James Thomas Rook Jr.

OK, I know some people will not like this and they will call it gossip but my wife and I are worried about it so it needs to aired out.
We have one daughter that is still a JW. i will call her H.  She is married to a non JW. She has 4 children.
This daughter does not seem to recognise any dangers at all about her children. She invites anyone to her house without really knowing who they are or anything about their past.
3 of the children are girls and they attend ballet and tap dance lessons. They are only young, the oldest being around 8 years old. 
Today they were in a performance /show in Exeter, a biggish show that their teacher was putting on for all parents, grandparents, etc. 
I wasn't allowed to go of course as I'm a 'naughty boy' that left the Org.
My wife went to the show and was surprised to find two 'brothers' there.
One of the 'brothers' is a young single Elder and the other 'brother' is an old man that has recently been reinstated and moved into Honiton congregation.  
This older man frequently visits H and her daughters at their home and the girls call him Uncle Phil. He seems very 'friendly' toward the girls.
H does not know where this 'brother' is from but he is now part of the Honiton Congregation which H and her children attend, here in Devon. 
It seems strange to me that this man has just arrived at Honiton Congregation and just been reinstated. My wife says he has a London accent. 
If I were still a JW I would ask him bluntly why he was disfellowshipped and where he is from, but of course I cannot do that now.
I have his full name, so is there any way i can run a check on him ? 
Should i contact an Elder at Honiton Congregation and tell them of the concern my wife and I have ? 
If this 'brother' had been involved in a child abuse accusation would they have told H about it so that she could be on her guard ? 
Some on here may think I'm just trying to cause trouble, but my wife came home this evening and is looking very worried. 
It seems that H had invited both 'brothers' to the meal afterward and my wife felt unhappy about the whole situation. 
TTH will probably bring out the rule book again and say 'it never happens', but child abuse does happen and needs to be looked for all the time. 
Our daughter H seems to have no idea about the situations that have taken place, and in honesty she doesn't want to know. So how can my wife warn her ?  
 
 
 
 

He might be, he might not be. But I'm just grandad that is left on the sidelines and I suppose it looks as if I'm bitter about it. 
So do I just mind my own business, or is it my business ? 

Sure ... just type his full name and anything else you know about him into google, and for about $30, you can know almost everything there is to know about him.
Be careful which firm you choose ... about 60% of them are scams.

The way I see it, Jehovah has an abundance of love about the things he cares about, and actually needs NOTHING from us.
Nothing whatsoever.  
It's like my 18 pet Bantam chickens ... (who I just finished feeding a whole banana split down the middle, a large handful of broccoli, and two giant strawberries, and gave them more commercial chicken feed, and clean water ....).
I want the very best for them, but in reality need NOTHING from them. I am not going to eat the eggs, or the chickens.  They are just fun to watch grow and interact with me and my wife, and each other.   There is no point whatsoever to it ... other than me watch them enjoy their short (about 6 years) life.
Jehovah does not get pouty, and petulant, and get depressed when we do not love him.
... think not about pettiness and pouty .... think Poultry !
It's just like the Sabbath.
The Sabbath regulation was made for mankind .... mankind was NOT made for the Sabbath.
Jehovah will not get his feelings hurt, and start hurling lightning bolts, or go in the corner, and cry because we are not giving him enough adoration.
HE ENCOURAGES ADORATION ONLY BECAUSE IT REPROGRAMS US NOT TO BE SO NASTY AND SELF CENTERED! ( ... with some notable exceptions ...)
Not because He needs adoration !
 
 

... and I worry not that Billy or Foreigner down votes EVERYTHING that does not fit their corporate agendas ... eventually they will run out of drool, and when they sleep, the other eye stops twitching.

Well, it is hardly what she represents, but it is sort of a dopey-looking picture.
I will never get it though my head why some people have to wear logo. If a shirt has so much as a ‘Tommy Hilfiger’ logo on it, that is enough for me to dump it. I am not a billboard.
It even took me a while to get my head around wearing badge cards all the day of the convention. In the end I did it, accepting it as advertising for the event.
But I don’t do it for anything else.

The 2017 Declaration is as close of an apology as one will ever get from the Governing Body for 100 and more years of being clueless busybodies, screwing with people's lives.

The 2017 Declaration is as close of an apology as one will ever get from the Governing Body for 100 and more years of being clueless busybodies, screwing with people's lives.

The 2017 Declaration is as close of an apology as one will ever get from the Governing Body for 100 and more years of being clueless busybodies, screwing with people's lives.

Bears Repeating: Two good examplews.

...but then again.... this is how Parent birds feed their young ... they go out and eat insects, worms and other "stuff", predigest it, and fly back and vomit it directly into their baby birds throats.
They are happy to get it, and beg for more.
Animals often  have no other choice.

Dense understanding of one paragraph?
The only part that is reality based is ONLY two sentences.
Take it in context?
I have my belly full of people playing with carefully crafted words, bending reality into a pretzel.
I have spent the last 50 years WATCHING the "context".
A MILLION words, carefully crafted, will not change what I know, and what I have personally seen,'
When you go to any restaurant for good food, you do not assume that the proper food, served at the proper time, a significant portion of it will be ROTTEN,.
Unless of course, the OTHER restaurants are so much worse,  you stop eating there.
Unfortunately, when I find turds in the theocratic salad, I have to eat around them.
There is nowhere else to go.
... but I do not like it!.
 
 

I have often thought of the analogy, (IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT) of being in a medieval stone dungeon, one leg chained to the wall ... and the guards do not feed you .... and relatives have to swallow squares of meat without chewing to smuggle food to you, in their own stomachs, just before they visit you.
Yeah ... it's necessary and desperately needed food ... and food at the proper time .... and I would die without it, but ....
.... it's not the meat ... it's the DELIVERY SYSTEM!

Is it fair?
 
 
Is it FAIR.wmv

Dense understanding of one paragraph?
The only part that is reality based is ONLY two sentences.
Take it in context?
I have my belly full of people playing with carefully crafted words, bending reality into a pretzel.
I have spent the last 50 years WATCHING the "context".
A MILLION words, carefully crafted, will not change what I know, and what I have personally seen,'
When you go to any restaurant for good food, you do not assume that the proper food, served at the proper time, a significant portion of it will be ROTTEN,.
Unless of course, the OTHER restaurants are so much worse,  you stop eating there.
Unfortunately, when I find turds in the theocratic salad, I have to eat around them.
There is nowhere else to go.
... but I do not like it!.
 
 

...but then again.... this is how Parent birds feed their young ... they go out and eat insects, worms and other "stuff", predigest it, and fly back and vomit it directly into their baby birds throats.
They are happy to get it, and beg for more.
Animals often  have no other choice.

I have often thought of the analogy, (IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT) of being in a medieval stone dungeon, one leg chained to the wall ... and the guards do not feed you .... and relatives have to swallow squares of meat without chewing to smuggle food to you, in their own stomachs, just before they visit you.
Yeah ... it's necessary and desperately needed food ... and food at the proper time .... and I would die without it, but ....
.... it's not the meat ... it's the DELIVERY SYSTEM!

Good question. I see you are actually thinking about the topic rather than just being pulled down into the squabbling.
When the end comes, and the judgment comes, we can expect that there will be anointed on earth. To me this seems clear from Paul's account of the end:
(1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:2) 15 For this is what we tell you by Jehovah’s word, that we the living who survive to the presence of the Lord will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep in death; 16 because the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a commanding call, with an archangel’s voice and with God’s trumpet, and those who are dead in union with Christ will rise first. 17 Afterward we the living who are surviving will, together with them, be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord. 18 So keep comforting one another with these words. 5 Now as for the times and the seasons, brothers, you need nothing to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that Jehovah’s day is coming exactly as a thief in the night.
In other words, at some surprisingly sudden point in time, the dead (anointed) are raised to heaven together with those who are surviving right up to the time of the "parousia of the Lord." The timing has always been a matter of much conjecture. We don't like to use the term rapture, so our previous doctrine here taught that the parousia started in 1914 (as it still teaches, officially) but that the first resurrection (including Paul's resurrection) was supposed to have happened in 1918. This was a leftover from our old parallel dispensation teachings under Barbour, Russell, and early Rutherford. In fact, it was explained that because Jesus appeared as Messiah/Christ in 29 and was resurrected 3.5 years later, that the invisible appearance of Christ in October 1914 would be followed by a resurrection of all the dead saints in the spring of 1918.
But 1918, although it once appeared more often than 1919 in our publications, has now been almost completely removed from our repertoire of prophetic dates, and replaced with dates like 1919 and more recent events. Jesus no longer inspected his temple in 1918, nor do we teach that the first resurrection must have happened in that year. Instead of just making a sudden change to the doctrine, it was changed from an important prophetic date to just "an interesting possibility."
*** w07 1/1 p. 28 par. 12 “The First Resurrection”—Now Under Way! ***
At this point, it may be helpful to consider what might be viewed as a Bible parallel. Jesus Christ was anointed as the future King of God’s Kingdom in the fall of 29 C.E. Three and a half years later, in the spring of 33 C.E., he was resurrected as a mighty spirit person. Could it, then, be reasoned that since Jesus was enthroned in the fall of 1914, the resurrection of his faithful anointed followers began three and a half years later, in the spring of 1918? That is an interesting possibility.
We still liked the idea of starting that resurrection "early in Christ's presence" and especially wanted to have it start before 1935. The article continues:
This means that the first resurrection must have begun early in Christ’s presence, and it continues “during his presence.” (1 Corinthians 15:23) Rather than occurring all at once, the first resurrection takes place over a period of time. . . . “A white robe was given to each of them; and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the number was filled also of their fellow slaves and their brothers who were about to be killed as they also had been.”—Revelation 6:10, 11. . . .  So after war, famine, and pestilence began to ravage the earth, members of the 144,000 who were dead, represented by the blood at the base of the altar, were raised to heavenly life and clothed in symbolic white robes. . . . God’s Word does not disclose a precise date for the first resurrection, but it does reveal that it occurs over a period of time, during Christ’s presence. The first to be resurrected are anointed Christians who died before Christ’s presence began. As Christ’s presence progresses, anointed Christians who faithfully finish their earthly course are changed “in the twinkling of an eye” into powerful spirit creatures. (1 Corinthians 15:52) Will all the anointed receive their heavenly reward before the war of Armageddon? We do not know. We do know, however, that in God’s due time, all the 144,000 will be found standing on the heavenly Mount Zion.
You might notice the mistake that I highlighted. The dead (whose sacrificial blood cries out for justice) are told to wait until the number was filled. But if we place this parousia from 1914 on up through the great tribulation, then we don't really have them all being changed together so that no one group of anointed has to be concerned about going to heaven before another group of anointed. Revelation says they all wait until the number is filled. Thessalonians says they all go together, at the time of that trumpet call. In fact the scripture in 1 Cor 15:52 just referenced says:
(1 Corinthians 15:51, 52) 51 Look! I tell you a sacred secret: We will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the blink of an eye, during the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised up incorruptible, and we will be changed.
This sounds very much like the "rapture" teaching that we had avoided for years by using the word "during" Christ's parousia, and "during" the last trumpet. Actually, the Greek in context here provides better support for translating "at his parousia" not "during his parousia." and "at the last trumpet."
So, more recently, the Watchtower stopped discounting the idea about the "rapture." We still don't like the word because it reminds people of some false teachings still associated with the "rapture." But the basic idea of a "rapture" is now accepted. We still look to fit it all into our timeline for the first resurrection, Gog attack, great tribulation, marriage of the Lamb, etc.
*** w15 7/15 pp. 18-19 pars. 14-16 “Your Deliverance Is Getting Near”! ***
This gathering work does not refer to the initial ingathering of anointed ones; nor does it refer to the final sealing of the remaining anointed ones. (Matt. 13:37, 38) That sealing happens before the outbreak of the great tribulation. (Rev. 7:1-4) So, what is this gathering work that Jesus mentions? It is the time when the remaining ones of the 144,000 will receive their heavenly reward. (1 Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 14:1) This event will take place at some point after the beginning of the attack by Gog of Magog. (Ezek. 38:11) Then these words of Jesus will be fulfilled: “At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.”—Matt. 13:43.
15 Does this mean that there will be a “rapture” of the anointed ones? Many in Christendom believe, according to this teaching, that Christians will be bodily caught up from the earth. Then, they expect that Jesus will visibly return to rule the earth. . . .  So those who will be taken to heaven will first need to be “changed, in a moment, in the blink of an eye, during the last trumpet.” (Read 1 Corinthians 15:50-53.) Therefore, while we do not use the term “rapture” here because of its wrong connotation, the remaining faithful anointed will be gathered together in an instant of time.
16 Once all the 144,000 are in heaven, the final preparations for the marriage of the Lamb can begin. (Rev. 19:9) But something else will happen before that joyous event. Remember, shortly before the remaining ones of the 144,000 are taken to heaven, Gog will attack God’s people. (Ezek. 38:16)
Much more to say, but I hope you can at least see what I meant by including the heavenly anointed in the "sheep and goats" parable.

Dense understanding of one paragraph?
The only part that is reality based is ONLY two sentences.
Take it in context?
I have my belly full of people playing with carefully crafted words, bending reality into a pretzel.
I have spent the last 50 years WATCHING the "context".
A MILLION words, carefully crafted, will not change what I know, and what I have personally seen,'
When you go to any restaurant for good food, you do not assume that the proper food, served at the proper time, a significant portion of it will be ROTTEN,.
Unless of course, the OTHER restaurants are so much worse,  you stop eating there.
Unfortunately, when I find turds in the theocratic salad, I have to eat around them.
There is nowhere else to go.
... but I do not like it!.
 
 

Bears Repeating: Two good examplews.

THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS WILL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS.
... JUST REMEMBER THIS ... PLAYING WITH WORDS WILL NOT CHANGE REALITY.
.... AND PLAYING WITH A MILLION WORDS WILL NOT CHANGE REALITY, EITHER.
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS OR THE APOSTLES REALLY MEANT, YOU HAVE TO "GET INTO THE MIND" OF THOSE THAT WERE BEING SPOKEN TO AT THE TIME.
HOW DID THEY UNDERSTAND IT ?
ALL ELSE IS ARROGANCE.
ALL ELSE IS VANITY.
ONCE A RELIGION ACCUMULATES MONEY AND REAL ESTATE, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY AND REAL ESTATE THEREAFTER, AND  WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP IT.
-------
THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN ANY EXCEPTIONS IN THE PAST.
-------
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS, NOW.
-------

 
 
 

THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS WILL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT THE PHILOSOPHER KINGS.
... JUST REMEMBER THIS ... PLAYING WITH WORDS WILL NOT CHANGE REALITY.
.... AND PLAYING WITH A MILLION WORDS WILL NOT CHANGE REALITY, EITHER.
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS OR THE APOSTLES REALLY MEANT, YOU HAVE TO "GET INTO THE MIND" OF THOSE THAT WERE BEING SPOKEN TO AT THE TIME.
HOW DID THEY UNDERSTAND IT ?
ALL ELSE IS ARROGANCE.
ALL ELSE IS VANITY.
ONCE A RELIGION ACCUMULATES MONEY AND REAL ESTATE, IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT MONEY AND REAL ESTATE THEREAFTER, AND  WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP IT.
-------
THERE HAVE NEVER BEEN ANY EXCEPTIONS IN THE PAST.
-------
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS, NOW.
-------

 
 
 

I think there is a policy rule that all Governing Body Members have to be of the Annointed, have many, many years of faithful service to the Organization, be beyond reproach, well spoken of, and be able to pee, standing up.

.........

Summarizing this topic.
What are the reasons, in my opinion, provoking this situation, that make the GB appear as not humble?
TO CONVEY CONFIDANCE
Anna quote is, in my opinion, unsurpassable:
·        “I feel the same way. I have explained it somewhere on this forum, why I think this is. I feel it has something to do with their responsibility, which could perhaps be viewed in a similar way to parental responsibility. My experience with my own mother was that she tried to appear as perfect as possible. This worked fine when I was a toddler and little child. And then I got older, and I began to see her imperfections and flaws. It was quite a shock for me really to realize my mother had the same, or similar weaknesses as me, that she was an imperfect human being just like anyone else. I asked her about this. I wanted to know why she never admitted to any mistakes and why she tried to appear perfect. Her answer I think is the key to how the GB might be thinking. She said that she needed to appear as perfect as possible in order for me, as a child, to look to her for guidance, to trust her, and lean on her with confidence”. TO PROVE THIS ORGANIZATION IS GUIDED BY GOD’S SPIRIT
I’ve mention in this post that God’s people, and therefore the GB, are guided by God’s spirit. But in this epoch not miraculously. The lack of miraculous wisdom or knowledge (1Co 13:8) would make necessary display of characteristics such as “power of reason” (Ro 12:1)); “accurate knowledge and full discernment” (Ph 1:9); “sound in mind” (1 Pe 4:7); “insight” (Da 11:32) and so on. And these qualities don’t would come through “flashes” of God’s spirit, but by means of study, pray, effort, mistakes and rectifications (Da 11:35).
But, our GB, I think, is afraid at some degree of showing themselves error prone because this could show we aren’t under Jehovah’s hand in the eyes of others. I remember when I was serving as special pioneer in 1981 I was assigned to a small congregation with only one elder and me as his helper. All the brothers were newly baptized. I had to direct one Watchtower study regarding some change regarding the meaning of “sacred service”. The elder gave me the advice: “don’t focus excessively in the idea that a change was necessary, this could disturb the congregation.” The idea these new brothers shared, to a greater or lesser extent, is that we’re the organization God is directing by His spirit, and consequently the necessity of changes only should be seen as improvements, not corrections.
In spite of this, many brothers opine the “slave class” is humble because they recognize their errors. But in this forum has been shown evidence, for example, that the “error” of 1975 was distributed, spread between all brotherhood. Even worse, the decrease in the number of publishers was attributed to the influence of “some apostates” rather than the disillusion caused for the excessive emphasis on dates (w86 12/15 p. 20 pars. 20-21). Even Allen Smith (thanks for this) quoted this:
·        *** yb12 pp. 142-143 Norway *** There was a steady increase in publishers from the mid-1960’s till the mid-1970’s. But expectations regarding the year 1975 proved to be a test of faith for some brothers. When the great tribulation did not come in 1975, a few left the organization; and between 1976 and 1980, there was a slight decrease in publishers. Others who felt disappointed slowed down in their Christian activity for a while. What statement about the main reason of decrease is more accurate? “apostate influence”, “self-generated expectations” or some statements in our literature.
·        (1 Sa 15:20,21) “However, Saul said to Samuel: […] But the people took sheep and cattle from the spoil, the best of what was devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Jehovah your God at Gilgal” Saul, in other words, said “the mistake wasn’t mine, but people’s”. In modern times, “we have not guilty to promote false expectations, some individuals here and there have misunderstood us.” Was Saul humble?
Also, recently we have read in the W that in 1918 the ZWT followed the petition for “pray for peace”. but the original sources show, instead, that ZWT asked the congregations to pray for United States victory (w67 2/15 pp. 111-112 pars. 27-28), “for the promised glorious outcome of the war.” In this way presenting a more favorable view of the error.
TO PROTECT THE BROTHERHOOD
·        (2 Co 11:2) “For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I personally promised you in marriage to one husband that I might present you as a chaste virgin to the Christ.” ·        (2 Co 11:18) “Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I too will boast.” ·        (2 Co 12:11) “I have become unreasonable. You compelled me to, for I ought to have been recommended by you” As Paul with the Corinthians, the GB ‘is jealous over us’ because they want that the entire brotherhood be acceptable at God’s eyes. I think this is one of the reasons they are acting in a way with apparently lack of humility. Paul himself had to boast, be unreasonable, with lack of humility to reaffirm his authority. He made a display of credentials hoping the Corinthians would respect more and, consequently will follow his advice more confidently, for their own protection and spiritual well-being.
GOD CAN WRITE STRAIGH EVEN WITH CROOKED LINES
I’ve been personal witness of this situation: A body of elders had an obvious lack of judgment decision about a brother. This, humbly, didn’t protest. But his wife couldn’t endure the situation and talked with the elders. They recognized the error but replied to her: “in this way he’s receiving training from God” and the mistake was not corrected.
The attitude of the elders was: “well, God can act so that our errors turn out not to be such mistakes”.
Every one of us have read such things as “the brothers [some apparent mistake] but finally Jehovah [solved the situation].” And I believe this has been the case a lot of times, but this idea has led to us to think that the Organization, the GB, is in someway infallible. “What mistakes, if finally Jehovah turn out them in successes.”
ADULATION
I’ve attended three pioneer schools. The first one perhaps in 1979. In the first two of them the text book was given to the students at Sunday, the day before the beginning of the course. In such schools the normal situation for a lot of us is to remain awaken until well late at night to prepare all the information. During the classes many were sleepy, some of them anxious. This situation prevented us to fully enjoy.
Nevertheless, in my last school the book was provided a couple of months before! We all could prepare with sufficient time, only reviewing the lessons the day before each class. What a difference!
The intriguing is, how could happen that something so easy to perceive was not corrected until decades later? Did the instructors inform about what was evident? Did the branches inform to GB about the instructors complaints, if any? This real conversation perhaps gives some light.
A sister asking to the instructor: “why we couldn’t have the books with sufficient time”? Instructor answer: “because an equalizing. If you, for your circumstances, have much more time to prepare than other brother this would not be fair. In this way everyone will start at the same time, Sunday.” Crazy answer, isn’t it? But this kind of view was transmitted to the persons on charge. No mistake, for decades. Finally, sanity has been imposed.
And what was the reason for this kind of favorable report? Adulation. And I have more evidences. In my branch and in our headquarters. Many brothers are afraid to escalate the complains they have because in this way perhaps might seem negative. Only escalate favorable reactions. Yes, I’m sure not always is the situation. But I have evidence of too many.
Certainly all of us have seen good changes in the brothers leading the worldwide congregation. Let God bless the GB that this brothers with such enormous responsibility each day. Keep it that way!
You're right.
To avoid this post woud be marked as R-Rated, perhaps we should move to another more "spiritual" matter!