Posts by Doug Mason

8

Why does Hebrews 6 say that it is impossible to revive to repentance one who has "fallen away"?

by I_love_Jeff in

in the "reasoning" book (pages 34-37), this scripture is used to help define and understand apostasy: .

hebrews 6:4-6 .

"for as regards those who were once enlightened and who have tasted the heavenly free gift and who have become partakers of holy spirit and who have tasted the fine word of god and powers of the coming system of things, but have fallen away, it is impossible to revive them again to repentance, because they nail the son of god to the stake again for themselves and expose him to public shame.

Doug Mason

Caroline,

Strictly speaking, the "New Testament" did not appear until almost 400 years after the "Apostolic Times". And the "New Testament" was still open for argument a further few centuries.

Doug

8

Why does Hebrews 6 say that it is impossible to revive to repentance one who has "fallen away"?

by I_love_Jeff in

in the "reasoning" book (pages 34-37), this scripture is used to help define and understand apostasy: .

hebrews 6:4-6 .

"for as regards those who were once enlightened and who have tasted the heavenly free gift and who have become partakers of holy spirit and who have tasted the fine word of god and powers of the coming system of things, but have fallen away, it is impossible to revive them again to repentance, because they nail the son of god to the stake again for themselves and expose him to public shame.

Doug Mason

Jeff's lover,

First of all, provide yourself with answers to these questions:

1. Should the book of Hebrews be considered as Scripture?

2. Should the book of Hebrews be in the NT?

3. Should the opinions expressed in it be accepted?

Doug

25

New "Generations" WT Study Article in 2014??

by daringhart13 in

i see people mentioning this and have visited the site looking at all posted wt's.......i see no paragraph's discussing 'generations'....does anyone have any direction?.

Doug Mason

The anonymous people who wrote that Gospel and put the word "this generation" on to Jesus' lips were meaning their own generation, not some people living at some arbitary time in the future.

They got it wrong, just as Paul got it wrong (1 Thess), as did the writer of Revelation. They all thought the Coming was imminent, during their own time, the time of their generation.

Doug

20

Why are people beholden to ancient superstitions?

by Doug Mason in

how is it that in a world that is so technological, scientific, fact-based, evidence-based, and so on, that many people are superstitious - even more so, the superstitions of ancient cultures?.

doug.

Doug Mason

How is it that in a world that is so technological, scientific, fact-based, evidence-based, and so on, that many people are superstitious - even more so, the superstitions of ancient cultures?

Doug

2

Truth Be Told!

by Atlantis in

.

a friend here on jwn wanted this sign posted.

he wonders how many people saw the film in the maryland area......atlantis

Doug Mason

Hi Atlantis,

I am not aware of this, so please tell me if this is what is meant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O0TRn-621U

Doug

10

Witnessing after the Big A?

by Doug Mason in

i had the understanding that after "armageddon", the jws would be witnessing to resurrected people who had not rejected them during their earthly lifetime, in addition to all those who had lived before the wts existed, plus every dead child and baby.

is that still taught by the wts?.

1. presumably all dead earthly-hope jws are resurrected first.. 2. then all jws would have to be taught what is the true truth.

Doug Mason

leaving quietly!

20 billion! I cannot believe it. That's 3 times today's population! Wow!

These it-2 figures of 3% and 24 years invoke the "rule of 72" that relates to compound interest; money in the bank left at compound interest doubles according to this rule. In other words, if you deposit $100 at 3% using compound interest (interest on the principle as well as on the interest earned) would double after 24 years. (10% per annum would double after 7.2 years, and so on).

For example, at 3% interest a deposit of $100 would become $103 after 1 year. The next year's 3% interest is then earned on that new figure of $103 (becoming $106.90) and so on, until it reaches $200 after 24 years.

This means that to reach 20 billion after 24 years at 3% annual growth, the initial resurrection on the first day is 10 billion. Even that is greater than today's total population of planet Earth.

The WTS's 3% growth figure would mean that at the anniversary of the first year a further 300 million would be resurrected. Then at the end of the second year, a further 309 million would be resurrected. The number being resurrected keeps increasing at the end of each following year, until year 24 is reached when 575 million are resurrected.

However, to confuse the unwary, they say that the process is going to take 300 years to reach 20 billion. But their 3% and 24 years sets the ground rules.

Using the principle of compound interest, as they explicitly apply, to reach 20 billion in 300 years still requires an initial resurrection on day one of 10 billion. The annual rate of increase would be much smaller - using the "rule of 72" it would be 0.24%. So the resurrection at the end of year 1 would be 2.4 million. It would increase each year so that at the end of year 299, there would be 49 million resurrections.

Doug

10

Witnessing after the Big A?

by Doug Mason in

i had the understanding that after "armageddon", the jws would be witnessing to resurrected people who had not rejected them during their earthly lifetime, in addition to all those who had lived before the wts existed, plus every dead child and baby.

is that still taught by the wts?.

1. presumably all dead earthly-hope jws are resurrected first.. 2. then all jws would have to be taught what is the true truth.

Doug Mason

I had the understanding that after "Armageddon", the JWs would be witnessing to resurrected people who had not rejected them during their earthly lifetime, in addition to all those who had lived before the WTS existed, plus every dead child and baby. Is that still taught by the WTS?

If so, then:

1. Presumably all dead earthly-hope JWs are resurrected first.

2. Then all JWs would have to be taught what is the true Truth. The 144,001 might have a role here, calling out from heaven, provided Russell, Rutherford and their descendants can be made to agree. They would need to communicate in a common language.

3. Then the non-JWs would start to be resurrected. Let's assume only 5 billion will come back to life - whether as spirits or as humans, I do not know.

4. Let's assume that one million are resurrected on the first day; the JWs have one day to convince each of that one million to become a WTS-follower. Presumably communication with them is in a common language.

5. On the following day, another million come are brought up from graves in the ground and from the waters. JWs extend their work to that next million.

6. EXERCISE: If one million are resurrected each day, calculate how many days before the 5 billion have been resurrected. (Hint: to get the number of days, divide 5,000,000,000 by 1,000,000. Then divide that answer by 365 to get the number of years.)

7. Until they are killed off again after 1,000 years (by edict from the 144,001 and the earthly JWs?), the resurrected ones will need to be fed, clothed, housed, and managed. I suppose they are now vegans.

Have you not seen these pictures in the WTS's books and magazines?

Doug

19

Pecking Order in the Millennium

by Cold Steel in

okay, the smoke has cleared.

everyone's dead who had it coming and the remainder find that their bodies have been changed.

no more disease, no more aging, no more human weaknesses and the weather is perfect.

Doug Mason

I suppose everyone will have to learn ancient Hebrew or maybe Aramaic. Or maybe 17th century Elizabethan English?

Of course it would be best if everyone worked in Orstralyan. That would get rid of accents.

Doug

19

Pecking Order in the Millennium

by Cold Steel in

okay, the smoke has cleared.

everyone's dead who had it coming and the remainder find that their bodies have been changed.

no more disease, no more aging, no more human weaknesses and the weather is perfect.

Doug Mason

Explain how the weather will be "perfect" each day. Will the axis of the earth relative to its spin be changed? Would this ensure perfect weather from north pole to south pole?

Will there be no need for rain?

I gather that JWs will be busy educating all the people as they are resurrected from death in order to give them the chance to hear their message. Given the number of people who throughout all the ages have not had the privilege of listening to CTR and his descendants, how many millions will be raised each year (if there are "years"), for how many years, and how will JWs manage to reach each one of them? When will God destroy the people who decide to reject the JWs message during the millennium? Who will make the decision?

Electricity would be a danger, especially for the people who lived before the 20th century. No computers, no MacDonalds or KFC, no children, everyone aged 21. Everyone a vegan, including all the beasts in the waters.

Give me a break.

Doug

53

Who wants to live forever?

by Doug Mason in

what will living be like after 5 billion years?.

doug.

Doug Mason

I want to thank every one of you for sharing your innermost thoughts. I look forward to reading more; this question affects our attitdude to our everyday life. Yes, I am old: 73. I do not want to give my own personal view at this stage, since I do not want to make it appear as if I am winding up the discussion.

I wonder what the effect was of seeing the title, of thinking about your response, and of reading what others told you about themselves. Not in an argumentive way, but with respect.

Doug