Posts by Jeffro

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

MMM:

This does seem like a reasonable requirement though...

A baby goat rather than a child. Although…

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

J conveys much more Babylonian influence than P and is where much of the philosophising comes from (and also presents God as more anthropomorphic). Adam and Eve. The flood (but also merged with a P version). Tower of Babel. The ridiculous length of the lifespans. The ‘table of nations’. Even the weird alternative Ten Commandments that includes ‘don’t boil a kid in its mother’s milk’ (incidentally the copy of the Ten Commandments that the Bible says Moses kept). (I should probably add that this is not intended as an exhaustive list.)

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

I suppose that weird little rant is one way of avoiding an actual review of just who has been 'horrible' in the past.

11

Why the term "disfellowshipped " was removed

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/ags07jlopcy?si=g9ra1jqksuuauyax.

Jeffro

Enjoy Life Forever has been updated to remove references to 'disfellowshipping'. Notably, the link to the video about 'Sonja' has been removed. And it's funny that "some people" have supposedly already been saying they're worried they'll be "removed from the congregation" rather than "disfellowshipped". 🙄

Old (removed text in bold)	New (added text in bold)
Page 237:
They may limit our participation in certain Christian activities for a while until we are spiritually healthy. To protect the congregation from harmful influences, the elders disfellowship any who commit serious sins and are unrepentant.	To protect the congregation from harmful influences, the elders remove from the congregation any who commit serious sins and are unrepentant.
Page 239:
4. How disfellowshipping helps If a person who has committed a serious sin refuses to follow Jehovah’s standards, he can no longer be part of the congregation. He is disfellowshipped, and we do not associate with him or even speak with him. Read 1 Corinthians 5:6, 11 and 2 John 9-11, and then discuss this question: ˙ Just as leaven ferments bread dough, how would associating with an unrepentant sinner affect the congregation? Many who have been disfellowshipped have later returned to the congregation because the discipline, although painful, brought them to their senses. (Psalm 141:5) Play the VIDEO, and then discuss the question that follows. VIDEO: Loyally Uphold Jehovah’s Judgments (9:28) ˙ In this dramatization, how did being disfellowshipped help Sonja? How does the disfellowshipping arrangement . . . ˙ honor Jehovah’s name? ˙ show that Jehovah is reasonable and loving? SOME PEOPLE SAY: “I’m afraid that if I tell the elders about my sin, I’ll get disfellowshipped.” ˙ What would you say to someone who feels that way?	4. Jehovah shows mercy to sinners If a person who has committed a serious sin refuses to follow Jehovah’s standards, he is removed from the congregation, and we do not socialize with him. Read 1 Corinthians 5:6, 11, and then discuss this question: ˙ Just as leaven ferments bread dough, how would socializing with an unrepentant sinner affect the congregation? In imitation of Jehovah’s mercy toward imperfect sinners, elders reach out and help those who have been removed from the congregation. Many have returned to the congregation because the discipline, although painful, brought them to their senses.—Psalm 141:5. How does the way Jehovah deals with sinners show that he is reasonable, merciful, and loving? SOME PEOPLE SAY: “I’m afraid that if I tell the elders about my sin, they will remove me from the congregation.” ˙ What would you say to someone who feels that way?
Page 240:
How can the disfellowshipping arrangement benefit everyone involved? “Why Disfellowshipping Is a Loving Provision” (The Watchtower, April 15, 2015) Learn how you can explain the disfellowshipping arrangement to a non-Witness. “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Shun Those Who Used to Belong to Their Religion?” (Web article)	How do the elders try to help those who commit a serious sin? “Responding to Sin With Love and Mercy” (The Watchtower, August 2024) Consider how love and mercy are shown toward unrepentant sinners. “Help for Those Who Are Removed From the Congregation” (The Watchtower, August 2024)
Page 241:
What if someone we know has decided that he no longer wants to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses? It can be heartbreaking when someone close to us does this. That person may force us to choose between him and Jehovah. We must be determined to remain loyal to God above all else. (Matthew 10:37) So we obey Jehovah’s command not to associate with such individuals.—Read 1 Corinthians 5:11.	[Deleted]
Page 244:
To remain loyal to Jehovah, we need to avoid associating with those who are disloyal to him. We also need to separate ourselves completely from false religion. Review ˙ Why should we not watch, read, or listen to the ideas of apostates? ˙ How should we treat those who no longer want to be Jehovah’s Witnesses? ˙ How can we heed the warning to flee from false religion?	To remain loyal to Jehovah, we need to avoid associating with those who try to mislead us. Review ˙ Why should we not listen to the ideas of apostates? ˙ If we learn that a brother has sinned seriously, what should we do? ˙ How can we heed the warning to flee from false religion?

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

KOW:

"horrible" words Jeffro has said in the past.

citation needed. But you may not like the actual order of events if you want to go down that path again...

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

MMM:

Jeez Jeffro - the dude says he actually hates you. Wow. I mean, wow. What did you do to him?

Yes, he doesn’t like it if you dare to point out that he’s not 100% right. It’s a shame because I’m only really here for the popularity contest. 🤣

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

KOW:

However this is not to say that the Western legal system is based on the Torah or the Bible. It is not. The Torah itself is not the inventor of the ideas and ideals found within its legal system, so one cannot even claim that in the purest sense.

Most importantly, and the salient point, the fact that case law texts include factual details about specific cases is not derived from the Bible’s inclusion of fanciful narratives.

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

🤦‍♂️

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

KOW:

The "snide little judgments" I learned from copying and pasting every comment you have made on this site into a computer.
And the "snide" comments you despise are generated via Google's Gemini AI.
They are actually based upon your very own.

Sure. 😒 If that were true, it would make you even more petty. Particularly since you’ve made the comments about people other than me.

299

Who told the first lie?

by nicolaou in

this is a continuation of the discussion which sprang from an unrelated topic.. so according to genesis, who told the first lie?

god told eve that if she ate from the tree of knowledge she would die that very same day.

in response to that statement the devil told her she would not die.. eve ate from the tree and did not die.

Jeffro

the people and culture who wrote the story.

Strictly speaking, it is a derivative work adapted from the Babylonians, and the Jewish interpretations have been added later and do not fully represent the intentions of the original story.