What scriptural proof do they have that smoking is wrong? Where is it even mentioned in the bible?
2 Cor. 7:1. It’s a principle.
See, Jehovah has standards, even as a human father may have values and requirements as to behavior at home and in dealing with others. Jehovah provides laws, rules or clearly stated principles that indicate his moral standards and what he expects of humans. But as humans we might chafe at them when they conflict with some personal desire. We might minimize or take exception to his standards, feeling that our situation is an exception or demands a bending of the rules. That’s why many do not accept smoking as a sin, but it doesn’t erase the fact that a logical conclusion can be derived from that principle in 2 Cor. 7:1.
but if the couple were discussing their sex life with friends and someone was 'stumbled', they would undoubtedly report it to the elders.
Why would someone be talking about their sex life with their friends? The couple should shut their mouths. If they are reported to the elders, well it’s their fault in the first place for being idiots.
In fact, of the 4 cases of this I'm personally aware of 3 of them were reported from someone nosing in.
Then the problem is with those nosing in. What goes on in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom.
GB decided they were god's mouthpiece and questioning them was wrong, put it in their literature, and they started DFing for it.
I can see how this is an issue with you since you don’t believe that the Faithful and discreet slave is Jehovah’s channel. But for a loyal Witness this is a non-issue as the Witness can see Jehovah’s blessing upon his people. Of course this is something that you nor other ex-JWs would understand.
I suggest you bring this up in your reinstatement meeting and see what they say.
I might do just that. Of course the key is not to be stubborn in our beliefs and try to influence the friends into thinking as one does. The 1914 date is a non-issue to me. It’s not that I’m hard headed, but it’s the only logical conclusion that I have heard or read regarding the “seven times” period given in the book of Daniel.
Mind pointing out the scripture that dictates a group of self-appointed men can give the authority to others to destroy families based on literature that is not god's word?
There is no scripture that supports destroying families, that’s why Witnesses do not destroy families. Families are destroyed when a member decides go against Jesus’ teachings and the Bible. They are also destroyed by members that are stubborn in their own imperfect human ideas and try to destroy their faith. If the family is united in faith and knowledge then there is no division.
Syn: I understand your point on the rape thing. Although you could also see how someone that committed fornication could lie about it and call it rape in order to get away with it. Right?
'when jesus returned in 1914', did he pick the bible students to be his modern-day messengers?
Actually they were chosen by 1919. I will try to explain using a scripture:
Matthew 24:45-51
45"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?
Jesus asked this question as to not identify that servant right away, he then gave a sign as to how he would be identified. The key is “giving their food at the proper time”. That was the responsibility of that slave.
46It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
So now the master (Jesus Christ) arrives to make an inspection to see who is feeding the sheep with Bible truths and following his footsteps. He returns when he is enthroned as king of the Messianic Kingdom and then casts the dragon (Satan) out of heaven. JWs believe this happened in 1914 when he was enthroned (based on the 7-times prophesy in Daniel 4) and the casting of the dragon between 1914 and 1918
47I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
So Jesus is saying that whomever he finds giving the food at the proper time, then he will put that servant in charge of all his possessions. Well who did he find when he turned his attention to Earth after cleansing the heavens of Satan’s presence? Well he started an inspection of all religions and groups professing to be “Christians”. He found that almost all of these supposedly “Christians” were involved in politics and were accepting “The League of Nations” as the only solution to human problems instead of putting their backing on the Messianic Kingdom. I said almost because he found the little group of Bible Students that were researching the scriptures with the desire to find the truths. This little group did not just follow mainstream doctrines, but actually analyzed scriptures and then spread the good news of the Kingdom around the world. So Jesus put them in charge of all his possessions.
48But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This is what happened to the Christians involved in politics and the backing of The League of Nations and then the United Nations. They turned their back on the Messianic Kingdom, so they are now in spiritual obscurity.
I hope my explanation of this scriptures helps. I’m not too good at writing so excuse my sentence structure.
