Posts by ExpandedMind

3

E-Watchman - What's his Game?

by uriah in

below i copy a question and part of the answer.i have highlighted in red what i consider to be the salient part of the question.

if you go and look at the full answer you will see that he does not answer the question at all but pads out his reply, casting red herrings into the water so that it appears to be an answer and by the time you have read to the end you have, more or less forgotten what the question was.

this reminds me of a mormon i used to correspond with.

ExpandedMind

I also have noticed that many of his/her comments do not directly answer the question that was asked.

Even though he/she appears to be more open minded when it comes to discussing various issues, I have noticed a condescending attitude in his/her writing. They do appear to feel they have been specially selected by Jehovah to make these pronouncements, which is evident in many of the answers. And obviously this person thinks it is OK for him/her to have dealings with ex-JWs since many of the questions asked appear to be from that "source".

He/she admonishes others not to be causing divisions and seems to think it is best not to speak of things that one is doubting about, yet how is his/her writing not causing division? It would be interesting to have him/her openly state why they have the authority to expose the WTS, etc and yet others do not.

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

4

Tim LaHaye & 1914

by ExpandedMind in

jw
friends

i am reading a book titled: end-time visions, the road to armageddon.

in it the author (richard abanes) mentions tim lahaye, who i believe is the author of the left behind series of books.

interestingly, the end-times book shows how lahaye also looked to 1914 as the beginning of the "last generation" and eventually changed this "date" to a later date.

ExpandedMind

Hello!

I am reading a book titled: End-Time Visions, The Road to Armageddon. In it the author (Richard Abanes) mentions Tim LaHaye, who I believe is the author of the Left Behind series of books.

Interestingly, the End-Times book shows how LaHaye also looked to 1914 as the beginning of the "last generation" and eventually changed this "date" to a later date.

I am going to do some more research on this, to see if there is any connection with LaHaye and the Bible Students or Witnesses (although I believe he would be considered an Evangelical Christian), but I was wondering if anyone here knows anything about this?

Thanks...

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

38

God's Name?

by seeking_truth in

another question for everyone.

i have read through some of the threads, posts or whatever and even though there is a sense of disagreement over witnesses and the society, their way of handling the words of the bible.

i was curious to know if anyone does believe jehovah is his name?

ExpandedMind

Good Morning!

Once I was at the Kingdom Hall (I was about 17) sitting next to a brother who was about 14, who told me that God's name was Harold. Huh?

You know, he said, as in "Harold be thy name"? Not sure where he heard that joke from, but it was a bit funny.

Personally, I am continually questioning things, even to the point of questioning the existence of God. I think once a person leaves a controlled group like the WTS, it is hard not to question everything.

But my personal experience was that Jehovah was the true God. Not that I thought that was the only pronounciation. There are other groups that claim to worship Yahweh or Jehovah that feel they know more accurately the pronounciation. From the things I have read, I don't know if the exact pronounciation is possible or even necessary. God, we believed, can read the heart.

As a JW I did believe that I had a personal relationship with Him through Christ. My relationship with Jehovah was as real as most of my other human relationships. I don't think this is the case with all JWs. Otherwise you would not have JWs leaving the organization and then AFTER their departure experiencing what they would describe as an "real" relationship with God or Jesus.

When I started doubting things about the WTS, I would question myself, thinking... "Who have I come to know, if it isn't "Jehovah" God?" Gradually I came to believe that Jehovah is greater than anything I previously believed about Him.

Honestly, I gradually used the Name, less and less, based on influence or whatever from other Christians I associated with at the time.

I think that anyone who has an experience with the "divine" or whatever one wishes to call it, will probably call God, by whatever "name" they knew when they had the experience. Not that that can't evolve.

Even now, when I think of dedicating my life to Jehovah, I feel "awe".

Yet I am still trying to make sense of it all.

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Anyone know Stan & Gail Hedeen? AZ

by ExpandedMind in

anyone know stan and gail hedeen?

last i recall they were living in arizona.

have a good evening!

ExpandedMind

Hello!

Anyone know Stan and Gail Hedeen? Last I recall they were living in Arizona.

Have a good evening!

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

2

The Karen Carpenter Story

by ExpandedMind in

does anyone know where i can purchase a copy of the tv movie "the karen carpenter story"?

i taped it when it first aired, and then lent it to a friend, who accidentally lost it.

since then i have emailed several "carpenter" websites and never have received a response.

ExpandedMind

Does anyone know where I can purchase a copy of the TV movie "The Karen Carpenter Story"?

I taped it when it first aired, and then lent it to a friend, who accidentally lost it. Since then I have emailed several "Carpenter" websites and never have received a response.

I'd appreciate any information anyone has! Thanks!

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

4

Twenty years ago today...

by TresHappy in

.

we lost this voice...

ExpandedMind

I was/am also a Carpenter fan!

I forgot that yesterday was the anniversary of Karen's death until I was driving to grab something to eat at lunchtime. Someone, on the radio station I listen to, requested that a Carpenters song be played in her honor.

I also remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. Just pulling out of the parking lot after work. How sad!

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

7

Not even once

by Gig in

jw
friends

i've read my fair share of their pubs, and nowhere, ever have i seen a clearly stated repentance or a humble confession on the part of the wts.

i know that they have delicately admitted a mistake here and there, but it's always overshadowed by the self-praise logic that overall we should be thankful for the mistake.

the bible specifically speaks against that.

ExpandedMind

I was just thinking about this very topic on my way home from work yesterday.

I still remember the Assembly when the GB/WTS "admitted" (to a degree) their share in the 1975 debacle. But even that "admission" did not clearly state 'we were wrong for initiating the spectulation about 1975 and for allowing the speculation to proceed. We ask the forgiveness of the brothers & sisters'.

I also remember the WT article that laid the blame for speculating about 1975 on the brothers and sisters. Even at the time, what was written, didn't "ring true".

How nice it would be for the GB/WTS to openly admit their mistakes and ask for forgiveness! I wonder if they have ever discussed the possibility of doing this among themselves. They are probably fearful that their authority over the brothers and sisters would crumble.

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

10

e-watchman.com: Stafford's Baby?

by Room 215 in

just took a look at e-watchman.com on a referral from a poster here.

whatever one thinks of its agenda, its production values and composition are first-rate.

it bears at least some of the stylistic earmarks of greg stafford.

ExpandedMind

Hi!

I don't think so... E-Watchman said something critical of Greg Stafford in one of the questions that he/she answered. Not that that in itself "proves" they are not the same, but it would seem odd.

I have found it facinating that there appears to be a movement among JWs to "reform" the Watchtower or at least figure out how to remain a JW when there is so much evidence that "something's wrong in Brooklyn".

One thing I've wondered about E-Watchman is how she/he can critique the WTS, pointing out it's errors in doctrine and prophesy without feeling that they are causing division in the congregation. Yet I get the impression from reading the E-Watchman site that if someone (other than E-Watchman) verbalizes their concerns to others in the congregation that this is wrong and is causing "division". It appears that, unless you are E-Watchman, you have no auhority to "expose" the WTS.

Anyone else who visit's the E-Watchman site, get this feeling? E-Watchman appears to think of her/his-self as "prophet-like", giving her/him the authority to say what he/she wants from the comfort of his/her anonymous website.

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

3

Treatment of those DF'd or DA'd

by ExpandedMind in

jw
friends

does anyone on this board, understand how the wts justifies helping your df'd or da's parent or child if they need medical or financial help (in the case of an aging parent) as this would be "honoring your parent", but calling them to see how they are doing (when they are well) is somehow is wrong?

can you "articulate" it as if you were a jw trying to explain it to an outsider?

or would it be apparent that there is something wrong with their teaching?

ExpandedMind

Hi!

Does anyone on this board, understand how the WTS justifies helping your DF'd or DA's parent or child if they need medical or financial help (in the case of an aging parent) as this would be "honoring your parent", but calling them to see how they are doing (when they are well) is somehow is wrong? Can you "articulate" it as if you were a JW trying to explain it to an outsider? Or would it be apparent that there is something wrong with their teaching?

Doesn't it make sense that if that person is "dead" to you when they are well, that they are still "dead" to you when they are sick?

Obviously I don't wish them (the WTS) to change and make a ruling that would make JWs shun their sick relatives, but when I read a recent article in a WT publication about this issue, I started to think about this more.

I understand that the WTS can make any rule they wish (in this case how to treat DF'd or DA's persons) and also show what the exceptions to that rule might be, but why not leave it to the individual JW to decide?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes

19

Ron and Mavis Frye Minnesota XJWs Know?

by blondie in

jw
friends

profile of

mavis and.

ron frye

ExpandedMind

I have had the priviledge of meeting Ron Frye a couple of times and found that there was an instantaneous connection with him. He was (and is) probably one of the nicest people I have met in this life.

Even though he is about 30+ years older than me, he was just a kid at heart and made the time we had so much fun.

ExpandedMind

"The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size." --- Oliver Wendell Holmes