Jeffro

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Posts by Jeffro

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  10

  Inaccuracies regarding pagan origins

  by AEnEm in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  easter and christmas have pagan origins.

  many of us were told that since birth.

  the evidence?

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  Jeffro

  TonusOH:

  For some reason, my brain initially read this as "Yahweh, originally part of Canadianpantheon."

  But it’s true though (Trudeau).

  I’m sorry. I’ll show myself out.
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  47

  Norway

  by St George of England in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).

  their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.

  additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".

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  Jeffro

  NotFormer:

  Did they even once question their own purported infallibility?

  Well, they don’t actually claim to be infallible. They explicitly say they’re not infallible. But then they say they never need to apologise for getting things wrong. Which is kind of worse. 🤣
  
• 
  10

  Inaccuracies regarding pagan origins

  by AEnEm in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  easter and christmas have pagan origins.

  many of us were told that since birth.

  the evidence?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  Yahweh, originally part of Canaanite pantheon

  Exodus from Egypt adapted from Cushite myth

  Cherubs in Ezekiel adapted from Assyrian mythology

  Creation and flood myths adapted from Babylonian and earlier Sumerian myths

  The devil as a specific character (rather than ‘satan’ as a generic concept of opposition) from Persian religion

  Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a tree contains elements adapted from a Babylonian legend about Nabonidus

  The ‘Word’/logos from Greek philosophy

  But Christmas and Easter are apparently a bridge too far. 🤦‍♂️🤣
• 
  47

  Norway

  by St George of England in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).

  their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.

  additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".

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  Jeffro

  A lot of focus has been put on JWs’ treatment of minors in regard to disfellowshipping, but the actual case in Norway is just as much about the policy of shunning of any former members who wish to leave the denomination. This is especially relevant to ‘apostates’, though individuals who are disfellowshipped for any reason are still shunned, with only a slightly relaxed policy that only really amounts to additional emotional coercion to ‘return’.

  The policy, along with pressure from the organisation, to shun ‘apostates’ is also quite separate to the rights of individuals to stop talking to someone as an individual choice. But it is by design that members are officially not allowed to talk to dissenters, and making shunning a ‘conscience matter’ would defeat the purpose of the ‘arrangement’.
• 
  47

  Norway

  by St George of England in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).

  their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.

  additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  It’s always odd when people vote down a comment but give no indication why. 🤣

  
  
• 
  47

  Norway

  by St George of England in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so the wt society is going to contest the recent norway ruling.. jehovah’s witnesses to appeal unconstitutional ruling in norway (jw.org).

  their true colours are shown in the statement: "the decision to deregister jehovah’s witnesses denies us the financial aid and other benefits that the government provides to over 700 registered religious communities in the country.

  additional consequences include losing the right to appoint and authorize ministers of jehovah’s witnesses as officiants for weddings.".

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  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Jeffro

  But they have doubled down on shunning 'apostates', which violates Freedom of Religion rights including the right to change religion. So I don't see their appeal going too well, but it depends on who has the best lawyers to some extent.
  
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  22

  The "10 Year Plan" - What is the realistic outcome?

  by redsetter2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as there has been some discussion calling bs on this topic, .

  i will paste the text from my 10 year plan post and i will critically evaluate how i feel things will turn out.

  i will add bold italics my thoughts.. the governing body has a 10-year marketing plan to remodel the organization to become closer to a mainstream christian religion.

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  Jeffro

  redsetter2:

  The Governing Body has a 10-year marketing plan to remodel the Organization to become closer to a mainstream Christian religion.

  This "plan" has not been initiated by the Governing Body, it has been provided to them as a recommendation by the Legal department, Service Committee, Teaching and Writing Committees

  It makes sense that this supposed '10 year plan' is really just recommendations from marketing/legal. As such, there's no guarantee that any would necessarily be implemented. Some are likely, and some are very unlikely.
  
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  8

  Anyone Have a Photo of The Current 9 Member Governing Body?

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  governing body members.

  kenneth eugene cook, jr. (2018).

  gage fleegle (2023).

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  Jeffro

  
  
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  44

  Thoughts on Likely Upcoming Changes in the Org.

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am thinking that the "ten year plan" that some have spoken of is the most likely scenario.

  the org.

  has to both attract new members and retain as many existing ones as possible.. so i think they will let the recent changes "bed in" for a while, maybe a year ?

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  Jeffro

  I think much of the ‘ten year plan’ is based more on speculation rather than actual plans. That said, there does seem to be a general tendency toward the mainstream with recent changes.

  I do suspect there will be a continuation of the doctrinal changes. It is unrealistic nonsense to believe that all other religions will be destroyed leaving only JWs, so there will probably be a shift towards emphasising the ‘spiritual paradise’, and that other religions are ‘already spiritually destroyed’.

  I don’t see them dropping 1914 any time soon but if they do, it will likely be detrimental to their membership numbers. I also don’t see them starting to allow Christmas or Easter soon. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if birthdays are made a ‘conscience matter’.
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  13

  Progress on the NWT Study Bible

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the society has been working on the nwt study bible since the revised nwt was released in 2013. so far they done the nt up to philemon.

  that makes about 17% of the entire bible including the hebrew/aramaic scriptures.

  at that rate the study edition of the whole nwt will be completed sometime around the year 2077. .

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  Jeffro

  See also NWT study notes for Acts 19:2. 🤣