Posts by bennyk

11

The book that changed my view on JW

by homme perdu in

it wasnt coc.

it was reasoning with the scriptures.

does anyone else have the same experiance?

bennyk

When I was studying the WT with my (much) younger siblings, I felt the need to help them get the Bible's viewpoint on the subjects discussed in the study articles; accordingly, we actually looked up and read the cited scriptures. After a few weeks (months?) of this, it became increasingly clear that the WT had a marked inability to read things in context -- indeed, many of the cited scriptures had little or nothing to contribute to the discussion at all! I was forced to reassess my beliefs as I continued to look to the scriptures. What was discovered was not a very pretty picture: much WTS doctrine/dogma has no foundation in scripture whatsoever. The book that convinced me that the WTS was most emphatically NOT the one true religion was the BIBLE.

I will say other books were helpful, also. Anybody here read Russell's "Divine Plan of the Ages"? (...and compared it to current "new light"?) How about Rutherford's "Harp of God"? The WTS is its own worst enemy. (Prov. 10:19)

28

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 4-3-05 WT Study (complete)

by blondie in

whom do you see at this place of worship?

christian identity or their identity as jehovah?s witnesses?.

faith and confidence in?his organization?in jehovah and his promises which can only be explained by the wts.

bennyk

Thank you very much for that most informative post. It would seem that after one has failed to attend a single KH meeting for six months, the mags are no longer forthcoming. We miss the (unintended) entertainment factor forever found in the "spiritual banquet" provided by the "sole channel". Thanks for sharing!

I don't think "asking honest questions with the right motive" (para. 10) will get any traction, though. More likely greased skids leading to DF/DA-Land. (Honest STATEMENTS with or without motive are really beyond the Pale... It's best for me to avoid the pleasure of their company; I have terminal foot-in-mouth disease.)

6

Comments on Jason BeDuhn's view of NWT and question?

by researcher in

any opinion on the philip's transalation??

i believe there was an article recently, in the dec 1, 2004 wt, about a jason beduhn who commented on the nwt in a very positive light.

anyone know what the other translations he examined??

bennyk

KJV, Amplified Bible, Living Bible, New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Version, New International Version, Today's English Version, NWT. In the Appendix, he has a consideration of the divine Name in the NWT NT. (He explains why it is improper: it is simply 237 interpolations...)

15

The New World Translation and Honesty

by Little Bo Peep in

after having researched my beliefs of 45+ years, finding so much was really different than what the bible context really taught, i decided to "read" the bible for for the first time to see what it really was saying, taking off the "blinders" of the wt.

i began reading the greek scriptures first.

i used the new world translation, knowing if we were to ever reach our grown children, i would need to use that translation to prove anything.

bennyk

For fun, check out Hebr. 11:13 in the KIT and compare it to the NWT rendering in the margin. (On the earth / in the land)

25

Which Translation of the Bible would you say is most accurate?

by researcher in

which translation of the bible would you say is most accurate and was not influenced by any 'religious group' in the translation?

bennyk

The Elberfelder-Bibel; the original from the nineteenth century, not the revision thereof.

26

It's Proof! Why We Can Trust the FDS (The OD Book Chap 3)

by ezekiel3 in

from the new organized to do jehovah?s will (od) pages 18, 19. this is from a new chapter (3) in the book ?trusting the faithful and discreet slave?.

why trust "the faithful and discreet slave".

there are many reasons to have complete trust in the slave class.

bennyk

Chap. 1: Jehovah is the true God. We acknowledge this by worshiping the Governing Body.

Chap. 2: Jesus has been granted a unique position in His Father's organization. We show that we respect His divine appointment by allowing the Governing Body (as representing the Faithful and Discreet Slave Class) to usurp that position.

Chap. 3: Following and obeying the F&DS is the only way to gain God's approval; it alone is the "way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [the Governing Body]." (John 14:6)

(Synopsis of new "Organized" book).

18

The New OM Book? Don't Waste Your Time.

by metatron in

jw
friends

i zipped thru the new organization book and can tell you that it's a waste of trees.. i think that the updated section on df'ing is mostly just a legalistic response to distance.

themselves from any potential defamation charges, by default.. it downplays the blood issue and 'worldly' holidays but almost none of that matters.. why?

because in the end, the sservice dept calls the shots.

bennyk

Of course, the primary qualification sought is that the brother have a record of average or above FS hours (and already be a MS). This is clearly stated in 1 Tim. 3: 28 (!) LOL

46

The Watchtower, Scholar and Misrepresentation of Source References

by AlanF in

our resident pretend-jw-scholar who calls himself "scholar" enjoys justifying lying and misrepresentation by the watchtower society and himself.

the society, out of one side of its collective mouth, recommends not misrepresenting source references, yet out of the other side, goes ahead and does so without hesitation whenever it is convenient.

the society understands that unfair quoting is dishonest.

bennyk

Perhaps "scholar" can explain the most curious statement from the 01.March 2004 WT re: the pre-1914 anointed having allegedly "calculated" that Jesus was "about to make an appearance". (second study article, paragraph 6; this is recycled for the benefit of loyal JW's in the 2005 "Examining" book(let) comments for 14.Sept.) Since the pre-1914 anointed believed that his "parousia" had already begun in 1874, and the Watch Tower Society continued to publish books which concurred with that view until at least 1929 (Prophecy), I fail to understand the meaning of the WT statement. Perhaps this would qualify as a misrepresentation (admittedly of their very own sources). To me, it appears to be a deliberate attempt at deception.

144

An Elder Told Me.... Many To Be Disfellowshipped Soon...

by Doubtfully Yours in

an elder told me the book is jehovah's latest provision to cleanse his organization.. he said soon all people that have drifted, inactives, and others baptized and not complying with the biblical mandates for a jw, will be visited and given an option to shape up or ship out.. he said that if the person refuses the help offered by the congregation they'll be notified of the date of disfellowshipping and given time to appeal the decision.. he was so happy stating that this way jehovah's organization was preparing for the final clean-up before armageddon.

he sounded so convincing that it almost made perfect sense what he was saying.

i got goose bumps listening to his reasoning.. dy

bennyk

I'm attempting a "fade", so did not attend at the local KH, but elsewhere. I gave a rousing 28-minute discourse to a bunch of (apparently, according to this thread) soon-to-be ousted Apostates (true believers, all); whereupon fully one-third of baptized partook of the bread and wine. Among the other 2/3 were those who do not consider their post-1985 JW-baptism as valid, something we shall remedy when the weather warms...

Thanks for welcoming me.

144

An Elder Told Me.... Many To Be Disfellowshipped Soon...

by Doubtfully Yours in

an elder told me the book is jehovah's latest provision to cleanse his organization.. he said soon all people that have drifted, inactives, and others baptized and not complying with the biblical mandates for a jw, will be visited and given an option to shape up or ship out.. he said that if the person refuses the help offered by the congregation they'll be notified of the date of disfellowshipping and given time to appeal the decision.. he was so happy stating that this way jehovah's organization was preparing for the final clean-up before armageddon.

he sounded so convincing that it almost made perfect sense what he was saying.

i got goose bumps listening to his reasoning.. dy

bennyk

The congs are filled with the weak and inactive. The GB fears that the level of apathy is reaching critical mass. JW culture is changing. It is now becoming socially acceptable in JW-land to ignore the shrill and insistent cries for conformity and reverence. The WTS may be willing to do a bit of "pruning" to prevent the fringe elements within the congs and the faders from contaminating the zeal of the hard-core nutcases. This has happened twice before: following the debacle of the failed prophecies re: 1925 and 1975 the Org lost percentages for a few years followed by significant growth. They may be looking at the long-term potential for increase.

I find it somewhat amusing to consider what this would all entail in my case. Three elders, who by their own admission are NOT in the New Covenant, using an unscriptural method (cf. Matt. 18:15-17 w/ secret star-chamber lynching), will indict me unscripturally (1914, anyone?) and cast one of Christ's brothers (an alleged member of the supposed F&DS) into the Second Death(!) Ow! I'm developing quite the migraine!!! ROTFLM(bottom)O!