Doug Mason

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Posts by Doug Mason

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  4

  Watchtower's 144,000 logic Questioned

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the watchtower september 1, 1951, in a wonderful article entitled “hated for his name”(pp518,519) describes the persecution and martyrdom of steadfast christians in the first 3 centuries ad.. “by the year (a.d.) 64 christianity was prominent throughout much of the roman empire, including the capital city rome itself.

  their individual characteristics, form of worship and steadfast refusal to compromise thereon had madethe christians sure targets of hostility and ridicule.

  that year, the tenth in the reign of emperor nero, rome was swept by a conflagration so great it is yet the object of poetry and legend....diocletian assumed the crown a.d. 284.. at first he seemed friendly to the christians, but in the year 303 he gave in to persuasion and opened the tenth persecution, probably the most ferocious of all.

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  Doug Mason

  The WTS is able to make such bald assertions because people in general remain ignorant of the reality of the complex situation during the Church's early centuries. I do not know where they got those figures but their simplistic description belies the realities. As an example, during that period professed Christians were killed by other Christians, including beheadings, because of their doctrinal differences. Not unlike the current internal ructions within the Islamic sects.

  In some instances, Christians begged the courts to sentence them to death, as they wished to share in Jesus' death.

  Good books on the complex politics at play include: "Jesus Wars: How Four Patriarchs, Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1,500 Years", by Philip Jenkins, and

  "A New History of Early Christianity" by Charles Freeman (see Chapter 20: "Victims or volunteers: Christian Martyrs").

  Doug.
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  26

  I can just imagine the hype that is going on in Australia about how close armageddon is now with all of these bushfires occurring.

  by smiddy3 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it brings to mind my niece when she see`s how dry the countryside is ,how armageddon must be so close..

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  Doug Mason

  I live to the east of Melbourne, close to the Dandenong Ranges. At times an idiot firebug decides to set it alight, but fortunately not so far.

  We have smoke from either NSW or Gippsland, which I am wary of, given my chronic bronchitis (picked up during the chemo). So I do not take my daily walk when the air is smoky.

  Doug
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  15

  Why is he spiritual Israel not innumerable?

  by Salomo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  please share this question.

  why is he spiritual israel not innumerable?.

  the literal seed of abraham was innumerable (heb 11:12; gen 22:17; 1ki 4:20).

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  Doug Mason

  The WTS separated the 144,000 from the Great Crowd since at least as early as 1931, when Rutherford introduced the term "Jehovah's witnesses" (lower case "w"), he applied the term solely to the 144,000. The "other sheep" went by different names, such as "Jonadabs".

  So he would have made a clear differentiation.

  It was not until after his death in 1942, that the WTS extended the term "Jehovah's Witnesses" to the remainder.

  Of course, if the number 144,00 is to be taken literally, then the number 12,000 from each of the named 12 Jewish clans must likewise be taken as literal. Not that the tribes' names is literal.

  My reading of Revelation 7:1 and 7:4 says the 144,000 are on earth while Rev 7:9 says the Multitude are standing before the throne in heaven.

  Doug
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  4

  1st Cent.Crucifixions to Order and for Sport

  by BluesBrother in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i found this video interesting, from the smithsonian channel.

  it explains how commonplace crucifixions were with specific mention of the patebelum crosspiece.

  https://www.smithsonianchannel.com/videos/crucifixion-became-a-very-popular-roman-spectator-sport/69754?an=history.

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  Doug Mason

  In Appendices of its translations of the Greek Scriptures (“New Testament”) the WTS provides a picture of a man attached to a single pole. This, they claim, is the manner of Christ’s execution. This picture, they explain, comes from the book De Cruce Liber Primus: “This is the manner in which Jesus was impaled” (Kingdom Interlinear, page 1155).
  

  This is not impalement, in which the instrument of death is forced up through the victim’s body.
  

  Most important is the fact that the WTS totally misrepresents what Justus Lipsius wrote.

  He actually provided a number of illustrations, showing several such methods of execution. Lipsius concluded his research by saying that the conventional cross, in which a crosspiece is attached to a pole, was the implement used in Christ’s death.
  

  It does not matter if Lipsius was right or wrong. What matters is that the WTS deliberately misreported Lipsius and that it hides factual evidence from its followers. Why should a stake be worshipped?
  

  If it does this with an non-essential matter, how does it behave with critically important matters?

  I obtained the pictures in the following PDF from an original book by Justus Lipsius, held in the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne.

  https://jwstudies.com/Pictures_from_Lipsius_de_Cruce_Liber_Primus.pdf

  Doug
  
  
  
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  4

  Draft: Transmission of the text

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am in the process of preparing a study that will include the impact of second temple judaism.

  it will take me a few more months to complete.. early draft material on part of my study, dealing with aspects of the transmission of the text, is available at:.

  https://jwstudies.com/transmission_of_the_text.pdf.

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  Doug Mason

  Half Banana,

  I went back to my source and after more careful reading of it, I have decided to drop that para. Thank you.

  The author, David Trobisch, starts out with the position that the "New Testament" was a carefully edited publication from the outset, writing that it "must have been published before 180 CE" (Kloppenberg, page 162). That assumed position colours the balance of his chapter and it represents an unwarranted and unnecessary diversion. (See the entry on David Trobisch in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Trobisch )

  So I thank you for your help.

  Doug
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  4

  Draft: Transmission of the text

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am in the process of preparing a study that will include the impact of second temple judaism.

  it will take me a few more months to complete.. early draft material on part of my study, dealing with aspects of the transmission of the text, is available at:.

  https://jwstudies.com/transmission_of_the_text.pdf.

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  Doug Mason

  Thank you Half Banana,

  I will address this. Greatly appreciated.

  I do not think the Roman Church was dominant in the 4th century. Up to that time, the centre would have been in North Africa (Alexandria, Carthage). My understanding is that Christianity moved northwards following Islamic invasions, thus converting Christianity into a European religion.

  Doug
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  4

  Draft: Transmission of the text

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am in the process of preparing a study that will include the impact of second temple judaism.

  it will take me a few more months to complete.. early draft material on part of my study, dealing with aspects of the transmission of the text, is available at:.

  https://jwstudies.com/transmission_of_the_text.pdf.

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  Doug Mason

  I am in the process of preparing a Study that will include the impact of Second Temple Judaism. It will take me a few more months to complete.

  Early Draft material on part of my Study, dealing with aspects of the transmission of the text, is available at:

  https://jwstudies.com/Transmission_of_the_text.pdf

  Criticisms and advice are absolutely most welcome.

  Doug
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  39

  Is it possible to nullify a baptism?

  by idk123 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  hope you are all well,.

  i was wondering within the organisation if there are any guidelines or grounds for nullifying a baptism.

  see i grew up a jehovah's witness and was baptised at age 13, i didn't get baptised for the right reasons, i felt pressured to because my friends were getting baptised at the same time.

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  Doug Mason

  Where does the Bible say that baptism is required for membership of an organisation?

  Doug
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  14

  What Makes JWs Unique?

  by neat blue dog in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

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  Doug Mason

  I would have thought that the WTS's "Worldwide Order of Special Full-Time Servants of Jehovah's Witnesses'" would constitute a religious clergy (a Religious "Order"). I understood that the members had to sign a pledge of Obedience and Poverty. From memory, the WTS used this as a defence before the courts.

  I wrote the following 12 years ago, so I suspect changes have been made since then. If so, I will appreciate corrections:

  https://jwstudies.com/org_chart.pdf

  Doug
  
  
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  1

  Even if you do not purchase this book ...

  by Doug Mason in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  even if you do not purchase this book, at least read the preview pages freely available online:.

  https://www.amazon.com/discovering-second-temple-literature-scriptures/dp/0827612656.

  doug.

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  Doug Mason

  Even if you do not purchase this book, at least read the preview pages freely available online:

  https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Second-Temple-Literature-Scriptures/dp/0827612656

  Doug