Found this interesting link, via a Christian Universalist site. http://www.geocities.com/kencallen/russell.html It's a link to a letter written by Charles Taze Russell to a Universalist magazine (and the editor's response), wherein Russell defends the idea that some will experience everlasting death, contrary to the Universalists believe that eventually ALL will be reconciled to God, no matter how evil. (I personally do not accept basic Universalism but I think it is a lot closer to the truth than what the JW's currently teach as mankind's destiny). But what is particularly interesting about this letter by Pastor Russell is that it offers clear proof that he believed mankind will be afforded an opportunity to come to a knowledge about God and Christ DURING the millennial reign (see the first paragraph of his letter), contrary to the Watchtower Society's hideous teaching that Jehovah is going to exterminate all non-JW's, like pests, BEFORE the millennial reign at Armageddon. How many JW's today know that this is what Russell taught, a view that is quite reasonable scripturally and far more compatible with the idea that God is love? I think this can be a very liberating realisation for JW's today, who are largely in mental bondage to Joseph Rutherfords nightmarish vision of the future for mankind that is still perpetuated by the Watchtower Society. http://www.geocities.com/kencallen/russell.html
yaddayadda
JoinedPosts by yaddayadda
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C T Russell did not believe everyone dies at Armageddon!
by yaddayadda infound this interesting link, via a christian universalist site.
http://www.geocities.com/kencallen/russell.html it's a link to a letter written by charles taze russell to a universalist magazine (and the editor's response), wherein russell defends the idea that some will experience everlasting death, contrary to the universalists believe that eventually all will be reconciled to god, no matter how evil.
(i personally do not accept basic universalism but i think it is a lot closer to the truth than what the jw's currently teach as mankind's destiny).
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What planted the seed of doubt that lead you to leave or think of leaving?
by NanaR ini've been thinking of this a lot lately.
the following experience ties my first doubt in with my present life.
as a backdrop to this, you should know that i was a 5th generation "raised in the truth" jw through my mother (her great-grandfather got "the truth" from pastor russell).
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yaddayadda
The 1995 generation change. After that I knew the Society's chronology, 1914, etc, was nothing more than presumptous guess-work and suspected the Watchtower Society couldn't possibly be God's sole channel of truth. But what finally freed me was learning that Charles Russell never preached that all of mankind will be killed at Armageddon, rather, he taught that the nations will be judged during the millennial reign. I had the epiphany that the JW's are essentially a doomsday cult masquerading as Christianity and the only thing really motivating them is a morbid fear of death at Armageddon stemming from the Watchtower's sick version of who God is. In my mind, The Watchtower Soc is no different from those religions that use the fear of eternal torment in hell to command obedience and submission. Realising this vaporised any lingering attachment to the Watchtower organisation.
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Year 2014 Get Together!
by Outaservice indo you think it might be appropriate for a large ex-jw convention to be held in 2014 at the hotel in cedar point, ohio?
maybe, thousands attending!
it would give you plenty of time to plan for and give a statement for any familiar with watchtower history!.
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yaddayadda
'Do More til 2014'. Then 'Do More til 2034'.
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E-watchman nails em on pedophile issue
by DannyHaszard inthis is high ranked on the news wire,knowing his tactics (same as mine) there will probably be more saturation postings an open letter to jehovahs witnesses.
webwire (press release), ga - 17 minutes ago.
lawyers for the watchtower bible and tract society quietly deny before the courts that jehovahs witness elders have any obligation to protect children from ... an open letter to jehovahs witnessese-watchman.com.
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yaddayadda
When the UN scandal got into the mainstream media, the cowards at Brooklyn resigned from the UN within TWO DAYS. If this ever gets out into the main media, I mean bigtime, even more than it has already, then Brooklyn will probably bring in some 'new light' and maybe drop the 'two witness' rule for child abuse infringements. That will be a good thing, but it would only go to prove that the only thing motivating them is saving Corporate face, nothing to do with righteousness and love. Hypocrites and cowards.
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Give me your best conspiracy theories.
by XJW4EVR inthe thread on the wt$ and the illuminati got me to think, and since i have to write a term paper in my sociology class i thought why not research some conspiracy theories.
please help be listing some of your favorite ones.
i only ask that you not tell me about 9/11, or the kennedy clan assassinations.
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yaddayadda
Just go to rense.com for heaps of goodies. Or www.conspiracyplanet.com. My favourite conspiracy sites are savethemales.ca (the CIA invented feminism, inter alia), threeworldwars.com (3 world wars has been planned from over 100 years ago) and propagandamatrix.com. Heaps of great stuff to read on these.
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Doco on Exclusive Brethren on tv tonite in NZ
by yaddayadda in(please excuse the lack of paragraphs in this post as this forum's dinosaur software does not support mozilla firefox or netscape!!
) as many know, the exclusive brethren have many similarities with the jw's, particularly their cultish black-and-white view of the world, seeing everyone else as 'worldlings' and the rest of the world as in control of the devil, believing only they have a chance at salvation, and their rigid shunning policy.
the eb are, however, more strict than the jw's, not permitting tv watching, their kids are not allowed to go to normal schools, the woman must wear something on their head, etc.
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yaddayadda
(please excuse the lack of paragraphs in this post as this forum's dinosaur software does not support Mozilla Firefox or Netscape!!) As many know, the Exclusive Brethren have many similarities with the JW's, particularly their cultish black-and-white view of the world, seeing everyone else as 'worldlings' and the rest of the world as in control of the devil, believing only they have a chance at salvation, and their rigid shunning policy. The EB are, however, more strict than the JW's, not permitting tv watching, their kids are not allowed to go to normal schools, the woman must wear something on their head, etc. They are a bit of a cross between the Amish and JWs. In New Zealand, the leader of the opposition party (The National Party - a bit like the Republicans), Don Brash, was recently embroiled in a scandal where he knew and approved of a $500,000 advertising campaign by the Exclusive Brethren to try and bolster support for the National party at the last election in New Zealand (which National narrowly lost). All this despite the fact that EB members are not allowed to vote (just like JWs)!! The Exclusive Brethren up until a few years ago were completely neutral in politics, just as the JW's are, but a few years ago their leadership decided to take an active role in political pressuring. This is because they believe the ruling party, the Labour Party (more liberal, like the Democrats), are undermining the family unit in NZ through various law reforms it has made in the last decade or so, specifically, a law passed a few years ago that gives de-facto couples, including gay couples, the same property rights as married couples. The EB have come under a lot of scrutiny lately in the press over this and tonite on NZ television there is a documentary about them. The documentary will recount former EB members experiences, including terrible treatment they suffered through being shunned, etc. Mention will be made of how the EB are accused of being a brain-washed cult-like church that breaks up families etc. What is interesting is that some members of the public have noted certain similarities between the EB and JW's, particularly their disfellowshipping/shunning policy that has ruined many families. Some have written letters to newspapers pointing this out. The JW's here must certainly be feeling a bit nervous about all this I suspect.
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SAW III - A review of the movie
by Elsewhere inunfortunately i can only review the first 5 or 10 minutes of the show as a result of the fact that i got seriously nauseous twice in that time period resulting in my having to walk out.
simply put, that show is seriously f. i've never been a big fan of horror movies because the plot lines and acting have traditionally been of extraordinary poor quality.
the main characters always make some seriously stupid decision and end up being killed by... whatever.
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yaddayadda
Was the biggest load of nauseating debased garbage I've ever seen. I've had it with these kinds of movies. It's only a matter of time before snuff movies become legal.
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College Degree = $23K more a year salary
by under_believer incheck out the news on this recent press release from the us census bureau.
here's the google news listing for it (so you can see all the places this story has been covered): click here.. .
lest anybody think the society is taking a softer stance on this issue, well, they're not.
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yaddayadda
Very good thread, but at the same time there is a lot of research that proves that above a certain minimum standard of living, earning more money has absolutely no effect on ones level of happiness. In fact, above a certain point, the more money one has, the more unhappy they are. Sure, the JW's are wrong to denounce higher education, but at the same time the western world has been deluded into thinking that college degrees and higher salaries will in themselves make you happy and fulfilled. More and more people are wising up to the working myth and the shallow promises of materialism, without having to be JWs or Christians.
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New Biography of Pastor Russell
by RR innew biography of pastor russell.
ninety years ago the founder of the bible students, pastor charles taze russell, died.
the organization he established became fragmented and subject to strong personalities who felt they knew how to best continue his legacy.
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yaddayadda
Personally I think the JW's are essentially a monstrous corporate hybrid that grew out of the humble bible students, and that the bible students are closer to the truth than the JW's. However, unfortunately the Russellites still around today still hold on to most of Russell's old chronological bathwater that should have been thrown out ages ago. Its good to keep the baby, but all of Russell's old chronologies and bunkum ideas in that regard are still sentimentally held onto and rigorously defended by most of the Bible Students today. Tis a pity.
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My letter to the "Glorious Ones."...
by Justice-One ini thought you guys might get a hoot out of this letter that i just mailed..... dear elders (or should i call you glorious ones?).
you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can never fool all the people all the time.
and you certainly do not have me fooled anymore.
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yaddayadda
If I was an elder I would think it was from some bitter and twisted youth who is pissed about something an elder did and wants to vent his little spleen. I think it's a pretty lame effort really, especially the childish 'f#ck you' at the end, which just reinforces in the mind of the elders the kind of moronic stereotype person that would even bother to write such a letter; if I was going to go to that kind of effort to write to the elders anonymously while living a double life (a good idea in itself) then why not put something decent in it, something factual that will really get them thinking.