Strange how the Watchtower will quote from the church fathers to bolster their argument against the celebration of birthdays, but will not quote from the church fathers who argued in favor of the Trinity.
Exactly. -ithinkisee
ithinkisee
JoinedPosts by ithinkisee
-
173
Birthday celebrations and customs - Are they for Christians?
by AlmostAtheist ini sent my birthday document (http://thebentinel.com/jw-birthdays.html) to a poster here that is at the very least a jw-sympathizer, if not a full-blown jw.
the response i got back indicated that my reasoning on it was seriously flawed and essentially any idiot with a passing knowledge of scripture and history can tell that birthdays are not something christians should celebrate.. of course, if you're not a bible-believer or a god-believer, you couldn't care less about pagan origins and all that.
but let's keep this conversation on the 'appropriate for christians' vein.
-
-
ithinkisee
-
6
The art of screw pushing
by wannaexit inwell i still go out in service.
so does my husband.
we decided that since we have to keep up with this facade we might as well have some fun .. so we go up to a door and pretend to push the doorbell.
-
-
ithinkisee
I've done that for years. I know a Service Overseer who is a member of JWD that does the same thing.
I used to do that in NYC when I was in the Brooklyn Heights congregation. I sometimes worked with a deaf sister and it made the job that much easier.
Hahah.
-ithinkisee
-
173
Birthday celebrations and customs - Are they for Christians?
by AlmostAtheist ini sent my birthday document (http://thebentinel.com/jw-birthdays.html) to a poster here that is at the very least a jw-sympathizer, if not a full-blown jw.
the response i got back indicated that my reasoning on it was seriously flawed and essentially any idiot with a passing knowledge of scripture and history can tell that birthdays are not something christians should celebrate.. of course, if you're not a bible-believer or a god-believer, you couldn't care less about pagan origins and all that.
but let's keep this conversation on the 'appropriate for christians' vein.
-
-
ithinkisee
One of the early church fathers (was it Iraeneus or Eusebius?) was dead set against them. It was in much of his writings.
None of the others ever spoke of it though.
And as far as scripture? Well, everyone here will tell you that.
DM
-
27
List What You Consider "Wrong" In The Organization
by minimus insome witnesses might not really believe that they don't have "the truth".
sure, they know about some of the past errors but they bury it because they feel everyone is imperfect and can make mistakes....but are these just simple "mistakes" or is the watchtower organization simply wrong?
what things can you think of that show that the watchtower has a "pattern" of never getting it right---even to this day??
-
-
ithinkisee
What is wrong with the Org?
That they even exist.
-ithinkisee
-
63
January 15 WT : Beware of Apostasy
by truthseeker inhi all, this post comes from the e-watchman site, when i get the mags, i will post further.. http://e-jehovahs-witnesses.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=433.
the following is taken from the watchtower of january 15, 2006, page 23 under the heading 'resist the foremost apostate': .
'because of listening to the devil and not rejecting his lies, the first human pair apostatized.
-
-
ithinkisee
Well, FreedomLover and I won't be around to have to sit through that article when they study it in mid-February.
Yee haw
-ithinkisee
-
20
Forgiveness--How to Make Peace With Your Past and Get On With Your Life
by blondie indr. sidney b. simon and suzanne simon .
i re-read this book every 9 months or so because forgiveness is an on-going process.
i'm constantly coming in contact with people, jws, non-jws, ex-jws that are working through forgiveness regarding some part of their life.. .
-
-
ithinkisee
I hope Danny Haszard reads this.
(No offense Danny .... you do some great things.)
-ithinkisee
-
20
Forgiveness--How to Make Peace With Your Past and Get On With Your Life
by blondie indr. sidney b. simon and suzanne simon .
i re-read this book every 9 months or so because forgiveness is an on-going process.
i'm constantly coming in contact with people, jws, non-jws, ex-jws that are working through forgiveness regarding some part of their life.. .
-
-
ithinkisee
Great stuff as usual Blondie.
That stuff you posted made me think of this song. The main hook is all about "forgiveness". I never really "got" the song when I was younger. But now with all the changes and stuff going on in our family it really hits home. I highlighted some of my favorite lines:
Heart of The Matter - Don Henley
I got the call today, I didn’t wanna hear
But I knew that it would come
An old, true friend of ours was talkin’ on the phone
She said you’d found someone
And I thought of all the bad luck,
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love’s open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?
I’m learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I’m learning again
I’ve been tryin’ to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it’s about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymoreThese times are so uncertain
There’s a yearning undefined
And people filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age?
The trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness
They’re the very things - we kill I guess
Pride and competition
Cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us
You know it doesn’t keep me warm
I’m learning to live without you now
But I miss you, baby
And the more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I’d figured out
I have to learn again
I’ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think it’s about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore
There are people in your life who’ve come and gone
They let you down you know they hurt your pride
You better put it all behind you baby; life goes on
You keep carryin’ that anger; it’ll eat you up inside, baby
I’ve been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thought seem to scatter
But I think it’s about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love meI’ve been tryin’ to get down
To the heart of the matter
Because the flesh will get weak
And the ashes will scatter
So I’m thinkin’ about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me
Forgiveness
Forgiveness - baby
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, you don’t love me anymore -
66
Say something here, that you'd say in your JW active days
by JH ini'll start:.
hey brother smith, how about if we go preach the good news tomorrow morning, hey?
pick you up at 9
-
-
ithinkisee
I would always tell the householder... "If you could show me from the Bible" knowing that as a JW I was the smartest, and had the truth and NO one could show me because I was right.
Then, one day, someone took me up on it and showed me
I had this happen too.
-ithinkisee
-
66
Say something here, that you'd say in your JW active days
by JH ini'll start:.
hey brother smith, how about if we go preach the good news tomorrow morning, hey?
pick you up at 9
-
-
ithinkisee
"Isn't it amazing how all this bible prophecy fits together?"
"Aren't you glad we have the FDS to interpret all this stuff for us?"
-ithinkisee
-
64
My first time being shunned in public
by xjwms inso thats what it feels like.. i am not df'ed or da'ed, ... i have just stopped going to meetings.
my wife is trying to be as active as she can.. so all morning i am out of my regular routine.
late getting out of bed and late about everything today.. so i leave the house, and before getting to the office, i decide to stop at the mall for a quick, maybe 15 min, walk.. as soon as i get inside, taking my coat off, here is the elder who did everything he could in his power to get me out...and lied...and added to gossip that ran me outta there.. he and his wife spot me .. and turn there heads away and continue on their walk, .. eyes fixed on some thing away from me.. so thats what it feels like.........now i know.
-
-
ithinkisee
This is part of the beauty of the Internet that is taking some of the sting out of the WTBTS's bite. (I said "some" ... not all.)
Pre-Internet the shunning thing was always a painful thing. For many today it STILL is ... but I see more and more people taking an opposite approach. The way people come onto JWD and other sites and say "I was shunned for the first time!" it is almost like a badge of honor - for standing up in the face of all you have known for what YOU believe in.
I have a feeling that for some apostates, this shunning is very life affirming.
-ithinkisee