Posts by steve2

11

New Pro-JW Documentary! See the spin!

by Confession in

just found out about this.

you can read all about it at www.knocking.org, but here is the homepage intro... from a handful of bible students in pennsylvania to 7 million members worldwide today, the christian group has ministered door-to-door for 130 years.

typically dismissed as a controversial sect, the much-derided jehovah's witnesses lack respect and seem irrelevant.

steve2

So, the JWs are a good group role model for other groups on how to coexist. Pity about the way they treat their individual members, though.

11

New Publications from Older Publications

by Little Bo Peep in

in the past i have seen newer releases, that actually have been taken from older publications.

i have seen these newer releases, with new names, that have identical information with variations of chapter headings, etc.

i know i have some in my library, but can't remember which ones they are.

steve2

I was kind of hoping there would be another Ezekiel book to replace"The nations shall know I am Jehovah-how?"

Hoping there would be another Ezekiel book? You're kidding, right? If I had a thermometer, would you let me take your temperature?

11

New Publications from Older Publications

by Little Bo Peep in

in the past i have seen newer releases, that actually have been taken from older publications.

i have seen these newer releases, with new names, that have identical information with variations of chapter headings, etc.

i know i have some in my library, but can't remember which ones they are.

steve2

To be fair, sometimes they cannot completely regurgitate the old stuff. Who can forget the confident predictions about 1975 made in the old Truth book? That would never be included in a new publication, would it?!

Watchtower writers may be pretty unimaginative in their outlook and simply copy from earlier publications in a general fashion but they're shrewd enough to leave out the old stuff that could potentially embarrass them.

30

"We Are NEVER on Vacation from Jehovah"

by Funchback in

remember these words?

: "we are never on vacation from jehovah"

often, this very "reminder" was in the kingdom ministry.

steve2

I have a lot of sympathy for Jehovah in this regard. Every time one of the robotic writers composes some predictable drivel about witnesses never being on vacation from Jehovah, I imagine Jehovah sitting on his heavenly throne, sighing in his weary and long suffering manner and muttering, "I could actually do with a vacation from the witnesses myself!"

11

When the organization is having problems its NEVER be the fault of the WTS

by Elsewhere in

jw
friends

*** watchtower may 15, 1964 pp.

294-296 should you change your religion?

admission of failure.

steve2

The Governing Body are like really bad parents: Blame their children - and even disown 'em - when the kids are naughty; but take the credit when the kids behave themselves.

22

Sexual orientation proven genetic

by drwtsn32 in

the evidence is compelling!.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=644275.

sexuality determined by nature or nurture?

steve2

I agree, a scientific explanation shouldn't be necessary, but in our twisted world it sure couldn't hurt.

I sympathise with this viewpoint. After decades of anti-gay discourse (classic example Christian Tim LaHayes urgently intolerant The Unhappy Gays), it's kind of heartening to see a vigorous response from the scientific community. No, I don't think scientific research will seal the argument; but it goes along way from the mumbo-jumbo emanating from the multiple anti-gay voices saying, in various ways, that sexuality is as simple as a choice and as ephemeral as a sin. Hell, it was as recently as just over 30 years ago that homosexuality was finally removed from the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

30

Notice what the society Admits

by skyman in

insight on the scriptures vol 1 pages 345, paragraph 6 at deuteronomy 14:21 allowances was made for selling to an alien resident or a foreigner an animal that had died of itself or that had been torn by a beast.

thus a distinction was made between the blood of such animals and that of animals that a person slaughtered for food.

{compare le 17:14-16} the israelites, as well as alien residents who took up true worship and came under the law covenant, were obligated to live up to the lofty requirements of that law.

steve2

JW Ben: What does the Watchtower lack that has you coming back to this site every now and then to defend it? Personally, I've no problem with your participation. I just wonder about the charade you must be pulling off in your local congregation. Do they know that you visit this site and fraternize with disfellowshipped persons?

26

i"ll be the first in KH"...is no longer a JW" tonight

by mad max in

jw
friends

well, everyone, tonight is the night when they are going to test out the new thought in the new om book.

"brothers just want to make this announcement ....... is no loner a jw".

buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz then silent.. gosssssssssssssssip afterwards.. well that's love for you, 8 years and not one phone call.

steve2

Hey mad max: My thoughts are with you at this time. It sure sounds like a rough deal, and although elements of it are "expected" so to speak, it still hurts. Hold on and give yourself lots of time to gather your thoughts and find ways to move forward when you're ready.

22

Sexual orientation proven genetic

by drwtsn32 in

the evidence is compelling!.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=644275.

sexuality determined by nature or nurture?

steve2

Fruit fly gives the answer

So that's where the expression "acting fruity" comes from! And I thought it was an insult. Speaking perhaps more provocatively than I actually intend, I hope that science doesn't make homosexuality too respectable. Judging from the more mainstream private sexual practices, respectability ain't necessarily a recommendation. As soon as the fundamentalists start shutting up about the sinfulness of homosexuality, I may have an uncontrollable urge to get them speaking again. As the wonderfully fruity Oscar Wilde said, "There's only one thing worse than being spoken about: Not being spoken about."

4

"Of course you can ask questions - even the Watchtower asks them!"

by steve2 in

jw
friends

do you have stories - past and present - about being completely floored by jws responses to your predicament?

but there have been at least a handful of exchanges in which i knew, even before 30 seconds had elapsed that the exchange was going nowhere fast.

just over 20 years ago, my dear jw aunty had heard from another source that i had doubts about the watchtower society.

steve2

Do you have stories - past and present - about being completely floored by JWs responses to your predicament?

I don't have many. But there have been at least a handful of exchanges in which I knew, even before 30 seconds had elapsed that the exchange was going nowhere fast.

Just over 20 years ago, my dear JW aunty had heard from another source that I had doubts about the Watchtower Society. I would never have dared tell her or my uncle because they were "very strong in the truth". She phoned me and without even asking me how I was, got straight to the point:

"Steve, I heard that you said that you cannot ask questions in Jehovah's organization. Of course you can ask questions - even the Watchtower asks questions!"

Flabbergasted by her steam-rollered opening sentence, I replied in a squeaky little voice,

"What do you mean?"

She thundered her reply:

"You know perfectly well what I mean: The questions at the bottom of the page of the study articles!"

I must have weakly agreed with her - I can't remember exactly how the call ended. But right then I just knew she lack the capacity to ever understand what it was like to be harrassed by doubt - and in one strange sense I admired her bombastic "innocence" almost as much as I feared her simpleminded dogmatism.