Posts by Lemonp

41

July 19th Watchtower Summary. Insanity

by Lemonp in

just got back from the wt study and it overall was just so blindingly biased and leading.. i had to read it from the platform too, i hope they couldn't see the confounded look on my face as i read this craziness out!.

first we consider the faith of abel, enoch, noah, abraham, isaac and jacob, and moses.. all of these people are held up as sterling examples of blind faith, with the article pointedly saying that their imaginations sustained their faith in gods promises for them.

no mention anywhere at all that all of these characters saw and talked to angels, spoke to god himself, saw and performed miracles, or any of the other feats experienced by these characters.

Lemonp

That article give a great rundown on what the quoted scriptures actually mean! Thanks for linking!

41

July 19th Watchtower Summary. Insanity

by Lemonp in

just got back from the wt study and it overall was just so blindingly biased and leading.. i had to read it from the platform too, i hope they couldn't see the confounded look on my face as i read this craziness out!.

first we consider the faith of abel, enoch, noah, abraham, isaac and jacob, and moses.. all of these people are held up as sterling examples of blind faith, with the article pointedly saying that their imaginations sustained their faith in gods promises for them.

no mention anywhere at all that all of these characters saw and talked to angels, spoke to god himself, saw and performed miracles, or any of the other feats experienced by these characters.

Lemonp

Also forgot this one from paragraph 4:

"Whatever Abel may have visualized regarding the future, he had faith based on God’s promise, and Jehovah therefore accepted his sacrifice."

So brothers, don't worry about what you believe! Just make sure you believe!

41

July 19th Watchtower Summary. Insanity

by Lemonp in

just got back from the wt study and it overall was just so blindingly biased and leading.. i had to read it from the platform too, i hope they couldn't see the confounded look on my face as i read this craziness out!.

first we consider the faith of abel, enoch, noah, abraham, isaac and jacob, and moses.. all of these people are held up as sterling examples of blind faith, with the article pointedly saying that their imaginations sustained their faith in gods promises for them.

no mention anywhere at all that all of these characters saw and talked to angels, spoke to god himself, saw and performed miracles, or any of the other feats experienced by these characters.

Lemonp

Just got back from the WT Study and it overall was just so blindingly biased and leading.

I had to read it from the platform too, I hope they couldn't see the confounded look on my face as I read this craziness out!

First we consider the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Moses.

All of these people are held up as sterling examples of blind faith, with the article pointedly saying that their imaginations sustained their faith in gods promises for them.

No mention anywhere at all that all of these characters saw and talked to angels, spoke to god himself, saw and performed miracles, or any of the other feats experienced by these characters.

No, according to the article the greatest drive for these ones was the faith they had because of this: "If we visualize what God has promised to do, we are thinking about something that will definitely happen."

Abraham et al get 4 paragraphs worth of discussion. No mention of Abraham's immense wealth, or that he was literally surveying the country that was promised to him. No, he did it because "It is likely that Abraham’s ability to form a mental picture of what God had promised enabled him to perform outstanding acts of faith."

A great side note on this subheading is the emphasis placed on the fact that they "did not receive the fulfillment of the promises in their lifetime". HINT HINT Brothers don't expect to see this in your lifetime!

Moses gets the same rundown in paragraphs 11-13.

These 3 end with this gem: "Even when Pharaoh threatened Moses with death, his faith, love for God, and likely a mental picture of a bright future strengthened him to face the threat courageously."

Haha... NO! I'm pretty sure having had a conversation with god and then making various plagues occur at will gave him this courage. No imagination needed.

Now we get to the best part. Paragraphs 14-18. How nowadays we can follow these example of blind faith (as portrayed by the article, that is)

Paragraph 14: "Such hopes of those who ignore Jehovah’s purpose for the future are mere fantasies." Yes, don't try to bother getting a good job, stuff like that is fantasy.

Paragraph 15: "On the other hand, as Christians we are encouraged by visualizing our hope... Perhaps you “see” yourself living on earth forever. Think about cooperating with others in making this globe into a paradise... You are healthy, energetic, and have a bright outlook." Yes, these ideas are reality!! "This appealing mental picture is based on Scriptural truths about the future."

Paragraph 16-18: Wrapping up saying we have to tell others about these wonderful "truths"

Just WOW.

13

Were we meant to live forever?

by konceptual99 in

so i believed for years that humans will one day revert to being able to live forever.

i was told the only reason we don't already is because adam and eve sinned.. if this is the case then why is nothing else in the universe capable of the same thing.

everything else has a finite lifespan.

Lemonp

They say that "our cells want to replicate forever"

However, no one mentions your teeth. You only get a single set of adult teeth, and after 1000 years of wear and tear, even teeth with good hygiene will be worn way down.

Look at an elderly person's teeth the next time you can, see what 80 years of wear looks like.

67

List of Prominent JW Urban Legends...

by Tuesday in

jw
friends

hey folks,.

i'm wondering if you all could help me with my next video that i want to put up in the next couple of days (though i'm hoping for tonight), i want to come up with a list of the most prominent urban legends surrounding jws and then refute them whatever they may be.. i'm thinking there's the urban legend about the question on jeopardy that said the nwt was the most accurate would be a good one.

that one stems from an online powerpoint presentation named theological jeopardy and a book which was written comparing six different translations of the bible.

Lemonp

There is the Myth of

"in WW2 the lions in the London Zoo ate straw, so you see its perfectly reasonable that animals will be vegetarian in the paradise"

Sources? Still have to find any proof!

18

Australian journalists investigating abuse

by Joel-ABC-730 in

dear members,.

i am an investigative journalist with the australian public broadcaster, the abc.

we are currently gathering information from members of the jehovah's witnesses who experienced sexual abuse as children and adolescents in australia.

Lemonp

Hey there Joel.

It would be enlightening to read a copy of the "Shepherd the Flock" book. It is a secret book that only Elders (the leading men in congregations) get. Also known as a KS10. Linked here

There are PDF downloads of it online and it has sections relating to anything a JW could do wrong; including child abuse.

11

Unconvincing Evidence in September Watchtower

by bemused in

i was looking at the september 2015 issue of the watchtower, which, unlike the simplified and study editions, appears to be aimed at non-jws.

a couple of articles caught my eye that quote biblical sources which are somewhat less than convincing to a non-believer.. firstly 'what do jehovah's witnesses believe?

' says that the core belief is that 'all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial'.

Lemonp

I honestly don't know how things like that persuades anyone at all.

It brought to mind a 2008 article on the flood:

"Was the Flood of Noah’s Day Really Global?

The Noachian Flood occurred more than 4,000 years ago. So there are no eyewitness survivors on earth to tell us about it. However, there is a written record of that catastrophe, which states that the floodwaters covered the tallest mountain of that time.

The historical document reads: “The deluge went on for forty days upon the earth . . . And the waters overwhelmed the earth so greatly that all the tall mountains that were under the whole heavens came to be covered. Up to fifteen cubits [about 22 feet [6.5 m]] the waters overwhelmed them and the mountains became covered.”—Genesis 7:17-20.

Some may wonder if the story of the whole earth being covered with water is a myth or at least an exaggeration. Not at all! Indeed, to some extent the earth is still flooded. Seawater covers about 71 percent of the earth’s surface. So in reality the floodwaters are still here. And if the glaciers and polar ice caps were to melt, the sea level would rise to cover cities like New York and Tokyo.

Geologists studying the landscape of the northwestern United States believe that as many as 100 ancient catastrophic floods once washed over the area. One such flood is said to have roared through the region with a wall of water 2,000 feet [600 m] high, traveling at 65 miles an hour [105 km/hr]—a flood of 500 cubic miles [2,000 cu km] of water, weighing more than two trillion tons. Similar findings have led other scientists to believe that a global flood is a distinct possibility.

For those who believe that the Bible is God’s Word, though, a global flood is more than a possibility. It is a fact. Jesus said to God: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) The apostle Paul wrote that God’s will is that “all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) How could Paul teach followers of Jesus the doctrinal truth if God’s Word contains myths?

Not only did Jesus believe that the Flood took place but he also believed that it was global. In his great prophecy about his presence and the end of this system of things, he likened those events to the time of Noah. (Matthew 24:37-39) The apostle Peter also wrote about the floodwaters in Noah’s day: “By those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water.”—2 Peter 3:6.

If Noah was a mythical figure and a global flood a fable, the warnings of Peter and Jesus for those living in the last days would be meaningless. Instead of serving as a warning, such ideas would befuddle a person’s spiritual senses and endanger his chances of surviving a tribulation greater than the Noachian Flood.—2 Peter 3:1-7.

In speaking about his abiding mercies for his people, God said: “Just as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more pass over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not become indignant toward you nor rebuke you.” As surely as the Noachian Flood did overwhelm the earth, so God’s loving-kindness will be with those trusting in him.—Isaiah 54:9."

I remember discussing this with a MS Pioneer on field service, and both of us laughing at the way it basically argues that "the bible said it so it must be true"

Great arguments, I am sure that the writers cannot believe this even as they write it down.

3

Britain's Got Talent, Or Not, As The Case May Be.

by Doltologist in

jw
friends

ever wondered why people who really can't sing go for auditions to the tv show britain's got talent?.

i have and, for a while, it puzzled me.. then, this big light bulb went on inside me.. someone on the panel would often say to the contestant 'what made you think that you could sing?'.

the contestant would often say 'my friends tell me that i can'.. that's the problem these days.

Lemonp

Regarding your comment on the bad singers featured in reality talent shows

Before we see the "Public Audition" stage of most shows like that, all the people featured have been through 2-3 prior closed auditions. They let the bad ones through to provide entertainment value, and that's why they are surprised as they had already gotten through a few rounds before the one that you see on TV.

Cracked the problem God has with money!!

by Lemonp in

as we know, the org has been driving for money the last few months... people bring up that god owns the gold and silver, so this shouldn't happen!.

however, this argument is flawed!

since 1933 in the us the dollar's ties to gold were cut... (followed by the british and rest of the world).

Lemonp

As we know, the Org has been driving for money the last few months... People bring up that God owns the gold and silver, so this shouldn't happen!

However, This argument is flawed! Since 1933 in the US the dollar's ties to gold were cut... (followed by the British and rest of the world)

This established the current economic standard of money being a valueless physical item made valuable by global confidence and agreement.

So! As money is now a purely mental concept, with no inherent gold, silver, or other value, God really really needs our help!!

I shall include a link to the "donate" button for an official JW video for your convenience:

JW.org

52

Very Offensive Statement Directed To JW Parents-Watchtower 4/15/2015 Page 11 Paragraph 9

by JW GoneBad in

wt is insinuating, worse yet, blaming senior jw parents for there not being more younger brothers reaching out to be ministerial servants and elders.

page 11 paragraph 9 reads as follows: .

"elders in affluent lands may face an added challenge: how to motivate baptized brothers in their 20s or 30s to get involved in congregation activities.

Lemonp

I just laughed to myself and corrected them in my mind... Men in their 20's and 30's have had it beaten into them that they will never get old!

Now seeing that they are parents themselves, the elders who told them that "it might be tomorrow" dying of age, their parents dying... they realise that its all a joke.