Posts by mdb

14

To our Mason experts?

by skyman in

i can see the similarities between the masons and the jw's but i think the similarities are benign.. .

russel was a mason that i have know doubt about.

he brought some of his old thinking into the new religion and used some of the symbolism to give credence to the new religion so other people that where masons at that time might take a peek at what his new religion was about.

mdb

I don't know if the Watchtower has Masonry roots, but if you want to learn more about Freemasonry, this is an excellent site. The downloadable manual under "Choosing Truth Manuals", called "Freemasonry On Trial" is especially good (*.pdf). The literature is purposely not copywritten.

http://www.ctmin.org/

114

Do you support gay marriage?

by chappy in

is your belief moral, social or practical?

would you feel the same way if there were absolutely no religious influence on the matter pro or con?.

regardless of your belief, does every adult have a fundimental right to marry anyone of his or her choosing, regardless of gender?.

mdb

Stewart75,

I have met quite a few law abiding and respectful gays

Who's "laws": God's or man's?

4

Need book

by KW13 in

.

hi guys, your a wealth of knowledge .

i want to find the books where charles t russell claims the pyramid shows when armaggedon is on the door step.. i live in manchester uk...where i go to/write to/e-mail?

mdb

Here's a link to the book in pdf format (searchable). Happy downloading (1.7MB)

http://www.reexamine.org/index.php/Studies_in_the_Scriptures%2C_Series_III%2C_Thy_Kingdome_Come%3B_1890

23

Disproving An Earthly Paradise

by Diogenes in

two elders are coming round to "shepherd" me next week.. i've been reading the article available by jon mitchell?

about rev:7 discussing the 1980 w.t which is full of lies about naos and hieron.. i'm going to bring this w.t up but i know the elders will mention the scriptures in psalms 37 and isaiah to prove that there is an earthly paradise.. is there a good logical way to refute these scriptures?.

diogenes

mdb

Here are some Scriptural arguements against the WTS teachings of a "Paradise on Earth", including some which you have not noted. You may as well be familiar with them also since you cannot be certain as to which passage they may bring up.

MATT 6:10
This verse does not relate to Gen 1:28 or Isaiah 48:15. There is no contextual evidence to connect the scriptures noted together. Matt 6:10 says nothing of a “paradise on earth”. The Watchtower Society is reading a meaning into the text which is not there.

PSALM 37:9,11,29
The psalmist, in context, was speaking of something that people in his own lifetime (and following generations) would experience.
The Hebrew word for “earth” (eres) in Psalm 37 often carries the meaning of “land” (Psalm 37:29).
The Hebrew word for “forever” is ad (v.29). In the OT, it often denotes the unforeseeable future. The phrase “dwell in it forever” means “dwell in it from present through the unforeseeable future”, not necessarily for eternity.

PSALM 115:16
Psalm 115:16 says God has given the earth to the whole race of man. There are no distinctions or exclusions mentioned (“other sheep” or “anointed class” – 144000). The earth is mortal man’s as a dwelling place and a place to rule (Gen 1:28).
All true believers look to a heavenly destiny, not an earthly destiny. (Eph 2:19;
Phil 3:20; Col 3:1; Heb 3:1; 12:22; 2 Pet 1:10,11; Jn 12:26; Gal 3:29; 4:28-31; Titus 3:7; James 2:5)

Also note:
Earth destroyed by fire
2 Peter 3:7,10

Heaven and earth shall pass away
Matt 5:18; 24:35; Mk 13:30,31; Lk 21:33; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 21:1

21

Which Bible do you use?

by snobirobi in

hello everyone, i've been lurking for quite a while now and am enjoying my time on this forum.

i wasn't born or raised a jw, but married into it....sorta.

my husband was raised a jw, never baptized, and became inactive once married.

mdb

re: the message "bible?"

The Message is a Paraphrase, NOT a bible.

21

Which Bible do you use?

by snobirobi in

hello everyone, i've been lurking for quite a while now and am enjoying my time on this forum.

i wasn't born or raised a jw, but married into it....sorta.

my husband was raised a jw, never baptized, and became inactive once married.

mdb

KJV and NKJV. The NWT is not a legitimate bible, but a mistranslation of the infallible word of God.

I support your decision: get out of the WTS religion.

21

Jehovah, The Imposter God

by THE SHOOTIST in

what was jehovah thinking when he put that tree in the middle of the garden and the told adam and eve not to eat of its fruit?

the real all-knowing god would never have done such a thing.

didn't he know that making the tree and the fruit would absolutely ruin this perfect man and woman?

mdb

Shootist,

It's not all about fear, and yet God is a holy God and should be feared. It's unfortunate that you do not understand the Holy One and though in your own mind you are wise, the wisdom of this world is foolishness (For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ~1 Cor 3:19,20). The heart of a man is deceitful and we are deserving of death, but God is also a loving God and paid the penalty for us that though we deserve death, we may live. Christ died for you and you deny Him - tossing away the free gift He has offered to all, a gift you cannot put a price on. And this to your own destruction. Why do you throw away life for death? Believe on Him and be saved.

And to man He said,
‘Behold, ??the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”
Job 28:28

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prov 1:7

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Prov 9:10

The fear of the Lord is not a WTS teaching, but Scriptural. It is a teaching of God and found throughout the bible. And for the record, I am not a JW, never have been and never will be. Why would I trade the truth in for a lie?

21

Jehovah, The Imposter God

by THE SHOOTIST in

what was jehovah thinking when he put that tree in the middle of the garden and the told adam and eve not to eat of its fruit?

the real all-knowing god would never have done such a thing.

didn't he know that making the tree and the fruit would absolutely ruin this perfect man and woman?

mdb

tetra.sap,

Making a mockery of the God who will one day judge the world is not to your benefit. Do you realize how infinitely small and powerless you are in comparison to the Living God? This world is a speck of dust in the universe and you're less than a speck in this world. The God you feel at ease to mock, accuse, belittle, make fun of and disregard, created all that there is and by the word of His mouth it came into being. Who are you or any man that we should treat the Living God with such contempt?

About the tree in the middle of the garden... By placing the tree in the garden, he gave man a choice. Giving man a choice was a loving act, so that we weren't created as slaves, but free. It's man's fault that sin entered the world. We chose to eat and we still choose to eat of the things God has said will bring us harm. Eating an apple didn't harm us, but the willful disobedience toward God harmed us and brought a separation between God who is holy and man who became unclean. Maybe you'll have a chance to ask the Lord about it one day. Of course, at that time you probablly won't care too much about a tree.

YES, the following is from the bible and I'll use it because I do believe the Bible is the word of God and is true.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb 10:31)

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
(1 Co 1:18-15)

36

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT JESUS FORGIVES ADULTERERS?!!!

by LittleToe in

omg, i believe he did!.

john 8:1-11. i wonder if he had that attitude towards other people that the bible took a moral stance against?.

omg, i believe he did that too!!!.

mdb

Stevenyc,

LT, the only problem I see is that by using biblegateway for your quotations, you can see they incorrectly place the comma in the wrong place for Luke 23 ! Just ask Mr Franz.

Here's a little something on the "," comma issue of Luke 23:43...

In the NWT: “truly I tell you today, …”
The comma is placed after the word “today”, not after “you” (as in all other translations) to keep the thief from being with Jesus in Paradise “today” (which would signify conscious existence after death).
The phrase, “Truly, I say to you”, in the Greek is amen soi lego and occurs 74 times in the Gospels. It is always used as an introductory expression. Jesus used it to introduce a truth that was very important. In 73 of 74 times, the NWT places a break (such as a comma) immediately after the phrase. Luke 23:43 is the only exception in the NWT (to support their doctrine).

27

do you think the end is near?

by drew sagan in

i will say that the "evidence" for a drastic change in mankinds history (end of the world, the great day of god the almighty, what ever you want to call it) seems likely when doing a survey of where mankind is a the current point in time.

nuclear weapons, wars, technology, globalization, and ecological destruction all seem to point towards a place that mankind has never been before.

mankind is unquestionably in a position differant from any point in human history.

mdb

We're closer to the end than we were yesterday or 1000 years ago. No one knows of the time except the Father and we've been told we should live each day as if it was our last. Maybe tomorrow will be the end for you. I was at a funeral on the weekend and a guy that I know and saw there was killed in a head-on collision on his way home. It was right in front of our home and I stood there while they took him away. Do you think he thought that day was going to be his last (he was only 22 years of age)? I don't think today will be my last, but maybe it will. Quit worrying about when the end will come. Back when the apostles were still on earth, they said to keep watch because the end was near and told the people to be ready because they don't know the day or hour the Lord will return. Keep oil in your lamp, live for Jesus and be ready at all times.