Duran, I like your explanation, but people set in the beliefs, might have cognitive dissonance. I am a bible reader for research purposes, but don't have any personal beliefs either way on this topic.
Posts by blondie
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171Alteration of Revelation 3:14 in the 4th century to support the emerging Trinity doctrine
by slimboyfat inin an earlier thread another poster asserted that there is no evidence that revelation 3:14 played a part in the 4th controversy that led to the trinity doctrine.
this was claimed as evidence that the description of jesus as “the beginning of the creation of god” in the verse was not understood to mean that jesus was god’s first creation.
the scholarly greek–english lexicon of the new testament & other early christian literature 3e (2001) by bauer, arndt, gingrich, and danker, in its latest edition states that “first creation” is indeed the probable meaning of the greek phrase.
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18
Tis the season
by garyneal inseems like i just pop in here every now and then to see what everyone is up to.
just like the previous years, i check in during the holidays to let everyone know about the annual christmas card exchange.. blondie used to lead this several years ago and i was involved for about 3 to 4 years before it began to fall off.
for those of you who participated back then, i still have your addresses and have just sent off this year's christmas cards to everyone.
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blondie
Remember to check the required postage from your own address to the receiver's address when you mail your cards, is more than you think. Don't want the card to get there postage due. I know because I didn't do it the first year. For me, examples Canada, Australia, Germany, UK, most in the US.
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Tis the season
by garyneal inseems like i just pop in here every now and then to see what everyone is up to.
just like the previous years, i check in during the holidays to let everyone know about the annual christmas card exchange.. blondie used to lead this several years ago and i was involved for about 3 to 4 years before it began to fall off.
for those of you who participated back then, i still have your addresses and have just sent off this year's christmas cards to everyone.
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blondie
Go for it garyneal. It was too time-consuming for me and I hoped someone would step up. I think you have my address already.
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2024 year Highlights: JWs hit 9 million Publishers
by Sanchy inwatchtower put out some highlights for the 2024 service year:.
average publishers: 8,828,124. peak publishers: 9,043,460. a 43.2 percent increase in "those who returned to jehovah", meaning 65,816 were reinstated.
baptized: 296,267. memorial attendance: 21,119,442. missing stat: number of partakers .. womp womp.
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blondie
Congregations per jwfacts.com WTS seems to have putting about 1978...just after 1975 debacle https://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php#L5
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End within 2 years (again)
by road to nowhere inan old elder friend from out of town stopped to see my ailing wife.
more than the locals do.
he said elder school emphasized 2 years and the existing body will be the leaders through persecution and tribulation.
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blondie
The WTS is always rewriting its history, lets some publications go out of print, and accuse jws that investigate the WTS history even using WT publications, as being apostates. It's a cult, folks!
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Diary of an Unknown Witness
by ukpimo ina rewording of "diary of an unborn child", applied to unknown or misunderstood jehovah’s witnesses trapped in a loveless organization:.
diary of an unknown witness.
october 5:.
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blondie
Fallen Winter, most if not all of us here, reached this point of understanding, and many of us left the WTS in one way or another. But our lives could and many be rebuilt, distancing us from all those circulating thoughts and replacing them with positive ones. Love Blondie
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FOR ACTIVE JW's: January 2025 Study Watchtower: Where is JESUS?
by BoogerMan indidn't jehovah assign christ all power & authority?
so why no mention of him?.
from the january 2025 study watchtower: .
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blondie
Extreme physical abuse is another basis for separation. Suppose an unbelieving mate often gets drunk, becomes enraged, and causes the believer physical harm. (Proverbs 23:29-35) Through prayer and by displaying the fruitage of Jehovah’s spirit, the believer may be able to prevent such outbursts and make the situation endurable. But if the point is reached where the health and life of the abused mate actually are in jeopardy, separation would be allowable Scripturally. Again, congregation elders should look into charges of physical abuse when two Christians are involved in the troubled marriage, and disfellowshipping action may have to be taken (not report to police!)
Yet, what if a very unhealthy spiritual state exists where both mates are believers? The elders should render assistance, but especially should the baptized husband work diligently to remedy the situation. Of course, if a baptized marriage partner acts like an apostate and tries to prevent his mate from serving Jehovah, the elders should handle matters according to the Scriptures. If disfellowshipping takes place in a case involving absolute endangerment of spirituality, willful nonsupport, or extreme physical abuse, the faithful Christian who seeks a legal separation would not be going against Paul’s counsel about taking a believer to court. W88 11/1 p. 22
Article about a 2012 article by the Watchtower Society by a non-jw and how it reflects wrong advice for wives to stay with abusive husbands. https://www.womensviewsonnews.org/2013/04/dangerous-message-about-domestic-violence/
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WHY THE WATCHTOWER TREATS MEN LIKE DONKEYS OF BURDEN
by raymond frantz inhttps://youtu.be/tppmprdxxzw?si=shh5vkmuzfp6c9_m.
so the watchtower has come out with sn article, study article 2 in their newly released study watchtower magazine for 2025 and we see from the start how they keep perpetuating the same old outdated narrative that when it comes to marriages the husband is the one at fault, we'll thats i think when i read paragraph from this article where i man has to work on a whole list of things and not once the wife is instructed to do any of these things, but let's just read together paragraph 14:.
what are these steps?
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blondie
I agree Not Former. Since this info is in a study article, the WTS seems it is so known within the organization it is harder to hide it now WTS did the same with child sexual abuse, finally had to say something about but making sure they said the WTS was not the problem was with the pedophile jws, not the WTS. My experience with such cases is that women are told to stay with the abusive husband, perhaps their meekness will encourage the husband to change. and tell the husband to leave his wife, men have to stick together you know. Without the elders knowledge, I contacted the people I know in the law enforcement area about 2 cases I was aware of but said the wife would probably deny it. Ring a bell! WTS tactic with child abuse, tell parents not to say anything to authorities, or the parents might be punished.
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Dr. James Penton - goin' up yonder dirt nap
by Nathan Natas ini saw a post on reddit by "big_routine1112" announcing that james penton died.. well, there's always the resurrec... oh, nevermind.. as always, the person expressing the most profound grief and dismay wins!.
"he was my friend" .
"there will never be another of his ilk".
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blondie
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6445094853410816/historian-former-jw-jim-penton-dies A more comprehensive account from his own words and how to get his books.
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Historian and former JW Jim Penton dies
by slimboyfat ini don’t know a lot about james penton but i think he deserves a better thread than the one currently on offer.
james penton, who died recently, grew up in a jw family in canada and served as an elder.
unusually for a jw, he studied liberal arts at university and became a history professor.
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blondie
Here is another resource, an interview with Jim as to his history in regard to the WTS. I met him at another ex-jw's house and had a nice evening and dinner that day. A treat to be sure. https://ad1914.com/jim-penton-dramatic-break/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN67VXoDgCc
https://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Delayed-Story-Jehovahs-Witnesses/dp/0802079733
https://www.abebooks.com/9780802086785/Jehovahs-Witnesses-Third-Reich-Sectarian-0802086780/plp