Posts by mustang

I was getting the same from my 85 year old Dad til I had enough. He parroted all of this regularly; the exception was he empahsized the 'or else' clauses. That went on for 20+ years

Everybody else lets you go, and the 'fence-sitter' routine (nod, smile,'that's interesting', uh-huh etc., string 'em along & be busier than can be imagined) or moving away sufficed.

But, the relatives just hang on and on and on...

Whatever you decide to do, its probably best to smile, change the subject & get that conversation deflected.

Mustang

14

Headquarters of 'TBN'--vs. Brooklyn

by LDH in

jw
friends

i was in los angeles over the weekend (weather was gorgeous, what else is new?)..

we stayed in costa mesa at the westin south coast plaza, right off of the 405 and bristol street.. as we exited, imagine my surprise upon looking to the right hand side of the road and seeing a palatial looking building with the logo for the trinity broadcasting network diplayed!

wow, was it disgusting!.

mustang

Seen the place? Yup, used to drive by there, but changed my route to work. I haven't seen it since the 'power crisis'(we save 5K$/hr by going to Diesel on an I6 Demand Call; I switch the Diesel over), but it used to be lit up like a light bulb test range. Gaudy is a good description. For some reason, there are some gigantic fig bushes on the right-of-way there; always wondered who gets to pick them.

Mustang

14

Psychological Impact

by individual in

jw
friends

it is said by jws that 'the truth' never leaves you.

even when you have broken free, you will still be haunted by it, watching the news just in case they were right.

have any of you had these feelings?

mustang

BTW, it really helped to remember the Elder from several congregations over who HAD A FULL COLLEGE EDUCATION. I recall that he wasn't struck by lightning, WHILE GIVING THE SUNDAY PUBLIC ADDRESS.
That goes for his son, who also 'went to university'. His son wasn't struck from the platform on those Sunday visits, either.

Some view of the 'politics' of things helped me realize that things
"weren't what they should be". I was a servant's son, knew all the others families & saw their dirty laundry, pioneered and was a servant myself. This was DECADES before the Internet, but the political view was an eye-opener.

Mustang

14

Psychological Impact

by individual in

jw
friends

it is said by jws that 'the truth' never leaves you.

even when you have broken free, you will still be haunted by it, watching the news just in case they were right.

have any of you had these feelings?

mustang

1st, must be welcome to the board is in order, oh new one!!

As to your question, the news doesn't bother me. I can take it or laeve it. I ignore it for weeks at a time.

That is unlike, my father, the Rutherfordite. He requires 2 newspapers a day, the radio and TV on constantly and probably watches 5+ news shows a day. He has that eagle eye for 'news fulfilling prophecy' and called me to tell about it on any late-breaking occasion for 20+ years.

I find that having something to do (earn a living, interacting with real people and solving your own problems without making them someone else's) consumes enough time that I don't need such a hobby as his. Between being self-employed (under-employed) and retirement, Dad has had way too much time on his hands for 20+ years.

Yes, it took time for some of the other things to wear off. But, just relax and let the 'cares of living' (or whatever they call it now) consume you. Soon, you will have little time for those
'twinges' that you refer to. You could simply let materialism consume you. That will take care of it. Remember, fence-sitting is an honorable profession.

Mustang
Fence-sitter extraordinaire

14

Will Anemic April Wake Up the Governing Body?

by metatron in

jw
friends

as many of you know, the society likes to dictate a maximum.

'preaching' effort, once or twice a year to help even out their.

sagging statistical averages.. for example, in august of 1998, they got 1,040,283 publishers,.

mustang

Jan,

I think you are onto something, with the media forms. With the latest one (the web) the WTS has really blown it. A double-whammy is in force: the WTS has denounced and vilified the web, but the web has bitten back. It has teeth!!!

I always wondered about the sense of them getting rid of WBBR. Radio stations are still used by many foreign missionary groups. They didn't get into TV, either. I suppose that saved us the spectacle of the TV evangelists (a prophecy that they got RIGHT???).

I remember going Sunday door-door w/ my father and getting invited in just in time to catch part of Garner Ted Armstrong's sermon. That made it real interesting!!!

Oh, and 958,000 odd publishers with a claimed 6 million? The motivational engineering seems lacking.

Mustang

3

A JW on TV last night! "Moral Court"

by LDH in

jw
friends

the setting:.

a young couple, early 20's.

the husband allowed his brother in law, who had separated from his wife, to move into his home temporarily.. the bil had impregnated another woman, so she moved in too.. during the three weeks they lived with the young couple, here is what the couple experienced:.

mustang

Sounds like the Jerry Springer Show. I've been waiting them to show up there.

Mustang

14

A Letter to the Elders

by AngelofMuZiC in

jw
friends

dear fellow board members,.

my mother is still a member of the org, and as i see it, fully intends on remaining a member.

she does not agree with everything the wts says, (the elders don't know that) and she has told me that she would never disown me for them, nor have they asked her to.

mustang

AngelofMuZiC,

Very good letter. I agree that it should be sent. I would add, as ZazuWitts says, that she has only complained to you and is exhibiting 'long-suffering'.

'Long-suffering', BTW, is another of those often extolled JW virtues.
Speaking of such JW virtues, they (WTS, Elders, congregation & so forth) are the ones that put themselves upon the pedestal as 'happiest people on earth' and full to overflowing w/ 'brotherly love'.

It is becoming quite evident that the 'happiest people on earth' theme is propaganda, pure and simple. You (and others) are showing that the 'overflowing w/ brotherly love' theme is also propaganda. Many have recounted the 'love-bombing' that new ones are showered with. It seems to wear thin a few months after baptism.

So, if the Elders get a letter such as yours, THEY ASKED FOR IT. They have honestly earned it. Do not feel ashamed.

Will it do any good? Time will tell if the others observations are correct. The consensus says, no help.

What will happen if you don't send it? Not much. So, you are left w/ 'nothing ventured' nothing gained'. This tends to say, 'send it'.

The other thought that I might add is this: someone in recent times posted about a shepherding call that they received. I don't know if they said this or just expressed the thought to themselves. But their reaction to the Elders visit was that everyone was ignoring them, snubbing them, not associating with them and so one. This included both spiritual and social gatherings. Certainly, no one was taking the time or effort to build them up.

This couple was in the enviable position of literally humbling the Elders and proving what hypocrites they were. The Elders would have had no choice but to leave w/ bowed heads and their tails symbolically dragging between their legs.

Quite frankly, anyone having such an opportunity to honestly embarrass those self-righteous ones, should do so. It is a moral imperative.

Mustang

56

The Name Jehovah

by ruffian in

jw
friends

please can someone shed light on the claim that when the bible was originaly written it had the name jehovah in it over 7000 times but it was changed because of superstition?

how do you dispute it?

exactly where did they get that crazy version of their bible anyway?

mustang

TNX, Esther,

I certainly sounds like what was described to me. Thanks again.

I'm definitely looking for a copy of the purple boo & the older Emphatic Diaglott.

Mustang

8

INTRODUCTION

by ruffian in

jw
friends

maybe i should introduce myself.

my name is susan and i have 4 kids.

i have invited some young ladies into my home on saturday's to discuss the bible.

mustang

Sue,

Intro is right. Growing up, I remember my father always spouted
'come, let us reason together' & 'iron sharpeneth iron'. Later, we discovered that he was most partial to 'be reasonable, do it my way'.
They really are just there for the hours and converts.

BRINGING YOU TO THE KH (KINGDOM HALL) IS A MAJOR BADGE OF HONOR.

If you strike a responsive chord, you could trigger a CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE and mobilize the JW's immune defense system: the presbyterios (ELDER's). Yep, actually found that in the Septuagint.

Again, welcome to the board.

Ni hao ma, Intro, long time no see, zai chien.

Mustang