Posts by Lee Marsh

33

TV and the Media

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

i look at tv and the media as all fiction.. i wonder if the media is now just a tool to cauterise the brain and zombify us?

i'm sure the uk's bbc does.

it seems to be a tool to brainwash people to buy into latest agenda or trend that must be followed.....or you're an outcast like a disfellowshipped one.

Lee Marsh

I have been interviewed many times for the media - print- TV and radio. TV was straight-forward and no room for editing since they were live.

Print is different. You get interviewed. The reporter goes away and writes the story. The editor edits it and when approved it gets printed.

Almost every time there were errors. But they were small errors; a year, an age, minor details about what happened. But they were always minor errors that did absolutely nothing to change the story and what really happened. I wasn't thrilled with the errors but it really was too late to change them and in the end if something happened in 1965 or 1966 it really didn't change WHAT happened.

Maybe I was lucky. Maybe Canadian journalists strive to follow the Code of Ethics more than they do elsewhere.

punkofnice mentioned police corruption. I had a talk with a police officer yesterday on a matter I am dealing with. He admitted that there are "some" bad police officers. But for the most part they try to do their jobs the best they can in spite of the bad press they get.

Over the years I have had many opportunities to talk to the police. They have always been kind, helpful and offered both emotional support as well as dealt with the problem. I have never met a bad cop, okay once On Montreal when 1 cop wanted to give me a ticket for riding my wheelchair on the correct side of the road. He insisted I was on the wrong side and refused to check the Code.

But I have had close experiences with the police since I was a child, a young child victim and they have always been kind and respectful. Granted I am a white female and mostly been the victim or reporting crimes committed by others. I probably won't meet one of the bad ones. And if I had I might be a lot more jaded.

But the truth is that every single profession has bad apples. People who get into it for the wrong reasons. Or get burnt out and don't get help so they become jaded and act out.

I don't think we support them enough or pay them enough for what they do for us.

Meanwhile we pay athletes and actors exorbitant amounts of money to entertain us.

Just where are our priorities?

I think working together would be more beneficial than working against one another regardless of the profession.

33

TV and the Media

by punkofnice in

jw
friends

i look at tv and the media as all fiction.. i wonder if the media is now just a tool to cauterise the brain and zombify us?

i'm sure the uk's bbc does.

it seems to be a tool to brainwash people to buy into latest agenda or trend that must be followed.....or you're an outcast like a disfellowshipped one.

Lee Marsh

Journalists, regardless of the medium, do have to follow a code of ethics. Every country has one and for the most part they have few difference? Canada https://caj.ca/ethics-guidelines

The role of journalism is to answer certain questions: Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why? and How?

We all know that several people can watch the same thing and remember something different. That is why journalists take notes, record and video-record the events they are reporting on. They are looking for the honest answers to those questions.

But sometimes a problem arises when the editor decides what goes on the air or get printed and what doesn't. He or she most likely wasn't there when the event happened. He has to rely on what he reads or what he is told. And he has to worry about what sells and what might get them sued.

So stories do change.

And sometimes a person's personal perspective or that of the higher-ups gets too involved with what gets published. That is biased. That is not ethical.

The simple solution is to get your news from an ethical outlet. They aren't perfect. But many reporters do try to get the story right or risk losing their job and reputations.

41

Do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?

by Longlivetherenegades in

do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?........

david splane........ powerful by faith convention 2021 video.

please i got an excerpt of this from another video but the response by david splane is not included.

Lee Marsh

On https://www.theworldnewsmedia.org/topic/51649-does-the-governing-body-live-on-campus-or-off-campus/page/3/ JW Insider says:

I traveled with only one member of the Governing Body during the time that I was handling work assignments for him. It was only two times, and both times to Europe, so it isn't a lot of experience from which to extrapolate what other members of the Governing Body were doing. The longest trip was about 6 weeks, in 1978, during which time we visited about 12 countries, stopping at the branch offices in 10 of them and attending the "International Assembly" in the other two. After London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Nice/Cannes, we split up after the assembly in Rome (in the wake of a Pope's recent death) and the GB member went to Germany, Denmark, and Sweden while I worked for a week in the branch office in Athens, and then caught up again in Hamburg after one-day stops in Bern, Innsbruck, and Wiesbaden. Then back to London, full circle.

He was traveling on WTS funds that covered flights and basic hotels for both himself and his wife. His travel and accommodations were subsidized by regular gifts he had received from speaking assignments, and these were considered personal gifts which he was able to keep for himself. He did not schedule any public talks on this one particular trip since we were traveling during the summer assembly season. During another trip, I saw first-hand that such talks could result in a lot of 'green handshakes' and even an official branch-approved collection of contributions set up just for his travel and accommodations. The Branch did not assume that a GB member wanted to stay in one of the rooms in the branch office, or at a brother's home, and a couple of the smaller branches had no extra guest room anyway. This particular GB member sometimes stayed in fully gifted resort hotel accommodations instead of the branch, but it was also a chance for his wife to take a breather -- a real vacation. I don't mean to sound sexist, but my guess is that wives probably insisted on a change of pace, away from regular branch routines. I stayed in branches or homes of local witness families, while he stayed almost exclusively in nice hotels and 'resort-style hotels.' I took the train and even slept on the train a couple times (and on a ferry from Brindisi, Italy to Corfu, Greece), while he flew most places. I think that only his NYC-to-London flight was first class, -- while my flight was something called 'Freddy Laker' to London for $99, a stand-by arrangement where I had to camp out at the airport the night before.

(So, although we would meet up at the Branch offices, it was not really the same as traveling with the GB, on that trip, at least. Of course, I am grateful that I got nearly 6 weeks "vacation" in Europe, which would have been impossible without the request of a GB member. I had only earned between 2 to 3 weeks on my own. But even here, there are "stickler" rules at Bethel, that required me to work at the branch in Athens to earn an extra week or so. Or perhaps it got me out of his hair during a time when this GB member was exploring a 'judicial case' centered mostly in Sweden.)

I know that some of the unmarried members of the GB often stayed at the branch offices. This included Fred Franz himself, who had no problem staying in whatever extra room was available, or a local brother's home. This was apparently also true of at least half of the nearly 17-member GB at that time. Flying first class and staying at first class accommodations on WTS funds was only approved for business travel for factory representatives like Larson (non-GB), Wheelock, (non-GB), Henschel, etc., as had previously been done for Knorr, Suiter, etc.

After Russel and Rutherford, life at the Bethel Home itself was only incrementally more comfortable for members of the GB, and it was apparently based on the same 'seniority' arrangement all Bethelites utilized to obtain their choice of rooms (based on years of full-time service). Of course, even though I had the same size corner room in the Towers Hotel, their extra funds allowed them to make it look like luxury for only two persons, relative to my room being shared among four of us. However, visiting and touring at Patterson, I didn't see inside any rooms, but noticed that all rooms seemed to be pretty much the same size.

Just based on experience, I don't believe GB members are given special accommodations that are that much different than any other Bethelite.

41

Do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?

by Longlivetherenegades in

do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?........

david splane........ powerful by faith convention 2021 video.

please i got an excerpt of this from another video but the response by david splane is not included.

Lee Marsh

See: https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5767634309087232/what-housing-accomodation-living-conditions-all-governing-body-members-does-anybody-know

There were a couple of small planes used to go to a fishing camp in Alaska. I don't see a problem with having a plane in Alaska. In winter it is toe ONLY way to get around because they are very few roads. If you go anywhere on the coast you need a boat. When you go to any of the "cities" the port is filled with boats and planes. Any per to person witnessing was done via boat or plane unless you lived in a city.

My bigger issue is the expense of going on the fishing trip to Alaska. not something most Bethelites got a chance to do.

Just a note: after I was DF I went to Alaska and d@amn I spotted the KH!

41

Do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?

by Longlivetherenegades in

do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?........

david splane........ powerful by faith convention 2021 video.

please i got an excerpt of this from another video but the response by david splane is not included.

Lee Marsh

Fulano

Please stop exaggerating about private planes, expensive suits, expensive cars and Rolexes. Even if the have expensive items, they are gifts or saved for,
You make yourself ridiculous speaking without knowing them and having dealt with them.

I think you have me confused with someone else. I only mentioned their apartments. I do agree some things may be gifts. But they do live better than the average Bethel resident.

I do wonder how you would know if I knew any of them or not? Don’t call me ridiculous when you don’t know much about me.

41

Do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?

by Longlivetherenegades in

do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?........

david splane........ powerful by faith convention 2021 video.

please i got an excerpt of this from another video but the response by david splane is not included.

Lee Marsh

joao
If you read Crisis of Conscience, by Raymond Franz, you'll see how hard their lives really are!

Franz hasn't been there for a very long time. Yes it is a lot of work. They will use people until they can't work anymore. And it is a very structured life.

Many people don't do well in that kind of environment. Some thrive it is. I suspect those who thrive stay the longest, as long as they are good workers. The slackers or those who don't do well are sent home.

Believe me, the higher up the chain you are the better the perks. Ask anyone here who has been to Bethel

41

Do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?

by Longlivetherenegades in

do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?........

david splane........ powerful by faith convention 2021 video.

please i got an excerpt of this from another video but the response by david splane is not included.

Lee Marsh

GB members don't live in a room. They get an apartment.

They still get the head of the table honorable seats where ever they go in Bethel or any other place. That easily goes to a person's head whether you believe it or not

41

Do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?

by Longlivetherenegades in

do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?........

david splane........ powerful by faith convention 2021 video.

please i got an excerpt of this from another video but the response by david splane is not included.

Lee Marsh

@fulano

When you live for decades with a sense of entitlement all the perks, including getting up for breakfast and being looking upon from the time you leave your room until you go back to it, and being thought of as the closest to God mast JWs will ever get; well that tends to go to one's head after a while. That is how narcissists think. They are entitled so they do enjoy those things. It is part of their entitlement for the work they do. And working for God gives all of them a sense of entitlement.

Also, when you live in an environment that constantly reinforces those beliefs it is hard to see beyond the veil. If you get a glimpse you most likely condemn yourself for weakness and falling into Satan's trap.

Plus the longer you live this life, the harder it is to let it go even if you don't really believe it. The GB are just people, like everyone else. To become one of the fallen is unthinkable, certainly not doable. They have nothing if their leave, not even the means to support themselves. No pensions in JW dot org.

32

Kneel before me, for I am an ... Activist!

by Simon in

i thought it was just me that had a negative view of people who proclaim themselves to be activists.. but no, it seems i'm not alone!.

.

Lee Marsh

Listener said:

The Miriam Webster dictionary states
: one who advocates or practices activism : a person who uses or supports strong actions (such as public protests) in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue

I don't know but over the years here I have seen many strong protests (written, of course) that protest the actions, inactions, beliefs and practices of Jehovah's Witnesses. I have done it myself. I don't have to be rude or obnoxious about it. But I can clearly and calmly voice my opinion and that is in itself a protest.

Doesn't this site protest the same things? Of course it does. Actions do not need to be violent or loud, in person or in video to show protest.

And while I don't approve of some of the attacks on JWs that happen online they most definitely are protesting what a JW believes.

In reality we are all activists. The degree to which we do that may differ but the purpose is the same - to show we do not agree. And we do that actively. by text. or video or in action out there somewhere.

They branded us apostates. Yup we are. We left their set of beliefs for whatever we have or may adopt in the future. Heck many JWs who left their original set of beliefs became apostate to those beliefs when they joined the JWs. Now we are proud apostates.

Well I am a proud activist. That doesn't mean I have lost my moral ground. I have not become a raving, lunatic. My activism is very much like my apostacy, calm, reasoned, moral and ethical.

41

Do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?

by Longlivetherenegades in

do you think the brothers who wrote watchtower articles are living in real world?........

david splane........ powerful by faith convention 2021 video.

please i got an excerpt of this from another video but the response by david splane is not included.

Lee Marsh

Most have not lived in the real world for decades. Even before they went to Bethel they weren't living in the real world, with real jobs and rent to pay and groceries and bills to pay. They have no idea what the real world is anymore. They think what they hear on the news is real but it is almost always the most negative events in our environment that gets reported.

The news does not report the good things that people do. okay maybe occasionally but it is so unbalanced that anyone relying on the media for what the world is really like will have a very skewed picture of what it really is.

In reality is is people going into professions that pay poorly because they want to make a difference in the lives of others. Nurses, teachers, counselors. Even the garbageman makes a real difference in the world we live in.

During covid the clerks in stores, the cleaners in hospitals, the people who kept our communities functioning. Yes they needed to pay their bills like everyone else but many put their lives on the line to help.

Churches, food banks, community centers that helped out. So many stories that will never be told. And most of those people gave until they burnt out

These people are the heroes but we don't hear about the good they do.

But cult leaders, like the GB and those who write the articles they want have no idea about any of that. They only see good in what they doo, which right now seems to be to steal from the poor people they created and lied to and manipulated