Posts by Seeker4

41

Your Opinion: What Do You Think Of Legally Going After Individual Elders?

by minimus in

jw
friends

since the society has told the elders that they are basically on their own, why don't we give more thought to suing the elders-----not just the watchtower society?.

when i was an elder ii was very concerned that i might get sued and be liable in a lawsuit.

it was one of the reasons i didn't want to be an elder..

Seeker4

Min,

Yeah, they broke all their own rules. But what are you going to do, sue them for not following procedure?

That was the gist of my original letter to the elders: My argument was that, since I'd not claimed to be a Witness and had not attended any meetings for about 6 to 8 years, I was, by their own definition, not viewed as a Witness and should just be left alone. I quoted the literature to them, and told them that I would sue the body for coming after me, and that they knew the WTS would not support them because they were violating written WTS policy.

Their claim was that I had been so prominent in the Witnesses that they had to take action against me for living with my girlfriend.

I had a few hopes, and I wasn't especially worried about being dfed. It really meant nothing to me. My thoughts were: I've threatened to sue the entire body, and I supplied copies of my letter for each elder. Because each elder was at risk, they should each get a copy of the letter, which stated my reasons for leaving and why the WTS was not what it claimed. So, it gave me a chance to have my say. Also, I knew it would be sent to Bethel, and I'd get to have my say there as well.

If Bethel agreed with me, they would tell the elders to back off, and I'd be left alone. If not, at least I had my say. The fact that they handled it the way they did - making the announcement without contacting me in any way, months and months after I gave them the letter, lets me know they were trying to sneak that in, but that the WTS evidently told them to go ahead.

S4

2

Grace Paley Died This Week

by Seeker4 in

jw
friends

writer grace paley passed away a couple of days ago, and terri gross is doing a tribute to her on today's fresh air program on npr.

it brings back a couple of memories.

i met grace at a writer's conference up at dartmouth college a few years ago, and she and i and another woman went out to eat and walk and talk afterward, and then a year or two after that i met her again at a reading here in the town where my office is.

Seeker4

Have had a few requests for more info on Grace, so here are a few links:

http://www.alternet.org/story/60693/

Sorry, I'm at work and can't activate the links. Maybe someone could do that for me.

S4

3

Near Death & OUt of Body Experiences - Created In the Lab

by Seeker4 in

jw
friends

we've had these discussions here before, and here's more evidence that these are simply experiences created in the brain.. here's the link: http://www.slate.com/id/2172694/?gt1=10346.

the evidence continues to mount that this world is all there is.

it's plenty for me, i tell ya!.

Seeker4

We've had these discussions here before, and here's more evidence that these are simply experiences created in the brain.

Here's the link: http://www.slate.com/id/2172694/?gt1=10346

The evidence continues to mount that this world is all there is. It's plenty for me, I tell ya!

S4

91

Do you suffer INTELLECTUAL STARVATION?

by Terry in

jw
friends

symptoms of intellectual starvation:.

1.purposelessness, time-wasting, apathy, cynical desuetude.. 2.aimless hobbies that run out the clock.

3.fluff reading.

Seeker4

HS -

I'm fairly economical and low maintenance! I run on about a liter of red wine and one ice filled tumbler of single malt Irish whiskey a day!

The major drawback of all that stuff is that I'm a generalist in most areas as opposed to an expert. There are a couple of things of life long interest, like writing, where I'm fine - I've written my million words and paid those dues - but in the rest, I'm adequate and talented perhaps, but no master!

The advantage of that is that I'm pretty comfortable in most situations - set me with a construction crew, musicians (I also play guitar), loggers, house painters, mechanics, writers, artists, businessmen - and I can hold my own. It's probably an ideal situation for a writer. I have this monthly gig where I do an in-depth interview for the state's largest business magazine. These are 6000 to 10,000 word pieces and up, and I'll interview everyone from the governor and his staff to leading business owners, commercial real estate brokers, large event planners, a newspaper editor turned minister, resort owners, developers, teacher of the year, nuclear power plant presidents, university presidents, the head of homeland security, the head of fish and wildlife - you get the picture. So being a generalist is the perfect way to be a specialist in my profession!

S4

41

Your Opinion: What Do You Think Of Legally Going After Individual Elders?

by minimus in

jw
friends

since the society has told the elders that they are basically on their own, why don't we give more thought to suing the elders-----not just the watchtower society?.

when i was an elder ii was very concerned that i might get sued and be liable in a lawsuit.

it was one of the reasons i didn't want to be an elder..

Seeker4

As you know, Min, I attempted something like that last year when they sought to DF me.

Here's the link: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/15/91672/1.ashx

I'm at the end of a huge week of work and really too tired to write about this tonight, but I will share what happened to me.

About six months after I sent this letter to the body of elders, I found out that they had quietly disfellowshipped me. Quietly in that they never asked me to another committee meeting, they never informed me of their decision, they never told me I had a week to appeal their decision. Just six months later, without even warning my ex-wife of 33 years, they simply announced at a service meeting that I was no longer one of JWs.

I found out a month or so later from someone who was told by someone who was at the meeting!!

More later. But your's is not a bad idea.

S4

91

Do you suffer INTELLECTUAL STARVATION?

by Terry in

jw
friends

symptoms of intellectual starvation:.

1.purposelessness, time-wasting, apathy, cynical desuetude.. 2.aimless hobbies that run out the clock.

3.fluff reading.

Seeker4

Interesting thread, Terry - I would expect no less!

You've made me think, which is why I love JWD. To think and defend how you think is a great use of the mind, and yet so many seem to have missed that point!

I grew up with a ravenous intellect, and I mean that almost literally. I devoured books and magazines, and it was a real hunger in my mind that I felt. That passion has subsided very little over my life.

I tend to attack life with that same appetite for experience, along with a lot of humor and a very positive attitude.

Without any higher education, I've managed to carve out a successful writing career over the past decade to where now I'm editor of a 27,000 issue weekly. I edit, but also write features every week, do interviews, take photos, Photoshop the photos and do the layout and build the paper for the printing each week. It's very satisfying and interesting work.

In the past month I've written and photographed and published articles on localvoring; farmers' markets; a psychedelic, Iranian Sufi rock and roll concert by a babe named Haale; photographed a huge fireworks show; attended and wrote a review on a comedy night; did a piece interviewing actors for a major play production; and profiled a famous outside artist that was having a documentary filmed of his life, and I'll be in the documentary. So you can see, it's a great job I have, and I enjoy it very much.

I love food and sex with the same intensity, and I try to run several times a week, and work out regularly. When it comes to TV, I love documentaries and shows like the American Masters series on PBS and Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. I'm fascinated and inspired by the loves of people who have DONE things - the artists and musicians and builders and writers. I love film, and we have a four at a time subscription to Netflix. Christ, Ioften go to sleep with a pair of earbuds on, listening to NPR, and I'll wake up and listen to it early in the morning! I worked as a carpenter for many years, and I've built a lot of furniture. I've worked as an auto mechanic, and when necessary, have torn down a motor or two to replace head gaskets. I love that hands on stuff.

What I want to feel when I die is that I LIVED every fucking second as fully as possible. I want to live lean and mean, muscle and bone - physically, intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. It's always been that I just can't seem to get enough. My ex-wife says that's what ended our marriage, and it certainly does have its drawbacks, for sure. Keeping that curiosity and drive under control is a challenge, and I have definitely failed at times. But - I would not change that. It is who I am.

I'm not encouraging or discouraging this kind of life. I agree that we'll all die and much of this will have been for naught, perhaps. But I'm not going to worry about what this will value me after I die. It's living my own life, and living it well that I'm focused on!

S4

2

Grace Paley Died This Week

by Seeker4 in

jw
friends

writer grace paley passed away a couple of days ago, and terri gross is doing a tribute to her on today's fresh air program on npr.

it brings back a couple of memories.

i met grace at a writer's conference up at dartmouth college a few years ago, and she and i and another woman went out to eat and walk and talk afterward, and then a year or two after that i met her again at a reading here in the town where my office is.

Seeker4

Writer Grace Paley passed away a couple of days ago, and Terri Gross is doing a tribute to her on today's Fresh Air program on NPR.

It brings back a couple of memories. I met Grace at a writer's conference up at Dartmouth College a few years ago, and she and I and another woman went out to eat and walk and talk afterward, and then a year or two after that I met her again at a reading here in the town where my office is.

She was quite a remarkable woman and an amazing writer, who had a long and eventful life.

I'll find and post a little more information on Grace for those not familiar with her writing or life.

In the meantime I just wanted to mention her passing, and raise a salute to one of the great writers of her generation.

S4

6

Woodpecker Plan Has Big Price Tag

by purplesofa in

the ivory-billed woodpecker has thought to be extinct.

a supposed siting(i am sure is on youtube) perked the interest of wildlife people all over the world.

as the article points out, over a 5 year time span 27 million dollars is proposed to keep this bird from extinction again!

Seeker4

Where I live, in Vermont, outdoor related activities like hiking, backpacking, birdwatching and hunting and fishing are a huge amount of the economy. The purchase of hunting and fishing licenses pays a good portion of the Fish and Wildlife budget and conservation efforts up here.

So, something like this, though it might seem a lot of money, could very well pay for itself in tourist dollars.

Interestingly, up here we have a bird, the pileaeted woodpecker, that is very large and quite similar the Ivory Billed. They are awesome to see in the wild.

S4

8

How many hours to aux. pioneer now?

by Shawn10538 in

jw
friends

i know it used to be 60, but what about now?

Seeker4

If you're thinking of handing in an application, it might be wise not to mention this site!

S4

29

WTS Idea of "Prophecy" Do You Find This Ridiculous???

by Seeker4 in

oops, it posted too soon!

the wts view is that we don't understand bible prophecy until after it is fulfilled.

thus their excuse for mis-understanding what was going to happen in 1876, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1975, etc.

Seeker4

unSeeker is no stranger to the occasional ax fight!

S4