hi guys.
i actually have had dealings with rod and found him to be a very reasonable and "non-robotic" man in the past.. i know it should not surprise me, but i was disappointed to hear his lies and half-truths.. they know their stuff and are not easily led, but he tried to lead the royal commission to believe that 2 people could be involved in investigating a claim - which is wrong.. his lack of memory on what parts of the judicial process are biblical - hello - none are.
there are no scriptures that backup the use of 3 men, a body of elders, cutting people off from family and friends, restrictions, etc.. he also lied about the gb being involved in policy creation and changes.. his statement that in all cases, elders are told to inform parents that they can go to the authorities and get the full support of the congregation is not verifiable.
They know their stuff and are not easily led, but he tried to lead the Royal Commission to believe that 2 people could be involved in investigating a claim - which is wrong.
For the record, Spinks is correct on this point. It is routine for a body of elders to form an investigating committee, usually comprised of 2 elders, to investigate a claim of wrongdoing and determine if a Judicial Committee needs to be formed.
i've been toying with the idea of just coming out and posting my name and location as an attempt to be available to locals that secretly browse the forum that have known me for up to 25 years.
( "reaching out", so to speak ).
i'm not da'd or df'd, so this most certainly could end in a dramatic confrontation.
kairos: when I was learning things about the truth that I didn't want to believe, but I could not ignore, I was suicidal too.
I think it's a normal reaction for someone that has been told that this world is so bad, controlled by Satan, that death forgives you of your sins, and that paradise is waiting for you.
I saw these problems in the organization, and wanted a shortcut to the new system so I didn't have to be so torn up about it.
To survive, I had to let go of that hope.
I hope your wife gets through this. I'm sorry, man.
thought i would put this in its own thread.
it another embarrassing statement from the rc (royal commission not regional convention lol).
it's not even one about abuse, its about the jw's stance on science and the bible.
Aside from the fact that women were judges in the Hebrew Scriptures, Junia is named as an apostle in Acts although the JW bible turns a feminine proper noun into a neuter.
Not only that, but later in the verse where Junia is referred to (Rom. 16:7) the NWT uses the phrase "...who are men well-known..." No other Bible versions or translations that I can find online place the word "men" in that phrase.
New International Version
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
New Living Translation
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did.
English Standard Version
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.
New American Standard Bible
Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
King James Bible
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow countrymen and fellow prisoners. They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me.
International Standard Version
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who are in prison with me and are prominent among the apostles. They belonged to the Messiah before I did.
NET Bible
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my compatriots and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Invoke the peace of Andronicus and of Junia, my relatives who were captives with me and were known by The Apostles and they were in The Messiah before me.
GOD'S WORD® Translation
Greet Andronicus and Junia, who are Jewish by birth like me. They are prisoners like me and are prominent among the apostles. They also were Christians before I was.
Jubilee Bible 2000
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
King James 2000 Bible
Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
American King James Version
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
American Standard Version
Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners: who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Darby Bible Translation
Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and fellow-captives, who are of note among the apostles; who were also in Christ before me.
English Revised Version
Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me.
Webster's Bible Translation
Salute Andronicus and Junia my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Weymouth New Testament
and to Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen, who once shared my imprisonment. They are of note among the Apostles, and are Christians of longer standing than myself.
World English Bible
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Young's Literal Translation
salute Andronicus and Junias, my kindred, and my fellow-captives, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me.
angus stewart's facial expression says what he thinks about rodney spink's prevarication.... .
.
.
HAHA! wifibandit
He DOES look like John Oliver.
i have not meet all atheists, and it would be foolish for me to assume that all atheists, share the same prototypical view points.
i am inclined to feel that this classifies the views of a large percentage of atheists.
"atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities.
I just have to say, I had lunch last week with Perry and his wife, and they're some really great, down to earth folks.
So, though I currently disagree with Perry on existential issues, that doesn't mean I'm gonna belittle his perspective.
Forum Perry is completely different that IRL Perry.
i'm revisiting an old topic here, but this was a subject of much confusion for me when i was still a witness.
i went to a spanish congregation in the u.s. and it seemed to be taken for granted by most that you needed to cook beef thoroughly to "get rid" of the blood.
i was surprised when i learned that folks in the english speaking hall would order a steak medium-rare and think nothing of it.. it wasn't until after i left the witnesses that it started to occur to me that if the red fluid that was present when you'd cut the beef was blood, cooking it thoroughly wouldn't get rid of it, it'd just cook it and transform it into another color.
A hamburger cooked to medium is really hard for me to pass up. I know it's living dangerously, but what's the worst that can happen in a first world country? I lose a few pounds because I get sick?
Do you know how often I fantasize about getting a tape worm for a while so I can lose some weight?
vincent toole has a history of stating blatant untruths in order to protect the wt.. he is recorded as once saying that shunning was "a myth".. i wonder how linguistically pedantic will he get, and how much double-speak will he employ in order to defend the current wt policies.
my guess is he will try to twist the senior counsel in knots with wordy responses, in the hope they will simply run out of time.. if this fails then i'm expecting some howlers of deception..
Will Vincent Toole speak the truth to the Royal commission?
Is the Pope Jewish?
i've been toying with the idea of just coming out and posting my name and location as an attempt to be available to locals that secretly browse the forum that have known me for up to 25 years.
( "reaching out", so to speak ).
i'm not da'd or df'd, so this most certainly could end in a dramatic confrontation.
Damn. You rock, bro.
Not sure why someone would click "dislike" on someone standing up for what is right.
(Oops. Looks like that was me.)
i'm revisiting an old topic here, but this was a subject of much confusion for me when i was still a witness.
i went to a spanish congregation in the u.s. and it seemed to be taken for granted by most that you needed to cook beef thoroughly to "get rid" of the blood.
i was surprised when i learned that folks in the english speaking hall would order a steak medium-rare and think nothing of it.. it wasn't until after i left the witnesses that it started to occur to me that if the red fluid that was present when you'd cut the beef was blood, cooking it thoroughly wouldn't get rid of it, it'd just cook it and transform it into another color.
simply amazing to watch.
the restraint shown by the judge and lawyer is breath-taking.
i'm sure they would like to pummel these idiots with a sledge-hammer, but they choose words instead.
Notice the look on his face every time he says, "I don't recall"?
If this was taking place in my home state, I would seriously track the guy down and knock that smirk off his face.
What is so funny about this situation? What is so funny about being a pillar of the congregation, a hiding place from the rainstorm, and not being able to recall something as serious as this?
My father has been a COBE (P.O.) for around 30 years, and he remembers EVERYTHING. I put my Dad on a pedestal, and maybe he is exceptional when it comes to elders and their memories, but still. This is ridiculous.
Their congregation should demand they step down due to incompetence and looking like buffoons while giving a piss-poor defense of the good news.
