Posts by smiddy

83

Seeking support ... Where can a Christian go

by Sevan in

jw
friends

hey all, .

so i recently posted for the first time and introduced myself.. i have been spending time reading various posts.

some informative, some not so much.. since i've been reading on here, i've read a lot from atheists.

smiddy

Sevan ,

I have no problem with you or anyone else on this site believing in God , a GOD , or an Almighty God, truly.

Another way of putting it is ,if you have a spiritual sense that tells you their is more to this life than just the physical experience , I can accept that.

However if peoples belief in GOD is solely based on some ancient writings of hundreds or thousands of years ago , then they should not object when someone challenges those claims ,and points out problems with those texts .

This is a discussion forum ,a forum that has different views from a-z , if you are just looking for a forum that validates your own viewpoint , then maybe your in the wrong place . I hope that is not so.

We need people with different viewpoints , that`s how we all learn from one another.How we grow as individuals.

I grew up as a kid believing the Bible was the word of God ,parents were not religious , but sent us kids to Sunday School .As I became a teen ,went my own way and did what I wanted too ,and by my late teens I wanted to know where my life was going , and what was the purpose of life.Spiritually /emotionally I was a mess. And then along came JW`s .The rest is history.

33 years later I found I left because of doubts , etc, etc, etc.

About 13 years ago I found this site , and what a blessing it has been , I have learnt more here than I could have if I did a degree in religion in a University .

My journey from a believer to an atheist is what I have learnt about the Bible /Canon/books/ dozens of those left out of the Cannon / Books mentioned in the Bible that are not included in the current bible and so much more.

Not to mention the extraordinary amount of contradictions in the current Bible that is ignored by believers as if they didn`t exist .

The majority of people here are not going to call you stupid or ignorant , of course some will as they probably do me now and again ,( not too much I hope )

I just hope you are not too over-sensitive that puts you off contributing here

smiddy

8

Do Jehovah`s Witnesses still Advertise Public talks for their Sunday Meetings ? For the General Public ?

by smiddy in

i have been out for 23 years , so i`m not up to date with current practices.. however i was "in" for 33 years and belonged to 7 congregations in two states of australia in that time 1960-1993 , and not once could i say the general public ever attended a public talk.. in our witnessing back then we would distribute invitations to a public talk on a bible subject given before the wt study.every week.. some of the congregations i attended had between 80 to 100 active publishers , and most would give at least 10 hours service pw.,so that means hundreds of invitations would go out , week after week , for the public to attend talks, and nobody and i mean nobody shows up , year in and year out.. sure , now and again maybe ,one or two bible studies would have attended , but that does not constitute the public attending .. what are your thoughts on this ?

was it the same in congregations you attended ?

smiddy.

smiddy

I have been out for 23 years , so I`m not up to date with current practices.

However I was "in" for 33 years and belonged to 7 Congregations in two states of Australia in that time 1960-1993 , and not once could I say the general public EVER attended a public talk.

In our witnessing back then we would distribute invitations to a public talk on a Bible subject given before the WT study.every week.

Some of the congregations I attended had between 80 to 100 active publishers , and most would give at least 10 hours service PW.,so that means hundreds of invitations would go out , week after week , for the public to attend talks, and nobody and I mean NOBODY shows up , year in and year out.

Sure , now and again maybe ,one or two Bible studies would have attended , but that does not constitute the public attending .

What are your thoughts on this ? Was it the same in congregations you attended ?

smiddy

45

Critique of the lastest New World Translation?

by dontfitin in

hi, i'm a long-time lurker who is still in due to family.

i'm hoping someone here can help me.. is there anywhere online that i can find a critique of the new bible revision?

one of the things that really got me was when i researched about the new world translation and found how there was no basis for adding jehovah's name in the new testament, and then other areas where they translated to accommodate their interpretation.

smiddy

dontfitin,

The Jw`s published a word for word translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures some time ago .

Titled :

"The Kingdom Interlinear Translation Of The Christian Greek Scriptures " published by the WTB&TS .

It was a word for word translation , that they used as a basis for their NWT of the Bible in this case the Christian Greek Scriptures /New testament section.

Interestingly the original Greek text never uses the Tetragrammaton or any other equivalent of Greek letters .anywhere in the Christian Greek Scriptures.

And this is obvious when looking at " The Kingdom Interlinear of The Christian Greek Scriptures "

So their is no justification for using the name Jehovah in the Christian Greek Scriptures.From their own publications.

While we are on the "Kingdom Interlinear " published by the WT ,word for word translation look at John ch.1:1

in the K I ,word for word " ,In the beginning the word was and the word was God'

In the marginal interpretation of that scripture the WT says " in the beginning the word was god and the word was a god." thereby giving their validation that Jesus was not God.

However the original word for word text suggests otherwise., that they themselves published with their K.I.T

smiddy

5

LifesNotOver - Part Two

by LifesNotOver in

jw
friends

thanks for your welcomes so far.

just so you know, i have been on here before as "thereishope".

that was my first username here a month or so ago.

smiddy

LNO , thanks for your updates , can you tell us why you joined this site ? experiences you had as a JW ?

Where you are at , as far as your fade ? is concerned ?

I`m 77 , and this is a great site to be encouraged , helped , and is full of supportive people.

Take care

smiddy

25

Study article: "Go, and Make Disciples.." is a hot mess

by Sanchy in

jw
friends

so i hooked into meeting via phone this week to listen in and was shocked at the absurdities mentioned in the study article (2016 may watchtower: "go,..and make disciples of people of all the nations").

the answer is obvious—only jehovah’s witnesses.

the answer the missionary priest gave in no way proves that jws are the only ones "preaching the good news".

smiddy

They say Christendom sits around waiting for people to come to them ? in their Churches ?

It sounds like they are describing their own cart witnessing.

How does that ex[plain Christendom with well over a Billion members worlwide , when the JW`s come on the scene they are only following in the footsteps of Christendom that`s gone before them .

And after 100+ years they haven`t made much impact , The Seventh Day Adventists , the Mormons , have made more converts.

And I believe the JW`s hold the record of more turnovers among any of Christendoms religions.

smiddy

9

Part One of what could be a long introduction

by LifesNotOver in

jw
friends

hello - let me try to explain.

a couple of months ago or so i joined this forum, then shortly after checked out jwrecovery which seemed a better fit personally and joined them.

started to feel comfortable there and they closed, and i pouted for a while.

smiddy

Welcome LNO , that`s the shortest long introduction i`ve seen.

I`m now looking forward to the longest short introduction. to read LOL

sniddy

47

here i am

by notalone in

i was a 4th gen born in.my adult children were the 5th.

my mother was one of the newly'anointed' we have all left.

i have been lurking since october.i was really too terrified someone would find out who i was and what would happen.well we are out now so here is a part of my story.

smiddy

Welcome notalone ,you may find " jwfacts" helpful also

I look forward to hearing more of your story.

smiddy

9

2014 master thesis about JWs LOYALITY

by fastJehu in

interesting (internet) finding ... after all the bunker videos on the 2016 rc.. this master thesis tries to comprehend the concept of loyalty within the jehovah’s witnesses movement.

what does ‘loyalty’ mean to jehovah’s witnesses?

https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/32029/loyal%20to%20jehovah's%20good%20news%20-%20susanne%20kuipers.pdf.

smiddy

If Mephis and Vanderhoven7 `s point of view is anything to go by , and I respect these guys Judgement`s and what I have glimmered , She is a very misguided woman , clouded by her loyalty ? to her Husbands misguided beliefs and has no real knowledge or of the impact of what JW`s or baptized Jehovah`s Witnesses are subjected to , if they question the teachings of the Governing Body

Shunning :, of wives and husbands , Children and Parents , and relatives , break up of family`s

Break up of Family`s , no contact with them . even children ,relatives , brothers /sisters etc.

Brothers and sisters cut off association with each other and with parents and vice versa.

Cut off of all association by friends you have grown up with your whole entire life , simply because you no longer want to be a Jehovah`s Witness , and abide by their rules.

smiddy

28

I'm back

by phats in

jw
friends

hi everyone, phats here.

i haven't posted for about 2 years as things have been so busy with work + a nervous breakdown along the way so been on meds & all sorts but things but are now beginning to get stronger & the mists are clearing.

business is great with loads of work.

smiddy

Your wife is still a dedicated active Jehovah`s Witness ? How does that work out ? That`s great for you two , to work that out , but the Elders in her Congregation ? , don`t see a problem with that ? Are they happy with you and your wife`s arrangement ?

And How do the Elders in your wife`s Congregation treat you ? Do they shun you ? or do they treat you like an unbeliever ?, but hang on weren`t you a baptized publisher at one time ? or not.

Thank`s phats , I will check out what I can about your musical history and association with the JW`s

Welcome back to the forum

Take care Bro ,

smiddy

39

What happened to Marvin Schilmer and his Blog against the JW's?

by TerryWalstrom in

https://www.blogger.com/blogin.g?blogspoturl=https://marvinshilmer.blogspot.com/2013/07/complete-donation-what-happened.html.

smiddy

I miss Marvin Schilmer and his contributions to this site.Please do not abandon us .

smiddy