Gadget
What''s this all about - am I missing something?
okey dokey, the 47 people who sent me a pm with their details to be included in the secret santa should now have received a pm with details of who to send a gift to.
if anyone hasn't received a pm and thinks they should have done, please pm me asap!
paul
Gadget
What''s this all about - am I missing something?
i thought you guys might like to see these.. jeff s.. http://www.cafepress.com/catholicxjw.25478092.
http://www.cafepress.com/catholicxjw.25453733.
http://www.cafepress.com/catholicxjw.25477569.
Hello Jeff - long time no speak.
Some of these are quite funny. Unfortunately my JW friend doesn't know about all the failed prophecies, so he would just use these to prove persecution etc. I'm tempted to get one or two anyway.
i've read posts from time to time where it is obvious that people have been treated badly by either a jc or by individual elder themselves while in the society.
i can honestly say that in all my years as an elder, i have never seen this side.
most elders that i have known are committed, honest and fair minded men, who believe in what they are doing and have complete and utter faith in the organization.
Hello Marsh,
I really enjoyed your post - excellent thanks. Have we met? If not WELCOME
i am writing an article for my site on whether god requires an organisation.
for some reason a lot of dubs i talk to think that jehovah must have an org and they can't find one better than the wts.
i remember a great article mentioned in one of the threads about 3 months ago on this site.
WT 1895 15 September article “How to Conduct Group Meetings”
“Beware of ‘organisation’. It is wholly unnecessary. The Bible rules will be the only rules you will need. Do not seek to bind others’ consciences and do not permit others to bind yours. Believe and obey so far as you can
Watchtower 1881 by the President C T Russell
“..their organization was of Spirit; their law for the government of each was love, and all as a whole were put under obedience to ‘the law of the Spirit’ as it was expressed in the life, actions and words of their Lord…”
“..it is clearly seen that these present day churches…interpret and enforce the ‘traditions of the elders’ which ‘make void the Word of God.’ These take the place of the true Head of the Church – Jesus and the true teacher and guide to all truth, the Holy Spirit. Hear the prophet Isaiah express it (chap
“This brings us to our second preposition, viz that all Christians should be joined to this organisation… But says one; Must I not join some organisation on earth, assent to some creed and have my name written on earth? No. Remember that Jesus is your pattern and teacher, and neither in his words or acts will you find any authority for binding yourselves with creeds or traditions of the elders, which all tend to make the word of God of none effect (Mark 7:13) and bring you under a bondage that will hinder your growth in grace and knowledge, and against which Paul warned you to ‘stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage (Gal 5:1}”
Watchtower 1882 April, Questions & Answers
“We are strictly unsectarian…(read 1 Cor 3:1-4)…we have no creed (fence) to bind us together or keep others out of our company. The Bible is our only Standard, and its teachings our only creed…We are in fellowship with all Christians in whom we can recognise the Spirit of Christ, and especially with those who recognise the Bible as the only Standard. We do not require therefore that all should see just as we do in order to be called Christians, realising that growth and knowledge is a gradual process; nor do we see reason to expect that any but the Watchmen of Zion will ‘see eye to eye (Isa 52:8) until that which is perfect is come..(1 Cor ).”
“If all Christians were to thus free themselves from prescribed creeds, and study the Word of God without denominational bias, truth and knowledge and real Christian fellowship and unity would result. The Spirit of the Head would pervade the unfettered members of the Body and sectarian pride would vanish.”
Watchtower 1884 February
“We belong to no earthly organization…we adhere only to that heavenly organization ‘whose names are written in heaven’ (Heb Luke )”
“What think you?...suppose…all man made creeds and forms …and names were laid aside, or that all Christians met in the One name of Christ, and in earnest simplicity, studied HIS words under the direction of God’s Spirit and the explanations furnished in the Apostles’ writings, would there be long and serious differences, even of opinion?... And so, by whatsoever names men may call us, it matters not to us; we acknowledge none other name than ‘the only name given under heaven and among men’ – Jesus Christ. We call ourselves simply CHRISTIANS and we raise no fence to separate from us any who believe in the foundation stone of our building mentioned by Paul: ‘that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures’; and those for whom this is not broad enough have no right to the name Christian.”
this is not my work.
it was posted by ben over at thewatchtower.org you can read the original at http://www.thewatchtower.org/content/view/66/48/.
god's organization .
WT 1895 15 September article “How to Conduct Group Meetings” “Beware of ‘organisation’. It is wholly unnecessary. The Bible rules will be the only rules you will need. Do not seek to bind others’ consciences and do not permit others to bind yours. Believe and obey so far as you can understand God’s word today, and so continue growing in grace and knowledge and love day by day”.
Watchtower 1881 by the President C T Russell
“..their organization was of Spirit; their law for the government of each was love, and all as a whole were put under obedience to ‘the law of the Spirit’ as it was expressed in the life, actions and words of their Lord…”
“..it is clearly seen that these present day churches…interpret and enforce the ‘traditions of the elders’ which ‘make void the Word of God.’ These take the place of the true Head of the Church – Jesus and the true teacher and guide to all truth, the Holy Spirit. Hear the prophet Isaiah express it (chap
“This brings us to our second preposition, viz that all Christians should be joined to this organisation… But says one; Must I not join some organisation on earth, assent to some creed and have my name written on earth? No. Remember that Jesus is your pattern and teacher, and neither in his words or acts will you find any authority for binding yourselves with creeds or traditions of the elders, which all tend to make the word of God of none effect (Mark 7:13) and bring you under a bondage that will hinder your growth in grace and knowledge, and against which Paul warned you to ‘stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free, and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage (Gal 5:1}”
Watchtower 1882 April, Questions & Answers
“We are strictly unsectarian…(read 1 Cor 3:1-4)…we have no creed (fence) to bind us together or keep others out of our company. The Bible is our only Standard, and its teachings our only creed…We are in fellowship with all Christians in whom we can recognise the Spirit of Christ, and especially with those who recognise the Bible as the only Standard. We do not require therefore that all should see just as we do in order to be called Christians, realising that growth and knowledge is a gradual process; nor do we see reason to expect that any but the Watchmen of Zion will ‘see eye to eye (Isa 52:8) until that which is perfect is come..(1 Cor ).”
“If all Christians were to thus free themselves from prescribed creeds, and study the Word of God without denominational bias, truth and knowledge and real Christian fellowship and unity would result. The Spirit of the Head would pervade the unfettered members of the Body and sectarian pride would vanish.”
Watchtower 1884 February
“We belong to no earthly organization…we adhere only to that heavenly organization ‘whose names are written in heaven’ (Heb Luke )”
“What think you?...suppose…all man made creeds and forms …and names were laid aside, or that all Christians met in the One name of Christ, and in earnest simplicity, studied HIS words under the direction of God’s Spirit and the explanations furnished in the Apostles’ writings, would there be long and serious differences, even of opinion?... And so, by whatsoever names men may call us, it matters not to us; we acknowledge none other name than ‘the only name given under heaven and among men’ – Jesus Christ. We call ourselves simply CHRISTIANS and we raise no fence to separate from us any who believe in the foundation stone of our building mentioned by Paul: ‘that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures’; and those for whom this is not broad enough have no right to the name Christian.”
dedpoet and myself were asked this question last night.
we went round to his local to celebrate my da announcement (made on tuesday 22nd november).
it was his idea, to "drink a toast to freedom", but i was up for it as well, and we ran into a former brother and his girlfriend.
Although never a JW, I was another type of fundamentalist, the sort that led to the forming of JW religion. I was a second adventist. I remain Christian, however, but recently with a more enlightened understanding.
Let me offer just one portion of writing that I have borrowed, which can be applied to JWs, SDAs or any of the other fundamentalist and so-called Bible based religions:
The most misleading thing about fundamentalist use of the Bible is that it misunderstands, not just some specific texts, but the whole nature of the Bible itself. It imposes upon the Bible a view of revalation that is alien to the Bible, and that the Bible refutes, by its form, its character and by its content.
That alien view is that revelation consists of a set of clear doctrines uttered by God and put directly, without any human interpretation, onto the pages of Scripture. Fundamentalists select some passages to provide such doctrines, straight from the mouth of God, but have to ignore huge amounts of Bible writing, but they get away with it because most people do not know the Bible well enough to refute them.
To refute them however, there is no need to deny the texts they cite, but simply instead to point out what the nature of Biblical revelation is. It is not a set of doctrines, and it does not record the thoughts of God without any human interpretation. We need to read it carefully to see just what it is. But once we have seen that, we can never be tempted by fundamentalism again.
today is thanksgiving.
time for family & friends.
sady, thanks to the watchtower org., i have few of either.
I was sad, at my cousin's funeral. He was only 46. But the funeral was amazingly different, which cheered me up a bit:
As well as family, there were many hippy types and bikers - his mates. We walked in to a rendition by Bob Marley of Exodus. No hymns & hardly any prayers - mainly readings about his life from family & friends, and more regae music which he loved. We heard redemption songs, again my Bob Marley and as the coffin disappeared there were e few smiles and chuckles as well as tears. Because he had arranged for them to play at this point another Marley track. It started with a familiar whistled tune, then Marley belts out to the reggae beat "Don't worry... - be happy".
And the preacher was a woman, she was a great comfort to Rob's kids, and seemed as genuinely moved as the rest of us.A great send off to the guy I spend many fun weekends with when we were 12 & 13. Just how he planned it. He also had poems and songd in his own hand, prepared for this day, on each seat for us to read, along with his photo - dreadlocks & all. Very positive writing that made us all feel good, somehow. All in all, a surreal but uplifting experience.
don't delete this just because it looks weird.
can read it.. .
i cdnuolt blveiee taht i cluod aulaclty .
Wonderful
Took a copy, thanks.
http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/harp/harptitle.html
some amazing publications online.. just one example of the spiritual food at the proper time that earned jws appointment by christ as the fds in spring 1919. chapter 9 "our lord's return is very interesting.
this, and studies in the scriptures, also available free online are the teachings that won the organisation its appointment.
http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/harp/harptitle.html
Some amazing publications online.
Just one example of the spiritual food at the proper time that earned JWs appointment by Christ as the FDS in Spring 1919. Chapter 9 "Our Lord's Return is very interesting. This, and Studies in the Scriptures, also available free online are the teachings that won the organisation its appointment.
For any who doubt the authenticity, I have old hardcopy editions at home. I have the 1921 edition, for example, of Rutherford's Harp of God.