Posts by Earnest

26

Drinking during Prohibition

by Davros in

jw
friends

during a recent conversation i had with someone, a question came up that i really don't know the answer to.

did jw's still drink during prohibition in the us during the 1920's until it's repeal in 1933?

was alcoholic beverages considered forbidden and possibly subject to disfellowshipping?.

Earnest

FFGhost : There really wasn't any sort of "enforcement mechanism" for undesired behavior until well into the reign of Pappy Knorr.

Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, pp. 186-187 says :

As early as 1904, in the book The New Creation, attention was given to the need to take appropriate action so as not to allow a demoralizing of the congregation. The understanding that the Bible Students then had of the procedure for dealing with wrongdoers as outlined at Matthew 18:15-17 was discussed. In harmony with this, there were, on rare occasions, 'church trials' in which the evidence of wrongdoing in serious cases was presented to the entire congregation. Years later, The Watchtower, in its issue of May 15, 1944, reviewed the matter in the light of the entire Bible and showed that such matters affecting the congregation should be handled by responsible brothers charged with congregation oversight. ( 1 Cor. 5 : 1-13; compare Deuteronomy 21 : 18-21. )

The New Creation (1904) (Studies in the Scriptures Vol. 6), p.289 says :

[After discussing the application of Matthew 18:15-17] ... if the transgressor refuse to hear (obey) the decision of the entire Church, no punishment is to be inflicted or even attempted. What then? Merely the Church is to withdraw from him its fellowship and any and all signs or manifestations of brotherhood. Thenceforth the offender is to be treated ʺas a heathen man and a publican."

26

Drinking during Prohibition

by Davros in

jw
friends

during a recent conversation i had with someone, a question came up that i really don't know the answer to.

did jw's still drink during prohibition in the us during the 1920's until it's repeal in 1933?

was alcoholic beverages considered forbidden and possibly subject to disfellowshipping?.

Earnest

In the article "The Higher Powers" in The Watchtower of June 1, 1929, it states (p. 164) :

9. If a worldly government can enact a law forbidding the use of certain drinks, that nation or government can also enact a law, and enforce it, forbidding the use of certain foods, even including bread. Jesus directed his followers to pray to God: "Give us this day our daily bread." Would God delegate to a nation or government a power that would permit that nation to make and enforce a law forbidding the use of the very thing for which the children of God were directed to pray? If it is lawful to drink beer while eating cheese in Germany, and unlawful to drink beer while eating cheese in the United States, which one of these nations is exercising the power delegated by the Lord? If the answer be, Both, then the question is properly asked: Is God declaring that the doing of a certain act is right in one part of the earth and wrong in another part of the earth?

11. Is it not therefore clear that there has been a decidedly improper application of the words of the Apostle Paul when applied to the governments of this world? When he says, "The powers that be are ordained of God," does he have any reference whatsoever to the Gentile nations of the earth ? Is it not more reasonable that he directs his words exclusively to the powers possessed and exercised in God’s organization, and not to those that are exercised in Satan’s organization ?

On this basis it seems that they did not consider that the laws of Prohibition applied to them.

37

We in the UK are dealing with COVID all wrong

by LoveUniHateExams in

yeah, so boris johnson has plunged the whole of the uk back into a second lockdown.

kids are still going to school (thank goodness!

) but this second lockdown is ruining the economy and killing small businesses.. the first lockdown was forgivable because, at the time, nobody knew what we were dealing with.. but now, we know more and more about covid-19.. it is lethal to elderly people (the average age of deaths with covid in the uk is 82 years - the average age of deaths without covid in the uk is 81 years).. it is also lethal to obese people and people with diabetes.. i'd imagine hiv+ people are another vulnerable group.. but to everyone else, catching covid is fairly similar to catching the flu.

Earnest

slimboyfat : What would you have done? Allow hospitals to be overrun?

Has anyone watched the documentary 76 Days ?

28

Announcement December 3, 2020 FOR CONGREGATIONS

by pixel in

announcement.

december 3, 2020. for congregations.

1. covid-19 vaccine information: several covid-19 vaccines may soon be approved and.

Earnest

The Vatican on Monday (12/21/20) declared that it is “morally acceptable” for Roman Catholics to receive COVID-19 vaccines based on research that used cells derived from aborted fetuses, guidance that came after some churchmen in the United States argued that such products were immoral. [My italics]

The Vatican, in reassuring faithful Catholics that getting a COVID-19 vaccine would not violate the church’s moral teaching, noted that “health authorities do not allow citizens to choose the vaccine with which to be inoculated.” Given such circumstances, it is morally acceptable to receive vaccines that have used cell lines from aborted fetuses, the Vatican said.

https://apnews.com/article/europe-coronavirus-pandemic-vatican-city-pope-francis-476fedf6a30e32c4c3d294027dd3c606

16

If god exists why the Galaxy Andromeda is flying towards us ?

by Jewtwo in

jw
friends

galaxy andromeda flying towards the milcky way is a fact so why god did that ?

i don't see the point, the galaxies will enter in collision in a very long time but i don't understand why a lovely god would do this it feels stupid.

(or there is no god).

Earnest

peacefulpete, in saying that our earth and solar system are in no danger of being destroyed I was quoting from the article which I referenced. No doubt should such a collision/merger of galaxies occur, both galaxies would be reshaped and possiblty become one. But wherever the sun went the solar system would go with it.

slimboyfat, I am inclined to agree with you but we can only work with what we have. We can say this is our perception of things and of what will happen in four billion years time but it is a leap of faith to believe that our perception is true.

O cofty, where art thou?

20

Jehovah's witnesses believe in Tranys.

by mickbobcat in

so women who are of the anointed will be changed to male?

i know it says there are neither male nor female in heaven but they are never depicted as women always male gender.

so does the cult believe in the transgender crap?.

Earnest

Anony Mous: I think for a long time they actually held that women could not be anointed.

I have no reason to believe that is true. Can you provide any support for this assertion?

ShotWhileTryingToEscape: [Doug Mason] showed Watchtower actually teaches that anointed *women* will be changed in the heavens to be men!!!

Insight on the Scriptures, Vol II, p.1196 (to which Doug refers) says:

For those called by God to the heavenly calling to be joint heirs with Jesus Christ, there is no distinction between men and women in a spiritual sense. The apostle writes: "You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ ... there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in union with Christ Jesus." (Gal.3:26-28) These ALL must receive a change of nature at their resurrection, being made partakers together of "divine nature," in which state none will be women, for there is no female sex among spirit creatures, sex being God's means for reproduction of earthly creatures.

It is not saying women will be changed to men, but that both men and women will be changed and there will be no distinction between them. In the scriptures spirit creatures are always referred to in the masculine gender and that is no doubt why they are portrayed in that way.

16

If god exists why the Galaxy Andromeda is flying towards us ?

by Jewtwo in

jw
friends

galaxy andromeda flying towards the milcky way is a fact so why god did that ?

i don't see the point, the galaxies will enter in collision in a very long time but i don't understand why a lovely god would do this it feels stupid.

(or there is no god).

Earnest

This has to be one of the more absurd arguments against the existence of God.

If, indeed, the two galaxies do merge in four billion years time (or whenever), the distance between stars means that our Earth and solar system are in no danger of being destroyed, according to this 2012 article.

28

Announcement December 3, 2020 FOR CONGREGATIONS

by pixel in

announcement.

december 3, 2020. for congregations.

1. covid-19 vaccine information: several covid-19 vaccines may soon be approved and.

Earnest

hoser : It takes about a 2 second google search to find out what is in the covid vaccine.

Even though people have access to Zoom it does not mean they know how to use search engines. In a time of great anxiety for all except conspiracy theorists I think this is a sensible reassurance.

28

Announcement December 3, 2020 FOR CONGREGATIONS

by pixel in

announcement.

december 3, 2020. for congregations.

1. covid-19 vaccine information: several covid-19 vaccines may soon be approved and.

Earnest

An announcement was made in my congregation (in the UK) this morning (Sunday, 3rd January) that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine does not contain blood or blood fractions. It also concluded by saying that "medical care is a matter for personal decision. We do not attempt to make choices for others."

3

"Blessings" a new Christmas CD.

by Lost in the fog in

if any of you are in the uk in the lead up to christmas aled jones the singer who usually hosts the television religious programme 'songs of praise' on the bbc has brought out a new christmas cd.

it is an interfaith collection of songs from across a spectrum of different religious groups.

you can find it for sale on amazon at present.. and surprise surprise it seems that he has included one of the songs from the current jw songbook called "listen, obey, and be blessed".

Earnest

The Watchtower Society is suing for unauthorised use of this song here.