Its a part of the absurdity of Rule Making. The WTS has more rules than there are scriptures in the Bible. So many they don't understand how to harmonize them with each other. The confusion amongst the members is evidence there is a problem. But it makes the R&F ask the WTS for answers and that is what they want.
Woodsman
JoinedPosts by Woodsman
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15
Addition too the birthday thread. Not a DF'ING OFFENSE
by skyman inw98 10/15 p. 31 questions from readers ***
"consequently, while it is entirely a private matter if christians choose to take note of their wedding anniversary, there are good reasons why mature christians abstain from celebrating birthdays.
notice it say's mature christians.
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Musings from a JW message board pt. 1
by jeeprube inhere the latest gem i've found from a jw message board.. under the topic "afraid this board will become apostate" the moderator writes:.
this is one of my greatest worries and so i am a over protecter of this site and believe me i have a big fear letting anyone post i find unforthcoming in their request to join.
unless i trust you sorry you will not be posting on the site.
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17
Musings from a JW message board pt. 1
by jeeprube inhere the latest gem i've found from a jw message board.. under the topic "afraid this board will become apostate" the moderator writes:.
this is one of my greatest worries and so i am a over protecter of this site and believe me i have a big fear letting anyone post i find unforthcoming in their request to join.
unless i trust you sorry you will not be posting on the site.
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Woodsman
Strong faith my behind. If its not tested how can one claim it is strong?
We all know if a JW encounters an avid Bible reader who says come on in and leave the WT pubs in the car. We'll just use the Bible, most would run.
And avoiding criticizm whether from an ex member or not is weakness. How is that being ready to make a defense of your faith? More like hiding your head in the sand.
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Jehovah KILLED Jesus before he came to earth
by VM44 inin another thread the question of a person's memories being placed within a re-created body has been discussed.
the possibility was raised that what if two bodies were created, and the person's memories were placed in both bodies?
which re-created person would be the continuation of the original person?.
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Woodsman
Its a good question. For the Watchtower to be correct the human brain is capable of retaining billions of years of angelic memories without losing one. Unless Jehovah downloaded some on a memory stick to reinstall when Michael got back to heaven.
Where were the memories for three days when Jesus was dead? External hardrive?
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birthdays
by cr1234 indoes anyone know where the article is in the awake that says birthdays are a conscience matter?
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Woodsman
Funny Derek,
I think you are right on. The "However" applies to the sentence previous that birthdays are in a bad light in the Bible. The portion of the next sentence in commas is the rule for deciding if one could use their conscience.
For example, the Bible definitely puts birthday celebrations in a bad light. However, if it is very obvious that a custom has no current false religious significance and involves no violation of Bible principles, each Christian must make a personal decision as to whether he will follow such a custom.
So if it were obvious that "Birthdays" have no CURRENT false religious significance and violate no Biblical principles, which they don't, then one could make a personal decision.
That is allowed by the grammar of the sentences. If the WTS really cared why would they use a phrase like "bad light"? What kind of a phrase is that? What the heck do they mean? That could mean anything. Shouldn't a religious organization who claims to be responsible teach to all mankind about God's requirements try a little harder to articulate what they mean? I agree with you that they ambiguity must be deliberate or else they are really losing their academic abilities.
They should clarify whether or not "bad light" is equal to " false religious significance and violation of Bible principles". Since they do not it would be wrong to assume that is what they mean.
The two sentences clearly go together as an "example" using birthdays as the subject. So when the second sentence uses custom one could understand that to mean birthdays.
It could have been written better.
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Woodsman
Mary,
I agree with your view of John 10:16. Jesus was speaking to the Jews. That is who he was sent to preach to. But he knew and told them that he had other sheep, ( Samaritan and Gentile Christians are sheep aren't they?). Paul later shows that these two groups of sheep became one flock
These scriptures show that the Gentiles were considered another group:
(Acts 11:1) 11
Now the apostles and the brothers that were in Ju·de´a heard that people of the nations had also received the word of God. . .(Acts 11:18) 18 Now when they heard these things, they acquiesced, and they glorified God, saying: "Well, then, God has granted repentance for the purpose of life to people of the nations also."
Here is where Paul shows quite clearly that they were two seperate groups but became one:
(Ephesians 2:11-18) 11 Therefore keep bearing in mind that formerly YOU were people of the nations as to flesh; "uncircumcision" YOU were called by that which is called "circumcision" made in the flesh with hands— 12 that YOU were at that particular time without Christ, alienated from the state of Israel and strangers to the covenants of the promise, and YOU had no hope and were without God in the world. 13 But now in union with Christ Jesus YOU who were once far off have come to be near by the blood of the Christ. 14 For he is our peace, he who made the two parties one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them off. 15 By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, that he might create the two peoples in union with himself into one new man and make peace; 16 and that he might fully reconcile both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. 17 And he came and declared the good news of peace to YOU, the ones far off, and peace to those near, 18 because through him we, both peoples, have the approach to the Father by one spirit.
And in Acts its one Flock for the two groups, happened in the first century not 1935.
(Acts 20:28) 28 Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock,. . .
(Acts 20:29) 29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among YOU and will not treat the flock with tenderness. . .
Good Scriptures Narkissos, Thanks
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Woodsman
I was looking into the WTS’s doctrine on Christ’s mediatorship. I found a 1979 WT that made a comparison between the Great Crowd today and the Alien Resident in ancient Israel:
w79
11/15 p. 27 Benefiting from "One Mediator Between God and Men" ***24 Yet they do benefit from the operation of the new covenant. They benefit from this just as, in ancient Israel, the "alien resident" benefited from residing in among the Israelites who were in the Law covenant.—Ex. 20:10; Lev. 19:10, 33, 34; Rev. 7:9-15.
When I looked up the scriptures in the Old Testament mentioning Alien Resident I found that they did not just benefit from the Israelites being in the Law Covenant but that they themselves were in it. The theme of all the scriptures is:
One law is to exist for the native and for the alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst." Ex 12:49
I won’t post all the scriptures but here are a few.
(Leviticus 18:26) 26 And YOU yourselves must keep my statutes and my judicial decisions, and YOU must not do any of all these detestable things, whether a native or an alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst.
(Leviticus 24:22) 22 "‘One judicial decision should hold good for YOU. The alien resident should prove to be the same as the native, because I am Jehovah YOUR God.’"
(Numbers 9:14) 14 "‘And in case an alien resident should be residing with YOU as an alien, he also must prepare the passover sacrifice to Jehovah. According to the statute of the passover and according to its regular procedure is the way he should do. There should exist one statute for YOU people, both for the alien resident and for the native of the land.’"
(Numbers 15:14-16) 14 "‘And in case there should be residing as an alien with YOU an alien resident or one who is in YOUR midst for generations of YOU, and he must render up an offering made by fire, of a restful odor to Jehovah, just as YOU should do, so he should do. 15 YOU who are of the congregation and the alien resident who is residing as an alien will have one statute. It will be a statute to time indefinite for YOUR generations. The alien resident should prove to be the same as YOU before Jehovah. 16 There should prove to be one law and one judicial decision for YOU and for the alien resident who is residing as an alien with YOU.’"
(Numbers 15:27-29) 27 "‘And if any soul should sin by mistake, then he must present a female goat in its first year for a sin offering. 28 And the priest must make atonement for the soul who made a mistake by a sin unintentionally before Jehovah, so as to make atonement for it, and it must be forgiven him. 29 As to the native among the sons of Israel and the alien resident who is residing as an alien in their midst, there should prove to be one law for YOU as respects doing something unintentionally.
(Numbers 19:10-11) . . ."‘And it must serve the sons of Israel and the alien resident who is residing as an alien in their midst as a statute to time indefinite. 11 Anyone touching the corpse of any human soul must also be unclean seven days.
(Deuteronomy 29:10-13) 10 "YOU are all of YOU stationed today before Jehovah YOUR God, the heads of YOUR tribes, YOUR older men and YOUR officers, every man of Israel, 11 YOUR little ones, YOUR wives, and your alien resident who is in the midst of your camp, from the gatherer of your wood to the drawer of your water, 12 in order for you to enter into the covenant of Jehovah your God and his oath, which Jehovah your God is concluding with you today; 13 for the purpose of establishing you today as his people and that he may prove himself your God, just as he has promised you and just as he has sworn to your forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
(Deuteronomy 31:12-13) 12 Congregate the people, the men and the women and the little ones and your alien resident who is within your gates, in order that they may listen and in order that they may learn, as they must fear Jehovah YOUR God and take care to carry out all the words of this law. 13 And their sons who have not known should listen, and they must learn to fear Jehovah YOUR God all the days that YOU are living upon the soil to which YOU are crossing the Jordan to take possession of it."
So I don’t think the WTS was being honest when they only cited the scriptures they chose. Since those scriptures don’t give the full story, that the alien resident was in a covenant relationship with God. This would confuse the point that the GC is not.
Incidentally another parallel the WTS offers for the GC is Jonadab. Yes, he too was in a covenant relationship with God.
As hard as the WTS tries to find Biblical foundation for a large group of God’s worshippers, his people, not being in a covenant relationship with him they continue to fail.
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Real Reason the Annointed Won't Die Off.
by Woodsman inw79 11/15 p. 27 benefiting from one mediator between god and men ***.
when the last of these approved spiritual israelites cease to be men because of earthly death and a resurrection to a share in the heavenly kingdom, then the mediatorship of jesus christ will cease also.
w79 11/15 p. 26 benefiting from one mediator between god and men ***.
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8
Real Reason the Annointed Won't Die Off.
by Woodsman inw79 11/15 p. 27 benefiting from one mediator between god and men ***.
when the last of these approved spiritual israelites cease to be men because of earthly death and a resurrection to a share in the heavenly kingdom, then the mediatorship of jesus christ will cease also.
w79 11/15 p. 26 benefiting from one mediator between god and men ***.
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Woodsman
w79 11/15 p. 27 Benefiting from “One Mediator Between God and Men” ***
When the last of these approved spiritual Israelites cease to be “men” because of earthly death and a resurrection to a share in the heavenly kingdom, then the mediatorship of Jesus Christ will cease also.
w79 11/15 p. 26 Benefiting from “One Mediator Between God and Men” ***
’ That new covenant between “our Savior, God,” and spiritual