if a witness brought up the example of lazarus, how jesus said he was "asleep" (which really meant dead)....and then he resurrected him and more people than ever had faith in jesus.. as part of the argument that most don't go to heaven when they die, suppose a jw said "most people believe we go live it up in heaven when we die.
but wouldn't that be cruel on god's part to let lazarus' soul come to heaven and then have jesus bring him back to the crummy earth?
how would you respond to that?.
I would have to look at all the resurrections in the Bible to get some perspective. Do the jws think that the children returned to their parents were unkind acts?
In all the accounts, I see people glad to have their loved ones returned to them. So was it unkind to give Lazarus more time with his sisters?
The witnesses do not believe that Lazarus went to heaven because Jesus had not opened the way yet. So, really their argument is a moot point.
quite recently, watchtower in sweden applied for governmental financial support, as they are entitled to as a registered religious community.
however, the government declined to accept the application, stating that the reason was that the jws do not adhere to democratic values and standards and do not support mainstream values.. the witnesses are upset, because they feel discriminated against.
they state that the financial issue is not the real issue, but to be treated in a similar way as other religious communities.. they have appealed the decision and plan to send a report explaining the witnesses views in more detail.. the branch office chose the religious, pentecostal (assembly of god) newspaper "dagen" to make an interview.. here is the photo report of the article.. .
Doesn't the watchtower society have trouble with the German and French governments also? Aren't they considered a cult? It is interesting that even the Russian government sees them as a cult that breaks up families.
Maybe the world is starting to catch on?
If they gave back to the community, it would be different, but they use the excuse that the "end is near" to refuse to help the suffering and poor ones. The end has been near for centuries now. Something tells me they don't really want to help the poor.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/133169/researchers-claim-jim-morrison-s-ghost-picture-is-not-a-fake-.
Hey, Jim Morrison was always looking for the doors between worlds. Maybe he found one? (not really)
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hey!.
i went to my first meeting last week and, well, i guess i want to write some thoughts about how a meeting is for an 'outsider' :-) .
That was interesting to read your observations as an outsider. It reminded me a lot of my first meeting on a Sunday. I was in college at the time. I had been given the watchtower ahead of the meeting and read it before I came.
I could not believe either that they actually read the paragraphs aloud. Then they recited most answers out of the magazine. I found it mind numbing. After the first meeting, I made sure I had to be at work early and only attended the public talks. They were a little more interesting because I had not already read them.
Be careful, though, because the love bombing is much more effective than you realize. They may be sincerely friendly, but it is always with the objective to make you another drone like them.
The public talks are issued straight from the society and are recycled, as you say. Sometimes you want to just scream when you hear the same talk for the tenth time and could easily get up and recite it for yourself.
Good luck with your girlfriend.
my wife (twink) and i left the org.
6years ago after 30 years of manipulation by the system that is controlled by men.. the both of us have finished with all religions..............but remain firm in our beleif in god and jesus christ !!..
the last 18 months we have been looking after twinks mum at our home after dad died, she now suffers from alzheimers which now causes a great deal of effort to keep abreast of demands made by the illness.. mum, every fortnight wants to be taken to church (she has been a catholic all her life 93 years old).. twink has no reservations about taken her, and sits out the meeting with her, under sufferance of what they get up too.. the question to any witness who may be reading this is, if she was still a witness, how would her actions be viewed.. would her act of love towards her mother be accepted by the org..............or would she be answerable to the mighty glorious ones for mixing with babylon the great?.
It's so kind of you to take care of your wife's mother. I would think that in this case, one would be allowed to sit with their mother. It probably depends a lot on the particular elders involved.
I always purchase my parents cigarettes for them when they are too ill to go to the store. Always wondered what would happen if a jw saw me?
on the subject of health matters i was mentaly listing all the comman illnesses that the dubs lay claim to, most of the time this is self diagnosed and with no imput from a dr. in fact the comman story is that "the drs won't belive me!".
a large number of jw's i knew went and got tested for allergies, this was the big thing for years.
every single one of them turned out to be allgeric to the same stuff ( wheat, dairy, sugar) ... i should point out that they all went to the one "dr" for this, the "dr" in question had never had any medical training and had done only a basic course.
I learned a long time ago not to poke fun at others ailments. if someone tells me they hurt, I believe them. The diseases mentioned are named by physicians who understand very little about them.
I have a friend with chemical sensitivity who swells up and can't breathe around certain chemicals. At first, she just said she felt sick and no one believed her. They thought it was her way out of what she didn't want to do.
Now they can't deny the swelling and loss of breath. When it comes to illness, we all tend to go by sight. Doctors do the same thing. the problem is that a person can look just fine and feel horrible.
People generally want to be well.
i heard in a talk recently that following your heart was one of the worse advice a person can get.
is this because the bible says the heart is treacherous?.
anybody else hear that in jw land?.
Cognac, do follow your heart when it comes to raising and loving your children. You will not regret it later.
tonight is the premeire of flashforward.
all hell breaks loose worldwide.
soon the movie 2012 will be here with its incredible effects of the end of the world.
Oops, I said flashback, but I meant Flashforward.
at the meeting sunday the brother giving one of the prayers said.
"that we than you for your organization because people who are outside.
of the congregation are corrupt and wicked.".
You need to get control of that anger and bitterness there, theMadJW. Not good for you.
at the meeting sunday the brother giving one of the prayers said.
"that we than you for your organization because people who are outside.
of the congregation are corrupt and wicked.".
Their prayers are probably one of the best examples that they are a cult and self righteous like the Pharisees. It always bothered me that they told me I could not pray for my dfd child. I did anyway, but they always made you feel guilty.
Someone mentioned The Village. I loved that movie. It showed mind control through lies and fear and how the ones engaging in it felt they were doing the right thing.
Very perceptive movie. Unfortunately, the members of my family who are still dubs didn't get the correlation.
