Posts by Cold Steel

6

The term elder should be lowercase not capitalized

by Jay Elle in

for some reason ever time i see term, "elder" capitalized i feel like correcting it.

they do not deserve that capital letter.

they are lowercase as a breed.

Cold Steel

Objectively, the term “elder“ is an office. As such, when you speak of such a person, you can lower case it unless it's used with a name. So it would be proper to say, “Elder Gogetter will be over for dinner on Wednesday.“ But it's okay to say, “I understand the elders have been encouraged to look for apostate literature when visiting the homes of members.“

22

You are invited to sit down with the GB members..

by James Mixon in

you have the opportunity to sit and discuss what's on your mind.. what would you tell them??.

my question, do you men have a heart, how do you sleep at nights??.

why do you think jehovah pick you to feed the sheep??.

Cold Steel

The system is devised so that members cannot access the Governing Body members. The reason? Because they see their jobs as feeding and not being fed. Of all the questions so far, The Searcher, I think, asked the best. How, exactly, did God/Christ select them to be the faithful slave? I think it's the one question that scares them more than any other; and it most likely is ONE QUESTION they must sometimes ask themselves when no one else is around. Each GB member is a prophet to the people...modern day apostles who hope when bad times come that they will be given the light to lead their people to safety. But so far, the silence is deafening. Like the Zealot leaders on Masada, they wait for guidance from On High even as the Romans ready their massive siege engine and grappling hooks. Too late they discover that the light will not be forthcoming...that the promised Messiah is not going to save them. They then realize they are not the Sons of Light after all. It must be a difficult question to ponder. And by the way, what happens to expensive cars that are donated to Bethel? Are they sold or do the Lord's chosen ones use it?

9

The Adventures of JWCart and "I-Am-The-Cart" TWITTER, SOON! I will up-build you till you return to our Loving Organization!

by JWCart1975 in

i talked with my pusher, puller i mean, she's really pissed off i opened up a twitter account she's threatening to drive her car over my frame if i misbehave and more, so much for my point of view.

after much deliberation, we decided she could count her field service minutes only if people see my pretty logo (jw.org), finally she took me off the roof-rack and returned me to my right place, passenger side.

in the passenger's seat of our car, i smile at the homeless people walking the streets, "can we pull over and talk to them, can you buy them something to eat?

Cold Steel

Whatever you're on, man...I want some.

8

why cant I sign out?

by sowhatnow in

i cant sign out.

every time i come to the site, im already signed in i click sign out over and over again and it wont sign me out.. whats the secret, lol..

Cold Steel

To all of you folks who can't sign out, you apparently didn't read the fine print! You're here to stay until that day your minds do'st burst asunder, for then will hear, the hosts of men, the hoary tales of blunder! In other words, you're stuck here and unable to log out until...the end...the big A! You can never leave. The good news is that it's just around the corner!

28

If you're bothered by god murdering innocent children, you must have a "critical heart"

by OneEyedJoe in

this week's book study contains this gem:.

the way in which the bible is written serves to test what is in our heart.

hebrews 4:12 says: the word [or, message] of god is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit .

Cold Steel

Cofty: Your approval of infanticide is morally repugnant. You are a great advert for the cult of Mormonism.

I do not approve of infanticide. And even if I did, in your view it could not be morally repugnant because there is no God to set the standards of morality. Also, I am a great proponent of Mormonism. If there is no penalty or eternal consequence, there is no law. As the Book of Mormon prophet Alma wrote:

Now, how could a man repent except he should sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there was a punishment? Now, there was a punishment affixed, and a just law given, which brought remorse of conscience unto man. ...if there was no law given—if a man murdered he should die—would he be afraid he would die if he should murder? And also, if there was no law given against sin men would not be afraid to sin. And if there was no law given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they would have no claim upon the creature? But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God. —Alma 42:17-22

If there is no God, then there can be no law; so where else can the law come? From men. But men aren't consistent in their laws or moral outlooks. In the Canaanite religions, it was okay to commit infanticide and to combine it with torture and to have orgies as part of the religious order. If there's no God, then the laws of men could be reprehensible to me, but A-Okay with our society. In either way, Cofty, what gives you the right to set the precepts of morality? Or to condemn the infanticide of the Canaanites? I could feed kittens to bulldogs and who could condemn it if I thought it was okay? The only way man instinctively knows right from wrong is through the Light of Christ, which is given to all men. And you condemn the author of that light which you misuse to judge God which is the greatest irony of your argument.

Godsend+: If God is all powerful, why doesn't He....?

Oh, yes, this is the card all atheists play to show that God is evil because He doesn't put an instant end to all suffering. One only need to read the scriptures to understand. God cannot and will not rob man of his free agency. No matter what happens on Earth, no power here can cause us permanent harm. We're here for a reason and must use our moral agency for either good or evil. "That every man may act in doctrine and principle...according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment." He cannot stop evil any more than Satan can stop good. "Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light." Thus, it is up to us to establish righteousness on the earth and if we fail to live up to that end, we are accountable, not God.

31

HOW EXACTLY does god communicate with or direct the GB?

by stuckinarut2 in

we're all familiar with the organisations claims (and have seen the flow diagrams in books and mags) that the gb is "directed by god".

in turn, the local elders are "directed by god".

so, how exactly do they suppose this happens?

Cold Steel

We're all familiar with the organisations claims (and have seen the flow diagrams in books and mags) that the GB is "directed by God." In turn, the local Elders are "directed by god." So, how exactly do they suppose this happens? Does one of the GB wake up in the middle of the night, have a brainwave thought, write it down, then discuss it with the rest of the GB next time they meet? Does a thought just pop into the heads of the local elders?...

Well, how did God communicate with His servants anciently? Before examining how they receive revelation, we need to ask about their callings. In the scriptures, God spoke to His servants through many methods. First, through theophanies (where God speaks directly to a person), angelic ministrations, actual vocal communications and then through the Spirit. But just because one sees an angel or hears a voice, this can be deception. That's why such experiences are combined with the witness of the Holy Spirit, which is impossible for the Adversary to duplicate.

The Governing Body today has emphatically declared that its members enjoy none of the above, except for possibly receiving inspiration through the Holy Spirit. But unless the Lord has taught one how to tell His spirit from that of the Adversary, trying to ascertain it would be difficult.

In the Society, the Lord never (ever) told them that He had chosen them in 1919, or any other year. They divined it through assumption. It's kind of like the preacher who presents his financial proceeds to the Lord and says, "Lord, if you want me to take half of this, declare it unto me!" Then, "Lord, if you want me to take the full amount, say nothing and thy will be done!" When nothing is said, the pastor cries, "Praise be unto the Lord!" and pockets the full amount.

In the case of Adventist Ellen G. White, she, at least, had a prophetic calling she said came from God. She would go into trances during which she reputedly could not be physically moved. She had a number of claimed visions and personal revelations, but they were never shared with anyone else in real time, neither did she leave a successor. The scriptures say that in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established, yet she had none.

The Watchtower Society, on the other hand, has zilch. No theophanies, no angelic ministrations, no ordinations or receptions of authority, no voices -- nothing. So excellent question. The most popular answer, however, is one of process of elimination. "Of course, Jehovah chose us. We mean, just look at everyone else! Do you see anyone else that has all this truth like we do? No, and that's because of the guiding hand of Jehovah, himself! Search the world and tell us if there's anyone else who worships Jehovah by name. None. Does anyone else have the perfect doctrines that we do? Again, none!"

That's not how it was done anciently. Either God speaks or He is silent. And it seems the GB is still waiting for Jehovah to speak. In the meantime, His representatives pronounce His light through inspiration. At the same time they say it's not revelation like the apostles received. Well, why not? Aren't we talking about one source?

Recently it seems that the members of the GB are expecting some first class guidance once things begin falling apart. But what did the Lord say about the blind guides leading the blind? They all fall into a pit.

19

Comment someone gave on Today's Watchtower re: great tribulation

by cappytan in

"we may get instructions that don't make sense or they may defy logic, but we must be obedient to the faithful slave if we want to survive.".

all i could think about was that these were the same kind of people that would have gulped down the kool aid at jonestown without hesitation.. pardon the language, but what the actual f**k?

even when i wasn't a doubter and bought in to the organization, it was always with a view to what was in line with scripture.

Cold Steel

Milking the flock one last time before flying to some resort with a luxury mansion?

I'll have you know that luxury mansion is for Elijah, Moses and the apostle John. The slave may stay on the premises until the three of them come. You know...to make sure the slave's slaves change the sheets and all. It did come as a shock that the three prophets are all expected to make their appearance at Malibu, but you never know about these things. We're not at the slave's pay grade and all. In addition, the holy men will be given their own luxury and sports cars, which the slave will maintain until their arrival.

The slave may also stay on site after the three holy men arrive, an advent one member of the Governing Body said wouldn't surprise him if it wasn't "invisible." The GB member, who wishes to remain anonymous, added, "So many wonderful events have happened in our era that rivals all the great and magnificent events that happened in the days of the prophets and apostles. That they're all invisible in our day shouldn't matter to the faithful. Jehovah has established 'the Truth,' chosen the Society from among all Christian churches as His and has enthroned our Lord and Savior, Michael the Archangel -- Jesus to you -- in the heavens. And most significantly, He has given His organization to this wicked system of things, of which we're grateful to be a part."

19

Comment someone gave on Today's Watchtower re: great tribulation

by cappytan in

"we may get instructions that don't make sense or they may defy logic, but we must be obedient to the faithful slave if we want to survive.".

all i could think about was that these were the same kind of people that would have gulped down the kool aid at jonestown without hesitation.. pardon the language, but what the actual f**k?

even when i wasn't a doubter and bought in to the organization, it was always with a view to what was in line with scripture.

Cold Steel

Just prior to the invasion of the Romans against the Jews, the Christian leaders (primarily the apostles) received revelation to move the people to safe locations well out of the way of Jerusalem -- many Christians going to Pella in Syria. It sounds as if "the slave" (geeesh, I hate that term) thinks they're going to somehow get the same guidance from God prior to the tribulation. This is a dangerous game for a leadership that's been so wrong so many times before.

Up until now, no one in the slave class has seen a verifiable angel or received any sort of revelation; however, it sounds as though they're expecting it.

28

If you're bothered by god murdering innocent children, you must have a "critical heart"

by OneEyedJoe in

this week's book study contains this gem:.

the way in which the bible is written serves to test what is in our heart.

hebrews 4:12 says: the word [or, message] of god is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit .

Cold Steel

What proof do you have that the atrocities in the bible were done by God, or that the Canaanites were evil? The self serving accounts written by the Israelites? Of course they claimed the Canaanites were evil, all warring nations demonize the enemy to make it easier to brutally kill them.

Well...history for one. How do we know there was a Troy, or Mycenae? How do we know that Jerusalem wasn't destroyed in 607 B.C.? We know quite a bit about their religion and we know that it was popular with the young people in Israel's ranks. There were plenty of infants to sacrifice because of the sexually profligate nature of their fertility rites. These religions spread throughout the region and were still popular in ancient Carthage when the Romans declared war on them; and after three major campaigns, the victorious Roman soldiers knocked down the city's walls, killed or sold into slavery its people and sowed the entire region with salt so that nothing would grow. On the other hand, the Greeks and Romans of the times didn't sacrifice people to the gods. And many of their laws, combined with the laws instituted in the Mosaic law, were adopted by the founders of the U.S. Constitution into its laws and practices.

Newsflash! According to archaeology the Israelites actually were Canaanites. The Bible says god abhors human sacrifice and child sacrifice. What about all of Egypt's first born in the ten plagues? What about Jephthah's daughter (show me where it says she served at the the temple). What about Jesus' human sacrifice? You need to free your mind and let your neocortex work to see the Bible is one huge contradiction.

Only if you don't know much about it. Regarding Jephthah's daughter, show me where she was offered as a human sacrifice. Jephthah certainly knew about the law of Moses and the Lord's strict laws against it. Still, here's an apologetic article on it if you truly are interested in it. (Sadly most people who begin their posts with the term "Newsflash" tend to be only interested in flinging out objections.) Regarding Jesus' sacrifice, that's what all the animal sacrifices pointed to down through the years, particularly the lamb without blemish. God is a God of justice and mercy. Justice demanded a blood sacrifice if mercy was to be shown.

As Jesus explained, "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." Also, see Isaiah 53.

27

An interesting comment given by an older brother during the prayer yesterday.

by My Name is of No Consequence in

i have been a regular visitor to this site for several years now.

i never really felt the need to set up an account and post...until now.

at the close of yesterdays meeting, an older brother gave the prayer.

Cold Steel

Can members be disciplined for simply visiting sites like this one?

Naturally his comments could be taken either way. He could have meant that through visiting the society's website one could ascertain the truth; or he might have been referring to sites exposing the failures of the religion. I suspect he chose his words carefully.

The 607 B.C. date for the destruction of Jerusalem alone is so problematic for the society that if I were calling the shots, I'd come up with a serious revision. The Adventist dating system is so horrendously flawed that it would be akin to arguing that President Kennedy was actually shot in Dallas in 1970.