Posts by caliber

68

Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles

by confusedandalone in

let's be serious - if you really want people to have faith and to be able to now absolute truth why not perform miracles.

why not make the bible a blank book and when you open it, it addresses you personally in writing of course.

for instance it says, "hey confusedandalone this is what i need you to do.

caliber

It was a work of a post-exile genius who was probably motivated by the disgusting zeal of Ezra & co.

Please tell me you have proof to back this up or should I just go on faith ?

68

Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles

by confusedandalone in

let's be serious - if you really want people to have faith and to be able to now absolute truth why not perform miracles.

why not make the bible a blank book and when you open it, it addresses you personally in writing of course.

for instance it says, "hey confusedandalone this is what i need you to do.

caliber

Most of us know that Jonah lived in the belly of the whale for three days

Please tell me you don't mean this literally.~~ cofty

I would think it unwise to try and tell you anything

but here are some known points as outlined in the Bible

A Mediterranean storm, both summoned and dissipated by God (1:4-16).

• A massive fish, appointed by God to swallow the prophet after he was thrown into the sea by his ship’s crew (1:17).

• Jonah’s survival in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, or his resurrection from the dead after being vomited upon the shore,

depending on how you interpret the text (1:17).

If Jesus words' not enough validation I am afraid my thoughts or idea's rank much lower.. I am not sure you even believe in the historic Jesus.

Here is an observation of another writer...

As for Jonah’s success in Nineveh, Orientalist Henry Clay Trumbull made a valid point when he wrote, “What better heralding, as a divinely sent messenger to Nineveh, could Jonah have had, than to be thrown up out of the mouth of a great fish, in the presence of witnesses, say on the coast of Phoenicia, where the fish-god was a favorite object of worship? Such an incident would have inevitably aroused the mercurial nature of Oriental observers, so that a multitude would be ready to follow the seemingly new avatar of the fish-god, proclaiming the story of his uprising from the sea, as he went on his mission to the city where the fish-god had its very centre of worship” (H. Clay Trumbull, “Jonah in Nineveh.” Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 2, No.1, 1892, p. 56).

As for the city of Nineveh, it was rediscovered in the 19th century after more than 2,500 years of obscurity. It is now believed to have been the largest city in the world at the time of its demise (see Tertius Chandler's Four Thousand Years of Urban Growth: An Historical Census

It is interesting to note where the lost city of Nineveh was rediscovered. It was found buried beneath a pair of tells in the vicinity of Mosul in modern-day Iraq. These mounds are known by their local names, Kuyunjik and Nabi Yunus. Nabi Yunus happens to be Arabic for “the Prophet Jonah.” The lost city of Nineveh was found buried beneath an ancient tell named after the Prophet Jonah.

68

Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles

by confusedandalone in

let's be serious - if you really want people to have faith and to be able to now absolute truth why not perform miracles.

why not make the bible a blank book and when you open it, it addresses you personally in writing of course.

for instance it says, "hey confusedandalone this is what i need you to do.

caliber

Matt. 16
1And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2He answered them,”When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 , but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

(The sign of Jonah which Jesus cites in verse 4, may refer to two of the prophet’s experiences. Most of us know that Jonah lived in the belly of the whale for three days until he repented of his sin of disobedience and once again found favour in God’s sight.)

68

Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles

by confusedandalone in

let's be serious - if you really want people to have faith and to be able to now absolute truth why not perform miracles.

why not make the bible a blank book and when you open it, it addresses you personally in writing of course.

for instance it says, "hey confusedandalone this is what i need you to do.

caliber

Anyway, does anyone recall the Society's explanation for the lack of miracles?

The purpose of miracles was to authenticate the performer of the miracles. Acts 2:22 declares,

“Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles,

wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” The same is

said of the apostles, “The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done

among you with great perseverance” (2 Corinthians 12:12)

Is this a miracle little old ladies purse makes air-bag go off... does it matter ?

http://biggeekdad.com/2013/10/old-lady-crossing-road/#.Um6h39JzawU.facebook

What we need to believe in today is the miracle of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

68

Why Does this super smart Bible God not perform miracles

by confusedandalone in

let's be serious - if you really want people to have faith and to be able to now absolute truth why not perform miracles.

why not make the bible a blank book and when you open it, it addresses you personally in writing of course.

for instance it says, "hey confusedandalone this is what i need you to do.

caliber

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7F6Z_DKGLc

Is seeing believing ....with many eye witnesses or not ?

21

Probably the most bizarre encounter with a witness family.

by Dis-Member in

went to a bar with a friend a few days ago.. we were sitting in the outside garden and i went back inside to get another round.

on my way back out i passed some tables with a family of about 6 or 7 people sitting and celebrating a birthday.. i overheard the name jehovah mentioned and i stopped and asked if they were witnesses to which one of them replied 'yes'.. we got into conversation about the latest watchtowers and the governing body.

none of them had a clue what i was talking about.. they new nothing of the 8 men brooklyn being the faithful and discreet slave, nothing about c.t russell or rutherford, nothing of how jesus came and selected them as his chosen people in 1914-19, in fact the only thing they knew about 1914 was that that was when the first world war started, nothing about malawi and mexico, never heard of candace conti or any of the sex abuse scandals, nothing about the 2 witness rule, nothing about the elders being chosen by the holy spirit, nothing about 'new light', nothing about the orgs involvement with the un, nothing about the blood fractions changes they knew almost nothing at all about the majority of their own organisations core teachings.

caliber

The sad part is that while they seem to be very liberal and half of them will probably never get baptized... They all are likely damaged by the cult in one way or another. Rebelling against the restrictive rules is one thing, but a lifetime of studies, meetings and assemblies has likely left them all with baggage that they won't be able to figure out. They will have huge amounts of guilt later on in life.

Doesn't it just show that people "born-in " learn how to adapt and survive over the years without going crazy

or losing their social life or family ? They have learned that resistance is futile.

To think is painful.. so they just chill out and enjoy what they can in life.

Denial and relaxation are the only things that save your sanity

Ignorance isn't just bliss ... it is a life saver ... well at least for now... "living in the moment"

Have a drink and worry tomorrow !!

Watch the TV show "Breaking Amish " it will help to understand

http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/breaking-amish/videos/brave-new-world.htm

they have chose the blue pill

63

If you want to show a JW some of the older publications from a non-apostate and 'safe' website..

by The Quiet One in

"it is appreciated that these documents do not reflect the current understanding of the bible enjoyed by jehovah's witnesses, and for up-to-date information the reader is encouraged to visit the official site of the watchtower bible and tract society.".

http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/.

caliber

emeth ... PM

66

New 1975? Jan 1st WT 2014

by notsurewheretogo in

this post was taken from reddit exjw but makes a very good point:.

these are two paragraphs of the watchtower of january 1st 2014.... .

i don't know about you guys, but in my mind, i'm seeing a deja vu of the articles before 1975 i've read.

caliber

20yr old, baptized and anointed in 1914. Lives to 80 so dies in 1974.

Overlaps with 20yr old baptized and anointed in 1974. Lives to 80 so dies in 2034.

This means that "this generation" stems from roughly 1894 to 2034 - 140 years long.

1894 .... .........140 years.................... 2034

born 1894 baptised 1914 dies 1974 (group 1 ) 80 years

born 1954 baptised 1974 dies 2034 (group 2 ) 60 years more max

~~~ by Splash

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/265545/2/New-Understanding-of-this-Generation#.UmhPvXTh4o8

406

Goodbye JWD/JWN (my last post)

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

after some considerable thought i have decided that i will no longer post on this forum because i want to return to jehovah.

thank you for all the kindness and many interesting discussions over the years.

i wish you all well in the future and the decisions you make.

caliber

I wish you all well in the future and the decisions you make. ~~~SBF

His final comments show a measure of respect & grace whatever we feel,

we do well address our comments in the same manner

If there is a sense of anger , I feel we should address our own inner turmoil

.....why do we lack inner peace ?

63

If you want to show a JW some of the older publications from a non-apostate and 'safe' website..

by The Quiet One in

"it is appreciated that these documents do not reflect the current understanding of the bible enjoyed by jehovah's witnesses, and for up-to-date information the reader is encouraged to visit the official site of the watchtower bible and tract society.".

http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/.

caliber

emeth ( I see you must be a male.. due to the above reference to dating girls )

You appear to be the exception to the rule... I praise the fact that you have kept your own conscience

You must be a very strong person and have solid family values

This is personal so you can answer or not...

How do the Elders feel about your liberal stand on things ?

"When dating a so called "worldly" person, the witness involved runs the risk of have the local congregation, under the direction of the Watchtower Society, use their interpretation of 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14 on them. This person becomes "marked"

During the time he dated her (which was no secret to anyone) there was no change in the way brothers and sisters in the congregation behaved towards him.

(I don't want or even think you need to answer that here but....)

Where is this wonderful opened minded congregation at ... a lot of us may have wished to grow up "in the truth " there.