Posts by moggy lover

31

Ridiculous JW superstitions

by B_Deserter in

i'm not talking about the stuff you hear at the kingdom hall, i'm talking about the "experiences" you were told of by people you knew.

the big one for me was demons.

so many people i know had experiences with them.

Not only demonic intervention, but angelic as well, has passed into the mindset of WT mythology. Several tales, spiced by embellishments, were making the rounds in WT congregations back in the 70s when I was in.

I recall this particular incident, concerning a dear old thing, who was friend of a friend, of a friend of the narrator, and who was on the door-to-door service, when the door she eventually called on had this rather grim and grizzly man who, disheveled in appearance, had hidden his right hand behind him. He had evidently just killed his wife, and was departing when he answered the door. His initial impulse was to lash out with his knife and silence any potential witness [if you pardon the pun] to his dastardly deed. But he was thwarted because he swore he saw, standing beside this dear old thing, a personage of such shining demeanor and gait, that he collapsed and confessed. The elders were quickly summoned and the grateful police acknowledged the sterling job rendered by said dear old thing. I am not sure how the story ended, but variations saw the copper either converted to the WT cause, or the murderer himself, while in incarceration, becoming one.

Cheers

33

Just reviewing my years of non-appointment as an elder.

by AK - Jeff in

i had 'reached out' to be an elder for a decade before i finally understood the reasons why i was not, nor would i ever be one.. each visit of the co, my name was on the list of discussion.

i know this because i was told by both co's and local elders.

the vote was always close, sometimes i missed the cut due to 'low hours' on the part of my wife or daughter, othertimes due to some variation in the way the wts was looking at particular 'requirements'.

moggy lover

Great stuff, AK-J, but believe you me, you missed out on nothing by not being an elder in the WT system. I had the misfortune to be one for ten years, and it was the single feature that eventually led to my being disillusioned. As long as I was among the faceless R&F, I actually enjoyed being one of the "gang". But becoming an elder opened my eyes in ways no other action would have.

The role of the elder within the WT Imperium is a curious one. Despite the posturing about like attenuated peacocks that many elders effect, and despite the sprouting of suitably obtuse phrases, evidently done to impress the impressionable, the role of the WT elder is no more than that of being theological eunuchs.Incapable of even the most basic of individual enterprise, unschooled in the rigours of biblical ideology and debate, and totally ignorant of the disciplines required for competence in such research, their only function is that of being castrated mouthpieces echoing, with varying degrees of fanaticism, the interminable stream of directives emanating from WT HQ. No thinking is required, because these directives are not designed for thinking out or meditating on, they are simply to be obeyed. The WT does not give its coteries enough information to think, it simply gives them enough to be obeyed.

In this respect, the WTS resembles not so much a religion, as it does an instrument of power. A power that is exercised from a centralized point of Absolute Authority, and delegated, through articulated links of command, to willing acolytes all along the power structure. The trick in being a successful elder is not intelligence, for this is a potential threat to the Centralized Authority, since they have none,but the trick in in giving credence to the Unspoken Rule. This Centralized Authority is to be regarded as both, Unquestioned and Unquestionable. They are elitist, secretive, and self perpetuating, which means that no one within the orbit of this power structure has any influence on who or how this Centralized Authority is constructed.

To parse a couplet born of equally dictatorial systems, "When the GB tells you to jump, you don't ask "why" you ask "how high" "

One of the stratagems employed by this Centralized Authority to ensure their survival at the top, is assessing the subservience of the potential elder. In this respect, you obviously did not understand the abject inferiority of your position. You did not abase yourself, kiss the ring, or tug the forelock. Most dangerous of all, you were literate enough to use your mind.

But the brutal truth is that it is better to be free and theologically virile on the outside, than to be a eunuch in the house of patent evil.

Cheers

2

Need audo of Franz Gilead Grad speach debunking Gov Body

by Wasanelder Once in

hey everyone,.

where can i find a copy of the talk that freddy gave at gilead graduation attacking the idea of a gov body?

here is the link to the transcript, http://www.freeminds.org/history/franzorg1976.htm i want to use it in a video.. i tried the e-mail address at the bottome of the page but its dead.. thanks.. w.once.

moggy lover

I am pretty sure that, because that talk was so god-awful bad, that no audio transcription was made. If there was, it will either have been wiped clean or stored away in the bunkers so deep that not even the Purest of the Pure among the Acolytes, the ones who Tend the Flame and Keep the Secrets, have access to it.

Your best bet may be to try and contact Ray Franz at his Commentary Press site. We owe him a great debt for giving us a written transcript of that lecture.

Cheers

56

Bad biblical names for a child

by erandir in

jw
friends

the practice of choosing biblical names for children is present in many forms of christianity.

in latin america, countless boys are named jesus either as a first name or second name.

there is even that singer jesus jones.

moggy lover

As AnnOMaly said, "Mahershallhashbaz" can be something of a mouthful, but I am pretty sure I remember an actor on TV with that name. A couple of years ago Aussie TV had a popular show called "Threat Matrix" in which one of the actors had that name. Nah, don't worry, he was one of the good guys.

If I am not very much mistaken, that name, running into six syllables, is the longest word in the Bible.

Cheers

4

300 million people worldwide now have broadband - Watch out WT!!!

by truthseeker in

jw
friends

great article and another whammy for wt defenses.... http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2102652,00.html.

china overtaking us for fast internet access as africa gets left behind.

one in five people in the world has high-speed lines but the gap is growing.

moggy lover

Evidently the growth of the world wide web in Korea is beginning to have an adverse on WT statistics in that country. Their growth rate is barely 1%, now totally 93 000 followers.

Cheers

44

Blessed be the name of Jehovah forever and ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by unbaptized in

jw
friends

i just wanted to bless jehovah's name, the only name that is above the heavens that can save mankind!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!.

moggy lover

Thanks ever so much for your theological perception.

Now.....were you making that up?.......or do you think that sentiment, noble in itself, is based on scripture? If so then please share it with us. If you can locate something even remotely resembling your idea in the Bible, then I will rejoin the blocktower movement right away.

The only name ascribing salvation for mankind, whether above or below heaven, is the name found at Acts 4:12.

Cheers

20

"God's Plan of Salvation - from a Cat's Point of View"

by Nathan Natas in

just yesterday i discovered that my cat rutherford has been preparing a manuscript for publication.. it is a real eye-opener..

moggy lover

Lucky you, Stephanus, my cat thinks she's the god-person in the family!!

Cheers

33

Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-17-07 WT Study (DO NOT PUT APART)

by blondie in

do not put apart what god has yoked together.

therefore, what god has yoked together let no man put apart.

(b) why do the principles found in god's word really work, even when problems arise in a marriage?.

moggy lover

Good stuff, Blondie. It always amuses me when the WTS brings out articles such as this which reduce interpersonal relationships to an intellectual level as if those already with problems that have developed seismic strains are either capable or willing to apply simple, articulated concepts as a solution.

The impression I get from this article is the total remoteness of the anonymous writers, and their assumption that what they are writing is actually of relevance to the readers. I feel that these writers don't really give a toss about the R&F membership and their marital problems, just that they have this asignment to write this article about of marriage and after suitably approved comments at the requisite WT study the whole thing can be discarded to await some other anonymous article written in the same vein. Well, keeps a buch of writers who are out of touch with reality employed, I suppose.

How the hell did you think of Lerner and Lowe, then "My Fair Lady" hmmmm? Methinks you are watching too many musicals, and not doing enough "Bible based literature" study.

Cheers

And Keep it Up.

16

Women aren't suppose to be ministers..says who?

by A-Team in

i've been hearing this from the 7 day advantist, church of christ and jws, and was show 1 cor 14:36 as proof.

but, i decided to read the context of the verse....and it paints a different picture, atleast imo (ps i am not saying that females should be heads of congerations, now that is out of order.

) i'm using the message translation, for clarity.

moggy lover

I am not aware of any Evangelical Christian belief system that relegates women to a subservient role in ministry, with the exception perhaps of some extreme fundamentalist groups, who attempt to read more into Scripture than that which is available.

Women feature prominently in the NT as participating in community worship, and often even as specially appointed church officials, and as co-workers with the apostles.The dress codes that Paul outlined in 1Cor 11:2-16 interestingly enough, give careful directives concerning how men and women who were leading congregational worship were to be attired. That the women needed a head covering did not deny them a leadership role, remember, but that when leading [vs 5] a woman had an indication of her leadership position. In this respect a careful reading of the passage provides the assumption that women will be leading mixed congregations in prayer and prophecy. That these two features of worship consisted, in degrees of leadership roles, can be seen in that Paul explained at 1Cor 14:3, 24-25, that prophecy included preaching and teaching.

Today we associate these functions with those of an ordained minister within a denominational code.

For some reason which Paul leaves undiscussed, the leadership roles of elders and deacons, mentioned in 1Tim 3, and Tit 1, were assigned to what exclusively appear to be males. However there is some indication that for deacons at least, this was not so strongly gender based. At Ro 16:1, Paul refers to one Phoebe, who is described as a "diaconos" of the church that met at Cenchrea. Whereas it is possible to translate this word as "servant" as does the NASV, it is far more probable that, since the word is used in circumstances relevant to church worship, that it be rendered as "minister" or "deacon" as does 1Tim 3:8. I hasten to add that NASV is not as as anti feminine as their translation at Ro 16:1 would suggest, since they tacitly acknowledge the use of "minister" in their footnote. I can quote at least two translations that even use "deacon" here: "Nathaniel Scarlett's NT" translation of 1798, and the recently published "Source NT" translated by Dr Ann Nyland, Prof. of Classics and Ancient History, at the U of New England, NSW, Aust. [pub 2004]

Paul speaks with fondness of women who were his co-workers, [Phil 4:3] certainly indicating equality in ministering, and it may even be possible to see in Junia, mentioned at Ro 16:7, a women of the rank of apostle.

There are many ordained women in many Protestant denominations The Assemblies of God [charismatic], Baptist, Disciples of Christ [known as The Churches of Christ in UK/Aust] Methodists, Lutheran, Presbyterian among others. In these denominations women participate in the same areas of ministry as their male counterparts, and, are paid equally [See Evangelical Dict of Theology pg 1182]

Much of the confusion regarding the subservience of women comes from an incorrect or at least detrimental understanding of the phrase that the "man is the head of the women" annunciated by Paul at 1Cor 11:3. It needs to be learnt by some men at least, that Paul did not spell "head" as "B-O-S-S"

In fact we have several women ministers on JWD, Blondie is our WT Study Conductor, and Leolaia our Presiding Overseer. I mean, what more do you girls want?

Cheers

9

Become a Watchtower Writer ! (sort of)

by AlphaOmega in

here is the challenge.... you are all well versed in watchtower logic and their ability to link bible passages that have no connections, so.... i was wondering whether anyone can post articles or snippets of articles that we could write in wt style to "prove" unlikely beliefs.. a good example would be the "are cats for christians" - however, i am not thinking of anything as long as that.. this will have a serious application - to show by humour that wt logic can be used to prove anything and still make it look scriptural.. any takers ?.

.

moggy lover

OK, here's one:

1 We are to love our enemies right? [Matt 5:44]

2 Satan is our enemy [1Pet 5:8]

3 Therefore we must love satan [Which may explain why the GB resorts to such occult practices as consulting the dead, like taking direction from already dead members of the FDS]

Here's another:

1 We must love our enemies [Matt 5:44]

2 Death is our enemy [1 Cor 15:26]

3 So we must love death, rather than life, so, after leaving all our property to the GB, the only purpose we may serve is to commit suicide.

Hell, while we're on a roll lets have another:

1 Elohim created the universe: Gen 1:1

2 According to the WTS the judges of Israel were elohim [Ps 82:6]

3 Therefore the judges of Israel created the universe.

Ouch! My brain hurts

Cheers