Posts by Apostate Kate

19

My Latest Watchtower Poem

by Abandoned in

i first posted this as a reply to this thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/128569/1.ashx, but i'm so pleased with how this came out, that i wanted it to have its own thread.

the judgment of the watchtower.

the day is fast approaching.... the judgment is at hand.... soon all the gb hypocrites.

Apostate Kate

I agree CoCo, Abandond's writing is exceptional in many ways. Would like to read much more from him.

Thomas do you have any more poetry written?

19

My Latest Watchtower Poem

by Abandoned in

i first posted this as a reply to this thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/128569/1.ashx, but i'm so pleased with how this came out, that i wanted it to have its own thread.

the judgment of the watchtower.

the day is fast approaching.... the judgment is at hand.... soon all the gb hypocrites.

Apostate Kate

That is a great poem! I wrote one a few years ago similar in nature to yours.

Whispers on a flighty wind, heaving bellows from the past

New day dawns with little hope

of grandeur dreams, or lovers toast.

Woman who sees when in the dark, trips upon the aged bark

naively feeding a hungry shark

when will she ever learn?

Raised within religions worst, captured mind and fractured heart

covered heads that bow in shame

escape the evil escape the game.

As tenderly the babe was given, the anger of the unforgiven

willingly abuse the pure.

Dance deftly into Satan’s lure.

Enjoy the fire enjoy the pain, what did you think you had to gain? ~Apostate Kate

...and {{{{{{{{Thomas}}}}}}} hugs for making our Mouthy happy

56

Homeschooling . Are you for or against?

by becca1 in

jw
friends

just want to take a poll.

no need for explinations, just for or against.. me- against..

For 100% as long as it is being done right. The child must be exposed to many things and most homeschoolers are. There are homeschool groups that meet regularly across the US and they network. Children do not miss the positives of socialization but can avoid most of the negatives.

Takes parental dedication. In California parents end up spending as much time teaching their children at home as homeschoolers if they want them to learn anything when they do attend public school.

13

The wages of sin

by oldflame in

i had a heavy thought the other day in a discussion with some friends.

the question was this.

if the wages of sin is death for humans then why do animals die ?

Apostate Kate

This issue is close to my heart. Through the Bible animals suffer as a direct effect of man's sin. God's original plan;

Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Man was allowed to eat meat but we really don't know why. There are theories; that man would not live as long as he was pre flood, and others. It came with a curse;

Genesis 9:2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

Israels stubborn rebellion against God causes suffering to animals and God show's His concern through the prophet;

Jeremiah 12:4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? for the wickedness of those who dwell therein, the animals are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our latter end.

Hosea's beautiful dipiction of God's love for us includes animals in the eternal covenant;

Hosea 2:18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, And with the birds of the sky, And with the creeping things of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, And will make them lie down safely.

This was the result again of Israels sin;

Joel 1:18 How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture. Yes, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.

The wages of man's sin runs deep and nothing has changed in thousands of years, it only gets worse. Now we have millions of animals suffering from birth to slaughter to feed man's insatiable desire for flesh.

(go vegan)

49

Need A Break From The Forum (Goodbye for now)

by lovelylil in

jw
friends

dear friends,.

i am taking some time away from posting.

i don't really know if or when i will be back.

Apostate Kate

gonna miss you around here...you have been..

A Friend

Strengthens the heart;
Repairs the hurt;
Encourages the discovery;
Enlightens the mind;
Dissolves the pain;
Banishes the loneliness;
Understands the anxieties;
Increases the joy;
Deepens the spirit;
Frees the soul.

Walter Rinder

I hope I can someday be as much of a friend to you as you have been to me.

Love,

Apostate Kate

53

Is Jesus becoming less relevant - even to Christians?

by nicolaou in

one thing many jw's could do was quote jesus, although whether or not they lived up to the so-called 'christian ideal' is questioned by most of us.

conversely, many others who call themselves christians are much nicer people!

they love, they are generous, charitable and willing to give - but they are unlikely to be as familiar as we are with the details of jesus life and ministry as recorded in the bible.. i don't have a problem with that, it's what people do that matters!.

Apostate Kate

less relevant? noCHRISTIAN SERVICE CHARITIES : : : : : Christian Service Charities You know and Trust

Each charity represented by CSC has fulfilled specific criteria for membership, including a stringent legal and financial review. Click on the Charity name to view detail descriptions.

CSC 2006 Member Charities List

2055	A Child's Hope Fund
2059	ACSI's Children's Tuition Fund (Association of Christian Schools International)
2046	Advocates International
2054	African American Self-Help Foundation
2064	Aid to Children, Youth and Families (New Hope International)
2007	AIDS Care Fund
2005	Alliance Defense Fund
2058	American Family Association
2080	American's Caring for Children Worldwide
2001	Association for Christian Conferences, Teaching and Service (ACCTS)
2022	Association of Gospel Rescue Missions
2091	Awana Clubs International
2002	Baptist World Alliance
2003	Bible League
2016	Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
2010	Blessings International
2009	Cadence International
2004	Campus Crusade for Christ's Great Commission Foundation (The Great Commission Foundation of Campus Crusade for Christ, Int'l)
2062	Care Net
2092	Child Abuse Intervention Fund
2020	Childcare International
2061	Children's Christian Hunger Network
2026	Children’s Food Fund/World Emergency Relief
2084	Children's Hope Chest
2027	Children's Hunger Relief Fund
2043	Children's Survival Fund
2083	Christian Blind Mission International
2028	Christian Broadcasting Network
2041	Christian Foundation for Children and Aging
2033	Christian Legal Society
2008	Christian Military Fellowship
2047	Christian Relief Fund
2000	Christian Service Charities
2032	Compassion International
2011	Engineering Ministries International
2034	Family Research Council
2066	Fellowship of Christian Athletes
2067	Focus on the Family
	Food for the Hungry
	Healing Waters International
	Home School Foundation
	International Bible Society
	International Christian Concern
	JAARS
	Kids for the Kingdom
	Mercy Ships
	Mexican Medical
	Military Community Youth Ministries
	Mission Aviation Fellowship
	Moody Bible Institute
	Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
	Officers' Christian Fellowship of the USA
	Operation Blessing International Relief
	Prison Fellowship International
	Prison Fellowship Ministries
	Promise Keepers
	Samaritan's Purse
	Senior Care Fund
	Society of St. Andrew
	The Navigators
	Voice of the Martyrs
	Warm Blankets Orphan Care International
	World Concern
	Wycliffe Bible Translators
	Young Life
	YouthPartnersNET

85

Is Faith Dangerous? A Question for Believers...

by AllTimeJeff in

i hope this will be as respectful a debate as possible.

here is the premise: many of us (most) seem to be ex jw's on this board.

that means, whatever your motivation, for a time you bought into the theology of jw to one degree or another.

Apostate Kate

You disagree with the fact that JW's are Christian. Fair enough, I will concede that point, as it isn't my main arguement anyway. Thousands of years have been spent in the Christian community where one denomination or sect argues with another over which one is in fact Christian. But that highlights my point on faith. Why are you right? JW's take those same scriptures, as do Catholics, Protestants, LDS, etc, they will look at the same scripture and DISAGREE! Its really amazing to see. I am nuetral as to what JW's claim to be, because they are a cult. It is an accident of history that the Catholics or Protestants today are viewed as mainstream, only because they have been around longer. The fact that you used the bible though Kate doens't answer my question as to why I should trust the bible, thus putting faith in it as the authority of truth and the nature of god.....

Here's the thing..I never said I was right. I said I have faith in Jesus, believe He was who He said He was, and have dedicated my life to Him. It is not my business if you believe the same or not. The only way that you are my business is that I am called to love you unconditionally just the way you are and to help you when you need help.

You mention religions, I do not follow any religion. I do not put my faith in any religion. I used the Bible just to show you that not all religions follow Jesus or believe him. As far as trusting the Bible that takes personal research. If you honestly research it and decide you don't believe so be it. The Bible is bigger than I am and doesn't need me to convince anybody of its validity. An honest search will bring honest unbiased answers.

Kate: The fact is as far as authentic Christian faith, it is not about the Christian but all about Jesus.
You: Thanks for sharing this. I would respectfully disagree for this reason...
Whether you disagree or not, she's correct. That is exactly what Christian faith is about. It's not about being a member of a religion or denomination. It's simply about Christ. Any faith that doesn't have Christ completely at the heart of it is not considered by any other Christian.
Respectfully, the reason I gave (which you did not include in your reply) is that Jesus said at John 13:35 ""By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." I thought the point was self evident, but you disagree. Ok, why? As you can see above, your reason is that "Any faith that doesn't have Christ completely at the heart of it is not considered by any other Christian." That in no way answered my point or contradicted it. If it isn't about the Christian as Kate said, why did Jesus say that a disciple, i.e. a Christian, would be identified by this criteria? Jesus himself set the criteria, why do you put it upon yourself to disagree with what Jesus said at John 13:35 Little Toe? Isn't Jesus saying here that it IS about the Christian? Please answer this.... If your answer is that you have the right to your thoughts on the matter, please know that I am happy that you do. It seems to me that such a belief about what it means to be a Christian contradicts John 13:35.

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. This is how Jesus told us we will know authentic believers from religious fakers. Love is an action word. That does not mean that the faith is about the follower. By John 13:35 I can inspect the fruit, the actions of a persons life thus knowing if this person truly is a follower of Jesus Christ or not.

Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Mark 10:21 Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross."

Luke 9:23 He said to all, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

John 5:39-40 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.

In my life there has never been anyone like Jesus. In all of hisptory I do not see anyone like Him. This is my faith. Not everyone will believe but that will not change my love for them nor my purpose to make life better for them any way that I can with every moment I have, in the name of Jesus.

My faith in Jesus is not dangerous to me or anyone else, on the contrary it is the answer to all the worlds problems. People lie, cheat, steal, kill, hate, rape, beat, war..that's what people do. Follow people and end up in danger, follow Jesus and end up with a fountain of joy that never ends inside your heart.

85

Is Faith Dangerous? A Question for Believers...

by AllTimeJeff in

i hope this will be as respectful a debate as possible.

here is the premise: many of us (most) seem to be ex jw's on this board.

that means, whatever your motivation, for a time you bought into the theology of jw to one degree or another.

Apostate Kate

Please allow me to point out though that sincere faith in Jesus as the son of god runs throughout the JW's. Correct?

incorrect

There are cults who twist the Bible, individuals who twist it, and those who judge it without really doing the in depth study they claim to have. JWs are a cult, they not only do not put faith in Jesus but they don't believe who he said he was.

He claimed to be the great I Am. John 8:58-59 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Joh 8:58
Verse 58. Verily, verily. This is an expression used only in John. It is
a strong affirmation denoting particularly the great importance of
what was about to be affirmed. Cmt. on Joh 3:5.

Before Abraham was. Before Abraham lived.

I am. The expression I am, though in the present tense, is clearly
designed to refer to a past time. Thus, in Ps 90:2, "From everlasting
to everlasting thou art God." Applied to God, it denotes continued
existence without respect to time, so far as he is concerned. We
divide time into the past, the present, and the future. The
expression, applied to God, denotes that he does not measure his
existence in this manner, but that the word by which we express the
present denotes his continued and unchanging existence. Hence he
assumes it as his name, "I AM," and "I AM THAT I AM," Ex 3:14.
Comp. Isa 44:6; 47:8. There is a remarkable similarity between the
expression employed by Jesus in this place and that used in
Exodus to denote the name of God. The manner in which Jesus
used it would strikingly suggest the application of the same
language to God. The question here was about his pre-existence.
The objection of the Jews was that he was not fifty years old, and
could not, therefore, have seen Abraham. Jesus replied to that that
he existed before Abraham. As in his human nature he was not yet
fifty years old, and could not, as a man, have existed before
Abraham, this declaration must be referred to another nature; and
the passage proves that, while he was a man, he was also endowed
with another nature existing before Abraham, and to which he
applied the term (familiar to the Jews as expressive of the existence
of God) I AM; and this declaration corresponds to the affirmation of
John (Joh 1:1), that he was in the beginning with God, and was
God. This affirmation of Jesus is one of the proofs on which John
relies to prove that he was the Messiah (Joh 20:31), to establish
which was the design of writing this book.

{b} "I am" Ex 3:14; Isa 43:13; Joh 1:1-2; Col 1:17; Re 1:8

13

Eph 6:15 Does this mean we have to preach to be protected?

by Verona in

jw
friends

our speaker who gave the public talk used this scripture to indicate that unless we have a good habit of preaching then we are not keeping our spiritual armor in good shape.

i'm wondering if there is a better, logical explanation for that verse?

would anyone know of any?

Apostate Kate

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Completly wrong WT interpretation and as usual out of context.

Eph 6:15
Verse 15. And your feet shod. There is undoubtedly an allusion here to what was worn by the ancient soldier to guard his feet. The Greek is, literally, "having underbound the feet;" that is, having bound on the shoes, or sandals, or whatever was worn by the ancient soldier.
The protection of the feet and ankles consisted of two parts:

(1.) the sandals, or shoes, which were probably made so as to cover
the foot, and which often were fitted with nails, or armed with spikes,
to make the hold firm in the ground; or

(2.) with greaves that were fitted to the legs, and designed to defend
them from any danger. These greaves, or boots, 1Sa 17:6, were
made of brass, and were in almost universal use among the Greeks
and Romans. See the figure of the "Grecian warrior" on page 159.

With the preparation. Prepared with the gospel of peace. The sense
is, that the Christian soldier is to be prepared with the gospel of
peace to meet attacks similar to those against which the ancient
soldier designed to guard himself by the sandals or greaves which
he wore. The word rendered preparation--etoimasia means,
properly, readiness, fitness for, alacrity; and the idea, according to
Robinson, (Lex.,) is, that they were to be ever ready to go forth to
preach the gospel. Taylor (Fragments to Calmet's Dic., No. 219)
supposes that it means, "Your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel; not iron, not steel-- but patient investigation, calm inquiry,
assiduous, laborious, lasting; or with firm footing in the gospel of
peace." Locke supposes it to mean, "with a readiness to walk in the
gospel of peace." Doddridge supposes that the allusion is to
greaves, and the spirit recommended: is that peaceful and
benevolent temper recommended in the gospel, and which, like the
boots worn by soldiers, would bear them safe through many
obstructions and trials that might be opposed to them, as a soldier
might encounter sharp-pointed thorns that would oppose his
progress. It is difficult to determine the exact meaning; and perhaps
all expositors have erred in endeavouring to explain the reference of
these parts of armour by some particular thing in the gospel. The
apostle figured to himself a soldier, clad in the usual manner.
Christians were to resemble him. One part of his dress or
preparation consisted in the covering and defence of the foot. It was
to preserve the foot from danger, and to secure the facility of his
march, and perhaps to make him firm in battle. Christians were to
have the principles of the gospel of peace--the peaceful and pure
gospel--to facilitate them; to aid them in their marches; to make
them firm in the day of conflict with their foes. They were not to be
furnished with carnal weapons, but with the peaceful: gospel of the
Redeemer; and, sustained by this, they were to go on in their march
through the world. The principles of the gospel: were to do for them
what the greaves and iron-spiked sandals did: for the soldier--to
make them ready for the march, to make them firm in their
foot-tread, and to be a part of their defence against their foes. ~Barnes

The preparation of the gospel of peace; the inward preparation of
mind which the gospel of peace gives. ~Family Bible Notes

The preparation of the Gospel may be as it were shoes to you:
and it is very fitly called the Gospel of peace, because, seeing we
have to go to God through most dangerous ranks of enemies, this
may encourage us to go on bravely, in that you know by the doctrine
of the Gospel, that we are travelling to God who is at peace with us.~Geneva Bible Footnotes

85

Is Faith Dangerous? A Question for Believers...

by AllTimeJeff in

i hope this will be as respectful a debate as possible.

here is the premise: many of us (most) seem to be ex jw's on this board.

that means, whatever your motivation, for a time you bought into the theology of jw to one degree or another.

Apostate Kate

Religion and faith has long been used as

sure and so has anything and everything that a human being touches...all we do is hurt and destroy..faith in Jesus Christ has never done any harm to anyone or it would not have been faith in Jesus but something else.

The fact is as far as authentic Christian faith, it is not about the Christian but all about Jesus. My faith in him has shown me the answers to all my questions. He is the only one who has ever had the answer for the worlds problems. Although he offers so much more than that.

Following Jesus is simple, yet all encompassing. My faith causes my life's goals to live like He would today, think like He would today and act like He would today. I do not follow people nor do I want anyone to follow me.

It is a one on one personal relationship that can be measured in tangible ways. There was just a study done that proves that those who live lives of giving and charity live longer healthier happier lives than any other group!

Some find mystery, contradiction and a lack of science in the Bible, I don't.