Why Remain a Witness when Bad Things Happen?

[JW Insider]

49 minutes ago, J.R. Ewing said:

1 hour ago, JW Insider said:

But you should recall, too, that it is the Watchtower, not any of us, who have clumped together the Bible Student ideology with the Witness ideology.

How, is your statement factual? and how is my statement not been proven?  For someone that indicates wordplay by others, you sure use a lot of it!

You cut off the portion of the answer that already did show how it is factual. Also, you probably recall that when you have made the claim in the past that Jehovah's Witnesses cannot claim to have been Bible Students, I presented about 6 out of at least 30 quotes from the Watchtower that supported my point very clearly. You found zero that supported the point you were making. If you think it's necessary to rehash that point, I'll find that post again for you. By the way, making a clear point with supporting evidence is not called "wordplay."

[TrueTomHarley]

50 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

It's called projection. I've seen you do it now under almost all of your personas. The problem with your projection is that I have never posted here under any name except @JW Insider.

Time to unload. Confession is good for the soul. I am @JW Insider!!!!!

(no.....just kidding)

58 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

Still, I only bring this out because I think more people would be less confused by his take on things if they understood where the personas were coming from.

It's probably so. Unfortunately, I can barely unravel my own stories.

I'm not even a thinker, really. I am Pastor Ingvist's substitute preacher, specifically selected for his dullness, because the pastor did not want to return from vacation and read his congregation’s disappointment. Instead, he wanted a sub that you would listen to and say: ‘I’ll bet he’s good in the shepherding work.’ Then he would come to your house and you would notice the lack of eye contact and say: ‘maybe he’s a scholar.’ I am not a scholar, either, leave the deep thinking to others – I don’t trust it anyway – but I have a certain knack for refocusing matters and combining ingredients in ways not typically combined, and I am a writer with great command of the language, assuming you are not fussy.

[JW Insider]

8 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

but I have a certain knack for refocusing matters and combining ingredients in ways not typically combined, and I am a writer with great command of the language, assuming you are not fussy.

I agree with you on both of your claims, and it's greatly appreciated. But I still had not heard you make such a claim before. (Although I only read about half of what goes on here, because some people tend to go on forever and ever with their posts!!!)

[TrueTomHarley]

23 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

But I still had not heard you make such a claim before

It's an excerpt just written from the next book. It doesn't perfectly fit here. But I wanted to try it out.

One of these days I will point out that you seem the best one here at keeping oneself restrained under evil. I'm not sure whether it serves the cause fair or foul to calmly spill the facts to friend and foe alike - the villains seem to cut us no slack for it - but I admire that you are able to so communicate without losing it, which our people do at least as much as the opponent.

To be sure, they have the example of Phinehas to fall back on, who was not exactly a nice guy at certain stages of his life.

 

[TrueTomHarley]

Just now, TrueTomHarley said:

It's an excerpt just written from the next book. It doesn't perfectly fit here. But I wanted to try it out.

Though it is neither here nor there, it is surprising to me how much of the book I write here. At great ponderous length I will spell out some position in the book. Then I will answer some character here more effectively in fewer words, and I will discard the dry stuff already penned for what has more the feel of life for actually speaking with someone.

[JW Insider]

32 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

One of these days I will point out that you seem the best one here at keeping oneself restrained under evil.

Thanks, but do it quickly before I have to hurt somebody.

34 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

It's an excerpt just written from the next book. It doesn't perfectly fit here. But I wanted to try it out.

Figured as much. I thought you were doing that for a while on a few other threads, too. Haven't seen a problem with the "fit" on any of them, though. It allows any of us to read into them whatever we see fit, sometimes. I've been correctly counseled by you on several occasions already, whether it was aimed at me or not. This is appreciated when the counsel is thoughtful.

[TrueTomHarley]

3 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

I've been correctly counseled by you on several occasions already, whether it was aimed at me or not. This is appreciated when the counsel is thoughtful.

Ah, now it is a love-in. I, too, am adjusted by your style and outlook in ways I don't always point out.

[Guest J.R. Ewing]

1 hour ago, JW Insider said:

You cut off the portion of the answer that already did show how it is factual. Also, you probably recall that when you have made the claim in the past that Jehovah's Witnesses cannot claim to have been Bible Students, I presented about 6 out of at least 30 quotes from the Watchtower that supported my point very clearly. You found zero that supported the point you were making. If you think it's necessary to rehash that point, I'll find that post again for you. By the way, making a clear point with supporting evidence is not called "wordplay."

 

Twist and turns. Only to confuse the lofty. Your 6 out of a possible 30 just proves your fallacy on why I brought up 1874 since your past comments indicate a "false" presentation of Russell's own words. So, I don't need to keep count, like a child, you do pretty well on your own.

[JW Insider]

1 minute ago, J.R. Ewing said:

Your 6 out of a possible 30 just proves your fallacy on why I brought up 1874 since your past comments indicate a "false" presentation of Russell's own words. So, I don't need to keep count, like a child, you do pretty well on your own.

That was just from the memory of what went through my mind when I created the post. I remember finding about 30 quotes on the Watchtower Library CD that made the opposite point of the same one you have referenced here. I remember only quoting only a few of them, because once the point is made, there was no reason to belabor it. Also, if you now say that you brought up 1874 because it was my own past comments that indicated a "false" presentation of Russell's own words, then you would only have to produce one single example. No need to keep count. Just find the one example and say what's false about it. So far I have always tried to correct any false statements made, so I'd be happy to see it and find out what was false about it.

But your example above says that someone (apparently an ex-Bethelite) had said that Russell predicted the end of the world in 1874. I know that this wasn't me, because I have never believed that. In fact, when I saw that claim come up here once, I made it clear that it wasn't true. Perhaps it came up again by someone else and I missed it on another occasion. So until you have some evidence that what you are saying is true, I'll have to assume it is false and mistaken. 

[TrueTomHarley]

20 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

That was just from the memory of what went through my mind when I created the post. I remember finding about 30 quotes on the Watchtower Library CD that made the opposite point of the same one you have referenced here. I remember only quoting only a few of them, because once the point is made, there was no reason to belabor it. Also, if you now say that you brought up 1874 because it was my own past comments that indicated a "false" presentation of Russell's own words, then you would only have to produce one single example. No need to keep count. Just find the one example and say what's false about it. So far I have always tried to correct any false statements made, so I'd be happy to see it and find out what was false about it.

But your example above says that someone (apparently an ex-Bethelite) had said that Russell predicted the end of the world in 1874. I know that this wasn't me, because I have never believed that. In fact, when I saw that claim come up here once, I made it clear that it wasn't true. Perhaps it came up again by someone else and I missed it on another occasion. So until you have some evidence that what you are saying is true, I'll have to assume it is false and mistaken. 

Yikes! This thread - MY thread - is 'Why remain a Witness when bad things happen.' This is not why! This will send me running for cover!

Take it out on the street, you and the unreadable @j.r.ewing. Before I tell @The Librarian! THEN you'll BOTH be in big trouble, for she plays no favorites, except if she should take a liking to me.

[Guest J.R. Ewing]

Why Remain a Witness when Bad Things Happen?

 

23 minutes ago, TrueTomHarley said:

the unreadable @j.r.ewing.

Pray tell, what do you ever mean? TTH or should I dare say!

 

[Juan Rivera]

On 9/7/2017 at 7:10 AM, JW Insider said:

Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I'm interested in a few things. I take it you are leaving for the doctrinal reasons, and not because of how you have been treated. Do you have family among the Witnesses, any close friends still in the congregation? Are there nearby congregations meeting in the same hall or one nearby? Is it your intent to explain all of your doctrinal reasons to persons within the congregation? Have you already told the elders how you feel about "some" doctrinal errors. I mention that last one because I think you'll find that if you weigh the pros and cons you could still find more pros. I hope you will at least be willing to discuss some more of your concerns here, and directly with persons at Bethel. They will take a phone call on any subject, and although they will want to inform your local elders you can ask that they do not if you are not comfortable. Ask to speak directly with one of the GB Helpers whom you think might be receptive to a discussion. If you want to message me, I can give a couple of suggestions.

I loved the solid and generous response to this interaction🙏

On 9/7/2017 at 9:07 AM, TrueTomHarley said:

One of them said online that I reminded him “of the ‘too clever’ Witnesses that were in love with themselves.” How did he know?"

😂😂 “The trick is not to sanitize the present—it is to desanitize the past”