Posts by Larry

December 6, 2007 -- A real-estate giant is planning to convert a famous Brooklyn Heights hotel last used by the Jehovah Witnesses into about 100 rental apartments, The Post has learned.

Boston-based Taurus Investment Holdings recently purchased the 12-story Standish Arms Hotel building at 169 Columbia Heights for $50 million from Watchtower Bible and Tract Society.

"This is an incredible property in a great neighborhood with unparalleled views of the New York skyline," said Patrick McGrath, a managing partner with Taurus' New York office.

Rents for two-bedroom apartments will start at $3,600, one-bedrooms will go for $2,800, and studios will cost $2,000. McGrath said Taurus is marketing the rentals toward "young professionals and couples with families."

Built in 1903, the 74,393- square-foot building currently contains 128 apartments most recently used as living quarters for the Witnesses. The society bought the site in 1988.

Watchtower earlier this year put six of its 18 Heights properties on the market.

----------------------------

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/nyregion/thecity/06hote.html?n=Top%2FClassifieds%2FReal%20Estate%2FLocations%2FNew%20York%2FNew%20York%20City%2FBrooklyn

N.Y. Times

As a Big Landowner Plans to Sell, Mouths Begin to Water

By JAKE MOONEY

Published: May 6, 2007

In the lobbies of some of the buildings near the Brooklyn waterfront owned by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, visitors can pick up plastic-wrapped packets of postcards depicting the organization’s various properties. On one, an aerial view of Brooklyn Heights, it seems as if nearly every third building is a Watchtower dormitory.

Since 1909, the neighborhood has been home to Brooklyn Bethel, as the organization, whose members are known as Jehovah’s Witnesses, calls its world headquarters. Other postcards in the packet, though, tell a story of change: They show neatly dressed volunteers at work in a sprawling new complex north of the city in Wallkill, N.Y., where the Witnesses moved their Bible- and magazine-printing operations in 2004.

Now, the residential buildings are beginning to go, too: The Witnesses plan to sell six of their Brooklyn Heights residences, including the venerable 12-story Standish Arms Hotel building, as part of what they are calling an organizational consolidation. With the printing presses gone and the former warehouse and shipping facility at 360 Furman Street sold, Witnesses spokesmen said, the organization needs less space for members to live.

Besides the Standish Arms, at 169 Columbia Heights, between Clark and Pierrepont Streets, the buildings for sale include four-story and seven-story apartment buildings on the same street, and three 19th-century houses nearby.

The offerings, which were reported in The Brooklyn Eagle, have Brooklyn Heights residents buzzing about the potential for the new properties hitting the real estate market. Residents are also speculating about the future of the former Bossert and Leverich Towers Hotels, two other meticulously restored buildings the organization owns in the neighborhood.

"When people hear that they’re selling the Standish Hotel, they start drooling about the Bossert," Robert Perris, district manager of Brooklyn Community Board 2, said of the opulent tower at Montague and Hicks Streets, where the Brooklyn Dodgers celebrated their victory in the 1955 World Series. "The speculation runs rampant."

According to Richard Devine, a Watchtower spokesman, the organization is not working with an outside real estate agent and has no set asking prices, but it will evaluate offers as they come in, as it did with the sale of 360 Furman and three other buildings on Livingston, Hicks and Clark Streets that the organization recently sold.

As for the other 24 buildings that Watchtower owns in the Heights and nearby Dumbo, the organization, as it often does, is keeping its plans close to the vest.

"Currently we don’t have any plans to sell any more," Mr. Devine said. "At least not at this time." JAKE MOONEY

26

God is not Great

by hamsterbait in

jw
friends

anybody seen this book,.

i was at a friends tonite, and read a bit on jihadist cretins in saudi arabia, who have banned george orwells "animal farm" because the farm ends up run by pigs.. godly honest - hearted moslems are also seeking to ban piglet, and charlottes web from schools.. apparently the eyes of innocent moslem babies cannot be defiled by reading about unclean animaux taking over the world, but.

they can go to market to shop with mommy and see starving thieves having their hand sawn off (but humanely given a novocaine shot in the arm so they can watch but not feel it).

Larry

I enjoyed the book very much. It has the potential to open the door for meaningful discussions.

1

Deliver Us From Evil

by Larry in

jw
friends

are there any threads regarding the documentary entilted "deliver us from evil"?

Larry

Are there any threads regarding the documentary entilted "Deliver us from evil"?

31

Keith Reddin's "Brutality of Fact" playing in NYC on Jehovah's Witnesses

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

want to go see a play on jws and shunning in new york city?

support jeffrey and his work, and you can even go for free!.

randy.

Larry

Wow - thanks for that info. I'm going to try and make the opening show.

Peace - Larry :)

17

Please help me make a list of reasons why serious JWs can't...

by happysunshine in

jw
friends

...have a good relationship with family members that leave.. i've posted about my family before, but this is going to be it.

and sorry in advance if i ramble or am unclear, that often happens when deal with this painful topic.. i want to make some clarity.

i am mostly sure that when i ultimately present them with the facts, and the reality, of how much what they are doing is damaging our lives, they will take a defensive position.

Larry

Reminds me of a letter I wrote to my family a few years ago. But, to directly answer your question looks at the quotes below from the KM of 08/02:

-----------------------------------------------------

To All My Practicing Jehovah Witness Family Members:

I've recently come in contact with the August 2002 Kingdom Ministry, entitled "Display Christian Loyalty When a Relative is Disfellowshipped." Admittedly this article isn’t "new light" it is just re-enforcing the organizations hard-line position on the treatment of disfellowshipped / disassocated people. In view of the below listed quotes from the article, I’m letting you know that you don't have to worry about how to deal with me, or concern yourself about being put in a compromising position because Im consciously cutting you off - permanently.

-------------------------------------------------

"2. ...Hence, we also avoid social fellowship with an expelled person. This would rule out joining him in a picnic, party, or trip to the shops or theatre or sitting down to a meal with him either in the home or at a restaurant.

"5. ...The fact is that when a Christian gives himself over to sin and has to be disfellowshiped, he forfeits much: his approved standing with God;.. sweet fellowship with the brothers, including much of the association he had with Christian relatives."

"9. ..."The situation is different if the disfellowshipped or disassociated one is a relative living, outside the immediate family circle and home," states The Watchtower of April 15, 1988, page 28. "It might be possible to have almost no contact at all with the relative. Even if there were some family matters requiring contact, this certainly would be kept to a minimum," in harmony with the divine injunction to "quit mixing in company with anyone" who is guilty of sinning unrepentantly. (1 Cor. 5:11) Loyal Christians should strive to avoid needless association with such a relative, even keeping business dealings to an absolute minimum."

-------------------------------------------------

Although the article says "...Even if there were some family matters requiring contact, this certainly would be kept to a minimum" I don’t even want any minimum contact with you. I refuse to be accepted on a part time or emergency type basis. Either you accept whole or don’t accept me at all. My stance includes funerals, financial woes, illnesses, etc.

I understand how you have to be loyal to your organization so I do not expect you to change. In fact, you guys belong there. As a conscientious, responsible man who worked and has taken care of my family, giving my children what I never had, I can’t not be in the company of people who consider me worthy of destruction, less of a person, thinks I need some type of help, or am someone who "gives himself over to sin ". With that in mind, I consider your company anything but "sweet fellowship." Now that I’m on the outside looking in, I cant believe you guys think you are the standard of righteousness - you are far from it.

The mistaken belief of the organization is that shunning is an act of love that will help someone turn from their evil ways. Well let me reassure you that I will NEVER come back to the organization, I see it for what it is and I don’t want any part of it. The views that you are forced to live by only makes me resent the fact that I was ever associated with such an organization. In fact, one of my BIGGEST regrets in life was counseling [my wife] while I was an Elder years ago, when her mother was disfellowshipped, advising her that she shouldn’t call her mother so often. I’m so grateful that [my wife] had enough sense to ignore me.

I’ve received a few phone call from some of you guys from time to time, telling me about some family or medical situation and all the while you kept mentioning the specific reason you called. What kind of conversation is that? Where every other sentence is "well, the only reason I’m calling is because..." It’s as if someone else was on the other end monitoring the phone call making sure that you don’t call me for a normal reason, like to see how I’m doing. Ill never forget how Moms was preaching (I call it harassing) [my wife] while I was away in the Army during basic training, saying in effect ‘you have to be more loyal to the organization than to [me], etc. And how she called the night before [my baby sisters] wedding telling [my wife] she don’t think it would be a good idea for us to come to the reception because some of the friends would walk out, etc. Well, you don’t ever have to do that again, because I’m telling you now – Don’t ever call my house for anything.

I would never tell my kids not to talk to you guys, but if you ever talk to my kids, don’t dare preach to them. If you think I’m part of the ‘Evil Slave Class’ now, let me catch you preaching to my children. Its bad enough that we have another generation of J-Dub kids thinking they are better than the others by being in the organization.

I wouldn’t mind if my children joined any other religion but the J-Dubs. Any religion that break ups families because one members doesn’t believe the same myth as you is evil. Shunning takes place in most religions and I think the practice is counter productive, If not out right against all human decency.

You fault me for joining the Military, but I see how the Military rescued my mother when my father died. The Military sent my Moms and each child a check every month after his death. In fact Moms is still benefiting from my fathers pension right now, who knows what other benefits she received. I just want the same benefits for my family. But for me joining the Military, in a non-combatant occupation, it is a major spiritual offense. That reasoning seems very inconsistent. When I joined the Military I had to put someone besides my wife and kids down as a beneficiary, so I naturally picked my mother. Now I have to take her name off - I can’t imagine her speaking to me "to an absolute minimum" while I’m alive and receiving any benefits from me through my death. Speaking of such, if me and any one in my family dies please don’t bother attending the funeral. If you cant talk to me while I’m alive don’t bother showing your appearance of support later on.

For those of you who says "didn’t you know what would happen when you joined the Military." I say, yes I knew the consequences, but you guys have taken the whole thing to another level, going beyond the rules (I know because I had/still have access to the official rules.) Now that I’ve taken a closer examination, I see that the position the organization takes towards the disfellowshipped / disassocated ones is really a smoke screen in my situation because it has more to do with our dysfunctional family than with the mad-made rules.

Speaking of man-made rules, I find the organization more culpable than it members, because they have all the control. All they have to do is say “jump” and the members will say “how high!” I mean, if the organization says Ok you can talk to disfellowship ones, you would go along with it, just like last year when they said in a Question From Readers that you can pray for disfellowship ones. It seems that you have to wait on them to dictate how you will deal with your family.

It takes an extremely forgiving and humble person to want to be in the company of people who pity them and view them as dangerous. I’m not that one. I’ve came too far in life to let someone browbeat or try an shame me into submission. The religious blackmail is not working.

To those who say I’m demonized, evil , mean spirited, etc. - So be it. If you have to vilify me in order for you to justify your actions let it be. The organization has seen fit to re-enforce their stand, which prompts me to re-enforce mine. Thus, no hard feelings, we are both doing what we have to do to survive. For those of you who say "but, he knows better" I say - Yes, I know better that’s why I left. For those who say "I love you" - Please don’t ever say such a thing. You have no concept of what love really is. Love is not phony hugs or forced greetings - its unconditional acceptance.

In closing, you may say why such anger? I said why not. I can’t sit down and express myself to you in person, because it’ll result in an argument. And since I don’t have any destructive habits to release my frustration i.e drinking or drugging, writing is my outlet of choice. I know that the majority of people that are address in this letter won’t read pass the first paragraph, if any part of this letter, but I’m feeling good about releasing my feelings, writing is truly therapeutic. And since I’m not hiding from my pass I’m free to write the truth about my feelings.

Take care, it was nice knowing you, the memories were grand, but I don’t live in the pass, in the future, or for other people/organization.

Larry

30

What if caffeine was banned for JWs?

by undercover in

jw
friends

a post about caffeine and coffee in the "what if the wts banned alcohol" thread jogged my memory.... back in the 70s sometime (i can't remember if it was pre-75 or post-75) a rumor started circulating around our area that at the next convention the wts was going to add caffeine and caffeine products (coffee, coke, etc) to the list of banned substances (tobacco, blood).

of course, it never happened, but for a couple of months the rumors were hot and heavy.

the rumors were easily believed by a lot of the dubs because of the "up" effects caffeine can give you and besides, the mormons banned it, there had to be a reason.

Larry

It must have been a rumor b/c I recall only coffee was on the chopping block, this is the first time I heard about all caffeine products. But yes, I remember that rumor. I recall as a J-Dub youth our book study conductor was a coffee addict and every time we went in FS he would have a cup of coffee in his hands saying "I don't know what I would do if the Society bans coffee." After that summer he would always say "whew, I'm glad the Society didn't ban coffee b/c I would be in trouble." Sip :)

I guess some GB members or their wives loved coffee too much to ban it. Beside the BORG couldn't chance losing more members post 1975. Especially the Spanish brothers that I grew up around, because they always drank Cafe con Leche (Cafe Bustillo or El Pico :) with pan y mantequilla (bread and butter).

Speaking of coffee, anybody remembers 'Mr. Coffee', the wacko guys that taunted the Bethelites outside Brooklyn Heights?

Oh, to answer your question - if caffeine was banned the J-Dubs would still 'move ahead' but the BORG would realize that the 'new light' on caffeine would effect the bottom line and have 'additonal light' reinstating caffeine :)

Peace - Larry :)

60

What did the Watchtower Soceity REALLY say about 1975?

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

well, read for yourself!.

click here to download the oct 8th, 1968 awake!

magazine that talks about the year 1975.

Larry

A Blast From The Past -

1975 Posted by Joab on September 16, 1996 at 09:35:14: Can you recall what your Circuit & District Overseer said years ago, regarding 1975? We all know what the Society said, but what about these brothers including the Elders. In addition, what did they said when Armageddon didn't occur in 1975?

I'll tell you what they said. They counted down the months, 56 months, 55 months.... In some congregation they had countdown calendars on the wall. COs and DOs were by far the worst offenders in this regard. What did they say when it didn't happen? Nothing, the great silence fell and they all devoutly hoped everyone had immediate memory loss.

38

OMG im addicted to E-Bay

by Es in

jw
friends

heheh i only just signed up on the weekend, thought id see what the fuss was about.. well now im addicted, i sit there and check how my bids are going on a regular basis, im always looking up new things.

its sooo much fun, well for me a boring housewife anyway.. hubby calls me ebay now.

es

Larry

Agreed - EBay is Great! I started last month and wondered - What took me so long to jump on the EBay wagon?

I buy mostly French cuff shirts and cuff links - brought a few old baseball/football/basketball cards as well. I even bought a legit violin for $4.99 - $23.00 shipping :-/ (I really wanted a viola for my son but read the description wrong.)

I hate it when I get out bid at the last minute/sec. Anyway, it's fun - Although I did purchase a shirt last month and still haven't received it.

And of course EBay has much J-Dub nostalgia to choose from.

Shop on - Larry :)

350

Called JR Brown regarding Cano Pedophile situation

by LDH in

just called their media line:.

http://www.jw-media.org/contact.htm.

asked a young man named bryce where is the official press release on the cano pedophile situation.

Larry

LDH - That was amazing - You will go down in the annals of apostate history :) Barbara Walters, Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley has got nothing on you -Talk about exposing the man behind the curtain.

This is enormous for many reasons. One telling reason is many of the rank and file J-Dubs will not admit that the BORG is NOT God’s spirit directed organization, even after the infamous JR Brown said it. I’m sure they will deny the legitimacy of the recording and not even listen to it - this is typical of J-Dubs. I recall years ago mentioning the ‘Beth-Sarim - Home For The Prophets’ incident to my mother and aunt and they flipped out. My aunt said “Oh no, the demons got him.” All I wanted to know was if they heard of the facts surrounding Beth-Sarim, because it was my first time hearing about, and they freaked out. Most J-Dubs know very little about the real history of the BORG and its teachings/blunders - They don’t even care to know.

I might ask this J-Dub that lives in my building, and is contently trying to get me to come back to the BORG, “Are you still the only true religion?” or “Are you still God’s Spirit Directed Organization?” Just to gage if the average J-Dub knows that they are not exclusive anymore.

Wend I was a Jr J-Scrub during the 70-80’s I was in reverential awe of JR Brown. He was as close to the 'Prophets of Old' as they come. I collected all of his talks – I had over 20 of them on tape. Everyone tried to imitate his speaking style. He even had groups follow him across the country just to hear him give talks – he was a living legend.

If I was still in the BORG and heard this recent revelation of a recording I would have been shocked at how human he is in a non-formal setting (although he was trying to preach) And I would have started to think and re-evaluate this spirit directed organization concept.

Now that I’m out for over 8 years, I shuttle to think how I dedicated most of my life to this spirit directed organization.

Thanks again LDH – Your posted information should be standard reading for all J-Dubs and J-Dub lurkers.

Peace my Sister – Larry