Do you remember what was said or do you record it and transcribe it later?
That's an excellent question.
It's like the Bible. The holy spirit miraculously regenerates the details as I go into a trance.
No, but seriously...
I have a pretty darned good memory for conversations like this and write it up immediately afterward. But, is every word exactly correct? I highly doubt it!
Besides, to make it work as a story, I modify how I present the "story" and leave out the boring shit (I hope) and emphasize the dynamics.
If I had to swear how accurate it is I'd say 75% as to who said what and how. The rest i modified to fit your TV screen. :)
TerryWalstrom
JoinedPosts by TerryWalstrom
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11
Conversation with an Exorcist
by TerryWalstrom instarbucks exorcist______________.
location exterior : the patio of starbuckstime: 9 amcast:lou : media / news analyst, religious fundamentalistterry: gadfly, writer /crow apologist, big mouth know-it-alledgar the crow: spawn of satan________________.
our scene begins with two men at separate tables working on their laptops.lou is a man of about 60. he recently moved from new york to texas to start his own videography business.
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TerryWalstrom
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11
Conversation with an Exorcist
by TerryWalstrom instarbucks exorcist______________.
location exterior : the patio of starbuckstime: 9 amcast:lou : media / news analyst, religious fundamentalistterry: gadfly, writer /crow apologist, big mouth know-it-alledgar the crow: spawn of satan________________.
our scene begins with two men at separate tables working on their laptops.lou is a man of about 60. he recently moved from new york to texas to start his own videography business.
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TerryWalstrom
This being Fort Worth and the Starbucks being so close to the Seminary, I run into many seminary students. Really, without exaggeration, the personalities are almost always the same. But the exorcist guy was not a Southern evangelical--his personality was vivid. He was incredibly naive and ignorant--but in an intelligent way.
What does that mean? It means he really had mastered the art of apologetics. -
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How Rutherford did a backflip (flop) off the Great Pyramid
by TerryWalstrom inin 1924, judge rutherford published an article which referred to the great pyramid as "the scientific bible" and added that measurements on the grand gallery inside the great pyramid confirmed the dates 1874, 1914 and 1925.. 1925 was the famous blowout date for the return of "ancient worthies" about which the judge said, "i made an ass of myself.".
just four years later, rutherford did one of his famous about-face reversals.. whereas previously the watchtower had taught that the great pyramid was probably built by melchizedek, or shem;*.
rutherford now said the great pyramid was constructed "under the direction of satan the devil.
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TerryWalstrom
An "active" JW I know told me his grandmother refers to previous teachings in a peculiar way I have never heard before.
She says, "Yes--that USED TO BE true."
Interesting way of dealing with changes.
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This document lays out the constant changes of mind clearly demonstratingThis organization is not channeling TRUTH--it just cannot make up its collective mind about anything for very long.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UrjfNBy6jlZ8lSibVe7VSRgihTxkwqbrLUzIHLGFH-E/edit?usp=sharing -
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The WatchTower and Money (A brief history)
by TerryWalstrom inthe watchtower and moneycharles t. russell, the age of 13, joined the congregational church (dumped presbyterian).. he went (like girl scouts are sent out with cookies to sell) door to door to raise money for the church.. russell hated fund raising.
he had to ask poor people to part with their money.
he said he felt he was "fleecing the flock.".
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14
How Rutherford did a backflip (flop) off the Great Pyramid
by TerryWalstrom inin 1924, judge rutherford published an article which referred to the great pyramid as "the scientific bible" and added that measurements on the grand gallery inside the great pyramid confirmed the dates 1874, 1914 and 1925.. 1925 was the famous blowout date for the return of "ancient worthies" about which the judge said, "i made an ass of myself.".
just four years later, rutherford did one of his famous about-face reversals.. whereas previously the watchtower had taught that the great pyramid was probably built by melchizedek, or shem;*.
rutherford now said the great pyramid was constructed "under the direction of satan the devil.
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TerryWalstrom
In 1924, Judge Rutherford published an article which referred to the Great Pyramid as "the Scientific Bible" and added that measurements on the Grand Gallery inside the Great Pyramid confirmed the dates 1874, 1914 and 1925.
1925 was the famous blowout date for the return of "ancient worthies" about which the Judge said, "I made an ass of myself."
Just four years later, Rutherford did one of his famous about-face reversals.
Whereas previously the Watchtower had taught that the Great Pyramid was probably built by Melchizedek, or Shem;*
Rutherford now said the Great Pyramid was constructed "under the direction of Satan the Devil." **
November 15, 1928, Watchtower, p 344
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The WatchTower and Money (A brief history)
by TerryWalstrom inthe watchtower and moneycharles t. russell, the age of 13, joined the congregational church (dumped presbyterian).. he went (like girl scouts are sent out with cookies to sell) door to door to raise money for the church.. russell hated fund raising.
he had to ask poor people to part with their money.
he said he felt he was "fleecing the flock.".
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TerryWalstrom
THE WATCHTOWER and MONEY
Charles T. Russell, the age of 13, joined the Congregational church (dumped Presbyterian).He went (like Girl Scouts are sent out with cookies to sell) door to door to RAISE MONEY for the Church.
Russell hated fund raising. He had to ask poor people to part with their money. He said he felt he was "fleecing the flock."
Russell sold 5 men's clothing stores for: $6,521,739.13
$300,000 of 1876 dollars would be worth : $6,521,739.13 in 2016.
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He threw his money into publishing End Times writings.
He spent the family fortune like a drunken sailor on his favorite topics.If somebody wrote something Russell agreed with he'd pay for the publishing.
If that somebody disagreed with Russell, he'd pull funding.
Russell finally fell in love with his own writings to the exclusion of everybody else (including his wife) and began writing 7 ambitious volumes.
He wanted to set everybody straight.
"In July 1879, ZION'S WATCH TOWER and HERALD OF CHRIST'S PRESENCE magazine was started by Charles Taze Russell and Maria Russell, his new wife of three months, as a personal business venture.
(Maria F. Russell was a trained and experienced schoolteacher who eventually claimed that she edited and/or authored much of the writings attributed to Charles Taze Russell. One only has to compare the quality of Russell's writings immediately before and soon after their marriage to see that Maria was telling the truth. Maria Russell also claimed that before they were married in March 1879 that Charles and she discussed partnering in their own Second Adventist magazine as one of the main reasons for their getting married. Apparently, even his marriage was a business venture as far as Charles Taze Russell was concerned.)
The ZION'S WATCH TOWER magazine, the Millennial Dawn series of books, and all other signature publications published up until May 1898 were all OWNED PERSONALLY by Charles Taze Russell -- NOT Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society. Simply observe that ZWT specifically directed that all non-cash PAYMENTS for ZWT subscriptions and other literature and materials regularly offered for sale in ZWT were to be made payable to"C. T. Russell".1886 the money dried up due to the immense amount of money spent in printing and distributing the first three publications.
He was spending about a million dollars a year! (In today's money.)
GUESS WHAT YEAR Russell tried to sell his books in bookstores? 1886.
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By 1897, nearly one million Dawns had been distributed, largely by the colporteurs. DOOR TO DOOR BOOK SALESMAN.
After 1931, the term “colporteur” was replaced by “pioneer.”
Pastor Russell's volumes were sold at about $2 a set or $2 of 1900 dollars would be worth: $55.00 in 2016 purchasing power.
Russell also turned to writing sermons as a newspaper columnist and built up a readership of about fifteen million people.
Having built a customer base (faithful readers) Russell went on tour giving sermons IN PERSON becoming one of the most recognized and 'famous' ministers in the world, like Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyers today.
Russell had no problems accepting private donations!
Pastor Russell had made a name for himself by refusing to take collections during meetings.
The slogan "Seats Free - No Collections" angered many clergymen because it was a slam on the traditional collection plate process.
__________http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/russell.html
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The Watch Tower turned to advertising miraculous beans as a free giveaway and then switched to Miracle Wheat for a dollar.
In 1911, the market price for wheat was 59 cents to $1 a bushel. In Charles Taze Russell's Hicks Street Tabernacle, "miracle wheat" was being sold for $60 a bushel, or $1 a pound.
(The beans and wheat had been DONATED to Russell's ministry)
$1 of 1911 dollars would be worth: $24.39 in 2016 buying power.
Miracle Wheat brought in $1,800 of 1911 dollars would be worth: $43,902.44 in 2016
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1897: When his wife Maria petitioned the court for a LEGAL SEPARATION (not a divorce) it was granted with Alimony.
Russell transferred his funds into the WTS account and strung Maria's alimony out torturously to make her dependent and to teach her a lesson.
Russell was litigious if he thought he could win a lawsuit.
The Washington Post partially quoted Maria's testimony about his claim "he floated from woman to woman like a jellyfish."
Russell sued and was awarded one dollar in damages. But--he relentlessly pursued an appeal making himself a legal nuisance and the case was settled for $15,000. $15,000 of 1915 dollars would be worth : $348,837.21 in 2016.
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http://www.watchtowerdocuments.com/documents/1915_A_Great_Battle_in_the_Ecclesiastical_Heavens.pdf
Russell's attorney was Judge Rutherford who wrote a pamphlet:
Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens defending Russell's reputation."This is a non-stock corporation; it pays no dividends, no salaries, and no one has ever, as its books clearly show, reaped any financial benefit therefrom. It is supported entirely by voluntary contributions made by those who are interested in the promulgation of Bible Truths. Its work is exclusively religious.
For each contribution of $10.00, the contributor is entitled to one voting share. While there are nearly two hundred thousand shares, and it would be an easy matter to elect some other man as president, there never has been cast a vote against Pastor Russell."
Ten dollars times two-hundred thousand shares = $2,000.000 $2,000,000 of 1915 dollars would be worth: $46,511,627.91 in 2016
Bingo! (Note: Not until 1913 was Federal Income Tax was passed into law.)
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NINE MILLION people saw the PHOTO DRAMA of CREATION (a slide show) presented to audiences around the world. Stop and consider:
No collection plate was passed--however--DONATIONS were accepted. (A donation box in plain sight.)
On September 23, 1912, the Eagle ran a cartoon called "Easy Money Puzzle."
Russell sued the Eagle for libel, demanding $100,000 in damages for "injury to his reputation, good name, fame and standing."
The case was brought before Justice Charles H. Kelby and a jury in the Kings County Supreme Court.
One of the juicier allegations made against the Watch Tower Society was that it had coerced an insane man, Hope Hay, into contributing $10,000 to its funds.
William E. Van Amburgh, secretary-treasurer of' the Watch Tower Society, acknowledged that Mr. Hay was in an "insane asylum" and that the WatchTower Society was footing his bills, but denied that Mr. Hay had not given his money of his own free will.The jury of twelve men was out for less than forty-five minutes before it returned a verdict of not guilty in the Eagle's favor.
This is just a historical snapshot of how money and the Watch Tower had their beginnings.
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11
Conversation with an Exorcist
by TerryWalstrom instarbucks exorcist______________.
location exterior : the patio of starbuckstime: 9 amcast:lou : media / news analyst, religious fundamentalistterry: gadfly, writer /crow apologist, big mouth know-it-alledgar the crow: spawn of satan________________.
our scene begins with two men at separate tables working on their laptops.lou is a man of about 60. he recently moved from new york to texas to start his own videography business.
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TerryWalstrom
The actual conversation with the "Exorcist" took place a year ago and I've not seen the guy again. I did take a look at his business card and watched several of his videos on YouTube. They are about at the same intellectual level as Ken Ham and the Crocoduck:)
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Conversation with an Exorcist
by TerryWalstrom instarbucks exorcist______________.
location exterior : the patio of starbuckstime: 9 amcast:lou : media / news analyst, religious fundamentalistterry: gadfly, writer /crow apologist, big mouth know-it-alledgar the crow: spawn of satan________________.
our scene begins with two men at separate tables working on their laptops.lou is a man of about 60. he recently moved from new york to texas to start his own videography business.
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TerryWalstrom
STARBUCKS EXORCIST
______________Location Exterior : The patio of Starbucks
Time: 9 am
Cast:
Lou : Media / News analyst, religious fundamentalist
Terry: Gadfly, writer /Crow apologist, big mouth know-it-all
Edgar the Crow: Spawn of Satan
________________Our scene begins with two men at separate tables working on their laptops.
Lou is a man of about 60. He recently moved from New York to Texas to start his own Videography business.
He is shooing flies away from his laptop screen with a disgusted expression.
A few feet away, Terry begins waving his arms and scowling.____
Terry: Thanks a lot. Your refugees have crossed my border.
Lou: Oh, Sorry. Starbucks needs to provide flyswatters for people who sit out here.
Terry: You’re obviously not a Republican Conservative!
Lou: Um Actually--I am. Why you'd say that?
Terry: Conservatives preach personal responsibility and not getting others to provide for them.
Lou: Ahhh, I see. I see. That’s funny. Are you a Republican?
Terry: You don’t want to know. Trust me.
Lou: What--why not?
Terry: It’s like asking Jack Nicholson to tell the truth on the witness stand.
Lou: I’m sorry--I don’t understand.
Terry: What did Nicholson answer when Tom Cruise asked him to tell the truth?
Lou: (Blank expression)
Terry: (Quoting Colonel Jessup in A Few Good Men) “You want the truth? You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!
Lou: (Face brightening. He ‘gets it’)
Okaaay. Why though? I’m serious. Are you a Liberal?Terry: Two things civilized people don’t discuss are Politics and the other is --”
Lou: (Jumping in) Religion!
Haha, I produce religious videos and I’m a Website owner who provides commentary on political events with a biblical Christian viewpoint.Terry: I’m sorry to hear that. No civilized discussions are possible with the likes of yer kind.
Lou: You’re a pretty funny guy. What do you do?
Terry: Writer. I write analyses debunking religious & political commentary.
Lou: Sure. Sure. No really. Do you write books or what?
Terry: Books, blog essays, CD liner notes, Short stories, poems, bathroom graffiti, ransom notes...
Lou: I don’t know when to take you seriously.
Terry: The day after March 31st is a good bet.
_________________From offstage, Edgar, a crow flaps down on to the patio and begins foraging near our two characters. Terry opens his backpack and removes a bag of corn chips. He proceeds to toss them at the Crow with deadly accuracy.
Lou: You two know each other?
Terry: Let’s just say If I don’t feed him, there are consequences.
Lou: Sounds like the Mafia!
Terry: (Glancing furtively left & right) These are things about which we must not speak.
Lou: Ha! What kind of consequences?
Terry: (Relates two blood-curdling tales of Crow payback.)
Lou: Are you being serious?
Terry: Keyser Soze with feathers--that’s what we’re dealing with here.
Lou: (Clueless) I’m sorry?
Terry: (Quoting Verbal Kint in the Usual Suspects) The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Lou: (Pivoting out of context) I have performed actual exorcisms on people!
Terry: Of course you have. I'd have bet money on it. What about Crows?
Lou: You can hear another person’s voice coming out of the possessed. And when you finally liberate them, their voice changes and a great relief comes over their body.
Terry: I frequently meet people who talk out of their ass.
Lou: (Ignoring the remark) It’s the person’s vocal chords--but a foreign voice. Very frightening unless the power of Jesus Christ is there to protect you.
Terry: (Triggered by forces more powerful than personal restraint) Okaaay. I have a question about Demons.
Lou: Sure, go ahead.
Terry: How large are they? About this size of an amoeba?
Lou: Beg your pardon?
Terry: A Roman Legion was from three thousand to five thousand soldiers. That’s a lot of Demons to cram into a person! Like the fella Jesus exorcised in the book of Luke.
Lou: Uh--well. . . Nobody ever asked that before. You do realize they are Spirits, right?
Terry: For something to be real it must have a size.
Lou: Well. Um. There are things called spirits. God is a Spirit. They are real but. . .
Terry: I’m just asking why cram inside a person like clowns in a Volkswagon?Lou: (Lost) Uh. Well. That's the nature of demons.
Terry: The history of knowledge passed through superstition, religion, philosophy, and mythology before it got to Science.
I'm more of a Post Enlightenment kind of guy. I'd say you're more comfortable Pre-Enlightenment.Lou: Where’d you get that idea?
Terry: A Dictionary. Opinions without evidence are called FAITH. Science calls for evidence, not wishful thinking.
Lou: I’m not talking about human opinions. I’m talking about in the Bible. God's revealed truth.
Terry: Spirits without a size who cram into human beings by the thousands so Louis can get them to crawl back out again--right?
Lou: Yes. I have performed exorcisms.
Terry: Single occupancy or multiple occupancies?
Lou: (Wheels turning) I uh lost you there?
Terry: Legion in the Book of Acts? It’s non-testable in any scientific sense.
Lou: Well--you can measure the effects. You can prove Spirits by their effects.
Terry: That’s like me saying to a Comedian--I’m not laughing, so you aren’t a Comedian. If I don't laugh he doesn't exist?
Lou: (Suddenly chuckling) That is funny. You are a funny guy.
Terry: It is a Philosophical question--not an existential one.
Lou: You’ve lost me.
Terry: Logical Fallacy called Post hoc ergo propter hoc.
Trying to prove something by saying, whatever happened BEFORE an event was the CAUSE. I was describing your argument in terms of that Logical Fallacy.Lou: Whew! You are hard work to talk to!
Terry: Quoting you: "You can PROVE Spirits by their effects."
Lou: Um, haha, okay--okay.
Terry: Let me tell you a little story about a cowpoke who was known throughout the Badlands as the most accurate marksman in all the west. Okay?
Lou: I’m all ears.
Terry: DeadEye Dick had the reputation as a fantastic marksman. Why? Reasonable people figured it out by looking at the tiny chalk circles on the side of the Blacksmith's shop where Dick fired his weapon whenever he rode by on horseback. Inside those tiny chalk circles, dead center were Dick's bullets.
Lou: That’s pretty good shooting. But, so what?
Terry: What those people didn't know was that the Blacksmith was the fellow drawing chalk-marks around the bullet holes each time Dick rode by and shot at his wall so he'd have an accurate count when he dragged him before the circuit Judge and sued him for repairs.
Lou: (Thinking. Thinking.) Oh. OH, hahaha, that’s good. That’s good.
Terry: Assuming the result was caused by the thing before or, in this case, the other way around, was logical but dead wrong.
_________The Crow appears again. This time, closer to Lou.
Lou: I guess I better not feed him or I’ll end up like you.
Terry: If only. If only.
Lou: So, do you believe those Crow stories you tell or not?
Terry: I believe what I’ve seen. The other stuff is opinion and hearsay. Sometimes reasonable stories are wrong and sometimes unreasonable stories are true.
Lou: The Bible is an infallible source of truth.
Terry: Did God create Eve by taking Adam’s rib from his side or is that a legend?
Lou: Fact.
Terry: Then it was really Adam’s actual rib?
Lou: That’s what the Bible says. Yes. It is a fact.
Terry: That would mean Eve was created by cloning and factually a Clone of Adam--and therefore, a man!
Lou: No wait a minute--no it doesn’t?
Terry: That’s okay. You can’t expect ancient writers and storytellers to know about DNA. But--if it is the infallible word of God--you’ve got a problem!
Lou: Eve was a Woman--not a man. That’s proof she wasn’t a Clone.
Terry: The Bible is literally correct?
Lou: Infallibly correct. Yes.
Terry: Then it looks like it was Adam and Steve and the "St" got lost in translation.
Lou: Hahaha. You’re pretty funny. I enjoy talking to you. I have to go now--I’ve got an appointment. Here’s my business card. I’m sure I’ll see you around.
Terry: Please perform an exorcism before you leave and TAKE THIS DAMN CROW!
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End Scene
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A Poem (The Lady of the Sycamores)
by TerryWalstrom inthe lady of the sycamores ( by terry walstrom).
the monday she arrived hit local folks just like a bomb.
not since widow wilson ran away with reverend tom has gossip traveled quite as fast and twice as far in townand then the party started with the word she was around.
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TerryWalstrom
My favorite tree. I like it, Nancy!
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A Poem (The Lady of the Sycamores)
by TerryWalstrom inthe lady of the sycamores ( by terry walstrom).
the monday she arrived hit local folks just like a bomb.
not since widow wilson ran away with reverend tom has gossip traveled quite as fast and twice as far in townand then the party started with the word she was around.
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TerryWalstrom
I'm now thinking this could be turned into a sort of BIG BAD JOHN style song
like Jimmy Dean sang. Who would be the best singer for me to submit this to, ya think?
