Posts by Watkins

22

The 'other sheep' - Isn't it so obvious that Jesus is talking about gentiles?

by jambon1 in

am i being silly or do some other religions have a different understanding of who the 'other sheep' are?.

when i was a jw, i could see so clearly that this group is the gentiles.

that is, of course, reading the text 'in context', rather than simply placing it in a flakey jw leaflet.. why can jehovahs witnesses not see that they are so wrong on this point?.

Watkins

The evil slave is the WTS and their coin is given to another slave, meaning they are transferred to another flock where Christ is gathering his sheep. But Christ abandons the goats within the WTS, the stubborn ones who still think Jehovah is supporting the WTS. This is actually happening. Of course, I could actually show up some of the people in the secret society and how some of it works, but that would be inappropriate, wouldn't it? So all I can say is that there are secret societies within the WTS with secret members and the WTS knows they exist and fight against them. That is what a lot of the subliminal artwork in the WTS is about...

The only way the wt has anything to do with bible prophecy is when it happens to them - but they do not and never have had anything to do with the accomplishment, or fulfillment, of anything Biblical except as a 'type' - that would be the 'what-not-to-do type'. They, like every [other] religious 'organization' which claims to speak for God and Christ, carry a heavier burden in judgement. Whatever real evil exists in the hearts of the people involved in the purposeful deceptions of religion - that evil will be done away with. Everyone under religion's rule will be freed, at some point, with reality and truth, and will then be able to make an informed choice. There are 'goats and sheep' everywhere, always has been - look around.

That whole cult is a 'secret society'! So you are saying the leaders and the elite within the wt org. are divided and actually "fighting" against each other - is this 'spiritual warfare' or the 'theocratic' kind? Why would you think it's "inappropriate" to expose what's evil and false? That's what this board is about, friend! We don't want to be lied to anymore - to cover up a lie and not expose it as a warning to others is just... wrong - it's actually hiding the truth and no better than that special 'Evolved Truth' touted by any brand of religion!

The SA is not, imo, proof that the wt is fighting some internal battle - but it does prove someone in the art dept. is poking the 'big boys' with a pointy stick. It certainly doesn't prove a concerted upheaval. Unless your 'knowledge' of those 'secret societies' within the tower hold significant proof otherwise. Does it? Why the hestation to out the evil, is what I don't get? It's your obligation to speak the truth if you're Christ's follower, Larsinger. So spill those truthful beans!

20

z28

by John Doe in

jw
friends

i would have bought this if i weren't broke.

so, what do you think, authentic z28?

awfully cheap if it was..

Watkins

Nothing wrong with buying vehicles on ebay - they have inbuilt safeguards and you can use secure Paypal. My husband bought a dumptruck and his new 'baby' Harley motorcycle on ebay - no problems whatsoever. Camaro is my dream car, though now I have a cute little 'indigo blue' Cavalier Z24. I had an '83 Berlinetta - pearly lt.blue with all the extras - gold trim inside and gold-accented rims - it was a real beauty and I wish I still had her - I loved that unique one-of-a-kind car! Now if I was a guy I'd know about the engine hp and all that, but I don't remember - just that she had all the get-up-and-go I needed and then some - I seem to remember it had a four-barrel carburator... ypou could hear it open up when you mashed the gas... ah, memories, lol!

I'm gettin' old - I used to know every car that passed on the road by the grill and headlights - now I have no idea unless it's an older more distiguishable model. Things change... but there was never a more beautiful car come down the assembly line than the Chevy Camaro - imho, lol. Has anyone seen the 'new' Camaro? I have only seen the ads - curious to see one - and touch it - and probably tear-up a little... because I'll never own another new car. The Cav was new on the lot and we gave an exorbitant amount of money for it, considering my husband bought his house for half as much... but it wasn't much of a house either, lol! I'll drive that baby till she dies a natural death, sparkin' and smokin!

I'm all about bang for the buck. Even if I could afford one, I would not spend that kind of money on a car. Cars should be bought cheap, run hard, and easily retired.

Yup.

24

I am seriouly disapointed in the Watchtower society

by Aussie Oz in

i can scarcley believe my eyes.

i read in another thread about c. t. russells attitude that his 'studies in the scriptures' is better than the bible and come to the conclusion they are not god abandoned today, god was never there.. fast forward to modern times and they are still at it, likening their body of teachings as being part of the bible.. most of you already know the pasages in their own lit that i refer to, i'm just stating my feelings as i dismantle a 38 year old belief system.. it seems to me, that all along, the belief of the watchtower society is this: our writings are true, they are backed up by the bible.

rather than, the bible is true, backed up by our writings.. disapointed.

Watkins

Re: I am seriouly disapointed in the Watchtower society posted 7 mins ago (11/19/2009)

Get in line, buddy - it's a long one!

304

is jesus a god?

by javig in

hi...i have come across the jw text that says that "the word was a god" john 1:1...who is that "god"?

another god?

is him jesus?...

Watkins

The hint would be... this ain't never gonna be solved - until we get to ask Them in person?

This trinity thing kind of intrigues me, in spite of myself - the 'Should You Believe in The Trinty' brochure was just so disingenuous with it's abbreviated quotes and selective quoting... it was the first thing I had to re-research after leaving the wt. The wt taught us that the doctrine is about a 3-headed paganistic god - but that's not what trinitarians truly believe at all. What I can agree with is that Yeshua can absolutely be called "God" with a capitol "G" because it seems to me to be a title, not a name. Same as the title "Lord" is not a name and many a Bible character is addressed as "Lord". Wasn't the Greek text written in all capitols anyway, and without punctuation? But Yeshua himself always claimed to be God's Son, and as a Son he had his Father's attributes, his nature and characteristics. Sounds rather simple until you have to start making up difficult explanations. 'Son' and 'Father' is how I understand their relationship. However, the trinity relationship is the title of God equally shared by Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which I don't find clearly taught in the Bible - as in "you must believe this to receive salvation, period". I don't find 'equality' for the HS - it is of God and from both Father and Son, but I don't see a set-aside entity separate from God. I must say too, the wt didn't teach me to not believe trinity, I already didn't before I met them... just never did feel the need...

It's not that the doctrine is totally wrong in and of itself, but it's still lacking - it's a human equation to try and pin down the spiritual - which can't really be pinned down with human equations - but we try anyway! What I find wrong is the enforcement by those who do believe this is the trademarked, with God's seal of approval, Only One True Way of even thinkingabout God and Yeshua's relationship, and if we don't believe it exactly that way, then we're doomed. That kind of mind control is so wt-esque I can't stand it! I don't believe in their 'unique' doctrines so I'm an apostate in JW's eyes... and 'unfit association', 'bird food at Armageddon', etc. But I also don't believe the full doctrinal packages offered by other Christian sects, so I'm informed I'm anti-christ and I'll likely burn for all eternity in hell... what a choice!

So I'm now pretty much anti-religion, and at peace with a simple faith, with not many words bigger than "thanks" or "trust" in my vocabulary, lol.

Honestly, I think we're all very wrong and misunderstand a great many things, and that's where our faith and trust in God and Christ really shines!

304

is jesus a god?

by javig in

hi...i have come across the jw text that says that "the word was a god" john 1:1...who is that "god"?

another god?

is him jesus?...

Watkins

Wow, I read all the pages on this thread - I need eyesalve!

For anyone who wishes to answer - I noticed these words/terms a few times and would like to know where I can find them in the Bible?

"God-Man"

"God the Son"

"hypostatic union"

"immanent trinity"

"economic trinity"

Thanks!

18

How About You Ladies Then, Body or Face?

by finallysomepride in

jw
friends

.

so let's reverse it, do you choose men by their face or bodies, or other parts maybe?.

.

Watkins

#1 thing - Personality! - a great sense of humor because I see a joke in everything - my mate understands and sees it too - that's priceless! Good looks fade and bodies lose their youthful appearance, but a nasty personality is a lifelong affliction. Like my ex - - ugly inside and out.

watkins

224

Where Are You From?

by finallysomepride in

jw
friends

alot of members don't have a flag or country name beside their user name, and well frequently one doesn't know where that particular person is from, tell us your country, state, county or what ever you feel like giving out.

if you are going to post please at least devulge your country.. me, i'm originally from taranaki, new zealand via auckland.

for the most of this decade i have been living & working in brisbane, queensland, australia.. .

Watkins

Yes, the ability to insert a nationality or postscript under your avatar & name are disabled right now, or I would fix mine. I'm in the USA - Indiana. Go Colts!

28

Santa Claus

by Joshnaz in

jw
friends

i was thinking about if i should start telling my 2 year old about santa claus.

after realizing that i've been lied to my whole life from all the jw bullcrap should i lie to my child about santa claus?

do you think its ok to say, "be good or santa wont bring you any toys this christmas.

Watkins

'Awen', my experience is so much like yours - but it's incredible that you lasted till the 5th grade! I learned the truth about Santa from a first-grade pal - I couldn't believe it either and told him he was a liar! Mom told me the truth very reluctantly, and like you, it really made me mad to have been lied to and be made a fool - though in first-grade I didn't have the words to express it as eloquently as your fifth-grade self - but it was my same reaction.

My dd told my grandchildren that Santa is like a cartoon character, like Superman, who we know is not a real person, but the fantasy is a fun aspect of Christmas. They understood that with a child's perspective and they sure never suffered for believing this way. People who threaten their kids with Santa as a means to reward and punishment probably use 'the boogey man' as a disciplining tool too, which really kinda stinks.

Which reminds me of a funny Christmas joke - There were 2 boys who lived with their grandfather - one was a good boy who worked hard on the farm and listened with respect to his Grandpa; the other was a disrespectful and lazy rebel. Grandpa had told them that only 'good boys and girls get presents from Santa' in their hung-up stockings on Christmas Eve... So when Christmas morning ariived both hopeful little boys rushed to the mantle to retrieve their stockinged gifts. The good grandson pulled a new gold watch from his stocking and enthusiastically showed his brother - "Look! Santa left me this wonderful gold watch! The not-so-good grandson optimistically dug deeply into his Christmas stocking and pulled out....

a horse turd. His eyes widened with delight; then his expression turned to sadness as he spoke: "Well, I got a pony... but he got away!"

It's tough being a 'good' parent these days - so many opinions and so many critics! We all just do the best we can do and hope lots of love covers the mistakes we make!

watkins

24

Perimeno

by Truthexplorer in

after i decided/resolved to return to meetings several months ago, after being away on and off for several years; i can honestly say that i feel far more settled and comfortable in attending meetings again.. i struggled to attend before, having been reproved, then moving to a different congregation which i didnt find to be overly freindly.

it was only after i was reproved that i began to see all the past history of the soc iety(via internet) and the many things that simply stumbled me.

3 times i tried to return to meetings and three times i fell away.

Watkins

Dear TruthExplorer - I too wish you nothing but the best on your continued spiritual walk. I've know Perimeno for years and he's a good and sincere soul. He does, however, fall into error in his attempt to retain the wtbts as the object of Bible prophecy. In beginning with a false premise, the 'house is built on sand'. If the beginning pretext is wrong, then all consequential applications are also wrong. e-watchman, Robert King, also falls under the illusions of the false premise of the wtbts having fullfilment in prophecy. All I can say is what I now believe - that if a religion takes on the responsibility of speaking for God, then they will all be under the same judgement from God, accordingly. If you believe the wtbts has got some doctrine correct and some wrong, then what separates them from, or elevates them above, the rest of Christianity? It seems to me that all sects of Christianity attempt to 'get it right' and yet there are misunderstandings and differences - how are JWS any different? The 'name of God' has nothing to do with it - 'Jehovah' is not and never was God's name, so that doesn't really make them 'God's Name people'. Wishing for it to really be 'The Truth' does not make it so. The wtbts' 'f&ds' is not a chosen 'channel' of 'truth', or they would've gotten it ALL right from the start. The flip-flops in wt doctrine are an obvious point of contention in believing it all as the f&ds states. The worst thing their doctrine does is separate Jesus from all his sheep The 'other flock' he spoke of is not an elite 'class' of Christians separate from the rest. They were Gentile's who would come to have faith in Jesus also. He said he would take the 2 and make them one flock under one Shepherd - Jesus already did this through Paul's teaching the Gentiles the Good News - but the wt has it backwards and takes the one flock and tries to separate them into 'classes'. It's just wrong. Truthfully, I wouldn't encourage anyone to go back to the wtbts, but the decision is yours.

Well, enough about my thoughts - I do hope the best for you, wherever you are - keep your ears and eyes open and don't neglect addressing the cognitive dissonance some wt doctrine causes - keep on asking God for His spirit to discern the real truth from the rubbish.

Peace of mind to you - watkins

33

Christmas

by PSacramento in

i am sure there is a topic already abput this somewhere, but i am too lazy to search so i beg your indulgence :).

my little one sofia asked me about christmas the other day ( she is 6) and of course she mentioned how grandma said that christmas is not the day jesus was born and that it is a pagan day !!!.

* pause for thunderclap*.

Watkins

Excellent answer! Makes sense too in that 'grandma' doesn't celebrte birthdays on the 'right' day, so...

I've been thinking a lot about this - for years, actually. I've come to the conclusion that even tho' some of the 'pagan' influences still exist in most people's celebration of Christmas, the purpose in the early church was to place Christ in the midst of any celebration. They didn't do it with evil intent, but to put Jesus in his rightful place smack in the middle of any and all celebrations or rememberances. So it seems they wanted to overcome the pagan influence with Christ, instead of just 'adopting' the same date to celebrate Jesus' birth, they attempted to overshadow paganism with Christianity. It half-way worked. lol. Jesus isn't only the 'reason for the season' - he's the reason for joy EVERY day too. There really is a problem with thinking that everyone ELSE has evil in their hearts concerning religious thought - depressing way to think and live.

Anyway, I liked your answer, PS, and think it's easy enough to understand - even for 'grandma'!

watkins