give a few examples in which the watchtower should stick to religion and mind it's own business in the internal affairs of it's members.. 1) whatever has to do with health and medical treatment.. 2) who you can marry and sex they can have.. add to the list..
I expect this list to grow!
My addition - They should've stayed out of the Bible interpretation business... as it's obvious they had/have NO business speaking FOR God... or even ABOUT God. And it seems they're blocked from even talking TO God, 'cause they're definitely not getting any messages FROM God....
~Peace~ WB
have you ever thought about how things end up making sense to jw's?
like the trinity cannot make sense because 1+1+1=1 doesn't add up...right?
but........ a virgin conception,having miraculous sewer systems, plastic beach balls, and seat belts on elephannts in the new world is all good....ughhhhhhhh,where is the thought processes in this??
Hi Jeff! There are a lot of sites online you can order from - Google 'home brewing'. About 10 yrs. ago, hubby and I drove to Indy to 'Wine Art' and bought all the neccessary beginner stuff - the 5 gal. carboys, tubing, thermometer, bottle-capper and caps and our first beer mixes. But since then we've bought from a couple of different companies. We use and reuse our bottles, which we were fortunate to be able to scavange before everyone recycled them - now most manufactured beer bottles are twist-off and you can't use those, so you have to buy them first starting out. There are so many different flavors to choose from - lager to lite, Irish, German, American... It's really fun and so easy... and rewarding - "Here, try this - I made it myself"! Our homebrew is a bit stronger than regular bottled beer - and there seems to be no aftertaste like with a lot of beers - YUM! If you want more details I can pm you our online sources. I make wine too, but since that last batch several years ago haven't really needed to - 10 gallons of wine goes a l-o-n-g way around here! I'm bottling it and giving them as presents for Christmas this year.
WB
.this "new world scene " is from p 190 of the "bible teach " book dated 2005.. it is just a joke.
they have transformed their key belief into a cartoon type kiddies scene.
is there no thought of child safety?
Some of your posts are hilarious - ROFL! And some are very disturbing...
POEruke - no, no - that's not a tiger at all - look at it again very closely - notice the coloring on the paws, underbelly, and how the tail's all puffed-out - I just about spit coffee when I realized it - remember that joke "Why Jehovah's Witnesses Should Not Own Cats" - HaHaHaHa! I've got an orange tom cat just like that, and 6 others. Oh, man - never noticed some of those things - but imo the beach ball, left over from Armageddon, is only a prop for Leo's photo-op.
Dear Danny - I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart for what happened to you - and too TOO many JW children. Sometimes your overwhelming pain just makes me cry... It was and is mind control - the evidence is damning. It's the only way parents could let anything override the naturally strong God-given instinct to love and protect their children above all else.
But sincerely - it's not going to be anything at all like that - I just know it - we can't imagine with these incomplete brains of ours. This artwork portrays literally what the Bible says symbolically - it's not supposed to be understoood literally, but discerned spiritually, and that's where WT interpretations miss the mark widely. Their lack of the holy spirit's direction is glaringly, painfully clear. Some of the comments from 'the friends' are even further off and I can hardly believe the arrogance... I used to wonder, way back when, why so many talks and articles about loving and forgiving the brothers and sisters for their imperfections. In the recesses of my controlled mind was a niggle of doubt that the ONE true religion should ever have a problem with this ONE true sign of what it claimed to be.... and about fornication and keeping clean - this was supposed to be the only ONE clean house of worship on earth... when I learned about Silent Lambs and UN, that niggle turned into a full-on siren. Now I realize that it's an attitude that's taught and it boils down to hatred. The KKK uses the Bible to justify their brand of hate too. You can use anything for good or for evil.
I won't attribute them with 'inventing' a word when they only misspelled it - it's 2 separate words that someone typoed, but they liked it, duh. I'll bet I made up some newwords in this very post...
Annie - I hear ya - I was the model student and wanted to be found 'worthy' of Jehovah's Winesses, even though I never thought I'd ever become worthy of their god. That's why I must believe it's all a devilishly refined and frighteningly cozen (lol) method of mind control - the pictures and words they choose, the method of study, the monotany of the meeting arrangments, the robotic responses, isolation from non-jws, the 'jw speak', the threat and fear of disassociation... Seems to me 'the real life' in 'paradise' is the dangling carrot substituting for heaven and Armageddon is just a replacement for hell in the theologies that teach God hates. They're all backwards.
imho.
"They are extermists. Too literal and too symbolic all at once." - perfect, Jez.
WB
ps - I used to think cotton, linen, silk and hemp would be the only fabric materials in paradise... hemp is the perfect plant, you know... wonder why there was never an Awake! article on that. Google 'hempcar' - hemp seed is the perfect fuel... the fools...
i estimated that perhaps 90% are white european type.. many properbly speak germanic languagues.. am i right?.
could there be a case for racial discrimination against jehovah god?.
(badboy of the bring the lawyers into everything class).
fullofdoubtnow asked - "Maybe, but how would you get him to court?"
Micah 6:1-8 -
1 Listen to what the L ord is saying:
“Stand up and state your case against me.
Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.
2 And now, O mountains,
listen to the L ord ’s complaint!
He has a case against his people.
He will bring charges against Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you?
What have I done to make you tired of me?
Answer me!
4 For I brought you out of Egypt
and redeemed you from slavery.
I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.
5 Don’t you remember, my people,
how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed
and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?
And remember your journey from Acacia Grove [ a ] to Gilgal,
when I, the L ord , did everything I could
to teach you about my faithfulness.”
6 What can we bring to the L ord ?
What kind of offerings should we give him?
Should we bow before God
with offerings of yearling calves?
7 Should we offer him thousands of rams
and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?
8 No, O people, the L ord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Go ahead, but He always wins... lol.
WB
have you ever thought about how things end up making sense to jw's?
like the trinity cannot make sense because 1+1+1=1 doesn't add up...right?
but........ a virgin conception,having miraculous sewer systems, plastic beach balls, and seat belts on elephannts in the new world is all good....ughhhhhhhh,where is the thought processes in this??
Lol - that's a familiar expression of my own - AAARRRRRGGGHHH! That's how utter frustration is spelled. Like you, though - my mind was 'checked at the door' and I just nodded along with every other hynotised witness, thinking someday when I'm a "mature Christian" it will all make perfect sense and I'll 'get it'. Funny, that now we have matured to the point that we finally do 'get it' - it's turned into quite a blessing! Many have expressed those same feeling when shedding the WT dogma - and I'll add "having the scales fall from my eyes", "walking out of a fog" and "waking up to reality through crisis"... and don't forget "I was DECEIVED - those wicked bastards!!!"
Another thing is the isolation we felt in common - that we were the only ones with questions and doubts or maybe *gasp* a rebellious spirit. All along I think we had to actually ignore the holy spirit's leadings to believe and accept the WT's leadings - that's just how we had to deal with the conflict of mind and heart. That's a wonderful way of saying it - your heart and mind are now in sync - YAH! It feels SO good... I remember, at THE point when I had to stop denying and accept reality - thinking with clarity for the first time in a long time - the first thing I thought was: wow! - this is what Jesus really meant - the truth will set you FREE! A ton lifted off me immediately. I almost felt like I could fly and it was the best feeling in the world!
The situation with your mom really hurts... my heart goes out to you, Megsmomma. Patience and love and time, dear sis. Maybe that church is radiating God's protection, though, huh?
LOL - new boy - "Wouldn't you love to have that nose full of nickels?" LOLOL
ps - we home-brew our own beer and it's SO good.... but it doesn't last long when the word gets out we've got a new batch ready.....
WB
an invitation to any jws, ex-jws, faders, lurkers or readers: please wreck this if you can.
i trying to tackle a foundation doctrine of jws as simply as i possibly can.
if anyone has a way to further simplify this, please offer suggestions.. john 10:16"and i have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also i must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.".
It makes sense to me this way - The two 'folds' are Gentiles and Jews, but there is only one flock > believers, Christians.
God is not partial:
Acts 10: 44 While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who were hearing his words. 45 The Jewish followers who had come along with Peter were surprised and wondered because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also given to the people who were not Jews. 46 They heard them speak in special sounds and give thanks to God. Then Peter said, 47 "Will anyone say that these people may not be baptized? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
Romans 2: 21 But now God has made another way to make men right with Himself. It is not by the Law. The Law and the early preachers tell about it. 22 Men become right with God by putting their trust in Jesus Christ. God will accept men if they come this way. All men are the same to God. 23 For all men have sinned and have missed the shining-greatness of God. 24 Anyone can be made right with God by the free gift of His lovingfavor. It is Jesus Christ Who bought them with His blood and made them free from their sins.
Epesians 6: 9 Owners, do the right thing for those who work for you. Stop saying that you are going to be hard on them. Remember that your Owner and their Owner is in heaven. God does not respect one person more than another.
IMO the wall is 'sin' which separates sinners from God, not one flock from another - Matthew 27:51 At once the curtain in the house of God was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks fell apart.
So as our High Priest and the ONE door into the Kingdom of God, Christ opened the way to reconcile sinners to God, effectively ripping down the 'curtain' that divided us from Him - Hebrews 10: 19 Christian brothers, now we know we can go into the Holiest Place of All because the blood of Jesus was given. 20 We now come to God by the new and living way. Christ made this way for us. He opened the curtain, which was His own body.
We can't ignore that the Bible doesn't ever state '2 hopes' and it takes some scripture wrangling to make it appear so - as brought out by the other good posts. It sounds so ridiculous now,(screwy, screwy fer sure!) but I fell for it too.... Yes, ONE God, ONE Way, ONE hope. This one hope issued TO all mankind FROM heaven(thus 'a heavenly hope') - it is to be saved by our faith and God's grace through Christ. Christ will choose who will rule with him and in what capacity. It's presumptuous to think that one Christian over another Christian is bound for more or less glory or to delegate positions in heaven and on earth - but all religions do it and it's arrogant, self-righteous. Even the one religion that is such a loving brotherhood and has no clergy - lies-barf-lies- does the opposite from what it says by giving unearned respect and adoration to DO's, CO's, PO's, elders, and especially anyone from Bethel or the GB. "Do what they say(selflessly love God and neighbor), but not what they do"(walk in pride and partiality).
That makes sense doesn't it?
Searching and digging with you, WB
out of curiousity, is there anyone on here that is in indianpolis, indiana, or the state of indiana for that matter?.
also was wondering if there are any exdubs who went to any indianapolis congregations in the 80's and 90's?.
Another Hoosier here! I live in central northern Indiana - out in the country - 45 miles West of Ft. Wayne.
Sorry - never went to an Indy cong., was 'assigned' to Wabash, but went to conventions in Indy. I've been out 5+ years. It's great to see you 'guys' connect after so long.
WB
comments you will not hear at the 11-12-06 wt study (october 1, 2006, pages 21-25)(courage/love).
review comments will be in red.
wt material from today's wt will be in black.
"5) In his final prayer with his 11 faithful apostles, Jesus showed the connection between knowing God and growing in love, saying: "I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them." (John 17: 26) Jesus helped his disciples to develop the kind of love that existed between him and his Father, revealing both by word and by example what God's name represents-God's wonderful qualities. Hence, Jesus could say: "He that has seen me has seen the Father also." John 14:9, 10; 17:8.
Revealing both by word and by example
'Borgia's' right - it is love in action that is the one defining mark, which was always Jesus' point.
If Jesus was so concerned about making God’s name known, why did he not use it in this prayer? Why did he not use it in the Lord’s prayer? Where did he address God as anything except "Father"?"
That seems out of place.... Why did they stick that reference to God's name in there? One cannot 'know God' without knowing love... Oh, I get it - anyone who does NOT know His name cannot really love in truth - so they're 'countefeit Christians'.... oh, brother....
I have A friend still in... whose life has been totally, irreparably screwed-up by those loving elders decisions... and she voiced the same dark thoughts - that FS was her reason for waking-up - telling people about God's name is her purpose and the only thing that brings her any joy, and , as 'Borgia' brought up - she is so busy 'doing God's will' that she doesn't have time to ponder her own situation. The elders that rail-roaded her life right off a cliff cannot even look her in the eyes(what amazing love) - and she feels sorry for them! She undoubtedly suffered through this study - although I told her it would probably be best to miss this one... I hope she did...
Thank you again, Blondie! An excellent idea for a CD - you've compiled quite a store-house of information and references - let me know, I'll buy one!
ps - Are you really in fiordy Finland?
~Peace~ WB
romans 15: 20 & 21 "in this way, indeed, i made it my aim not to declare the good news where christ had already been named, in order that i might not be building on another man's foundation; but, just as it is written: "those to whom no announcement has been made about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.
could this be used to show that jw's are wrong to condemn all other christians as false, because as long as these other christians have accepted christ and have him as their foundation, does it really matter if some of their doctrines are not quite right?
i think this scripture shows that jw's are wrong to focus so much on the faults of other christian religions.
From that scripture I'm seeing that Paul's intent was to spread 'the Good News' about Christ the Messiah - Yeshua was born, lived, died, arose from the dead and was ressurected to Heaven as prophesied. Maybe Paul was expessing the thought that Christ shouldn't be preached to those who already knew of him - but to those who'd never heard his name. (?) So preaching Christ to those already professing to know him is... redundant. Don't you think? To me it's blatently 'promoting sects'! I'm thinking along the lines that most of the initial preaching work(establishing the facts of Christ's existence and true identity) had already been done in the first few centuries. There's a scripture where Paul states that the preaching work was effectively finished... can't think of it atm tho' ... The ones to whom the Good News should be taught are those who've never heard of him yet.... makes sense to me instead of putting up even more exclusivist barriers between God and mankind. WT is anti-Christ if you ask me... imho... Did anyone ask? lol
WB
good morning and "happy saturday" everyone!!.
i've noticed recently alot of discussion on b-days.
i just posted this on another thread, but then thought it deserves its own thread so more may benefit by reading it.. some time ago my mom told me about a entire town that was murdered as a wedding presents by a pharoh for his daughter who married king solomon.
So how's come there're no big 'weaning day' celebrations observed re: Isaac? It's just as scriptural as 'the given ones' being 'replacements' for GB members! It also passes the top WT criteria - it's from the OT and doesn't honor Jesus in any way.
That's an excellent point about celebrating a birth only at birth - but weddings(oh, now they're evil too, darn...) are continuously celebrated on the 'anniversary' date... and surely if Satan hates a person loving his life and being happy to be alive... then he would also hate marriage and anniversary celebrations as they're 'sanctioned-by-God-good-things'?
Yes - Thanksgiving is an evil day....shudder... It has something to do with politics I'm thinking... and also interfaith - wouldn't want to be saying prayers along with the Godless who pray to who-knows-which demons.
Like many of you - I can hardly believe I went along with this unbalanced thinking... I thought it was just me when I didn't understand or felt 'rebellious' - lol - when I really didn't believe something taught - but now I see it was my brain momentarily trying to un-numb itself... Those were the constraints of the religion that I chose, so I went along with it all. The hardest learned and the absolute best life lesson comes from being SO wrong about SO much - humility. Thank you WT, for helping me see how thoroughly I could allow myself to be deluded... it was the ultimate hard-won humbling experience. Thank you VERY much!
WB
ps - Don't want to miss anyone's 'banquet day' - Happy Weaning Day, everyone!
