Posts by berrygerry

86

JW Rumor: End of the Traveling Overseer

by Edison Trent in

a friend of mine has contacts to a family with several circuit overseers and special pioneers.

they have good connections to bethel.. he told me that the latest rumor from bethel states that the cos should be abolished in their present form.

they have also recently begun to take cos back to bethel.. over the same channel i have already heard of the car fleet program and that the dos should be abolished.. has anyone else already heard of it?

berrygerry

the present and previous CO both to be regularly substituted by local circuit elders whilst they go off to do schools elsewhere. The current CO is leaving his assignment early to go and do schools in Ireland. On his recent visit he was not even present on the Saturday am field service as he had another assignment. No one other than the elders knew in advance as no doubt it would have affected attendance.

This happened too in our hall. The CO was elsewhere. The substitute CO was a CO trainee. A young pioneer / elder with a pioneer wife. FROM OUR OWN HALL. They were both useless. Very bizarre experience.

14

Listening to the meetings from the perspective of a "newly interested" person?

by stuckinarut2 in

just wondering how many others (when you were still in the org) would try and listen to the meeting programmes from the perspective of a newly interested person visiting for the first time?.

i know that i did this, and most times i did, i found it disturbing!

it was not just the "in-house" language and terminology that was odd, but also the actual doctrines, and method of 'teaching' that was odd!.

berrygerry

Why does a newly interested person actually sit through this and not find it strange, or just leave??

I have seen many leave.

I remember a hipster at a convention. He left about 15-20 minutes in.

9

Blade Runner - the new movie

by days of future passed in

i went to see blade runner 2 because i liked the first one.

even tho the first one was i think rated r, i still saw it.

the whole atmosphere of the first one was bizarre and real to itself.. if you don't want to be spoiled, don't read on.. with high hopes, despite hearing that it tanked at the box office (are the critics crazy?

berrygerry

Adored the original - 5 out of 5.

Had been looking forward to 2049.

Saw the review number and was jacked.

Big disappointment.

I only liked the music.

2 out of 5.

33

The Creation of Jesus

by berrygerry in

seeing a trinity thread.. can a jw apologist explain what (not who) is jesus?.

prior to the creation of everything 13.7 billion years ago (draw close book), jehovah created jesus as his firstborn, his only-begotten.. there was nothing else - no stars, no dust, no matter - just jehovah - and then, just jehovah and jesus.

so, what was jesus?.

berrygerry

David Jay:

So, essentially somewhat akin to the Great Spirit of native Indians?

Who, then, gave the 10 commandments to Moses, and all the other "inspirations"?

18

Being Disfellowshipped + On-Going Cycle of Depression

by Cimarrona in

i've been disfellowshipped for six years, since i was 18. i struggle with depression and self-destructive habits (minor in comparison to the suicides, substance abuse, risky sexual behavior of others i've grown up with who have left or were too afraid to leave).

i'm fairly successful for my age - respected in my field, i have an extensive curriculum vitae of published writing, presentations, and other projects.

yet, i often feel worthless and unloveable.

berrygerry

https://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Heal-After-Leaving-High-Control/dp/153531382X

https://www.amazon.com/Cracking-Cult-Code-Therapists-Therapist/dp/1546894683

21

It's Going Down: The Family Is About to Go to War Over... Halloween Decorations.

by Sorry in

yup, you read right.

despite other personal turmoil that needs to be addressed, my family has decided to go nuts over halloween decorations being "too close" to our yard.

a new family just moved in next door; their kids are super young.

berrygerry

I dont have much respect for Halloween based on the fact that adults spend so much time and effort to frighten young impressionable children.

Far better to groom them for a lifetime of emotional suffering from physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.

33

The Creation of Jesus

by berrygerry in

seeing a trinity thread.. can a jw apologist explain what (not who) is jesus?.

prior to the creation of everything 13.7 billion years ago (draw close book), jehovah created jesus as his firstborn, his only-begotten.. there was nothing else - no stars, no dust, no matter - just jehovah - and then, just jehovah and jesus.

so, what was jesus?.

berrygerry

If Jesus is a creation, this teaching of the Witnesses is paradoxical. If Jesus is made from God, then the Nicene Creed is true, that Jesus is indeed "Light from Light, true God from true God."

This is exactly my thinking. WT is teaching the same result as Trinitarians, but using different language or wording.

33

The Creation of Jesus

by berrygerry in

seeing a trinity thread.. can a jw apologist explain what (not who) is jesus?.

prior to the creation of everything 13.7 billion years ago (draw close book), jehovah created jesus as his firstborn, his only-begotten.. there was nothing else - no stars, no dust, no matter - just jehovah - and then, just jehovah and jesus.

so, what was jesus?.

berrygerry

Thanks David Jay

The consensus of theologians both Christian and Jew is that the Bible teaches that God produced all creation from nothing.

I can envision that type of thinking pre-Middle Age. Would there be any shift in that thinking since then?

33

The Creation of Jesus

by berrygerry in

seeing a trinity thread.. can a jw apologist explain what (not who) is jesus?.

prior to the creation of everything 13.7 billion years ago (draw close book), jehovah created jesus as his firstborn, his only-begotten.. there was nothing else - no stars, no dust, no matter - just jehovah - and then, just jehovah and jesus.

so, what was jesus?.

berrygerry

Why bother to understand?

Not trying to understand. Trying to debate.

Effectively, WT teaches that Jehovah is pure energy, and for literally endless eons of time, Jehovah existed all alone, and that with absolutely no creation existing. Jehovah and Jesus used Jehovah's energy to create all matter.

So what was Jesus created from? Would it not have been from Jehovah's energy?

Essentially, Jehovah took some of the energy from his own spirit body to create the spirit body of Jesus.

The difference between WT's teaching of Jesus' origin and that of Trinitarians is really just a matter of wording.

33

The Creation of Jesus

by berrygerry in

seeing a trinity thread.. can a jw apologist explain what (not who) is jesus?.

prior to the creation of everything 13.7 billion years ago (draw close book), jehovah created jesus as his firstborn, his only-begotten.. there was nothing else - no stars, no dust, no matter - just jehovah - and then, just jehovah and jesus.

so, what was jesus?.

berrygerry

Seeing a trinity thread.

Can a JW apologist explain WHAT (not who) is Jesus?

Prior to the creation of everything 13.7 billion years ago (Draw Close book), Jehovah created Jesus as his firstborn, his only-begotten.

There was nothing else - no stars, no dust, no matter - just Jehovah - and then, just Jehovah and Jesus.

So, WHAT was Jesus?

Also, WHAT was Jehovah?