Maybe this is side-stepping your question but I don't think it really works that way at all. I think people get so frustrated from the whole mess that they don't take the time to see part of what's frustrating them is deep-rooted doubt but they're still so indoctrinated it takes time for the doubt to surface. Give him some time, the doubt will surface and he'll come eventually come around to a sunnier disposition.
nerofiddle
JoinedPosts by nerofiddle
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6
How does one choose to die if they think the JWs are right?
by Sheepish inthis may seem like a strange question, but i'd like to understand.
my brother-in-law decided he can't be a witness anymore.
no half way-he has left entirely.
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I'm new here and have lots of questions
by jaada inhello, i am new to this board, i am not a jehovahs witness however i studied with them for years, i went out into service a couple of times, but i havent done anything in 4 years.
i am so confused.
i always have been scared of the last days thing, but i could never accept the fact that while i was in the meetings, my husband and parents were all at home and the witnesses would tell me that unless they changed and started coming to the meetings that they would be killed!
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nerofiddle
Hello Jaada, and welcome! Like everyone else on this board all I can offer you is my opinion but I sincerely hope my opinion (in this case my own rule of thumb) can offer you a little peace of mind. Here's my rule of thumb: 1.The more scare tactics a religion uses to frighten you into believing as they do, the less likely that religion is going to be true. It's as simple as that. 2. Don't ever be afraid to reject what others tell you and follow your own instincts and ability to reason.
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Can I pick your brain?
by nerofiddle inim looking for your help with an issue.
although im agnostic and not a bible believer, im currently having regular visits/discussions with a couple of jw elders.
im fully aware of the jw doctrine that christ is a created being and im familiar with scriptural texts and the reasoning they use in support of that claim.
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nerofiddle
I’m sorry it’s taken me so much time to get back to this post. I’ve been having some internet connection issues. Thank you all so much for your ideas and input. I’m amazed at the level of intellectual and multilingual abilities some of you apparently have at your command. Not that I'm surprised, I'm just impressed by it. The information you’ve provided will no doubt prove invaluable to strategize the ideological confrontation/discussion I hope to engage the JWs in. I’ve heard it said that scriptures bounce off of JWs like bullets bounce off of Superman and my experiences with them have proven no exception. But I can’t help but hope maybe one day I’ll catch the right JW at the right time and have a truly meaningful exchange of ideas. When and if that door ever opens I want to be as prepared as I can be, so again many thanks. Trying to sift through all the controversy over translation, doctrine, interpretation, etc. etc. is a lot like Rain Man (from the movie of the same name) trying to answer the question from the old Abbott and Costello routine “Who’s on first base?”. At the end of the day I’m thankful I don’t have to defend a religion or a book a given religion might be based on.
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Blood and Pumpkins
by Woodsman ini heard a witness once claim that accepting blood fractions according to the wts's method of dividing up blood cells was ok because it is no longer considered blood once these fractions are removed.. well is there pumpkin in a pumpkin pie?.
everyone should agree there is.
yet it is not the whole pumpkin but a fraction.
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nerofiddle
The only difference I see is blood fractions might keep a body running, while a steady diet of pumpkin pulp might a body running for the bathroom.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
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Can I pick your brain?
by nerofiddle inim looking for your help with an issue.
although im agnostic and not a bible believer, im currently having regular visits/discussions with a couple of jw elders.
im fully aware of the jw doctrine that christ is a created being and im familiar with scriptural texts and the reasoning they use in support of that claim.
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nerofiddle
I’m looking for your help with an issue. Although I’m agnostic and not a bible believer, I’m currently having regular visits/discussions with a couple of JW elders. I’m fully aware of the JW doctrine that Christ is a created being and I’m familiar with scriptural texts and the reasoning they use in support of that claim.
In fact I know there’s an almost endless supply of arguments pro and con. That’s why I’d like to limit this discussion to this one particular scripture that appears to be a solid rebuttal to the notion that Christ is a creation of God or for that matter a created being.
The subject of John 1: 1-5 is the Word or Christ and it says he made all things. The real focus of my interest is John 1:3. Here are several different translations:
KJV: “ All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. ”
NIV: “ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ”
NWT: “ All things came into existence through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into existence. ”
The obvious point here is, if all things were made by ( or made through if you prefer) Christ and nothing came into existence without him- not even one thing, how could Christ possibly be made or created? The obvious answer to that is Christ wasn’t made or created. Isn’t it?
Having said that, I was hoping for your help/opinion. I’m looking for some idea of how these elders (or any JW) might respond or argue this scripture. What do you think? Is my argument a solid one? Remember, as far as they’re concerned I’m just a guy they’re witnessing to.
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The 1968 quote re 1975, the COMPLETE one?
by Fatfreek ini hate to rehash but i googled this with no luck.
the following is a great quotation and i've always referred to it.
but does anyone have the complete one (without the ellipsis)?
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nerofiddle
Did anyone notice the quote Fats is looking for is: Watchtower, August 15, 1968? (Page 499) The posts I've seen (while great info) don't seem to fit that bill.
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nerofiddle
T-SHIRT
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Google and Quotes litigation -- conspiracy in common?
by Fatfreek inthere are two ongoing and unrelated events (or are they?
) in the publishing world.
there is a class action suit against the google folks because of their effort (postponed till november) to digitally scan entire libraries of hard-copy books at several university libraries.
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nerofiddle
"What's good for the goose is good for the gander" (probably not Byron but still apropos)
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If you hung a sign on your door for the witnesses.....................
by ButtLight inwhat would it say?
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nerofiddle
Thanks Scully, you are more than welcome to copy it and so can anyone else as long as it's for private use or if it's used on this site I'm credited.
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Big News! The Watch Tower Society has developed an edible Bible.
by garybuss inthe watch tower society has at last developed a product that will sell, edible literature.
the edible magazines are delicious and their shipping and storage only presents minor challenges.
the magazines need to be kept in a temperature range of about 44 degrees.
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nerofiddle
If I eat the literature what the hell am I supposed to wipe with?