Posts by TerryWalstrom

2

Dallas / Fort Worth meet up

by Israel Ricky Gonzales in

a couple of us xjws and awake jws meet for coffee and brunch every few sunday's.

im me if you are interested.

TerryWalstrom

Yes, this Sunday in Fort Worth we'll have an informal get-together at the local coffee shop.

We'd like to see some new faces. I'm sure Ricky is tired of looking at my old one :)

24

Baiting Dubs for fun and amusement

by TerryWalstrom in

jw: "wha-a-a-t?

mormon: "okay.

other jw: "that's just .

TerryWalstrom

Back in the day . . .in the 50's, 60's, 70's the J-Dubs were like

gunfighters of old. We loved a good shootout in the street! But apparently those days are long past. Pity that.

I suppose the advent of the Internet and all the secrets laid bare have made the local shootists more than adequate to wound our precious JW's when they wander in sniffing for trouble.

22

Hitchhiking robot embarking on coast-to-coast tour across US

by TerryWalstrom in

hitchhiking robot embarking on coast-to-coast tour across u.s.. .

did you hear that, honey?

i dont have time for tv!

TerryWalstrom

I just came back to re-read my story after telling my son about the actual robot.

I'm wondering if the premise might not be good for a TV series.

Each week the robot is picked up by a different kind of person in a completely contrary walk of life.

The juxtaposition of the acerbic Hitchens and ordinary or bizarre people in the midst of everyday life might make for a riveting TV series.

What do YOU think?

10

DOES "ABSTAIN FROM BLOOD" really mean "Do not murder?"

by TerryWalstrom in

20:28 - jesus' shed blood, thus related to murder.

with the words of augustine firmly in mind we now ask this important question:.

abstaining from blood(shed) preserves life!

TerryWalstrom

The Jerusalem Council has become a foundation to the thesis of the Governing Body as being the model of Organization Jehovah imposed on Christianity.

However, even a casual reading of the Jerusalem congregation's divisive confusion of dogma is sufficient to raise a red flag.

Paul seems light years ahead in understanding dogma. The Jerusalem Elders are mired in the past.

The independence of Paul's travels, commission, theology and teaching is obviously outside the jurisdiction of Jerusalem.

You have to scratch your head and wonder if some of the remaining Apostles aren't targeted by him as troublemakers. Perhaps it is these fuddy-duddy fumblers who think they are Jesus' special envoys who constitute the "superfine Apostles" Paul complained about.

24

Baiting Dubs for fun and amusement

by TerryWalstrom in

jw: "wha-a-a-t?

mormon: "okay.

other jw: "that's just .

TerryWalstrom

At a certain point in any conversation with JW's you have to figure you are going to present them

with damning evidence they've either not heard before--or--which they will doubt to be true.

At this juncture, I like to say, "IF this happened to be true---IF---would this be disturbing to you in any way? Would it make you want to find out more?"

By saying that, you carve out an important leverage on their intellectual honesty.

If they admit it would shake them up--they are open to falsifiable evidence.

If they say it would make NO DIFFERENCE, it means their mind is stone cold shut.

I like to find that out as soon as I can.

24

Baiting Dubs for fun and amusement

by TerryWalstrom in

jw: "wha-a-a-t?

mormon: "okay.

other jw: "that's just .

TerryWalstrom

I'm trying to figure out how this conversation got started. Mormons do NOT drink coffee or "strong drink" so, I'm wondering if they were just sitting in the shade outside resting from the hundred-degree heat when the JW's started rumblin' :)

What struck me was how prepared the Mormon missionaries were for the witnesses and how unprepared the JW's were for the Mormons.

I can't emphasize enough how NICE the Mormons were. I hope my description (above) didn't leave the improper impression these young guys were being snippy or snarky. The words may have been but the delivery was thoughtful and respectful.

It did my heart good to listen and to report the final score was MORMONS 1 DUBS 0

24

Baiting Dubs for fun and amusement

by TerryWalstrom in

jw: "wha-a-a-t?

mormon: "okay.

other jw: "that's just .

TerryWalstrom

MORMONS VS DUBS (Smackdown)

The local Starbucks has been quite a nexus for encounters with Jehovah's Witnesses.

For instance, I interrupted a friendly debate between two young men about 5 months ago who were arguing the TRINITY. One was a DF'd Dub and the other was a Baptist Seminary graduate.

Subsequent to that, I've spoken with Dubs, Elders, Pioneers, and whatnot.

Just today, not ten minutes ago, I was strolling outside the coffee shop to take a phone call from a friend of mine when I ran across four guys talking. Two were pretty obviously young Mormon missionary guys and the other two probably Pioneer type Dubs.
As I passed them, I made it a point to sit as close by as I could to eavesdrop. What could be more fun, right?

I quickly told my caller what was going on and that I'd call him back. He understood, being an Ex-JW himself.
I have to say the Mormon kids were polite, cheerful and exemplary. They listened. They actually listened rather than just waiting to jump in. The Dubs were--let's be fair--smartasses. That's as kind as I can be. I know I'm prejudiced. You can allow for that. But Friends, they were smartasses, trust me on that one!

The Mormons were more interested in being kind than in winning a debate. The Dubs were trolling by jabbing at one provocative topic and then another. The one subject which seemed to finally generate a real conversation was an unfortunate choice for our Pioneer duo.

I'll try as best I can to reconstruct the conversation, but I'm probably taking a few small liberties here and there because I didn't record any of it verbatim. I was taking notes on my iPhone, instead as I was listening.

________________

JW: "How come only the young men do the preaching work out in the neighborhoods? All of Jehovah's people do it all the time. Don't you think you'd be more successful if all Mormons participated?" (Big grin on the J-Dub's face.)

Mormon: "We just read the PEW research poll and it said Jehovah's Witnesses have the lowest rate of retention of its members of any other Christian denomination. I think the number was 63%. 63% of Americans who were raised Jehovah’s Witness say they aren’t Jehovah’s Witness anymore. Don't you think that might be because you're overburdening your members with too much pressure to preach instead of leaving it with the youngest and strongest to get it done?"

JW: "Wha-a-a-t? That's baloney!"

Mormon: (Reaching into his backpack and pulling out a laminated chart) "Here it is right here. It was a research poll of all the Christian denominations."

JW: (His face looked pale) "I don't believe any of that research nonsense. That's just people who don't like witnesses lying about us, more than likely."

Mormon: "Okay. I can understand. People lie about the Latter Day Saints, too."

JW: "We baptize about 30,000 new converts a year! That's how effective our preaching work is. Jehovah's Organization has been greatly blessed."

Mormon: "I guess when you subtract the 63% you're left with . . . hmmmm. . . about 11,000 or less."

JW: "Huh?"

Mormon: "According to the PEW research poll, I mean."

other JW: "That's just . . . oh-it's totally bogus!"

Mormon: "We got started in 1823 and your founder, Pastor Russell came along in 1880. . . ummm. . .when was it--1881?"

JW: "Uh. . . oh, I don't know. Probably. I guess."

Mormon: "We got a 50-year head start. I guess that might account for our membership. Last year the church sent out almost 60,000 missionaries to 120 countries, where they won 306,000 converts. I don't remember--how many missionaries do the Witnesses have?"

JW: "Uh-h-h-h-h. . ."

Mormon: "I'm going to guess less than 12,000."

Other Mormon: "Sounds about right."

JW: "Uh-h-h-h. . ."

Mormon: "How many members do you have worldwide?"

JW: "EIGHT MILLION and growing! We're the fastest growing religion!"

Mormon: "Unlikely. We have 100 temples internationally serving 11 Million Latter Day Saints."

other JW: "Hey--nice talking to ya--we need to be someplace. Stop in a local Kingdom Hall sometime and we can set up a Bible study with you guys."

Mormon: "We've 11 studies a week and two of them are with former Jehovah's Witnesses. They's given us plenty of information already. Good luck."

JW: "We don't believe in Luck!"

Mormon: "It couldn't hurt."

_______________________

At this juncture, I wanted to jump in and say something to the two JW's but they spotted two others of their group who had just arrived and I didn't want to face 4 of them at the same time.
I had wanted to ask them where they got their nice silver Bibles as a pretext to start a conversation--but--now I'm glad I didn't. I don't think they were in a good mood:)

10

DOES "ABSTAIN FROM BLOOD" really mean "Do not murder?"

by TerryWalstrom in

20:28 - jesus' shed blood, thus related to murder.

with the words of augustine firmly in mind we now ask this important question:.

abstaining from blood(shed) preserves life!

TerryWalstrom

Thank you, Marvellous Marvin!

10

DOES "ABSTAIN FROM BLOOD" really mean "Do not murder?"

by TerryWalstrom in

20:28 - jesus' shed blood, thus related to murder.

with the words of augustine firmly in mind we now ask this important question:.

abstaining from blood(shed) preserves life!

TerryWalstrom

As a religious, historical, and logical approach to diffusing the pretzel logic of J-Dubs

in their holier-than-thou preachments, I personally think this argument might stop them in their tracks. At least they'd have to promise to research and return. In other words--you'll never see them again!

A good alternative to J-Dub blood policy--IF PRESENTED at the right moment of decision--gives a parent just cause to plunge ahead and permit the life-saving transfusion for the life of the child.

Just as the Sabbath was for man and not man for the Sabbath, logically the Laws of Noah are for man and not man for the Noahide Laws.

What does that mean?

Law is pro-LIFE in the sense that observing Law benefits, extends, enhances, and improves the lives of observers. Fanatics, on the other hand, get it backwards in a Pharisaical attempt to make obedience and martyrdom supercede life itself.

A fanatic doesn't want to LIVE FOR GOD; a fanatic wants to DIE for God.

A loving parent wants to SAVE THE LIFE of a beloved child, but a fanatic parent

wants to USE THE DEATH of a child to earn favor for divine brownie points!

The bargain of Christianity is: humanity doesn't have to be bound by Laws of God as the only resort to life.

Jesus Life=Life for humanity and death is out of the picture forever.

Otherwise, the Jewish ritual blood sacrifices would go on forever with temporary bloodshed = temporary forgiveness.

Binding Gentiles to ritual blood taboos makes no sense under Christian Freedom.

Binding Gentiles to a commonsense injunction against Murder makes all the sense in the world.

58

Governing body deceiving members on purpose?

by wwjdnwt in

i was born into this religion.

i was a jw for well over 30 years.

i did much research before i had internet, i compared bibles and prayed deeply to help me to know if this was the truth.

TerryWalstrom

Ray Franz described the Watchtower leaders as "Captives" of a particular "concept" and that concept was that JW's have the TRUE religion.

That's enough to justify (in one's mind in a self-assuaging manner) most actions required to keep the "ark" afloat.

They are all mind-fucked. For most of us, we accepted and self-justified--did we not?

You do it until you cannot do it any longer.

I compare the mind-control to an addiction of substance abuse or alcoholism.

You simply have to hit rock bottom before you break free enough (self-preservation) to seek help or else you totally succumb.