james_woods

Joined

• started 182 topics
• posted 12,226 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by james_woods

• 
  37

  Why is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas?

  by james_woods in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this was inspired by terry's thread.... it is something that raises many questions about the jw belief system.. .

  for one thing - the bible certainly explains all the details of the christ birth.

  it certainly does not tell people to avoid celebrating it with feasts, customs, etc.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  An interesting discussion.
• 
  37

  Why is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas?

  by james_woods in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this was inspired by terry's thread.... it is something that raises many questions about the jw belief system.. .

  for one thing - the bible certainly explains all the details of the christ birth.

  it certainly does not tell people to avoid celebrating it with feasts, customs, etc.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  JWs prided themselves on being separate from the world. This is a pretty significan't way to demonstrate that. I think that idea is more important to them than any pagan practices they can attribute to the holiday.

  Yes. But there is really practically NOTHING that one can attribute to "Pagan Worship" about Christmas -- perhaps some local customs (yule log, etc.) -- but Christmas itself is essentially a Christain invention from long before the Jehovah's Witnesses were invented by Franz and Rutherford.

  My theory is that the hatred of Christmas by the JWs is actually a hatred of the Catholic Church (and perepherally a hatred of Christ as opposed to Jehovah).

  Note what Terry has posted about Alexander Hislop and The Two Babylons --- Hislop was equally the architect of the JW doctrine as was Russell.
• 
  37

  Why is it wrong for Christians to celebrate Christmas?

  by james_woods in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this was inspired by terry's thread.... it is something that raises many questions about the jw belief system.. .

  for one thing - the bible certainly explains all the details of the christ birth.

  it certainly does not tell people to avoid celebrating it with feasts, customs, etc.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  This was inspired by Terry's thread...

  It is something that raises many questions about the JW belief system.

  For one thing - the Bible certainly explains all the details of the Christ Birth. It certainly does NOT tell people to avoid celebrating it with feasts, customs, etc. In fact, the NT has at least as much (or more) detail about this momentous event than it does about the last supper.

  So WHY is the Christmas so alien to the Jehovah's Witnesses?

  Could it possibly be that this is another of the curious JW alienation of Christ as the basis of their religion? (as opposed to war-lord Jehovah?)
• 
  24

  CAN WE SOLVE THE MYSTERY of why Watchtower doctrines changed when they changed?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if a person gives a police report of a traumatic event, but later changes their facts during cross-examination, these changes are used to impeach the honesty of the witness.. this impeachment flows from a logical understanding facts must match reality without contradiction.. lets examine the history of the watchtower corporations leaders with a view to the harmony of.

  true teaching over a period of years from 1879-1942.. "even though christmas is not the real anniversary of our lord's birth, but more properly the annunciation day or the date of his human begetting (luke 1:28), nevertheless, since the celebration of our lord's birth is not a matter of divine appointment or injunction, but merely a tribute of respect to him, it is not necessary for us to quibble particularly about the date.

  we may as well join with the civilized world in celebrating the grand event on the day which the majority celebrate - "christmas day.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  This is a very important and meaningful thread.

  James
• 
  14

  What year did the NWT drop John 7:53-8:11? Was it ever in the NWT?

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  from biblegateway:.

  jesus forgives a woman taken in adulterythis story, beloved for its revelation of god's mercy toward sinners, is found only in john.

  it was almost certainly not part of john's original gospel.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  An excellent thread, Terry.
• 
  79

  Your final WTF? Moment!

  by restrangled in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it was a long time coming for me.....when i read about the extened generations, after being raised on1914 being the be all end all, and millions would never die....that was the end.

  i was part of the 1975 fiasco, the 6 month only truth book studies, suffered through a disifellowshipping and their version of a rewind.

  i finally am free and hope others can eventually look in instead of inside looking out!

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  I have posted it here before, but for me it was the bogus insertion of the name "Jehovah" all through the New Testament of their New World Translation Bible.

  This was in 1970, and I had to actually go into old documents at a university library to realize the fraud.

  I had happened upon a Church of Christ pastor who was a college professor who hinted it to me and caused me to do the research.

  I mentioned it the next year to Bert Schroeder (later on the G.B.) and he basically told me - "go play in the street little boy, we know better than you".

  It took another ten years to finally make the break, but that one was the one that put me on the street.
• 
  9

  4 IMPORTANT FACTS to memorize about Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Terry in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  fact number one: .

  the writers and leaders of the watchtower claim it isn't mere imperfect men making their best guesses who publish these things needing "refinements".. "this chronology is not of man, but of god.

  being of divine origin and divinely corroborated, present-truth chronology stands in a class by itself, absolutely and unqualifiedly correct...." (watchtower, july 15, 1922 p. 217).

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  Note that "Christ" has also been eliminated from the title.

  The current Watchtower has little affinity for the concept of Jesus or Christ.
• 
  6

  Implications of the 80 year age limit for the COBE...

  by james_woods in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  aside from the obvious age discrimination and disrespect, what are other implications of this new rule?.

  (persons over 80 years of age cannot serve as a chairman of the body of elders any longer by watchtower fiat).

  1) - this means that no one can be a cobe if he was born before 1934. so much for persons alive and in adult understanding of the circumstances in 1914 surviving to the end.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  Thanks, everyone.

  You have made two more new points on this that I had not thought of...the legality, and the sudden change in "holy spirit".

  This goes hand in hand with the new financial arragnements and the "new light" on what a "generation" really is.

  Maybe they don't want any oldsters who can remember the old teachings around any more!

  BTW - Evil question! Could this be an admission that good old Freddy Franz was in his doties when he was appointed president of the WTBTS (by the HS, as they say) after he had failed on the whole 1975 thing?
• 
  6

  Implications of the 80 year age limit for the COBE...

  by james_woods in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  aside from the obvious age discrimination and disrespect, what are other implications of this new rule?.

  (persons over 80 years of age cannot serve as a chairman of the body of elders any longer by watchtower fiat).

  1) - this means that no one can be a cobe if he was born before 1934. so much for persons alive and in adult understanding of the circumstances in 1914 surviving to the end.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  Aside from the obvious age discrimination and disrespect, what are other implications of this new rule?
  
  (persons over 80 years of age cannot serve as a Chairman of the Body of Elders any longer by Watchtower Fiat)
  
  Here are two (plus one):
  
  1) - This means that no one can be a COBE if he was born before 1934. So much for persons alive and in adult understanding of the circumstances in 1914 surviving to the end. If they did have such an elder (highly doubtful, but say they did have a 120 year old elder - given 20 as an age of accountability) - this person is no longer useful to them.
  
  2) - Under the traditional Remnant and Great Crowd teaching - this also means that NOBODY serving as a COBE could be of the legitimate Remnant. This selection of the anointed was supposed to be all over by 1933, and even that date applied to adults.
  
  3) - I would assume - (have not read this yet in the letters from the Watchtower, but just by application of logic) - that it MUST be true that all Governing Body members over 80 must retire and younger persons selected. Which means that by their own logic, aspects 1 and 2 also apply to the highest of the highest: Not part of the 1914 generation, not legitimate anointed, not therefore part of the literal 144,000.
  
  As they say, Watchtower leadership, be careful what you wish for - you just might actually get it.

  James
• 
  44

  New Financial Arrangements

  by Joe Grundy in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  dear friends.

  i never was a dub.

  i am not a qualified lawyer or accountant.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  james_woods

  Thank you, Joe. I seldom post here these days, but your statement is as clear as Beefeaters Gin.

  And ISupport it completely.

  BTW, nice to see your words again from the old days.

  James