Buster

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Posts by Buster

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  107

  Ray Franz And Things That Are Too Hard To Handle.

  by Englishman in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i see that ray franz is coming in for a fair bit of criticism due to his apparrant unwillingness to accept that jw's had a problem with the existence of child abuse when he was a member of the gb.

  also, it would appear that ray is being chided for his belief in the rule of 2 witnesses before action can be taken against an abuser.

  it seems to me that it is quite likely that ray wasn't aware that there was a serious abuse problem within the society when he was a member of the gb, if only for the reason that ray would find such an activity so detestable that he would believe it to be a virtually impossible act for anyone to perpetrate.

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  Buster

  People who are criticising RF's personal opinions are mislead. They seem to think that RF is holding hiimself out as some example to be followed, someone that has found a higher and is looking to show others. For those looking too deeply into his writings I say several things:

  • It is very JW of you to try to dig into specific comments and discuss them as if they stand alone
  • You are ignoring his adsmission that he is somewhat embarassed by the fact that he participated so long in the org. and that he is not holding himseld up as some kind of leader
  • I took his books to be primarily autobiographical - a gentle, fact-based explanation of the events
  • He has some of his own opinions in there, but I never got a sense that he was trying to influence anyone

  I read his books with fascination and an ever-increasing respect for the man. I thank him for the insight into things about which I have been curious since I left. But I wouldn't follow the man to McDonald's, let alone to the lord. It took him almost a whole lifetime to understand what I figured out shortly after high school.

  But in fairness, to see in his writings some kind of 'directive' against which its oposers should protest, is to read way too much into small pieces.
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  22

  Watchtower and Community Service

  by hillbilly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.aspx?id=40647&page=2&site=3#560224

  if in fact, the recent donation of blood therapy equipment(refrenced in the link above) is a new chapter in watchtower community service i will be the first to applaud them.

  however, i will reserve a negative attitude about accepting this action as a genuine act of altruism on the part fo the society.. how many of us, during our jw days participated in something as simple as a "walk-a-thon"?

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  Buster

  The 'we don't help the world around us' attitude goes all the way back. Can you imagine a Christian religion that refused to so much as even pray for an end to war. These things must occur, and it would be contrary to God's will pray otherwise. Russell touted that one all through WWI.

  What an absolute ignorance of the 'Do unto others' rule. How would they like it if they weere a victim of a violent crime and we, as neighbors, wouldn't help - because the signs of the times called for an increase in crime, and God must have intended it so.

  I remember giving the old JW attitude when asked for contributions in a department store parking lot. I was sooooo proud of myself. But now I enjoy community service, in several forms. Though I do typically avoid religion-based charity efforts. I'll do more when the kids are raised.

  (Perry, I also thought you were serious until I read other posts - nice job)
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  10

  I have OLD JWbooks, magazines, booklets for sale

  by agcasolin in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if anyone is interested in buying old books, magazines, booklets for researching, collecting, etc .

  you are welcome to check out the list of what i have left.

  free shipping!

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  Buster

  I cannot be the only one that wants this stuff. There must be lots of exJWs that would love to finally read some of the old stuff that they were never told about. On the other hand, there must lots of folks that have been out for a while that would love to see how the WTS has back peddled away from prior predictions.

  When I come across a book in a used book store, I buy it. There are very few. I wouldn't want crates and crates of the stuff. But I still wnt to collect a bunch. Reading it is like police work: lots of boredom, puntuated by a few really intersting moments.
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  6

  Changes in Watchtower Literature

  by FrankRaven in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  3, p. 228).. rewritten.

  "this calculation shows a.d. 1874 as marking the beginning of the period of trouble; for 1542 years b.c.

  rewritten.

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  Buster

  Frank,

  A few days ago I was reading some of those changes to the 'Studies in the Scriptures' spelled out in the 1915 Watchtowers. I was struck by the explanation. To paraphrase, 'the changes are subtle, and do not impact the overall meaning of the studies.' Back then, they considered that fact that Armageddon didn't come, that the world was still in place, that Christ actually came but stayed invisible, as all subtle incidentals.

  False prophecy, no big deal you know.
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  3

  silent lambs

  by searchingserinity in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  i am so grateful for whom ever started the silent lambs web site.

  i helps to know that i am not alone.

  it is also a great web site.

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  Buster

  Searching - welcome

  Until I came across the Silent Lambs, I thought they were just a bunch of misdirected nuts sitting in a corner waiting for the end of the world - even though I was once one of them. But when I read all those stories, it became obvious that the 'event' that came to light just as I was leaving was no isolated event. It was there that I realized that they are a dangerous cult.

  Since coming to this site, I found that there was another case at the same hall.

  You'll find some not-so-silent-anymore Lambs here.
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  5

  November 1st 1995 Watchtower Issue

  by UnDisfellowshipped in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  wow!

  let's see, in this one issue -- november 1st 1995 watchtower -- they get rid of the "1914 generation" false prophecy, and they say that children must confront their molesters!

  a time to keep awake .

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  Buster

  Wow, paragraph after paragraph with nothing to say - except 'listen to us, and you'll be destroyed if you don't'.

  Try as I might I cannot fathom the indoctrination of people that fancy themselves as spiritual leaders. They would take instruction from their pulp magazines that tells them that if a child came to them needing help and protection from a rapist, that they would:

  • ask if she (maybe even a 12-yr-old) confronted dear old dad
  • then ask him themselves
  • then, when he denies it, tell the 12-yr-old that there is nothing that they can do. So,
  • she should stop dressing so provocatively and
  • trust that the matter is in God's hands

  That is the coldest, meanest, least spiritually mature attitude I can think of.
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  17

  If You were God?

  by Mr Spock in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if you were god what would you have done differently?

  i think i would have forgiven adam and eve and the last six thousand years would have been a cakewalk.. i wouldn't have had to send down my son to be nailed to a tree and die a horrible death.

  i also would have been much more clear in what i expext of my creation, maybe write a book that could be understood by anyone..maybe i would have sent some of my angels down to the babylonians when they were throwing babies in the fire as sacrifices to say don't do that!!

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  Buster

  Life would suck for everyone - 'cept me
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  21

  Why the Ambivalence?

  by Robdar in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for the past day or two, i have been having conflicting feelings of hatred and then nostalgia for the org.

  after reading bay64me's thread entitled "crisis of wardrobe!

  ", i fondly recalled shopping for those dowdy dresses, trying to find the perfect match between what i liked and what the society dictated for me to wear.

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  Buster

  I grew up in a congregation with a whole batch of kids our age. We had tons of fun together. Boys and girls together, there as many as 15 of us, depending on how and when you wanted to count. Got in front of some inquisitions too. I miss them - the boys and girls of my youth. And I regret not knowing the men and women that they could have become.

  Twenty years later, some are still there, or congregations close by. Recently I heard some news about one of the old crew whose daughter had been molested. And my old friend, dear daddy, did nothing. And my other old friend, dear uncle, did nothing. And my other old friends, who should have been as close as uncles, did nothing. Its been bothering me ever since. I would be so ashamed to be associated with men that are so indoctrinated that they have forgotten how to stand up for their daughters, neices, etc.

  I detest the men that those boys became. Zero ambivalence here.
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  48

  Have you joined another religion?

  by freedom96 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i don't think i will never join another organized religion.

  that being said however, i have enjoyed going on occasion to non-denominational churches, watching the band play music, and the speaker.

  if you did or would attend another church regularly, which one would you go to and why?

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  Buster

  Not in this life time.

  As a matter of fact, I get a curdle in my stomach whenever I am near anything that remotely feels like a meeting. Ever been to a multi-level marketing pitch meeting? Shaklee or one of the others? I went to one without knowing until I got there - it felt like a damned Service Meeting. It scared the bejeeses outa me.

  More recently I went to a professional group meeting, and the same thing!
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  39

  What New Light Are You Talking About?

  by Robdar in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  andyman stated in another thread:this got me thinking about the change in the 1914 generation.

  i remember how this was a very important point when i was studying back in the late 80's.

  it was explained to me over and over that this system would defenitly end before the generation of 1914 passed away.

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  Buster

  I had been wondering about the new definition of Generation. If that article was the definition, then I didn't see it. That article takes the long way of saying that we can't tell the time of the Great Tribulation. Then it concludes in a section that identifies the generation of the first century as the blind masses. That section also left-handedly advises against calculating the length of a generation. But it makes no reference to what a generation in this greater fulfillment might be.

  The most I could get out of it was that this foretold generation should be accepted as a state of blindness, not some elapsed time. It feels to me that they are saying that the wicked people will be here as long as there are wicked people, the end will come when the end comes.

  That is one cowardly way of backing away from the 'God showed us how to calculate this' mode for the entire century prior.