Posts by Cygnus

11

How Can The JW's Spiritually Help Anyone...

by Honesty in

when they aren't even sure of their own salvation?

they come to our doors telling us that we can live in paradise knowing that the wtbts tells them that even the jw's aren't assured of a place in the new system.

can you imagine how that must affect them if they stop and think about it?.

Cygnus

I have never been able to figure out what the 'good news' is that jw's preach.

An infamous Watchtower quote:

***

w81 5/1 p. 17 If God Has an Organization, What Is It? ***

Let the honest-hearted person compare the kind of preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom done by the religious systems of Christendom during all the centuries with that done by Jehovah’s Witnesses since the end of World War I in 1918. They are not one and the same kind. That of Jehovah’s Witnesses is really "gospel," or "good news," as of God’s heavenly kingdom that was established by the enthronement of his Son Jesus Christ at the end of the Gentile Times in 1914.

19

Who Wrote the New Testament? by Burton Mack

by ithinkisee in

jw
friends

someone mentioned this book in another thread (getbusyliving i think), so i checked it out from the library.. it is a decent enough book but was a little put off by the almost sarcastic/antagonistic tone throughout much of the book.

he throws around the word "myth" as much as the society throws around the word "truth".

even the title of the book "who wrote the new testament?

Cygnus

And then there's the opinion that Paul was "copying and pasting" and replying to personal letters written to him by particular church elders and all the material was grouped together into one epistle. First Paul says women and men are equals:

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Rbi8 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 ***

In connection with [the] Lord neither is woman without man nor man without woman. For just as the woman is out of the man, so also the man is through the woman; but all things are out of God.

***

Rbi8 1 Corinthians 14:33-36 ***

As in all the congregations of the holy ones, 34 let the women keep silent in the congregations, for it is not permitted for them to speak, but let them be in subjection, even as the Law says. 35 If, then, they want to learn something, let them question their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in a congregation. 36 What? Was it from YOU that the word of God came forth, or was it only as far as YOU that it reached?

Some say Paul was mocking the Corinthians here for their rules against women teaching or speaking in the church.

4

Apostate or Godless?

by Honesty in

in the nwt, the hebrew word chaneph is translated as apostate.

in all other bible translations that i have consulted it is translated as godless.

apostate is not referenced at all in the hebrew dictionaries i have examined.

Cygnus

*** Rbi8 Acts 21:21 ***

But they have heard it rumored about you that you have been teaching all the Jews among the nations an apostasy from Moses

My NSR says "forsake Moses..."

My Jewish NY says "apostasize from Moses..."

My NJB says "break away from Moses..."

I don't think I'd equate apostasy with godlessness. But that's only a conclusion made by 5 minutes of thinking about it while I'm watching Napolean Dynamite.

12

Bicycling

by Cygnus in

jw
friends

as i am without an automobile, i am going to buy a cheap bicycle tonight.

anyone here use a bicycle as a primary means of transportation?

any comments are welcome.

Cygnus

Thanks CRR. :) I'll let you know if I think I need to add the modifcations.

12

Bicycling

by Cygnus in

jw
friends

as i am without an automobile, i am going to buy a cheap bicycle tonight.

anyone here use a bicycle as a primary means of transportation?

any comments are welcome.

Cygnus

I'm usually of the mind that you get what you pay for, and to buy/hire the best when possible.

But since moths fly out of my wallet when I open it, I bought a used Trek Antelope 820 for $35.00. And ya know what? I love it. I just got home from Blockbuster to rent some movies and it would've taken me 50 minutes to walk there and back, but on the bike it took about 15. Cruising on it kinda makes me feel like I'm 15 again. :)

Edited to add: I dunno how many gears it has, I've only used 4 so far and that seems sufficient. I don't want to try and ride too fast as, where I live, there are a lot of pedestrians, I live near an airport, and there's a lot of road construction. So I gotta be careful The bike has 21" diameter wheels and is pretty heavy, which I prefer. I like it.

34

From Fundementalist to Humanist

by peacefulpete in

.

for your reading pleasure:.

from fundamentalist to humanist

Cygnus

Shining One, texts that completely turn me off from the gospel are those such as:

***

Rbi8 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ***

Indeed, that is why we also thank God incessantly, because when YOU received God’s word, which YOU heard from us, YOU accepted it, not as the word of men, but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God...

What arrogance! And...

***

Rbi8 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 ***

...the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels in a flaming fire, as he brings vengeance upon those who do not know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus. These very ones will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction from before the Lord and from the glory of his strength...

What abject viciousness to be happily wished upon even ignorant ones (the NWT I quote from is being generous with the text; other translations render this passage in a far more menacing way).

10

The Rightness of Shunning Family

by Cygnus in

w81 9/15 p. 30 if a relative is disfellowshiped .

a highly respected christian elder writes: .

"in our area some disfellowshiped ones with large families have been met, as they enter the lobby of the kingdom hall, with a fanfare of backslapping and handshaking (even though the disfellowshiped one was known by them to be still living immorally).

Cygnus

*** w81 9/15 p. 30 If a Relative Is Disfellowshiped . . . ***

A highly respected Christian elder writes:

"In our area some disfellowshiped ones with large families have been met, as they enter the lobby of the Kingdom Hall, with a fanfare of backslapping and handshaking (even though the disfellowshiped one was known by them to be still living immorally). I feel a deep concern that those who have been disfellowshiped need to see that their course is hated by Jehovah and by his people and that they should feel a real need to become genuinely repentant. What will help these disfellowshiped ones to change when they are continually greeted by all in their large families who know of their practices?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the Kingdom Hall no less, God's house of Love and Mercy! How terrible to demonstrate loving association with a family member at a place where Christian freedom and well-being is supposed to be encouraged.

Edited to add: Everybody, family included, are to shun a disfellowshipped person without even knowing the "sin" or reasons behind his being disfellowshipped.

87

What was Jesus implying...........................

by defd in

at john 10:30 jesus said " i and the father are one" what was he implying?

was it a claim to be almighty god?

what is your thoughts and why?

Cygnus

I've come across dozens and dozens of "Jesus is God" people (both Sabellians and Trinitarians) that shove John 10:30 in my face to prove Jesus is God.

JWs counter by saying that later, in the same evening, Jesus prayed that his disciples be one also. They also counter that Jesus is the image, reflection of the Father, and a "God" in his own right. Careful: Opinion Stated Next: I don't see how anybody could read any gospel, let alone John's, and find Jesus to be 100% man and 100% God. But a billion or so persons earthwide do. Go figure.

12

Bicycling

by Cygnus in

jw
friends

as i am without an automobile, i am going to buy a cheap bicycle tonight.

anyone here use a bicycle as a primary means of transportation?

any comments are welcome.

Cygnus

Thanks guys.

AATW, yes I'm going to do all that, and have taken into consideration all that you said. Thanks for the great advice!

49

God and Science

by Shining One in

now here is an interesting take on all things..... .

.

http://www.crosscurrents.org/godand.htm

Cygnus

The fact is xtians rely on science every day, from starting the ignition on their car to switching on the lights at their churches to receiving medical care. The world of science is accepted as a fact and so xtians feel they have to integrate such into their belief systems. Like the WTS and H. Morris with their 'scientific proofs' for the global Flood some 4500 years ago.