The Passion of the Christ

by I-follow-the-narrow-path 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Kudra

  I took some easy cheese, squirtable, and some saltines for a snack.
  Was that wrong?
  
  -K
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  Mr. Kim

  Typical snuff film that could of been done a bit better. What is the sense of having special effects and the latest gizmos without using them to show the power of Christ? But I must admit that the movie did make a whole lot of money!!
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  JosephMalik

  I wonder how many know that it took nine hours from the time Pilate released Jesus to the event on Calvary when He was nailed up?

  John 19:12 NIV 12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." 13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

  It was the sixth hour during this Passover week or about 12 noon of Nisan 19. Preparation day for the Passover a special Sabbath that concluded the 7 th day of Passover would begin that day but in the evening or in about 6 or 7 hours. It would however take about 9 hours or well into this day of preparation that the trip to Calvary and the actual impalement of our Lord would take place from the time they led him away from Pilate. How do we know? Because Mark said in chapter 15 verses 24 and 25:

  Mark 15:24 NIV And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 25 It was the third hour when they crucified him.

  We know that it was the third hour of the night when they crucified him because time moves forward not backward. This could only be the third hour of the night and already Nisan 20 by now. This would also be an opportunity for the soldiers to relax and gamble over his garments during the night. Just as we have AM and PM today to describe time based on a Midnight and Noon reference the Jews measured time as Day and Night based on their evening to evening clocks. If we were following the events in real time, then we would be aware that it was already night when this crucifixion took place.

  The Nisan dates given here are also correct. Our Lord ate the Passover with His disciples on a Sabbath Day and was not executed on the exact time and date that such Lambs were killed. There are no scriptures, NONE, that require such timing as the entire week of Passover was provided for such events to unfold.

  Joseph
• 

  jwfacts

  I thought it was brilliant and it made me feel more for Jesus than 35 years of meetings. When I told one of my elders he was horrified that I would watch such false religious propoganda.
  One thing to note is that the brutal whipping is possibly overdone. It was not till the dark ages that the Catholic Church started to indicate that the beating was quite so vicious. I hope it was overdone as it was one of the most horrific things I have seen on film.
• 

  Dr Jekyll

  Elizabeth,

  It would be unfair of me NOT to point this out to you. You just chose of your own free will to watch a movie that Jehovah's witnesses BAN their followers from watching. The film contained ideas that go against their teachings and as such is considered to be apostate. If I were to have watched a film like that I would get into trouble down the Hall. If I chose to tell the Elders and brothers and sisters that I would watch whatever I wanted I could / would be disfellowshipped. That means I would be kicked out of the religion and my friends and family that are witnesses would no longer be able to talk to me any longer. They wouldn't even be able to nod a hello across the street.

  If you join the Jehovahs witnesses you will be told who you can and cant talk to, who you can and can't associate with, what films and music you can watch and listen to, who you can date, what you can and cant wear and even what websites you can look at. Your personal freedom will be gone.

  This is what Jehovah's witnesses are REALLY like.
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  I-follow-the-narrow-path

  Well.. they already preached at the hall... that it is bad to watch false movies. I know; however, what is right and what is not. Besides, they can not monitor everything I do, can they?
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  Dr Jekyll

  Besides, they can not monitor everything I do, can they?

  No they can't see what you get up to in your own home but they can and will monitor what you get up to outside of it.

  Witnesses are taught that it is important to keep the congregation spiritually clean. That means its important to identify the wrong doers and sinners and evict them from the congregation. They do this by encouraging brothers and sisters to inform the elders when they see or hear of another brother or sister misbehaving or doing something that goes against their teaching.

  So you might take that film back to the hire shop and be seen by a brother and sister who will make it their business to see what films you are watching and if it is dodgy they *will* report it back to the elder or in your case your study conductor.

  I know; however, what is right and what is not.

  Lol good for you. Unfortunately that's not a very good attitude to have if you want to be a witness. From the witness point of view we are all imperfect, that means we all make mistakes and all sin. Scripture says our hearts are treacherous, that means we wont always know what is right or wrong and for that reason witnesses are told NOT to think for themselves but rather to let the elders and their bosses think for us. Ultimately the Elders get their orders and their views from a bunch of 12 old men that live in Brooklyn (It's 10 now because two of them recently died) These old men have lived all their lives locked away from the rest of the world. they have no idea what life for a 17 year old girl is like out there in the world. Do you really want to let them tell you how you can live your life?
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  Merry Magdalene

  I-follow, I am so glad you are here, sharing your thoughts, expressing your feelings, asking questions, exploring, experimenting, making up your own mind on things. That is how it should be for a young woman!

  But that was not how it was for me, growing up JW. I quickly discovered that there was no one I could turn to with my doubts, my questions, my criticisms, my fears. And I had a lot of them! Although my mother tried to be understanding and encouraging, more than the rest, and cut me some slack because of my "artistic" nature, when I could not make myself accept, believe, and do everything I was taught by JWs, I was disfellowshipped and she had to shun me along with the rest, and so now I can share nothing deeply personal (nor anything light-hearted and fun) with her, our extended family, or any of my old friends.

  I wonder what you are getting from your studies and association with JWs that you think you cannot get elsewhere from a less controlling, more supportive, more Christian group...Have you "shopped around"? There are so many good reasons--spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical-- to avoid getting entangled with the JWs!!! You will find many, if not all of them addressed on this site. Do keep reading!

  My best wishes to you

  ~Merry
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  I-follow-the-narrow-path

  Well... I can not think for myself... at all, not really. I must think of what Jehovah wants and what the bible says. Sure the Elders are to tell others what to do, but they are of God... they follow the bible. Yes, I shopped around before coming to JW religion. I dabbed in Christianity (main stream), Buddhism, even atheism. I have been to other churchs and nothing I have been to is like the Kingdom Hall. They really have sense of closeness and family and my first time there was great. I felt so welcomed and happy there, I enjoy going there. And isn't it all just common sense? -- don't dress slutty -- don't swear-- don't dishonour God.
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  Merry Magdalene

  I am wondering...once you get a good look, will you be able to ignore the reality of those who have suffered harm as JWs and ex-JWs? and the information exposing the Watchtower's false teachings and dishonesty, in favour of the sugar-coated experience offered by JWs to all newcomers? I know what they offer is attractive to many--the bright hope of the all-you-can-eat-forever paradise buffet; the pre-chewed, pre-digested, "let us do all the thinking for you" spiritual food; the close-knit, loving, betray-your-friends-and-family at the drop of a hat association.

  Please do keep looking at this thing from all sides, and do pray for God's light. Whether you like it or not, you will have to think for yourself in deciding whether or not to accept something you are being taught as God's truth or man's truth. Someone's just saying they are teaching God's truth doesn't make it so. So you will have to be discriminating in what you will accept, or else just accept whatever. The consequences will be yours, and possibly your childrens' some ways down the line.

  As to The Passion of the Christ, I found it to be very intense, with a few very stand-out moments, that triggered some interesting thought processes. Have you seen The Last Temptation of Christ yet? Or The Gospel of John? They are profound in their own ways as well.

  ~Merry