Posts by Cold Steel

54

where have the demons gone?

by aboveusonlysky in

jw
friends

does anybody remember some of the sensational demon stories jw's would tell back in the day?

i was a kid in the early 80's and i remember a few times hearing of people having real life encounters with demons.

for example, one sister claimed that before she became a jdub she would regularly talk to demons and they would even fix stuff like her washing machine!

Cold Steel

Do you think demons are governed in ways similar to the Society?

Like if they do something wrong they get counseled by elder spirits, and if they don't tow the line they perhaps get shunned. Our if they don't teach false doctrine they can get called up on charges and DF'ed? And do they keep stats on the hours they mislead? Perhaps they have conventions where they put on skits with ridiculous names. Or sing hymns:

The best things in life are free,

But you can give them to the birds and bees,

I want MONEY! (It's what I want.)

I want MONEY!

What if they're just as miserable as...well...you were?

13

Shepherding Visit Riposte

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

if an elder approaches you and wants to arrange a shepherding call one possible response is..... "well thankyou brother, but jehovah is my shepherd.

i shall lack nothing.

(ps 23:1) but thanks again anyway".

Cold Steel

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is a shepherding call? Is it where they just want to check up on you or does it mean they've noticed you need to be counseled in a certain area?

Just how free are people to counsel others without a request from others for that counsel?

59

Can you prove that our entire universe and existence is not a computer simulation?

by EndofMysteries in

if you were a computer programmer and you were to create a simulated automated world, that would constantly evolve and self run after initial designs.

first you would have to code the rules, laws, and core elements of this world.

while this is being coded, the program is not run yet, so none of it exists.

Cold Steel

Can I prove it? Yeah, every time I have a bad day, I can be found in my living room screaming, "Computer, end program!" Nothing ever happens.

BTW, in STAR TREK GENERATIONS, why didn't Kirk and Picard stay in the Paradise nexus? And two, what if they never left? How do they know they actually saved the planet? And the sun? On earth, it takes eight minutes for the light of our sun to reach the earth. So even if you knocked out the sun, we wouldn't know it for eight minutes. It would have to be at least the same on the planet, yet when the bad guy shot the sun, it darkened immediately. Ruined the entire movie.

Computer, end program!

C:/endproram

37

JW Stand On Concealed Carry

by Cold Steel in

if a jw wanted to get a concealed carry permit, would the society have any moral or ethical problems with it?

in other words, if one of your elders noticed you were carrying concealed, would they be apt to just ignore it or would they counsel you on it?

.

Cold Steel

Got it. Do you think more JWs have guns than is generally thought? There sure seems to be lots of them here.

37

JW Stand On Concealed Carry

by Cold Steel in

if a jw wanted to get a concealed carry permit, would the society have any moral or ethical problems with it?

in other words, if one of your elders noticed you were carrying concealed, would they be apt to just ignore it or would they counsel you on it?

.

Cold Steel

Fisherman: God’s people have ‘beaten their swords into plowshares’ and do not buy guns to protect themselves from robbery or assault.—Micah 4:3.

The reference to beating swords into plowshares refers to life on Earth during the Millennium, and that because man will no longer need them. Also, those who live by the sword are those who settle their disputes with weapons. Jesus said that to Peter because he knew he was going to trial and that his time had come. God had not removed the bitter cup and it was Jesus' destiny to die. But Jesus also warned his disciples that the time would come when those who had not a sword would need to sell their cloaks to buy one. Scripture should not be twisted to say things it doesn't say, and in the Old Testament Yahweh spelled out to Moses when personal defense was justified. That, and capital punishment (Gen. 6:9) were never withdrawn by Christ.

Like I said, it's a God-given right.

37

JW Stand On Concealed Carry

by Cold Steel in

if a jw wanted to get a concealed carry permit, would the society have any moral or ethical problems with it?

in other words, if one of your elders noticed you were carrying concealed, would they be apt to just ignore it or would they counsel you on it?

.

Cold Steel

Thanks for your responses. Based on the Bible I don't see any problem with Christians defending themselves. I particularly have no respect for a man who can't, or won't, defend his family. For a man to sit by helplessly while someone raped his wife, to me, would be a source of great shame, not honor.

There was a case where a woman confronted a male intruder. Armed with a revolver, she couldn't bring herself to shoot the man who was grinning and moving towards her. Then her six-year old son entered the room. The man, still grinning, then turned towards the boy and moved towards him. But then the woman acted, emptying the gun into his chest and stomach, killing him. What woman wouldn't have? And if push came to shove, what man wouldn't do the same to save his wife or kids? (If not himself?)

Personal protection,to me, is a right bestowed on us by the Creator. In fact, man is the only one of God's creations to come into the world with no teeth, claws or significant muscle density. We need clothing, protection for our feet and weapons for defense because we were born with none of these things.

I suppose a JW could keep a weapon without telling anyone. But what is meant by "privileges"? Does it mean you can't go door to door and peach? And if someone used a weapon to defend one's wife or kids, or even himself, would he be disciplined?

And how about members of the GB? Don't they use security at Bethel or sometimes travel with security?

37

JW Stand On Concealed Carry

by Cold Steel in

if a jw wanted to get a concealed carry permit, would the society have any moral or ethical problems with it?

in other words, if one of your elders noticed you were carrying concealed, would they be apt to just ignore it or would they counsel you on it?

.

Cold Steel

How is one "counseled" in these matters? One wonders what would happen if an armed Muslim terrorist forces his way into a Kingdom Hall. A brother pulls a 9mm pistol and drops the guy in the lobby. No casualties except the gunman, who is dead. Would the brother be hailed as a hero or be condemned because he had a gun and carried it to the Kingdom Hall?

Here's another scenario. Joe just got his concealed weapons permit and is cleaning his new pistol in his basement. An elder drops by unannounced and is led downstairs by Helen, Joe's wife. "Here he is, Frank," she says, "and let me know if I can get you anything!"

"Hey, Joe, what are you up to?" Frank asks.

"Oh, this is my new pistol. Just got my concealed weapons permit and took a shooting course. I thought I should clean it before loading and carrying it."

"Ah," says Frank. "So when did you decide to do this? Did Helen approve?"

"Oh, yeah," he says. "She wasn't crazy about the expenditure, but my dad gave it to me as a gift. He says with crime being what it is, I ought to have some means of self defense. So," he added, "I decided that I probably should take a course and one thing led to another and I decided to get a carry permit."

I realize not all elders are going to give the same advice, but is this something Frank is likely to butt into? Also, is he likely to keep this to himself or will he be discreet? And what about action? Is Joe likely to lose his privileges or will he be just be counseled? Or will he be left alone?

37

JW Stand On Concealed Carry

by Cold Steel in

if a jw wanted to get a concealed carry permit, would the society have any moral or ethical problems with it?

in other words, if one of your elders noticed you were carrying concealed, would they be apt to just ignore it or would they counsel you on it?

.

Cold Steel

If a JW wanted to get a concealed carry permit, would the Society have any moral or ethical problems with it? In other words, if one of your elders noticed you were carrying concealed, would they be apt to just ignore it or would they counsel you on it?

2

Heavenly v. Earthly Class

by Cold Steel in

reading another topic here on the anointed class of believers, i was wondering if anyone could point me towards a good article that might explain this more at length?

from what i've been able to ascertain, gaining the heavenly class status has sizable benefits over being an earthly class peon, right?

further, the john-class (anointed) at one time was considered part and parcel of the faithful and discreet slave (now reserved for the governing body-class).

Cold Steel

Wow...it's amazing someone can get all that out of the Bible! It takes quite an imagination. As far as I know, the JWs are the only ones that have two classes of salvation. The Greek Orthodox believe that the fall of man happened because otherwise man could not have realized his heavenly potential. Thus, Adam fell so man could die, and Jesus came so that man could be redeemed to his full potential. That is actually biblical, but not the dual classes the WTBTS teach.

2

Heavenly v. Earthly Class

by Cold Steel in

reading another topic here on the anointed class of believers, i was wondering if anyone could point me towards a good article that might explain this more at length?

from what i've been able to ascertain, gaining the heavenly class status has sizable benefits over being an earthly class peon, right?

further, the john-class (anointed) at one time was considered part and parcel of the faithful and discreet slave (now reserved for the governing body-class).

Cold Steel

Reading another topic here on the anointed class of believers, I was wondering if anyone could point me towards a good article that might explain this more at length? From what I've been able to ascertain, gaining the heavenly class status has sizable benefits over being an earthly class peon, right? Further, the John-class (anointed) at one time was considered part and parcel of the faithful and discreet slave (now reserved for the Governing Body-class).

Now are all members of the GB part of the anointed? They must be somehow superior because they have consolidated power and manage to retain their jobs at Bethel while others tend to be expendable. But when all is said and done and the resurrection dawns, the heavenly class manages to live in the presence of God while everyone else inherits the earth. So after that, what then? What do the heavenly John-class people do that the angels can't do? Do they rule those on Earth? And if so, why would they need ruling?

These anointed are the ones who partake of the emblems while alive, but they don't enjoy any other status of their election in mortality. In fact, some claimants are ridiculed when they do partake. But does that status necessarily have anything to do with personal righteousness? When, during someone's life, are they anointed? At birth? Can't some people be rough around the edges and still be of the heavenly class? John the Baptist was as great as any prophet ever, but whoever's least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he, right? This means (or used to mean) that John the Baptist was not of the heavenly class. But his greatness could nevertheless not be questioned. Is that correct?

Finally, is there any penalty for partaking of the emblems wrongly, or mistakenly? And are any people turned away when they attempt to partake?

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