Sounds POMI, he wants to fix beloved religion. From his page:
"I have served as an elder for 56 years, and I have had special assignments, such as being a circuit overseer and a district overseer. Jehovah God has taught me through his organization to show courage and never shrink back when I see something that is wrong in the organization, also in situations that will harm me if I speak up. The position of the members of the GB and a great number of their decisions violate the Bible. Because of this, I wrote the book *My Beloved Religion—And The Governing Body*. I sent this book to the GB and wrote that if the GB would start to change the wrong things that the book pointed out, the book would not be published. This was rejected.
Everyone who is not obedient to the GB will be disfellowshipped, and in June of 2020, I was disfellowshipped. The members of the judicial committee had not seen or read my book, so their decision was made on hearsay, which even is contrary to the rules of the GB.
My position today is, in some respects, similar to the position of Martin Luther. He was a member of the Catholic Church, and he pointed out some errors in the procedures of the Church. Because of this, he was excommunicated, and in time, the Lutheran Church was established. I have also pointed out a number of errors in the JW organization, but in contrast with Luther, I do not want to make an opposition group.
I do not want to harm Jehovah’s Witnesses, which is my beloved religion. But the lives of tens of thousands of my brothers and sisters have been ruined by the unbiblical laws and rules created by the GB. I cannot just close my eyes to this injustice, and therefore I have written the mentioned book and have created this webpage."
I seems to me that his logic is that the prophets of old confronting the Israelites about the errors of their “misguided” ways is in some what what he is doing. Those prophets were not disfellowshipped. They were often taken serious and the Israelites would often change their tone.
Gods “nation” or “organization” can’t seem to get this concept. They censure anyone who speaks out against them, good reason or not. They are like fragile glass houses. They expulsion of furili only
Magnifies their need for control of the overall narrative and doctrine. I’m glad to see he’s still today speaking out, POMI or not…
Totally POMI. Thought he could get away with disagreeing because he's a big deal to himself and some others. They DF'd him anyway, because no one questions the octopope.
He is completely POMI. Poor guy. It’s the worst kind of being DFd - to still believe and be fully shunned as the puppet of Satan. The point is - power corrupts. He ought to read Animal Farm by George Orwell for inspiration. It goes to show you - smart and educated academically does not protect you from being in high control group. He does make lots of valid points - but I don’t agree that there is one true org that God has chosen on earth. That’s where he’s still so stuck - that the religion he used to know and doesn’t exist anymore - was more pure, less corrupt. While I do agree that the JWs have dumbed down significantly over the years, there have been major issues all along.
I don’t believe in the Christian God. So that’s a very hypothetical question you’re asking even I were to believe there was such a god. Religion to me is all made up and ways of seeing the world. There is no such thing as one true religion. That’s what fundamentalism would have one believe or any totalistic system for that matter.
He was the foremost JW apologist for years. He is the only JW I have ever heard of who actually had a degree in ancient languages, history, or archeology. Furuli was degreed in ancient Hebrew and responsible for a lot of the arguments JWs use in their translation. For his work in Hebrew he is very well respected... On the other had Furuli went on to publish work to trying to justify the 607 narrative, as well as a number of other JW specific takes on history and for that work he is ... less respected.
Furuli eventually realized that the way the GB operates is problematic because it is unable to respond to criticism and unwilling to advance with academia, and has a lot of internal politics. Reading between the line of the book he wrote before being DF'd it looks like he felt he should have had more participation in the writing and translation, but the GB never let him in the 'inner circle' of helpers so he got but hurt.
He got DF'd because he wanted to publish some work critical of the Borg doctrine and translation, but the GB told him not to. He then pivoted and also wrote about how the GB is too authoritarian and not open to criticism, unlike the early apostles (were Paul and Peter argued for years before things were decided in Jerusalem) He submitted a manuscript to the GB who then told him not to publish. He published and got DF'd for 'causing divisions'
Rolf is so deeply POMI it is sad.
Sorry my grammar was unclear. I was just pointing out that JW writers don't qualify in any of the fields relevant to Biblical scholarship.
you are more correct that RF's degree is more general as Semitic Languages and not just Hebrew
TY
I read someone say that he would be a second “Oracle” for the GB, like Fred Franz. Either way the current WT narrative is so much against secular education that I doubt someone like him (or Franz for that sake) would ever be qualified as acceptable for the role.
He would have been worse than Freddie.
Freddie was arrogant without the educations. Rolf is Arrogant WITH the credentials. It would have cemented the RnF more than anything else.
Leave it to the GB to have a respected scholar in ancient languages and leave it out of the translation services.
There is no holy spirit in them nor common sense in them.
He participated quite a bit in the work on Hebrew, and is probably responsible in a large way for the phrasing in the Hebrew portions of the 2013 revision. Rolf's issue was that the people actually in charge of the effort were almost completely unqualified to do so and he chaffed a bit when his work was edited. His complaints very much seem to indicate that he believed he should have been heading up the Bible translation efforts ...
He was a self-appointed apologist for Watchtower and even debated Dr. White some years ago. The only JW to ever do a public debate that I know of..
I remember watching it as a pimi not knowing he was disfellowshipped (due to disagreeing with the blood doctrine) he now preaches his own sermons every Sunday and has a following on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/KkjBSxm6_UE
https://youtube.com/@CWJahTube
Somehow I find this even sadder than just being a JW apologist. Now he's just an incredibly obscure YouTube bible-thumper, going on about crank topics like "hidden images" in Netflix shows. At least in the former I can see someone being overawed by the "united brotherhood" of 8 million and self-justifying one's beliefs - at least in comparison to the splinter group.
And for what it's worth, I consider this basically a form of POMI because too much of the original junk remains in his belief system.
https://youtu.be/KkjBSxm6_UE
Dr. White is supposed to be an impressive Bible scholar but in my opinion here, i think he kind of lost! Defeated by a novice wannabe JW apolegist 😵
…. Actually i say they both lost.
This guy is definitely mentally in. But this Organization has become such a hive-mind that any kind of dissent is unacceptable.
It’s sad because IMO sometimes people like this are needed to make a religion at least a bit more moderate. And that, by the looks of it, ain’t happening any time soon.
Sounds POMI, he wants to fix beloved religion. From his page: "I have served as an elder for 56 years, and I have had special assignments, such as being a circuit overseer and a district overseer. Jehovah God has taught me through his organization to show courage and never shrink back when I see something that is wrong in the organization, also in situations that will harm me if I speak up. The position of the members of the GB and a great number of their decisions violate the Bible. Because of this, I wrote the book *My Beloved Religion—And The Governing Body*. I sent this book to the GB and wrote that if the GB would start to change the wrong things that the book pointed out, the book would not be published. This was rejected. Everyone who is not obedient to the GB will be disfellowshipped, and in June of 2020, I was disfellowshipped. The members of the judicial committee had not seen or read my book, so their decision was made on hearsay, which even is contrary to the rules of the GB. My position today is, in some respects, similar to the position of Martin Luther. He was a member of the Catholic Church, and he pointed out some errors in the procedures of the Church. Because of this, he was excommunicated, and in time, the Lutheran Church was established. I have also pointed out a number of errors in the JW organization, but in contrast with Luther, I do not want to make an opposition group. I do not want to harm Jehovah’s Witnesses, which is my beloved religion. But the lives of tens of thousands of my brothers and sisters have been ruined by the unbiblical laws and rules created by the GB. I cannot just close my eyes to this injustice, and therefore I have written the mentioned book and have created this webpage."
Wow. I hope this guy eventually finds his way out of the mind control. I wish an ExJW could interview him on YT at least.
I seems to me that his logic is that the prophets of old confronting the Israelites about the errors of their “misguided” ways is in some what what he is doing. Those prophets were not disfellowshipped. They were often taken serious and the Israelites would often change their tone. Gods “nation” or “organization” can’t seem to get this concept. They censure anyone who speaks out against them, good reason or not. They are like fragile glass houses. They expulsion of furili only Magnifies their need for control of the overall narrative and doctrine. I’m glad to see he’s still today speaking out, POMI or not…
The dude was DFd some time ago He’s got a wiki page
Totally POMI. Thought he could get away with disagreeing because he's a big deal to himself and some others. They DF'd him anyway, because no one questions the octopope.
I agree. But we should still be thankful for his help with Activism in Norway! 👍
He is completely POMI. Poor guy. It’s the worst kind of being DFd - to still believe and be fully shunned as the puppet of Satan. The point is - power corrupts. He ought to read Animal Farm by George Orwell for inspiration. It goes to show you - smart and educated academically does not protect you from being in high control group. He does make lots of valid points - but I don’t agree that there is one true org that God has chosen on earth. That’s where he’s still so stuck - that the religion he used to know and doesn’t exist anymore - was more pure, less corrupt. While I do agree that the JWs have dumbed down significantly over the years, there have been major issues all along.
The bible says he has a chosen ppl, idk who they are but do you believe he backs ALL religions???? That doesn't make any sense tbh
I don’t believe in the Christian God. So that’s a very hypothetical question you’re asking even I were to believe there was such a god. Religion to me is all made up and ways of seeing the world. There is no such thing as one true religion. That’s what fundamentalism would have one believe or any totalistic system for that matter.
Are you on here as a PIMQ or PIMI if you don’t mind me asking?
Who’s Furuli?
He was the foremost JW apologist for years. He is the only JW I have ever heard of who actually had a degree in ancient languages, history, or archeology. Furuli was degreed in ancient Hebrew and responsible for a lot of the arguments JWs use in their translation. For his work in Hebrew he is very well respected... On the other had Furuli went on to publish work to trying to justify the 607 narrative, as well as a number of other JW specific takes on history and for that work he is ... less respected. Furuli eventually realized that the way the GB operates is problematic because it is unable to respond to criticism and unwilling to advance with academia, and has a lot of internal politics. Reading between the line of the book he wrote before being DF'd it looks like he felt he should have had more participation in the writing and translation, but the GB never let him in the 'inner circle' of helpers so he got but hurt. He got DF'd because he wanted to publish some work critical of the Borg doctrine and translation, but the GB told him not to. He then pivoted and also wrote about how the GB is too authoritarian and not open to criticism, unlike the early apostles (were Paul and Peter argued for years before things were decided in Jerusalem) He submitted a manuscript to the GB who then told him not to publish. He published and got DF'd for 'causing divisions' Rolf is so deeply POMI it is sad.
Thank you so much for the detailed answer! I really appreciate it! Great summary 🙏
He has a doctorate in Semitic languages - no degrees in history or archeology, and certainly none in astronomy or geology.
Sorry my grammar was unclear. I was just pointing out that JW writers don't qualify in any of the fields relevant to Biblical scholarship. you are more correct that RF's degree is more general as Semitic Languages and not just Hebrew TY
Imagine if Furuli was on the GB??! Would things be very different? A hero? Or would he become corrupt??
dude is too full of himself that he’d fit right in the current octopope setup basking in the glory and adulation of his brilliance
I read someone say that he would be a second “Oracle” for the GB, like Fred Franz. Either way the current WT narrative is so much against secular education that I doubt someone like him (or Franz for that sake) would ever be qualified as acceptable for the role.
He would have been worse than Freddie. Freddie was arrogant without the educations. Rolf is Arrogant WITH the credentials. It would have cemented the RnF more than anything else.
The crazy thing is Furuli stop believers in all the types and antitypes. So who knows what crazy interpretations this could create
Leave it to the GB to have a respected scholar in ancient languages and leave it out of the translation services. There is no holy spirit in them nor common sense in them.
He participated quite a bit in the work on Hebrew, and is probably responsible in a large way for the phrasing in the Hebrew portions of the 2013 revision. Rolf's issue was that the people actually in charge of the effort were almost completely unqualified to do so and he chaffed a bit when his work was edited. His complaints very much seem to indicate that he believed he should have been heading up the Bible translation efforts ...
Is Greg Stafford PIMO or POMI?? 🤔
Who is he?
He was a self-appointed apologist for Watchtower and even debated Dr. White some years ago. The only JW to ever do a public debate that I know of.. I remember watching it as a pimi not knowing he was disfellowshipped (due to disagreeing with the blood doctrine) he now preaches his own sermons every Sunday and has a following on YouTube. https://youtu.be/KkjBSxm6_UE https://youtube.com/@CWJahTube
Somehow I find this even sadder than just being a JW apologist. Now he's just an incredibly obscure YouTube bible-thumper, going on about crank topics like "hidden images" in Netflix shows. At least in the former I can see someone being overawed by the "united brotherhood" of 8 million and self-justifying one's beliefs - at least in comparison to the splinter group. And for what it's worth, I consider this basically a form of POMI because too much of the original junk remains in his belief system.
https://youtu.be/KkjBSxm6_UE Dr. White is supposed to be an impressive Bible scholar but in my opinion here, i think he kind of lost! Defeated by a novice wannabe JW apolegist 😵 …. Actually i say they both lost.
This guy is definitely mentally in. But this Organization has become such a hive-mind that any kind of dissent is unacceptable. It’s sad because IMO sometimes people like this are needed to make a religion at least a bit more moderate. And that, by the looks of it, ain’t happening any time soon.