Posts by AnneB

111

Can we understand the Bible without the Watchtower?

by brotherdan in

not according to c.t russell.

in the september 15, 1910 wt he made these shocking claims regarding the 6 scripture studies that he wrote:.

"that is to say, they are not merely comments on the bible, but they are practically the bible itself...".

AnneB

Read through the thread and remembered point #3...now I can't find the Edit feature!

3.) Studies in the Scriptures went through several revisions over the years. The earlier versions were, indeed, quite different in perspective from the later ones. Remember reading about the split in the WT after Russell's death, with Rutherford horning in and taking things in a direction Russell never considered? Well, it led to certain legal issues, one of which was "who owns the rights to early publications?". Actually, WT doesn't own the publishing rights to lots of earlier stuff including Studies in the Scriptures and (big surprise here) the Photodrama of Creation! The group now known as the Associated Bible Students has the rights to the early stuff! You can order copies of the Studies from them for a reasonable price and they are quite happy to share. WT never talks about that, do they! As far as the Photodrama is concerned, WT always shows the same roughly-7-minute clip...'cause that's all they own! The rest isn't "lost" in the manner that they imply (damaged, destroyed), it's lost as in "we lost the rights when Rutherford did his hostile takeover"!

Lots to consider. The Bible isn't the "Word of God" (and that WT publication is something I get angry about whenever I think of it). Scripture is different than Bible. Russell wasn't out to save the world, he was simply trying to save the Jews (in his later years). WT is....well, I'll leave that to the reader to decide; I know what I think.

111

Can we understand the Bible without the Watchtower?

by brotherdan in

not according to c.t russell.

in the september 15, 1910 wt he made these shocking claims regarding the 6 scripture studies that he wrote:.

"that is to say, they are not merely comments on the bible, but they are practically the bible itself...".

AnneB

1.) As I understand it, Charles Taze Russell was of the opinion that the natural Jews were going to be restored to Israel and that his preaching was centered with that in mind (especially in his later years). It sounds strange considering what WT is today.

2.) Remember, "The Bible" is just the name given to the cover wrapped around 66-72 (depending on who's counting) books. Think of it this way: you could take a number of books on any topic, say math or gardening, arrange them in some arbitrary order then publish them under one cover, kind of a "best of" volume. That's the idea behind "Bible". Now "Scripture"; that's a different thing altogether! When you read "...all scripture is inspired by God..." don't think of it as meaning each and every line of "The Bible"; think of it more as the stuff in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The other book in what some call the "Old Testament" aren't even on par with the God-inspired stuff in the first five, and the stuff in the "New Testament" is more like "what we thought and did once we got interested in the "scriptures"", a journal of how people took what they'd read in "scripture" and applied it. That's a *very* loose explanation; I hope it serves to highlight the difference between "Bible" and "Scripture". The two concepts are not interchangeable.

3.) Oh, rats! I had a third point in mind but it's taken me so long to write the first two that I forgot what it was! If it comes to me in the time allotted for editing a post I'll come back and add it in. If not, well...you'll know it when you read these lines!

39

strange comment from elder at the meeting today

by Evidently Apostate in

jw
friends

todays watchtower was especially nauseating but during the study one of them made the comment concerning the big a " jehovahs timetable is not contingent on all nations being saturated by the good news".

the study conductor reafirmed his point and then continued.. wait a fuggin minute!

there are 1.4 billion chinese on the earth and only 40 million profess christianity.

AnneB

Long ago in a city far, far away, the JW's told me that Daniel spoke of an image with toes made partly of clay. It was explained to me that, in the "march of world powers", that after the "Anglo-American dual world power" fell there would be "anarchy". They said that the toes of clay meant that people wouldn't stick together, hence "anarchy".

What if they misinterpreted? What if the toes of clay mean "rule by The People" as in People's Republic of China, that is, a communistic form of government? What if, during the time the "toes" are in power, the "Good News" is preached to the people represented by "the toes"....and THEN the end will come?

That about covers it as far as I'm concerned. WT is so centered on "the end" arriving any day that a further preaching work opening up in the (essentially) untouched part of the world is beyond them.

12

I just watched time disappear ...

by compound complex in

good morning, fellow posters.. i got up a few minutes ago to watch time disappear, right before my very eyes - an entire hour, to be exact.

as the computer clock approached 2:00 a.m. i knew that this would be the first time i had ever done this: see the time go from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.. the earth has moved beneath my feet .... please share your clock-watching stories.. or is this going to be a dead thread?.

thanks, and happy dst.. coco.

AnneB

I read your post then checked the clock. It said 1:11. Oooooooooo....

13

Woman Raised Jehovah's Witness awarded Rhodes Scholarship

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

sorry if this has been posted already, i don't recall seeing it before.. .

http://www.wave3.com/global/story.asp?s=11554602.

first u of l woman awarded rhodes scholarshipposted:

AnneB

"Then again... What kind of congregation does she go to?"

It's been years ago (late '80's)...

Rush had a teeeeeny, tiny KH, not much bigger than a good-sized living room. The people were as sweet as they could be. That said, they were also very, very "backwoods". It was like stepping back in time 50 years or more.

The area is absolutely gorgeous; woods all around. We drove back roads out in service (Rush was a need-great area back then) and there were actually guinea fowl, peafowl, and turkeys walking right on the roads in flocks! They weren't startled by motor vehicles; it seemed that there hadn't been enough around for them to be frightened!

I loved it there...actually wanted to move there, that's how deeply Rush touched my heart.

I don't remember any of the people by name any more. I wonder if this girl's family was there when we passed through or if they moved in later.

3

President Carter Hospitalized

by Bangalore in

former president jimmy carter is in hospital.. .

http://www.reuters.com/article/idustre68t01q2010093http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/09/carter-to-remain-in-hospital-another-night-1/1.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-29/carter-will-spend-second-night-in-hospital-to-recover-from-upset-stomach.html.

AnneB

I'd get sick too if I had to go to Cleveland.

16

Sad, Sad, Sad, and God damn!

by belbab in

i don't know if anyone has posted this, but if so it merits a reposting.

i am sorry to post it here at the beginning of a new year at a time of happiness.

http://www.nothingtoxic.com/media/1143725179/iranian_boys_arm_crushed_for_stealing.

AnneB

http://www.snopes.com/photos/gruesome/crushboy.asp

6

If "They" Knew......

by cameo-d in

jw
friends

"they" are the ones in the watch towers with the telescopes and seismographs, and all the high tech equipment registering changes in the earths movements.. if these high tech sensors registered movements of an impending disaster..... perhaps that predicted tidal wave from la palma....or an impending caldera blast from yellowstone....or nuclear missles being fired from another country.... do you think they would really tell us?.

would they not simply shrug and say "there's nothing they can do about it anyway" and just keep quiet?.

would they not look ahead and say "if we evacuate them, it will be like katrina all over again and they will become a responsibility to an overburdened system that cannot provide" and simply keep quiet?.

AnneB

Alas, Babylon! (Pat Frank, 1959)

32

JWs and get-rich-quick schemes

by AndersonsInfo in

thought you'd like to know about the latest fad rippling through the jw community.

it is home-based get-rich-quick business offerings.. a whois search at network solutions (http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp) shows the owner of the following websites.

it turns out this owner is a well known congregation coordinator (aka presiding overseer).. www.ontrack2succeed.com.

AnneB

Better to follow Gamaliel's counsel.

25

We had it all figured out..honest. 1974 KM..please read lurkers...

by oompa in

well, why can't i cut and paste material?...am i restricted or something?

have tried and tried.

maybe i will be able to if i can just start the damm thread......oompa

AnneB

I'm hoping it's the KM where JW's were told to get rid of everything that had sentimental value so the enemy couldn't use such items to weaken resolve.