Not only this, the whole notion on which all religions are built makes no sense, is on cross-purpose. For example, the very purpose of religion (from religare, Latin, meaning REUNITE) is to reunite people with God. However, through the prayers and rituals they help the believers to seek MATERIAL benefits from God, thus reconnect them with materialism!
exWTslave
JoinedPosts by exWTslave
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40
Silence after stating my confusion about "144,000"
by tidalblitz inthe other night, i was told about a question that a friend's bible study had asked them.
the bible study asked: "if jesus is perfect, why does he need the 144,000 to help him rule?
" this friend does not know how to answer this question.
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My Witness friends are excited
by exWTslave inmy witnesses friends are excited as they sense emergence of a north king in putin.
many witnesses feel that ukrain crisis will lead into a 3rd world war that will climax in armageddon, and people like me are lost forever!.
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exWTslave
My Witnesses friends are excited as they sense emergence of a NORTH KING in PUTIN. Many Witnesses feel that Ukrain crisis will lead into a 3 rd World War that will climax in Armageddon, and people like me are “lost forever”!
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Did a lack of unity mean that the Corinthians were not Christian?
by I_love_Jeff inso the jehovah's witnesses say:.
hebrews 10:25 uses the phrase not forsaking our meeting together.
those words show that god wants people to gather as an organized group for worship.-http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201407/religion/.
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exWTslave
Nice thought, makes sense--something that GB can NEVER come to terms with! Accepting disagreement means no more GB, hence it is a question of existence for them.
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Moving
by HowTheBibleWasCreated inthis is my half reason i canlt leave jws;s is i need them.. for now... the same elder that gave me $100 when m wife just gave birth... and helped me find our car.... helped me find guys to help me move.
moving from an apartment to a trailer.. but... as much as i love these guys as people i know they only help because they are witnesses.... .
i still need them for now.. if i ever can get my wife out of this it meansit's alot arder.. oh well.
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exWTslave
“If people are good only because they fear PUNISHMENT and hope for REWARD, then we are a sorry lot, indeed.”—Einstein
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Is This Not Blaspheme?
by Pinku inis this not blaspheme?.
there three broad views on (the purpose of) life:.
1) life arose out of nothing and will return to it.
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exWTslave
I don’t agree with your description that JWs are “the spicy version” of the third category. It is actually the harmful and dangerous version of the third category, because:
It makes the ALMIGHTY CREATOR simply dependant on His creatures! God is portrayed as too sensitive about His sovereignty and as willing to go to any extreme to re-establish His sovereignty. And this what is being copied among JWs—any differing voice is treated as a sovereignty-issue and as a rebellion against the “head” in the organization and even in family! Hence the only unifying factor among the Jehovah’s Witnesses is the FEAR factor!
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A preaching organization is at odds with the larger picture Bible presents!
by exWTslave in1) god makes no distinction between his own people and pagans.
(leviticus 19:33, 34; mathew 5:44-48; acts 17:26, 29; galatians 3:28).
2) people who know the will of god will be judged, on the basis of that knowledge;.
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exWTslave
1) God makes no distinction between his own people and pagans. (Leviticus 19:33, 34; Mathew 5:44-48; Acts 17:26, 29; Galatians 3:28)
2) People who know the will of God will be judged, on the basis of that knowledge;
People who do not know the will of God will be judged, on the basis of their conscience. (Romans 2:11-15, 25-27)Need of preaching and its urgency are a later development (Act 20-28-30). Interestingly, WT Soceity rarely comments on the verses of Romans 2:11-15, 25-27.
When I discussed the above verses with a former Bethelite couple, they made this interesting comments: “When we confidentially expressed our disagreement with one of Society’s teachings, we were disfellowshipped. JC was on one Sunday, and we had to leave the Bethel the very next day as we had to do a lot of packing. But we attended the Monday morning wroship in the Bethel Dining Hall. Immediately after the morning worship program, two Bethel Elders came to our room and said: ‘Branch Organisation book says Bethel cannot permit you to take food with rest of the Bethelites; but we can make arrangement for food in your own room till you leave Bethel.’ Though we left the same evening without taking any more food from Bethel, we were wondering what sort of organization we were in for last two decades—denying food for those who had been serving selflessly—one of us had even 60 Saturday offs without being availed of and the years of monthly offs too. It is to people like us they gave such a heartless, inhuman treatment. Yet one BC Member and an Elder from Bethel visited our home on April 12 th , this year, inviting us to come for Memorial celebration, and asking us to return to the “Motherly Organization.” This only SHOWS THEY DO NOT HAVE THE BASIC COMMON SENSE to know that people like us will never feel like returning to such an organization. How can such an organization lacking in such basic common sense understand even the basic teachings of the Bible?”
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Suffering can be explained without Satan
by exWTslave ingrief is experienced in different degrees by different people though the happening is same.. 1) death of a father who is a bread-winner of the family brings in acute grief to the bereaved.. 2) death of a father who is a liability to the family brings no grief to the bereaved.. 3) death of a father who is a pedophile and womanizer brings joy to the bereaved.. this shows grief is more of perception than the loss, and is usually the result of limited vision.
once moved to a larger perspective, the very thing that causes suffering may produce even its opposite.
when one of our family members moves into another house, we dont grieve over it.
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exWTslave
Thank you narrow hope!
You remembered about that book—That is wonderful! I am reading it now second time. This book really inspired me to write the above.
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Suffering can be explained without Satan
by exWTslave ingrief is experienced in different degrees by different people though the happening is same.. 1) death of a father who is a bread-winner of the family brings in acute grief to the bereaved.. 2) death of a father who is a liability to the family brings no grief to the bereaved.. 3) death of a father who is a pedophile and womanizer brings joy to the bereaved.. this shows grief is more of perception than the loss, and is usually the result of limited vision.
once moved to a larger perspective, the very thing that causes suffering may produce even its opposite.
when one of our family members moves into another house, we dont grieve over it.
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exWTslave
Grief is experienced in different degrees by different people though the happening is same.
1) Death of a father who is a bread-winner of the family brings in acute grief to the bereaved.
2) Death of a father who is a liability to the family brings no grief to the bereaved.
3) Death of a father who is a pedophile and womanizer brings joy to the bereaved.
This shows grief is more of perception than the loss, and is usually the result of limited vision. Once moved to a larger perspective, the very thing that causes suffering may produce even its opposite. When one of our family members moves into another house, we don’t grieve over it. Similarly, the wise do not mourn the death: “Death is merely moving from one home to another. The wise man will spend his main efforts in trying to make his future home the more beautiful one.” (Rabbi Menachem) (Compare Ecclesiastes 12:7; John 5:24; 8:51; 14:2; Luke 20:38)
In principle, there is no suffering, there is no joy, but there is only consequence. If the consequence suits ones convenience and comfort, it is viewed as joy; otherwise it is viewed as suffering. In the larger picture where there is no interpretation of consequences, there are only events—one thing leads to another. When “the works of the spirit” are chosen, results are determined, it will take people to glory! When the “works of the flesh” are chosen, their results are determined—it’s a matter of time that it will bring suffering to the person—whether he is President Nixon, Clinton or just any ordinary man.
Many may disagree saying Jesus was a good man, yet he had to suffer. This disagreement stems from casual reading. God’s will is that everyone should live faultlessly, and his life should be his message to others. (Mathew 5:16) Exposing others using scathing denunciation is not God’s way. (Proverbs 24:19; Mathew 5:44-48) Jesus was not consistent in his speech. He spoke politely with Satan and demons (Mathew 4:1-10; Luke 8:30), yet spoke roughly towards his parents (Luke 2:49; Mathew 12:46-50). The people of his home-town had actually been praising Jesus (Luke 4:15, 22), yet he irritated them FOR NO REASON. (Luke 4:23-27) Principle of “reap and sow” is in action in everyone’s case—people became “furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.” (Luke 4:28-30) Finally, he called the Pharisees the “white-washed tombs” (Mathew 23:27) and whipped their men out of temple. (Mark 11:15-17) It too had its consequence: “The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him.” (Mark 11:18) Early Christians exhibited exclusivism, like JWs of today who claim: ‘only we are right and all others are wrong.’ They lacked larger perspective: Every religion is the offspring of its time, and cared for the need of the time, hence no one can criticize another’s religion. Perfection lies in all the religions collectively, not just in one religion. Hence early Christians had to pay for their limited vision—they were persecuted by Romans who viewed them as disturbance to the peace of the community.
Where is Satan in all these things?
One may say this is purely theoretical and his suffering is real! While bouts of suffering can be paralyzing, we always have the choice within us to transform it, based on how we respond to it. We can transform suffering into peace. It starts with realizing that happiness is our nature and stress is an outsider we invite thoughtlessly. (Luke 17:21) A student may be suffering from many things, yet when he is in examination hall, the few hours that he is writing his exam goes like a few minutes and he is completely unaware of the sufferings he was being tormented with till he entered the examination hall. He chooses not to think about things that cause suffering to him. This can actually be extended to beyond the time when he is in the examination hall. The key lies in the change in the attitude and in adopting the truth that nothing belongs to me—possession is an illusion (Mathew 5:3) and everything belongs to God. (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 10:10)
A job loss can be perceived as a significant personal failure or we can relate to it as an integral part of work-life and an opportunity to reflect, retool and engage in something more meaningful. Research suggests that most people regain their original level of happiness after one year of job loss (people report similar results after one year of losing a loved one); eventually, many even regard the job loss to be the best thing that ever happened to them.
There is no lotus without mud! And there is no betterment without suffering! You cannot say day is good and night is bad—both are useful. This fact is best understood by people like J K Rowling (authoress of Harry Potter), who became a billionaire and ‘the most influential woman in Britain’. The first half of her life was like an ill-fated plane with too many failures in life, but she simply moved to a higher perspective transforming her suffering into success. The best comes from the worst! It is only when yoghurt is beaten and made smooth that butter can be made from it.
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” (Rumi) Instead of perceiving ourselves and others as imperfect, relating to everyone as unique creations of a perfect universe allows us to be more at peace with our reality. Further, choosing to help others who may be suffering from similar circumstances supports this inner transformation.
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Amazing Experience while in the Door to Door field service.. The work really is speeding up.
by objectivetruth ina pioneer sister who just returned from pioneer school, and her elder husband, who was previously in bethel are in service.. when they come to an enthusiastic house holder.
after discussing the glorious messianic kingdom that has been ruling since 1914,err 1919 the house holder says "ok this really is good news, what must i do to be saved??".
brother elder and sister pioneer elder both look at each other, and they know right away the best answer... sister pioneer reaches into her bag pulling out her km approved preaching tablet device (she waves it around a. bit, with the purpose of impressing the householder how advanced the wt is), she then says i want to show you our website, jw .
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exWTslave
I really enjoyed your dynamism in playing a musical note with those two irreconcilable concepts—undeserved kindness and works!
kudos to you.
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Witnessing to a Theologian
by exWTslave inwhen i found my fellow traveler reading theology today magazine, my pioneer spirit acted.
i started witnessing to him without knowing he was a professor of theology.
he patiently listened to me.
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exWTslave
Laika,
What is even STRANGER is that Luke claims his account is accurate and logical, yet his writings are shadowed by many things illogical. I am thankful to that Theologian (who is recently made a Bishop) who was only trying to help me, and I was really helped. I do not want to embarass him by revealing his name.