Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 09-09-2012 WT Study (GOD/FREEDOM)

(Matthew 22:34-40) . . .After the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they came together in one group. 35 And one of them, versed in the Law, asked, testing him: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 He said to him: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.”

(John 13:34, 35) . . .I am giving YOU a new commandment, that YOU love one another; just as I have loved YOU, that YOU also love one another. 35 By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves.”

Yet the WTS/FDS/GB has followed the road of the Jewish religious leaders, expanding, adding and giving official explanations to the rank and file, beyond what the Bible says. “The Bible does not say” but……………

*** it-1p.1069Hebrew,II***

While the Bible does not specifically say , the implication is that the language in which Moses began the writing of the inspired Sacred Record was the same as that spoken by the first man.

*** w08 8/15 p. 10 par. 12 Maintain Loyalty With a Unified Heart ***

The Bible does not say why the younger prophet did not consult Jehovah before turning aside and eating and drinking with the older man. Could it be that the older man told him what he wanted to hear?

*** w07 12/1 p. 32 Did Jesus Own a Bible? ***

The Bible does not say if Jesus or his disciples owned personal copies of Bible scrolls.However, there is no question that Jesus was well-versed in the Scriptures, able to allude to or recite the Scriptures by heart.

*** w01 8/1 p. 31 Questions From Readers ***

Where was Daniel when the three Hebrews were tested before the huge image that Nebuchadnezzar had erected on the plain of Dura?

The Bible does not say , so no man today can establish Daniel’s whereabouts during that test.

Some have suggested that Daniel’s official rank or his standing in Nebuchadnezzar’s favor was higher than that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and that Daniel therefore was not obliged to go to the plain of Dura. Daniel 2:49 does indicate that for a time he had a position higher than that of his three companions. But we cannot prove that this exempted him from assembling with the others before the image.

Attempting to explain Daniel’s absence, others have said that he might have been away on an official assignment or that he was sick and thus unable to attend. However, the Bible does not say that.

*** w00 12/1 p. 30 Must You Believe It? ***

Actually, the Bible does not say that the earth is the center of the universe.

BUT THE WTS SAID………….

The constellation of the seven stars forming the Pleiades appears to be the crowning center around which the known systems of the planets revolve.... It has been suggested, and with much weight, that one of the stars of that group is the dwelling place of Jehovah and the place of the highest heavens;....

The constellation of the Pleiades is a small one compared with others which scientific instruments disclose to the wondering eyes of man. But the greatness in size of other stars or planets is small when compared to the Pleiades in importance, because the Pleiades is the place of the eternal throne of God.

J. F. Rutherford, Reconciliation, 1928, p. 14.

*** w98 1/15 p. 9 pars. 5-6 “Walking by Faith, Not by Sight” ***

Then God added: “As for me, here I am bringing the deluge of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh in which the force of life is active from under the heavens. Everything that is in the earth will expire.”—Genesis 6:14-17. Had there been rain prior to this? The Bible does not say.

*** w95 1/15 p. 28 Assembling With Those Who Fear God ***

In the talk “There Will Be a Resurrection of the Righteous,” the speaker raised an interesting question: “During that thousand-year Judgment Day, when will those who died faithful in these final years of Satan’s system of things be resurrected?”The answer? “The Bible does not say,” the speaker explained. “However, is it not logical that those who die in our day would be resurrected early in order to share with the great crowd of Armageddon survivors in the immense educational work that is to take place throughout Judgment Day? Yes, indeed!”

IF THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY…SERVING GOD OR THE WTS?

START OF ARTICLE

CAN YOU ANSWER?

How does Satan try to make

God’s laws appear burdensome?

Why must we be extremely

careful about our associates?

What will help us to remain loyal

to the God of freedom?

1. How does Jehovah view freedom, and how did he show

that in his dealings with Adam and Eve?

JEHOVAH is the only Person with absolute freedom.

Yet, he never misuses it; nor does he monopolize

freedom by micromanaging his servants.

Instead, he has given them free will, which

allows them to use initiative and satisfy all their

proper desires. For example, God gave Adam and

Eve only one restrictive command—the prohibition

against eating from “the tree of the knowledge of

good and bad.” (Gen. 2:17) What an amazing degree

of freedom they had in carrying out their Creator’s

will!

COMMENTS

Does God have absolute freedom or does he have to obey they physical and moral laws he has set up?

600 plus laws in the Law is not “micromanaging”? The WTS has even more “laws” for the same reason the Talmud was developed, the religious leaders could not allow the rank and file to choose.

Only one “restrictive” command for Adam but how many for his descendants and how many from the WTS? The WTS lets each elder body to make their own rules to keep “order” in the congregation. It is not surprising how each body has different “rules.” In one congregation, MS/elders allowed to have mustaches, in others only black and Hispanic brothers, and in another, no mustaches at all.

2. Why did our original parents lose their God-given freedom?

2 Why did God grant our original parents so much

freedom? He formed them in his image and gave

them a conscience, rightly expecting that their love

for him as their Creator would guide them in the

right way. (Gen. 1:27; Rom. 2:15) Sadly, Adam and

Eve failed to appreciate their wonderful Life-Giver

and the freedom that he had given them. Instead,

they chose the illegitimate freedom offered by Satan,

which was moral independence. But instead of finding

more freedom, our original parents sold themselves

and their future offspring into bondage to sin,

with disastrous consequences.—Rom. 5:12.

COMMENTS

Does the WTS teach that both men and women are in God’s image?

*** w727/15p.445Woman’sRegardforHeadship—HowDemonstrated?***

Woman, too, was created with these qualities. However, her position is different from that of the man. The Bible tells us: "[Man] is God’s image and glory; but the woman is man’s glory." (1 Cor. 11:7) But why does not this text say that the woman also is God’s "image"?

It should be remembered that man was created first and for some time was alone, being in God’s image by himself. The woman was made from the man and was to be subject to the man. The woman’s position thus is one that cannot reflect God’s position ofheadship toward his creatures, and it is this matter of headship that is discussed in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Jehovah God is not subject to anyone. Unlike the woman, the man does not have an earthly head over him when it comes to matters relating to his wife and children. Hence in this respect he alone is "God’s image." In other respects, of course, the woman shares with the man in reflecting the admirable and lovable qualities of God.

Right way = free will?

Did Adam and Eve have any idea that there was a Satan and that it was he Eve was talking to…not a snake?

3, 4. How does Satan try to deceive us with regard to Jehovah’s

standards?

3 If Satan could induce two perfect humans—not

to mention a number of spirit creatures—to reject

God’s sovereignty, he could deceive us too. His strategy

remains much the same. He tries to mislead

us into thinking that God’s standards are

burdensome and rob us of fun and excitement.

(1 John 5:3) That thinking can exert

a lot of power if we are repeatedly exposed

to it. “Bad association greatly influenced

me, especially because I was

afraid of having a different opinion from

my peers,” said a 24-year-old sister who

had engaged in sexual immorality. Perhaps

you have experienced similar peer

pressure.

COMMENTS

But remember that Job was faithful without even knowing who was testing him, supposedly Satan. Does the WTS say that each jw is being personally tested by Satan or by his system?

1 Corinthians 15:33 is talking about association in the congregation, not just outside.

*** w044/1 p.13 par.13***The Bible wisely admonishes us: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) Bad associations can involve anything or anyone—even within the congregation—reflecting the spirit of the world.

*** w80 6/15 p.19par.13***

Even in the Christian congregation there may be an environment or association that is spiritually not most helpful. Some who recently came out of the world and symbolized their dedication to God by water baptism may tend to bring into the congregation something that still clings to them—a measure of worldliness… Today, in the congregation, do we gravitate toward members who still smack of worldliness? They regularly indulge in it and want to have the company of other members so as to feel a measure of justification for their frequent indulgence. Do we let our social environment or association inside the congregation hinder us in running well in the race for everlasting life? Do we allow congregation members who still incline to worldliness to persuade us into taking the same direction that they are taking, because it is so pleasing to our fallen flesh?

While God’s standards are not burdensome, the WTS are much like the religious leaders of Jesus day.

*** cl chap.15 pp.152-153 pars.10-***

The religious leaders buried God’s Law under a mass of man-made rules and regulations. The Sabbath law, for instance, simply forbade work on the Sabbath, setting that day aside for worship, spiritual refreshment, and rest. But the Pharisees made a burden of that law. They took it upon themselves to decide just what “work” meant. They labeled as work 39 different activities, such as reaping or hunting. These categories gave rise to endless questions. If a man killed a flea on the Sabbath, was he hunting? If he plucked a handful of grain to eat as he walked along, was he reaping? If he healed someone who was ill, was he working? Such questions were addressed with rigid, detailed rules.

In such a climate, how was Jesus to help people understand what justice is? In his teachings and in the way he lived, he took a courageous stand against those religious leaders. Consider first some of his teachings. He directly condemned their myriad man-made rules, saying: “You make the word of God invalid by your tradition which you handed down.”—Mark 7:13.

(Matthew 23:1-4) . . .Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying: 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the seat of Moses. 3 Therefore all the things they tell YOU, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but do not perform. 4 They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger.

4 Sadly, on occasion negative peer influence

can also come from within the

Christian congregation. “I have known

some young ones who dated nonbelievers,”

said a Witness youth. “Eventually,

though, it struck me that the more I

hung around with them, the more I was

becoming like them. My spirituality began

to suffer. I was not enjoying the spiritual

food at the meetings, and I barely

went out in service. This was my signal

to cut off those associates, and I did!”

Are you aware of the power that your

associates can have on you? Consider a

timely Bible example.—Rom. 15:4.

COMMENTS

What about hanging around the gossipy men and women in the congregation as they share confidential information, make up information, and judge people as unworthy?

The WTS tells members that even if the food is not well-prepared, you should still come and eat.

Associates such as Saul, David, Bathsheba, Solomon, all examples to follow?

HE STOLE THEIR HEARTS

5, 6. How did Absalom mislead others, and

did his scheme succeed?

5 The Bible contains many examples

of those who were a bad influence on

others. One such example is Absalom, a

son of King David. Absalom was an exceptionally

good-looking man. In time,

however, like Satan, he let greedy ambition

fill his heart, for he began to covet

his father’s throne, to which he was not

entitled.* In a sly attempt to seize the

kingship, Absalom feigned deep concern

for his fellow Israelites while cleverly

insinuating that the king’s court

lacked regard for them. Yes, just like the

Devil in the garden of Eden, Absalom

presented himself as a benefactor, at the

same time cruelly maligning his own father.—

2 Sam. 15:1-5.

*God’s promise to David of a future “seed” to

inherit the throne was given after Absalom’s birth.

Therefore, Absalom should have known that Jehovah

had not chosen him as David’s successor.—2 Sam.

3:3; 7:12.

COMMENTS

Remember Absalom’s full-sister Tamar was raped by her half-brother Amnon. And what did David do?

(2 Samuel13:21) And King David himself heard about all these things, and he became very angry.

But not willing to do the just thing betting Absalom and Tamar did not want this made public.

(Leviticus 20:17) . . .“‘And where a man takes his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother, and he does see her nakedness, and she herself sees his nakedness, it is shame. So they must be cut off before the eyes of the sons of their people. It is the nakedness of his sister that he has laid bare. He should answer for his error.

6 Did Absalom’s clever scheme succeed?

To some extent, yes, for the Bible

account states: “Absalom kept stealing

the hearts of the men of Israel.” (2 Sam.

15:6) In the end, though, Absalom’s arrogance

led to his own downfall. And

tragically, it also led to his death and the

death of the thousands who were overreached

by him.—2 Sam. 18:7, 14-17.

COMMENTS

Remember David was an adulterer, had a man murdered to cover up his capital offense. Yet God let him live.

7. What lessons can we learn from the account

about Absalom? (See picture on page 14.)

7 Why were those Israelites so easily

deceived? Perhaps they desired the

things Absalom promised them. Or

maybe they were swayed by his physical

appearance. Whatever the case, we

can be sure of this: They lacked loyalty

to Jehovah and his appointed king. Today,

Satan continues to use “Absalom's”

in his attempt to steal the hearts of Jehovah’s

servants. ‘Jehovah’s standards are

too restrictive,’ they may say. ‘And look

at all those people who do not serve Jehovah.

They have all the fun!’ Will you

see through such contemptible lies and

remain loyal to God? Will you recognize

that only Jehovah’s “perfect law,”

the law of the Christ, can lead you to

true freedom? (Jas. 1:25) If so, cherish

that law, and never be tempted to misuse

your Christian freedom.—Read 1 Peter

2:16.

COMMENTS

Perhaps….maybe…mmmm….speculation, adding to the bible….

Should they have been loyal to an adulterer and murderer, a man whose deliberate sin having a census done let to the death of 70,000 innocent people by David’s choice?

“Look at all those people who do not follow men,” the GB, the WTS, who have misrepresented God is more like it. How many lies has the WTS and its representatives told.

http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/changed-watchtower-teachings.php

8. What real-life examples illustrate that happiness

does not result from disregarding Jehovah’s

standards?

8 Young people in particular are a

target of Satan. A brother who is now

in his 30’s said about his teen years:

“I viewed Jehovah’s moral standards as

a restriction, not as a protection.” As a

result, he committed sexual immorality.

But this brought him no happiness.

“Deep feelings of guilt and remorse surfaced

for many years,” he said. Reflecting

on her teen years, a sister wrote: “After

committing immorality, you feel cold

and empty. Even now after 19 years, bad

memories come back.” Another sister

stated: “The thought that my conduct

crushed the people I love so much had

a mentally, spiritually, and emotionally

devastating effect on me. It is terrible

to live without Jehovah’s favor.” Satan

does not want you to think about such

consequences of sin.

COMMENTS

Young people…why then did Satan target an old man like Job?

Are young people most likely to commit immorality? Name someone in the bible, young, whose story includes immorality?

So after 19 years, she can’t forgive herself and supposedly God has? Is it living without God’s favor or that of judgmental people in the WTS organization.

At least she didn’t have anyone murdered to cover up her sin like David did.

9. (a) What questions can help us to analyze

our view of Jehovah and his laws and principles?

(b)Why is it important to know God well?

9 How sad that many young ones in

the truth—and even a number of older

ones—have had to learn the hard

way that sinful pleasures often come

at great cost! (Gal. 6:7, 8) So ask yourself:

‘Do I recognize Satan’s schemes for

what they really are—cruel deceptions?

Do I view Jehovah as my closest Friend,

the one who always tells the truth and

wants what is best for me? Am I fully

convinced that he would never withhold

from me something that is truly

good and will result in my greatest happiness?’

(Read Isaiah 48:17, 18.) In order

to say a heartfelt yes, you need to

have more than a superficial knowledge

of Jehovah. You need to know him intimately

and recognize that Bible laws

and principles reflect his love for you,

not a desire to hem you in.—Ps. 25:14.

COMMENTS

Why is it that rarely does the WTS encourage its members to be Jesus’ friend?

While God may not withhold his forgiveness, how long does it take jws to forgive?

Bible laws—only 2 for Christians per Jesus. How many does the WTS have?

*** w07 6/15 p.20***The above words of Peter, though, call our attention to a danger—that of elders’ “lording it over” the congregation. One step in that direction is an elder’s making unnecessary rules. Out of a strong sense of obligation to protect the flock, an elder might go too far. In one congregation in the Orient, elders made rules on how to greet others in the Kingdom Hall—such as who should speak first—believing that following these rules would contribute to the peace of the congregation. Though the motives were no doubt good, were those elders imitating Jehovah’s care for his people? Significantly, the apostle Paul’s mental attitude was reflected in his words: “Not that we are the masters over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, for it is by your faith that you are standing.” (2 Corinthians 1:24) Jehovah trusts his people.

YET

*** w96 9/1 p.20 par.3***

Indeed, Christians are obligated to observe all commands in the Bible that are directed to followers of Christ. And there is more. Jehovah’s organization, as well as individual congregations, has to establish necessary rules and procedures in order to preserve good order. (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40) Why, Christians could not even meet together if they had no rules as to when, where, and how to hold such meetings! (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Cooperating with reasonable guidelines laid down by those given authority in the organization is also a part of fulfilling the law of the Christ.—Hebrews 13:17.

Pictures

How can we identify modern-day Absaloms and guard ourselves against them?

PRAY FOR A WISE AND

OBEDIENT HEART

10. Why should we strive to imitate young

King Solomon?

10 When he was still a young man,

Solomon humbly said in prayer: “I am

but a little boy. I do not know how to

go out and how to come in.” He then

prayed for a wise and obedient heart.

(1 Ki. 3:7-9, 12) Jehovah answered that

sincere request, and he will do the

same for you, whether you are young

or old. Of course, Jehovah will not give

you miraculous insight and wisdom. But

he will make you wise if you earnestly

study his Word, pray for holy spirit,

and take full advantage of the spiritual

provisions made available through

the Christian congregation. (Jas. 1:5) Indeed,

by these means, Jehovah makes

even his young servants wiser than all

those who ignore his counsel, even the

so-called “wise and intellectual ones” of

this world.—Luke 10:21; read Psalm 119:

98-100.

COMMENTS

Did Solomon retain an obedient heart, did he ignore God’s counsel…he died an unrepentant “apostate” having married non-believers and followed and supported them in their beliefs.

11-13. (a) What valuable lessons can we learn

from Psalm 26:4, Proverbs 13:20, and 1 Corinthians

15:33? (b) How would you apply these

Scriptural principles?

11 To illustrate the value of studying

the Bible and meditating on what we

read so that we can come to know Jehovah

intimately, consider the following

scriptures. Each one contains an important

principle regarding our choice of

associates: “I have not sat with men of

untruth; and with those who hide what

they are I do not come in.” (Ps. 26:4) “He

that is walking with wise persons will

become wise, but he that is having dealings

with the stupid ones will fare badly.”

(Prov. 13:20) “Bad associations spoil

useful habits.”—1 Cor. 15:33.

COMMENTS

Do jws study the bible or only snippets and citations (looked up?), in context?

So no knowing Jesus intimately?

Well, if jws applied Psalm 26:4, they could not attending any meetings, assemblies or conventions of jws.

Stupid ones…the same people who said organ transplants were cannibalism from 1967 to 1980, and then said it was a personal choice from 1980. So what about the jws that died between 1967 and 1980, frightened of displeasing God and being case out?

12 What valuable lessons can we learn

from those texts? (1) Jehovah wants us

to be selective about our associates. He

wants to protect us morally and spiritually.

(2) We are influenced for good or

for bad by the people with whom we associate;

that is simply a fact of life. The

way the verses above are worded shows

that Jehovah is appealing to our heart.

How so? Notice that none of the verses

are set out as rules, such as “you must

not . . .” Rather, they are written as plain

statements of truth. In effect, Jehovah is

saying to us: ‘Here are the facts. How

will you respond? What is in your heart?’

COMMENTS

What about the liars and those who hide who they are in the congregation, elders who have been adulterers for 20 years or pedophiles?

So were their statements about transplants facts?

13 Finally, because the three verses

are set out as basic truths, they are timeless

and have a very broad application.

To illustrate, ask yourself such questions

as: How can I avoid associating with individuals

“who hide what they are”? In

what situations might I come in contact

with such ones? (Prov. 3:32; 6:12) Who

are the “wise persons” with whom Jehovah

wants me to associate? Who are the

“stupid ones” he wants me to avoid? (Ps.

111:10; 112:1; Prov. 1:7) What “useful

habits” will I ruin by choosing bad associates?

Will I encounter bad associates

only in the world? (2 Pet. 2:1-3) How

would you answer these questions?

COMMENTS

How about the sisters who gossip in service, including elders wives and pioneers? Are they stupid ones?

Or the elder who said during a public talk that DisneyWorld was the closest thing to the kingdom on earth?

14. How can you enrich your Family Worship

evening?

14 Having thus reasoned on the Scriptures,

why not examine other Bible texts

that reveal God’s thinking on matters

that concern you or your family?* Parents,

consider discussing such topics

during your Family Worship evening. As

you do, keep in mind that your goal is to

help each family member to appreciate

more fully the depth of God’s love for us

as revealed in his laws and principles.

(Ps. 119:72) Indeed, such study should

draw all in the family closer to Jehovah

and to one another.

*Good examples are 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, where

Paul describes love, and Psalm 19:7-11, which sets

out the many blessings that result from obedience to

Jehovah’s laws.

COMMENTS

Reasoned on the scriptures, snippets not in context, ideas that will change 13 years later as the WTS did with organ transplants.

15. How can you discern if you are developing

a wise and obedient heart?

15 How can you tell if you are developing

a wise and obedient heart? One way

is to compare your thinking with that of

the faithful ones of old, such as King David,

who wrote: “To do your will, O my

God, I have delighted, and your law is

within my inward parts.” (Ps. 40:8) Likewise,

the writer of Psalm119 said: “How

I do love your law! All day long it is my

concern.” (Ps. 119:97) Such love does

not grow in shallow soil. Rather, it is a

result of deep study, prayer, meditation,

and experience—seeing in one’s own life

the countless blessings that result from

adhering to God’s standards.—Ps. 34:8.

COMMENTS

Like David’s thinking…taking another man’s wife and then having him killed to cover up his capital offense. Even later conducting a census, and then choosing a punishment that leads to the deaths of 70,000 innocent people, not David’s death.

FIGHT FOR YOUR CHRISTIAN FREEDOM!

16. What must we realize if we are going to win

our fight for true freedom?

16 Throughout history, nations have

waged brutal wars in the name of freedom.

How much more, then, should you

Be willing to fight spiritually for your

Christian freedom! Realize that your enemies

Are not just Satan, the world, and

Its poisonous spirit. You also have to

contend with your own imperfections,

including a treacherous heart. (Jer. 17:9;

Eph. 2:3) Yet, with Jehovah’s help, you

can win the fight. What is more, each

victory—large or small—will have at least

two positive effects. First, you will make

Jehovah’s heart rejoice. (Prov. 27:11)

Second, as you taste the liberating power

of God’s “perfect law that belongs to

freedom,” you will become even more

determined to remain on the ‘narrow

road’ to everlasting life. In time, you will

enjoy the more expansive freedom that

lies ahead for Jehovah’s loyal ones.—Jas.

1:25; Matt. 7:13, 14.

COMMENTS

Though does the WTS laws and rules liberate people?

CARROT: everlasting life

Loyal ones – only jws

17. Why should we not get downhearted about

our imperfections, and what help does Jehovah

provide?

17 At times, of course, we all make

mistakes. (Eccl. 7:20) When that occurs,

do not feel worthless or overly discouraged.

If you stumble, so to speak, get up

and move forward—even if that means

asking the local elders for help. Their

“prayer of faith,” wrote James, “will

make the indisposed one well, and Jehovah

will raise him up. Also, if he has

committed sins, it will be forgiven him.”

(Jas. 5:15) Yes, never forget that God is

truly merciful and that he drew you into

the congregation because he saw your

potential. (Read Psalm 103:8, 9.) So as

long as you maintain a complete heart

toward Jehovah, he will never give up on

you.—1 Chron. 28:9.

COMMENTS

Yes, the elders and others in the congregation will do that for you, make you feel worthless and OVERLY discouraged.

So do the elders have the power to forgive sins (or rather say that sins have not been forgiven)? How many jws do think though the elders have the power to forgive sins?

*** w96 4/15 p.29***Furthermore, elders today do not have divine authority to forgive serious wrongdoing in the sense of pronouncing a serious sinner clean in the eyes of Jehovah. This kind of forgiveness has to be on the basis of the ransom sacrifice, and only Jehovah can forgive on that basis.—Psalm 32:5; Matthew 6:9, 12; 1 John 1:9.

18. How can we act in harmony with Jesus’

prayer recorded at John 17:15?

18 While praying on his last night

with his 11 faithful apostles, Jesus said

these unforgettable words in their behalf:

“Watch over them because of the

wicked one.” (John 17:15) Jesus’ concern

was not limited to his apostles, but it extends

to all his followers. Hence, we can

be sure that Jehovah will answer Jesus’

prayer by watching over us during these

critical times. “For those walking in integrity

[Jehovah] is a shield . . . He will

guard the very way of his loyal ones.”

(Prov. 2:7, 8) Yes, the way of integrity is

not without its challenges, but it is the

only way to everlasting life and true freedom.

(Rom. 8:21) Let no one lure you

from it!

COMMENTS

So does the WTS really teach that each and every jw is individually target by Satan?

Does the WTS promise individual protection?

*** w08 9/15 p.9 par.8***

As individuals, we know that our immediate physical protection is not guaranteed. We take the position expressed by the three faithful Hebrews who refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s image of gold. Those God-fearing young men did not presume that Jehovah would miraculously protect them from physical harm. (Read Daniel 3:17, 18. ) As matters turned out, Jehovah did deliver them from the flames of the fiery furnace. (Dan. 3:21-27) Even in Bible times, however, miraculous deliverance was the exception rather than the rule. Many faithful servants of Jehovah died at the hands of opposers.—Heb. 11:35-37.

Integrity to God or the WTS or is the same thing?

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

So how free can jws be if they can’t even have meetings without rules?

NEXT WEEK, “OF WHOM SHALL I BE IN DREAD?”

Who do/did you fear as a jw?

Love, Blondie

ziddina

Yay Blondie!!!

Thank you very much...

Chemical Emotions

:)

ziddina

"Does the WTS teach that both men and women are in God's image?

*** w727/15p.445Woman'sRegardforHeadship-HowDemonstrated?***

Woman, too, was created with these qualities. However, her position is different from that of the man. The Bible tells us: "[Man] is God's image and glory; but the woman is man's glory." (1 Cor. 11:7) But why does not this text say that the woman also is God's "image"?

"It should be remembered that man was created first and for some time was alone, being in God's image by himself. The woman was made from the man and was to be subject to the man. The woman's position thus is one that cannot reflect God's position ofheadship toward his creatures, and it is this matter of headship that is discussed in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Jehovah God is not subject to anyone. Unlike the woman, the man does not have an earthly head over him when it comes to matters relating to his wife and children. Hence inthisrespect he alone is "God's image." In other respects, of course, the woman shares with the man in reflecting the admirable and lovable qualities of God. ..." Blondie's comments & other quotes, paragraph 2

Now THIS is why I've always preferred the "Lillith" mythologies...

JW GoneBad

Title of this week's WT study lesson: 'Serve the God of Freedom'. Yet the following list of WT No's was ringing in my head:

No toasting, no holding hands and embracing at meetings during prayer and song, no higher education, no associating with disfellowshipped, no birthdays, no blood, no masturbating, no holiday celebrations, no beards, no worldly friends, no politics, no flag salute, no dating, no after school sports, no women teachers in the congregation, no overtime at work, no charitable work, no interfaith, no tolerance of gay lifestyle, no Sparlock, No! No! No!

Witness My Fury

Serve the God of Freedom, ...oh the irony right there.

Anator

The first paragraph states that God does not micro-manage his servants, but my goodness, his servants do that in the congregation. Elders are the highest example of micro-managing, and they are creating a Hugh problem. They believe that they must check on every detail, their style is symptomatic of insecurity or paranoia. This style is based on a lack of faith and trust in other people. And, it is repressive. It leads to little growth, it discourages any personal growth of self-development, it focuses on problems of detail, and discourages teamwork and mis-trust with one another in the congregation. Eventually it may bring about the failure of a congregation. This was one of my biggest pet peeves.

WTWizard

The first sentence of the article is the first thing I have seen in quite a while that is actually the truth. Too bad that everything after that is lies.

In addition to the lying, I noticed how about half of the article is about Tyrant David (under him, no freedom) and Solomon. Is this a Christian religion? They seem to be relying so much on Old Testament information, more pertinent to Jews, than on New Testament information. They tie it a little into Jesus, but they seem to emulate the Pharisaic Jews much more than the basic Christian laws. The hounders' handbook is almost like the Talmud, and many a hounder has another Talmud's worth of rules for his congregation. This is not Christian!

Not to mention, Christian "freedom(??)" is full of problems. They are as guilty, courtesy of Paul, of homophobia, suppressing sex, and putting women down as the Jews and Muslims. Satan only wants mankind to develop our own souls, and that includes sex. The guilt and shame are merely symptoms of the deep rooted sex hang-ups that Jehovah wants us to have. Suppose someone was known as being promiscuous, yet had the ability to use magick to heal. That would prevent this person from spreading, or even getting, AIDS or other diseases--and the partner would no longer have it either. What if this magick also prevented unwanted pregnancy? That would be better than celibacy for all partners involved.

Also, under Christian "freedom(??)", at least the washtowel version, I have to worry myself sick about Christmas. No enjoying Christmas lights or music. Worrying myself sick about what kind of music to listen to. No Internet without guilt, except a few whitelisted sites. Being watched all the while at the boasting sessions. Being hounded to pious-sneer. Getting destroyed if I break a rule. A dedication, which by the way has no terminus--you are supposed to serve that Almighty Lowlife Scumbag even in any and every reincarnation you ever have in any form.

If this is "freedom(??)", I think I will stick to what the washtowel blasphemously calls Satanic "tyranny". At least that carries the only and final hope for my salvation, my final hope for a decent outcome, and genuine freedom to live within reason. The only sin is stupidity--sure beats the multitude of sins found in the washtowel.

nuthouse escapee

Thanks once again Blondie for the review. I had to laugh at the 1st sentence about Jehovah not micro-managing his servants. If they only would have quit while they were telling the truth. The WT is no different than the Pharisees. There are so many stupid rules from the GB & then individual congregations seem to have added rules in varying degrees of ridiculous depending on where one lives.

I had never noticed when I was still in about the so-called good examples we should follow actually being very bad examples in reality, David, Solomon etc. Stupid Cult! Leslie

Elephant

blondie-

600 plus laws in the Law is not “micromanaging”?The WTS has even more “laws” for the same reason the Talmud was developed, the religious leaders could not allow the rank and file to choose.

...unless, of course, the rank and file want to leave...which by the way...they have always been able to blondie.

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 09-09-2012 WT Study (GOD/FREEDOM)

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