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James Thomas Rook Jr.

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  1. Haha
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from BillyTheKid46 in A CIRCUIT OVERSEER STATES, "YOUR FAITH IS GARBAGE AND NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN"   
    Why don't you just say where you are "going with this", Billy?
    "Follow the Money"?

  2. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to Witness in A CIRCUIT OVERSEER STATES, "YOUR FAITH IS GARBAGE AND NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN"   
    According to scripture, what is the Body of Christ - who comprise it?
  3. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to Witness in A CIRCUIT OVERSEER STATES, "YOUR FAITH IS GARBAGE AND NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN"   
    The whole chapter of Jer 5 is earthshaking.  (Amos 9:9; Mark 13:8; Heb 12:26,27)
  4. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to JOHN BUTLER in REPROOF FROM THE PLATFORM   
    I've often thought of this point of reproof from the platform. It does nothing positive at all, it just leaves people wondering why the person was reproved.
    And it certainly does not protect the congregation.  
    2019 “Shepherd the Flock of God”: The Problem With Public Reproofs for Child Sex Abuse
    by Alexandra James In January of 2019, elders in the congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses were issued a new version of their confidential handbook, "Shepherd the Flock of God." This handbook covers, among other topics, when a person should be "reproved."
    For those unfamiliar with the their practices, Jehovah's Witness elders might determine that someone guilty of a serious sin is repentant and will be "reproved" rather than disfellowshipped [excommunicated]. This reproof might be administered privately, or it might include a very brief announcement to the congregation.
    Public Reproofs Are Not a Protection
    The "Shepherd" book makes the claim that a public reproof serves as a "protection" to the congregation against certain dangerous behaviors, such as child sexual abuse; note this statement from chapter 14, "Child Abuse::

    However, this announcement of reproof includes no information about the person's "sinful" behavior, as instructed in chapter 16, "Procedure for Judicial Hearings":

    The "Shepherd" book even outright instructs that a person's sinful acts should not be connected to their reproof, such as when a "warning" talk is given regarding their behavior; also from chapter 16:

    This statement alone demonstrates that the entire "public reproof" arrangement protects no one from congregation members who might pose a danger to others, including children. Simply stating that someone has "been reproved" doesn't warn a congregant of that person's specific behavior, and especially when there is a long list of reasons why someone might be publicly reproved, including:
    Smoking Fornication, adultery Theft Lying, slander Various forms of "apostasy" Severe fits of temper, fighting Drunkenness Using narcotics Taking up boxing After hearing a rather generic announcement that someone has been "reproved," without knowing the actual reason for that reproof, how would congregants know to keep their children away from them? Another congregant might assume that a person being reproved was caught smoking or fornicating with an adult; child sexual abuse might be the last thing they would consider when they hear of someone having been reproved!
    Your Conscience Shouldn't Be Clean
    This begs the question of why Jehovah's Witnesses think that their consciences can be clean in these cases. Elders honestly think that making an announcement of so-and-so having been "reproved" protects the congregation and so they've done their job of keeping people and children safe?
    Nothing can be further from the truth, especially when it comes to child sexual abuse. This "public reproof" arrangement purposely conceals the action that warranted the reproof, so it warns no one about a congregant who might be a danger to their children.
    This announcement does not take away from an elder's complicity in hiding allegations of abuse. Any elder who hears of such a credible allegation and doesn't notify authorities, cooperate with their investigations fully, and then do everything possible to keep a potentially dangerous person away from children shares guilt and blame if that person goes on to molest another child.

    The bottom line is that Jehovah's Witnesses and elders especially have no problem lying to themselves and to the general public about their supposed "protections" for congregants. They shield alleged molesters by purposely ensuring that no information about a particular act is associated with "reproved" persons, and then tell themselves that this passive-aggressive "hinting around" is going to somehow alert congregants to the need to keep their child away from him or her.
    While the authors of these practices and the elders charged with enforcing them might go to bed with a clean conscience, remember it's not them who suffer the consequences of their actions; the elders are not being raped and abused, the men who wrote this "Shepherd" book are not the ones who will be the next victims of these "reproved" persons.
    Their complicity in this horrific act is bad enough, but their smug self-righteousness in thinking that they've somehow done enough to protect children with a generic "reproof" is just another slap across the face of those same children.
  5. Haha
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Srecko Sostar in A CIRCUIT OVERSEER STATES, "YOUR FAITH IS GARBAGE AND NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN"   
    Why don't you just say where you are "going with this", Billy?
    "Follow the Money"?

  6. Confused
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to Witness in DOES ANYONE HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS?   
    I found this on another forum.  It is a photo from the jw org online glossary.  Does any JW have an opinion as to why "Jesus" is left out of the glossary?   "Christ", as well as "Messiah" are both noted.  (Matt 24:24; Mark 13:22 NKJV) (Matt 24:24; Mark 13:22 NIV)  Yet, "Jesus", whose name means "YHVH is salvation", or, "Yah will save", isn't listed.  Also, both "Emmanuel"/"Immanuel", which means "God is with us" are not listed.     (Matt 1:23)
    Here is the link: https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/publication/r1/lp-e/nwtstg/E/2019/172

  7. Thanks
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to TrueTomHarley in Tribute to a Historian - R M de Vienne   
    I changed “lecturing” to “enlightening.” It suits better. You are right. 28 words is not a lecture.
    And he is just not sure whether your little cartoon is meant to offend JWs, as most of yours do. He doesn’t rubber-stamp every JW view of a century ago, but neither does he have the ax to grind that others clearly do, and accepts as a given that the players back then were upright persons of integrity.
  8. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to JOHN BUTLER in A CIRCUIT OVERSEER STATES, "YOUR FAITH IS GARBAGE AND NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN"   
    Wow this is all so funny. Billy thinks it is ok for a Witness to use things that seem to pretend they are scripture when those people whom he serves (the GB and it's Writing department) say those things are not scripture.  So then billy thinks that makes him "more of a witness" by using 'fake scripture'. 
    Oh dear, when we think on scripture it should make us humble not 'exalt ourselves'. (Matt 23 v 12 )
    For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
    I think Billy is showing his true colours now. 
  9. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to Srecko Sostar in A CIRCUIT OVERSEER STATES, "YOUR FAITH IS GARBAGE AND NEEDS TO BE TORN DOWN"   
    We have always used the Bible as the sole authority for our beliefs, so we have adjusted our beliefs as our understanding of the Scriptures has been clarified. - source JWorg
    Here we have maneuver by JW Clergy Leaders who try to justify, by Bible, how they have made/making changes of Organizational doctrines and beliefs, because they have not understand the Scriptures before (and today too). In meantime, while they were not been aware of false and wrong in own doctrines, they continued to force and run wrong laws inside JW congregations. 
    Exactly this and that WTJWORG mandate beliefs, are what can be called by name you used in comment - provisional laws. With time passing, WT Leaders changed doctrines which they presented as Bible Truths and God's Word. After some time they made new doctrines out of old doctrines, and again they called such modified rules-doctrines-laws as Bible Truths and God's Word. They using lexical terminology such as;  adjusted our beliefs .....Scriptures has been clarified.
    Well, we have different wording but same package of meanings and results: 
    Provisional Laws ........ Adjusted our beliefs ...... Scriptures has been clarified. 
     
  10. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Shiwiii in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    If you are going to go figure .... figure out why neither Jehovah God, nor Christ, never even mentioned such things ... EVER ... not even once .... and the Governing Body positively OBSESSES over such things.
    There IS a reason.
    .... for BOTH.
  11. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    I agree .... but the reason you "save" stuff like this is because there are people who are agenda driven in their reasoning abilities, and believe with their whole hearts that it is a service to God to suppress, hide, and deny that stuff like this ever happened ... imagining that they are preventing the Truth from being spoken against abusively, and will deny over time that anything not as pure as the wind driven snow ever happened.
    Over 50 years I have seen a LOT of "revisionist history", where misguided theocratically inclined people have tried to hide or deny the past, in order to change how people act and believe now.
    This was a running theme in the book 1984, by George Orwell, who explained "He who controls the past, controls the present.  He that controls the present, controls the future."
    The reason we try to secure the past from ERASURE by well intentioned but misguided zealots .. is because if they can ...
    .... they will.
    Already this has been actively suppressed by Watchtower lawyers from YouTube, and Rutube, and I would guess that NO ONE at most Kingdom Halls even knows of the existance of this set of videos, and the cringeworthy, creepy insanity they portray.
    Too late ... there are perhaps a hundred thousand copies to replace what they suppress.
    This has been on many comedy shows all over the Internet, and we have become the laughing stock of the world, thanks to this and other madness like this.
    As Pogo once said "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

  12. Downvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Foreigner in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    I agree .... but the reason you "save" stuff like this is because there are people who are agenda driven in their reasoning abilities, and believe with their whole hearts that it is a service to God to suppress, hide, and deny that stuff like this ever happened ... imagining that they are preventing the Truth from being spoken against abusively, and will deny over time that anything not as pure as the wind driven snow ever happened.
    Over 50 years I have seen a LOT of "revisionist history", where misguided theocratically inclined people have tried to hide or deny the past, in order to change how people act and believe now.
    This was a running theme in the book 1984, by George Orwell, who explained "He who controls the past, controls the present.  He that controls the present, controls the future."
    The reason we try to secure the past from ERASURE by well intentioned but misguided zealots .. is because if they can ...
    .... they will.
    Already this has been actively suppressed by Watchtower lawyers from YouTube, and Rutube, and I would guess that NO ONE at most Kingdom Halls even knows of the existance of this set of videos, and the cringeworthy, creepy insanity they portray.
    Too late ... there are perhaps a hundred thousand copies to replace what they suppress.
    This has been on many comedy shows all over the Internet, and we have become the laughing stock of the world, thanks to this and other madness like this.
    As Pogo once said "We have met the enemy, and he is us."

  13. Downvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Foreigner in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    There are a LOT of things not specifically mentioned in the Bible, Billy.
    It was my understanding that Spiritual Integrity is dependent on not going beyond the things that are actually written in the Bible.
    ...and not trying to lay heavy burdens on others that Jehovah God, and Christ Jesus DID NOT.
    Having Spiritual Integrity is like being pregnant ... there is no being "half-pregnant".
  14. Downvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Foreigner in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    ANSWER:
    My theory is that, with the obvious painful discrepancy you just pointed out, that cannot be ignored by any sane, rational person, is that those holding such perspectives are just rock-dumb clueless, dangerously ignorant, or bat-crap crazy ... or all three.
    What makes it WORSE is that they are also very nice people, with the very best of intentions.
    Such people would be easier to identify if, as they pontificated, one eye would twitch, and they would drool all over themselves.
    ... or obsess publicly about Brothers wearing tight pants, and make "Pillowgate" videos.
     
  15. Downvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Foreigner in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    If you are going to go figure .... figure out why neither Jehovah God, nor Christ, never even mentioned such things ... EVER ... not even once .... and the Governing Body positively OBSESSES over such things.
    There IS a reason.
    .... for BOTH.
  16. Haha
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from The Librarian in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    The test of spontaneous clapping being a hypnotically induced Pavlovian response, or not .... is to show the two "Pillowgate" videos that were shown the Brothers and Sisters at Bethel .... the creepiest, most insane and cringeworthy videos ever created ... at the local Kingdom Hall, on a Sunday morning or afternoon  .... and see if everybody claps.
  17. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    There are a LOT of things not specifically mentioned in the Bible, Billy.
    It was my understanding that Spiritual Integrity is dependent on not going beyond the things that are actually written in the Bible.
    ...and not trying to lay heavy burdens on others that Jehovah God, and Christ Jesus DID NOT.
    Having Spiritual Integrity is like being pregnant ... there is no being "half-pregnant".
  18. Haha
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    Billy, were you referring to the Society's "Pillowgate" video as "garbage", or something else, specifically?
  19. Haha
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    ANSWER:
    My theory is that, with the obvious painful discrepancy you just pointed out, that cannot be ignored by any sane, rational person, is that those holding such perspectives are just rock-dumb clueless, dangerously ignorant, or bat-crap crazy ... or all three.
    What makes it WORSE is that they are also very nice people, with the very best of intentions.
    Such people would be easier to identify if, as they pontificated, one eye would twitch, and they would drool all over themselves.
    ... or obsess publicly about Brothers wearing tight pants, and make "Pillowgate" videos.
     
  20. Upvote
    James Thomas Rook Jr. reacted to JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    I would have thought with sex education in schools as it is, JW's would not need the deep precise details that the GB loves going into. The scriptures you quoted do the job just fine on their own. 
    It seems the GB even go OTT by saying if a man and a woman are alone in a house together, they must be having sex. No 'two witnesses' needed. 
    But they don't seem to say if two brothers or two sisters are in a house together that they are having sex, i wonder why ?
    Well it was you that mentioned Sodom and Gommora. 
  21. Thanks
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    If you are going to go figure .... figure out why neither Jehovah God, nor Christ, never even mentioned such things ... EVER ... not even once .... and the Governing Body positively OBSESSES over such things.
    There IS a reason.
    .... for BOTH.
  22. Haha
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    According to that theory, the Nazis were merely trying to bring the glories of German Civilization to the underprivileged of the world.
    Attitude, after all, is everything ...  NOT.
  23. Haha
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from JOHN BUTLER in Meeting the Circuit Overseer in the Parking Lot   
    The test of spontaneous clapping being a hypnotically induced Pavlovian response, or not .... is to show the two "Pillowgate" videos that were shown the Brothers and Sisters at Bethel .... the creepiest, most insane and cringeworthy videos ever created ... at the local Kingdom Hall, on a Sunday morning or afternoon  .... and see if everybody claps.
  24. Thanks
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Srecko Sostar in I am proud to be a JW   
    I just checked again, now.   Someone has re-posted the "Men's Version" of the video.   Here is the link.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e61uLNI9ku4
    The free program, Freemake Video Downloader, can be used to download it to your hard drive, should you want to do so, before it is gone, again.
  25. Like
    James Thomas Rook Jr. got a reaction from Srecko Sostar in I am proud to be a JW   
    I do not think so ..... a careful review of their facial expressions and the lurid detail, specifically enumerated, leads me to believe the two GB Helpers were being severely punished to make these two videos ... and the nuttiness of the logic and explanations given specifically to exonerate non-contact sexual  "circle jerks" as NOT being pornea .... which they did.
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