TonusOH, you are correct about that, the WTS interprets that Paul was talking about people in the congregation.
Posts by blondie
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32Bad Associations spoil useful habits. Are the JWs right? Scripturally?
by Open mind init has been interesting for me to learn the various ways that the jws twist the scriptures to fit their own dogma.
(of course jws aren't alone in that, but that's another topic.
) two quick examples of jws not following or going beyond the bible are blood and birthdays.
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Blood: When an Active JW is Health POA for non-JW
by JW_Researcher inmy mother has designated my sister as her ‘designated health care representative.’ my sister has sworn to my mother that, if my mother needs blood, my sister will not refuse it.
there are no anticipated (key word) needs for blood at this time.
my mother is in her early 80s.. my mother has never been a jw but is very familiar with all aspects of jwdom and understands the risk of my sister not allowing blood if my mother needed it.
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blondie
We had that situation when a non-jw family needed a HC-POA representative. We suggested that she get a HC-POA done and make very clear that she wanted a blood transfusion. One jw relative helped her for everything else in that person's health decisions, but she and my non-jw relative sat down with the doctor/surgeon/anthesiologist and filed a document stating clearly what the non-jw relative wanted. So the day came, she was going into surgery and the hospital/doctors followed her wishes. I don't know how that would be handled by the medical community today, but it is worth checking out. (We made it clear to the medical people, there would be need for us to step in and make a decision for her.)
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23
Introduction
by joao ini'm joão, from portugal.. i was a jw for about 30 years but i've stopped associating with them for about two years now.
and, lately, i've decided to dig deep and research about this cult!
oh boy!
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blondie
Welcome, Joao. There is a lot of material on here; but it is also up-to-date at this site and it is organized better. Happy researching!
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49
Start of the Great Tribulation will be announced soon
by joey jojo inat the 2021 annual meeting, samuel herd revealed new light and claimed the anointed will all have passed away before armageddon.
it has since been revealed that while they will die before armageddon, there will be some anointed still around that will witness the start of the great tribulation.. so the question is, how many years until the existing members of the governing body have passed away?.
im not a doctor, but based on their age and various stages of obesity, im thinking 10- 15 years- give or take, sounds about right.. with that in mind, the great tribulation could be announced any day.. the new understanding has now freed the org from the burden of having to identify a particular generation in relation to the date of armageddon.
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blondie
I wondered when the WTS said that anointed would be alive on earth after Armageddon, how could they be heaven for the marriage of Jesus with the bride of Christ. Since many of the anointed are quite young now, and would be still living on earth at the "great tribulation," they would not be there for the wedding. I guess the WTS realized how valid this question was. "They do not need to be marked for survival through Armageddon. Rather, they will receive their final sealing either before they die or before the outbreak of the great tribulation. Then, at some point before Armageddon begins, they will be raised to heaven.—Rev. 7:1-3. (Pure Worship book, p.180. Also, the WTS has said that the anointed in heaven would join Jesus in destroying the wicked on earth, and the anointed still on earth, would miss that too. So if the young anointed are to be in heaven between the start of the "great tribulation" and "Armaggedon." That means the young anointed will have to be "killed" or die an unnatural death to be heaven for the wedding at least.
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How To Talk About Interpretation With Jehovah's Witnesses.
by Vanderhoven7 inthis from my book: good news for jehovah's witnesses.
before we discuss any doctrinal issues, i would like to distinguish between what i believe is proper versus improper interpretive practice.... so you know what i can accept as biblical and what i can't accept.. basic guidelines for validating doctrinal claims`).
i. there must be at least one scriptural reference that can be cited for support of any doctrinal claim or position.. ii.
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blondie
About 50+ likes from me.
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Share This?
by blondie ini notice now that ops have a "share this" in the upper right hand corner.
i know how to do it on fb, how do we do it here?.
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blondie
I notice now that OPs have a "Share This" in the upper right hand corner. I know how to do it on FB, how do we do it here?
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31
Does the WTS have a clergy class
by blondie inthis can be confusing because the wts has adjusted from not having a clergy class to not having a "paid" clergy class.. "a congregation of brothers precludes having a proud clergy class that honors itself with high-sounding titles and elevates itself above a laity" wt 6/1/2001 p. 12, pp 11. still same idea in 2021 wt october, p. 20, pp.
7, but 2022 in the wt publication, frequently asked questions about jehovah’s witnesses, page 13, the wts inserts "paid" in front of "clergy perhaps to shore up their current statement in secular courts they have clergy, just not paid) "following the model of first-century christianity, jehovah’s witnesses have no clergy-laity division.
all baptized witnesses are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work.
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blondie
This can be confusing because the WTS has adjusted from not having a clergy class to not having a "paid" clergy class.
"A congregation of brothers precludes having a proud clergy class that honors itself with high-sounding titles and elevates itself above a laity" WT 6/1/2001 p. 12, pp 11. still same idea in 2021 WT October, p. 20, pp. 7, but 2022 in the WT publication, Frequently Asked Questions About Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 13, the WTS inserts "paid" in front of "clergy perhaps to shore up their current statement in secular courts they have clergy, just not paid) "Following the model of first-century Christianity, Jehovah’s Witnesses have no clergy-laity division. All baptized Witnesses are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work. Witnesses are organized into congregations of about 100 believers. Spiritually mature men in each congregation serve as “older men,” or elders. (Titus 1:5) They do so without being paid for their services."
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What is "Brazen" conduct according to new 'Shepherd the Flock of God' book
by TastingFreedom inwhat is brazen conduct according to the watchtower?.
here are some references from the new flock book:.
they have really pushed the envelope to bundle a bunch of things into one really evil word.
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blondie
Exactly, DOC! "This is the "catch-all" if they want you out but cannot really find you guilty of a "real" offense." Not only that, the WTS has df'd some people retroactively. That is, doing something that was not a df'ing offense, but changed later by the WTS to a df'ing offense.
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How Murderers In the Congregation are handled
by blondie ini don't have the link but i am trying to post this, this is from a previous post on jwn.
watchtower bible and tract society of new york, inc. dear brothers:.. we received your letter of december 17 in which you inquire about handling a situation involving a brother who has been guilty of serious violation of the law in the past.. you explained that you received information indicating that this brother ?committed several murders and crimes before his baptism.
you ask if law obligates some action on our part.
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blondie
Thanks, Atlantis for posting that!
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1914- responsible for the biggest decrease in JW's?
by joey jojo intheres a couple of threads re: 1914 on the board right now and it got me thinking.. the jw doctrine of the 1914 generation is a key doctrine , yet it is probably the number one reason most have left over the decades.. 1975- within one generation.. 1995 - new understanding of the word generation.. 2010- overlapping generation first mentioned- some anointed survive armageddon.. 2015- infamous overlapping generations chart featuring david splane.. its obvious the org is changing the goalposts and constantly trying to squeeze as much time as they can before they have to abandon this altogether.
or will they come up with something new?.
does anyone else think this ever changing doctrine is responsible for the biggest loss of members?.
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blondie
The WTS taught some time before 1925, that the end was coming in 1925. In 1925 95,000 members attended the "memorial." In 1926, only 25,000 did. Quite a drop in membership. (for info on this teaching https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/1925.php ) "The converse occurred after 1925 came and went without incidence. Memorial attendance dropped by three-quarters, from 88,544 in 1927 to just 17,380 in 1928. (Watchtower 1955 p.366; Yearbook 1929 p.55) (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose p.313) It is estimated that as many as 75% of publishers left the religion and by 1935 memorial attendance was still only 63,146.3 It took until 1940 to once again reach the same number of Watchtower followers as the pre-1925 era."