Posts by Greenpalmtreestillmine

In August of this year you will have reached your first year anniversary here. If by then you are still, AlmostAtheist then I think you should find out why you are still an Almost.

Perhaps your mind says one thing and your heart another? Well, my love to you and my deepest wish that you should find the answer to your quest. AlmostAtheist.

Sabrina

41

JOHN - The Lazy Apostle ?

by Lampokey in

from the gospel according to john , 21:25 new world translation :.

"there are , in fact , many other things which jesus also did , which , if ever they were written in full detail , i suppose , the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.".

well , john , here you are , charged with the responsibility to relate the life and times of jesus , and you do not tell us what these "many other things" are.. why not ?

Greenpalmtreestillmine

Gumby,

Here is a book that is held as gods own words for mankind.....

I don't believe the Bible is a perfect word for word account of history. That's not reasonable but it is what fundamentalists and the like teach. They do that in order to raise up their own authority.

They have made the bar so high, the bar of direct word for word inspiration, for their own purposes. It's like a strict father who requires that his daughter be a pure untouched woman until she marries. Then he sets the bar: she must remain a virgin, she must not touch even the hand of any boy, she must not look at boys and she must not even think of boys. If she should do any of these things then her father says she is a whore. Well, of course the poor thing will end up being called a whore by her father because she can't possibly live up to his impossible standards.

In my opinion, the Bible has been falsely made to look like that young woman by Christian fundamentalists. They say she is pure and no defect at all is in her and as a result she is the divine word of God in every respect. Then when, after believeing them, we do find flaws and we find contradictions we automatically assume she is a whore. But that's only because we are requiring the Bible to jump the hoops the fundamentalists set as the bar of her purity. But the Bible does not have to be perfect to be considered divinely guided. She only has to be true to her God and to his spirit. This she is.

Sabrina

22

Have Fun Applying Scriptures To The Witnesses/Organization

by minimus in

jw
friends

i was thinking of how the watchtower always seems to be using a scripture and somehow applying it to themselves.

let's take some bible verses or passages and have a little fun with making our own interpetation........example# 1.....matthew 25: 13, "keep on the watch, therefore, because you know neither the day nor the hour"......"keep on the watch" refers to our continuous reading of the watchtower magazines and watchtower publications.

"you know neither the day or the hour" but the "faithful and discreet slave has insight into such matters and that is why we must always be on the alert and listen to them!.........example # 2.....mt.

Greenpalmtreestillmine

Matthew 23:23-28 in honor of the Watchtower:

Woe to you, Service Dept. & Writing Dept. Elders, hypocrites!

Because you give the tenth of the mint and the dill and the cumin, but you have disregarded the weightier matters of the Law, namely, justice and mercy and faithfulness. These things it was binding to do, yet not to disregard the other things. Blind Bethel Elders, who strain out the gnat but gulp down the camel!

Woe to you, Congregation Elders, hypocrites!

Because you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of plunder and immoderateness. Blind Elders, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the dish, that the outside of it also may become clean.

Woe to you, Governing Body, hypocrites!

Because you resemble whitewashed graves, which outwardly indeed appear beautiful but inside are full of dead men's bones and of every sort of uncleanness. In that way you also, outwardly indeed, appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

4

Memorial Partakers - how many from 1935 are still alive?

by eyeslice in

actuaries .

there has been a lot of debate about the number of memorial partakers staying around the 8,500 mark for years now, up by 5 this year, compared with the 11,000 or so that partook in 1935 when the heavenly calling was closed.. .

personally, i do not have the actuary skills to be able to work out how many who partook in 1935 are likely to still be alive to day.. .

Greenpalmtreestillmine

The 1935 cut off for anointed and/or the requirement that GB members only be of that class are teachings the Watchtower will soon have to tweak. If they are to keep their Governing Body's superior spiritual position, as Christ's brothers, they must continue to reap from the not so loved post 1935 class as they have for the last 5 GB memebers. But if there are not enough "mature" and approved males in that class then they are forced to either return to the Anointed President days or allow the lowly other sheep class entry into the holy of holies, the Governing Body.

Either way, more changes to their already poorly structured theology will only result in more publishers leaving.

Sabrina

41

JOHN - The Lazy Apostle ?

by Lampokey in

from the gospel according to john , 21:25 new world translation :.

"there are , in fact , many other things which jesus also did , which , if ever they were written in full detail , i suppose , the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.".

well , john , here you are , charged with the responsibility to relate the life and times of jesus , and you do not tell us what these "many other things" are.. why not ?

Greenpalmtreestillmine

The Gospel of John is more a Gospel for today's Christians rather than the Christians of the 1st or 2nd centuries, imo. The freedom of women in that Gospel is extraordinary for its time. Many of the so called fathers of the church had poor opinions of women and of their place in the church. Women were not given the dignity of their own mind. Disgusting really.Very dark. When it comes to the typical treatment of women in those days the Gospel of John is like a great light shining in a very dark place. Also, the superior argumentations and symbolisms as, for example, those used in the Samaritan woman at the well story are not 1st century things but things of today and for today imo.

The Bible is not stagnant it was written and compiled in such a way that it would have up to date relevance and usefulness even 2000 years later. The treatment of women in that Gospel is way beyond its day and even still to an extent beyond our day where in many churches Christian women are still restricted to receiving spiritual food not providing it. Rather than be vocal witnesses before the congregation of men and women as the Samaritan woman and Mary Magdalene were many Christian women today are, in the congregation, in effect still covered in a religious burka. In the Gospel of John they are not.

The Samaritan woman introduced the men of her city to the Christ. She worked through no third person. The Christ spoke to her directly told her things he had not openly told others and then she herself brought the men of the city directly to the Christ.

Mary Magadalene brought the news of the risen Christ to his male disciples. She was in fact "sent forth" by the Christ himself.

Martha and her sister Mary enjoyed great ease of conversation with the Christ himself. No barrier did he put up before them because they were women. They asked questions of him, they complained to him, they spoke freely and openly to him and were not told to be silent.

In this respect and many others the Gospel of John is a Gospel for today. A modern Gospel for modern Christians.

Sabrina

71

Stupid questions require stupid answers

by Norm in

christians always tell us how loving, caring and just god is, how he never ?forgets?

they also claim that god is omnipotent and everything that happens is his will and that it has a ?purpose?.

lets pay attention to what the watchtower say next as we will come back to it later:

Greenpalmtreestillmine

Hi Norm,

You are a good person, Norm. Please don't get upset okay? Just let this stupid believer have her little say. (By the way, AlanF is right, I'm not that good at this debate stuff but I will never admit that to him. ) There are many kinds of "brothers", some fleshly, some religious, some racial, and so forth. But there are also those who can be thought of as "brothers" just because of respect for one another or just because an accord has been reached. Well, Norm. That's how I feel about you. So if you don't mind just this one time in this one post, I will call you brother.

Much love and respect to you brother. You too take care.

Sabrina

41

JOHN - The Lazy Apostle ?

by Lampokey in

from the gospel according to john , 21:25 new world translation :.

"there are , in fact , many other things which jesus also did , which , if ever they were written in full detail , i suppose , the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.".

well , john , here you are , charged with the responsibility to relate the life and times of jesus , and you do not tell us what these "many other things" are.. why not ?

Greenpalmtreestillmine

Hi Lampokey,

The Bible does not give full details about almost everything. It gives us what we need to know that's all. It's the essence not the full story.

Sabrina

71

Stupid questions require stupid answers

by Norm in

christians always tell us how loving, caring and just god is, how he never ?forgets?

they also claim that god is omnipotent and everything that happens is his will and that it has a ?purpose?.

lets pay attention to what the watchtower say next as we will come back to it later:

Greenpalmtreestillmine

Hi Norm,

Wow! Christians always tell us that God is just, caring, loving. But now you come clean here and show us this apparently new side of God which according to you "doesn't give a damn" about what happens to us. Well, we already knew that from merely observing the world around us.

Well, you see! We do have common ground here, we finally found something we agree on. I'm glad about that.

You seem to have gotten into your head that asking you simple questions about God which you claim to believe in somehow amount to whining.

I think that's probably due to the small reasoning ability AlanF so kindly pointed out to me.

I understand that you find it frustrating and quite a nuisance to answer, because you haven't got a leg to stand on.

Well, I could joke and say, "you're right Norm I haven't got a leg to stand on I have two (God and his Son) but that would be tacky and childish so I won't say that. (sorry I couldn't resist)

From my position the questions are asked because I hope that it will make you think about it all, and the impossible position you are in. I guess your latest post here really demonstrate that with thundering clarity. it surely didn't make much sense. But that's exactly what religion and faith is all about Sabrina, it doesn't make any sense at all, that's why you just have to have blind faith.

Norm, I don't know if you will believe me or not when I say this, but I truly do appreciate with all my heart your sincere efforts to help me. Ironically, again we are on the same path. I know to you I don't make much sense. I can't Norm. I believe, you don't believe. There is a divide that may never be crossed there. I can never leave God, that is an impossibility. You may never leave your disbelief that could also be an impossibility. But I say this again, I truly appreciate your efforts to do what you believe is right. I respect that.

Good day to you, Norm.

Sabrina

71

Stupid questions require stupid answers

by Norm in

christians always tell us how loving, caring and just god is, how he never ?forgets?

they also claim that god is omnipotent and everything that happens is his will and that it has a ?purpose?.

lets pay attention to what the watchtower say next as we will come back to it later:

Greenpalmtreestillmine

Narkissos,

I don't really understand why you are reluctant to say "God limits himself" (even temporarily), which afaik is the classical Christian stance on theodicy.

I cannot say God limits himself because I don't think that is the most accurate way to express it. I would say, "God chooses, and among his varied choices are: to intervene or not intervene or to partially intervene or a number of other things I suppose. I am not a spirit person and so am not aware of all the choices that may be available when it comes to intervention in human affairs by God, his Son or his angels.

You mentioned Paul. Just for the record, I posted recently that I believe Paul's law was just as liable to be put on the obsolete list as the Law of the Moses was. If the Law of Moses reached it's end and applicable usefulness so can the Law of Paul. It served its purpose. In my opinion, the only law is the teachings of the Christ. Just trying to make clear where I stand on Paul. A good Christian to be sure but in the 3rd millennium, the 3rd day since the death of our Lord, the time has come for a return to the teachings of Jesus alone unfettered by Paul's. imo

I enjoy reading your posts Narkissos though I don't mind admitting that I have to read them several times and with great care. But I'm trying to understand as best I can. When you post, I read. School time maybe?

Great knowing you, Narkissos.

Sabrina