Posts by Cold Steel

Yes, and with good reason. The evidence of the first century church is in its witnesses. People saw Jesus' miracles such as his healing of the sick and raising the dead. Peter, James and John witnessed the events on the mount of transfiguration, setting Moses and Elijah; and the scriptures themselves say that in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.

The same is true of the latter-day saints. Many people witnessed the modern day miracles such as the healing of the sick and the raising of the dead, just as in ancient times. We also have witnesses of the Book of Mormon and the ministry of angels and many of our early apostles had visions. Many witnessed the landing of the quail and the appearance of honeydew, which fed the early latter-day saints, as well as the miracle of the seagulls in Utah. And these accounts are in their journals.

But the JWs have no such claims. No angelic visitations, no revelations, no prophecies, nor miracles and, of course, no witnesses. How could they then claim the keys of authority given to Peter?

Had Charles T. Russell seen visions, entertained angels, been given given authority by those with authority and in the presence of witnesses, they would have a far greater case. But none of these exist. So how could they know of the invisible return of Jesus or his inspection of the churches of Christendom in 1918-19?

That's my point.

15

Where Can One Get Answers To Questions From JWs?

by Cold Steel in

there's also a fellow who calls himself the "watchman," but he seems as critical as many of the so-called "apostates.

" is there a place where one can ask questions from knowledgeable believers or "a" believer?

i really don't want to take the bible lessons.

Cold Steel

36

WELL BEARDS ARE STILL A NO NO!!!!!!

by DwainBowman in

well beards are still a no no!!!!!!.

in a new letter from the branch/gb nut's, beards are not acceptable in the us branch area!!!!!!.

my eldub brother in law, shared this today.

Cold Steel

But if the GB does not receive revelation from God and if the GB members aren't infallible, then it would be like circumcision before Peter received the revelation on it. So what can happen to a brother (or sister) who grows unauthorized facial hair? Will the church leaders withhold baptism from a convert from a neatly trimmed beard?

What if someone's already a member? Can anyone really believe God would withhold resurrection from someone with a beard?

Does this mean Watchtowers are going to go back to a Jesus with no beard in its illustrations?

That reminds me. Do JWs depict Jesus in their skits? If so, does he sport a beard?

39

Where Does It Say JWs Can't Read Pubs By Other Churches?

by Cold Steel in

can jws read publications by other churches?

or by atheists?

i've always heard these are apostate materials.

Cold Steel

The elder who studied with me and took [me] out on my first day of field service said that we were not under any circumstances to accept anyone else's literature.

How is anyone going to work with someone if they first don't understand how the person thinks and what he thinks? To this day I read anything that's handed to me. (I even watched the bunker videos! Yeeech!) And I still keep the red JW Revelation Climax book with my collection of mythologies and yes, I still read it from time to time. I put most of the stuff in my "so bad it's good" folder.

I fully understand why they wouldn't want their people reading competing literature, though.

39

Where Does It Say JWs Can't Read Pubs By Other Churches?

by Cold Steel in

can jws read publications by other churches?

or by atheists?

i've always heard these are apostate materials.

Cold Steel

The JWs I've spoken to say they can be neither disciplined or disfellowshiped for reading the religious views of others. Years ago, my grandparents kept a publication of daily sermonettes or devotionals put out by, I think, the Methodists. It wasn't heavy on doctrine at all -- it was just "feel good" stories with morals. Each day my grandfather would read one at breakfast. When his JW family members were there they didn't make a huge secret of not approving of it and would not hesitate to criticize areas in which they disagreed. But what irked them most of all was any reference at all of going to Heaven, a hope of which my grandfather held very strenuously. So even a small reference could turn into a protracted discussion.

My grandmother, a sweet old soul with a great deal of faith, but not even a smidgen of doctrinal knowledge, wasn't comfortable with the idea of just dying and becoming nothing. It became such an issue with these devotionals that my grandparents had to suspend them during these family visits.

39

Where Does It Say JWs Can't Read Pubs By Other Churches?

by Cold Steel in

can jws read publications by other churches?

or by atheists?

i've always heard these are apostate materials.

Cold Steel

I could understand it if someone in the leadership had said he was inspired or that he'd had a dream or a vision -- something -- but the WTBTS has all of the hallmarks of being a manmade organization all the time it's billing itself as a divinely chosen and established institution. Further, it sees itself as being the Kingdom of God as foretold in Daniel 2. But that kingdom was said to roll forth “without hands” and would “not be left to other men.” Yet everything about the JWs points to being just the opposite.

The general membership calls it “the truth” and though others say they're “arrogant,” it's a bit more than that. It's more “smug.” They see themselves as having the inside track and they're told not to waste their time on on those who aren't interested in conversion. In fact, if you show resistance, they be downright disagreeable. Many of the Witnesses I've met are nice enough, but the more zealous ones are those that tend to be difficult. And those, I suppose, also are deemed the most righteous. And because they assume they're going to fare better in the afterlife, they also believe they know things not known by members of other faiths. And it's this, I think, that makes them smug. 😏

39

Where Does It Say JWs Can't Read Pubs By Other Churches?

by Cold Steel in

can jws read publications by other churches?

or by atheists?

i've always heard these are apostate materials.

Cold Steel

When I was a JW, Mormons came to my door. After a brief exchange, I offered them one of the tracts. ... Some time later when I was pruning the bushes along the path leading out of my property I came across a scrunched up copy of the tract, now exposed after the bush was pruned back. I will credit the Mormon with having the social nicety of taking the tract but give him a "Social Fail" for not even waiting until he was outside my property before disposing of it.

As a Mormon, myself, I have been offered literature by others in exchange for that which I left them. But in every case I have read their pamphlets cover to cover at least once. If someone going to take the time and expense to write their views and their arguments, the least I can do is read it. The only time I was completely unable to do it is when some guy at an airport in robes handed me a Hari Krishna book for a "donation." All I had on me was three bucks, so after some persistence, I took the book, handed him the money and went to catch my flight.

He wasn't happy, as the book clearly was intended to bring in at least a $20 clip. It was bound, in color, people with many arms and purple skin. It was like the red book on Revelation the WTB&TS but on better paper and not so large.

On the last leg of my flight I tried to get into it, but that was impossible. I could understand each word individually, but together I had no idea. Still, being in publishing myself, I couldn't bring myself to toss it. I tried to read it as mythology, but even that didn't work.

Speaking of the red book, I love the pictures. I noticed that all the angels have wings, there are no females and they all look alike. Not one black angel in the bunch!

I even watch flat earth videos on YouTube, not that I give them any credence, but they fascinate me.

But what fascinates me about the Jehovah's Witnesses is that their faith is so great and their evidence is so sparse. The two great questions I ask is, if Jesus appeared invisibly to the earth in 1914, how would anyone know? And if God came in 1918-9 to investigate the world's religions, how would anyone know unless God put out a press release?

Yet JWs constantly attack members of other religions of "Christendom" as being "manmade." And that alone intrigues me. To me the fallacy is so self evident, but the entire organization glosses over these questions as though they were non-existent. Having been so wrong on dates in the past, to base your entire legitimacy on them is madness.

39

Where Does It Say JWs Can't Read Pubs By Other Churches?

by Cold Steel in

can jws read publications by other churches?

or by atheists?

i've always heard these are apostate materials.

Cold Steel

Can JWs read publications by other churches? Or by atheists? I've always heard these are apostate materials.

Or...can JWs read anything they want?

Can they get in trouble by reading educational books like, say, a biography of Ellen G. White? Or books like The Great Controversy, which is a promotional book? Where does the Society draw the line? Can someone be disfellowshiped for reading such?

Also, how do they break this news to a new convert? Say a new member decides he wants to read about another religion? Someone notices he's reading up on it. Do they just come out with it or do they say, "Well, you know, Brother Brown, now that you have the truth, you really don't need to waste your time reading about other religions."

Or is it okay to read and study other religions and their beliefs? You need to understand other religions so you can discuss them intelligently?

Is there a general rule or does each KH make it's own policy?

10

The Santa Claus Class! 🎅

by Cold Steel in

what we need is clarification.

when caleb approached his mother and wants to know whether, in the resurrection, he will enjoy the heavenly hope or be a part of the "great crowd.

as he looks at her with his piercing black eyes, she reminds him that jehovah can't lie.

Cold Steel

I wonder if any JW children believe that Caleb is real?

Pete Zahut » Caleb is a computer generated cartoon so he's resurrected electronically every time someone watches his antics on their screen.

But at least it's the same Caleb. If you are made alive, reconstituted as it were, you're just a copy. God can make a thousand copies of you, each one of them swearing he's the real deal.

Shoot one...rub one out of existence...and there's 999 copies. And if they were unaware of each other, each would think he's the original "Pete Zahut." But what of the one we just snuffed? He's out of here, every bit the guy he was before Jehovah created him. And we have 999 left who are no wiser.

Alas, all we need is one resurrection, not 999; so we snap our celestial fingers and snuff another 998. Now we've got one left and he thinks he's the original (we're not telling him about the others).

I'm not the only one to think of this problem with the soul sleeping doctrine. Those who believe in soul sleeping don't seem to be bothered by it.

In an early episode of Stargate SG1, the group travels to a new address where they're knocked unconscious. They come to, but they're dressed in other clothing than what they were wearing when they got there. They return home with their strange story, but discover they aren't themselves. They're stronger, faster and their batteries run down.

Batteries? That's right. They discover they're cyborgs. And they want their bodies back! They return to the planet, demand to be placed back in their original bodies and then discover to their horror that they haven't been switched to new bodies. They're sophisticated clones with every memory, feeling, hope and foible of the originals.

It was a great episode. And it shows the problem with soul sleeping. Despite the best of intentions, every cake, even if the recipe is identical, will be different.

Caleb is simply a computer character. Nonintelligent. A cipher. Boot him up and he's the same. But intelligence is another matter. If it can be created it can be replicated.

And that makes Jehovah very sad 😢.