Posts by ackack

36

Bible reading without the WT filter

by watch the tower in

you know even though i think the wt doctrine is mostly all garbage now, i still do believe that the bible is inspired from our creator.

the flaw in my understanding of it in the past was because i was interpreting it through the filter of the wts.

recently i have started clean slate and read the bible without the wt filter (easier said than done, your mind has a way of reverting back to what was programmed in there).

ackack

Another presupposition in here is "the Bible". You are asuming the whole Bible to be inspired. Its easy to view to that way, but its not a terrible accurate way to look at it.

I think at some point we have to say, what about this book? what about this passage? what is inspiration? does inspiration mean inerrency?

The question I always ask myself, is what would it take for me to NOT believe in something? If the answer is, "nothing could change my mind!" then that belief is not based upon fact or reason. Therefore its unteachable to others.

ackack

49

Has the exodus begun now?

by toby888 in

jw
friends

anyone have any real information if the great exodus has begun?

tickle my ears-

ackack

Incidently, when are the 2005 stats coming out? In Feb 1st now?

ackack

38

"The friends" came over today.............

by gringojj in

jw
friends

i am so sick of witnesses reserving catchphrases for themselves.. talking to my wifes mother today she kept referring to "the friends".

"the friends came over today, we went to lunch with the friends".

well if they are "the friends", then what the hell are everyone else?

ackack

"The Friends" is a bit of an old timey expression. ianybm, i have definitely heard this used in Canada.

One really funny example that several of us pioneers would laugh at for some time was an older (and I do mean older) brother was talking about the street witnessing in a comment.

"So I was up with The Friends tm giving out The Tower tm "

Sounds kinda like the plot line to lord of the rings now that i think about it .. err.. maybe not. :)

ackack

17

If WT shuning practices were removed, what would be the result?

by hubert in

imagine if the wt in brookline decided it was "scriptually incorrect" to shun ex-j.w.

's for any reason, what do you think would happen if they stopped the shunning practice?

i was never a j.w., so i'll leave it up to the experienced people here to conclude.

ackack

This question is a bit like asking, "What if men got pregnant?"

The question has a bit of absurdity to it, because if the WT no longer shunned, it would no longer be the WT. The WT's basis for existsance is an insular society. If it wasn't insular anymore, it would be the same. :)

ackack

29

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 10-23-05 WT Study (Walk/Faith)

by blondie in

"we are walking by faith, not by sight.

' walking by faith means that we keep.

ackack

24th is the 50th anniversary of the UN. is that it?

do *i* win a gold star? ;)

ackack

23

Pioneer School Notes -- What a robot I was!

by AlmostAtheist in

jw
friends

somebody mentioned the "secret" pioneer school book the other day, prompting me to go find mine.

i started flipping through it, reading over my notes.

-- i don't know, that's a good question.

ackack

Oh God, when I get home I'm going to dig out my pioneer school textbook. But even at the school, there were a lot of comments that didn't sit very well with me. I came out of there and stopped pioneering actually.

Until I get home, here is one comment in particular that made me uneasy:
You know we consider the watchtower to be equal with the Bible.

Not a lie, it was Norman Lum. Nice guy (i guess) had some knowledge, but that comment really stuck with me.

Do you remember the question period too? I recall someone asking about oral sex. :)

ackack

74

Pepsi or coke?

by Evanescence in

jw
friends

.

which do you like better pepsi or coke?.

evanescence *wish there were voting polls on this forum

ackack

Clearly coke, because icoke.ca is the coolest!

ackack

42

Is it me or has the WTS gotten worse?

by Lady Lee in

i've been out of the jws for the last 20 years.

i remember when...the wts prided its self on having khs that were humble, practical and were't a showy displaythe wts was as militant as they are now.the elders weren't as cruel to their ownthe wts wasn't always puttong their hands in the r&f's pocket and demanding money.the conventions actually cared about the needs of the r&f by providing food and not making a bunch of rules about where they could eat and what they could put under the seat.. am i remembering things differently?

has the society gotten worse?

ackack

It certainly seems to me that there have been two big epochs in JW history.

1925 & 1975. I got the impression from reading Penton's book, that these two times marked a real change.

I would predict we'll have another "1975" event coming up shortly that will galvanize JWs. Prolly a complete change from the 1914 chronology that will make the endtime close (within a decade). Those who do not learn from history.....

ackack

42

Is it me or has the WTS gotten worse?

by Lady Lee in

i've been out of the jws for the last 20 years.

i remember when...the wts prided its self on having khs that were humble, practical and were't a showy displaythe wts was as militant as they are now.the elders weren't as cruel to their ownthe wts wasn't always puttong their hands in the r&f's pocket and demanding money.the conventions actually cared about the needs of the r&f by providing food and not making a bunch of rules about where they could eat and what they could put under the seat.. am i remembering things differently?

has the society gotten worse?

ackack

Lady Lee: as I understand the overall issue, its that if concession stands where open, people *couldn't* brown bag it, and that would be an undue hardship on the poorer JW's. I think its a perfectly reasonable request. That is, I can understand where they are coming from. At least they acknowledge that JW's are typically poor. :) (hhhm... maybe free food would be nice? we can do it for hall builds)

ackack

42

Is it me or has the WTS gotten worse?

by Lady Lee in

i've been out of the jws for the last 20 years.

i remember when...the wts prided its self on having khs that were humble, practical and were't a showy displaythe wts was as militant as they are now.the elders weren't as cruel to their ownthe wts wasn't always puttong their hands in the r&f's pocket and demanding money.the conventions actually cared about the needs of the r&f by providing food and not making a bunch of rules about where they could eat and what they could put under the seat.. am i remembering things differently?

has the society gotten worse?

ackack

Scully: too true. the paranoia level is up. mention 'apostate', 'internet', 'thinking', 'doubts', or 'questions'.

I believe there was a time when you could discuss doubts or questions a little more openly. Is that true?

ackack