Posts by MadApostate

10

WT Bomb Factory signs deal with US Navy

by DevonMcBride in

more hypocrisy from the watchtower.

it seems as if rand cam engine corporation signed a contract with the us navy to supply parts for their "smart" bombs.

the watchtower bible and tract society owns 50% stock in rand cam engine corporation (rgus).

MadApostate

Holy SHIT!! IT's all clear as day! Thanks so much SF for taking the time to research this and to all others as well.
I'm going to print this little gem off and save it.
Lisa

YEH, PUT IT RIGHT NEXT TO YOUR FILE FOLDER ON "CIRCUIT LEASING".

58

WT does NOT own "Military Stock"

by amccullough in

i thought this deserved its own thread...below is a reply a made to one of the previous threads ( http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=24473&site=3 ) and i am anxious for someone to refute it...or maybe i'm right.. not quite...it seems everyone is muddling the details on this.. it seems that james mccann, who donated the stocks to the wt, invented an improved rotary engine called a rand cam engine.

his company, the rand cam engine corp is a privately held company, but he has donated 50% of the stock to the wt (but retained the voting proxy so the wt has no say in what is going on), he owns 34% and the balance is owned by several shareholders.

this company is half owner of another company called rand energy group.

MadApostate

AMC:

Thanks for bringing some intelligence, objectivity, and accuracy to this topic, which was greatly in need of such. How these buffoons can criticize what you have posted is beyond me??? What you have outlined portrays the WTS as being on thin ice, yet these buffoons are outraged because your same portrayal rebuts their own outlandish assertions.

As you indicate, James McCann is the inventor of the original Rand Cam technology. Evidently, the patent rights were held by Rand Cam Engine Corp, which must have been formed by McCann. At some point, McCann (evidently a JW) transferred ownership of 50% of RCEC's stock to the WBTS, but retained voting rights to such, thus retaining all decision-making power to himself.

Thereafter, McCann made a deal with John Robertson to finance, market, promote, improve, etc. the Rand Cam technology. REGI Corp was formed to do this, with McCann granting REGI all rights to the Rand Cam technology. Since Robertson got 51% of the stock, and McCann got only 49%, it is evident that Robertson is calling all the shots at REGI, with McCann's minority share being compensatory for his "invention", assuming a profit is EVER made.

Robertson/REGI is the majority owner of REGI US, which is the US subsidiary. Again, neither McCann nor the WBTS have any decision making power.

If one reads the available info, it is found that Robertson has brought in other folks who have improved on McCann's original RC technology. I found no indication that McCann has done any work himself in recent years.

It appears that RCEC (WBTS, McCann, etc.) does nothing but hold stock in REGI as "potential" compensation for the original patent(s). However, there have been no profits, and the latest info forecasts none in the foreseeable future.

What this leaves us with is that a JW invented an energy producing technology that has a broad range of applications. He "sold" his patent rights in exchange for a minority share in a Corp, in which decision-making power as to how the technology will be exploited is in someone else's hands.

Now, it seems that whether the WBTS should own stock in McCann's Corp is really no different than whether the WBTS should own stock in ANY WORLDLY CORP?

24

#&)^%!!!!!! I'm in the mood to kill.

by LoneWolf in

jw
friends

and if you read some snarls in between those words, you don't know the half of it.. my wife asked me to go to the memorial last night, and i decided to go if for no other reason than to keep tabs on what's going on.

those who know my story know that my situation is unusual.. just before we left she came to me privately and said that she had something to tell me before i heard it from anyone else.

she knows exactly how i feel about the society, and was scared as to my reaction, and i don't blame her: there's hell to pay.. jeff strebe committed suicide the night before.

MadApostate

Tom:

Would you please post a link to one of the media reports, or just the geographic location, so others can locate such?

Thanks.

4

Ex-Witness Struck By Community Outpouring BY DAVEM

by MadApostate in

i'm don't know why dave hasn't posted this article?

maybe he is too humble, or maybe he was just hoping one of us would find it, or maybe its being circulated off-the-db?.

in any case, here it is, with my "thanks":.

MadApostate

.

7

WBTS BUSY SEEKING/GETTING GOOD MEDIA PUBLICITY

by MadApostate in

here are 3 newspaper articles re the "kh quick build program" from the past couple weeks alone which give jws good overall pr.. maybe these newspapers should be forwarded some of the oregon and canada news stories with inquiry whether they report on the jws' dark side???

virginia:.

http://www.newsadvance.com/mgbhfz905zc.html.

MadApostate

Here is a recent (last week?) article published in an eastern Kentucky (Hillbilly) newspaper. Note the "quality" of the composition, etc.

This "type" of newspaper might be one that would be receptive to a couter-argument LTE, etc.

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

Dedicated to the message, the Jehovah's Witnesses

by KATHY J. PRATER
Features Editor

Dedicated is the one word that comes foremost to mind upon investigation of this week's selected church. "Jehovah's Witnesses" is a religious group that meets five days a week and is committed to delivering their message to each and every household in their congregational area. If that's not dedication, then we would be hard pressed to determine what is.

According to material printed by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, several misconceptions prevail when the name "Jehovah's Witnesses" is spoken. The congregants have been called Christian propagandists, a cult, and have been accused of being fanatics who reject medical treatment. Actually, says the Society, Jehovah's Witnesses are none of these things. "Probably the worst thing, though, that I have had people ask me is 'Do you all believe in Jesus?'," said Elder Danny Conner. "Why, I tell them, yes we do. A lot of folks just don't understand, but we're eager to deliver our message and help them to."

So eager, in fact, that dedicated Jehovah's Witnesses go door to door in an attempt to deliver their Christian message to their neighbors and communities. This activity is referred to as "field ministry" by the Witnesses.

Field ministry is an important part of a Jehovah's Witnesses life, as the Witnesses possess a genuine concern for the welfare of their neighbor's and wish, wholeheartedly, to share their thoughts and beliefs with them.

Witnesses also rely heavily on the use of their power of reason. When attending a congregational meeting at one of the Witnesses Kingdom Hall's, you will note that members of the congregation deliver talks upon common subjects, habits and behaviors of today's society. As they speak, it becomes apparent that they have researched their topic, consulted the Bible, and come, by way of reasoning, to a logical conclusion on the matter.

At an evening meet held this past Tuesday at the Kingdom Hall on Water Gap Road, Allen Boyd, a seventeen year old high school graduate, gave a talk on idolatry. Boyd informed the Prestonsburg congregation that no carved images of any sort should be used in worship and that even hobbies, careers, and other daily activities can be logically defined as "idols when we allow them to interfere with our worship of Jehovah," he said.

The congregation assembled at the Water Gap Kingdom Hall presented as a group of meticulously dressed and very well-groomed members who were intently focused on Bible study and interpretation. The members listened as others presented talks and, later, exchanged thoughts during an open-mike opinion session. Thoughts and opinions were backed up by Bible scripture, quotes and study.

In closing, the congregants joined in a song of praise and thanksgiving. Indicative of their belief in reasoning, study and the acquisition of knowledge, the assembled congregants sang, "Happy are those you choose to invite, into your courts of instruction and light...Now our desire is by you to be taught...Praise to Jehovah, our glorious King."

If you are interested in learning more about the Jehovah's Witnesses, you may contact Elder Andrew Stamper, the presiding overseer of the Prestonsburg Congregation, or call the Kingdom Hall at 874-9638 to request either informational materials or a home visit. You may also access the official Jehovah's Witnesses website at www.watchtower.com.

. http://www.floydcountytimes.com/features/fri.htm

4

Ex-Witness Struck By Community Outpouring BY DAVEM

by MadApostate in

i'm don't know why dave hasn't posted this article?

maybe he is too humble, or maybe he was just hoping one of us would find it, or maybe its being circulated off-the-db?.

in any case, here it is, with my "thanks":.

MadApostate

Hmmm:

Can you link this to that previous post? I missed it.

Thanks.

4

Ex-Witness Struck By Community Outpouring BY DAVEM

by MadApostate in

i'm don't know why dave hasn't posted this article?

maybe he is too humble, or maybe he was just hoping one of us would find it, or maybe its being circulated off-the-db?.

in any case, here it is, with my "thanks":.

MadApostate

I'm don't know why Dave hasn't posted this article? Maybe he is too humble, or maybe he was just hoping one of us would find it, or maybe its being circulated off-the-DB?

In any case, here it is, with my "thanks":

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

Ex-Witness struck by community outpouring

Published: March 26, 2002

By DAVE MALONE
Special to the News-Register

I drove down from Beaverton, making my way to the lush Yamhill Valley, now famous for the many wineries scattered among its rolling green hills. The countryside is beautiful and the land is shared by both vineyards and small country farms. I have a feeling that is one of the things that attracted Robert Bryant here.

As in most small towns, everything in McMinnville seems just a few blocks away from wherever you are. So it was with Bethel Baptist Church, where the memorial service was to take place.

Being an ex-Jehovah's Witness, and thus having an ingrained uneasiness for churches, I felt a little strange walking into this very large church. I signed the register book and started to enter the main worship area. There, by the double-wide doors, were pictures of the Bryant family.

As I looked at the happy faces of the children in the photos, something snapped and reality instantly clicked in. I realized what I was there for. Those children were all dead, along with their mother and father.

For a few moments, I couldn't feel anything. I just stared at the photos. I thought of my own kids, and how I love to look at photos of them as they grew up, as their appearance slowly changed from cute little babies into young men.

I walked away from the photos, quickly slipping back into my non-emotional appearance, and continued into the main worship area. In the front, there were a dozen or so flower arrangements and three or four wreaths. There were two large pieces of paper with several dozen drawings and notes from many of the kids who attended school with the Bryant children.

One of the notes, drawn in crayon, said a few nice things about one of the Bryant girls and ended with a simple, personal comment: "I'm sorry for making fun of you." A tiny lump shot up in my throat.

One of the flower arrangements caught my eye. It was a wreath of white flowers with a white ribbon carrying this message in gold letters: "Shunned no more."

At that moment that little lump came back. I was not just one ex-Witness attending the memorial of another ex-Witness. I was representing hundreds of ex-Witnesses who were sending their love for the Bryants from all over the world.

One of the Bryant children's entire school class came. There were about 60 to 80 kids scattered around the room, among more than 300 people filling up the main areas - all from different thoughts and philosophies in life, all there because they cared about people who lived in their small town.

The pastor read verses from the Bible about hope and resurrection. He talked a little about each of the Bryant children and some of their achievements. He talked about how the family had moved to Oregon to make a new start. He didn't mention the Jehovah's Witnesses, but he alluded to speculation about why this tragedy may have happened.

Sharon Roe, Robert Bryant's sister-in-law, said a few words about the Bryant family. She wanted it to be very clear that Robert Bryant was a loving and caring father. She said she did not blame Robert and understood a little about why this all happened.

The pastor said he felt bad that he never had a chance to meet the Bryant family. He said the McMinnville community might have reached out to the Bryant family and embraced them more.

He also read a card of thanks written by Sharon Roe to the people of McMinnville. It was very touching. She was very thankful for what they had done for people they did not even know.

I thought to myself, there wasn't one single Jehovah's Witness in the room. But all these people from different churches and different parts of town came to pay their respects to people out of one simple concept: love for their fellow human.

These were the same people whom, we were taught as Jehovah's Witnesses, were wicked, evil and soon to be destroyed by Jehovah. These were the people, we were taught, who did not know the meaning of true love and only were out to satisfy their own selfish desires.

But these people had nothing to gain by coming to this memorial service. They were there simply to show genuine love for people who once lived in their small town.

This little community of McMinnville, Oregon, showed more love for its neighbors than I have seen shown by all the hundreds of Jehovah's Witnesses I have met in my life. I did not hear one accusation, or one single comment that sounded condescending or self-righteous. All I heard were words of comfort and questions about why this all happened.

This was an experience that will stay with me the rest of my life.

. http://www.newsregister.com/news/story_print.cfm?story_no=147691

24

2nd half of interview with Sharon Roe

by seven006 in

jw
friends

this came out in todays issue of the news register.

it is the second half of a two hour two part interview.. http://204.200.26.244/news/story.cfm?story_no=147722.

sharon roe does not know why her brother-in-law, robert bryant, reached a place so dark he felt compelled to murder his children and wife in their beds before putting a shotgun to his chin and pulling the trigger.

MadApostate

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/64007_family27.shtml

Family-slayer worried about money

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

McMINNVILLE, Ore. -- Sharon Roe remembers her brother-in-law spreading his financial records on the floor and crunching numbers during a December visit.

Robert Bryant was burning through money at an alarming rate.

"We have enough food and money for two months," she recalls him saying. "After that, we're going to starve."

His wife, Janet, tried consoling him: "It's OK, Rob, we'll just buy lots of rice and beans."

Roe doesn't know why, just a few months later, Robert Bryant became so desperate that he murdered his wife and four children in their beds before taking his own life. Their bodies were not found until three weeks later, on March 14.

In several interviews with the McMinnville News-Register, Roe said her brother-in-law had long been prone to what his family called "gloom and doom" days.

"He would just sit there, going over scenarios in his head, and he would always focus on the worst," she said.

Roe also told the newspaper about an experience Bryant had while still a member of a Jehovah's Witness congregation in Shingle Springs, Calif.

"All of a sudden he said he felt a very bizarre sensation come over him, and he heard a voice over him," she said.

"It said, 'Robert, you have been approved.'"

Bryant eventually decided the experience meant that Jesus Christ had anointed him for a special purpose. But his belief that he was one of the "elect" souls who would accompany Jesus to heaven put him at odds with his fellow elders.

Members of the church began to turn their backs on Bryant after he put his concerns in writing. The action was taken, church elder Mark Messier has said, for Bryant's "unrepentant behavior" that violated church beliefs. Then his family -- also members of the church -- apparently did so as well.

Bryant and his wife, Janet, both 37, moved to Oregon last summer with their children -- 15-year-old Clayton, 12-year-old Ethan, 9-year-old Ashley and Alissa, 8.

His California landscaping business had gone into bankruptcy after his expulsion from the church. Many of his clients had been members of the congregation.

Roe said her brother-in-law at one point wondered if he had made the correct decision, turning his back on the church in which he'd been raised.

He even tried to return, she said, but it didn't work.

Police say Bryant shot his family on Feb. 23 before taking his own life.

2

What's Up With Oregon and Wacko XJWs?

by MadApostate in

aftermath: police officer tony rollins, right, escorts rae lee, 11, left, and an unidentified woman away from mountain view elementary school on monday in anchorage.

rae told police he witnessed stabbings at the school, where four children were seriously injured.

brian wallace / the juneau empire.

MadApostate

May 8, 2001

Aftermath: Police officer Tony Rollins, right, escorts Rae Lee, 11, left, and an unidentified woman away from Mountain View Elementary School on Monday in Anchorage. Rae told police he witnessed stabbings at the school, where four children were seriously injured.

BRIAN WALLACE / THE JUNEAU EMPIRE

Stabbing suspect has history of mental woes

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANCHORAGE - The man accused of stabbing four elementary school students Monday in Anchorage has been talking about killing children for years, according to testimony by two psychologists during a 1999 court hearing.

Jason W. Pritchard, 33, has a long history of run-ins with police and of harassing children on school grounds, according to a report in the Anchorage Daily News. Court files detail a history of serious psychological problems, including treatment at the Alaska
Psychiatric Institute.

The four children were stabbed in the neck shortly before classes were to begin Monday at Mountain View Elementary School. Three remained in serious condition at Anchorage hospitals today, while one was upgraded to fair condition. Officials said their injuries were not life-threatening. Classes at the school were canceled today and counseling was to be provided to students and parents.

Pritchard was charged with four counts of first-degree attempted murder and four counts of first-degree assault. He was being held at Cook Inlet Pre-trial Facility on $2 million bail.

Prosecutors and police said Pritchard was originally from Oregon and appeared to be living in a car.

Pritchard was diagnosed with schizophrenia and a brain disorder brought on by a suicide attempt in 1998, according to Dr. David Sperbeck, a forensics psychologist who testified at the February 1999 hearing. Sperbeck said Pritchard suffers from delusions that stem from the schizophrenia.

JASON PRITCHARD

"He has been focused on his desire to get into heaven," Sperbeck testified. "He's got a multitude of spiritual delusions, and it has caused him to be suicidal and homicidal."

Sperbeck's testimony came at Pritchard's sentencing for a December 1998 criminal trespass case in which Pritchard, a self-proclaimed excommunicated Jehovah's Witness, walked into Kingdom Hall in Anchorage during a service and urged churchgoers to commit suicide with him so they all could go to heaven, according to the charges.

After that incident, Sperbeck said, Pritchard repeatedly discussed his desire to kill children. Sperbeck urged the court to require 24-hour supervision.
At the same hearing, another psychologist, Dr. Lawrence Maile, said Pritchard had exhibited his dangerous tendencies over a long period. Pritchard was sentenced to 130 days in jail for the Kingdom Hall incident.

Pritchard also was convicted of second-degree stalking, a misdemeanor, in 1998 after a series of incidents at schools in Homer. His record also includes convictions since 1995 for assault, criminal mischief and drunken driving, Anchorage prosecutor Carmen ClarkWeeks said.

24

Editorial column by editor of newspaper -Bryant

by seven006 in

jw
friends

additional new stories with more information about the bryant tragity can be found on this link to the news register of mcminnville oregon.. http://www.newsregister.com.

published: march 23, 2002. jeb bladine.

whatchamacolumn - a tale of two freedoms.

MadApostate

Even the littlest honor slain family

Published: March 23, 2002

Bathed in light from a stained-glass window, Saskia, a fourth-grade classmate of Ashley bryant, is comforted by her mother during a memorial service Thursday held at Bethel Baptist Church in McMinnville.

Tom Ballard / News-Register

By STARLA POINTER
Of the News-Register

Most of Lynn Mekkers' fourth-graders squeezed into two pews near the front of Bethel Baptist Church Thursday afternoon.
They snuggled close to one another and to their teacher, closer than necessary on the generously long bench seats. But the Memorial Elementary School students wanted to feel one another's reassuring warmth during the funeral for their classmate Ashley - for many, the very first funeral in their young lives.

"I'm so proud of them. I have the most wonderful group of kids in the world," said Mekkers, who hugged students during the service and wiped away tears, both theirs and hers.

Boys in junior suits and ties, boys in jeans, girls in long skirts and girls in play clothes, they all came to mourn for Ashley and her three siblings: Alissa, a second-grader at Memorial; Ethan, a sixth-grader at Patton Middle School; and Clayton, a sophomore at McMinnville High School.

The Bryant children and their parents were found dead March 14 in their mobile home west of town. Police said father Robert Bryant fatally shot his children and his wife of 17 years, Janet, on Feb. 23, then took his own life.

Ashley's classmates have gone through a lot of emotional ups and downs in the week since the news shocked the community, Mekkers said.

"My students continue to hold onto each other and support each other," the teacher said. "Ashley was a true friend and a dream student. She is loved and missed."

Mekkers said she feels badly for all of McMinnville's children who are trying to understand the inexplicable. "We can't give them answers. There aren't any answers," she said.

Her students and about 50 other children were among more than 300 people who attended the memorial service. Other teachers who had the children in classes and law enforcement officials who worked on the murder-suicide case helped fill the sanctuary.

The crowd included many people who had just come to know the Bryants since the tragic deaths were discovered.

The family pews remained largely empty, though, occupied only by Janet Bryant's sister and a handful of other relatives. Neither of Robert's parents attended, nor did any of his siblings.

Much of his family has been estranged from him in recent years, since his break with the Jehovah's Witnesses Church. The estrangement contributed to the Bryants' decision to move from their native Sacramento, Calif., area to McMinnville last June to start a new life.

Messages of love and hope

Janet Bryant's sister, Sharon Roe, thanked mourners for the compassion they've shown to her family. She said she remembers Robert as her beloved brother-in-law, Janet as her best friend and the children as beloved nieces and nephews.

"These were peace-loving, gentle people," she said. "Let us carry those qualities in our minds and hearts forever."

Robert's problem was depression, Roe said. She urged people to reach out for help when they are depressed or despairing.

She and her brother, Tim Smith, wrote a thank you card that the Rev. Bard Marshall read during the service. "Thanks for the deep concern and understanding. This is a very loving, caring, beautiful community," the note said.

Marshall added, "Had Robert known the people in this community who cared, this tragedy may never have happened."

The minister told mourners they'll never be sure why the tragedy occurred or what if anything could have been done to prevent it. They need to pray for the Bryants and concentrate on God's promise of salvation, he said.

"We see a great deal of love here. Pray that that continues," he said.
And instead of asking why, people should look at the lessons this event has for the community, Marshall said.

Robert Bryant felt alone and without hope, the minister said.

Other people feel that way, too. We need to help them realize they're not alone and that there is hope.

"I didn't know the Bryants; many of you didn't," Marshall said. "I feel somewhat guilty I didn't meet the Bryants and reach out. The church should feel a little guilty, too. We have signs that say 'come to church,' but the Bible says to believers that they should go to those around them with the message."

Likewise, community members should reach out to one another, Marshall said. "It might make a difference in someone's life," he said.

"Have you been a friend? Do you know your neighbor?" Marshall asked. "Be a neighbor. Be a friend."

People cried then, again, as a soloist sang, "One Day at a Time." Mourners joined their voices together for "Amazing Grace," "In the Garden" and "Jesus Loves Me," a song especially directed toward the children.

"We want young people to know that Jesus, God and your parents love you," Marshall said. "Parents, this is a time you need to pay particular attention and reassure your children."

Remembering the family

School buses rumbled along Baker Creek Road, taking most students home to play in the windy but mild spring weather. The Bryant children's classmates and teachers went from school to the church, instead.

Photos of the clean-cut family and posters made by students greeted mourners as they arrived for the memorial service. People paused to read, sniffling and wiping away tears.

One big piece of bright yellow butcher paper was covered with children's signatures. "Ashley, we love you," it read, with the word "love" represented by a big red heart.

Another large sheet said simply, "It will be OK." Still another was covered with handprints and footprints of the children's friends and the words, "Remember the Bryants."

Ethan's classmates had made a large magazine-photo collage and smaller posters. Messages written in crayon and marking pen said: "A kind soul." "Ethan, we will miss you." "If everyone was like you, Ethan, this world would be perfect."

A heart-shaped wreath of roses, other flower arrangements and several plants filled the front of the church. A few children added single blooms. One gave a white teddy bear to a funeral director, who placed it on the altar.

Hanna Logan, one of Alissa's second-grade classmates, walked slowly into the sanctuary with her little sister, Emily, and their mother, Linda. She carried a stuffed gorilla, all white except for a flower atop its head and a flower on its chest.

"Alissa liked flowers," said Hanna, 7. "There was a rose on the gorilla's heart, so I picked that. And it has silver and pink and red on it, and lace. She'd like that."
Hanna recalled playing with Alissa during recess and sitting near her in Carolyn Urnes' classroom. They also liked to sit together at lunch, she said.

Before the service started, Hanna placed her gorilla near the altar.
She went back to her seat and nestled against her mothers' side, trying hard not to cry. Afterwards, as she hugged a classmate, her tears flowed freely.

"This was her first funeral," Hanna's mother said, hugging her daughter. "I'm proud of her. She did good, right up until the end."