TerryWalstrom

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Posts by TerryWalstrom

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  15

  The Forgery of an Antique God

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  in the world of antiquities, especially that of bronze art, specifically heads, would you be surprised or alarmed to discover that experts estimate about half of all the art sold at auction and donated to museums around the world.... consists of forgeries?while you're digesting the news of corrupt practice, let me raise a rather vexatious collateral issue for your consideration:.

  auction houses keep silent about this fraud.in fact, it has been asserted by investigators specializing in such fraud, it is largely the auction houses submitting these works at auction under fake identities so they cannot be directly held liable for illicit transactions.

  proving they've knowingly done so is too problematic to pass muster.one expert who exposed such a fraud was sued by the auction house and forced toward financial settlement out of court under the libel laws.now why mention all the above in the first place?for one reason only, the same thing occurs in the religious transactions of jehovah's witnesses.the auction house (watchtower corporation) represents its salvific theology as authentic and transacts with potential converts so's they pay for such art (ful fraud) by giving their lives, honor, and sacred service in exchange.when flaws are found, instead of owning up to the illicit enterprise, they seek legal redress or prosecute the accuser through coercive threats of disfellowship.now here is another insidious parallel.

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  TerryWalstrom

  The famous Van Gogh Sunflowers sold at auction to a Tokyo insurance firm for 22 1/2 million dollars is fake. Neither the Auction House nor the Tokyo firm will allow authentication by forensic scientists. Why? Too embarrassing!!
  
  The Watchtower won't own up to the child molestation problems for the same reason: embarrassment is more important than the safety of children.
  
  I look at all the colorful library of Watchtower produced books (Rutherford's rainbow, for instance) and it is (to my eyes) like a gallery filled with inauthentic fraudulent art passed off as invaluable. The reality is (even to the GB) obvious inasmuch as these tomes are filled with obvious nonsense, false prophecy, wonky interpretations, etc.
  
  Counterfeit prophets and a fake religion: the Art of bullshit.
  
  
  
  
• 
  15

  The Forgery of an Antique God

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  in the world of antiquities, especially that of bronze art, specifically heads, would you be surprised or alarmed to discover that experts estimate about half of all the art sold at auction and donated to museums around the world.... consists of forgeries?while you're digesting the news of corrupt practice, let me raise a rather vexatious collateral issue for your consideration:.

  auction houses keep silent about this fraud.in fact, it has been asserted by investigators specializing in such fraud, it is largely the auction houses submitting these works at auction under fake identities so they cannot be directly held liable for illicit transactions.

  proving they've knowingly done so is too problematic to pass muster.one expert who exposed such a fraud was sued by the auction house and forced toward financial settlement out of court under the libel laws.now why mention all the above in the first place?for one reason only, the same thing occurs in the religious transactions of jehovah's witnesses.the auction house (watchtower corporation) represents its salvific theology as authentic and transacts with potential converts so's they pay for such art (ful fraud) by giving their lives, honor, and sacred service in exchange.when flaws are found, instead of owning up to the illicit enterprise, they seek legal redress or prosecute the accuser through coercive threats of disfellowship.now here is another insidious parallel.

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  TerryWalstrom

  In the world of Antiquities, especially that of bronze Art, specifically heads, would you be surprised or alarmed to discover that experts estimate about half of all the art sold at auction and donated to museums around the world...

  consists of FORGERIES?
  
  
  While you're digesting the news of corrupt practice, let me raise a rather vexatious collateral issue for your consideration:

  . Auction Houses keep silent about this fraud.
  In fact, it has been asserted by investigators specializing in such fraud, it is largely the Auction Houses submitting these works at auction under fake identities so they cannot be directly held liable for illicit transactions. Proving they've knowingly done so is too problematic to pass muster.
  One expert who exposed such a fraud was sued by the Auction House and forced toward financial settlement out of court under the Libel Laws.
  
  Now why mention all the above in the first place?
  For one reason only, the same thing occurs in the religious transactions of Jehovah's Witnesses.
  The Auction House (Watchtower corporation) represents its salvific theology as authentic and transacts with potential converts so's they pay for such Art (ful fraud) by giving their lives, honor, and sacred service in exchange.
  When flaws are found, instead of owning up to the illicit enterprise, they seek legal redress or prosecute the accuser through coercive threats of disfellowship.
  
  Now here is another insidious parallel.
  The "value" of collectible art is that of attribution. It requires "experts" to assign such estimates of valuation and the imprimatur of authenticity is the difference between trash and treasure.
  
  Consider this: a crooked expert gives a false authentication and inflates the fraudulent antiquity into a multi-million dollar treasure.
  Watchtower's experts are the Governing Body! What they declare to be Light becomes quite a blinding beam of glowing bullshit. Eight million collectors give up the world for such a treasure. In fact, they'll die for it.
  
  This analogous situation popped into my head while watching this video.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lNSXB4i4fE
  
  We are the whistleblowers alerting the unwary of the pitfalls of transacting with these cheats and their dubious provenance.
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  23

  Very little that is factual in the Bible?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mryipltf3i.

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  TerryWalstrom

  Unadulterated consciousness would confront most of us with an unendurable awareness of the certainty of our own extinction and utter meaninglessness of life.
  Soooo...
  We find ways of tampering with such bald-faced tragedies. We find refuge in the construction of escape-beliefs. We tamper using alcohol, drugs, sex, career, meditation, video games, Star Wars sequels, sports, and stamp collecting :)
  
  There are many challenges to face in justifying such beliefs, of course. Consequently, we must construct iron-clad logical support systems such as Systematic Theology.
  If we aren't that intellectual--good old fashioned Superstition will do nicely, thank you.
  
  Whatever it takes to float our boat.
  
  
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  23

  Very little that is factual in the Bible?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mryipltf3i.

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  TerryWalstrom

  I feel silly in retrospect. "All scripture is inspired of God and beneficial..." was telling us about itself. Self-reference is the very essence of paradox.
  "Our hamburgers are the best because we say so."
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  29

  Watchtower Spies and Secret Agents

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..

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  TerryWalstrom

  Self-invigilation is the supreme identifying characteristic of a CULT.

  We watch and report on each other.
  
  
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  23

  Very little that is factual in the Bible?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mryipltf3i.

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  TerryWalstrom

  I married into a Jewish family for about 18 years and found (Reformed) Judaism to be among the most practical of religions. In fact, my Father-in-Law was a better "Christian" than most Christians as far as how ethically he treated others.
  My Sister-in-Law was more hardcore. She, her husband, and kids kept all the dietary rules. I found out through talking to her husband that in college Orthodox Jews have a separate set of textbooks for Science! No mention of evolution at all.
  That is astonishing.
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  23

  Very little that is factual in the Bible?

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mryipltf3i.

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  TerryWalstrom

  The contrast in personalities in this program is fascinating to watch.
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  29

  Watchtower Spies and Secret Agents

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..

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  TerryWalstrom

  There is a kind of old-fashioned prudery and puritanism among men in JW's.
  I do think there is an attraction of a certain sort of psychology which draws alienated masculinity into the fold.
  It is a kind of attraction/repulsion dynamic I'm unable to describe or comprehend because I'm no clinical psychologist, of course--but I've seen and observed it all my life.
  
  Gossip is a big deal in congregations and my own theory is that wives of Elders get the juicy details and it empowers them as a source among peers.
  When you have no sex life of your own, the 2nd-hand Peeping Tom dynamic asserts itself.
  I've met my share of weirdoes in the religion. Hell--maybe I even was one at one time.
  (It took me many years and several marriages to work out my problems.)
  
  
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  29

  Watchtower Spies and Secret Agents

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  i'm posting this link:http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.htmlonce you start reading it you won't be able to stop.fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by watchtower society world headquarters..

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  TerryWalstrom

  I'm posting this link:
  http://jwdivorces.bravehost.com/spies.html
  Once you start reading it you won't be able to stop.
  Fascinating and well-documented citations which give credibility to the belief that such a sneaky, underhanded, and often illegal practice has been secretly promoted for decades by WatchTower Society World Headquarters.
  
  
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  8

  The Old Kingdom Hall, memories of old friends, days and times now vanished...

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  old friend (in memorium).

  we found the site of our old kingdom hall--no longer a place of cult activity--unless the electric supply business has a dark side.

  all those meetings, songs, conversations!

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  TerryWalstrom

  My two oldest friends from the JW era, Johnny Santa Cruz and Quentin Robburts.
  Johnny stayed in and Quentin left in the early 70's.
  
  Johnny was fond of saying "I know how to play their game."
  He didn't see any irony in saying that.