greetings to those who may know.. i'm reading about the various councils convened in the fourth century a.d. to determine the bible canon.
if my understanding is correct, constantine was initially in charge, some 24 councils finally got it figured out (hardly) and there were fights over what was in and what was out.
over 200 so-called gospels were considered and four accepted.
I discussed this with others as well and I received the same answer Rhodge6685 provided - 'God made sure the canon was kept accurate regardless of who was responsible for putting it together; just like God used worldly governments to do certain things in Bible history'.
Not even a moments hesitation between question and answer by anyone I asked. I guess I would have been exactly the same way a few years ago. And probably still am on other subjects....
there are 3 really basic releases for the dc this year.
revised vol 1 of young people ask.................hmmm lot of work in that one.
new brochure.
Chariklo,
there are several threads discussing the "new light" on the statue's feet. The invitation for this year's DC shows statue in Daniel with the various world powers it represents (according to WTS) labelled. When it gets to the toes of the feet there is a question mark instead of a named kingdom or power.
Leading the dubs to "know" that a special new announcement is due at the DC. However, once at the DC the speaker confirms that there is no new light and the dubs go off into the sunset without any new special information.
I feel as others do that the invitation with question marked toes and the publication that wasn't released are part of a bigger idea that was scrapped at the last minute. Perhaps it will be something that comes out next year.
10-20 years ago you would get a mix of different types of wt study articles.
they generally fell into one of a number of categories: prophecy, bible characters, facets of the fruitages of the holy spirit, aspects of jehovah's personality, creation, the new system etc.. now it goes like this:.
obey the faithful slave, stay of the internet, do more, obey the faithful slave, stay of the internet, do more.....rinse and repeat.. it's no wonder the dubs have all become brain dead.
Chained no longer, I used to say the same thing about being wrong. It came from a place of superiority. I realize now that I was so sure of myself and beliefs that I could pronounce how even if I was wrong I was still better off than most people. That's how good the witness indoctrination is.
today's wt lesson: serving jehovah with all seriousness, excerpt from paragraph 11:.
"if a brother has been baptized at least one year and to a reasonable degree meets the scriptural qualifications for ministerial servants outlined at 1 timothy 3:8-13, he can be recommended for appointment.".
how often have you seen someone become a ministerial servant one year after baptism?
only 1 year! That's quick! I've only seen that a couple times.
10-20 years ago you would get a mix of different types of wt study articles.
they generally fell into one of a number of categories: prophecy, bible characters, facets of the fruitages of the holy spirit, aspects of jehovah's personality, creation, the new system etc.. now it goes like this:.
obey the faithful slave, stay of the internet, do more, obey the faithful slave, stay of the internet, do more.....rinse and repeat.. it's no wonder the dubs have all become brain dead.
Well, if GB2.0 really believes they have the truth (and I believe they do believe so) then they probably figure Jehovah will take care of it. If they grow, great, Jehovah is blessing them. If they shrink, ok, Jehovah is sifting them in preparation for the end; cleaning out his congregation.
It's always win win with them regardless of what occurs. That's because their mindset is that they are 100% without question.
It's like the end of the system. If things get bad then the end is around the corner; if things get good then the end is around the corner (peace & security). It's win win.
Interpretating the facts to fit a preconceived idea - what's the official term for that?
i do not read books, but i was told it is a very good book.
if you have read the book before, tell me about it.
thanks!.
Yes. PM me if you like.
july 11, 2011 will be 34 years since i was baptised as one of jw's.
the sleeping pill i took was in the form of them providing the information that made the bible come alive with the truth and insisting that they go by the bible not adding or taking away from it.
i had negative experiences from local brothers from time to time, however i excused them as part of being imperfect.
Welcome Alg1052. I hear ya man. I am glad you found the board and posted. You are spot on about following the rules of men versus the Bible. I see my witness relatives and friends as the Pharisees of Jesus day more and more.
It's dificult to sit at meeting after meeting getting frustrated and sometimes irritated with the crap that is spewed from the platform and the friends comments. Try not to let it get you down.
You may need some down time but once you're ready you may find a nice small Bible study group just the thing you're looking for.
Also, it would be good if you read the books others have suggested.
Welcome BurnedOut. I'm glad you found this site. I also felt burned out and had to take a step back to regain perspective. I still have my wonderful family but it can be tough at times. If your wife is like mine she will be loyal to you but not truly understand/agree with your position on things. Don't push her too much too fast.
I wish you the best on your journey.
i am looking for your best jw comeback- the kind that makes a jw's jaw drop.
ok, even two pithy sentences will do.. here's one i have used before on jws,.
moshe: " do you know what an oxymoron is?
I like Godrulz one about the Pharisees. I've said something similar.
I really think that when you tell a witness that you see them as Jesus saw the Pharisees there is a delayed 'wow' moment later. But, again, maybe nothing gets through.
here is the promised debate.
the subject is whether or not god has an organization.
i'll start things simply:.
There is a lot of posts and a lot of text in this thread.
I didn't see anyone mention the fact that Paul knew of the injunction not to eat things strangled or sacrificed to idols. However, several times in his teachings at a later point he says it is a conscience matter and acceptable.
If this was discussed already please forgive.
