Posts by Naoscillator

60

Literature being discontinued, including Isaiah's Prophecy and Reasoning book

by Richard_I in

jw
friends

congregations get an annual letter that tells what can be ordered for literature (it's mainly a list of audio cds/dvds for the deaf), but this time it included publications that will be discontinued, and this included the isaiah's prophecy book and the reasoning book, and i think i saw the draw close to jehovah book.

i meant to take a picture of the letter but forgot.

the branch is only going to give what they have on stock, when that stock depletes that's it, you won't be able to order those publications anymore.. this is in canada so i don't know if this is worldwide..

Naoscillator

It's about time they put the reasoning book out of our misery. A JW can't use it anymore without knowing which parts to disregard as old light. Which renders it pretty useless for representing the "correct" way to "reason" on the scriptures.

As for the Isaiah book, just the other day I pointed to the one left in stock at the KH and told the brother working literature that we would definitely never study it again. He seemed surprised to hear such a prediction.

On the other "hand", the Revelation Climax book is currently being studied in the School for kingdom evangelizers as if it were a genuine resource for deep bible study in 2015. Of course the point of such schools are hardly to produce Bible scholars.

26

Didn't get the Watchtower today at all

by Pioneerbot in

i know it's dumb to think it would make sense.

i've been telling myself to lay low because everytime i ask a question now my husband says i have a negative attitude and i sound like an apostate.

hmmm wonder why.

Naoscillator

There's an excellent article about this lesson at the Beorean Pickets site aka Meletivivlon.com. He deconstructs the WT contradictions pretty well, and gave me some points to bring up with my pioneer wife who already had her own objections to the obvious doublespeak.

20

Review of the November 15 study article - "Stand Firm in the Faith"

by Divergent in

this study article poses questions that we should ask ourselves.

don't have time to analyze the whole thing, so will start from paragraph 8:.

8 do gods promises seem less real to me now than they once did?

Naoscillator

How's this for healthy advice? When reality makes you sad, retreat into WT fantasy-land, to wit:

(From the simpwified edition)

How can we imitate Jesus’ example? Meditate on the wonderful promises Jehovah has made. Imagine yourself in the new world. Write about or draw what you will do in Paradise. Or make a list of resurrected people you would like to talk with and what you would like to say to them. See these as God’s promises, not just to people in general, but to you personally.

14

Elders School 2015: Model Judicial Committee Videos: Appeal, Reinstatement, Making Recommendations and messages from the GB

by hildebrando in

5 new videos kingdom ministry school 2015:.

judging with insight/appeal committee.

judging with insight/reinstatement committee.

Naoscillator

Actually sat through the continuation of the saga. It was... whatever the opposite of heartwarming is. Brain chilling?

The message seems to be that genuine repentance looks one very specific way. The desire to be close to family and friends is NOT a valid motivator for returning. No, missing the ones whose company you're deprived of shouldn't enter the picture until long after you've expressed your deep, deep regret at having hurt JeHOvah. For it is to him alone you must wish to return (even though he's just as accessible an imaginary friend as he was when you were a JW in good standing.)

What tripe.

15

Revised NWT...cross references...Has anyone noticed....?

by 4thgen in

just let me say, i hate the gray bible.

when i read the revision of mal 3:10 and they included tithing, i almost vomited.

recently though, my invalid mother asked me to read to her and the only thing available was the gray bible.

Naoscillator

Here's one that I'm very surprised they kept:

Hebrews 11:16 (talking about the faithful men of old who will supposedly be resurrected to Earth): But now they are reaching out for a better place, that is, one belonging to heaven. Therefore, God is not ashamed of them, to be called on as their God,+ for he has prepared a city for them.+

Here's how the Watchtower explains it away:

*** w98 1/15 p. 11 par. 12 “Walking by Faith, Not by Sight” ***

Hebrews 11:16 says: “God is not ashamed of them, to be called upon as their God, for he has made a city ready for them.” Yes, Jehovah has a place for them in the earthly realm of his Messianic Kingdom.

Yet the Cross reference at the end is to Hebrews 12:22:

But you have approached a Mount Zion+ and a city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem.

Oops! Silly bible, ignoring the Truth as it has been revealed by Jehovah's Faithful and Discreet Slave.

39

JW UN Rumor

by ivanatahan in

jw
friends

yes, i have returned.. a short recap of major events since my inactivity began: i finally revealed to my parents that i do not believe the same thing they believe in (after i was caught smooching my girlfriend by a family of good-for-nothing pieces of human feces), and of course they view themselves as failed parents who were unable to brainwash their children.

that is, of course, the reason why they are much more controlling over what i do in my life now (my mom even tried having a "bible study" with me).

i told them everything and i was unable to dent their jw imposed mind force field, while also exposing a clear jw misunderstanding of probability, evolution, history, logic/reason, and the big bang theory.. in a conversation i had with my mother a few weeks back (i also heard this rumor before, but my mother told me it again), she mentioned how the un held a summit of all religions and when the jws presented themselves and mentioned their preaching work warning of the coming un ban on religion (referring to an international organization who can't even prevent genocide, much less impose human rights), a un official came up to the jw who presented the cult and told him to "speed up the preaching work", because they plan on doing the ban soon.. it saddens me to think of how ignorant jws are in relation to the principles upon which the un was founded and being unaware that the un at least has some sense as to not ban religion, but this rumor, as ridiculous as it is, needs to be put at rest.

Naoscillator

Magnum, that's the exact version of the story that I've heard.

39

JW UN Rumor

by ivanatahan in

jw
friends

yes, i have returned.. a short recap of major events since my inactivity began: i finally revealed to my parents that i do not believe the same thing they believe in (after i was caught smooching my girlfriend by a family of good-for-nothing pieces of human feces), and of course they view themselves as failed parents who were unable to brainwash their children.

that is, of course, the reason why they are much more controlling over what i do in my life now (my mom even tried having a "bible study" with me).

i told them everything and i was unable to dent their jw imposed mind force field, while also exposing a clear jw misunderstanding of probability, evolution, history, logic/reason, and the big bang theory.. in a conversation i had with my mother a few weeks back (i also heard this rumor before, but my mother told me it again), she mentioned how the un held a summit of all religions and when the jws presented themselves and mentioned their preaching work warning of the coming un ban on religion (referring to an international organization who can't even prevent genocide, much less impose human rights), a un official came up to the jw who presented the cult and told him to "speed up the preaching work", because they plan on doing the ban soon.. it saddens me to think of how ignorant jws are in relation to the principles upon which the un was founded and being unaware that the un at least has some sense as to not ban religion, but this rumor, as ridiculous as it is, needs to be put at rest.

Naoscillator

Here's my personal favorite JW urban myth:

A brother worked as a janitor at a college. He was also a genius.

One day, a supposedly unsolvable math problem was written on the markerboard in a classroom that he cleaned. (You can see where this is going.) Day after day the problem remained unsolved on the board until one day, the brother decided he would take a stab at it. He picked up a marker and went to work.

When the professor arrived the next day and found the problem solved, he demanded to know who solved it. No one came forward. Hearing of this later, the brother decides to come forward and claim his work. Somehow he was able to prove that he alone had cracked the code.

The university staff decided that a brilliant man like him needed to be rewarded, so he was given a full ride scholarship that wouldn't interfere his pioneering, (as well as some cash).

The person who related this to me was giggling the whole time, he said he didn't have the heart to tell the old sister telling the tale that it was the plot of Good Will Hunting.

40

I am traveling long way to meet stephen lett in sacramento would you like me to lgive message to him

by poopie in

jw
friends

this weekend

Naoscillator

Tell him you have a friend in Texas who heard his warning at the recent RC against paying attention to the reports coming out of Australia that we "don't take care of people". She couldn't help herself and did further research. As an abuse survivor she now has major doubts about JWs because of the testimonies but especially the internal documents posted on the royal commission's site.

Hand him the memo from HQ to the branch service desks explaining when and how to appoint a child molester as an elder. Ask him why did you say not to be swayed by an opinion when the facts themselves are the stumbling block? It's not apostate lies you're really worried about, is it?

20

Did the society official track each member of the 144,000?

by Bob Loblaw in

when i left witness land in the early 90's, i remember hearing that out of 144,000 anointed members that there were only 8 to 9 thousand left and then the end will come.. i'm suddenly curious.

the jw organization is one that puts emphasis on tracking, i.e., regular meeting attendance, current standing, field service hours, territory tracking, return visits, etc.

therefore, did the society ever try to track each and every member of the 144,000?

Naoscillator

Splash, you took the words right out of my mouth. Reminds me of David Splane's pet phrase "genuine anointed".

46

Demoted from elder to MS, anybody ever heard of this?

by Naoscillator in

so a friend in a nearby hall told me their co came through, and in a hellish week of long meetings and inquisition overhauled the boe.

only one remains as elder, three were re-appointed as ms, and one, the cobe was deleted entirely.. two new elders were brought in as new secretary and cobe / watchtower conductor, respectively, and introduced to the congregation from the platform on sunday immediately following his second talk.

he reminded everybody of the authority he has and then named the new appointees.

Naoscillator

@freddo He made a point of citing his own "scriptural" authority to make the changes. Hence my questions, one has to wonder if a letter went to COs that gives them even more leeway than what the July 2014 BOE letter said.