until 1996 the watchtower society's official policy was that a young jw man who volunteered for alternative military service, rather than being imprisoned or letting a court sentence him to some kind of alternative civilian service, had violated christian neutrality and therefore was either to be disfellowshipped or declared to have voluntarily disassociated himself from the jw organization.
beginning in 1978, the governing body voted on changing this policy a number of times, and generally had a simple majority who voted for change, but because the gb had a policy that all changes needed a 2/3 majority, and that was never reached until 1996, the policy remained.. in 1996, it appears that jehovah changed his mind, and so via divine direction instructed the governing body to change its policy.
in the may 1, 1996 watchtower (pp.
Hi alan,
Very good post.
I am working on an article in french on the history of the Jw and the alternative service. Russell was not opposed on the alternative service, but i can't found when the interdiction has started.
Raymond Franz in his book talked about the middle of 40's, but gived
no reference ?
Is someone has the exact reference ?
Bye
Charles
a truth - forgery specialist in wattower of may 15, 2000 .
the watchtower of may 15, 2000 attempts to ask question: " evangiles-histoire or myth?
in this page i shall not linger to comment on the two only possibilities that leave us the editors in front of the composed question, nevertheless one can advance that gospel can be a lot of history and myth and not of the history or the myth, classic manichean choice of this kind of fundamentalist movement.
Hi Maximus and Seeker,
I think we must have a simple reflex: When the Watchtower use the terms "specialist", there is a problem ;)
Bye
Charles
a truth - forgery specialist in wattower of may 15, 2000 .
the watchtower of may 15, 2000 attempts to ask question: " evangiles-histoire or myth?
in this page i shall not linger to comment on the two only possibilities that leave us the editors in front of the composed question, nevertheless one can advance that gospel can be a lot of history and myth and not of the history or the myth, classic manichean choice of this kind of fundamentalist movement.
A truth - forgery specialist in Wattower of May 15, 2000
The Watchtower of May 15, 2000 attempts to ask question: " Evangiles-Histoire or myth? ". In this page I shall not linger to comment on the two only possibilities that leave us the editors in front of the composed question, nevertheless one can advance that Gospel can be a lot of History AND myth and not of the history OR the myth, classic Manichean choice of this kind of fundamentalist movement.
To prove their argumentation, which predictable matter, will go to the sense that Gospel are of the history in 100 %, the publishers of the review declares Page 6 about the ressurection of Jesus:
" Let us take the appearance of Jesus to his followers after its resurrection. A good writer of fables would have certainly imagined for the occasion a spectacular return, a hard-hitting speech or a nimbus of light and magnificence. Now the evangelists told simply that Jesus had in front of his followers and had asked them:
" Children, you do not have anything to eat, it is not " (Jean 21:5). The SPECIALIST (it is I who underline) Gregg Easterbrook fires this conclusion: " It is the kind of detail which smell of the authentic story, and not myth forged with any details ."
In another passage of the Watchtower, same EasterBrook will be quoted to speak about customs in the times of Jesus.
One can wonder two things in the reading of this passage of Watchtower. Of what Is mister EasterBrook A SPECIALIST? In which book does he write this?
Mister EasterBrook is not a specialist of the Bible, or of the biblical archaeology, it is a journalist in the review " Atlantic ", in this newspaper he writes essentially political subjects. These last two books had for subject, the one, ecology (At the Moment have The Earth: The coming age of Environment Optimist-1995) and the other one, faith (Beside Still Waters-on 1997) and it is of this book that come these quotations.
This men participates in an Internet site ( BieliefNet) wher he encourages a kind of theiss's faith and seems a passionate person of extraterrestrial. Http: // www.beliefnet.com
In clear Mister EasterBrook is not a scientist, either an archaeologist, or a bible's scholar, he is a simple religious journalist who is not very well placed for convaince us of the historic side of Gospel, he is not a specialist.
On the other hand is the argument of the SIMPLICITY of the resurrection of Jesus a proof of the historicity of Gospel? The Jehovah's Witnesses do not know that most of the exegets agree to believe of the historicity of Jesus but rather question certain passages this Watchtower of which will well keep of landing.
The Watchtower article is a suite of flat statements of the obvious, it will be even appealed to an Australian scriptwriter whose positive testimony on the Bible should have to convince us
Absolutely of the historicity of ALL the gospel.
By caricaturing the " detractors of the Bible " as the Jehovah's Witnesses appelent those that do not think as them, by appealing to authorities which she makes as the case of Easterbrook or as this unknown Australian scriptwriter, Watchtower preaches only to her own believers. Look at this question of introduction in the article:
" Will Be allowed sceptic intellectuals on the historicity of Gospel instil their doubts " (p. 4)
The JW writer think that the reader of Watchtower believes in Gospel and is surely one of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
There are only the faithful Jehovah's Witnesses to believe that Watchtower have to be distributed to everybody, the own editor of the watchtower knows very well that only the Jehovah's Witnesses will read it and address only to them.
to read Gregg EasterBrook's biography:
Http: // www.theatlantic.com/unbound/easterbr/ge bio.htm
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/watchtower.htm.
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/cults.htm.
as you scroll the page, there are many great and to the point questions that are asked of the reader if and when they become or are perhaps considering becoming a member.. and more on freemasons/ illuminati (for those who have requested more pages on this topic):.
Larc,
In my opinion, they have nothing in common
You could read my two answer in this thread, no ?
Bye
Charles
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/watchtower.htm.
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/cults.htm.
as you scroll the page, there are many great and to the point questions that are asked of the reader if and when they become or are perhaps considering becoming a member.. and more on freemasons/ illuminati (for those who have requested more pages on this topic):.
Hi scorpion,
You said that Russell understood 'nothing' about Masonry except what urban legend said about it.I have take the time to answer in details on what i know about Russell and Masonry. I have hoped you would make the same thing. Your last answer don't satisfied me. Could you explain your point of view a little more instead a "BWAAAAAAHAAAAAAHAAAAA"Now that's funny. NOTHING??? BWAAAAAAHAAAAAAHAAAAA
Bye
Charles
hey all:.
i've been thinking about this one.
maybe the bible and evolution have something in common.
Hi bigboi,
I have tired the same conclusion as you, outside the garden the men
are neolithics, the paleolithic's way of life (;-)) is absent of the Bible.
Bye
Charles
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/watchtower.htm.
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/cults.htm.
as you scroll the page, there are many great and to the point questions that are asked of the reader if and when they become or are perhaps considering becoming a member.. and more on freemasons/ illuminati (for those who have requested more pages on this topic):.
Hi Scorpion,
One only has to read the 1913 Convention report to see Russell's involvment with Masonry.Not his involvment, perhaps his interest, but he has not really studied freemasonry, this a superficial ananlysis of freemasonry. He made many mistakes, asserted that he has never been a mason and he compared the Church as a heavenly Secret Society which only Christ (the Master Mason) knows the member. His speech was a parabol to seduce some masons in the hall.
Just look at the Masonic symbols used by Russell on the magazines and books printed in the early stages of the WTBTS.Do you want to speack about "the cross and crown symbol" ? This symbol has been used by lutherian, catholic's order, christian science, and there was even a millerist periodic which named "The cross and Crown", This is an universal symbol, not only a Knight's Templar Symbol.
Do you want to speack about "Winged Disk Sun" ? Yes, this is really more problematic. I have phoned the president of the french's Bible Student Organisation called M.I.L.S. He explained me that it was in connection with malachi 3:10. I found only a Web's page where it was said that it is a christian's symbol of the millenium, but i have found many page who tried to explain that Bible has paganism's connection. This symbol was used by Russell in 1913 after his journey in Egypt (at the same time of the famous speech). Perhaps, it was a tentative of Russell to display a more mystic's approch of the Bible.
Do you want to talk about the pyramid ? Have you read my last post ?
Pyramid was never a major symbol in Masonry. The Russell's view of the pyramid of Gizeh is far different than the occult's approch of the pyramid. It is easily to find the connection of Russell's pyramidology with the Second Adventism's pyramidology. Do you think that the Second Adventism is freemansonry, too ?
I wonder if there is actually any truth in a few of the books I read that the WT in the early stages was financed by Freemasonry and Zionism. The Bible Students I deal with will gladly tell you that Russell was a Zionist. Of course the BS do not care for me to be on their forums.This are Springmeier's claims. In fact a french's anticultist has found after a lot of research in university's documentation that it was based upon some false document made by fascist and nazis. I think this kind of material is not only stupid, it is really dangerous. I don't want the Watchtower to make any connection with us (the apostates) and the Nazi's ideology. See:
http://www.multimania.com/xmd/
One of the highest of this order of ours, a thirty-second degree spiritual Mason.Very funny. Paul was not a full initiated. There are 33 degrees in Masonry.
but I think it was more than that when you read the evidence and see Russell's involvment.I think that Russell has only read or understand some thinks about Masonry, and he has thinked to be very clever to make a stupid's speech, because when a mason read this text, he can easely see that Russell understand nothing about Masonry except what urban legend said about it. Russell has tried to seduce Mason and in fact, he has demonstrated to be a fool.
Bye
Charles
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/watchtower.htm.
< http://www.millennia.co.za/worldwatch/cults.htm.
as you scroll the page, there are many great and to the point questions that are asked of the reader if and when they become or are perhaps considering becoming a member.. and more on freemasons/ illuminati (for those who have requested more pages on this topic):.
Hi scorpion,
A review of Russell's sermons show them to be very Masonic with a touch of Christianity. How did Charles Taze Russell have so much insight into Masonry and how was he privy to Masonic concepts held only for sages and adepts in Masonry?Have you some specific example of what you said ?
Russell on one occasion stated that he wasn't a Mason but referred to the Masons as his "BROTHERS in Masonry." He also referred to the International Bible Student as "The highest order of Freemasonry.Yes in 1913, but he explained that it was not a earthly freemasonry, but a "Bible" masonry. IMHO, it was only to seduce some masons.
. Russell is considered by many as a Mason because his belief system was laced with Masonry.Could you explain that with examples ?
Bye
Charles
it seems like to me the majority of people who are in the truth, are were in the truth was a result of either a family member are a friend witnessing to them and not many seem to have been found in the door to door work.. from my years of associating with the borg i cannot recall many coming in the truth from the door to door work.. how were you sucked in?
for me it was my aunt who has now even though i am not disfellowshipped decided to write me out of her will to the tune of about $150,000.00 (maybe i should hang around a couple more years)dont think i will.. please respond .
thanks.
I Was found at door. I was fourteen. My parent had divorced one years before, and i Asked me many question about religion and the Bible at this time. I thinked that God answered my question by the witness's visit. But at this time, I didnt' know that God has a special sense of humor.
Bye
Charles
how many have read the report 1034 from nazi germany?.
this was hitlers thought that jw's were preaching.
the bible and not giving in to him as the rc's and other .
Hi kent,
Do you know exactly when the Wt has stopped to autorize the non-combattant service instead of the military service.
I think that Rutherford in his letter to Hitler spoke about the young JW that make an alternative service at this time.
True or not ?
Bye
Charles
