Posts by Village Idiot

So god allows people to die so that they can be with him, right? Why can they not just live a natural, safe life and be redeemed after they die of old age?

303

The best reasonable, rational, intelligent discussion on religion I've ever seen

by TerryWalstrom in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k

Village Idiot

@ cofty: "This right here is why I hate theism with a passion."

I don't want to get into semantics but "Theism" is simply the belief in a god not necessarily the belief in the Biblical/Quranic god. A Deist, which is one form of Theism, believes in a creator god but not the biblical god. You might want to exclude them from your hatred even though you don't believe in their worldview.

I speak as an atheist.

33

All things considered, when will THE JW religion end?

by sowhatnow in

id give a guess of maybe another 15 to 20 years ,.

nothing will be the same , if there even is a headquarters.. opinion?.

Village Idiot

apostrate,

It's interesting to note that although some Bible Students organizations are still around the Witnesses are the only ones who grew to much larger numbers. That too was Rutherford's doing. "Advertise, advertise, advertise the King and his Kingdom!".

I bring that up because the larger a group becomes the less likely they are to completely disappear. I think however that the Witnesses are so tied in to their governing body that no one is likely to become a new leader of a JW sect. Either way it would be interesting to see if they implode and how.

22

Does forever mean forever?

by I_love_Jeff in

1 chronicles 28:9 "and you, my son solomon, acknowledge the god of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.

if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

is the word "forever" literal or figurative?

Village Idiot

Is olam the word that the New World Translation translates as "time indefinite"?

11

Jehovah’s Witnesses sued over sex abuse claims—some 2000 cases to choose from.

by 4rationality in

divining liability.

kimberlee norris began evaluating these cases in july 2002. with some 2000 cases to choose from, norris and partner gregory love came up with a rigid profile of what kind of case and where.

love and norris decided only to take cases where they could prove the church knew its member was a perpetrator and placed him in a position of authority anyway.

Village Idiot

"As of May 2004, the firm had filed 57 suits across the country."

Are these 57 cases all the cases that are considered extreme out of the 2,000 or are there other extreme cases that they haven't had time or resources to pursue?

52

The beginning of the end for shunning?

by Saltheart Foamfollower in

the borg seem to prepare for changes by missing explanations out for a while then presenting a "new understanding" which doesn't contradict the most recent discussion.check out the most recent references to gog - no identification as satan.. in today's wt study, paragraph 15 concerning benefitting from the prodigal son stated "if we meet a person who has strayed from the congregation, will we offer loving and practical help to assist him to return?

" there is no footnote or other qualifier saying not to go to disfellowshipped ones (who are definitely the ones being talked about) which is still the official policy.

i know this isn't an ending to shunning, but it may signal the start of the preparation for a change.

Village Idiot

Years ago they used to refer to 'strayers' as having "fallen out of the truth." Is that term still used?

33

All things considered, when will THE JW religion end?

by sowhatnow in

id give a guess of maybe another 15 to 20 years ,.

nothing will be the same , if there even is a headquarters.. opinion?.

Village Idiot

apostrate, that happened to the Worldwide Church of God.

52

The beginning of the end for shunning?

by Saltheart Foamfollower in

the borg seem to prepare for changes by missing explanations out for a while then presenting a "new understanding" which doesn't contradict the most recent discussion.check out the most recent references to gog - no identification as satan.. in today's wt study, paragraph 15 concerning benefitting from the prodigal son stated "if we meet a person who has strayed from the congregation, will we offer loving and practical help to assist him to return?

" there is no footnote or other qualifier saying not to go to disfellowshipped ones (who are definitely the ones being talked about) which is still the official policy.

i know this isn't an ending to shunning, but it may signal the start of the preparation for a change.

Village Idiot

@ The Searcher:

"Only hard-core, obedient, contributing Witnesses will be the order of the day!"

It happened in Rutherford's day, big-time.