Seeker4

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Posts by Seeker4

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  14

  Experiences of bethelites from around the world

  by ldrnomo in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  it would be nice to hear from former bethelites from around the world.

  there stories while they were at bethel good or bad..

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  Seeker4

  A friend at Bethel, Walden Chin, who went on to become a CO and DO of dubious reputation, was a notorious G-Jobber when he was there.

  My nephew, at the Farm in Wallkill, told me about brothers coming into their rooms and going through their CD collections and questioning them about their music. What made it so pathetic was that they would condemn music that they knew absolutely nothing about just based on their impressions of CD names, etc.

  Ugh.

  "There were only two benefits. It was a great place to meet sisters. It opened my eyes to the fact that Holy Spirit does not direct the Watchtower Society and that there is no such thing as Watchtower spirituality, the Watchtower is all about old fashioned corporate growth."

  I found that the most cynical and often the most likely to leave the Witnesses, were former Bethelites. Seeing behind the screen at the real workings of the WTS was very depressing for many.

  S4
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  15

  Filmmaker Looking for JW Pedophile Victim – CAN ANYONE HELP?

  by Seeker4 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a very reputable documentary film producer would like to talk to a woman between 19-25 years old who is taking legal action in order to vindicate child sex crimes perpetrated against her and covered up by the wt society or their elders.

  specifically, the "cover up," as in not reporting the crime to secular authority, should have occurred after 2002 in canada or us.

  if you can help out or have information, please pm me.

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  Seeker4

  The Berry case doesn't fit - pre-2002, the case has been resolved, etc. On a side point: That case occurred just a short distance from where I live, and when the JWs built a quickbuild here last year, the reporter that wrote about the quickbuild also got some help contacting the Barry family and included a good deal of pedophile and other not so nice JW info in his article. I understand from a very good source, my ex-wife, that the congregation was really pissed off about it. They thought the whole thing should have been this nice positive piece on JW unity!!

  Guess who they blamed?? Moi!

  I would imagine that these already well publicized cases have been considered or covered by the filmmaker.

  Thanks for the ideas!

  S4
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  23

  "The Internet - The Watchtower's Worst Nightmare"

  by Gayle in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is the title of the 18th chapter in don cameron's new book,"captives of a concept" i just got.

  the wts would want us to move on, shut up, be powerless as they control its people to not listen to us.

  well, 'radio free europe' worked with time against the ussr (and actually ussr destroyed itself as it only drastically hurt their own people).

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  Seeker4

  I've said for years now that the beginning of the end for JWs was the mid-1990s, created by several questionable changes in key teachings ie: the sheep and the goats and especially the 1914-generation; and by the advent of the Internet and free access to it, especially in first world countries. Since then the majority of those countries have seen very, very little increase, no increase or a decline in membership.

  Wait til the Net is available in the third world as freely as it is here!

  The greatest threat to the WTS is the free and open exchange of information and ideas, combined with the ability to question openly and debate ideas.

  S4
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  22

  My Pioneer mother wants me (DFed) to fix her computer... HA!!!

  by Hangin_on in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  when i call my mother she says she can't talk to me because i am dfed.. i asked her to help me and my pregnant wife move and she said "i don't think i can do that"... whos not allowing her to do it?.

  she always calls me if her car or her computer breaks.. she called me today because her computer broke.

  so.... i turned the tables on her.

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  Seeker4

  I like that last bit of advice - but I would add this.

  Make it clear you'd be glad to help her but that you will not put up with any personal disrespect. "You want my help, I'm glad to give it, but this shunning shit has got to end. Treat me with respect as your son and I'll do the same toward you as my mother. Do NOT disrespect me and then ask for my help."

  From a DFed son with an active JW mom.

  S4
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  17

  New Light.... Does a new questions from readers Trump and old one????

  by Hangin_on in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  how does all of this work.

  i read a 74 watchtower that says you can talk to your dfed relatives and its your decision.

  yet i hear that the current understanding is you cannot.. can i bring up an old article to my mother about talking to me or does a new one trump the old??

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  Seeker4

  Yeah, the new trumps the old. So the '74 WT Trumps the '68, and the '81 trumps that one, and the 2006 trumps the '81, even though it might say the same thing as the original 1968 WT!

  S4
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  12

  For those who still have a tinge of spirituality left:

  by PinTail in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  "blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.".

  matthew 5:5.. .

  "the century dictionary defines meek as 'self controlled and gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; forbearing under injury or annoyance.

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  Seeker4

  Pintail, I think your thread might have been better titled, "For those of you with a huge dollop of Biblical religiosity left:"

  Sorry, I no longer need a 3500 year old book of religious myths about a very angry and dysfunctional god to guide my spirituality.

  S4
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  26

  Do You Still Want To Know The Truth

  by The-Borg in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  something is very very wrong with our world.

  or am i imagining it and things really aren't that bad?.

  personally i think there are issues being played out about which we know nothing, we can only guess at ( i don't think it's the issue of universal sovereignty).

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  Seeker4

  Greendawn "I still believe the truth is in the gospel. Not the JW gospel but the genuine one. If everybody applied it there would be no problems in the world to solve."

  That sounds like an old-JWism, my friend! But think about it - people have been trying to apply that for 2000 years - without success.

  It might be better to write: "If only people would live by these impossible to live by words, then all of our problems would be solved."

  You've created a classic Catch-22 - these ideas are impossible to live by, but when we live by them all our problems will be gone.

  That's why I prefer the truths found in taoist writings - they take a realistic look at actual human behavior and real life circumstances, and then help us to live with that reality. Religion, on the other hand, lays out an impossible way of life, then tells you that god/allah/Christ will kill you for not living that way. Then they make the way out via some sort of redemption/salvation - usually in some ways controlled at least to a degree by a clergy/priest/oman class.

  We've got to develop a more moral, ethical and realistic way of life than supplied by "sacred" texts and religion, I'm afraid.

  S4
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  26

  Do You Still Want To Know The Truth

  by The-Borg in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  something is very very wrong with our world.

  or am i imagining it and things really aren't that bad?.

  personally i think there are issues being played out about which we know nothing, we can only guess at ( i don't think it's the issue of universal sovereignty).

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  Seeker4

  " Well I do think there is a battle going on between good and evil, somehow, somewhere and the evil seems to be winning at the moment."

  That type of thinking is why religions exist. Things happen, and along comes someone to label some of those things good, and others evil. Voila! We have religion.

  We live in a dangerous, beautiful, exciting, deadly, inspiring and joyous world. It's up to us to minimize the dangers and focus on the joys. The universe has no responsibility toward us, and is neither good or evil. It simply is. When a tsunami kills 100,000 people, it is not out of intent, it's simply the result of a number of natural laws that humans get on the wrong side of. When the earth grows plants that we eat or animals that we can kill and eat, it's not doing us a favor or watching out for us. Some of those plants can kill us. Some of those animals eat us.

  There is no great battle of good and evil - there is simply an active, non-conscious universe operating according to natural laws, and conscious humans who often act in ways that we label as good and evil. "Good" American soldiers shoot "bad" Al'Queda terrorists fighting for the freedom of Iraqis, at the same time that "good" Al'Queda members kill "bad" American soldiers for the freedom of Iraqis.

  Depending on your viewpoint, good and evil are always both winning the battle.

  S4
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  15

  Who is the man with the mustache?

  by VM44 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this photo was taken in 1921. anyone recognize the man in the center with the mustache?.

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  Seeker4

  I recognized Steinmetz before I did Einstein! I've been a fan of this interesting, deformed genius since I was a kid. There are great stories about Steinmetz - he seems to have been a compassionate man who could easily stand in the company of Einstein and Tesla.
  
  Thanks for the photo and the memories it brought back.
  
  S4
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  15

  Filmmaker Looking for JW Pedophile Victim – CAN ANYONE HELP?

  by Seeker4 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  a very reputable documentary film producer would like to talk to a woman between 19-25 years old who is taking legal action in order to vindicate child sex crimes perpetrated against her and covered up by the wt society or their elders.

  specifically, the "cover up," as in not reporting the crime to secular authority, should have occurred after 2002 in canada or us.

  if you can help out or have information, please pm me.

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  Seeker4

  I haven't about this, but I would imagine the filmmaker has.
  
  S4