Posts by R. Jerome Harris

100

Exposing one's identity. When?

by kairos in

jw
friends

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.

R. Jerome Harris

I have come to learn not to fear men and their religious organizations. But to fear God.

When I was an active JW (married to a Pioneer), I had begun to develop some serious doubts and formulated questions the WT would constantly dodge, I did something bold: I purchased the late ex-GB member Raymond Franz books "In Search of Christian Freedom" and "Crisis of Conscience" and placed them in among my many Watch Tower publications. I would read them in plain view of my wife.

At first, she did not notice what I was reading until one day she ask me, "Honey, what are you reading?" I answered, "In Search of Christian Freedom" by Brother Franz.

She went ballistic right on the spot! She would not stop yelling at me. It was almost as if she lost her mind or was possessed by a demon (I believe truth agitates demons). Did she snitch? Of course she did. I was counting on it. Almost immediately I lost all "privileges" in the congregation. Few would speak to me. I was told by many of Elders how terrible a person Raymond Franz and Ed Dunlap were. I told them, "I would never know because the WT organization has a system in place that prevents me and others from knowing the truth." I asked the Elders, "Do any of you know Ray Franz or have ever met him? If you have not, then you do not have a sound basis to say anything about his character?" It is like being found guilty without a trial and jury. The jury being all JWs. Some one decides matters for us and tells us who is a friend or foe. You might as well cut up my steak and potatoes for me too! It is an insult to my intelligence and reasoning powers when an organization thinks that I am incapable to think and reason for myself."

After reading both of his books, I knew Ray Franz spoke the truth because he was not an angry man with an ax to grind. After all that the organization put him (and his wife through), he was loving and concerned. Not a vindictive bone in his body. Rather, it was the WT organization that acted in a manner not befitting a disciple of Christ.

The WT reminded me of how the Pharisees and Jewish Leaders treated Jesus.

Yet ...

When one is afraid to leave any organization (religious or non-religious), then they have more fear of men than they do God.

And if you are afraid, then you are not free and you will always be entrapped (held captive).

No true disciple of Christ is fearful of men.

Jesus said at Matthew 10:28:

"And do not become fearful of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be in fear of him that can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna."

Solomon in Proverbs 29:25 said:

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe."

31

Something terrible has just happened

by Crazyguy in

jw
friends

the neighbor child came over to play with my youngest child.

i think she's about 4 maybe 5. well anyway there was some strawberries out on the counter and she asked if she could have one and i said no.

when i looked over later i saw her sneak one.

R. Jerome Harris

This is a 4-5 year old child! Should we demand perfection? No! I do not believe any of us here were without mischief growing up.

We know little to nothing about the one called Jesus in his childhood. He had Brothers and Sisters playmates and I am sure he got into mischief. The problem is that many have a difficult time envisioning him as a child and teenager.

He did not know he was from above until he came up out of the Jordan.

How many office pens did any of us take home?

25

Shunning inactive JW? I never heard about it before....

by Albert Einstein in

jw
friends

from many of your posts ive noticed some of you, who never were df or da are practicaly shunned by your family memebers or congregation memebers.

does that really mean they wouldnt talk to you or greet you, if they meet you on the street or if you call them?.

i live in eastern europe and i never in my life heard about such attitude.

R. Jerome Harris

I quietly DA'd myself back in 2008. I have a few family members and friends who are JWs and they will have nothing to do with me. It is as if I no longer exist in their minds. I did not leave them, God or Christ. I left an organization

Yet, they all know that I am very godly, studious and pay close attention to details and cling to what Christ taught above what any religious organization teaches. They also find it odd that I am not disgruntled or angry.

I think they would be happy if I went off of the deep end. That way, they can say, "You see, it is because he left the organization."

But I did not go off of the deep end, I kept my senses and focus; not as a Jehovah's Witness, but simply as a Disciple of Christ as Jesus directed - no more and no less, no fancy religious organization titles. This puzzles them and they have no answer for me.

They see that I am not restricted as they are. I will greet and talk to persons they have been told not to talk to. I will read books that they have told to shun. I am free to express love and concern to ANYONE "I" choose. I even show it to my former Brothers and Sisters even though they refuse to show it towards me. This is what the Apostle Paul meant by the expression heaping "fiery coals upon his head."

It is foolish to shun anyone. It is stuck up, snobbish, and anal. Christ NEVER commanded this type of conduct out of his disciples. NEVER!

The WT is dead wrong with this shunning teaching of theirs. The way they justify its teaching is that they attribute it as a "Bible Teaching."

Guess what people! The Bible is NOT our Teacher and it is NOT the Word of God. CHRIST JESUS is our Teacher and he is The Word of God.

The reason why the WT never attributes shunning as CHRISTS TEACHING because Christ never taught such a thing.

Just as their is only one God, there can only be one Word of God. To call a book "The Word of God" is blasphemous when it is a "person" - Jesus Christ - who IS The Word of God.

No book can be elevated to such a lofty position! But that is exactly what "Christendom" and the WT have done. They have made a book holy and have minimized the one who is EXCLUSIVELY The Word of God.

So one must think carefully on this: Christ never taught shunning others. The WT organization justifies its teaching of shunning by cleverly saying "The Bible" teaches it.

This shows who it has placed above Christ, a book.

I simply do not care about what "The Bible" teaches because it is not my Head, Leader, Lord or Teacher - Jesus Christ is. I listen to him. (Luke 9:35 and 1 Cor 11:3)

If he did not teach shunning and he himself never shunned anyone, neither shall I.

Because Christ is mentioned in this book that men named, does not make "The Book" itself the Word of God.

Satan is quoted many times in "The Bible." Are his words the Word of God? Satan's words do appear in the very book many claim is The Word of God!

How much simpler is it to obey God with concerns his son at Luke 9:35.

All in this book called the Bible is Christ's teachings. Thus, know what the Bible is and how it came to be.

Only a very tiny percentage of Christs teachings are in this book named by men and called the Bible. It could have been named anything as men desired it to be named.

The bulk of what Christ has to teach us is not in any book, it is accessed by prayer to the Father in heaven (through his son) and we receive it through the same and ONLY channel that we asked: Jesus Christ.

The Source of all wisdom, understanding and knowledge: The Father
The Only Channel: The Son of God (not a book, not a religious organization)
The force that brings that wisdom, understanding and knowledge from the Father through that channel to us: Holy Spirit.

Those desiring to be true disciples of Christ MUST NOT subscribe to the titles the WT gives them such as apostates, spiritually weak, rebellious, etc. If you do, then to you are not free because you show reverent fear of the organization to allow it to place those "foul stench" titles upon you.

You must become like "Superman" or "Superwoman" and those Watch Tower bullets bounce off your chest and you are not harmed (mentally or physically) by them.

You will then have power and know the freedom of Christ!

38

Samuel Herd 3 min video - the most misogynistic words I ever heard from a "godly man"

by paradisebeauty in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=72&v=9vvqxf9uwu0.

R. Jerome Harris

June Cleaver!!!

How insensitive is this?

The GB is out of touch with the common people and the unique problems, challenges and issues they deal with each day whether they be poverty, gender-related, race-related, employment, etc. They speak from the narrow periphery of so-called Western civilization. Many of my African Sisters in Africa (where I am living) are NOT sitting around day dreaming about getting married and "hope chests."

I wonder if any of the members of the GB (past or present) really had a full-time job with families to take care of and bills, etc. None of them sound "Carpenter-like."

20

In depth research reveals....

by Deltawave in

something i have noticed over the years is how much harder it is to research the history of the watchtower society from its own literature.

people have thrown away old publications in place of the watchtower library.

i beleive soon the watchtower library disk will be discontinued in place of the online library.

R. Jerome Harris

The GB does not want research or investigation into the organizations history as it reveals many inconsistencies with what JWs are being taught today. For instance:

C.T Russell and his many writings would be "apostate" by Watch Tower reckoning today. Yet, the many writings of the founder cannot be found in the WT Library. JWs in the congregation are kept from them.
It would be discovered that the 1914 teaching did not originate with the WTBTS but originated with the Second Adventist Movement in which C.T. Russell was a member. He borrowed the teaching when he left that organization. The WT claims it has always contained the Faithful and Discreet Slave, but this 1914 teaching came from elsewhere.

Where there is concealment, there is deceit.

51

Leaving the org and marriage possibly ending

by atacrossroads in

jw
friends

i was raised a witness, baptized at 16, vacation pioneered, got married, etc.

i was very much your typical witness and believed it was the truth until last summer.

a very close relative of mine left the witnesses.

R. Jerome Harris

Those who leave the organization should not view themselves as ...

Spiritually sick or weak persons.
Persons who have ruined their lives.
Persons God and Christ have abandoned.
Persons the WT defines as Apostates (God is your judge not the WT). Who gives the WT the right or authority to label any of us? It is not our judge. Reject such labellings and the WT did not create you. It is not your God. These labels are designed to psychologically get into your head and place a "guilt-trip" on you. Also to make you fearful and to control you. Reject them! Neither has God or Christ has called you those things.

I had an experience similar to yours in the case of a wife I told that I was disassociating myself from the WT organization after 30 years. The love she "supposedly" had for me turned into anger and then hatred (based on some the ugly and hurtful things she would say to me).
How can those within an organization that claims that it has the truth, so easily turn off love so quickly as if it was a light switch? It was never love in the first place, was it? I was so-called loved as long as I went along with the program like everyone else. The WT does little to build up persons from the inside. It is concerned about the "outside" of a person. That is why many of the handshakes and smiles do not come across as real and sincere. They are painted on.
My wife of ten years, who refuses to work as she feels I make good money - stopped cooking and washing for me. I would come home after a 14 hour day and no meal is prepared. The house is filthy and she is not home. I end up cleaning and feeding myself. She is with her JW friends and spending my hard-earned earnings on herself and them as I see excessive withdrawals from the bank debit card at restaurants. Enough money is taken out to feed four or five people.
When I am home, she does not speak to me; and when I try to rest up for the next work day, she purposefully blasts the TV and slams doors.
She tries to pick fights and I refuse to engage. I believe she wanted me to physically do something to her so that she can have an excuse with the Elders and police had I done something to her. I simply acted more Christ like than she did.
Since I was no longer one of JWs and not subjected to their rules and regulations, I filed for a divorce. She was shocked believing I would never do such a thing and this made her even more angry. I packed up my stuff and left. (We had no children)
Yes, we are told that God hates a divorcing but he is not saying you cannot get one.
Jesus said at Matthew 19:8-9:
"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Apparently, this was a problem back then with regards the male. There is no mention of wives divorcing their husbands.
Yet, I accept what Jesus says here. If I divorce my wife for grounds other than fornication, I commit adultery. Fine. OK, now I become an adulterer. I can live with that and my conscience is clear and here is why:
I know that Christ will not condemn me as he has never shunned or condemned anyone. He forgave an adulterous woman at John Chapter 8. He forgave his persecutors and executioners. He promised a condemned man, paradise. Will I be loved any less? And, I know that both God and Christ understand my situation far better than humans who have limited insight and understanding.
I am happier than I have ever been. I am free to worship my God and serve my Lord without the controlling arms of a religious organization telling me how I must do it. I am free to read what I want to read and free to speak to those the WT shuns and express love and concern for them.
I admit, leaving the WT organization made me afraid. But I later learned that this was because its indoctrination influence over me over the many years of being a JW. Like a child dependent upon a parent, I had grown dependent upon the WTBTS for everything. It had me!
Now, my trust and dependency is in God and Christ. No religious organization is in the picture. As where there are men attempting to lead men, there is disaster and failure. Only Christ can lead us to everlasting life. (Matthew 7:12-14)
My trust and confidence is in him, no longer the WTBTS or any religious organization.
My dear sister, be of good cheer. God and Christ have not abandoned you, your husband and a religious organization did. That being the case, draw even closer to that which has not abandoned you.
In the end, those who abandoned you, will be ashamed because they did not show you the love God and Christ shows us all, no matter who you are.
They will one day realize that they are the REAL adulterers because they divorced themselves from the true teachings of Christ. If your husband and the WTBTS truly knew Christ and his teachings, they would have never treated you in the manner that they did. There would have been love and understanding.
What you were told was that since you no longer wish to be a JW, you will be shown no love, understanding and compassion. This is not from Christ.

26

The work is speeding up

by bradford in

i don't have a great reference point on my observation other than my local area but i was wondering if this was a widespread thing.

... in the last two years in my former congregation there have been 6 people to disassociate for "apostasy," 6 disfellowshipped for various reasons, and numerous ones reproved.

these are just the ones i have heard about.

R. Jerome Harris

Please tell me, what is this "work" that is speeding up? I have heard this constantly for over thirty years.

What exactly is this preaching of the Good News of the Kingdom message that the WT organization claims that it is preaching? Where is it written?

Why do imperfect men "assume" that God will entrust them with such an important and perfect message? Are men deserving to preach it?

Explain to me why the "revelation by Jesus Christ that God gave him" at Rev 14:6 tells me that an angel (not angels) will be given the Good New to declare to those who dwell on the earth.

This I can say from my experience when I was a faithful, loyal and dedicated baptized JW, no one could lock down "exactly" what the Good News of the Kingdom message is and what it entails.

It is assumed that going door-to-door and house-to-house and passing out Watch Tower literature and making Bible Studies with a view of assisting persons into the WT organization is that Good News preaching work. Is it?

Neither God or Christ told any of us to make "Bible Studies." Rather, Christ told us to make Disciples to himself. Thus, Students of Christ not students of the Bible!

I maintain that all of Christianity - to include the WT organization - is an impostor, a counterfeit which is actually an enemy to God and Christ.

Yes, it truthfully teaches that Jesus is the Christ ... but ... it misleads many. (Matthew 24:4-5)

A false Good News of the Kingdom message is being preached today. Millions are being led to believe that is is "the truth." I submit to all who are reading this that it is not.

As a test here in Africa where I reside, I asked twenty or so JWs what is the Good News of the Kingdom message? I got different answers? I was not trying to trick anyone.

I am confident I would get different answers from any JW in any country.

The Good News of the Kingdom message has not been given yet. And, when it is given, only the angel deserving to declare it will be given it to declare.

I believe this angel is Michael (Jesus Christ) the Faithful Witness. (Compare Matthew 24:14 and Revelation 1:5)

23

Geoffrey Jackson & His Wife Attend IC Held In Zimbabwe

by baldeagle in

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2014/09/11/came-saw-made-zim-richer/.

if this subject was already considered i apologize for that.

it was sent to me this afternoon regarding the international convention recently held; august 22-24 in zimbabwe.

R. Jerome Harris

White people worship!!! Open your eyes people !!!

I am an African American who lives in Africa and I can tell you that it is all about turning Black people mentally into Black Anglo-Saxons (thinkers) and not true worshipers of God.

When I look at the racial make up of the leadership of WTBTS - that is, the GB - I am appalled! "Traditionally" it has been an all-White-mans club! The inclusion of Sam Herd does not change that tradition. I know him and have spoken to him in the past and I can assure you that he is a puppet and will speak as this colleagues do. In fact, by WT reckoning, he is not technically supposed to be of the anointed. He was born too late in the stream of time.

The invisible God is not partial of any race among the human family. Yet, if you look at the WTBTS, it is really an organization led by White men.

If there is a remnant of the 144,000 why are they not in the forefront when it comes to decision-making? Are not these persons to be kings with Christ for the 1000 years? Why have they been excluded? Why are they not known? Why only a few men? What is the basis of a Governing Body? None existed after Christs ascension?

People, could this all be wrong?

Why is the WTBTS holding up one new publication after another and not holding up the person of The Son of God?

25

Crises of conscience

by Deltawave in

i have just read the book crises of conscience in less than 3days!

i could not put it down!

even in front of my jw wife and her family.

R. Jerome Harris

"Crisis of Conscience" and "In Search Of Christian Freedom" is a must reads for all Jehovah's Witnesses.

Yet, Watch Tower indoctrination is so heavy that only the "brave" and "unafraid" dare read them.

I can say that these two books opened my eyes. They were not what I expected.

Raymond Franz was was not vindictive, angry or disgruntled. Rather, he was loving and concerned. He did not view JWs as an enemy but as innocent children doing and believing only what the parent (the organization) tells them.

His attitude - more than anything else - lent credibility and truthfulness in the things that he wrote in these two books.

I am very much like Raymond Franz. I too am a concerned person and not out to get JWs as I view them as "innocent" persons following a false Shepherd, the WTBTS rather than the true Shepherd.

The Most High God will provide a way out for those in captivity to the Watch Tower organization and all religious organization in the world. None of us need expend our energies to make it happen. God will make it happen.

Indeed, the eyes of many are already beginning to open. Many respond and "go rogue" and act as if they have some vendetta to settle with JWs. This is wrong and unbecoming anyone who would be a disciple of Christ.

Few, however, exercise wisdom and realize that the masses in the world are being held captive by "religious organizations" and those persons are indeed innocent and only believing and doing as the "parent" organizations direct them.

The wise one does not go rogue. He/She stays focused on following the "person" of The Son of God without the need of controlling religious organizations. The wise one comes to understand what "freedom" truly is. Where there is freedom, there is no fear of any religious organization and what they can do to them. They no longer dance to the tune of any religious organization.

In time, it is the religious organization who comes to fear such persons. Fearing that those within their high walls will listen to persons like Raymond Franz and respond and begin to think for themselves.

The wise respond and come out - unafraid - and they do not allow themselves to be taken captive by any other religious organization again; yet, they are faithful to Christ in every way.

They are not angry, disgruntled, or vindictive. They stay the course and come to know what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ. They are not separators of men and women, but fishers of them. They do not look at the religious organization one belongs to and uses it as a basis to reject them. They look at the individual as God does.

The wise knows that God uses some to plant, some to water, but it is God who has the power to effect the change in the individual.

No individual within ANY religious organization is the enemy. The enemy is the entity that controls them.

Thus, a world of people without a true Shepherd.

Those of you who are ex-JW have no idea how blessed you are if you have stayed the course and have come to realize that because you no longer "belong" to an organization that God and Christ have abandoned you.

Draw close to God and Christ and they will draw close to you.

"Look Ma, no religious organizations required!"

53

What is their official explanation for not allowing beards?

by keyser soze in

jw
friends

i ask because my gf, who knows all about my jw upbringing, convinced me to grow a goatee, just to see how it looks.

we both decided it looked good so i decided to keep it.

i tried to explain to her that as a jw, i wasn't allowed to grow one, but then drew a blank when she asked me why.

R. Jerome Harris

Here is the REAL REASON why beards are not allowed: Because they do not present an Anglo-Saxon/European image. The WT organization is all about image.

One interesting fact is in Nazi Germany, the wearing of beards among men were discouraged.

Facial hair was a symbol of pride among the Jews. Nazis would shave the heads of the captured Jews not only to humiliate them, but also to identify them should they escape.

Likewise, within the WT organization, it is easy to identify who is a JW male. If he has a beard, all in the congregation knows that he is not a JWs.

The idea is to take people of all colors and nationalities and dress them up like the Anglo-Saxon/European. Thus, African people are made to dress in a manner differently than their natural cultural norm. Shirts and neckties are placed on them. (Neckties are Victorian in origin).

Yet, The Most High God does not see the external appearance of a person, but rather the heart of a person.

The grooming standard of the WT organization is biased and it is based on a standard from one particular race among the human family.

This is another example of teaching and practicing what Christ did not.