Posts by CalebInFloroda

117

Is homosexuality ever justifiable? I say YES!!!

by TimothyT in

in the january 2012 awake, pages 28-29 there is another article about homosexuality.. .

the writers argue that genetics, the environment, and sexual abuse do not justify homosexuality.

the bible clearly states that homosexuality is wrong and is an abhorrent sin.

CalebInFloroda

Oh, and from another member of the "family," may I say: Mazel Tov!

117

Is homosexuality ever justifiable? I say YES!!!

by TimothyT in

in the january 2012 awake, pages 28-29 there is another article about homosexuality.. .

the writers argue that genetics, the environment, and sexual abuse do not justify homosexuality.

the bible clearly states that homosexuality is wrong and is an abhorrent sin.

CalebInFloroda

If I may insert a couple of things here from my background in both philology and as a Jew, and the fact that our holiday Sukkot is coming around the corner (which I am currently preparing for).

The word in Revelation 21.3 is NOT describing the Tabernacle. It is a SUKKAH in Hebrew, the type of tent set up during SUKKOT when we Jews celebrate the Festival of Tents/Tabernacles/Booths (why Gentiles have so many names for Sukkot is beyond me). The Greek equivalent of a "sukkah" is SKENE (pronounced "skaynay").

Because Revelation is speaking of G-d coming to dwell or living among us, it is speaking of an action, one actually associated with celebrating a feast (as a SKENE or a sukkah is often set up for other types of celebrations, even among Gentiles). The author of Revelation is borrowing from Jewish eschatology regarding Olam Ha Ba, of "the World to Come." In Revelation the author reverses the arrangement of the Temple wherein people had to travel often great distances to eat and feast at the Temple building in Jerusalem "where God dwelt."

But now G-d comes to humans to participate in the banquet. It is as if G-d comes to participate in an eternal celebration of Sukkot, but this is not likely a picture of the Third Temple. SKENE is used In Revelation in connection with an action (to set up a sukkah) which is different from saying people are going to a Temple.

The Third Temple is never described in the Hebrew Scriptures as a sukkah, always a Temple. The days of G-d dwelling in a tabernacle ended with the Davidic dynasty, and the only time it is ever spoken of in great detail is in the book of Hebrews where the author uses it instead of the Temple, claiming that Christianity is greater than the Tabernacle arrangement (oddly the author of Hebrews never speaks of the Temple).

As for the Bible and its use in religions regarding homosexuality: Judaism was one of the first (some claim the first) of the mainstream religions to fully accept homosexuals. The recent marriage equality changes in the United States were heavily and publicly lobbied for by Jewish denominations and movements in America. While Orthodox Jews still are on the fence at best (very much in the same place Catholicism dwells on the subject) with some still adamantly against it, universally in Judaism there is no recognition of homosexuality being prohibited in Scripture per se. The texts in the Hebrew Scriptures used by Christian groups as prohibitions against homosexuality, such as in Leviticus 18, are seen as limited instruction to Levitcal priests or misinterpretations in Judaism. It is due to this realization in that Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist and Post Denominational Jews have welcomed gays among their groups and why the Orthodox are left struggling with the issue.

The Bible is not necessarily the problem.

16

Contradicting Governing Body Members

by Illuminated in

so we've heard from three different governing body members this year regarding child sexual abuse.. the latest one on the rc admitted there's a sexual abuse problem within the cult, yet lett and morris swept the dirt under the carpet stating they have a great reputation as far as sex abuse is concerned, and pointed their fingers at "apostate lies".

.

i'm left totally confused at the contradiction of this "organization"..

CalebInFloroda

In a way I found all the contradictions and lies as somewhat reassuring on a level I never expected.

Mind you, I've not been anywhere near these people in about 20 years, and I had even ignored them until 2014 came around and I suddenly remembered that a JW told me that it would be impossible for Jehovah or Jesus to let this system of things last anywhere near 2014. I've known they lie and cheat and hate for some time.

But hearing Jackson contradict what other Governing Body members had said about the sexual child abuse crimes in their midst and listening to him say how it would be "presumptuous" of them to claim what they have been claiming all this time, that they are Jehovah's mouthpiece and the only true religion--that did something further for me.

I've lost all care about them as human beings. All respect, all concern, everything that is there inside of me for people I do not even know, all that disappeared and it was like the door finally closed on this chapter in my life--and again I thought the door was closed for me 20 years ago when I left!

While the Catholic Church no longer considers itself the only conduit of truth, it still claims to be the original historical church body Jesus founded and the Pope still claims to be the Vicar of Christ. Hearing Jackson lie about what the Governing Body claims it is and contradicting statements of other Governing Body members would be like the Pope saying: "It would be preposterous for us to believe we are the historical church founded by Christ and for me to claim to be Christ's Vicar."

I'm not a Christian as most of you know, but that would unwind everything about the Church and its claims for the past 2000 years, wouldn't it? And I don't think any pope is cowardly enough to back down from testifying to what they believe about themselves and their religion.

To hear Jackson do that made me see him and the rest of the Governing Body and their followers as dead. Their religion is more than proven false now to me, it is finished. It's over. They are now just some crazy folks. They are as nutty as that Orthodox Jew who went through the gay pride parade in Israel several days back stabbing people because he believed it was G-d's will (for those who don't know, I'm both gay and a practicing Jew). These fanatical Jews who live as if time has stood still (or should stand still) are the JWs of Jewry, and we often sigh over them just like many do the JWs.

What Jackson did was just like that. It was as if he went through a crowd of his own people, those who have believed in and have pride in every word the Governing Body teaches and stabbed them in the back. He did more than deny his faith, he denied those who have put so much faith in him and the Governing Body and the whole JW set-up. He stabbed all those people, his fellow Governing Body members, and then cut his throat in front of everybody with his "Us? The ones Jehovah speaks through? Preposterous!" comment.

It was like there was one lone lamp left on in a hidden room in my attic, a lamp I had forgotten that spread a very weak and wasted light. And suddenly, with Jackson's words, the lamp went out--but it went out because the lamp managed to push itself off a table and smash its own lightbulb. Stupid lamp!

I don't know how to really put it, but it's like they don't exist anymore. I know they do, but those people just don't matter anymore.

To me they have proven themselves nothing but impotent.

15

New Catholic tribunal formed

by OrphanCrow in

this happened in the month prior to the jws giving testimony for the royal commission - the article was published june 10, 2015. it is interesting to note that this catholic tribunal is for addressing those priests who cover up child abuse.

pope francis makes catholic bishops who cover up for paedophile priests accountable for first time with new tribunal system.

pope francis has taken a major step towards stamping out paedophilia in the catholic church, approving a new system of tribunals designed to make bishops accountable for the priests under them.the new and unprecedented vatican legal mechanism will hear the cases against bishops accused of covering up paedophile priests who abuse children on their watch.the church has previously faced criticism for failing to hold those in higher positions accountable for what goes on in their bishoprics.the vatican said pope francis was presented with the tribunal proposals by cardinal sean omalley, who he appointed as head of a new sex abuse advisory commission in december 2013.francis and his cardinal advisers approved the plans and allocated funding for full-time personnel to staff the new office.the vatican spokesman, rev federico lombardi, said this means there is now a specific process by which the vatican can deal with bishops who are negligent in handling cases of abuse in their territories.canon law already does provide sanctions for bishops who are negligent in their duties, but the vatican has never been known to mete out punishment for a bishop who covered up for an abuser.previously, the closest francis had come was in april, when he accepted the resignation of a us bishop found to have failed to report a suspected child abuser.

CalebInFloroda

@Vidiot

You are correct.

The belief that one's religion is the "one true faith" is called "triumphalism," and it is now forbidden in the Roman Catholic Church as is proselytism, which is evangelizing by employing techniques that compares "our true religion" with "your false religion."

The Roman Catholic Church, since Vatican II and especially since the reigns of St. Pope John Paul the Great and now Pope Francis teaches that G-d is not limited by denominational lines or any particular means in G-d's distribution of "truth," which the RCC refers to as "the economy of salvation."

This change in doctrine includes the view that people can fulfill G-d's purpose in ways not understood by the Church, and that the Church relies on the fact that the covenant between G-d and the Jews is still intact (which is also why attempts to convert the Jews is a big "no-no" now in Catholic circles).

18

NU LIGHT JWs not only spokespersons for GAWD so says Governing Body Jackson

by Watchtower-Free in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuwt4flyl-k .

CalebInFloroda

That was my jaw-dropping moment for me, Heaven. Watching him and hearing him say that made me think what would have happened to me if I was still a JW and was going around saying the same kind of things:

"It's presumptuous to think that Jehovah only speaks through the Governing Body or the Organization, simply presumptuous!"

18

NU LIGHT JWs not only spokespersons for GAWD so says Governing Body Jackson

by Watchtower-Free in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuwt4flyl-k .

CalebInFloroda

Good thing to point out, Blondie.

In Judaism a prophet is defined as someone who was sent or inspired by G-d to make a public proclamation (the Hebrew word for such a proclamation is an "oracle of the Lord").

The proclamation had to be national or public and delivered to the children of Israel. Only rarely, if ever, did a prophet ever tell of a future event. Prophets acted as spokespersons or teaching leaders of Israel. Out of the over 50 prophets that existed throughout Judaism's history, 7 were women.

Daniel, however, is not one of these prophets. He received visions or wrote of the visions given to others and dealt mainly with "foretelling the future." Visions were not public declarations and had that "future" element rare to prophetic oracles. Prophets had public messages for the Jews, while many visions in Daniel's time were often privately given to heathen Gentiles. That is why Daniel's book is found not in the "Prophets" section of the Tanakh but in the "Writings" section.

14

Guys help me out, no isrealite women judges?????since when

by Diogenesister in

guys what the hell is going on, how can jackson say there were no isrealite women judges!!!

!how many jewish women judges are there?cdidnt maclellan check up om that one, would have thought he'd know!

!

CalebInFloroda

@InquiryMan

That's not he same thing as what Jackson stated. Jackson stated that the JW religion as a whole did not believe in a literal interpretation of the Proverbs "rod," i.e., that corporal punishment was allowed. If crossing a national border is all it takes to allow an interpretation or application to change, then it isn't a doctrine.

For instance: it's legal to purchase and smoke or otherwise use marijuana recreationally in various countries and states but prohibited in others.

If JWs are against the use of marijuana then this doesn't mean they allow their members to use it in those states and countries where people are free to do so. If the JWs are against its use, then that would mean JWs don't use it even in areas where they are free to do so.

JWs freely spank and otherwise physically punish their children in the United States, and the literature as published in the United States reflects this. This means that the JW religion as a whole is not against corporeal punishment because JWs can and freely choose to do it where and when they can if they so choose. If they are in a state or country where it is forbidden, then they don't due to the law. Yet should they cross the border, then they are free to do so since it is not against JW doctrine.

14

Guys help me out, no isrealite women judges?????since when

by Diogenesister in

guys what the hell is going on, how can jackson say there were no isrealite women judges!!!

!how many jewish women judges are there?cdidnt maclellan check up om that one, would have thought he'd know!

!

CalebInFloroda

You can also tell how a religion feels about women depending on the Bible translation they use in reference to Judges 4.4.

Here Deborah is referred to as a NABI in Hebrew, but in the feminine. The reason? It is merely Hebrew syntax convention, requiring a feminized suffix since the word is used in reference to Deborah.

Modern translations understand this and translate this word as "prophet" and not "prophetess." There was no difference between the type of "prophet" Deborah was because she had, what Mr. Jackson and the other members of the Governing Body would probably call "woman parts."

On the contrary, Deborah and Miriam were full-fledged "prophets," just as much as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

Judaism recognizes 7 female prophets: Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther.

It should be interesting to know that Daniel is not considered to be a prophet among Jews, nor is his book in the "Prophets" section of the Hebrew Bible. Daniel, relied heavily upon as a prophet by JWs, was never sent with public pronouncements or oracles to Israel--the requisite for being considered a prophet of G-d by Jews. Daniel, instead, dealt with dreams given to private individuals and composed them in such a manner as to teach lessons of hope regarding redemption from the Seleucid oppression.

190

Geoffrey Jackson - Royal Commission Live Hearing Now!

by LostinJapan in

.

https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-study/636f01a5-50db-4b59-a35e-a24ae07fb0ad/case-study-29,-july-2015,-sydney.

CalebInFloroda

Someone on another thread told me they were looking for a list of women who ruled and taught in Israel?

Along with Judge Deborah of Judges 4, let us not forget that Miriam served as a prophet alongside her brother Moses.

And it was a woman whom G-d used to first proclaim that any writing of the Jews was Scripture, and that was the prophet Huldah spoken of in 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34.

And who can forget Esther who acted as savior of my people, and who we celebrate every year at Purim?

14

Guys help me out, no isrealite women judges?????since when

by Diogenesister in

guys what the hell is going on, how can jackson say there were no isrealite women judges!!!

!how many jewish women judges are there?cdidnt maclellan check up om that one, would have thought he'd know!

!

CalebInFloroda

And as for women's role in judging and teaching and leading Israel, let us not forget that Miriam served as a prophet alongside her brother Moses.

And it was a woman whom G-d used to first proclaim that any writing of the Jews was Scripture, and that was the prophet Huldah spoken of in 2 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 34.

And who can forget Esther who acted as savior of my people, and who we celebrate every year at Purim?