On Sep 29, 9:29 am, "John 3:16 Christians" <john.
3.16.christi...@comcast.net> wrote:

Wow! Is this where disgruntal folks who hate the witnesses come to?"

ha. Actually, your observation no doubt applies to this NG, much of
the time, a lot of disgruntled anti-Witnesses (especially non-
Witnesses, or never-Witnesses) come, yes, and express sometimes hate,
sometimes fear, and sometimes merely consternation over real and
imagined flaws in the Witness society, their followers, their leaders,
their mores and morals, and their teachings, either now or past.

However, as one who hangs out, so to speak, on the
alt.religion.jehovahs-witn newsgroup almost two entire months, Aug and
Sept of this year, may I say something about Precision. This person
has an ability to, for the most part, lay out (dispassionately) often
balancing pro and con, and while I have been told by others he can be
intense and negative, I actually have seen a far more humane and
human side, patient, self-deprecating, if not authentically modest and
intelligent, and certainly not blind to the downsides of
organizations.

Groups, like individuals, grow and progress and evolve through time.

So as observers and participants, let us remember that true wisdom is
collaborative. We learn as members one of another. That takes, as has
been said, a good sense of humor, it takes self-honesty and an ongoing
dose of humility, an ability to smile at ones own shortcomings. It
takes a good ear, at every level. Even though all of us have "ears
hard of hearing" some of the time, or sometimes.

And hopefully, out of listening, hearkening, heeding, we will gain
perspective to embrace one another, our people (whatever our
"heritage" -- even we who're grafted on) to see the redeeming good,
and not throw out the baby with the bath water.

As far as "hate" being the motivation for honest criticism, I beg to
offer a different interp.

"An enemy who tells us the truth contributes infinitely more to our
self-improvement than a 'friend' who deludes us."

Another hypothetical for you. Imagine going to a doctor, for example
white-man medicine, and when she or he tells you something you don't
like, you conclude she/he "hates" you, so you seek a doctor who only
tells you what you want to hear.

On Sep 29, 9:29 am, "John 3:16 Christians" <john.
3.16.christi...@comcast.net> wrote:

Wow! Is this where disgruntal folks who hate the witnesses come to?"

ha. Actually, your observation no doubt applies to this NG, much of
the time, a lot of disgruntled anti-Witnesses (especially non-
Witnesses, or never-Witnesses) come, yes, and express sometimes hate,

sometimes fear, and sometimes merely consternation over real and
imagined flaws in the Witness society, their followers, their leaders,
their mores and morals, and their teachings, either now or past.

However, as one who hangs out, so to speak, on the
alt.religion.jehovahs-witn newsgroup almost two entire months, Aug and
Sept of this year, may I say something about Precision. This person
has an ability to, for the most part, lay out (dispassionately) often
balancing pro and con, and while I have been told by others he can be
intense and negative, I actually have seen a far more humane and
human side,

intelligent, and certainly not blind to the downsides of
organizations.

Groups, like individuals, grow and progress and evolve through time.

As far as "hate" being the motivation for honest criticism, I beg to
offer a different interp.

"An enemy who tells us the truth contributes infinitely more to our
self-improvement than a 'friend' who deludes us."

Another hypothetical for you. Imagine going to a doctor, for example
white-man medicine, and when she or he tells you something you don't
like, you conclude she/he "hates" you, so you seek a doctor who only
tells you what you want to hear.

On Sep 29, 9:29 am, "John 3:16 Christians" <john.
3.16.christi...@comcast.net> wrote:

Wow! Is this where disgruntal folks who hate the witnesses come to?"

ha. Actually, your observation no doubt applies to this NG, much of
the time, a lot of disgruntled anti-Witnesses (especially non-
Witnesses, or never-Witnesses) come, yes, and express sometimes hate,
sometimes fear, and sometimes merely consternation over real and
imagined flaws in the Witness society, their followers, their leaders,
their mores and morals, and their teachings, either now or past.

However, as one who hangs out, so to speak, on the
alt.religion.jehovahs-witn newsgroup almost two entire months, Aug and
Sept of this year, may I say something about Precision. This person
has an ability to, for the most part, lay out (dispassionately) often
balancing pro and con, and while I have been told by others he can be
intense and negative, I actually have seen a far more humane and
human side, patient, self-deprecating, if not authentically modest and
intelligent, and certainly not blind to the downsides of
organizations.

Groups, like individuals, grow and progress and evolve through time.

So as observers and participants, let us remember that true wisdom is
collaborative. We learn as members one of another. That takes, as has
been said, a good sense of humor, it takes self-honesty and an ongoing
dose of humility, an ability to smile at ones own shortcomings. It
takes a good ear, at every level. Even though all of us have "ears
hard of hearing" some of the time, or sometimes.

And hopefully, out of listening, hearkening, heeding, we will gain
perspective to embrace one another, our people (whatever our
"heritage" -- even we who're grafted on) to see the redeeming good,
and not throw out the baby with the bath water.

As far as "hate" being the motivation for honest criticism, I beg to
offer a different interp.

"An enemy who tells us the truth contributes infinitely more to our
self-improvement than a 'friend' who deludes us."

Another hypothetical for you. Imagine going to a doctor, for example
white-man medicine, and when she or he tells you something you don't
like, you conclude she/he "hates" you, so you seek a doctor who only
tells you what you want to hear.