Posts by R. Jerome Harris

35

Are we seeing the beginning of the end for Kingdom Halls?

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

after all, "at this time,over 13,000 kingdom hall projects and 35 assembly hall projects are needed worldwide.".

hmmm, not too sure about that but all the recent re-branding seems to be heading .

could this be the long game?

R. Jerome Harris

People, it is much bigger than Kingdom Halls closing. The world is closing.

78

Need Help with Blood Transfusion Illustration

by Dissonant15 in

please, who can provide an intelligent rebuttal to the following illustration?

i always thought it was bullet-proof:.

"if your doctor directs you to 'abstain from alcohol' would you be ok to have it injected into your veins rather than drink it?

R. Jerome Harris

The blood issue is simple to articulate. Just obey what God commanded us at Luke 9:35.

So who did The Most High God tell us to listen to? His Son!

(No, not to the prophets of old or to his disciples or religious organizations or to a book (as a whole) called "The Bible." No! We are to listen to his Son as ONLY HE is The Word of God (not a book called the Bible as men falsely assume).

Now ask yourself, "Did Jesus ever tell anyone not to eat blood or abstain from blood transfusions (if it existed back then?)

No he did not?

The problem is that many are listening to religious organizations, a book (Bible) and other men RATHER than listening to the person of Christ himself.

Many treat Christ as if he is dead and unable to teach us, So they consult anything and everything thing except him.

Wake up people and notice the subtle pulling away of people from Christ to books, religious organizations and other people and they are given more prominence than Christ himself.

These "things" stand in a holy place where they do not belong.

41

Need the hardest evidence possible that humans have lived for more than 6000 years

by ILoveTTATT2 in

jw
friends

since coming out of the witnesses, i have gone through a transformation in thought and in mind.

i started with the usual: i thought that jesus was god.

then i investigated more about the bible and thought that the bible was not true, given the many contradictions, failed prophecies, etc.. then i investigated evolution and read lots and now i accept evolution and natural selection as things that are true.. now, i need to make my dad rethink everything.

R. Jerome Harris

One must keep in mind that we live in a European-conceived universe. The European named the planets, stars, constellations, etc.

Our educational institutions are "European-based" as well.

Even the book called "The Bible" was given its name by "The European." He even "authorized" it, made it "holy" and elevated it to the position of Word of God (which is blasphemous as only the Son of God is The Word of God).

Coupled with the statement God made concerning the wisdom of humans is "foolishness" to him we can now get real.

Ever wonder why the history of the African continent is not primarily taught in American and European school systems and is suppressed? Because it would negate the notion that mankind is only 6000 years old. African history shows that mankind lived here many tens of thousands of years, long before there was such a thing as a European.

I have read ancient African texts written thousand of years before there was a Bible and there are stories strikingly similar to "Adam and Eve" (the names are different) and Noah and Moses (names are different) and a god-like one that God sent. Could it be that the European man plagiarized those stories? This is a difficult thing for many persons of European descent (and now those of African descent prejudiced by the European educational system) to process. There is something in our "psycho visceras" that prevent us from wanting to know if it is true. Many become easily dismissive in their manner.

Humans built the pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt, Africa. Some scholars say 15,000 years old or older. It depends on who one chooses to believe based on if it fits your belief. That scholars are not in agreement speaks volumes that they simply do not know. I believe the Pyramids are much older than 15,000 years. I believe men built them.

Some people would rather attribute their construction to "aliens" from outer space than give credit to humans (who were greater, better and smarter) than we are today. Modernization does not equate to intelligence as far as I am concern. It equates to foolishness, selfishness and greed. It is the European man who has sold the world a bill of goods about what "progress" is. It is a system of foolishness to God as well and that is why he will destroy all vestiges of this world. (Dan 2:44)

Debates over evolution verses creation are foolish and serve only as distractions. They keep generations of people on a hamster treadmill that spins but goes no where.

Why don't mankind admit that "he does not know" instead of claiming each other right or wrong?

You don't know.

And we want to carry our foolishness into outer space? Any intelligent life out there would be wise to kick our foolish posteriors back down to the earth and forbid us from venturing out.

Oh wait a minute! God did just that. He created an atmosphere in which we can exist in. Above that atmosphere we cannot naturally live. Thus, we do not belong up there.

I believe a time will come when the Creator will expand the atmosphere that envelops his earth beyond anything one can imagine.

22

Advice on Waiting for Jehovah

by Anon_SA1 in

jw
friends

hi guys, .

in discussions with a current jw, they told me that have big concerns with regards to the 607 bce date, but they are waiting on jehovah for refining.

any suggestions on questions to pose to them based on their feedback?.

R. Jerome Harris

The Son of God has already spoken on this. The problem is that few care to listen to him. The WT organization is being listened to instead. (Luke 9:35)

So-called "prophetic dates" are a very dangerous things. The 1914 date (which did not originate with the WT organization) is derived from the month/year October 607 BCE and counting forward 2,520 years from that point.

The 1914 date - as all JWs believe - is the year in which:

The Appointed Times of the Nations ended.
That God's Kingdom start ruling and Jesus installed as King. (Parousia or Presence)
A war between Michael and his angels and the Dragon and his angels occurred in heaven in or shortly after that year.
The last days "began."

Here is the problem with all of this and playing around with dates:

The WT organization is claiming it knows what Christ himself does not know and his slaves would not know! What is that? When he returns. (Matthew 24:42, Matthew 24:36 and Acts 1:7)
The 1914 did not originate with the Watch Tower which claims that God has always used it "a faithful and discreet slave" through which to disseminate truth. Well, the 1914 teaching came from the Second Adventist movement in the late 1800's. C.T. Russell was a Second Adventist and contributing Editor of its monthly magazine "Herald of the Morning" where the Second Adventist promoted the 1914. When Russell broke away from the group and formed his "Bible Students Association" he adopted their teaching. So was the Second Adventist Movement a faithful and discreet slave. The WTBTS claims that truth only comes through them. Yet, here is a MAJOR teaching that the WT basis all its "prophetic teachings" on and it came from "outside" of the Watch Tower organization! (Most JW do not know this and many more do not care)
The question Jesus asked at Matthew 24:45, "Who REALLY is the faithful and discreet slave" can be easily answered by looking at who today imitate the evil slave. Which of the two slave classes was concerned with dates and time? It was the evil slave! How so? Because he was the one who felt his master was "delaying." If this evil slave felt his master was delaying, then he must have been EXPECTING him on a certain date or time frame. In spite of what the Master said at Matthew 24:42 and Acts 1:7, the Watch Tower advertised the year 1914 as the year Christ would become king and his invisible presence (return) would occur. They advertised the year 1914 many years BEFORE it arrived! The faithful slave did not concern himself with times, dates, and seasons. He would remember what his Master told him at Matthew 24:42 and Acts 1:7. So based on this, the Watch Tower is not and has NEVER had within it a "faithful and discreet slave." It is an unfaithful slave as it has not listened to the Master to "Keep on the watch." Since it has already announced 1914, there is no need for it to "keep on the watch." It has fallen asleep and its more than 7 million members can all be thrown into the mix with the rest of Christendom who are also in a deep slumber.
A belief system built on the false foundation of 1914 - for example - makes that belief system itself false. It is not that the Watch Tower does not teach "truthful" things (all religious organizations do), it is that its foundation and its cornerstone was built upon a date. More importantly, built upon something the Master told his disciples NOT to concern themselves with. Well, the WTBTS made it their concern; and now we are seeing the foundation crumble and all built upon it is crashing down. In the process, JWs will are becoming confused. Most JWs I have spoken to about what I have written here, run away. They cannot deal with it and do not want to process it. The organizations only recourse now is to play the "wait on Jehovah" and "new light" game with its membership. These are nothing but excuses to cover over their past presumptions, to cover over moving arrogantly forward teaching what Jesus did not, and cover over the fact that it HAS NOT listened to Christ at Matthew 24:24, Matthew 24:36, and Acts 1:7. The "new light" game is a clever way NOT to admit that the organization made boo boos. Pride will not let the organization admit its error as this would be an admission that it never had the truth or that those within the organization are "in the truth." The GB is very well aware of all of these things.

The 1914 date is not from God. It is of men. Those who believe it will be as the people of Noah's day. They will be caught off guard because they will be basing future prophetic events off of this date. I can emphatically state that Christ has not been given his crown yet, there has been no war in heaven, there is no 144000 and remnant, no Wild Beast, no Babylon the Great, no False Prophet, no Scarlet Colored Wild beast, no 666, no Good News of the Kingdom message being preached today (not given yet and when it is, an angel will declare it), etc. These things are yet to come. Not one thing in the "Revelation by Jesus Christ that God gave him" has had a start of being fulfilled. Fulfillment of the contents of that book occurs AFTER Christs 1000 year kingdom ends and Satan ascends out of the Abyss. The events of that time is what Jesus is giving his slaves a warning about. He is saying, "This is what is going to happen when my 1000 year kingdom over the earth ends." That the WT has millions focused on our time today, will cause many to be totally caught off-guard and utterly confused and afraid.

"Pride is before a crash, and a haughty spirit before stumbling." (Proverbs 16:18)

31

Worldly charity helps Jehovah's Witness child with life-threatening heart defect after Watchtower Society 'charity' refuses help

by jwleaks in

program sponsors child's medical procedure .

indiana, usa.

http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/local_story/program-sponsors-children-s-me_1439338349.

R. Jerome Harris

To me, this has always been one of the most disturbing elements of the WTBTS: It's "stingyness" and unwillingness to put people first before its real estate holdings and printing literature.

I have sat in Kingdom Halls for more than 30 years and I have seen poor people come and go with real day-by-day living problems and the elderly sick and in need of medication. I have seen elderly Pioneer couples attend conventions with no lodging or food to eat and the "friends" paint on fake smiles pretending that they are in some "spiritual paradise."

I have seen single mothers with small children in tow going to the meetings in need of food and clothing (just a little help) and neither the organization or those "well to do" within the congregation will not lend a hand. "Just get to the meetings and participate in the FS arrangement and Jehovah will bless you!" This is shameful.

I can fully understand why Jesus threw the money-changers out of the temple. Money, used for the wrong purpose, blinds and corrupts the mind.

Rather than the organization building lavish kingdom halls and assembly buildings, it should have had the mindset of taking those vast resources and "giving to the poor" and the fatherless child and the widower and teaching its membership to have the same mindset.

Why are youths of all races and African American men leaving the organization in droves? Because the organization does nothing for them.

When I was a JW, I used to defend the notion that the Watch Tower is a "White mans" religion. Now, I am quick to say that it is. I do not mean this in a racist light. Not at all! But from the standpoint of looking its "traditional" leadership at the top (Governing Body) to the lowly publisher in the congregation. Its membership at the Governing Body level has traditionally been a White man's club. The relative recent addition of Sam Herd does not change anything. He is a "safe Negro."

Watch Tower literature is most telling. Portrayals of persons none of have ever seen are in the likeness of the Anglo-Saxon. Adam, Eve, Jesus, Angels, The Prophets, The Apostles and others are portrayed in this manner. This is shameful, insensitive shortsighted, and insulting to the other races among the human family.

The WT is more concern about how it "appears" for the world and concerned more about its image rather than the human element. (This is a fear of men)

I find it extremely difficult to accept any religious organization claiming to be of God and Christ who talks a good game about love but does not DO or practice it with regards others. Christ NEVER taught that "things" were more important than people.

The WT organization would rather spend thousands of dollars on new chairs, carpet or a fresh coat of paint for its real estate than on people. There is a real mental dysfunction in all of that.

The really sad part is that all individual JWs know this but dare not speak openly about it out of fear of being labeled rebellious, disobedient or - at worst - an apostate and expelled.

What is funny are the Televangelizers. They are crooks and scammers for sure. Yes, they will scam for money. But at least many of them take a portion of their vast dishonest earnings and set up programs for youths, daycare centers, help for the elderly, etc.

WTBTS, what makes you better than the Televangelizers?

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.