James Thomas Rook Jr.

Thank you JW Insider, for providing absolute proof. 
BillyTheKid46  would deny the existence of a car if it ran over his foot, because all his friends don't believe cars were ever invented.
I was there .... and as you know, there are literally whole CHAPTERS on this subject that have been posted in the past seven or so years, here on the Archive.
Any idea if it is possible to download the whole archive, since the beginning, to a large USB 4 TB hard drive?
It might come in handy to have some off-site copies, since the format and such has changed so many times...
I am having trouble keeping track of my cartoon and meme collection.
Thanks for the "heavy lifting".

I only claim to be a Barbarian interested in Justice and Mercy ..... but the best way to get it is serving Jehovah God.
It's like when R2-D2, C3PO, Luke, and Obi-Wan Kanobe, stopped their speeder on a cliff overlooking Mos Isley Spaceport, and Obi-Wan said (paraphrased) "Never has there been a more wretched hive of scum, and villany"
Jehovah's Witnesses, warts and all, in reality ... are the ONLY game in town.
Drivel and incompetence and greed, no matter how you dress it up, is still drivel, and incompetence, and greed ... HOWEVER ... the Truth, no matter how you dishonor it by being a standard big ugly bag of mostly water, as we all are ... including EVERYBODY in the Governing Body, as well as you and me .. is still the TRUTH.
I was baptized before 1985,  before the oath of allegiance was changed to include the Corporation structure.
Whether or not I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses is a matter of debate.
I think I am.
I hope God agrees.
It depends on who you ask.
 
 

John:
Knowing my failings, and I am an original Boy Scout, the cowboy in the white hat ... I don't think it is right to expect much of others.
I literally owe my life to the things I have learned that I could not have learned ANYWHERE else.
Remember the movie "Forest Gump"?
He was retarded and did EVERYTHING wrong .... but it turned out well for him.
I appreciate the 15% that the Organization does well ... and the core Theology which IS true.
I try to have realistic expectations concerning what they screw up to a fare-thee-well.
I work with a LOT of people I don't entirely approve of, or agree with, or even like.
I am just a different kinda sheep-like person than what you are used to.

Thank you JW Insider, for providing absolute proof. 
BillyTheKid46  would deny the existence of a car if it ran over his foot, because all his friends don't believe cars were ever invented.
I was there .... and as you know, there are literally whole CHAPTERS on this subject that have been posted in the past seven or so years, here on the Archive.
Any idea if it is possible to download the whole archive, since the beginning, to a large USB 4 TB hard drive?
It might come in handy to have some off-site copies, since the format and such has changed so many times...
I am having trouble keeping track of my cartoon and meme collection.
Thanks for the "heavy lifting".

It's a NON-ANSWER.
Can you think for yourself, or just giggle for no reason?

The human body has many organs .
Two that are not often thought of as actual organs are blood, and skin.
If you disassemble blood ...or skin ... into component parts, do they cease being blood ... or skin?
If you cut a liver into small one inch squares ... does it cease being  liver?
But MORE TO THE POINT .... Does God consider fractionated blood, made from whole blood .... still blood?
 

Thank you JW Insider, for providing absolute proof. 
BillyTheKid46  would deny the existence of a car if it ran over his foot, because all his friends don't believe cars were ever invented.
I was there .... and as you know, there are literally whole CHAPTERS on this subject that have been posted in the past seven or so years, here on the Archive.
Any idea if it is possible to download the whole archive, since the beginning, to a large USB 4 TB hard drive?
It might come in handy to have some off-site copies, since the format and such has changed so many times...
I am having trouble keeping track of my cartoon and meme collection.
Thanks for the "heavy lifting".

I knew it was false every time it was proposed, from the mid 60's forward ... and made fun of it .... but after a decade of constant reinforcement, even the commending of Brothers who sold their homes to Pioneer in the KM, and who took out loans they never expected to have to pay back, put off having families and dental care, and operations, and constant bombardment of "Stay alive 'till '75" .... and everyone I had grown up with in the Truth convinced that the end was just months away ... I reasoned "How could I be right, and EVERYBODY I respected, knew, and loved .... how could everybody else .... be wrong? 
I was at the best job I ever had, doing Surveying in the Congo, then called Zaire, and due to peer pressure from everything published, and talked about, decided I had to be home in Virginia when the end came, to be with my parents.  This was late 1974.
I caved in. I fell for the snow job.
Since then, in the past few years, recollecting the history that I personally experienced, I have come to the conclusion that I have to trust MYSELF first. 
I cannot trust anyone else .... especially those who have a one hundred year unbroken record of being consistently always wrong about EVERYTHING except basic core theology.
If the Governing Body makes proclamations or instructions, and they are wrong, about the end-times,  blood, personal integrity, sex between married couples, or any other issue (and they pretend to be experts on every subject imaginable...)  .... they have historically destroyed MILLIONS of lives... and when they are wrong ... THEY PAY NO PRICE WHATSOEVER.
I weep for all those who have been chased away from the Truth ... because the GB is obsessed with absolute drivel, self-aggrandizement, and on the ground ... where the "rubber meets the road", have completely negated their personal accountability, and Justice and Mercy
If I am wrong, I may die, but I can only be killed ONE TIME ... and I do not drag ten or a hundred thousand with me.  
Or chase a million with conscience away.
I alone will pay the price of being wrong.
 

I knew it was false every time it was proposed, from the mid 60's forward ... and made fun of it .... but after a decade of constant reinforcement, even the commending of Brothers who sold their homes to Pioneer in the KM, and who took out loans they never expected to have to pay back, put off having families and dental care, and operations, and constant bombardment of "Stay alive 'till '75" .... and everyone I had grown up with in the Truth convinced that the end was just months away ... I reasoned "How could I be right, and EVERYBODY I respected, knew, and loved .... how could everybody else .... be wrong? 
I was at the best job I ever had, doing Surveying in the Congo, then called Zaire, and due to peer pressure from everything published, and talked about, decided I had to be home in Virginia when the end came, to be with my parents.  This was late 1974.
I caved in. I fell for the snow job.
Since then, in the past few years, recollecting the history that I personally experienced, I have come to the conclusion that I have to trust MYSELF first. 
I cannot trust anyone else .... especially those who have a one hundred year unbroken record of being consistently always wrong about EVERYTHING except basic core theology.
If the Governing Body makes proclamations or instructions, and they are wrong, about the end-times,  blood, personal integrity, sex between married couples, or any other issue (and they pretend to be experts on every subject imaginable...)  .... they have historically destroyed MILLIONS of lives... and when they are wrong ... THEY PAY NO PRICE WHATSOEVER.
I weep for all those who have been chased away from the Truth ... because the GB is obsessed with absolute drivel, self-aggrandizement, and on the ground ... where the "rubber meets the road", have completely negated their personal accountability, and Justice and Mercy
If I am wrong, I may die, but I can only be killed ONE TIME ... and I do not drag ten or a hundred thousand with me.  
Or chase a million with conscience away.
I alone will pay the price of being wrong.
 

I knew it was false every time it was proposed, from the mid 60's forward ... and made fun of it .... but after a decade of constant reinforcement, even the commending of Brothers who sold their homes to Pioneer in the KM, and who took out loans they never expected to have to pay back, put off having families and dental care, and operations, and constant bombardment of "Stay alive 'till '75" .... and everyone I had grown up with in the Truth convinced that the end was just months away ... I reasoned "How could I be right, and EVERYBODY I respected, knew, and loved .... how could everybody else .... be wrong? 
I was at the best job I ever had, doing Surveying in the Congo, then called Zaire, and due to peer pressure from everything published, and talked about, decided I had to be home in Virginia when the end came, to be with my parents.  This was late 1974.
I caved in. I fell for the snow job.
Since then, in the past few years, recollecting the history that I personally experienced, I have come to the conclusion that I have to trust MYSELF first. 
I cannot trust anyone else .... especially those who have a one hundred year unbroken record of being consistently always wrong about EVERYTHING except basic core theology.
If the Governing Body makes proclamations or instructions, and they are wrong, about the end-times,  blood, personal integrity, sex between married couples, or any other issue (and they pretend to be experts on every subject imaginable...)  .... they have historically destroyed MILLIONS of lives... and when they are wrong ... THEY PAY NO PRICE WHATSOEVER.
I weep for all those who have been chased away from the Truth ... because the GB is obsessed with absolute drivel, self-aggrandizement, and on the ground ... where the "rubber meets the road", have completely negated their personal accountability, and Justice and Mercy
If I am wrong, I may die, but I can only be killed ONE TIME ... and I do not drag ten or a hundred thousand with me.  
Or chase a million with conscience away.
I alone will pay the price of being wrong.
 

Outta Here:
You have me at a disadvantage when you quote one of my Heroes, Richard Feynman ... however, your statement: .......
....... which I think misses the point, entirely.
Think of how up-building and encouraging , and faith building it WOULD have been if the Society's prediction of Armageddon had ACTUALLY occurred in 1975, as by both commission, and omission, we were led to believe.
Think of how faith destroying in the credibility of the JW Earthly leadership it has been that it was all a scam to keep the exhausted troops marching.
In many cases, it actually destroyed faith in Jehovah God and his Christ.
I agree with what Paul said in 1 Cor 14:3.
I disagree with the "spin" you put on it.
To me, it's like saying about the scripture "... After I leave, wolves will enter in among the flock ...."  (paraphrased) to say that "All Dogs go to Heaven" .... because after all, isn't a wolf a kind of a dog?
IN THE CONTEXT of this discussion, and what Paul actually meant he did NOT say that encouraging word of consolation were prophesy.
Quite the OPPOSITE.  He was saying that prophesy (presumably from a true prophet)  were encouraging words of consolation !
THERE IS A VERY REAL DIFFERENCE!
You are stretching an idea past the breaking point, to try and support your AGENDA.
.... been there .... done that.
For which I am deeply ashamed, and would have been deeply ashamed to relate to Richard Feynman, who would have considered me a complete fool ... which I was.
 

Outta Here:
You have me at a disadvantage when you quote one of my Heroes, Richard Feynman ... however, your statement: .......
....... which I think misses the point, entirely.
Think of how up-building and encouraging , and faith building it WOULD have been if the Society's prediction of Armageddon had ACTUALLY occurred in 1975, as by both commission, and omission, we were led to believe.
Think of how faith destroying in the credibility of the JW Earthly leadership it has been that it was all a scam to keep the exhausted troops marching.
In many cases, it actually destroyed faith in Jehovah God and his Christ.
I agree with what Paul said in 1 Cor 14:3.
I disagree with the "spin" you put on it.
To me, it's like saying about the scripture "... After I leave, wolves will enter in among the flock ...."  (paraphrased) to say that "All Dogs go to Heaven" .... because after all, isn't a wolf a kind of a dog?
IN THE CONTEXT of this discussion, and what Paul actually meant he did NOT say that encouraging word of consolation were prophesy.
Quite the OPPOSITE.  He was saying that prophesy (presumably from a true prophet)  were encouraging words of consolation !
THERE IS A VERY REAL DIFFERENCE!
You are stretching an idea past the breaking point, to try and support your AGENDA.
.... been there .... done that.
For which I am deeply ashamed, and would have been deeply ashamed to relate to Richard Feynman, who would have considered me a complete fool ... which I was.
 

After GB Geoffrey Jackson sayin' that, under oath to the Australian Royal Commission (ARC), which I watched in real time as it happened, I had two reactions.
1.) DUH!, and
2.) I betcha he gets a whippin' when HE gets back to New York !

GB Bro. Jackson and GB Helper do Theology .mp4 Which just goes to show you ..... you can make a GOOD LIVING ( If you can keep from throwing up ...) by getting your ears tickled by someone else.
 
 

Outta Here:
You have me at a disadvantage when you quote one of my Heroes, Richard Feynman ... however, your statement: .......
....... which I think misses the point, entirely.
Think of how up-building and encouraging , and faith building it WOULD have been if the Society's prediction of Armageddon had ACTUALLY occurred in 1975, as by both commission, and omission, we were led to believe.
Think of how faith destroying in the credibility of the JW Earthly leadership it has been that it was all a scam to keep the exhausted troops marching.
In many cases, it actually destroyed faith in Jehovah God and his Christ.
I agree with what Paul said in 1 Cor 14:3.
I disagree with the "spin" you put on it.
To me, it's like saying about the scripture "... After I leave, wolves will enter in among the flock ...."  (paraphrased) to say that "All Dogs go to Heaven" .... because after all, isn't a wolf a kind of a dog?
IN THE CONTEXT of this discussion, and what Paul actually meant he did NOT say that encouraging word of consolation were prophesy.
Quite the OPPOSITE.  He was saying that prophesy (presumably from a true prophet)  were encouraging words of consolation !
THERE IS A VERY REAL DIFFERENCE!
You are stretching an idea past the breaking point, to try and support your AGENDA.
.... been there .... done that.
For which I am deeply ashamed, and would have been deeply ashamed to relate to Richard Feynman, who would have considered me a complete fool ... which I was.
 

To be fair .... this is the Achilles Heel of ALL shamans, witch doctors, snake oil salesmen,  priests, clergy and other assorted religious leaders.  
Yes, the WTB&TS has always been wrong about everything they have ever tried to prophesy .... but then again .... so has everybody else.
... nothing to see here, folks ... move along ... these are not the droids you want.
In the history of civilization ... there have NEVER been any exceptions ... and there aren't any now !
This sort of thing ALWAYS, without exception, occurs when the Leadership starts dressing well, sleep warm every night, start accumulating real estate, managing huge piles of free money, and self-appoint themselves as the Laodicean Messengers of God.
If prophesy was easy ... In the early 1970's, I might have bought stock in Apple Computer or the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
..... Or I would have won the recent 1.68 billion dollar Lottery.
 

@Anna Quote : I am sorry, there was no one announced at our hall for such a long time so I don't know how exactly the announcement is made anymore. I can assure you though it will be known that you are no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses because you do not agree with the organization. I remember someone was announced years ago, and everyone knew it was because he had differing views, and not because he had committed immorality or something like that. (End quote.)
I was wise enough to tell a few brothers what i was about to do, so at least they would know the truth. I gave only one of them the reason, but told others i was 'resigning'. However here is the stupidity of things shunning causes :- 
A man, a JW that i had helped many times as he was over 80 years old, though he is quite physically active.  Whilst i was still a brother i sold him a motorised bicycle. We had an agreement that if he decide he didn't really want it, that i would buy it back from him. 
A long time had passed since this business agreement. Then suddenly my wife has a text message on her mobile phone (cell phone to you guys i think). This being after i left the Org. The message is from this man, asking her to talk to me about me buying back this motorised bicycle. 
Two points here : -
1. The man should never have been given my wife's personal phone number, so whoever gave him the number was doing wrong.
2. It was a business agreement between the man and myself, not involving my wife. And my wife knew nothing about it and was not interested in getting involved in it. 
My wife gave me the information after getting over the shock of receiving the message, and I could see she was genuinely upset by him having her number. 
I emailed him quite politely telling him how my wife and i felt about it. I also agreed that if he contact me personally I would buy the item back from him.
Now, the questions must be, Why was he too frightened to contact me directly first time ? And, why has he not replied to my email ?
I know the answers of course.   He is frightened of being told off by the Elders of the congregation, for contacting me. 
I know this man well enough to know he is not frightened of me personally. And i know that we once had a really good friendship. It proves my point, that people are frightened of the Elders. 
There is a second case proving the same thing, but i will make it brief.
One of the brothers i told that I was resigning, visited me the Wednesday evening before the Thursday announcement. He promised me he would call back in 6 months time to see how i was doing. He has not been near my house since that Wednesday evening. Why ? Well once again it just proves my point, but in his case he has also proved himself a liar. He has broken his word. All because of fear of men, the Elders.
 
 

To be fair .... this is the Achilles Heel of ALL shamans, witch doctors, snake oil salesmen,  priests, clergy and other assorted religious leaders.  
Yes, the WTB&TS has always been wrong about everything they have ever tried to prophesy .... but then again .... so has everybody else.
... nothing to see here, folks ... move along ... these are not the droids you want.
In the history of civilization ... there have NEVER been any exceptions ... and there aren't any now !
This sort of thing ALWAYS, without exception, occurs when the Leadership starts dressing well, sleep warm every night, start accumulating real estate, managing huge piles of free money, and self-appoint themselves as the Laodicean Messengers of God.
If prophesy was easy ... In the early 1970's, I might have bought stock in Apple Computer or the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
..... Or I would have won the recent 1.68 billion dollar Lottery.
 

To be fair .... this is the Achilles Heel of ALL shamans, witch doctors, snake oil salesmen,  priests, clergy and other assorted religious leaders.  
Yes, the WTB&TS has always been wrong about everything they have ever tried to prophesy .... but then again .... so has everybody else.
... nothing to see here, folks ... move along ... these are not the droids you want.
In the history of civilization ... there have NEVER been any exceptions ... and there aren't any now !
This sort of thing ALWAYS, without exception, occurs when the Leadership starts dressing well, sleep warm every night, start accumulating real estate, managing huge piles of free money, and self-appoint themselves as the Laodicean Messengers of God.
If prophesy was easy ... In the early 1970's, I might have bought stock in Apple Computer or the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
..... Or I would have won the recent 1.68 billion dollar Lottery.
 

but you have a good heart, so looks don't matter. 

At what moment "The Truth" has ceased to be "The Truth"?
 
Perhaps when recruitment of new and more donors becomes more important than Justice and Mercy, and personal integrity
Resistance may be futile ... but not EVERY person of integrity and honest heart wants to be fully assimilated, and become a BORG

There must be thousands of dead fish in the JW Org then.  

This thread has become a catch-all. so it is as good a place as any to let @JW Insider know that his old acquaintance John Taylor Gatto recently died. I followed him on Twitter, and he occasionally registered relevant posts of mine with a like. Within a week, his site was rechristened @gattoproject. He had some dreams of overturning the prevailing education model. 
Maybe the last post he liked was when someone made a reference to him as twice named NYS Teacher of the Year, and I tweeted: "Isn't he the one who later turned on his rewarders by stating that 'yes, he had been a great teacher, but it was only by bucking their system at every turn?" He made his mark at a time that our family was homeschooling, and thereby became a known name to us.

What tablets are you taking J T ? 

At what moment "The Truth" has ceased to be "The Truth"?
 
Perhaps when recruitment of new and more donors becomes more important than Justice and Mercy, and personal integrity
Resistance may be futile ... but not EVERY person of integrity and honest heart wants to be fully assimilated, and become a BORG

Just in case anyone might misunderstand, I would like to make it clear that I am neither disgruntled,  or non-disgruntled, but am merely moderately well gruntled.