Posts by Pahpa

9

Jesus' death

by Honesty in

chapter 6 page 28 paragraph 3 of the revelation book claims that jesus was indeed "the first" human to be resurrected to immortal spirit life.

(colossians 1:18) moreover, he is "the last" to be so resurrected by jehovah personally.

this is an outright false teaching from the watchtower society as the biblical evidence proves:.

Pahpa

One has to take into consideration what Christians took for granted. All power and authority was given Christ by God. Christ is never equal to God.

Paul describing the end events says of Christ: "Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he 'has put all his enemies under his feet.' The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he 'has put everything under his feet.' Now when it says 'everything' has been put under him, it is clear this does not include God himself who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everyting under him, so that God may be all in all." (1 Co. 15:24-28)

7

Good Samaritan

by Pahpa in

is the lesson of the good samaritan lost on most jehovah's witnesses?

(luke 10) in jesus' parable, the priest and levite refused to help the victim who had been robbed, beaten and abandoned.

both "passed by on the other side" rather than help the poor man.

Pahpa

Mouthy

Yes, there were and are good hearted JWs. But most charitable acts were within the organization. There were/are exceptions, of course. But in my experience, I found most JWs insulated from the needs of their "worldly" neighbors and not involved with community help groups. Many JWs rationalize that by preaching the "good news" they are extending the greatest charity of all. But when a person's needs the bare essentials for life (food, clothing, shelter) a sermon hardly helps.

The point of Jesus' parable was that the Samaritan was moved by compassion and went out of his way to help a "neighbor" in need. In contrast, the religious Levite and priest didn't want to get involved in another's plight perhaps fearing that they might become "unclean." This seems to be the mentality of many JWs that I've known.

You are correct in noting that the greatest failure is with the leadership of the Watchtower organization. It condemns the "false religious organizations" because of "false doctrines." But many of them provide local soup kitchens, second hand clothing depots and shelters for the poor.

7

Good Samaritan

by Pahpa in

is the lesson of the good samaritan lost on most jehovah's witnesses?

(luke 10) in jesus' parable, the priest and levite refused to help the victim who had been robbed, beaten and abandoned.

both "passed by on the other side" rather than help the poor man.

Pahpa

Is the lesson of the good Samaritan lost on most Jehovah's Witnesses? (Luke 10) In Jesus' parable, the priest and Levite refused to help the victim who had been robbed, beaten and abandoned. Both "passed by on the other side" rather than help the poor man. Both would have had a considerable knowledge ("the truth") of scriptural understanding of their times and would have been intimately associated with "Jehovah's organization." (The temple)

But it was the Samaritan who had compassion for the victim. He attended his wounds, brought him to a safe place and paid for his expenses. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews and considered as unworthy "apostates" having rejected "God's organization" in Jerusalem and having set up their own organization in Samaria. Yet, it is the Samaritan that Jesus uses as an example of a good neighbor.

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees about his disciples picking grain on the sabbath he quoted a scripture in Hosea to expose their hypocrisy: "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 12:7) Jehovah's Witnesses boast about their association with "God's organization" and offerings and sacrifices of service to Jehovah. But do they lack "mercy" and "compassion" for their fellow humans?

40

JW's participate in Government talks with other religious bodies!

by Atlantis in

(please delete if already posted).

http://www.online.ie/home/news.aspx?newsid=636132 religious bodies in talks with government.

ground-breaking talks between the government and religious bodies began in dublin today.. .

Pahpa

Has anyone noticed that Watchtower apologists like good lawyers can argue a defense of the Watchtower policy without regard to the reality of how the average JW feels and acts? Would the average JW dare participate in any activity that would give even an appearance of compromise for fear of offending some rule of the Watchtower Society? This has been a long standing problem with JWs. They would rather fault on the side of non-participation and let the leadership take the initiative. "Let the elders/overseers handle the matter" has been the mantra of JWs for years and years.

25

Is speaking in tongues for Christians today, and what is it?

by jwfacts in

the watchtower claims speaking in tongues was restricted to the first century, though it seems quite clear that this was something to be practiced in the last days.

should christians today speak in tongues and what exactly is it?

i am wondering about the reasoning as some christian religions practice it and others don't.

Pahpa

Some religious denominations such as the Pentecosts feel that "talking in tongues" is a distinctive identification of the true church today. However, there are difficulties that bring the whole issue into question. I once worked with a Pentecost who admitted that he felt the majority of those who talked in tongues were bogus. He noted that they often repeated unintelligible sounds and phrases that were similar but always had a different interpretation of the meaning. He thought that less than 1% of the congregants had the "gift." And this was from a member of the church!

It is worthy to note that even in the early church "talking in tongues" did not have a very high priority. In Paul's discussion he emphasized that this was not of value unless it edified the church and listeners. "...I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue." (1 Co. 14) It still seems sound advice today.

10

Lecithin?.....

by Pahpa in

does anyone remember the brouhaha over lecithin in candies and other food items?

i remember one sister writing to all the manufacturers of these products to inquire whether or not the lecithin was from a blood source.

there were even lists of products to avoid that were circulated in the congregation.

Pahpa

The sister who wrote to the manufacturers found out that the lecithin used in food products was mostly derived from non-blood sources such as soy. But for period of time, the congregation typically overreacted to the advice and suggestions of the Watchtower's publication. Similar reactions over the aluminum scare caused many JWs to throw out all their aluminum pots and pans even while aluminum cookware was used at the assembly cafeterias. Some enterprising brothers did very well by selling expensive stainless steel products to the gullible membership.

Pahpa

10

Lecithin?.....

by Pahpa in

does anyone remember the brouhaha over lecithin in candies and other food items?

i remember one sister writing to all the manufacturers of these products to inquire whether or not the lecithin was from a blood source.

there were even lists of products to avoid that were circulated in the congregation.

Pahpa

Does anyone remember the brouhaha over lecithin in candies and other food items? I remember one sister writing to all the manufacturers of these products to inquire whether or not the lecithin was from a blood source. There were even lists of products to avoid that were circulated in the congregation. It seems ludicrous today. But it was "serious stuff" at the time.

Pahpa

6

Girl was raped in Adventist Church during the cult! (Brazil)

by rosa in

in southern brazilian city of joinville a 2 years-old girl was raped in a seven day adventist church during the cult!

the girl died after the rape.

this case was march 3 and now i receive more information about it.

Pahpa

Sexual abuse happens in all religious organizations. Members and the leadership are responsible for changing the environment in which it occurs and for exposing the wrongdoers however prominent they may be. But all too often, the cover up of the abuse by leaders and members exascerbates the problem when it finally comes to the surface.

This is what happened in the Catholic church. The end result has cost the church millions of dollars and sullied the reputation of this religious institution. But the Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses seem to be in denial. One can only hope that others in the organization will stand up against the abuse and refuse to share in the collective guilt.

Pahpa

8

Flaws in jw religion

by adam1989 in

jw
friends

hi there been reading this forum for a few weeks and this is my first post.

i recently came into contact with a person who is a jw and although we respect each others religion she has recently started preching that the end is near and how much we should hate this current system.

we talk about the jw religion and she accepts my views when i question what she believes.

Pahpa

Adam

Sir Nose is correct. It is a lesson in futility to talk with JWs about doctrinal points. First, they don't listen. They only think how they can "overcome" the argument with Watchtower jargon. Sadly, they can not use their own mental powers of perception.

However, a good discussion on the importance of Jesus in Christian belief may leave a point to ponder in the mind of a sincere individual. The Watchtower has replaced the importance of Jesus in the lives of JWs. For example, Jesus is not considered the "mediator" of the majority of Watchtower members. By suggesting that a person can only gain life in the "new system" through association with the Watchtower, it is ascribing salvation and deliverance through a human organization not through Christ. And this seems to be the major flaw of the Watchtower belief system.

Pahpa

72

Mormons != JW. Read these genuine quotes from active and inactive members!!

by Qcmbr in

with interest i find that once again the lds faith is cast as the twin tower of mordor to the watchtower orthanc.

we are not the same my precious.

read these quotes below to see just how different we really are.

Pahpa

Of course, there are great differences between JWs and Mormons. But there are also similarities as well. I was always amazed at the historical aspect of both organizations. Joseph Smith and Charles Russell were deamers and idealists who established a religious movement. Their followers gave them god-like status believing that they were the instruments of God revealing "truth" to the world. ( Both claimed insights by means of an Egyptian connection, the golden plates and the pyramid of Khufu.)

When these men passed away, two pragmatic men took over the organizations. Brigham Young established the LDS church and increased its membership throughout the world. He caused divisions among the original group. Likewise, Joseph Rutherford maneuvered to take over the Watchtower Society. He purged the organization and tolerated no opposition to his authority.

It will be interesting to see if the Watchtower Society will follow the lead of the LDS church when it dumped some of its more bizarre teachings (such as multiple wives) through a revelation and become more acceptable to the public.