maybe i'm just messed up, but i get really freaked out sometimes.
i can't understand the bible,.....in some places it seems like it's saying all you have to do is one or two things, then it seems like it's saying you have to do different things to be saved.... so many different people and religions have so many different takes on the bible.
i don't know which to beleive, and it scares me that if i beleived the wrong thing that i could go to hell, or just go to sleep forever as the witnesses say.
Missy,
Did Czar's post scare you more or freak you out more?
IMO, the Bible can be used for good purposes, as evidenced by its wise yet simple sayings such as "love your neighbour as yourself", etc. It can also be used for nasty purposes, as evidenced by the very fact that you are scared of going to hell.
Take the good stuff, toss out the bad.
Besides, there's only so much room in hell too, you know, and Czar has the last ticket for that ride.
Brad
the questions from readers has affirmed that the 144,000 is a literal number.
it states that some numbers in revelation are symbolic and others are literal.
it argues that since the great crowd which is unnumbered is mentioned right after the 144,000, then logically the 144,000 would have to be literal.
*** w61 3/15 pp. 165-166 Should You Partake of the Lord?s Evening Meal? *** Other scriptures show that sharing this glory with Jesus and his eleven faithful apostles will be 143,989 others, for a total of 144,001.
Flash,
Can you show me any OTHER SCRIPTURES that show these numbers to be the case, that they are so boldly making a claim about?.
I'm going to assume, no, so, since they are wrong about something that they are so adamant about, would it not make sense that they are wrong about everything they say....... to use the same logic that thye do?:
*** w60 6/15 p. 384 Questions from Readers ***
Further, at Revelation 14:1, 3, we read of Jesus Christ as standing upon the mount Zion together with 144,000 others. The 144,000 would logically be as literal as the 1, making a total of 144,001 standing upon the mount.
It akes perfect sense to me!!!!
Brad
my best friend just called me and told me that his 18 year-old sister, a jw but not yet baptized, is getting married very soon.
she has had a boyfriend, a jw not baptized either and they have been having sex regularly.
her mother sent her 2000 miles away to try to prevent this from happening anymore.
Brad, how is marrying someone raised a JW but not baptized any different than marrying someone who has never been around the WTS?
Blondie,
You're kidding right?
Neither are baptized. Neither will get baptized before the marriage (no time). Since neither are baptized, they can get married in the hall, despite what they have been doing. But yeah, like you said if one was baptized already, the other would have to get baptized before they could get married in the hall.
But back to your question. If neither one ever had anything to do with the WTBTS they wouldn't be getting married so quickly. Regardless of a person's view of whether people should have sex before marriage or not, after the act has happened, it is sad that the solution to the problem is to go ahead and get married.
My friend's parents have made it very clear that they do not like the guy. They even recognize that he is controlling and mean to her. They didn't want her to see him even BEFORE they were "getting into trouble". Yet now, it's "Go ahead and get married", because to them, in that JW mentality it's more important to FOLLOW THE RULES than it is to find a good partner in life.
Sad indeed. I feel really bad for his sister. If/When she does marry him I will help her in anyway I can as far as making it work, but I fear that she is going to be a very miserable girl. She just turned 18, after all.
Brad
my best friend just called me and told me that his 18 year-old sister, a jw but not yet baptized, is getting married very soon.
she has had a boyfriend, a jw not baptized either and they have been having sex regularly.
her mother sent her 2000 miles away to try to prevent this from happening anymore.
My best friend just called me and told me that his 18 year-old sister, a JW but not yet baptized, is getting married very soon. She has had a boyfriend, a JW not baptized either and they have been having sex regularly. Her mother sent her 2000 miles away to try to prevent this from happening anymore. Within no time she was back and "getting into trouble" again.
My buddy (raised in it but not a JW now), said his parents and sister are ecstatic that she is deciding to marry the guy, since then she won't be insulting Jehoober. I have never met the guy, but my friend has told me stories about how controlling he is. IMO he will be abusive to her to the extreme, if not physically, at least emotionally and probably financially abusive.
The moral of their JW story: God likes you better if you subject yourself to years of abuse than if you have sex before marriage.
How sad!!!!!!
Brad
come to the wedding.
' for i say to you that god is able to raise up children to abraham from these stones.
' for i say to you that god is able to raise up children to abraham from these stones.
Frankly, this is a theological discussion that goes far beyond the "simple gospel good news". It's not for the faint hearted, as can be seen by the fact that even AlanF ran away (to strains of "Brave,brave, brave, brave Sir Robin")...
LT,
Wisdom cannot be based solely on whether someone chooses to either debate or flee as AlanF has done. The decision to flee is quite often the wiser of the two choices.
Brad flees vowing to not return to this topic....... but understanding that should he come back he will not judge himself as either all-wise nor entirely silly.
i,m going to cut to the chase here .i am not long viewing this website and am fascinated at much of what i have read.currently i attend meetings, but sit there and think of what i now know about the society and its past.i just feel so confused at the moment with religion.. its a bit like who shot jfk ,did man really land on the moon etc .. except it involves all of us( just wish i knew the truth).
the only thing that is keeping me there right now is that all my family are in the "truth" ,,and i cant just stay at home and be shunned which i have recently experienced ( was inactive for a while) .. if i knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that i have found the true faith and discern that it is definately the true faith, i would then make a stand and nothing would stop me .
already i am reading the scriptures without the aid of wt publications and what i am reading is amazing .i am starting to feel that i am now getting closer to god by simply doing this coupled with prayer.. there must be one true faith as there was in the first century.
"I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are not at all like your Christ."
Brad of the "jumping on the Gumby promoted Ghandi bandwagon" class.
if you have an mp3 player (windows media player should be fine), just click on this link to hear them hash it out!
http://www.courts.state.nh.us/supreme/recordings/2004/2003-0779.mp3.
(if you need to catch up on the history of the berry girls case, this ongoing new hampshire supreme court appeal was discussed in more detail in these recent threads:) .
loveis,
I listened to the entire 43 minute court transcript. I started posting a comment on this, but I will reserve comment on it until I can do so when I feel that my opinion is objective. OK.... now I'm ready.
Because right now, I just detest the piece of shit organization that can take, likely their most intelligent person around, and make him into a puppet for their propaganda. Sadly, he thinks he is doing the right thing, but in reality, he has a complete and flagrant disregard for human welfare, as proven by his repeated FUCKING BULLSHIT statements such as when he said that the elders could not be responsible, since they were not ordained, yet they were not ordained, and therefore could not be responsible. Did anyone hear/see it differently?
This stuff upsets me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brad
come to the wedding.
' for i say to you that god is able to raise up children to abraham from these stones.
' for i say to you that god is able to raise up children to abraham from these stones.
Ah wheres the Brad dude?
EW,
Too many theories and not enough facts for me to base another thought on this topic. The answer is righteous. The answer is perfect. The answer is neither.
My brain hurts now.... thanks a lot!!!!
Brad
)o.k so last night i made a vow of celibacy to god.
an official promise in prayer to not fornicate so that maybe i too can have a special wedding night.
(my boyfriend was surprisingly supportive) i remember reading a scripture that says a promise made to god should be taken very serious.
Tresbella,
Wow!!!!! You do have a lot of questions, which in my opinion is a good thing. I haven't had time to read other peoples' replies but as I scanned the names, from my experience, they have likely given you some good advice.
If I may give some advice, don't commit to anything further until you have those questions answered. It will do you no good to pretend that they don't exist. You need them answered.
Brad
the saddest and sorriest aspect of life is this: no do-overs.
we are stuck with what choices we make.
we live with it.
KLS,
ROFLMAO @ u!!!!!!!!
Brad
