I am not in good standing, but inactive. I have not been disfellowshipped or disassosiated. I was pretty close to becoming an Ministerial Servant, before I got tired of the nonsense with my "loving" brothers and sisters and left. So, you can listen to my answers if you want, or not. Whatever. I went by the "party: line of the WTS, which is clearly laid out there. Getting it from some weirdo who is obviously not too stable like that guy is up to you.
questions for SwordOfJah and others like him
by SpiceItUp 102 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-
-
SwordOfJah
You people have such a special way to welcoming dialogue. Now I can see why the Faithful and Discreet Slave give such strong warnings against forums such as this.
SPICEITUP:
O.k. I understand why you asked the questions and you made a good point on why I should answer these, so I will give it a shot. I do realize that most of the posters to this thread will ridicule my answers and even insult my intelligence but I am willing to take this abuse if it will help you comunicate better with your folks. I do wish you the best. I will not bore you with complicated answers, just simple and straight-forward:
O.k. here are my answers.
Can individuals read & understand the Bible alone, or do they need an organization and it’s publications to do so?
An individual will not understand the full message of the Bible without the guidance of Jehovah and his spirit. In the 1st century, Jehovah's spirit guided the christians to teach other and explain scriptures. Similarily, Jehovah's spirit now guides his people, Jehovah's Witnesses, to do the same.
Can Jehovah’s Witness hold and discuss openly with other Jehovah’s Witnesses opinions that differ from orthodox Watch Tower doctrine? Is there any valid reason for a person to decide that he does not wish to belong to the Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Doctrines are not open to debates. Conversations among JWs are common in regards to Bible prophesy, for example I recently had an interesting conversation with an elder about the King of the North and the evidence of Bible Prophecy fulfillments in todays news.
1 Corinthians 1:10 " Now I exhort YOU, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that YOU should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among YOU, but that YOU may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought. "
What is God’s proper name “Yahweh” or “Jehovah”?
In the English language, it is proper to use "Jehovah"
Did President Fred Franz get an Rhodes Scholarship offer from the Rhodes Scholarship organization? If not, why did he testify under oath that he was offered one, and why was this information published in Watch Tower publications?
I don't see why I would care about this or any other JW.
The "Proclaimers" book said this on the subject: " Frederick William Franz was born in Covington, Kentucky, U.S.A., on September 12, 1893. In 1899 the family moved to Cincinnati, where Frederick graduated from high school in 1911. He then entered the University of Cincinnati, taking a liberal arts course. He had decided that he would become a Presbyterian preacher, so he vigorously applied himself to the study of Bible Greek. At the university Frederick was chosen to receive a Rhodes scholarship, qualifying him for admission to Oxford University in England. However, before an announcement could be made, Frederick lost all interest in the scholarship and asked that his name be dropped from the list of contestants."
Did the Watch Tower and the Governing Body currently teach that Armageddon will come before the close of the twentieth century according to information published in the January 1, 1989 Watch Tower? Also, why were the dates in the article changed to not be specific to the twentieth century when it was published in the bound form at the end of the year?
I've seen the "supposed" conspiracy theories of apostates on this subject. To be honest, it's very lame. O.k. so they screwed up by saying "Twentieth" century. So what? I'm surprised that it was not caught before publication, but oh well. But what can we do? stone the writer to death?
Did the Watch Tower and the Governing body believe and publish information that Jesus’s 1000 year millenial reign would take place in 1975?
No publication said that "Armageddon WILL occur in 1975". Did the JWs believe that it could happen, yes. At the time they thought it could be a possibility. They were wrong and it was a hard lesson learned by all JWs.
Did the Watch Tower and the Governing Body believe that in or around 1925 there would be an awakening of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and others mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, and that there would be an end to death at that time?
It's hard to know the mentality around that year, since I wasn't around at that time. I guess by some publications, it seemed that that was a belief, but it wasn't the most importante aspect of the organization. In 1925, they were promoting the preaching of the Good News, which is much more significant.
Did the Watch Tower and the Governing Body believe that the year 1914 was the beginning of the Armageddon of the Scriptures?
They knew that 1914 would be siginificant. They weren't sure how since Jehovah reveiled information as it was needed. They were right about 1914 being significant and that's what's important.
Is any portion of the Watch Tower or the Governing Body to be considered a prophet of God, or the voice of God? Do the Governing Body or its associated corporations have better information from God or have a more direct channel to or from God’s thoughts than others? If this is true why has God changed his opinion, based on Watchtower teachings, so many times in Watch Tower history?
Jehovah uses his holy spirit to guide the Governing Body and those in roles of responsability within the Organization. God has NOT changed his opinion, but has revealed information and understanding throughout time to his people. He has in the past accepted one thing and then discarded it, see the Law of Moses as an example.
Why were the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Mexico at one time told to not use Bibles, not hold prayers, not sing religious songs, and deny that they were part of a religious group, but were simply part of a “Cultural” group even though religious groups were not in any way prohibited by the Mexican government at the time? Did it have anything to do with the Watch Tower or the Governing Body’s desire to own property in Mexico, which was prohibited under Mexican law, rather than be known as a religion?
This is really part of the dumbest acusation that apostates have against JWs. They keep saying that JWs are guided by money and are only interested in owning property. Any honest JW or even ex-JW will have to admit that this is just not true. Our Mexican brothers had to do what they had to do to worship and spread the Good News among their countrymen, and that's what they did without breaking Jehovah's laws.
Was Beth-Sarim, the Mansion owned and operated by the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society in San Diego and used by Joe Rutherford in the 1920’s built as a residence for Enoch and other holy men from the Bible when they were expected to rise from the dead in 1925 by the Watch Tower?
Yes. But come on, you're really going to hold this against JWs? JWs usually look at this as a joke and just simply say that "Rutherford" must be up in heaven saying "What the heck was I thinking?".
Hope this helps.
-
shamus
Uh - sorry swordofjah -
I was not ridiculing you. Just giving you a point blank expression of what is going to happen to you if you don't confess to your elders. Be honest, swordofjah, they don't strongly recommend that you do not come to these sites - they insist, and, if you told anyone in your congregation, you would be shown the door. They would all call you APOSTATE. You do not seem apostate to me, even though you hold on to the teachings that you were taught, right?
The choice is again yours - either go confess to the elders, and be saved, and never come back here - or keep silent, and die at armageddon. It is your choice. Jesus called people scribes and pharisees and did not get disfellowshiped - why should you?
Please don't call us horrible people when you yourself choose to come here. You hide behind cyberspace, just like all of us, really. But, you are going to die at armageddon. Doesn't that seem totally stupid to you? After all the work you have done in your congregation?
-
Valis
You people have such a special way to welcoming dialogue. Now I can see why the Faithful and Discreet Slave give such strong warnings against forums such as this.
Don't let the door hit you in the ass chief! Oh and don't forget to write down the time it took you to respond to this thread on your time card either..
Sincerely,
District Overbeer
-
shamus
LMAO!
Don't geeks like this get banned?
Sounds like a typical congregation idiot to me.
-
StinkyPantz
I'd like to rebut some of SOJ's claims and I'm interested in his responses:
They knew that 1914 would be siginificant. They weren't sure how since Jehovah reveiled information as it was needed. They were right about 1914 being significant and that's what's important.
You are wrong. You say that JW's weren't sure what would happen in 1914, this simply is not true. They were very sure:
January 15, 1892, p.1355:
The date of the close of that ‘battle’ is definitely marked in Scripture as October, 1914.
I don't have a scanner, but in the Watchtower June 15, 1905 there is a chart showing that in the year 1914, Armageddon would occur.
The Time Is at Hand (SS-2), 1907 ed., p. 101:
The ‘battle of the great day of God Almighty’ (Rev. 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth’s present rulership, is already commenced.
From the above quotes, it's easy to see that yes the year 1914 was significant, because Armageddon would occur. (Making them false prophets).
----------------
Also, could you answer this question with a simple yes or no: Is any portion of the Watch Tower or the Governing Body to be considered a prophet of God, or the voice of God?
--------------------
I have been respectful to you, so I hope that you will answer my questions respectfully.
-
hillary_step
At the university Frederick was chosen to receive a Rhodes scholarship, qualifying him for admission to Oxford University in England
....where he went on to set a record in the Pinnochio Nosegrowing Championship.
HS
-
borgfree
SwordofJah,
Your comment:
It's hard to know the mentality around that year, since I wasn't around at that time. I guess by some publications, it seemed that that was a belief, but it wasn't the most importante aspect of the organization. In 1925, they were promoting the preaching of the Good News, which is much more significant.
Do you realize that if you were to preach that "Good News" that they were preaching back then, you would be called apostate, and disfellowshipped?
Borgfree
-
Hamas
You people have such a special way to welcoming dialogue. Now I can see why the Faithful and Discreet Slave give such strong warnings against forums such as this.
Sword of Jah,
The Faithful and Discreet slave have gave warnings about Aluminium, being involved with the United Nations and have told us that 'Millions now living will never die' back in the 1930's.
The Aluminium crusade faded pretty quickly, by their own admission they support the United Nations and the Millions campaign was proved to be false from the mouths of the ones that published it, themselves.
I wouldn't pay much attention to what they say.
After all, they are not INSPIRED PROPHETS , are they ?
-
SwordOfJah
BORGFREE:
What? They were preaching about God's Kingdom back then also, just like today. So things haven't changed in regards to God's purposes for the Earth.
STINKYPANTZ:
Like I said, 1914 did turn out to be a special year. They were a bit wrong on some expectations, but they had to learn to wait on Jehovah before coming to conclusions. That doesn't make them false prophets as you accuse. Can't those brothers be human? Do you expect them to be perfect? And don't reason that because they had Jehovah's backing that they wouldn't have made mistakes. Maybe they were a bit over-zealous and wanted an end to this system of things, just like we do when we hear of horrible things in the world today.
Also, could you answer this question with a simple yes or no: Is any portion of the Watch Tower or the Governing Body to be considered a prophet of God, or the voice of God?
Those are really two different questions. As per your instructions: No, to the first question, and Yes, to the second question.