Hoping4Change

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Posts by Hoping4Change

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  199

  Are you an active Jw or an ex-jw?

  by XPeterX in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  active unbaptised publisher here.you?

  (though i already know the answer for some people).

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  Hoping4Change

  Do you want a cafeteria approach to the Bible Issac?

  This is an interesting remark given that the "compilation of writings" known as "The Bible" can also be viewed as a cafeteria approach to the religious writings existing during the initial growth of Christianity. Certainly those who decided which writings would be included in "official" canon took it upon themselves to decide which ones would be considered the word of God and which ones would not. Regardless of one's 'faith', simple historical facts remain - there existed a body of religious writings from which a "group of men" chose and declared are the word of God. If "men" can do this, why cant "men" (and "women") take it upon themselves to explore, research,question and decide which parts within "officigal canon" may or may not be truly from God?
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  17

  Watchtower Comments is producing a tribute video for Raymond Franz

  by besty in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  watchtower comments is producing a tribute video for raymond franz.

  we want you to be a part of this.please record a brief audio statement expressing how raymond franz helped you, either personally or by reading his books crisis of conscience and in search of christian freedom.

  contributors will be kept anonymous unless you state otherwise.email the audio file to [email protected].

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  Hoping4Change

  (edited to remove duplicate link posting

  @ besty - call :-) )

  Here's the thread re: the need for an updated article

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/194052/1/We-need-a-national-story-about-Ray-Franzs-life
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  17

  We need a national story about Ray Franz's life

  by moshe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  like everyone else here, i am praying for ray to pull through this medical crisis, but i realize the odds are not good.

  i know it's not something people want to think about, their obituary, but i contacted a religion journalist and told her about ray franz, his life at bethel and his books.

  i hope she passes the information on to the rest of the writers on their religion blog.

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  Hoping4Change

  re: the Time magazine article

  It would be nice to see Time pick this story up and update some of its' contents re: Jehovah's Witnesses. Notice how the end of the article points out "They have necessarily backed off the 1975 date, but the End must occur during the lifetime of people who still remember the earthly events of 1914. With the rapidly thinning ranks of such oldsters, the Witnesses confront an increasingly troublesome, self-imposed and absolute deadline." It would be nice if any such article would also point out the change/shift to this with the new Generation teaching.
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  14

  Documentary Film: 'Waiting for Armageddon'

  by leavingwt in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.waitingforarmageddon.com/.

  "[the film] serves as an absorbing snapshot of america's highly influential, reportedly 50-million-strong evangelical christian movement.

  " (source).

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  Hoping4Change

  Is there any mention of Jehovah's Witnesses in this film?
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  127

  DO you follow any of these quacks, charlatans, liars, mystics or self-promoters?

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  don't try to lie about it.

  you accept some of these people as an authority.

  you listen to them.

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  Hoping4Change

  I'm a little confused about the inclusion of the Dali Lama, though that could be due to my own ignorance. Isnt one of the very first things one learns when studying Buddhism is to NOT blindly follow anything or anyone, including the Buddha (therefore by extension, the Dali Lama)?
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  8

  Jesus is NOT the mediator for all?

  by Ultimate Reality in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the current interpretation of the watchtower society is that christs role as mediator applies only to a small group of individuals - the 144,000. the assumption is that since the new covenant applies to their roles and kings and priests, jesus mediates between them and jehovah god, while those with an earthly hope are often described as beneficiaries of this arrangement.

  for more information on this, see jwfacts.com.

  there is some shifty reasoning used by the society to justify their view that christ actually mediates for fewer people than moses:.

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  Hoping4Change

  Odd timing to see this subject come up as I just recently has this discussion with someone. I'd love to see a collection of scans of all the relevant articles/book chapters that point out this belief and its 'ir-rationale' (or at least a list of references with them all), especially any more recent publishings.
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  15

  has anyone ever met Ray Franz?

  by poor places in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i guess you would have to be kind of old school to have met the guy.

  i've only met a current gb member before he joined.

  he seemed nice.

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  Hoping4Change

  @PoorPlaces

  Make sure to check out "In Search of Christian Freedom" also (ISOCF as it typically gets noteed around here). In a lot of ways, I think it more 'meatier' than CoC. Now would also be a good time to read it, coming off Sunday's WT study that included talk about "Christian Freedom". While listening to that study and discussion, I couldnt help but wish that JWs would actually read Ray's book on the subject.
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  136

  Memorial 2010 Your Experiences

  by scotinsw in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  just got back from memorial.

  only went so that i could say to my parents that i had gone and to remind myself why i left.. oh my word!!!

  it was sooooo painful.. got there a bit late - it was a couple of minutes into the talk.

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  Hoping4Change

  IS the Memorial program the same world over? (I am guesing it is.) If so, what songs were used? Were they from the new book? IS there a copy of the new book online anywhere?
• 
  27

  Does the new Catholic scandal help or hurt in exposing the WT abuse scandals?

  by undercover in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  with all the attention being paid to new allegations of abuse cover-up in the catholic church i wonder:.

  1. does this take the heat off the wts and are they hoping to slide through less scrutinized while the pope gets skewered by the media?

  will the wts be stupid enough to try to capitalize on the catholics problems by printing articles critical of them?.

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  Hoping4Change

  My hope would be that this would raise awareness on a broader level to the fact that Religions enjoy waaaay too much protection/exemption from secular/societal laws. "Give all things to Caesar..." should include being subject to all of "Caesar's laws" and not being able to hide behind "but we're a religious organization so <such and such> doesnt apply to us".
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  121

  November 15 Watchtower (Study Edition) - discourages showing affection to your spouse

  by CrazyBlonde in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  another gem from the same edition - article to be studied december 28 - january 3 (which most will miss lol coz of summer vacation) entitled "what do your prayers say about you?

  " page 6 para 19 reads:.

  19 when we are being represented in public prayer, we need to display reverential "fear of god.

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  Hoping4Change

  Are there any scans of the english version of this article?