I have really struggled over the past nearly three years with my loyaties and how I view the religion I was brought up in. However, 2004 has seen a turn around and I have not been to a meeting nor have I been out in field service for a whole month.
It is still strange and difficult though. I have been associated with the witnesses for over 45 years and during that time, since I was about 6 years old, I can honestly say I have never missed more than the odd meeting and never a whole month in field service.
Even as I have re-evaluated my beliefs over the past three years since stepping down as an elder, I have been regular at the meetings and on the work.
Naturally, my wife is very upset and it is a situation I know I must handle very gently. I don't want to be totally dishonest but at the same time it is better to for her to think I am spiritually weak at the moment rather than being an unbeliever!
I am a little surprised though that only one elder has been to see me and none appear to have asked after me, despite the fact that I served as an appointed man (ms and elder) for 30 years. However, I am bracing myself for the backlash soon!
Eyeslice
eyeslice
JoinedPosts by eyeslice
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A whole month of no meetings or field service!
by eyeslice ini have really struggled over the past nearly three years with my loyaties and how i view the religion i was brought up in.
however, 2004 has seen a turn around and i have not been to a meeting nor have i been out in field service for a whole month.
it is still strange and difficult though.
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eyeslice
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Questions and thoughts on the "1914 generation" doctrine, a brief history
by run dont walk inwell, its been 8 years since the last change in the "generation" term, i have seen lots of questions and great topics on this.. i would like to cover it from top to bottom (briefly, dont want to write an encyclopedia), and get your opinions, and see if i am right or way off track !!!!!.
1879 russell beging zions watchtower, and predicts end of the world by 1914, and all following him will go to heaven.. now, lets remember something here, russell never taught about a paradise earth, 144,000, generation ideas, or called god jehovah.. so in reality the jehovahs witness organization started with rutherford (and what a piece of work he was) in 1916-1917 or so.
rutherford assumes control of the organization, proceeds to disfellowship or fire all people in charge and replaces them with his own choices, thus causing new religions to start (russellites etc.
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eyeslice
The 1995 change only muddies the water as far as I can see. Quote;
?Rather than providing a rule for measuring time, the term ?generation? as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics?.
Those contemporary to the year 1914 have long gone - the 30 to 40 year definition seems good to me for a contemporary generation. By 1954 I would guess most of the generals and leading politcians of the 1st WW would have been dead and gone, just as all those from the 2nd war have now gone - Stalin, Hitler, Eisenhower, Churchill and DeGualle.
Eyeslice -
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Let's play the generation game
by eyeslice innot at the meeting again this evening so re-reading some of coc on my current favourite topic, the generation that will not pass away.
okay, the november 1st 1995 watchtower describes the generation of jesus prophecy as follows:.
?rather than providing a rule for measuring time, the term ?generation?
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eyeslice
Not at the meeting again this evening so re-reading some of COC on my current favourite topic, the generation that will not pass away. Okay, the November 1st 1995 Watchtower describes the generation of Jesus prophecy as follows:
?Rather than providing a rule for measuring time, the term ?generation? as used by Jesus refers principally to contemporary people of a certain historical period, with their identifying characteristics?.
So let?s play the generation game - name as many as you can (generations, age, era) and you will see that a generation described in these terms is often so much shorter than even 70 years. To start with;
1. The Edwardians 1901 ? 1910
2. The cold war ? 1950?s to 1980?s (Kennedy and Khrushchev the early players now long dead)
3. The Thatcher Years (Margaret Thatcher that is)
4. The Big Band Era
Eyeslice -
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faithful and discreet slave?
by eyeslice ini have started this thread as the two threads "march 1st botchtower - a "slave who is both faithful and discreet!
" got me thinking again.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/65048/1.ashx.
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eyeslice
I have started this thread as the two threads "March 1st Botchtower - A "Slave Who Is Both Faithful and Discreet!" got me thinking again.
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/65051/1.ashx
I have never quite understood Matthew 25:45-51 in the light the Society puts on it, i.e. there are two classes a faithful slave and an evil slave. I have read that passage in the NWT and all the online translations at http://www.biblegateway.com. My reading is that Christ was talking about two possible outcomes for the same person. Either the servant was faithful or evil. -
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Another male nipple thread
by eyeslice ini have heard that all mens nipples are exactly the same distance apart what ever the guy's chest size.
sounds crazy to me but let's check it out.. .
mine are 9 inches apart (that's 22.5 cms for those who prefer metric).. .
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eyeslice
I have heard that all mens nipples are exactly the same distance apart what ever the guy's chest size.
Sounds crazy to me but let's check it out.
Mine are 9 inches apart (that's 22.5 cms for those who prefer metric).
Post your manhood size here!
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Society and AIDS
by eyeslice inthe aids epidemic is proving to be one of the most difficult and dangerous issues facing mankind at the start of this the 21st century.
especially in sub-saharan africa are the difficulties and problems of aids combined with poverty most apparent.
the numbers of witnesses and indeed the growth rate of the witnesses in many of the countries most afflicted by aids appears to be good.
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eyeslice
The AIDS epidemic is proving to be one of the most difficult and dangerous issues facing mankind at the start of this the 21st century. Especially in sub-Saharan Africa are the difficulties and problems of AIDS combined with poverty most apparent.
The numbers of witnesses and indeed the growth rate of the Witnesses in many of the countries most afflicted by AIDS appears to be good. So, given that in some African countries up to to 20% of the population are HIV positive, this must mean that many Witnesses and their children in those countries are also infected.
My question is, what if anything is the Society doing about AIDS in these countries?
My guess is nothing, as if they were they would be milking it for as much good PR as they could get in the Watchtower or Awake. However, this is a purely subjective view, not based on any hard evidence. All I know is that the baptism questions were changed a while back to include a question about communicable diseases which everyone took to mean that the baptism candidate must own up to having AIDS if he or she were infected. When I pointed out the AIDS wasn't likely to be caught from someone in a baptismal pool, it didn't go down too well.
Does anyone have any information or feedback from these countries as to what the Society is doing about AIDS? Has there been any support for medical treatment, hospitals or AIDS prevention? (Remember that a good many African women catch AIDS from their husbands, so supporting a campaign of providing condoms is not the same as encouraging immorality.) Have the Society got any official guidelines in place?
Eyeslice
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Great Crowd Proof?
by eyeslice ini found the following quote from w85 3/1 12-17: .
start quote.
12 these flashes of prophetic light prepared the ground for the historic discourse on ?the great multitude,?
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eyeslice
The reason I raised this subject is I re-read the gospel of John at the same time as reading William Barclay's commentary on it.
It struck me that the simplest explanation regarding the comment about "other sheep" is that Jesus was referring to the gentiles who would eventually become Christians. Surely, this is what John himself must have had in mind when he penned those words. I then got to thinking that if these two flocks become ?one?, then their treatment and eventual destiny would be exactly the same. The society?s teaching of ?one? flock but two classes does not make sense in the context of the whole of John chapter 10.
The problem I have with the ?proof?, is that the Society regularly refers to the ?great crowd of other sheep?, an expression not found in the Bible and cites John 10:16 and Revelation 7:9 together as if there is an obvious cross-reference. -
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Great Crowd Proof?
by eyeslice ini found the following quote from w85 3/1 12-17: .
start quote.
12 these flashes of prophetic light prepared the ground for the historic discourse on ?the great multitude,?
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eyeslice
I found the following quote from w85 3/1 12-17:
start quote
12 These flashes of prophetic light prepared the ground for the historic discourse on ?The Great Multitude,? given May 31, 1935, by the president of the Watch Tower Society, J. F. Rutherford, at the Washington, D.C., convention of Jehovah?s Witnesses. What a revelation of divine truth that was! Presented at that time was conclusive proof identifying the ?great crowd? of Revelation 7:9 with the Lord?s ?other sheep? of John 10:16, with the Jehonadab class, with those marked in the forehead for survival, with the millions now living who will never die, and with ?the sheep? that are separated from ?the goats? and will inherit everlasting life in the earthly realm of God?s Kingdom. All of this was covered in The Watchtower, August 1 and 15, 1935.
end quote
I have never seen any "proof"; I guess my beliefs were simply based on what I had been told.
Anyone know what this proof is? Better still anyone got the text of the 1935 Watchtowers refered to above?
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India Bethel Branch Complete.....dedication this week!
by shotgun in.
i remember a few years back when the indian government stopped all external money from the wt from entering india.
this put a crinkle in the wt expansion in india, they had started a huge bethel undertaking which they decided to finish.. this past weekend i heard there are lots of past missionaries being flown to india for the dedication of this branch which is now complete.. anyone heard anything about it and also whether the government of india has softened or something?.
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eyeslice
The India Bethel has been moved from Pune, which is not far from Bombay, to Bangalore, in the south.
The Indian Bethel in Pune had a big shake up a couple of years ago. Basically, there was a lot of ?jobs for the boys? going on, and as a result, the Indian Bethel was grossly over staffed compared to the number of publishers in the country. As a result, a lot of the staff found themselves out in the field (a rather hot, sticky one at that) as pioneers rather than enjoying the cushier life in .
The move toBangalore is also interesting. About 90% of all publishers in are in the South, coming mainly from former Christian backgrounds, in Kerula, , etc. In the north, which is typically more traditionally and strong Hindu, there has been very little growth, despite the activities of missionaries in the 50s and early 60?s (until the majority were kicked out by the government).
India is an interesting place; each year more new Indian babies are born into the world than there are witnesses globally! Yet God will not think twice about destroying these innocents at Armageddon, which, as we all know, is just around the corner.
Eyeslice
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What religion would be your favorit if had to choose?
by Singing Man ini would say it would be the catholic cause you can do just about any dam thing you want.
and if you feel like you need to be close to god or something you can always go light some candles and wear a cross or put on a pointed hat or a white collar or deprive yourself of women or men in the case of nuns.
and you get to hear funny boys sing chants, and you also can put some real holly water on your head that the priest got from the sink oh and you can wear saint christopher's.
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eyeslice
Dolphman
I agree with much of what you say and the underlying monothesism of Hinduism. Also, generally Hindus are peaceful easy going people.
However, it also has a lot to answer for. The caste system promoted by Hinduism has long been an excuse for keeping down the poor and un-represented lower castes. Whilst, prominent Hindu leaders such as Ghandi tried to promote a softer line with regard to the untouchables (or unscheduled castes as they are known), million of people in India have a very poor deal.
I am not indian myself but lived there for a year or so. I still regard India as my real spiritual home but until Hinduism comes to terms with the issue of treating all men equally then it would not be my religion of choice.
Regards
eyeslice