Posts by Tech49

66

Reinstatement via Old Cong.

by startingover13 in

jw
friends

i've applied to be reinstatement in a new city after attending meetings for a bit.

i wrote my letter and they heard my case.

they were very helpful.

The TRUE story of a Pedophile

by Tech49 in

this is a true experience that i thought i would share, one that occurred just a few years ago in my area.

it is a real experience, nothing made up here.. a younger couple moved into our kh, into the joining congregation (so not ours, but the other one that shared our kh).

they seemed nice enough, they had one boy that was about 8, and a baby on the way.

Tech49

TIKI:

Yes, she is on the public registry. I saw the paperwork myself.

26

The TRUE story of a Pedophile

by Tech49 in

this is a true experience that i thought i would share, one that occurred just a few years ago in my area.

it is a real experience, nothing made up here.. a younger couple moved into our kh, into the joining congregation (so not ours, but the other one that shared our kh).

they seemed nice enough, they had one boy that was about 8, and a baby on the way.

Tech49

I wanted to emphasize the reason I relate this experience:

This kind of thing DOES happen, its for REAL. We all hear the BIG stories that are sensationalized, with courts involved, lawsuits, etc. But down in the trenches, maybe even in YOUR congregation, there are families dealing with Pedophiles of all shapes and sexes and sizes. Families that end of getting the stuffing beat out of them, mentally, spiritually, emotionally.... for trying to do the RIGHT thing, the thing that comes NATURALLY (or should come naturally), that of PROTECTING themselves and others.

BE STRONG, rat out the pedos, PROTECT THE KIDS and the FAMILIES. Who gives a rats ass what "slanderous talk" may "defame Ghovah's name". No one, including elders, can "punish" you for speaking the truth. Dont give them the power to "inflict consequences". Call BS and fight!

Do the right thing, no matter if you are a publisher, and elder, a servant, a pioneer, or just an onlooker. There is NO excuse to allow that kind of behavior

26

The TRUE story of a Pedophile

by Tech49 in

this is a true experience that i thought i would share, one that occurred just a few years ago in my area.

it is a real experience, nothing made up here.. a younger couple moved into our kh, into the joining congregation (so not ours, but the other one that shared our kh).

they seemed nice enough, they had one boy that was about 8, and a baby on the way.

Tech49

This is a true experience that I thought I would share, one that occurred just a few years ago in my area. It is a real experience, nothing made up here.

A younger couple moved into our KH, into the joining congregation (so not ours, but the other one that shared our KH). They seemed nice enough, they had one boy that was about 8, and a baby on the way. Again, seemed nice enough, but a little odd.

Within a few months, several families with young kids started to have a weird "gut feel" that something was just not quite up to par with this couple. One mom, a good friend of ours, started doing a little research, just for herself, including a pretty extensive internet search of the family's names. She herself had been abused as a child, and so could "smell" something in the air, she wasnt sure what, but something was off kilter.

It was discovered, thru public records readily available, that the young LADY of the couple was a convicted and registered SEX OFFENDER. Yes, the young lady. She had been found guilty and served some time for fiddling a young teen (12 or 13yo) boy. Now, the Sister who had done the research had a young boy about the same age as the victim of the pedophile girl. She went BALLISTIC!

Serving as an elder at the time, and being close to them, she came to me with the info, wondering what she should do???? She had hard evidence, including the mugshots and court documents, etc. She laid it all out on the table, I saw it with my own eyes. Pure facts. She had wanted to be 100% sure before she said anything. Now that she was sure, what should she do?

I asked if she had heard anything from her Elders? Did her Book Study Overseer ever mention it? Did ANYONE ever bring it up? Of course you know the answer. NO, it was never brought to the attention of anyone, NONE of the families with young ones knew anything about it.

I advised her to do 3 things: 1. Show her elders what she had found. 2. Take every precaution to protect her own family, and 3. Dont be afraid to tell her friends or others with young kids what you had found. PROTECT THE KIDS!

Of course, now the hornets nest had been poked, and this sister was NOT one to keep quiet. Having been a victim of abuse herself, she wanted to make sure EVERYONE that came into contact with this young "sister" was aware of her recent past. Suddenly, there was quite the uproar. Very quickly, the elders in her congregation made it a point to meet with THEM, the brother and sister who had discovered the info, met with them in their home, and told them in no uncertain terms to keep their mouths shut and not to spread "rumors", or face judicial action.

RUMORS???? They werent RUMORS, but plain hard FACTS! This family fought with the elders and swam upstream as long as they could, but were constantly beat down. They were told that they had to "protect the reputation of the congregation", to "protect Jehovahs name".

At NO POINT did anyone ever make any announcements, on a congregation level, bookstudy level, or even as a body of elders and servants, to the effect of "hey, this is the situation, watch your kids, keep a close eye on this lady, keep your kids at a distance". Nothing. Only repercussions if you continued to "slander" the sister.

The family that had found all the facts was eventually so emotionally beaten up and discouraged, they moved ACROSS THE COUNTRY to start fresh and get away from the idiots in their immediate vacinity.

When I heard all that went down, I asked the other elders on our body what was going on, as this Pedo Lady shared our hall, and everyone knew her, as "she is so nice, and loves to babysit"..... ugggg.

Get this, they had a very vague notion of what was going on, and dismissed any of my concerns because "well, it isnt our business, her elders are aware of the situation and are handling matters....besides, Jehovah sees everything and will make us aware of any problems with the situation...she IS our sister you know..."

Just point blank ridiculous, stupid, and blatantly moronic.

There you go, a real, recent example of the attitudes to be found in the congregations today, by elder bodies and the WTBS, of the treatment of child molestation and pedophilia. This stuff is REAL, and it gets covered up and swept under the rug, every day.

Jack Harper, Tech49

159

An important message from a PRACTICING Jehovah's witness

by Sparks in

jw
friends

hi, i am also a practicing jehovah's witness and very proud of it,to say the very-very least..!

i am a middle-aged man with many decades of being a witness of jehovah god in england.. this important letter is personally to you, just as many of the bible's 88 letters are to be taken personal by you the reader.

i am writing to you to urge you to take stock of your life, think what your future holds for you.

Tech49

Did someone need to get a few more hours in before the end of the month? It is August you know, last month in the JW service year, gotta get your quota in!

edit.... Baltar beat me to it.

edit edit..... So you have been a member of an Apostate Web Site since 2003, and are still posting! Hmmm, seems someone is not being honest!

31

Disturbing cover picture November 2014 awake!

by stuckinarut2 in

oh wow..... i have just seen the cover picture for the november awake!.

sorry, i don't know how to post a picture here....(perhaps someone else can assist?).

it is just plain creepy.. the article is called "keys to a happy life".... but the looks on the faces say something different!

Tech49

I know one of the girls.......!!

She was a quiet little pioneer fresh out of High School, went back to Bethel for a visit, met a nice young Bethel drone, and now POP! there she is! All famous and stuff!

By the way, just FYI, her dad is an elder and the epitome of all Pompous Pricks.

27

WT makes comic books now!

by wifibandit in

full set http://imgur.com/a/jvcla .

i put that album together so you don't have to give www.jw.borg any more traffic .

sample:.

Tech49

"Full-Time" Bethel Servants and Elders, making comic books for kids, for Ghova.

Compensation: free room and board, and a "title". At least they have a marketable skill when things go sideways.....

40

I got asked THE QUESTION !!

by Tech49 in

a little experience that happened very recently:.

another brother, an elder, and i were talking, i was explaining to him and giving him several examples of how a couple of the elders in our congregation were blatantly trying to run their own show, parading themselves around as "representatives" of the body, when the other brothers didnt know what the hell they were talking about.

they are using their "elder powers" to bully and push people around, causing a bit of angst and hurt feelings.

Tech49

A little experience that happened very recently:

Another brother, an elder, and I were talking, I was explaining to him and giving him several examples of how a couple of the elders in our congregation were blatantly trying to run their own show, parading themselves around as "representatives" of the body, when the other brothers didnt know what the hell they were talking about. They are using their "elder powers" to bully and push people around, causing a bit of angst and hurt feelings. I was bringing this to the attention of friend-elder, and asking him "why dont you all see and know what these guys are doing... don't you talk??" Anyways, the conversation got a little heated, as my frustration was continuing to build.

He said something along the lines of "well, Jack, I am not here to talk against the other members of the body..I wont do that..." Oh, ok, like you are all a little clique, a "special" team??? Whatever. Go ahead and ignore the obvious.

Then, THE QUESTION. It went like this:

"Jack, it is always important to remember that the brothers are imperfect. And this is Jehovah's organization. And no doubt you agree that this is the case. So Jack, you know that Jehovah sees and takes care of everything, and Jack don't you agree that Jehovah is directing his organization right here on earth through his FDS, the governing body, and the elders?" .....PAUSE.....

Now alot happened in the .82 seconds in that pause... Keep this in mind.. he was alone with me, so no second "witness" to the conversation. He wasnt "hunting" for a reason to string me up. I also realized that this question was not one that was thrown out there for any other reason other than a parroted group of words, right after the "all men are imperfect" phrase.

Two distinct possibilities here: Did he really want me to answer the question? Or was it just an inculcated mechanism ingrained to this elders brain to elicit a response from anyone "not of the same mind".? I think the latter.

So I didnt answer his question. I didnt wuss out, I just saw the situation for what it was. I quickly did the sidestep, explaining to him that this was not what I meant, but rather this and that and this..... His attention was diverted, and off we went on another tangent.

Honestly, I was a little taken aback by the question itself. Here is an elder, not really knowing what he is asking, and not really understanding how he will react if he gets an answer he is not prepared for. He is merely puppeting, or parroting words and phrases. The kicker is that if you provide the "wrong" answer to the question, you instantly trip a different switch in the mind of the Borg, all sorts of alarms and bells and whistles go off in his head, and all of a sudden things take a right hand turn down the road of "investigations" and "inquiries" into Brother Harper's spiritual condition, or lack thereof. Phone calls are made, emails are sent, and the body of elders is in a tizzy.

He also mentioned that our (Vic and I) lack of meeting and field service attendance had caused him quite a bit of concern lately, as surely there must be something going terribly wrong. I replied, " ummmm, no, in fact quite the contrary... we are really enjoying the peace and quiet, as well as the lack of DRAMA that goes on. There is NOTHING wrong with us! It sure is nice to not have the burden of dealing with the petty bickerings, gossip, and foolishness that goes on DAILY in the congregation. Wouldn't you agree that it would be nice to leave that behind, brother?"

He mumbled something, then complained of a headache, and it was getting late, and he hadn't eaten, and........ off he went.

Today's Lesson:

Be prepared for THE QUESTION, and how you will deal with it, answer it, or sidestep it. It WILL come up, and wether you are in, out, fading, or whatever, you all need to be ready with the reply that is appropriate for YOU.

Jack Harper, Tech49

4

Comments on Tonight's Investigation Discovery Program

by jamiebowers in

jw
friends

http://www.investigationdiscovery.com/tv-shows/deadly-devotion/deadly-devotion-videos/if-the-end-is-coming-so-soon-why-do-you-need-an-education.htm.

i made my comment.

hopefully as many who are able will do the same.. edited to add: once the commercial is over and the video starts, you can pause it and click on comments read what's already been written and add what you have to say.

Tech49

Ok, I will chime in. I saw the program as well. It did have its share of inaccuracies. Maybe I will play the devils advocate a little bit.

I was surprised that the writers/producers did not have a JW or exJW perhaps "critique" it for accuracy, terminology, expressions, etc. Many of the scenes displayed of the "services" at the KH could have been done better, the dress/attire of the "witnesses" could have been more accurately displayed. The scenes of the "elders" talking to the young lady were a little over the top, the "main elder dude" looked pretty scary, and it seemed like a little more effort was made to make the whole scene look "cultish".

Now don't mistake me here, I get the point of the program. This young lady and her family were killed by a psychopath, who paraded himself around as a "brother". I get it. Were the "elders" guilty of not protecting her? Yes, to an extent. So many "brothers" let them down, and ultimately contributed to the sad scenario.

But the bigger issue that is insinuated is .... THEY CAUSED IT!!!? No, they did not. Jehovah's Witnesses did not CAUSE this situation. Did they ALLOW it to happen?? Maybe. Remember too, that these events took place 30 years ago.... not an excuse, but I think it fair to say that the "brothers" (who were likely born in the 30's and 40's) were pretty "hard-ass" about some things at the time (coming from a different "generation"), and weren't as concerned about a woman's equal rights in the household and congregation arrangement. Times ARE different now, albeit not as they should be in reality. Are there groups of brothers right now that might act the same way towards a similar situation?? ... probably. Are there young single moms that are victims of abuse, and who are drawn to abusive relationships? Yes, to both counts. Are some JW's? Yes.

But be careful not to use this situation, and granted there are probably hundreds just like it, to paint a broad brush across the entire organization, or congregation. The same would be true for any of the other Investigatin Discovery programs (if you have been watching the series), you could use the same brush to paint across the LDS, the Amish, Baptists, Catholics, Protestants, etc, etc. based on 1 incredible story of abuse, violence, and criminal behavior, including that of a churche's leaders.

Overall, I appreciated the story, and parts of it rang true and left me embarrassed to still be associated to a degree with this bunch, but I thought that it was a feeble attempt at "demonizing" an entire group. More effect could have hit the mark if someone had done a little more homework, been less haphazard, and had been a little more factual. Granted, its made for TV, and with a limited timeslot, it can be a challenge. At the same time, I was also dissappointed that not much, if anything, was said about how someone in a similar situation to the young lady could receive help, or be encouraged to walk away from such a situation. I dont mean to sound cold, but you get the point. How about a link or phone number of a national hotline for abuse victims??... something along those lines. It would have been nice if Discovery had taken things just a little further and showed more responsibility with their programming. Again, its made for TV.

Now, don't string me up, I am just trying to be objective in looking at things from all sides. Carry on.

Jack Harper, Tech49

13

Noticed my old KH is using a lawn care service

by Zoos in

jw
friends

when i was still attending i almost single handedly took care of the outside grounds.

i actually enjoyed it - gardening being a hobby.

but i turned in the keys to the shed about three months before i made my official exit.. .

Tech49

One congregation I was in fairly recently had a very nice looking lawn and flowered landscaping. I always thought it odd, since i had never seen anyone ever working on anything, especially on the typical saturday afternoons like most KHs do. Turns out one of the brothers, a daddys boy ministerial servant, owned his own landscaping business, top of the line equipment, new trucks and trailers, very posh outfit overall...., and had his worldly crew do all the work. Even though the KH was shared by 3 congregations, the brothers and sisters were just too busy to be bothered with paltry chores like mowing the grass and weeding flower beds.

All well and good, until the CO visit, he blew a gasket, and he wanted to know why the KH Maintenance Committee was writing XYZ Landscaping a full price check every month!!??? You should have heard the feeble excuses, it was truly disgusting. He told the elders to get off their lazy asses and take care of it themselves. It was the congregations responsibility and they should be happy to have a share in the upkeep of the KH.

Heres what happened next.....CO went on his way, brothers stopped writing checks, kept the lawn service, his daddy just paid him in cash from a secret collection kiddy so that no one would be able to track the paperwork.

Problem solved!