Rufus T. Firefly

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Posts by Rufus T. Firefly

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  28

  Divorced Atheist ex-JW Dad

  by braincleaned in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i just wanted to chime in as a loving atheist father, divorced to a jw, and what plays as far as educating our children.. we have shared custody but the kids are mainly with their mom - 11 and 14 respectively.. the problem i face is keeping a balance for my children.

  i have turned atheist during our marriage, so my ex didn't have the spiritual support she signed up for anymore.

  i can understand it is not easy.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Vincent, if your children are wise enough to agree to wait until they are adults [and I mean at least 25, not just turning 18] to make a decision about baptism, that is half the battle.

  JWs claim that everything they do is based on the examples left by Jesus and the first century Christians. Jesus, a perfect man, set the pattern for Christian baptism, waiting until he was 30 years old. Regarding the first century Christians, here is what the Watchtower said: Regarding first-century Christians, historian Augustus Neander states in his book General History of the Christian Religion and Church: “Baptism was administered at first only to adults, as men were accustomed to conceive baptism and faith as strictly connected.” (Watchtower 4/1/06, page 27)

  So, the WTS are not following theocratic order when they baptize miners as young as 8 years of age.

  Just once, I would like to see someone have a little fun with the congregation elders in this way: Go through all the steps to qualify for baptism, even meeting with the various elders and answering the questions for baptism. Then, once one has been pronounced "qualified for baptism," informing the elders of one's decision to wait to actually get baptized. My guess is that the reaction of the elders and the rest of the congregation would be all one would need to see their true nature.
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  47

  The GENERATION explanation is now a BOLD FACE LIE

  by scotoma in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when i first heard about the new "generation" explanation i was confused because i didn't see clearly how they were explaining it.. now it looks like they finally figured it out for themselves and it is no longer confusing.. it is now a simple, ignorant, bold face lie.. this is from the january 1st watchtower.

  (and i hope to hell someone from writing gets wind of this).

  paragraph 15 page 31 blue stands for the exact words in the watchtower.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  <<When they say "We understand" they don't mean "translate" they must be giving their own interpretation.>>

  Notice the difference in these two statements: "John is a thief!" and "I believe that John is a thief!" The former statement may be challenged as slander or libel. The latter is merely a statement of belief.

  Even more outrageous was their advancing a completely new view of the "faithful and discreet slave" simply by saying, "In recent decades that slave has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses." But they never said who it WAS in recent decades that closely identified that slave as such. Mindless people just swallow the conclusion without challenging it.

  Pass the Kool-Aid, please!
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  73

  Time to take my mask off.

  by braincleaned in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  after more than two years here on jwn, i will unmask myself and finally close the closet door behind me, fully coming out.. let me be pithy.. my name is vincent deporter.

  i'm a writer/artist published a little all over the place.

  i started my career in france, about 35 years ago.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Vincent, please check your private messages. ~ Rufus
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  4

  "Take Me As I Am" (a song by Rumer)

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i was deeply touched by a story titled i escaped a cult, and it ruined my life by rachel mirante saavedr which she posted on facebook.

  in it she makes the point that, to jws, "love is absolutely conditional.

  " it was my experience, too, that the concept of unconditional love is totally rejected by jws, and, thinking back, that may well have been the very first discrepancy i perceived between the christ-like personality and what i observed within the jw culture.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  I was deeply touched by a story titled “I Escaped a Cult, and It Ruined My Life” by Rachel Mirante Saavedr which she posted on Facebook. In it she makes the point that, to JWs, "love is absolutely conditional." It was my experience, too, that the concept of unconditional love is totally rejected by JWs, and, thinking back, that may well have been the very first discrepancy I perceived between the Christ-like personality and what I observed within the JW culture. Ms. Saavedr’s longing for unconditional love reminded me of a beautiful song called “Take Me As I Am,” written and recorded by a lovely and talented British singer/songwriter known as Rumer (real name Sarah Joyce). If I didn't know better, I'd think that Rumer might be a former JW herself. Please read these poignant lyrics, and check out the song on YouTube, if you haven’t heard it:

  Is there a place where all that I’ve lost will be returned to me? And is there a day the souls that I pray to are coming back for me?

  Don’t tell me it’s all right. It’ll never be all right.

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” I need a love that’s unconditional. Why don’t you try to understand?

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” If this love is unconditional, why don’t you take me as I am? Just take me as I am.

  The love that I seek, is it hidden beneath a wound that won’t bleed? Look, is there something you want, is there something you need from me, ‘cause I tell you now, these hands are empty. And it aches in my bones to be here on my own without it, watching the love that I’m craving getting further away from all that I wanted.

  So don’t tell me it’s all right, now. It’ll never be all right.

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” I need a love that’s unconditional. Why don’t you try to understand?

  “WHY DON’T YOU COME, WHY DON’T YOU COME BACK?” If this love is unconditional, why don’t you take me as I am? Just take me as I am.

  If you look in my eyes you’ll see sorrow rising and falling. Oh, ‘cause the love that I’m craving’s getting further away than all that I wanted.
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  22

  Interesting quote from July 15, 2013 Watchtower

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the article who really is the faithful and discreet slave in the july 15, 2013, watchtower contains a curious comment.

  in paragraph 10 it is stated: "in recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.".

  can anyone tell me who in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the gb?

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Julia, you wrote: <<Of course they've identified themselves as that in the last few decades.>>

  No, the governing body HASN'T identified itself as the F&DS. That is my point. Up unitl now the GB has taught that ALL anointed ones on earth made up that slave. So, who is it who closely identified that slave witht he GB of JW?

  The truth of the matter is that those who dared to say the the GB was in actuality the F&DS were disfellowshipped for apostasy. In particular, edward Dunlap was one who closely identified that slave with the GB, and he was disfellowshipped!

  That was the point I was making.
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  22

  Interesting quote from July 15, 2013 Watchtower

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the article who really is the faithful and discreet slave in the july 15, 2013, watchtower contains a curious comment.

  in paragraph 10 it is stated: "in recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the governing body of jehovah's witnesses.".

  can anyone tell me who in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the gb?

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  The article Who Really Is the Faithful and Discreet Slave in the July 15, 2013, Watchtower contains a curious comment. In paragraph 10 it is stated: "In recent decades, that slave has been closely identified with the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses."

  Can anyone tell me WHO in recent decades has closely identified that slave with the GB? I know it wasn't the GB who did so!

  I cannot believe that JWs will let that statement go unchallenged.
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  12

  Disfellowshiping a pagan practice says AWAKE! magazine

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the [catholic] hierarchys excommunication .

  is altogether foreign to bible teachings.. .

  the encyclopedia britannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  “The [Catholic] Hierarchy’s excommunication . . . is altogether foreign to Bible teachings.

  “The Encyclopedia Britannica says that papal excommunication is not without pagan influence. . . It was therefore after Catholicism adopted its pagan practices, A.D. 325, that this new chapter in religious excommunication was written.

  “Therefore, as the *pretensions* of the Hierarchy increased, the *weapon* of excommunication became the instrument by which the clergy attained a combination of *ecclesiastical power* and *secular tyranny* that finds no parallel in history.” (January 8, 1947 AWAKE!)

  It follows, then, that JW disfellowshiping “is altogether foreign to Bible teachings” and not without pagan influence.” Only by misapplying 1 Cor. 5:11 and 2 John 9-11 can the Watch Tower Society justify disfellowshiping conscientious Christians who are neither unrepentant sinners nor antichrists.

  Furthermore, notice the phrase “as the pretensions of the Hierarchy increased.” Is it not the height of pretentiousness for the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses to declare themselves to be the faithful and discreet slave? Not even C. T. Russell was so pretentious; rather, when asked by others if he was the faithful and discreet slave, he would reportedly respond, “Some say that I am.”
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  18

  Pre-Paid Legal Services...many JWs market it

  by Rufus T. Firefly in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  does anyone know of any jws in the us who became involved in marketing pre-paid legal services?

  i believe it is now known as legal shield..

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Does anyone know of any JWs in the US who became involved in marketing Pre-Paid Legal Services? I believe it is now known as Legal Shield.
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  11

  JWs still in that believe and are lurking

  by cognac in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just wanted to say hi.

  i understand how you may feel.

  i remember lurking here years ago cause i didn't want to tell the elders on myself and have a judicial committee if i could figure a way out of it.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  Lurkers lurk because they know that most current JWs know it is not "the truth," but they don't know how to leave the only way of life they have ever known. The only ones who still believe it is "the truth" are those who aren't too bright to begin with.

  And I mean that in the nicest possible way. (You can say anything you want as long as you add that last sentence.)
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  20

  Angsty post

  by zound in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not far away from sending out a bunch of letters to all the jw's who i knew when i was one.

  the letters are the accumulation of the last few months of research etc.

  i've put a lot of effort into wording things just right so that that the jw's don't instantly throw it in the trash.

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  Rufus T. Firefly

  "I've learned that people only pay attention to what they discover for themselves." Last line spoken by Anthony Perkins in the film Pretty Poison.

  In other words, don't bother.