the governing body and the board of directors
modern society claims
"from the incorporation of the watch tower bible and tract society of pennsylvania in 1884 until 1972, the president of the society exercised great authority in jehovah's organization, while the governing body was closely associated with the society's board of directors.
That fits well with my understanding. IMO, Russell was a sincere Bible Student, trying to get to the "truth" in the Bible, in a fairly open-minded, intelligent manner.
Rutherford, on the other hand, was an Apostate who wanted power and control. He took Russell's studies and turned them into the Apostate religion of "Jehovah's Witnesses".
Once the Apostacy of Rutherford crept in at the highest level, it was all down hill from there.
Love_Truth- That's my two cents.
jefferson?s ?bible?
the life and selected writings of thomas jefferson.
the life and selected writings of thomas jefferson.
logansrun,
I agree with your essay. Well researched and well written. As to some of the responses, I would add the following for some additional perspective:
While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue they will be ready to surrender
their liberties to the first external or internal invader. If virtue and knowledge are diffused among the people, they will never be enslaved. This will be their great security.
-Samuel Adams
To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian.
-George Washington
It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists [pluralism], but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!
-Patrick Henry
Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof
-Inscription on the Liberty Bell, from Leviticus 25:10
I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probably that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest. I therefore beg leave to move- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.
-Ben Franklin, to the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787
We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
-John Adams
Religion is the only solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion, and the duties of man towards God.
-Governeur Morris
Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention
Statesmen, my dear sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.
-John Adams
The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.-John Quincy Adams
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
-Patrick Henry
A patriot without religion, in my estimation, is as great a paradox as an honest man without the fear of God. Is it possible that he whom no moral obligations bind, can have any real Good Will towards Men? Can he be a patriot who, by an openly vicious conduct, is undermining the very bonds of Society? The Scriptures tell us righteousness exalteth a Nation.
-Abigail Adams
The brief exposition of the constitution of the United States will unfold to young persons the principles of republican government; and it is the sincere desire of the writer that our citizens should early understand that the genuine source of correct republican principles is the Bible, particularly the New Testament or the Christian religion.-Noah Webster
If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be; If God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; If the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will; If the power of the Gospel is not felt throughout the length and breadth of the land, anarchy and misrule, degradation and misery, corruption and darkness will reign without mitigation or end.
-Daniel Webster
True Godliness doesn't turn men out of the World, but enables them to live better in it, and excites their endeavors to mend it.
-William Penn
Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure, when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that they are a gift of God? Indeed, I tremble for my countrymen, when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.
-Thomas Jefferson
We have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves_to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
-Abraham Lincoln
i am having one of those days.
it all started yesterday when i was picking up some work from a client yesterday nearby.
when i walked in the store, the nora jones cd was playing and i became emotional.
Puternut,
Hang in there, there's always hope. One of my daughters recently left the borg. I had little to no discussion with either of them for around 4 years- it's tough, and I feel for ya.
Love_Truth- Here's to hoping.
if you have not a care for human life, and would rather try to blow up thousands of people if given the chance, would you call yourself human?
the reason i ask is, would you have any problem putting a gun to a known terrorist head and pulling the trigger?
iono if i could do it yet, because i haven't been in that situation.
I believe in Capital punishment for proven murderers (many terrorists would fit that bill), rapists, and pedophiles, where there is no doubt they are guilty.
Under those circumstances, give me a loaded gun and Legal authority, I'd put a bullet in their head.
Love_Truth- If there's any doubt, give 'em life in prison.
driving along earlier i was when i felt something crunch in my mouth, put my fingers in, few good yanks and twists with a pair of old pliers and out came the beggar, much better than a dentist.. what are your teeth like and how often do you see the dentist?
do you like the dentist or do you have a horror story to tell?.
celty
Celt,
I see my dentist for a check up twice a year. I've got an implant, crowns, fillings. You can brush and floss all ye want, but nothing replaces a good maintenance cleaning twice a year by a Dental Hygenist or Dentist. Gotta take care of them teeth, cor blimey!
Go see a bloody Dentist already!
Cheers,
Love_Truth
soon the special night will be upon us, when millions of jehovah's witnesses.
will gather together for the sacred purpose of merely passing around the emblems.
of christian salvation and rejecting them.. this event proves to me that anything, no matter how silly, will be treated solemnly.
metatron,
Very succint, and correctly stated!
what would say to someone that asks you that question now?
?
Garbage,
Have you ever seen "Bruce Almighty"?
I'd highly recommend you see it.
EDITED TO ADD:
I've run out of posts, so I'll reply here:
Green,
It's certainly understandable when folks make negaitive comments about God, but, as that movie makes clear, it's up to us to "be the miracle", and try to see things through God's eyes, by no means an "easy job".
I think attitude is much of what it comes down to, as to how we view God. How much personal anguish we've experienced, or how much we've suffered from wickedness, has absolutel nothing to do with it, of that I am certain.
Glad you enjoyed the movie too!
StuntedStain,
I can only say what I've said above to you as well- attitude, my man, attitude!
Cheers,
Love_Truth
u.s citizens: if you intend to vote in november will you vote for bush or kerry or are you undecided?
please with just one word give your vote for this very small poll: bush, kerry or undecided .
those outside of the u.s.: who are you hoping will become the next u.s. president?
Bush.
"in my young days, when to or three men went in for a drink together, it was the custom for them to go into the back room---a snug.
they never stood at the counter.
each of them would strike three hefty blows on the table and, in a flash, the barmaid would be in to see what they wanted.
Sláinte! Tá áthas orm. Bhí mé ag ól uisce beatha. Go raibh maith agat, go raibh míle maith agat!
what would say to someone that asks you that question now?
?
Shotgun,
...their first child was a murderer, their second child slaughtered sheep and offerred them to God. ( Would a God of love require that)
Yes, free will allows us to make both good and bad choices. The murder was clearly wrong, the offering of sheep was apparently good in God's eyes. It had a symbolic nature, that would be later revealed in the Mosaic Law, and ultimately, Christ's sacrifice in atonement for Sin. How is offering sheep "unloving"? I eat meat, most do. I don't find it a problem.
Is there a possibility that mankind would never sin and lose imperfection seeing the past history of mankind as told in the bible...man seems incapable of living upto the requirement of perfection. ( Leave Jesus out of this one for now )
Sure, that's what I was getting at. We're made in God's image, so we inherently have free will. So, it follows that such will always be the case. Humans, even perfect ones like Adam and Eve, will always be able to do wrong. We have the same choice today, although our imperfect nature causes us to sin sometimes without knowing it until after the fact.
Even the Universe is not perfect with asteroids and comets crashing into planets and metorites hitting earth.
How's that "not perfect"?
Where the dinosaurs created perfect and God decided to let them die because an asteroid accidentally collided with the earth or did he intentionally wipe them out?
Only humans are made perfect, at least with the ability to live forever, IMO. Again, IMO, God experimented with dinosaurs and other life forms in order to learn from the experience, then probably had them die off through whatever means he chose.
I'm not trying to knock you these are questions that float around in my pea brain and are difficult to answer!
You certainly don't have a "pea brain", there Shotgun, I've seen your other posts on the way you handled those "Elders" and I very much respect your intelligence.
Love_Truth- Ask away, my friend!
