Doug Mason

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Posts by Doug Mason

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  1

  "Hebrew Lexicon" (Davidson/Gesenius) and "Greek Lexicon" (Bagster/Thayer)

  by possible-san in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  http://www.babelbible.net/davidson/davidson.cgi .

  http://www.babelbible.net/bagster/bagster.cgi.

  http://www.sacrednamebible.com/kjvstrongs/index.htm.

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  Doug Mason

  It is one thing to be able to translate a word from one language into another but it is far more difficult, and critically far more significant, to understand the culture of the community that produced (and edited) each document.

  This means understanding matters such as the religious politics, secular politics, idiomatic use of language, contemporary comprehension and understandings, purpose of the original message, the nature of the intended immediate audience, and so on.

  Each writer was addressing their own immediate community, with the purpose of effecting change in that specific community. With regard to the existing texts, we are able to read only the viewpoint of one group -- the people who used writing as a means of communication. While we are aware of these other elements of the community, such as the royal household and the People of the Land, we are not provided with direct information from them. All we read is the propaganda of a group seeking power through the use of religious pressures.

  A dictionary does not capture these significant elements.

  Doug
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  October 1 and November 1 "Jerusalem destroyed" refuted, in Italian

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  an italian refutation of the october 1 and november 1 articles "when was ancient jersusalem destroyed" is provided at:.

  http://www.infotdgeova.it/storia/587.php.

  http://www.infotdgeova.it/storia/587b.php.

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  Doug Mason

  In addition, Carl advises me that his Critique of the October Watchtower article is also available in Italian:

  http://kristenfrihet.se/italian/itpage.htm

  Doug
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  2

  October 1 and November 1 "Jerusalem destroyed" refuted, in Italian

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  an italian refutation of the october 1 and november 1 articles "when was ancient jersusalem destroyed" is provided at:.

  http://www.infotdgeova.it/storia/587.php.

  http://www.infotdgeova.it/storia/587b.php.

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  Doug Mason

  An Italian refutation of the October 1 and November 1 articles "When Was Ancient Jersusalem Destroyed" is provided at:

  http://www.infotdgeova.it/storia/587.php

  http://www.infotdgeova.it/storia/587b.php

  Each URL provides the option of dowloading the relevant PDF and Word files.

  Although some of my diagrams have been incorporated, these articles are completely the work of the Italian author.

  While you are there, have a good look around the site.

  Doug
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  11

  Both the October 1 & November 1 Watchtowers avoid discussing the 2,520 years!!!

  by Alfred in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  did anyone else notice this?.

  the "when was jerusalem destroyed?

  " articles in the october 2011 and november 2011 public edition watchtowers were supposed to explain why it was so important to know when jerusalem was destroyed... but none of the two articles makes any mention about how the wt arrived at the 2,520 year calculation (to get to 1914)... did they think no one would notice???

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  Doug Mason

  The WTS's "2520-year" theory relates to their ideas on the "Seventy years". However, they do NOT start the "Seventy Years" with the destruction of Jerusalem, which is the subject of their article.

  If the WTS were to actually write an article on their derivation of 1914, their article (book?) would discuss

  • Daniel 4 (the prophecy being Neb's madness, not the dream);
  • Ezkiel (year-day, including their inconsistent application of Revelation, and ignoring what the Bible says ended the 70 Years);
  • how the WTS calculate the year when the first Returnees assembled at the temple site (impossible to prove);
  • the year they start the 70 Years (they need to ignore the destruction of Jerusalem); and so on.

  This of course would make the destruction some years earlier than 607 BCE.

  Doug
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  42

  Onscreen Critique, NOVEMBER 1 Watchtower, "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?"

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i have produced a critique of the november 1, 2011 watchtower article, when was ancient jerusalem destroyed?

  part 2: what the clay documents really show.. .

  this critique is designed to be read on a computer screen.. .

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  Doug Mason

  I have produced a Critique of the November 1, 2011 Watchtower article, “When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed? Part 2: What the clay documents really show”.

  This Critique is designed to be read on a computer screen.

  The file is available at:

  http://www.jwstudies.com/Onscreen_Critique__November_Watchtower__Jerusalem_Destroyed.pdf

  Doug
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  9

  what do we learn from this?

  by therevealer in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  king saul that the time had come for.

  animals.

  but after saul won the battle,.

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  Doug Mason

  Stories such as this one provide windows into the culture of the community that created them. Bible stories are not literal histories; each story is written with a religious purpose.

  These stories reflect the nature of the community, of their belief in the direct interference of the supernatural into the natural world. History was therefore interpreted as actions taken by God(s), and these actions would be repeated should the community fail to learn from the (interpreted) history. The religious writers therefore taught that protection of the community and of the individual required full, complete and unquestioned obedience to God, and he spoke to them through the voices of these religious leaders who were writing these stories.

  Do we see the same thing today? Are there religious organisations that say God will wreak his vengeance on people who disobey his voice, which he gives through them?

  Let me give a modern example: a couple of years ago, Victoria experienced horrific bushfires, killing hundreds and destroying thousands of houses. One preacher said this was the result of God's vengeance against the State parliament enacting laws pertaining to abortion. The Bible stories need to be read similarly. (The fact that there were firebugs and that some fires started due to poor maintenance of power lines seemed to escape their logic. The main thing was to get people to align with their religion.)

  Everything old is new again.

  Doug
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  14

  Giving public talk, need some help!

  by Silent_Scream in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  a very close friend of mine is giving a public talk around may about the bible.

  he asked me to help him out (of course not knowing where i stand with everything).

  a perfect opportunity!

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  Doug Mason

  The Bible is a human book. Each writer was addressing their own immediate community with the intention of affecting the behaviour of that community. It is therefore critical to understand what each piece of writing meant to that community at the time it was written -- their culture, concepts, understandings, idioms, the contemporary secular and religious politics, etc.

  It also means that we are reading only one point of view, so some is propaganda. Few of the OT people could read, and even fewer could write. Most of the OT was written shortly before and during the neo-Babylonian Captivity.

  The list of NT books was decided by the dominant section of the Church during the fourth century CE, in collusion with the Roman Emperors. The accepted list was first drawn up in the 4th century CE by the Trinitarian Athansius. Unfortunately, not only did they select writings that suited their viewpoint, but they made serious mistakes. Several of the accepted writings were written long after the supposed authors had died. As one example, Paul did not write 2 Timothy; another example are the writings wrongly attributed to Peter.

  Then we have the numerous deliberate and accidental changes during centuries of editing. So much so, that it is impossible to know what was originally written. Consider also the differences between the MT and the LXX (Jeremiah, especially), as well as the differences between them and the DSS texts. There is no evidence that God bothered to protect the text.

  I suggest that your friend distribute printed copies of his speech at the start of his presentation.

  Doug
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  19

  A Question About Satan (For Those Who Believe In The Bible)

  by Philadelphia Ponos in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  when the bible mentions satan do you believe it's speaking of a paticular indivuial or is the term satan used for multiple people?

  to be more specific, do believe the satan that tempted eve, told david to take a census, tested job, and tempted jesus are the same person or 4 different people?.

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  Doug Mason

  The book that discusses the subject rationally and intelligently is:

  Satan: A Biography, by Henry Ansgar Kelly (320 pages, published by Cambridge University Press).

  Doug
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  6

  Onscreen Critique, October 1 Watchtower, "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?"

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  a few weeks ago, i provided a critique of the october 1, 2011 watchtower article when was ancient jerusalem destroyed: part 1.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/215458/1/critique-of-the-october-1-watchtower-articlewhen-was-ancient-jerusalem-destroyed.

  i have produced a different critique of that same article.

  while the earlier critique was designed to be printed, this version is designed to be viewed on a computer screen.

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  Doug Mason

  jonathan,

  I have now looked at that link.

  It is a narrative style, whereas I attempted to produce a visual format.

  As far as search engines are concerned, do they look inside my PDF? I tried my best to make use of search engines through the words I selected as the filename.

  When I locate a useful HTML file online (including JWN threads), I save it to my HDD in PDF format, not in HTML.

  I do not have a closed mind, so if you can help me, and still achieve my objectives, I will follow your advice.

  Doug
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  6

  Onscreen Critique, October 1 Watchtower, "When Was Ancient Jerusalem Destroyed?"

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  a few weeks ago, i provided a critique of the october 1, 2011 watchtower article when was ancient jerusalem destroyed: part 1.. http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/215458/1/critique-of-the-october-1-watchtower-articlewhen-was-ancient-jerusalem-destroyed.

  i have produced a different critique of that same article.

  while the earlier critique was designed to be printed, this version is designed to be viewed on a computer screen.

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  Doug Mason

  jonathan,

  I appreciate your thought.

  Several times throughout this presentation I layer pages so that there is a gradual exposure of the total image that comprises the single page. I did this to manage the release of the information rather than expose a complex picture that could prove overwhelming.

  How would I manage HTML with the pages I used for the discussion on the "without men or animals" pages?

  I had visualised the file being provided on a CD to a WTS apologist . Would it be practical to do this with an HTML file?

  What do others think I should do?

  I will have a look at the link and see if helps me.

  Doug