Posts by Lee Elder

74

I'm thinking of applying for reinstatement

by Cygnus in

jw
friends

ok, here's how it is.. i just finished reading the "dead" thread.

now, listen.

i do not believe in life after death.

Lee Elder

I know plenty of people who seem pretty happy as JWs - I was one of them!
If you don't have children, tow the line, don't think critically about things, etc.
you can have a decent existence as a JW.

I don't know anyone, however, who once informed about the inner workings of the
"Tower" that has been able to go back and fit in. Even dub elders are trained
in their "Kingdom Ministry Schools" to be very cautious about reinstating anyone
DF or DA for apostasy.

Each of us have our own unique situation so you have to do what is best for
you. I would never criticize you for trying to get reinstated. I know others who
have done this simply to normalize relations with their JW family members -
then proceeded to do the "fade."

It is all well and good to climb on one's soap box when you learn the truth about
"the truth", but all would be well advised to carefully consider the implications
for themselves and their family members.

Building a support network of non-JW friends and mastering "the fade" will
generally produce the best long term result for those with JW family members.

Good luck Cygnus,

Lee

1

AJWRB members near Calgary - urgent

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

we have received a request from the jw father in alberta canada for assistance from an ajwrb member in the calgary area - his email is below the body of this message.

if you are in the area and can make yourself available on short notice, please contact us immediately.. thank you,.

lee elder.

Lee Elder

We have received a request from the JW father in Alberta Canada for assistance from an AJWRB member in the Calgary area - his email is below the body of this message. If you are in the area and can make yourself available on short notice, please contact us immediately.

Thank you,

Lee Elder
AJWRB

[email protected]

=============

Lee,
Thanks for the article from the Medical Journal. If the WTS wins the Appeal they will loose no time in transferring her out of province to somewhere so she can refuse treatment, before Child Welfare can appeal the decision. I may have only a few hours to try and speak with my family. It would be helpful to know I could call on someone at a moments notice to come with me to the hospital to try and explain to them why it is permitted by Jehovah to accept a blood transfusion in order to continue living. If that person wishes, they don't have to give their last name

LH

63

Reasons why we hate JW's (as an org)

by ashitaka in

jw
friends

my first reason is the fact that i was being controlled through the jw social structure, and having to fight to do anything....even whether to wear a tie or not.

the preoccupation with appearance was so debilitating; that was all i was ever concerned with.

and, as i'm not attractive, good in sports, or a conformist, i had very few friends.

Lee Elder

I hate the fact that they brainwash the children into refusing necessary medical care and are perfectly willing to sacrifice these kids while they grapple with a timetable for disassembling their monstrous teachings on blood.

Lee

61

Signing Off on "The NET THANG"

by JT in

jw
friends

i would just like to thank everyone for the excellent posts that have appeared here on this site.

i esp would like to thank simon for making this possible.

i sincerely believe that the "net thang" will continue to play a role in helping jw who are sincerely searching for a confirmation that all their doubts and wondering over the years was not the result of them being spiritually weak.

Lee Elder

Best wishes to you and your wife. Your contribution has been
outstanding. I hope our paths cross some day.

Warmest regards,

Lee

26

Memorial policy. Is that true all over?

by Mulan in

jw
friends

i was interested in the post earlier today, about how the 'emblems' were not passed to the disfellowshipped people at the memorial.. does anyone know if this is the policy now, or was it an isolated incident?.

my husband, a former elder, said he had never heard of that being done before.

but we've been gone for 4 years too.. marilyn (aka mulan).

Lee Elder

By the WTS own doctrine all members of the early 1st century congregations were of the anointed and had a heavenly hope. Pauls
letter to the Corinthians discusses a situation that the WT
interprets as the model for disfellowshipping. Did this man cease
to have a heavenly hope? What is the scriptural basis for arguing
that God would temporarily displace these anointed ones while
they are shunned? None exists that I am aware of. Then again, WTS
policies are seldom grounded in solely in the Bible. Even the pope
would get red faced at the thought of assuming the kind of power and control some members of the WTS presume over others.

Lee

7

Your Support is Needed

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

ajwrb has been in touch with the canadian jw father, whose daughter has leukemia.

we have also had a discussion with his attorney bob calvert.

legal costs to fight the watchtower society are mounting and another appeal may be in the works.

Lee Elder

AJWRB has been in touch with the Canadian JW father, whose daughter has Leukemia. We have also had a discussion with his attorney – Bob Calvert. Legal costs to fight the Watchtower Society are mounting and another appeal may be in the works. This is a situation where assistance is needed to carry on this important legal battle. We are asking that AJWRB supporters make their donation payable to: “Save My Daughter”

Donations should be mailed to:

SHUNNED FATHER
Box 20161,
Calgary Place R.P.O.,
Calgary Alberta T2P 4J2

Thank you for continued support.

21

Good News from Calgary

by Kismet in

jw
friends

the appeal court backed the decision of the lower court judge.. i am not rejoicing that the girl is necessarily getting the blood, tho i certainly like her chances for survival far better this way than with the 'alternative' treatment.

i have long been of the opinion that people have the right to chose medical treatment as long as it is an informed decision .

the court in their ruling support the fact that this girl did not make an inofrmed choice and was under intense pressure from the church, not her own belief.

Lee Elder

This is potentially a very important development. I want to
focus on these comments of the judge:

... the judge also pointed out that the teen has not looked "death in the face," because she's been told by fellow Witnesses that the blood transfusions are not essential to save her life.

"Because of incorrect information and the behaviour of some around her she now believes that she will not die if she does not have transfusions," she said.

The Appeals Court recognizes that the girl has been fed inaccurate information by fellow Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Society and that neither her (despite her being a mature minor) nor her mother are able to view the situation from a balanced perspective and make reasonable choices.

Lee

21

Letting JW relatives go....revisited

by MegaDude in

jw
friends

some of you might remember i posted my thoughts on why, after years of shunning, and me continually trying to establish contact with the jw relatives that do this, i finally decided it was healthier for me to let them go and stop doing that.

this was especially true in the case of my younger brother, who was more like a best friend.

we spent a lot of time together before my extricating myself from the watchtower, including vacations and lots of weekends.

Lee Elder

Very good post. In AA they frequently talk about the "Serentiy Prayer". I think its useful for these kinds of situations - even if you no longer believe in God.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference

Kudos to you Megadude

Lee

20

I belive the watchtower will fall.

by sleepy in

jw
friends

i belive the watchtower will fall.. maybe not now but in ten or twenty years its really going to be struggling.. it will be obvious to most in a few more years thay armageddon is not coming , 1914 is wrong etc.

"apostate knowledge" will become much more widespread due to the internet.. it is different to other religions in the fact that everyone is looking forward to armageddon in their life time.

it is the driving force for witnesses and will cause it to die.armaggedons no-show will cause bitter disappointment .. those who have left already , and have taken their families with them have stunted future groth as this is mostly made up of children of believers .. people are becoming better educated and more knowledgeable in general.. all the elderly ones will have died, with no link to the past ,and no armaggedon enthusiasm will die out.. this generation of witnesses may be the last.. (then i woke up)or did i?

Lee Elder

My gut feeling is that the WTS will slowly but surely slither towards
the middle - gradually caving in on blood, shunning, holidays and other
contentious issues that serve little purpose in the big scheme of things. A hundred years from now it will probably be as different from today's WTS organization as Russell and the Bible Students are.

Lee

8

The Watchtower's "N" word.

by Lee Elder in

jw
friends

there is no word in watchtower speak (theocratise) that carries more emotional charge than apostate.

to be labeled an apostate is the lowest low worst than pond scum.

in jw thinking, there is more hope for a pedophile or a murderer than for an apostate.

Lee Elder

There is no word in Watchtower Speak (theocratise) that carries more emotional charge than “Apostate”. To be labeled an apostate is the lowest low – worst than pond scum. In JW thinking, there is more hope for a pedophile or a murderer than for an apostate. The word is probably analogous to the use of the “N” word.

It is hard, perhaps impossible, for those not directly affected to appreciate the kind of pain inflicted by the use of these hateful expressions. When reading a thread from this site:

http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=24168&site=3

it dawned on me that some in ex-JW community are dealing with “A” word in a manner similar to that being used by some blacks to deal with the “N” word. We joke about “apostafests” and even take pride in the term. By doing so, we are probably trying to take the energy or power out of the word.

On the other hand, when we consider the shameful manner in which the Watchtower Corporation (the Borg) has behaved towards its members – especially the children – it feels good to be able to say, “I quit – I cannot and will not support that. I abandon the cause – I’m an apostate or at least a Watchtower apostate.”

Lee