TrueTomHarley

7 hours ago, Pudgy said:

My considered dogged opinion is that Sen-yor Chavez is on the verge of hysterical panic.

Technically, I cannot vouch for this, since I took Anna’s counsel (Do not feed the troll) to heart and blocked him. One can do this in settings—I had no idea.  But extrapolating from my previous interaction with him, the comment is worth an upvote, no doubt.

And how is this working out for me, blocking a few whose comments are utterly predicable, incessantly argumentative, with no capacity of mercy toward human foible, frequently bereft of reason, and have not budged one iota in years, so that all you do is engage in verbal fisticuffs, prompting the occasional rare first time visitor to say: “Wow—he’s not exactly letting God be the judge, is he?”

Quote the final words of Jack London for an answer, from his hilarious short story Moonface: “My days are peaceful now, and my night's sleep deep.” 

Admittedly, Jack’s protagonist offed his foe with dynamite, didn’t just block him, but since I am a servant of the Lord I have repudiated such unkind tactics.

https://www.tomsheepandgoats.com/2020/09/a-review-of-the-jack-london-short-story-moon-facetheyre-always-throwing-goodness-at-you-but-with-a-l.html

(Plus, the ‘ignore’ option permits one to peak if desired.’ I did so once, and said, “Yep—same old boy.”)

3 hours ago, xero said:

ʎɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ʇᴉ op plnoɔ I ɹO

Not a problem

44 minutes ago, JW Insider said:

Which means, when translated:

Apostates invariably end up where they belong - in the gutter

[I guess it's not as funny if you have to explain it.]

Great—thanks a lot!—grumble grumble. I punched that binary code into my laptop and afterwards it wouldn’t go to anywhere but Lloyd’s site. I had to throw it in the dumpster!

6 hours ago, Witness said:

Correction from The Australian to yesterday’s story suggesting ACNC had withdrawn Watchtower’s charity status. This was false.

Do I have a basis for yet another story of false news being so eagerly related and almost immediately thereafter declared hogwash? 

https://www.tomsheepandgoats.com/2019/01/hey-guys-sorry-about-that-mother-of-all-lies.html

Yes, yes—big print. I got it, you ol battle ax—a prominent retraction.

Would that it would prevent your next breathless heralding of your wishful thinking as though fact.

6 minutes ago, Arauna said:

They are transparent because they have made a court case.

15 hours ago, Witness said:

In a statement, Watchtower ­director Terry O’Brien denied the ACNC had moved to strip the ­organisation of its charity registration.

For now, this is the only statement that counts. It could change, but for now O’Brien is the way to go.

These other opposing characters live on fumes and wishful thinking, reporting the slightest rumor as fact. We have seen 4Jah quoting a lawyer’s advertisement for clients as though it were a news item. (and then not backing down when called on it!!) Well, no advertising would ever say something not true, is his position. Does it become clear why some here have unkindly called him a dodo?

Lloyd’s chum did the same, heralding rumor to the heavens, and then removing it. He certainly didn’t want to contribute to the “lying apostate” stereotype, and to prove it, he resolved to take down the mother of all lies he had posted, after it had registered with the gullible ones.

https://www.tomsheepandgoats.com/2019/01/hey-guys-sorry-about-that-mother-of-all-lies.html

For now, it is enough to know that the underlying rationale is bogus—not completely hogwash, but shamelessly overstated, as Holly Folk pointed out:

https://www.tomsheepandgoats.com/2021/02/holly-folk-speaks-to-child-sexual-abuse-among-jehovahs-witnesses.html

Who knows? Should it turn out as Witness hopes, maybe Australia will become another France, which imposed a 60% tax on Witness finances that took many years for the ECHR to throw out as discriminatory.

2 hours ago, xero said:

The people responding become neutrino detectors letting you know that they exist.

@SuzAjust did that for me!

What a noble sister.

8 hours ago, César Chávez said:

TTH (EX_ELDER) 

Should I tell this fellow that it is only an ex-congregational-elder that I once was?

57 minutes ago, 4Jah2me said:

and thinks we are both insane.

I don’t actually think you are insane. There are others who nudge you out on that count.

1 hour ago, Pudgy said:

I stand corrected.

The total self-absorbtion is a tip-off, too. If his self-importance is pricked in any way, he goes into search-and-destroy mode, and nobody gets even the tiniest bit of credit for anything.

@Arauna is case-in-point and it pains me to see her so abused. She has her point of view, of course, like anyone. Still, Cesar was routinely upvoting her posts. Then she made the mistake of mildly contradicting him on an inconsequential point. Even though she clarified, mollified, partially backtracked, and even apologized, it did no good. Jezebel is more noble in his eyes now. 

For the life of me, I don’t know why anyone gets into long exchanges with him. Have they nothing at all to do with their time? Plainly, he is deranged.

7 hours ago, César Chávez said:

I am qualified to serve God in ANY way he chooses!!....

I will never say "no" to God

Oh no! Not yet another one with a special calling!! This has not so far been revealed. Unusual in real life, they are a dime a dozen online. Maybe that is why the Christian organization isn’t thrilled about going there.

7 hours ago, César Chávez said:

I'm here for a reason

As long as you have revealed yourself as a chosen one, I suggest a fine course might be to tell 4Jah that you are the True Anointed. I wouldn’t mind seeing that one play out. He will go batsh*t crazy. But then, he does anyway.

(sorry—I tried to find a less crude synonym for batsh*t crazy. But everything that popped up on the thesaurus was worse. Sigh...what’s a righteous man to do?)

56 minutes ago, xero said:

Then Troy looks at me, grins and says "Got any more calls you want to get rid of?"

Love it! I have known one or two Call Terminators in my day.

1 hour ago, xero said:

People who don't enjoy the door to door and street witnessing are either doing it wrong, or have the wrong attitude.

You’d better be glad this fellow doesn’t do the door to door ministry. We’d be banned, not just in Russia, but in every country in the world.

And unlike in Russia, I would have to say: “Well, they have a pretty good point.”

59 minutes ago, César Chávez said:

that's why I walk away from all you idiots.

For someone who walks away you sure are around a lot

4 minutes ago, xero said:

Living on a forum where opposers exist is like having a house next to the train-tracks. You could move, but then you'd miss the doppler effect of the train as it comes and goes. Also it's sometimes fun to put pennies on the tracks.

Johnny Cash

[pious disclaimer: laid to rest in the grave]

1 hour ago, Arauna said:

Do you use it as a place to wield your stick

Yes. He does.

1 hour ago, César Chávez said:

Jesus entered the temple and threw out all those selling and buying in the temple

Note how the verse says Jesus, not Cesar.

1 hour ago, Arauna said:

not realizing that I would now get myself in a situation where a fellow believer would justify verbal abuse on those he deems to be unapproved. ...... 

I think it is a mistake to view him as a fellow believer. He might be, but two sayings temper that conclusion for me.

The first is that ‘if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck.. Cesar certainly does not walk and quack like any Witness you or I know. It is impossible not to be moved at all by those Watchtower study articles you quoted previously. The duck he walks and quacks like is simply that of an abuser, like AlanF himself, when he puts on another hat. 

The second is my own saying, a slight tweak of Romans 3:4 that “every man be found a liar.” Modify it to “every man online be found a liar” and the saying finds yet another application in these modern times. How can you know about anyone online? Anybody can say anything. You can only go by whether something has the “ring of truth” to it, and he has not a bit of that when it comes to Christianity.

I suppose it is remotely possible that he is a whack-job of a Witness, presenting himself one way before flesh and blood, and working out his frustration, that he has not resolved by godly means, online, like the outwardly pious one filling up on porn or uber violent gaming by night. But I think it more likely he is some outlier, perhaps one-time active, but now a braggart who just bullies with a body of knowledge that at first glance seems impressive, but usually turns out to be shallow—he may know the title of a work, but not much else. JWI has many times pointed out how he just throws in whatever he has to ruin any discussion. (which I admit is how at times I use humor, but I hope I can never be accused of using it so recklessly).

The only thing I know about him for sure is that his favorite show is Nature. Not the show itself, which he doubtless thinks is apostate, since he thinks everything is, but the scenes of the huge animals ramming each other with horns. It is the only type of social interaction he seems capable of understanding. He takes note as to how he can be more like this or that big dumb ox that has bested its rival when he next goes online—never more than a few minutes away.

23 minutes ago, César Chávez said:

It's NOT what an exuberant witness

No, no, no. You’ve got it all wrong. The Witness I was referring to was the wannabe ‘house’ anointed on this very forum, not any of Jehovah’s Witnesses that we all know and love. I admit, she could have chosen a different name to avoid the confusion.

23 minutes ago, César Chávez said:

You continue with your insults,

YOU are telling ME about insults???!!!!!!!!!

14 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

Well even in the 1st century there seemed to be two types on Christian.  There were the ones that gave up everything and literally followed Jesus, but there were also the ones that carried on their daily lives and remained in their own homes. This second type would surely have chosen their own type of work and other activities. 

There were actually four types. From where did you derive two? Jesus describes them in the illustration of the sower and the seed at Matthew 13:

“Look! A sower went out to sow;  and as he was sowing, some [seeds] fell alongside the road, [1] and the birds came and ate them up.   Others fell upon the rocky places where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up because of not having depth of soil.  [2] But when the sun rose they were scorched, and because of not having root they withered.  Others, too, fell among the thorns, [3] and the thorns came up and choked them.  Still others fell upon the fine soil [4] and they began to yield fruit, this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty.”

Tommy, don’t do it! Don’t!! You’ve got a nice comment going here—respectful and all—don’t screw it up! Remember what Srecko said. We must disagree with those who loathe the Christian organization without being disagreeable. End your comment right here, TrueTom. Say no more, and you’re golden.

Sigh...ye of little willpower:

[5] still others sat on their duffs, lapped up dirt about God’s organization from the internet, and figured that the True Anointed would be released any second now from the abyss where they are not permitted to speak with one another!!! (led by a cackingly exuberant Witness) but upon their escape will save the day.

https://jw-russia.org/news/2021/04/14.html

If he dies, as seems likely, he has conquered the world, like his Lord.(John 16:33) He has conquered it already.(2 Tim 4:7) 

“Why would a nation of some 144 million risk [now trash] its international reputation to persecute a religious sect numbering no more than 175 thousand?” asks Andrew Sorokowski. Yet one has and continues to do so. When called on it, it puts pedal to the medal, as though to boast to the world: “We know no decency here!”

I become so weary of these unreasonable ones who equate building bigger barns and ignoring whatever might lie beyond this very brief life as “aiming high.” (Luke 12:18)

Good one to share, this one is. Is it a game we are playing?

1 hour ago, Arauna said:

I have had many opportunities in life to be more than I am now..... I did not take it.

I am so tired of these idiots who think building bigger barns and ignoring whatever comes after this brief life is “aiming high.”

23 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

I think this is a fabulous article and so true to life for many people

You dodo. In your eagerness to post anything trashing God’s organization, you do not notice that she has turned her back on not just us but also you. I mean, do you get any sense that she is advancing in her relationship with God? Or is she leaving it all behind, thank you very much, and the quicker the better?

23 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

Witnesses are Christians who believe the Bible is historically accurate

Don’t you claim to believe this, too?

23 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

and interpret much of it literally as the basis for how they live their life.

Don’t you claim to view it that way, too?

23 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

The article is well worth a complete read.

Okay. I read how she wanted to be a film critic, but the elders discouraged that on the basis of the filth she would regularly have to feed on. Do you think their counsel was wrong?

23 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

I made the decision to step back from the religion a few years ago....I’m now an outsider in the only community I’ve ever known. 

Yeah, that’s because she stepped away from it. That happens when you step away from anything. Note that some of her family does not speak with her. That means that some do. When she sees Witnesses she once knew, many walk away, but some chat. It is hardly as draconian as she makes it out to be, given that she has repudiated the one thing they all had in common.

Her beefs notwithstanding, and even given her lack of context with the ARC matter, it is not a bad article. She says the faith “demands all.” Isn’t that what Jesus repeatedly said? She says there is emphasis on obedience. Didn’t Paul say the same? She says she learned to “put herself first.” Is that the course you want to endorse when it comes to matters of God? 

She doesn’t confess to a life of misery. She says her childhood included much happiness—the main stresses only from the sense of being different.  Isn’t ‘different from the world’ exactly what Christ preached?

I think of that verse of Paul and how some were preaching the Christ with good motive, but some were trying to stir up trouble for him. So? he says. Either way the Christ is being preached.

Like Demas, she loved the world and has forsaken Paul for it. People do that. But I am surprised you would lionize her for it, since you claim to be one who thinks Paul deserves support. 

I tried to check with her on some details before posting this. But I threw up in the theatre aisle at the torture scene she was taking notes on moonlighting as a movie critic, so I had to abandon the project.

9 minutes ago, Srecko Sostar said:

Truth only exists if it can stand the "test of fire" so to speak.

Oh give me a break!

Show me anything, anywhere that can stand the “test of fire” (so to speak)

We can’t even get people to agree that they landed on the moon in 69.

If there is one constant in life, it is that no position exists that does not have a retinue of people bellyaching against it.

On 4/11/2021 at 11:01 AM, xero said:

No. It's better to say "Yes. I DO think I'm better at X, Y  or Z than another person. ...You absolutely need to admit of this, as failure to do so is a lie.

Yes, but I have done this, and just look how it turned out for me:

On 4/11/2021 at 10:19 PM, TrueTomHarley said:

I’m smartest.

This seemed  like a slam-dunk. CC had made a list of all the nincompoops, and I was not on it!  Surely, I was right to beat my chest! He didn’t include me on the list!

On 4/11/2021 at 11:20 PM, César Chávez said:

I didn't since it would be too repetitious!

So it would have been better for me to take the lowest spot at the table. Then he would have entered he room, noticed my abasement, and said, “Apostatefriend, move up higher.” Instead, he says, “You’re so stupid you shouldn’t even be in the room!”

So I like the verse on how it is better for someone else to praise you rather than you do it yourself. Especially because we live in such a heady society, where people simply assume intellect trumps all else, do I think its well not to blow your own horn in this regard, even if you truly do have a horn to blow.

I followed the rise and eventual passing away in death of a certain truly brilliant brother in my area. He had amazing ability, everything he tried he succeeded at, the deeds he did in behalf of the truth were lasting and far outstrip any deficiencies—few will be aware of any. All will think he conducted himself modestly given his talents, including me. I admitted before his passing that I had always been a little afraid of him, because if I said something I thought clever, he instantly responded with something ten times as clever.

He came to regret having been not more low-key than he had been, even though given his talent, it would have been an almost impossible job. Here and there one could find stories of persons who thought he had ran roughshod over them in some matter or other. Even most of these would acknowledge it was for the best, but they still felt it.

The direction for many years has been for no one to dominate at group meetings such as bodies of elders, and there is no better way to implicitly dominate than to call attention to how you are the smartest one in the room, regardless of whether you are or not. Contemporary counsel has been to apply that Philippians 2:3 verse of considering the other person superior. Even if one has the capability to dominate, the counsel is to resist that capability, to draw others out, so that all decisions truly represent the entire body and not just the ones who have obvious talent.

Though it is not directly related, I’ll throw the following in because it is on our Bible reading this week. Jehovah blocks Moses from entering the promised land for his address to the complaining Israelites:

“Hear, now, you rebels! Must we bring out water for you from this crag?”
  ....Jehovah later said to Moses and Aaron: “Because you did not show faith in me and sanctify me before the eyes of the people of Israel, you will not bring this congregation into the land that I will give them.”  

Seems harsh. But if seen in the following way, it seems less harsh, and it ties in with not being quick to carry on about your perceived talents:

If the circuit overseer gives a great talk and you say afterwards, “Great talk!” he will murmur something modest about how it is not really he, but Jehovah. He will do this even though he is perfectly capable, after all these years, of giving a great talk whether Jehovah is around or not. So how does it play, then, when the man Moses takes full credit for what no human in 1000 years would be able to do?

Even so, maybe it seems harsh. But Moses is being trained for the “real life” of 1 Timothy 6, not this one. He is being trained in accord with the words that to whom more is given, more is expected.
 

2 hours ago, xero said:

Apparently this island is for sale. Only 39 million.

 

Are the “No Long-Winded Idiots” signs thrown in for free? If not, that would be the dealbreaker for me.

There’s no reason, when you’ve cleared 39 million, that you can’t hire a guy to paint a few signs.

I mean, come on! If I shell out 39 million, I should have to paint my own signs as well?

2 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

I'm only on here this morning as it's raining outside and i need to think of things to do. 

I too must be dragged kicking and screaming to this forum. Even picking my nose takes priority.