for my own sense of integrity. I can only tell you it gets increasingly better - there will be days you miss a few special friends and I stop to pray for them - and I try to remember the positive things - there were some - and to be grateful for those - bitterness is never a nice companion. But my spiritual life has soared now that I am free to pursue what is meaningful for me from the Bible's pages and at my own pace. You will find yourself pulling closer to God than you ever thought possible. Glad to have you aboardd!