Posts by Chalam

6

losing the plot for jehoovah

by jacethespace in

has anyone ever met people whithin the kingdom mall that are seriously mentally unstable to the point of completly losing it?.

for example ive heard from members of my cong that we once had a guy who believed he was an angel and would try to eat the bread and wine at the memorial evening[ and the elders would stop him].theres been many others ive heard of.at one assembly a poor old guy was giving a talk and i overheard someone i know mention how " he gives good talks but hes had a big nervous breakdown over the years".

i was suspicous when i heard these things then but now all these things start to fit into place.i mean how can an organization who professes gods backing have so much mental instability.. .

Chalam

Hi,
Yes I know someone who is an active JW but suffers with severe spells of depression and has suicidal tendencies.

Interesting thing thing he is totally sold on the religion and will tell me day a night why I am wrong as a born again Christian.

For sure, it doesn't sound like "God's organization" when they are so many on going problems.

Matthew 7 (New International Version)

A Tree and Its Fruit

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Regards,
Stephen

17

Unforgivable Sin

by Honesty in

do you know that anyone who opposes the watchtower society has unforgivably sinned against the holy spirit?.

those who fight jehovahs visible organization, upon which his spirit is manifest, sin against the holy spirit, unforgivably so.. .

june 1, 1952 watchtower magazine page 349 paragraph 26

Chalam

Hi,
Great post tula!

Will have a look at what else you have to say :)

Stephen

12

The Interview With God

by Chalam in

jw
friends

this touches me every time i watch it.

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/ .

john 1:12 (new international version) .

Chalam

Hi,
This touches me every time I watch it.

http://www.theinterviewwithgod.com/

John 1:12 (New International Version)
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

All the best,
Stephen

38

Death is a Terrible thing...

by KW13 in

jw
friends

has it sunk in for you people that your going to die yet?

i'm still avoiding the thought but it lurks in the back of my mind, i'm aware someday i've got to address it - like many here i didnt expect to live this far in this system, so i haven't any plan for life as of yet.. death frightens me.

i cannot sometimes watch a film with death of a character in a tragic way - there one moment with family/friends and a life and then not...i read the story about challenger the rocket that exploded and how the crew onboard that shuttle may well of been aware they were going to die.

Chalam

Hi KW13,
Was just reading this-though you might like it :)

Hebrews 2 (New International Version)

14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

All the best,
Stephen

26

THE TORTURE STAKE

by journey-on in

jw
friends

why in the world did they choose to call it that!

i remember the horrific way it always sounded to me...the torture stake.

couldn't they have chosen something else?

Chalam

Hi worldtraveller,
"Could someone let me know why how Jesus was killed is more important than why he was killed? Does it really matter?"

Four accounts of the crucifixion here

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=27&verse=32&end_verse=56&version=31&context=context

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=48&chapter=15&verse=21&end_verse=41&version=31&context=context

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=49&chapter=23&verse=26&end_verse=43&version=31&context=context

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=19&verse=16&end_verse=37&version=31&context=context

As for why they start here

1 Peter 3:18 (New International Version)
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit

Hebrews 9:15
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

Romans 5:10
For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Does it matter? I'll let you answer that one ;)

All the best,
Stephen

38

What Bible do you use?

by OMG! Now What? in

in my new search for truth, i'm back to my old routine of getting my 7+ different bibles out and comparing them all.

which one have you chosen, if at all, and why?

Chalam

Of course, to find 'The Truth' you need only one real Bible (certainly not the New World Translation!) and the Holy Spirit!

1 Corinthians 2:14
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

38

What Bible do you use?

by OMG! Now What? in

in my new search for truth, i'm back to my old routine of getting my 7+ different bibles out and comparing them all.

which one have you chosen, if at all, and why?

Chalam

Hi,
I used The Message a couple of years back-that is a paraphrase and not a direct translation but it is a great read-very refreshing and I still use it sometimes.

I have been using the NIV for the last year or so but I could do with something a little more literal these days.

So another vote for this-has all the good ones and is easy to search

http://www.biblegateway.com/

Also this if you want to go deeper and look up some words in Greek or Hebrew or just compare several versions.

http://bible.cc/

Happy reading!

Stephen

26

THE TORTURE STAKE

by journey-on in

jw
friends

why in the world did they choose to call it that!

i remember the horrific way it always sounded to me...the torture stake.

couldn't they have chosen something else?

Chalam

Hi,
Don't believe everything you hear, especially when it comes from the WTO!

Is a wooden cross not a (dead) tree? A tree has a trunk which is vertical and branches that are more horizontal?

You could are the same for stake being a dead tree but given the track record of the WTO and truth I would stick my money on THE CROSS!

Regards,
Stephen

10

slave vs servant

by bite me in

we are servants of god, not slaves.

why does the nwt use slaves rather than the proper term servants.

how does the wts claim this (using slave) is the proper way?

Chalam

Hi again Narkissos,
When I was learning a language I was taught that translation is not a science, i.e. merely transposing one word to another but an art. One had to look at the context where the word was and also context of where else the word is used to understand the meaning.

So to answer your question, of course not all the words are interchangeable!

Does this make any sense?

21Were you a mammal when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

Or this?

21Were you a earthling when you were called? Don't let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

The answer is no, not in context.

So back to your previous point, I believe the context i.e. what the verses are saying is just as important as the actual words used themselves, especially as our native language is neither Greek or
Hebrew. That is why the NWT is so detestable, the actual words are changed and also the meaning behind the verses.

Regards,
Stephen

10

So we go see the family...

by 4mylove in

we went to see the inlaws after their unexpectadly long vacation because fil ended up getting sick and kept them there about a month.

all was fine till "brothers" started showing up.

one showed up and didn't acknowledge my hubby, much less me.

Chalam

Hi 4mylove,
Ask them to meditate on these verses :)

Mark 12 (New International Version)

The Greatest Commandment

28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[f] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[g]There is no commandment greater than these."

32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)

Love

3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

If they need some more then give me a shout and I will send them over :)

All the best,
Stephen