Posts by bennyk

looks like they had to go back to 1912 to find a secular source that suited their agenda.. christmas customs and traditions-their history and significance.

.

bennyk

Too bad they didn't return to a Watch Tower of yesteryear for a suitable quote:

Even though Christmas is not the real anniversary of our Lord's birth, but more properly the annunciation day or the date of his human begetting (Luke 1:28), nevertheless, since the celebration of our Lord's birth is not a matter of divine appointment or injunction, but merely a tribute of respect to him, it is not necessary for us to quibble particularly about the date. We may as well join with the civilized world in celebrating the grand event on the day which the majority celebrate - "Christmas day." ( Watch Tower, 01. December 1904, p364)

It matters not particularly that December 25 is not the anniversary of our Lord's birth, according to the Scriptural account; that really he was born about September 25, nine months later. One day, as well as another, will serve us to commemorate our Saviour's birth in the flesh, as a gift of God's love to a condemned and dying world. Indeed, in some respects December 25, which corresponds to the date of our Lord's annunciation or begetting by the holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, may be considered even more appropriate for celebration than the day of his death. (Watch Tower, 15. December 1908, p380)

15

Interesting Watchtower quote on Jeremiah 29:10 - Seventy years FOR Babylon.

by nicolaou in

anyone familiar with the society's tortuous reasoning on the whole 607b.c.e - 586/7b.c.e debate knows how, and why, they consistently render jeremiah 29:10 as;.

"for this is what jehovah has said, in accord with the fulfilling of seventy years at babylon i shall turn my attention to you people,.

however, in the infamous book 'from paradise lost to paradise regained' on page 114 we find the following;.

bennyk

Right, Mad. The seventy years of servitude began before Jerusalem was destroyed. Cf. Jeremiah 27:11-13, 17.

This is important because it disproves the Watch Tower Society's calculations to determine the end of the"Gentile Times".

And because they are wrong about that, they are also wrong about their alleged "appointment" in 1919...

(Incidentally, nic, the Scandinavian versions of the NWT have "for Babylon" -- not "at Babylon".)

30

Why do JW's downplay older WT articles?

by mamalove in

i was looking at brotherdan's thread about the two articles that really point out in the wtbs's own words that we must follow this organization, blah blah, and they are indeed a cult from reading those articles.

it made me think that i would love to show my mom and sister that, but i know the response would be "so what, that is a 40 year old magazine," it was dated 1969, and 1983 was the other article i believe.. are the jw's i know the only ones who poo poo older articles and say that thinking isn't up to date anymore, that new thinking has superceded those new articles?

even though we know that the overall thinking is the same.

bennyk

They do blame God for their errors:

Stirring up increasing interest in them, Jehovah caused to be preached from 1918 onward the startling public message “Millions Now Living Will Never Die,” and in 1923 he provided the interpretation of “the parable of the sheep and the goats.”

-- Watchtower 15. Nov. 1955, p. 698 § 36 “Millions Now Living Will Never Die” was a false prophecy regarding 1925. The interpretation published by the Society prior to October 1995 stated that the "sheep and goats" were being judged already, since 1918. (Salvation, p. 344; contrast Watchtower 15. Oct. 1995, p. 27 § 21)

As Jehovah revealed his truths by means of the first-century Christian congregation so he does today by means of the present-day Christian congregation. Through this agency he is having carried out prophesying on an intensified and unparalleled scale. All this activity is not an accident. Jehovah is the one behind all of it.

-- Watchtower 15. June 1964, p. 365 § 22

Jehovah is here blamed for all the Society's false prophecies and erroneous teachings.

From a purely human viewpoint, it could appear that these developments could hardly take place before the generation of 1914 disappears from the scene. But fulfillment of all the foretold events affecting the generation of 1914 does not depend on comparatively slow human action. Jehovah’s prophetic word through Christ Jesus is: “This generation [of 1914] will by no means pass away until all things occur.” (Luke 21:32) And Jehovah, who is the source of inspired and unfailing prophecy, will bring about the fulfillment of his Son’s words in a relatively short time.

-- Watchtower 15. May 1984, pp. 6,7 [brackets in original] Here the Society attributes their own false prophecy to Almighty God.

&c.

29

Circuit and Special Day Assembly Programs 2010-2011

by blondie in

jw
friends

2-day circuit assembly .

theme:.

"you are no part of the world" .

bennyk

"Do Not Be Contaminated By... --'The Wild Beast'"

Do they mean by affiliating with the United Nations Organisation as a "non-governmental organisation"? At least this a subject regarding which they have some knowledge...

20

Why Did God Commission Russell to Preach to People Who Would All Die Before Armageddon?

by neverendingjourney in

i've posted this thought before, but i've yet to get a lot of feedback.

it's also not a point i see brought up very much on jwd, but it seems like a very simple, logical way of disproving witness doctrine/eschatology.. witnesses believe that the parable of the wheat and the weeds is having its fulfillment in our time.

that's to say that jehovah began to gather his people in these last days so that those rightly-disposed can survive armageddon.

bennyk

"Maybe" God had Russell preach a lot of rubbish to prove to the world that Russell was a false prophet.

THE careful student will have observed that the period designated "The Time of the End" is very appropriately named, since not only does the Gospel age close in it, but in it, also, all prophecies relating to the close of this age terminate, reaching their fulfilments. The same class of readers will have noticed, too, the special importance of the last 40 of those 115 years (1874-1914), called "The End" or "Harvest." (Thy Kingdom Come, p.121)

We see no reason for changing the figures-- nor could we change them if we would. They are, we believe, God's dates, not ours. But bear in mind that the end of 1914 is not the date for the beginning, but for the end of the time of trouble. (Watch Tower Reprints, p.1677)

85

Did the first Christians worship Jesus?

by slimboyfat in

new testament scholar james dunn has written a new book called did the first christians worship jesus?

the new testament evidence.

his answer to the question is a qualified no.. http://www.amazon.com/did-first-christians-worship-jesus/dp/0664231969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=utf8&qid=1284146996&sr=1-1.

bennyk

And Charles Taze Russell also prayed to Jesus.

But what is interesting is that the Society really simply does not honor Jesus much at all. (Even at his own Memorial.)

And that is precisely why Dubs think in terms of 'Jehovah and His Organisation' and pretty much ignore Jesus. The cardboard cut-out Jesus they know is clearly not viewed as the living Head of the Church. He is not their Mediator. He is not viewed as the 'One into whose hand the Father has given all things'. The Organisation is viewed as having received everything...

85

Did the first Christians worship Jesus?

by slimboyfat in

new testament scholar james dunn has written a new book called did the first christians worship jesus?

the new testament evidence.

his answer to the question is a qualified no.. http://www.amazon.com/did-first-christians-worship-jesus/dp/0664231969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=utf8&qid=1284146996&sr=1-1.

bennyk

debator may wish to give some consideration to the following:

"For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him." (John 5: 22,23)

The Watch Tower Society does not really honor the Son very much at all.