Posts by Doug Mason

5

Need Help Finding Article

by turtleturtle in

i am looking for a questions from readers in the wt.

the question was along the lines of asking why the wt promoted the stake, rather than the cross, even though history shows the romans did use the cross in executions.. the answer from the wt was along the lines of admitting that the romans did use crosses for execution, but in the area where jesus' death took place, it was commonplace to use stakes, since lumber was not readily available.. can anyone find this for me?.

Doug Mason

What's the difference when a stake is worshiped?

Doug

18

"Further clarification..."

by Dagney in

a few minutes ago, a jw, (elder's wife who for some reason still calls me 1-2 times a day to tell me about her new purse/dr's appt/what she's making for dinner/etc.

) called to tell me she saw sherri sheppard on tv talking about her new diet book.

i say, "you know she was raised a jw.

Doug Mason

Dagney,

At page 8 of that WT magazine says that "it appears" the spirit-anointed (no longer part of the FDS by the way) will survive after the initial part of the Great Tribulation has started, but will depart before it develops further in Armagedon.

Maybe you could show it to her at page 26 of my analysis at:

http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Truth_Changes.pdf ( for the "Study" edition of the magazine)

or at page 26 of my analysis at:

http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Truth_Changes_in_the_simplified_Watchtower.pdf ( for the "Simplified" edition of the magazine).

Please give her a copy of my analysis.

Doug

12

"The Truth Changes" with the text from the "Simplified" Edition WT

by Doug Mason in

the text i used in my analysis, "the truth changes: watchtower july 15, 2013" comes from the "study" edition of that magazine.. it is still available at: http://www.jwstudies.com/the_truth_changes.pdf.

i have now used the text from the "simplified" edition, and it is available at:.

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

Doug Mason

I spent the day thinking about my long and convoluted title that I gave to this Study and how I could simplify it yet achieve my objectives. The following was and is my thought process. I am very open to correction.

I had earlier released my Study that related the text of the Study edition of that particular Watchtower magazine. I wanted the title of my Study to include the name and date of the magazine; I did this so that the web crawlers would pick it up and hence bring it up when someone searched the www for that specific magazine. I also wanted to show what I was looking at: so I included the name "The Truth Changes".

When I released the version that made use of selected texts from the "Simplified" edition (WTS description, not mine), I wanted to show that it related to the previously released Study yet at the same time I needed to indicate the reason there are two versions. So I maintained "The Truth Changes" and the date of the magazine in the title. I then added "Simplified" to show that the text came from the "Simplified" edition of that WT. The contents of each now have cross-references to one another, along with the URL where the other version can be obtained.

If the long title is bothersome, I do not mind if people make it available on their own web site using a shorter file name. However, I am the only one who may amend the contents of the file.

In the process of creating these two versions of my study, I created a file that puts the corresponding page of each edition on the same page. Quite interesting, but of course legal and ethical constraints prevent my releasing that study to the broad community.

BTW. When you compare para 6 on page 21 of each Edition ("Study" WT and "Simplified" WT) you will see that the "Study WT" writes "we may conclude", while the "Simplified WT" writes "it is clear". While one Edition is cautious ("may"), the other is not cautious ("it is clear").

Doug

12

"The Truth Changes" with the text from the "Simplified" Edition WT

by Doug Mason in

the text i used in my analysis, "the truth changes: watchtower july 15, 2013" comes from the "study" edition of that magazine.. it is still available at: http://www.jwstudies.com/the_truth_changes.pdf.

i have now used the text from the "simplified" edition, and it is available at:.

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

Doug Mason

Hi,

The text I used in my analysis, "The Truth Changes: Watchtower July 15, 2013" comes from the "Study" Edition of that magazine.

It is still available at: http://www.jwstudies.com/The_Truth_Changes.pdf

I have now used the text from the "Simplified" Edition, and it is available at:

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

------------

I am still trying to get my head around the direction being taken by the GB. I do think they wanted to amass all power and glory in the fishpond, but in the process their pronouncements have eroded my understanding of their positions.

It had been my understanding that the GB saw itself as the sole voice speaking out on behalf of an operating "Kingdom government in heaven". I thought they saw this government composed of 144,001 spirit-anointed persons and that the total entity was in some way the FDS, with the GB being its voice.

The GB has sacked all spirit-anointed from the FDS, so does that mean there is no longer an operating "Kingdom government"? Also, the GB says that they do not get appointed over all things until some time in the future. How does this line up with their thoughts of a currently operating Kingdom Goverment?

It's beyond me how anyone could accept their fairy tales, but maybe someone could tell me what they think are the intended and unintended consquences of their latest actions. Where has my understanding gone awry?

Doug

55

Signs - Jesus - Has the Scripture Been Misread ?

by *lost* in

meletivivlon.com - interesting and enlightening theory on jesus and the signs.. wars, earthquakes, food shortages.. what if jesus meant the very opposite ?

jesus said - look out that nobody misleads you.

( jesus warning us as a safegaurd for us not to be mislead about exactly when the time would come ) .

Doug Mason

Matt 24 does indeed warn the disciples against seeing wars, etc., as signs. They are not told to beware of wars but to beware of deceivers. Matt 24 does not say "huge wars", "large loss of life", "lots of nations", "long wars", "many earthquakes with large loss of life". Also, wars, earthquakes (no volcanoes?) and such have always existed. Wars and earthquakes are not portents of good tidings.

Later in the Matthew discourse they are again warned against listening to deceivers saying he has come in the secret place or in the desert, and later still parables are given that again say things will carry on as normal (unaware in Noah's time) and it will happen when no one expects (midnight, long after the day had ended at sunset).

The people who wrote Matt 24 had heard Paul say he was expectiing the Coming would take place in his own lifetime; the people who wrote Matthew (aafter Paul's death) tried to dampen the expectation (they were allied to Peter, not to Paul). And later the guy who wrote Revelation aimed it specifically to people of his own time, saying it was going to happen "soon". Even Jesus is supposed to have said it would happen within the time of his own generation.

At every age since then people have warned of an imminent divine intervention. The score - a Big Fat Zero.

Doug

35

Bad chronology - Samuel, Saul and David

by Jeffro in

according to 1 samuel 13:1, in the oldest hebrew manuscripts, saul ruled for two years (assuming saul actually existed at all, for which there is no hard evidence).

however, various [christian] translators assume this 'must' be an error because acts 13:21 says saul reigned for forty years.

saul's age at 1 samuel 13:1 is conveniently missing from the oldest manuscripts.

Doug Mason

Acts (of the Apostles) is recognised as providing stories that cannot be relied on. Which is of itself interesting, inasmuch as the WTS relies on Acts 15 for its authority.

I have no knowledge of the matters you raise, so I wonder why you rely on the Hebrew text when the Greek is so much older. Is the Greek different to the MT?

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

A good and long-standing friend has provided me with a few corrections, including:

Page 2 should read: Jesus and his Father actually came to inspect the Earth during the Great War and they performed a “cleansing"

Remove the qq. (red face here).

Place quotation marks after "Great Tribulation on page 16.

Should be: Previous Truth on these parables (page 19) - that is, make "parable" to be plural.

Should be: they appointed Rutherford (page 29) - not "it"

I have uploaded the corrected file.

Apologies,

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

I guess I won't be the most popular person with certain people. I have to admit that I haven't been on their Christmas card list.

How will they implement these changes? How do they implement any changes?

Will Witnesses have to change their words on July 15? How will Witnesses (generally speaking) react when they are told to goose-step differently? How much leniency is shown if someone hangs on to the previous eschatology?

As you all say, this is very confusing for people, especially when the GB's words do not reflect people's memories. It is said that he who writes history controls history. But that cannot erase people's memories.

Let's hope that some Witnesses will examine the Study and see the inconsistencies when they are force-fed the latest ideas.

I hope you all noticed that Russell expected the "great time of trouble" would END in 1914. The Great War started in August while Russell expected the unprecedented peace under the Zionists to come on October 1. So you can imagine what they thought when hostilities opened up - the great tribulation had reached its final climax, no doubt.

Pick out the eyes from what I have written and use what is useful to you.

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

Wilfried,

If you do translate it into French, could I please have a copy?

If you email me I might be able to give you a little assistance. I provide my email address in the Study.

All the best,

Doug

56

The Truth Changes: Watchtower of July 15, 2013

by Doug Mason in

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Doug Mason

The Watchtower magazine of July 15, 2013 introduces significant changes for the Governing Body, the organisation, and for all Jehovah’s Witnesses. In recasting its eschatology (study of the “Last Days”), the GB has cut away from its past, distancing itself from previously held applications – which up to now had to be vigorously defended by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

With this magazine, the GB completely changes several key positions, and in the process remodels its past, its attitude towards Russell, the Bible Students, and to 1914. In the process, the GB is moving its focus from past dates to an anticipated future – without making commitments to dates. The centenary of October 1914 looms, and the events of those times slip ever further away.

This Study provides an analysis of the changes the GB is imposing through this magazine:

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