Posts by Nate Merit

41

I was reading a post today about the kingdom songs we sang as JW's.

by booker-t in

i was thinking about the kingdom songs we sang as jw's and was wondering about you posters out there that are ex-jw's or still jw's what was you all time favorite "kingdom song" or what was you all time horrible song that we sang from both songbooks (1966 songbook or the later songbook made in 1984 sing praises to jehovah.

my favorite song was song #119 in the 1966 songbook "keep your eyes on the prize".

i like this song because it made me feel that armaggeddon was coming fast and the "new system" would be here to give me the prize.

Nate Merit

Oh yeah! I liked this one too!

Myriad and myriads of brothers
stand at my side to be
Each one a mindless dimbulb
beeping incessantly

And as they keep on beeping
gladly they let men know
that to Je ho vah and his scam
they their damnation owe

41

I was reading a post today about the kingdom songs we sang as JW's.

by booker-t in

i was thinking about the kingdom songs we sang as jw's and was wondering about you posters out there that are ex-jw's or still jw's what was you all time favorite "kingdom song" or what was you all time horrible song that we sang from both songbooks (1966 songbook or the later songbook made in 1984 sing praises to jehovah.

my favorite song was song #119 in the 1966 songbook "keep your eyes on the prize".

i like this song because it made me feel that armaggeddon was coming fast and the "new system" would be here to give me the prize.

Nate Merit

I was disfellowshipped (sheesh what a long word!) 33 years ago, so I have no idea if these songs are even sung anymore. However my favorite was titled either "Loyal Love" or "Loyal Love God Is Love." It started this way: Loyal love, God is love, this truth cheers us from above. Love caused God to send his son, who for us salavtion won." The chorus went" Hey there all you thirsty ones, come and drink life's waters free..."

The worst one I can't even recal the title, but it had an irritating lilt to it that got on my nerves. It started this way "Prec-cious je ho VAH god we thank YOU for blah blah blah blah blah." It made me cringe.

Nate

43

Welcome to the world of 'peaceful' Islam

by Shining One in

.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051026/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_israel .

rex

Nate Merit

The problem isn't so much with the Quaran (though it is violent and problematic), but with the Hadith. The Hadith is regarded as just as sacred as the Quaran, and it commands Jihad against all 'infidels' and so many anti-social activities I'm too lazy to type them all. One of the worst is the Muslim version of "Theocratic warfare," which is 'lying for the truth.' For instance if someone finds out just how violent the Hadith and Quaran are, lie to them and tell them modern Muslims pay no attention to such things. Bring glory to Allah by covering up his warts and disfigurements.

When I was a minister in the Detroit area I became acquainted with a lot of Muslims in Dearborn, which is just outside Detroit. Educated modern people for the most part, the fire of Jihad still ran hot in their veins.

It is not a peaceful lovey-dovey religion, except for the possible exception of the Sufi.

Nate

26

MY CHALLENGE TO FUNDAMENTALISTS/LITERALISTS

by Nate Merit in

for the fundamentalist christians reading this post who do not like my hermeneutics (principles of biblical interpretation), i challenge you to look up all the passages of the old testament that are quoted in the new testament.

read the surrounding context of each quotation as it appears in the old testament.

you will be shocked to discover that the context of the verses in the old testament almost never correspond to the way the verses are actually used in the new testament.

Nate Merit

Darn them! they deleted my thread! the admin hasn't complained about it just deleted it the only complaint I got was "your name is too long please change it, its messing up our forums, please get one that isn't 35 characters long "it not my fult "evanescence" was taken so I post under the name "evanescencefiftythousandtears" it's not that long is it? nate, the forum to go to is this one http://p094.ezboard.com/fcatholicreformationfrm22?page=1 that is full of fundi's maybe they won't delete it for no apparent reason if you post there

Evanescence

Hi Evanescence

Naw, "evanescencefiftythousandtears" isn't too long! Pshaw! Why, when I was a kid we didn't have short screen names like you young whippersnapers do today. In my day, we took screen names like "rollmeoverinthecloverdoitagainpleasethankyouverymuchkindlady76543209887621563"

are we were glad to have 'em! Why, back in the Great Depression, before the invention of prozac, we used to stand for hours in the CyberSoup lines just to sniff the ozone wafting our way from all the Eniac mainframes. Yessir, you kidzer all spoilt now. Spoilt I tell you!
Nate

16

What happened on October 31, 1916?

by blondie in

jw
friends

.

while on a lecture tour of the midwestern and southern parts of the us, 89 years ago, charles taze russell died on a train in pampa,texas, at the age of 64 (picture of him in 1916 below).. .

Nate Merit

Hi S4

There are quite a number of Bible Student groups who continue to publish and sell Russell's works, as well as newer works in line with Russell's thought. Most are composed of really friendly likeable people who have warm relationships with each other, and readily welcome newcomers. They're the antithesis of Rutherford and his Jehovah's Witnesses.

To answer the question "What would the Society have been like if Rutherford hadn't taken over?" one need only look at the websites of these groups, and attend a congreagation or special Assembly near you. Yes they too hold assemblies. None of them have any sort of autocratic central authority. Instead each cingregation is independent and self-governing, electing it's own elders, who then appoint deacons.

As an interesting historical aside, in one of the volumes of Studies in the Scriptures (I cannot recall which) Russell refers to the Great Pyramid as Jehovah's Witness ! (Twilight Zone music rises and fades out....)

Nate

16

KISSING HANK'S ASS

by Nate Merit in

john: "hi!

i'm john, and this is mary.".

john: "then come kiss hank's ass with us.".

Nate Merit

Hi SeattleNiceGuy

I love it too. My wife is a devout Greek Orthodox Christian, and she thought it was quite funny too until she began to really think about it. Then she realized it questioned all her assumptions, circular reasoning, and convoluted logic, as found in any system of Biblcal literalism.

You can view a video performance of this booklet. It's been turned into an excellent little skit by a small theater troupe. If you go to www.jcnot4me.com and scroll down near the bottom of the page you will see a photo from the video and the words Kissing Hank's Ass -The Video!

If you have a dial-up modem it may take awhile. It's worth the wait, I promise.

Nate

16

KISSING HANK'S ASS

by Nate Merit in

john: "hi!

i'm john, and this is mary.".

john: "then come kiss hank's ass with us.".

Nate Merit

Hi Enigmatic

You're more than welcome. You might wish to visit Jim Huber's website for more of such little gems. Though I am not an atheist, as is Jim Huber, his booklets and parodies are very worthwhile. www.jhuger.com

Nate

16

KISSING HANK'S ASS

by Nate Merit in

john: "hi!

i'm john, and this is mary.".

john: "then come kiss hank's ass with us.".

Nate Merit

Agreed. I met him briefly at an American Atheist get-together in Orange County over a decade ago. A huge man, but affable.

Nate

17

MY CHALLENGE TO FUNDAMENTALISTS/BIBLICAL LITERALISTS

by Nate Merit in

for the fundamentalist christians reading this post who do not like my hermeneutics (principles of biblical interpretation), i challenge you to look up all the passages of the old testament that are quoted in the new testament.

read the surrounding context of each quotation as it appears in the old testament.

you will be shocked to discover that the context of the verses in the old testament almost never correspond to the way the verses are actually used in the new testament.

Nate Merit

Hi Nate,

No one needs to do this as there are many excellent dommentaries, study bibles and biblical resources. What do you want, one of us to waste a huge amount of time 'reinventing the wheel' in order to disprove your assertions?

>The New Testament writers mainly yank verses wildly out of context and use them willy-nilly as they please! ; None of them use the "historical-grammatical method" considered to be The One True Method by protestants, evangelicals, and fundamentalists. ;

You take each one and prove your assertions. You made the statement now you do the research....

Rex

Hi Rex

Yes, all Christians do indeed need to look up all the passages of the OT quoted in the NT. It's far more of an effective educational experience to do it for oneself, rather than take the easy way out and have someone else do it for you. This is not "reinventing the wheel" as you claim. This is study. FIRSTHAND study, rather than letting someone do it for you. How lazy and JayDubbish of you to not do your own study and then defend your actions with inappropriate similies.

Such a study is downright fascinating. At least, I found it to be so. It was part of my Bible college curriculum. It was also a revelation, and eye opening, horizon-expanding experience. Why discourage people from doing this? The NT book of 2 Timothy 2:15 says "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." If what I propose, directly and personally investigating how the NT writers use the OT, is not study of the very best sort then please enlighten me as to the meaning of study.

I already did the research, you have not. In fact, I have taken my wife through this study, as well as many friends who were quite eager to investigate the Bible in this way. It's always good fun to see and hear the surprise and puzzlement, and have an excellent Q & A session. I recommend it highly.

I can't see much difference between your attitudes and those I had when I was in bondage to the WTBTS.

Sincerely,
Nathaniel J. Merritt Met. D.

26

MY CHALLENGE TO FUNDAMENTALISTS/LITERALISTS

by Nate Merit in

for the fundamentalist christians reading this post who do not like my hermeneutics (principles of biblical interpretation), i challenge you to look up all the passages of the old testament that are quoted in the new testament.

read the surrounding context of each quotation as it appears in the old testament.

you will be shocked to discover that the context of the verses in the old testament almost never correspond to the way the verses are actually used in the new testament.

Nate Merit

>Also, the Hebrew word almah doesn't mean virgin, it simply means maiden or young woman.

(I assume nothing. I have studied under two Rabbis here locally for the last seven years. Almah carries no connotation of virginity in and of itself. Though in ancient Jewish culture it was usually taken for granted that a maiden would be a virgin, otherwise there could be Trouble.

<The gospel authors bypassed the Hebrew text for the Septuagint, completely and utterly destroying the actual context.

Oh really? And it just took two thousand years and some guy named Nate figured out what centuries worth of scholars have missed?

(Why are you being such a creep? I have had the benefit of Bible college and Seminary, as well as eighteen years of private tutoring in the Greek language by Father Theo Theophilus, a well known Greek Orthodox priest-scholar here in the Coachella Valley. Tell me, oh great one, what schooling have YOU had? People such as yourself, in my experience, like to cast aspersion on the education of others hoping no one will question their own. My guess is you are neither a Bible College graduate, not a Seminarian. You may have some collge, perhaps even a trade school, but you have little or no formal religious education.

I have also learned to expect fundies to despise my educational achievements by saying "Oh thats the learning od Man! I am guided by the Holy Spirit." Then they proceed to quote a version of the Bible TRANSLATED BY THE VERY SCHOLARS WHOSE EDUCATION THEY HOLD IN CONTEMPT! I can read the NT in Greek, and am getting good in Hebrew. Can you? Of course not. Yo're a pony. Not phony, pony. Look it Einstein.

The fact that you are ignorant of the fact that most of the OT quotations in the NT are from the Greek Septuagint and not the Hebrew text comes as no surprise to me. Fundies hunker down with their Bibles waiting for the End of the World and superstitiously venerate the Bible. Why not expand your horizons a bit by expanding your education? If you wish to understand the transmission of the Biblical text, here are some excellent online articles. I know you won't read them because folks such as yourself are quite content in their ignorance, but I feel obligated anyway.

Here is a good page to begin your exploration of the history of the Biblical text, including the Septuagint:

http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/larry_taylor/canon.html

>By the way, the context of this verse has to do with events occurring back in Isaiah's time, not a future time. This person, being still a fundy, is still utterly unable to remove the fundy-glasses for even a few moments and see what Isaiah (minus Matt) is talking about.

You have never actually studied prophetic language, partial/future fulfillment and how it applies to scripture?

(Yes I have, but evidently you have not, except insofar as it is presented to you in such a way that it confirms what you already think. I used to be a fundamentalist, just as you are. For fifteen years, eight of which I spent as a Baptist minister, mainly in the Detroit area. Tell me, of what has your own studies consisted of? Very little except fundy books extolling the fundy view, would be my educated guess)

>Also, this fundy who wrote you should get back to me as soon as they meet the challenge, which is to read ALL of the OT verses quoted in the NT in both their immediate and distant context. Fundies are too used to seeing verses in isolation, as disconnected Oracular statements rather than as the web and woof of a wider work.

Where are the peer reviews for your work, Nate? Who are you and what claim do you make as an authority?

(Have you met the conditions of the challenge? Have you looked up all the OT quotations in the NT and read both their immediate and distant context? Of course you haven't. You're intellectually lazy, bloated with self satisfaction, and rejoicing in your ignorance. Having been a fundy, I know how higher education, especially as applied to matters Biblical, is looked upon as worldly, even demonic.

I know you don't even really understand what "in context" means by your uptight response and attack dog stance. You feel threatened by education, logic, reason, and our God-given critical thinking faculties. If any of the OT writers had written: "Now we shall discuss the coming Messiah, and the circumstances of his birth and life" and had then proceeded to enumerate said aspects, we would be keeping to the context of what the writer INTENDED. The intent being to prohesy about the Messiah.

This is not the Christian method. The Christian method, demonstrated by the NT authors, is to take verses from sections of scripture having nothing to do with any prophecies about the Messiah, and snatch verses here and there and claim that God had "hidden these Messianic verses away." This is called "taking out of context." Please show me a section of the OT in which the author's stated purpose is to give prophecies about the Messiah. Thank you.

Ignorance can be easily fixed, stupidity is a life sentence. I prefer to think you are ignorant, not stupid.)

Where are the peer reviews for your work, Nate? Who are you and what claim do you make as an authority?

(I ask you the same questions you asked me: Who are YOU and what claim do YOU make as an authority? I have done as the NT recommends. "STUDY to show thyself approved unto God." I have engaged many years of my life in this study in both a formal academic setting, as well as in my personal study. Have you? I am inclined to think you have little or no academic training, since your JW attitudes toward such things are now a part of your fundy attitudes. I am willing to bet you are even delusional enough to think you are someone special, anointed by God to some secret and wonderful work, perhaps as a prophet. At the very least you regard yourself as invested with some sort of Divine Authority above that of your fellow fundies, though you would be loathe to admit it to either yourself or anyone else)

Your attitude, coupled with your failure to meet the conditions of the challenge, make you persona non grata. Go away until you have obeyed God and done your homework.

Rev. Nathaniel J. Merritt Met.D. D.D. Ph.D.

"If morons could fly, the sky would be pitch black!"