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i refused to attend a fourth meeting with the Elders, yet I have wasted years playing whack-a-mole here. Yikes!

I don’t excuse it. I am outraged by it. But . . . people are complicated. “You can’t always get what you want.” You don’t keep up with new light, do you? These days we can say hello to him. So, we here in the closed club acted almost like prophets, anticipating the change, saying hello in advance. We accepted his ‘repentance’ as genuine, which it is (especially if you are not too fussy). We accepted that unless we extended a hand of invitation, he would be stranded here in the open club, where men weep and gnash their teeth and froth at the mouth, unless he got offline altogether, and you know that is as unlikely as the Pope converting to Presbyterianism. We accepted his DFing as more or less a technicality, completely brought on at his own insistence, and had he not acted in such a ‘throw oneself on the pyre’ manner,, as most anyone else would not have, it wouldn’t have happened. We took his circumstances at face value: I mean, for crying out loud, what kind of a character does this—insists on being DFed three times, is refused three times, and then when he seeks a 4th, he is DFed, whereupon he blames it on his refusal to meet with them? Sheesh. Plainly, they gave up on telling him they weren’t going to and granted him his wish. Oh, well. Blessed be the honor-bound, even if unnecessarily honor bound. It works for us, we said. We invited him on board. @JW Insider wanted to throw him off the forum, of course, but every time you turn around he wants to throw someone off the forum—even Admin and the Librarian are not safe—and no one pays any attention to him these days.

21 people tried to destroy you, but it only took you to achieve it. The calendar clearly exposes your deceit. As for you telling people in the closed club, that's just your word and theirs. If they accepted you as a disfellowshipped individual out of friendship, it only shows that they prefer the friendship of man over God. This situation reveals their hypocrisy more than initially apparent. Exposing them does not work in their favor. If you insist on going down with a sinking ship, why would you compel others to join you? However, I agree that even when you were a Jehovah's Witness, you were not in good standing. Some of your colleagues here are the same. Mostly the reason for such grave resistance. As for being crude, rude, and prone to rants and raves as excused by Tom, is hypocritical, especially after preaching the importance of abstaining from arguments. It's unbelievable that while hundreds have been banned by that mindset, you remain. Treating some people one way and excusing others for the same behavior makes you all unbelievable liars and narcissists. Your actions are foolish and unacceptable.

James, that's not the main focus. We will all pass away before the arrival of judgment day, unless we're around 100 years old. Your repentance is what truly matters. Appreciate your soul and learn to love it as much as God loves all of his creations. Don't let pride, anger, or hate deter you from the path of everlasting life. Make the right choice, despite the misleading guidance from your own mind.

If you truly believe that Morris's information is public like yours, Pudgy, then your friend should not have made any threats about posting public information here to ban those in his hit list. Not only would it be hypocritical, but also an utterly unconscionable deed.

Interesting answer. But it's your truth. That is indeed a crucial matter to consider. Shouldn't we aim for a world where dishonest individuals are not given a platform to spread falsehood unchecked? It seems contradictory to allow apostates and disgruntled fake witnesses on your site, only to defend them. Why do you blind yourself to their contribution to that strife that you only want to rebuke me, when I should in all honesty be rebuking you? Is that truly a superior approach? It begs the question: what happened to the core value of Colossians 3 that you often criticize as being excessively self-righteous? If being a witness bothers you to such an extent, perhaps it is time to reconsider your role and consider working for the opposing side. Why not remove the banner proclaiming it as being for Jehovah's Witnesses if you despise a witness who upholds the truth? It doesn't matter to me what might benefit you or your people here. My concern lies with the sincere witnesses who visit this unfortunate site, drawn by the welcoming Jehovah's Witness banner, only to realize that it is actually a haven of wickedness. I constantly apply 1 John 3:17 and Luke 17:3, as it serves as a reminder of the importance of generosity and compassion through God's eyes protecting your brothers soul. Unlike some, that have lost sight of the significance of Scripture. So, let apostates continue to post, and I will meet their arguments with the truth.

I assure you, we were all flabbergasted to discover it. It’s sort of like JFK saying to his advisors, ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about with my being Catholic. It is not as though I am a good one.’ Ah, well. Maybe more than you think.

EVERYTHING I posted about Tony Morris was ALREADY public information, available to real estate people, banks, law enforcement, And the General Public. That means ANYBODY!

No. I removed it because the local elders were uncomfortable with it, judging from its cover an invitation to brawl with apostates—whereas the Witness organization encourages just the opposite—you know, along the lines of ‘a slave of the Lord does not need to fight.’ It was only the local brothers, so far as I know, not anyone else. It was not even brought up specifically; removing it was just my response to a shepherding call. I could have stuck to my guns without consequence other than to continue to be viewed by them as not exemplary. But I have voluntarily signed on to a program that involves submission to Christian headship, and to consider the interests of others, not just my own. Removing the book put to rest any notion that I favor seeking out apostates and fighting with them, which I do not. So I took it down. I explained it a little more in the next book, ‘In the Last of the Last Days: Faith in the Age of Dysfunction.’ Parts of it that I really like I have incorporated elsewhere.

Whatever anyone can say about me, I have never tried to conceal anything from anyone. You think, BTK59, that you are “exposing” me, but you are wrong. My arrest on both charges is a matter of public record. My mug shot has been in the local paper, and on the internet. I went to the Elders and requested to be disfellowshipped in order that the accusations against me would not reflect badly on the Brotherhood, and after three meetings with three of them, they would not. After I refused a fourth meeting, I got a phone call telling me I was disfellowshipped, without any explanation. I assume it was for refusing to meet with them. About two years ago I was invited to join the “Closed Club”, and I explained here that I was disfellowshipped, and why, in full disclosure, as i despise those that fly under false flags, and the Brotherhood has enough malicious frauds as it is. i was quite frank and open about it and somebody in the “Closed Club”, had even posted my mug shot before that. I even pointed out from their bylaws I did not qualify to be there, and warned them (as they already well knew..) that I was crude, rude, and subject to rants and raves. What you are desperately trying to expose, BTK59, I fully disclosed publicly here in the “Open Club”, and there was quite a discussion about all of it, several years ago. You are only wasting your efforts, and exposing yourself as a hateful, jealous, malicious and obsessed slanderer and liar with exaggerated delusions of grandeur I have called you out on it now for at least a year, because your accusations have been without proof. Your guesses and hopes have always been WRONG. The simplest investigation would have shown I have never been to trial, never been convicted, was not on probation, my bail had no geographic restrictions, all lies you made up because you are hateful, and vicious, and you NEED something to be true, to deflect and obfuscate the things I have proved …. with your OWN WORDS … your constant lies. . I have never made the slightest inference about my innocence or guilt, as that is between me and Jehovah God in whom I trust, and the State that has charged me. You have accused, sentenced, and damned me to destruction as I would expect from The Vicar of Warwick, wallowing in total ignorance, fueled by your jealousy. As to my providing information on Tony Morris, for decades EVERYBODY knew exactly where to find him, if they wanted to, either in Brooklyn, or Warwick, and there was global interest in “WHAT HAPPENED to Tony Mortis?”. The difference between you and I, BTK59, is that I found out, examined the evidence and found it to the best of my ability to be credible, and posted it. This answered something EVERYBODY was interested in AND he was not accused of any wrongdoing … no assassins were sent to off him … AND he was a highly visible public figure by his own choice, so it, no more reprehensible than to say the President lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in a big white house in Washington, DC. I always provide proof for facts I present, and you almost NEVER do, which I proved with your own words about 38 times. Even what you THINK is proof is garbage. The court calendar excerpt you yourself posted just now shows no judgement has been made either way. Over my lifetime I have had 21 people try to destroy me for various reasons, and they all except one self-destructed, and he did the best he knew how under impossible circumstances. That’s why I can afford to see the humor in your flailing attacks. Even when I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses locally, I never represented myself to anyone a “good one”. EVER. Soon I will be dead, and it won’t matter. We are all just big ugly bags of mostly water doing what we know, at a point in time. And the beat goes on. …. and the beat goes on.

If you're trying to justify James Thomas Rook Jr's unacceptable behavior, then his public record will need to be cleared. James, I was just wondering why your friend, the ex-Bethelite, never tried to ban you for revealing Brother Morris' house, including its location, street address, warranty deeds, and any other information you might have had in the past here. Also, your 8/16/2020 arrest that brought you 8 felony charges is not the same as your rebooking date of 02/02/2023. The prosecutor is prepared to bring these additional charges to court as an extension of the previous ones. Your criminal record is an open book, impossible to conceal by your friend Tom, regardless of his efforts. Did you remove your book about apostates because you began defending them, and your conscience as a former Elder couldn't tolerate that hypocrisy? Are you suggesting that you shouldn't be defending God's judgment against those who are incorrigible and liars, rather than passing judgment yourself? When God brings forth a mysterious event that confuses people, there is a profound biblical explanation as to why individuals are often blinded by their own actions and behavior.

We are not ‘aware’ of anything online, where truthful speech is punished, where liars proliferate, and where, unless you know someone personally, you haven’t a clue. You can get a feel for someone over time, but nothing more. Frankly, the biggest mystery here (by far) is you, who dials up the judgment 10-fold and dials back the fellow-feeling by as much. ‘All men online are liars’ says the apostle Paul, adjusted for the present digital age.

Oh, yeah! Is he obnoxious? Send him right over! We thrive on people like that! Just doing our bit so the open club can stay pristine. I hear next on the 10-year list is that blogging’s okay, provided you avoid those ne’er-do-wells in the closed club

Hmmm…. makes me wonder where the custom came from about tossing virgins into volcanos …..

Some pix I snapped earlier today although most of the small babies are hiding until feeding time. There are none in the first picture, but if you look closely at the second picture, you might be able to pick out about six of them.

When my wife and I were married in the early 80s, she always had a fish tank. So we continued the tradition with a 55 gallon tank for some pretty saltwater fish, but they eventually died after a few years. Pretty while they lasted and pretty expensive too to keep replacing them, so we changed to lightly brackish water for mostly cichlids. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_brackish_aquarium_fish_species We also tried "kribensis" in the lightly brackish water, where they can live, but supposedly don't breed. But they did breed, and it was fun to watch literally dozens of little babies in a tank that also contained aggressive cichlids trying to get them and the parent kribensis opening up their mouths to sweep in all the babies and carry them off to safety in their mouth. We had so many babies that we had to keep giving hundreds up for adoption at a local fish store. Here's some info about them. Kribensis cichlids (Pelvicachromis pulcher) are small, colorful, and easy-to-care-for fish that are native to the African waters of Cameroon and southern Nigeria. They are known for their vibrant spawning dress, and their Latin name translates to "fish with a beautiful belly". During spawning season, the female kribensis has a cherry-red belly, while the lighter parts of her body turn bright yellow, and the colors on her fins are more pronounced. These days we have had success with both a saltwater tank and a cichlid tank. But we never had any cichlids breed a brood of babies for several years. But my wife said we should no longer use tap water in the tank, not even filtered tap water. (My wife actually had a filter put in the basement so that the kitchen tap and refrigerator water is filtered, but she actually filters it again in a large "Burkey" filter for coffee and drinking.) I always thought it was too much trouble for tap water that I have tested for all kinds of chemicals and found to be just fine. GETTING TO THE POINT, finally But here's the reason I mention it. Just some weeks ago, we started replacing all water with bottled spring water and purified water until at least 35 gallons of the 55 have now replaced the old double-filtered tap water we had used previously. And "suddenly" after all these years, we are getting babies again, 3 overlapping generations have begun in just the last two months. And they grow fast.

Never heard it. But I have my doubts only because this same topic came up at Bethel many years ago around mid-1979 during the Bible reading of Job and a morning text comment by Brother Franz regarding the "yearly" feast days for each of Job's sons. The fact that he added the word "yearly" started the unfounded rumor. Then, of course, rumors swirled after the following statement made about celebrations with piñatas, allowed at the time only for Witnesses in Mexico but not California when I used to live in Southern California. That changed in 2003: *** g03 9/22 p. 24 The Piñata—An Ancient Tradition *** When considering whether to include a piñata at a social gathering, Christians should be sensitive to the consciences of others. (1 Corinthians 10:31-33) A main concern is, not what the practice meant hundreds of years ago, but how it is viewed today in your area. Understandably, opinions may vary from one place to another. Hence, it is wise to avoid turning such matters into big issues. The Bible says: “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.”—1 Corinthians 10:24. This was the conclusion of an article that admitted the association between piñatas and Christmas traditions. Curiously, the article also noted that the Mexican piñata was not strictly related to Lent, Christmas, and the struggle against Satan, and blind faith, but had an older origin celebrating the BIRTHDAY of the war god Huitzilopochtli. *** g03 9/22 pp. 22-24 The Piñata—An Ancient Tradition *** Breaking the piñata became a custom on the first Sunday of Lent. It seems that at the beginning of the 16th century, Spanish missionaries brought the piñata to Mexico. However, the missionaries may have been surprised (as we were) to find that the native people of Mexico already had a similar tradition. The Aztecs celebrated the birthday of Huitzilopochtli, their god of the sun and war... As part of their strategy to evangelize the Indians, the Spanish missionaries ingeniously made use of the piñata to symbolize, among other things, the Christian’s struggle to conquer the Devil and sin. The traditional piñata was a clay pot covered with colored paper and given a star shape with seven tasseled points. These points were said to represent the seven deadly sins: greed, gluttony, sloth, pride, envy, wrath, and lust. Striking the piñata while blindfolded represented blind faith and willpower overcoming temptation or evil. . . . The Piñata Today Later, the piñata became part of the festivities of the posadas during the Christmas season and continues as such to this day. (A star-shaped piñata is used to represent the star that guided the astrologers to Bethlehem.) Breaking the piñata is also considered indispensable at birthday parties. . . . We found that for many people in Mexico, the piñata has lost its religious significance and is considered by most to be just harmless fun. In fact, piñatas are used in Mexico on many festive occasions, not just for the posadas or for birthdays.

I remember many years ago, a landmarks commission ruled that an old Civil War home in Mechanicsville Virginia could not be torn down and replaced due to its historic value. So the developer proposed that this home be completely enclosed in a museum to protect it. The landmark commission approved this and they built the new building around the Civil War home. Soon after that, the Civil War home being totally enclosed inside another building, they destroyed the Civil War home and made the building an office building. slick.

The Vicar of Warwick has spoken! Brouhahahahaaahaaa! ( ya better WATCH IT! …. he gets REALLY POUTY)

Just a placeholder, for something I wanted to look into a bit later: https://www.villagepreservation.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/GVHD3.pdf

Manuel, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but considering that you have openly admitted it here, I strongly suggest that you refrain from using your actual name. Instead, opt for a different alias, much like James does with his amusingly named "Pudgy". Either that, or remain in the close club where people are indifferent to causing offense.

It's great that you're keeping a positive attitude. However, on judgment day, will God still find your laughter amusing? Also, it's important to remember that many witnesses secretly celebrate their birthdays, believing they are fooling others.