we were watching a program called 'blood years' on some channel.
it was about the israeli/palestinian conflict.
i was commenting about how i would hate to live in a place like that with such violence all around.
She is a baptized JW.
Really? How odd. If she was a practising JW, she should know that JWs do not regard modern day Palestine/Israel to be involved in prophetic fulfillment. Such ravings tend to come only from the more mainstream Christain preachers.
She said the prophecy was that when the 'Disgusting Thing' entered the holy land that the end was near.
Unless, they've revised this understanding about the Holy Place??
INQ
we were watching a program called 'blood years' on some channel.
it was about the israeli/palestinian conflict.
i was commenting about how i would hate to live in a place like that with such violence all around.
What is the 'disgusting thing'?
If you mean "where did she get that term from?", "disgusting thing" is found in the following Gospels:
Matthew 24:15-22 15
"Therefore, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,) 16 then let those in Ju·de´a begin fleeing to the mountains. 17 Let the man on the housetop not come down to take the goods out of his house; 18 and let the man in the field not return to the house to pick up his outer garment. 19 Woe to the pregnant women and those suckling a baby in those days! 20 Keep praying that YOUR flight may not occur in wintertime, nor on the sabbath day; 21 for then there will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again. 22 In fact, unless those days were cut short, no flesh would be saved; but on account of the chosen ones those days will be cut short.Mark 13:14 14
"However, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation standing where it ought not (let the reader use discernment), then let those in Ju·de´a begin fleeing to the mountains.How this "disgusting thing" is interpreted depends on which Doom-saying Christian you speak to. Judging from her response, your housemate is unlikely a JW.
INQ
the other day, we were discussing whether satan is a real person (fallen angel) or just the personification of evil.
i was trying to see people's thoughts on this topic because many christians i know claim satan is not real.
even clergy today teach this.
But, I do believe that in the garden, the snake was not an actual talking snake but was representative of Satan (the fallen Angel). During OT times, the terms snake, serpent, or dragon were used for those who were opposers of God.
But have you considered if that might be anachronistic thinking?
You're saying that the meaning of serpentine symbols in later times be the basis for supposing that the serpent in Eden was not a snake. But what if the meaning of the serpentine symbols (opposition to God) was BASED upon the original understanding that a snake was used by Satan in Eden?? Do you see the problem here?
INQ
i am currently reviewing various doctrines of the wt.. would it be possible for this thread to focus completely on the issue of birthdays and avoid other subjects & also any digs at the wt over their current policy.. personally, i believe that birthdays are acceptable but i need concrete reasons / facts to counteract the arguments provided by the wt for their refusal to celebrate birthdays.. thanks .
peacekeeper.
2004 thread: So is there a new stance on B-days or what? http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/80178/1.ashx
Would it be possible for this thread to focus completely on the issue of birthdays and avoid other subjects & also any digs at the WT over their current policy.
HAH. No it would not be possible.
INQ
can anyone come up with names of some famous people (dead or alive doesn't matter), respectable men (sorry ladies, but a bearded lady wouldn't help my case), who've grown beards or kept a moustache?
thank you.. inq.
Hey Thanks for the link, Clam.
Still, it is handy to have contemporary names though.
TheListener, Wolfowitz is clean-shaven isn't he??
INQ
can anyone come up with names of some famous people (dead or alive doesn't matter), respectable men (sorry ladies, but a bearded lady wouldn't help my case), who've grown beards or kept a moustache?
thank you.. inq.
Whoa! Keep the names rolling!!
Santa Claus, Shakespeare nice try Juni and Clam, but (1) we're completely sure Santa does not exist LOL, and
(2) we're not completely sure we know who Shakespeare was (so how could we know for sure what he looked like? )
see Who Was Shakespeare http://members.aol.com/soren/shak1.htm
INQ
can anyone come up with names of some famous people (dead or alive doesn't matter), respectable men (sorry ladies, but a bearded lady wouldn't help my case), who've grown beards or kept a moustache?
thank you.. inq.
If their not jw's then they wouldn't be respected (by jw's) anyway would they? beard or no beard. - carla
Good point, Carla. But isn't it true that the no-beard rule draws heavily on the Western custom of what formal appearance is? As such, the rule is not dependent on Dub's respect for one another. It was (allegedly) made to accomodate worldly secular standards of professional appearance. So if we play by the world's sense of respect, then it would help to refer to examples of respectable non-JW men who cherished their facial hair. INQ
can anyone come up with names of some famous people (dead or alive doesn't matter), respectable men (sorry ladies, but a bearded lady wouldn't help my case), who've grown beards or kept a moustache?
thank you.. inq.
Can anyone come up with names of some famous people (dead or alive doesn't matter), respectable men (sorry ladies, but a bearded lady wouldn't help my case), who've grown beards or kept a moustache? Thank you.
INQ
...not the computer animation!.
when i was a jw kid, i got the impression that jws (like other die-hard creationists) attributed all evidences of an ice age to the noachian flood.
problem is, that point of view seems to think that the polar ice caps are the only natural phenomenon that needed explanation (read "explaining away").. the noachian flood perspective does not explain what large glaciers are doing in places like papua new guniea or new zealand.. the same biblical explanation also does not address the evidence for multiple (~4?
...not the computer animation!
When I was a JW kid, I got the impression that JWs (like other die-hard creationists) attributed all evidences of an ice age to the Noachian Flood. Problem is, that point of view seems to think that the polar ice caps are the only natural phenomenon that needed explanation (read "explaining away").
The Noachian Flood perspective does not explain what large glaciers are doing in places like Papua New Guniea or New Zealand.
The same biblical explanation also does not address the evidence for multiple (~4?) ice ages. It engulfs all the physical evidence as coming from one single catastrophic event, for there was only one Flood of Noah.
Well, that was my impression anyway. Is this accurate?
INQ
during his visit, what exactly does the circuit overseer discuss with the body of elders with regards to inactive publishers?.
are inactive publishers even on the agenda?
or is this of no concern to the co and pretty much left to the discretion of the local boe?.
Plus, how dare he talk about "private matters" in front of many who must have known who he was referring to. SHEEESH!!!!! - Quandry
My thoughts exactly. Definitely crossed the line there.
This organization is not about retention. It's about recruitment. I think it's because most elders know, deep in their hearts, that once someone who knows what they know takes a walk, there is little they can do to get that one back. - willyloman
Very astute, willyloman. When my book study overseer paid me a visit after having been MIA for quite a while, he employed questions that, unbeknownst to me then, were meant to determine how much of a "deviant" I've become. He used the "Do you still believe that this is God's organization?". And he had a good hard look at every title on my book shelf.
They were set out to work out what sort of a threat I was before thinking of "saving" me.
INQ
