I asked this question on another thread about Trees in Eden but it may be off topic, so asking here instead.
According to WTBTS doctrine, when did satan become the ruler of the world? Was it immediately after the humans were banished from the garden, or was it later when he fought with Michael and was banished from heaven and sent to the earth?
Any input you can give will be greatly appreciated. I have other questions along this line too but they depend on this initial answer. Thanks.
Pickled
JoinedPosts by Pickled
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Question: When did satan become ruler of the world according to JW?
by Pickled ini asked this question on another thread about trees in eden but it may be off topic, so asking here instead.
according to wtbts doctrine, when did satan become the ruler of the world?
was it immediately after the humans were banished from the garden, or was it later when he fought with michael and was banished from heaven and sent to the earth?
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Pickled
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No sacred trees in Eden - what would have happened?
by Awakened07 in-this is a hypothetical "for the sake of argument"-topic, where we take for granted that the biblical story of adam and eve (as it is presented in the bible we have available today) is literally true.
i think it can be an interesting exercise.. now - let's for this discussion say god did not plant any 'special' tree in the garden of eden.
no tree of knowledge, and no tree of life.
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Pickled
There is something I am confused about and would appreciate input.
I know that the JW believe that satan is the ruler of this world. Ok, that's fine.
But did he become the ruler when humans were banished from the garden, or did he become ruler when he was cast out of heaven and focused his attention on the earth in an angry sort of way? -
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Hi guys, I'm new here.
by spanteach ini'm a former jw or joho as one of my sister's schoolmates used to call us.
(reminds me of the hojos we used to stay at for assemblies :d) i was raised as a witness, baptized at the age of 14 due to my father's constant pressuring.
i'm in my mid-30s now and i stopped attending meetings three years ago.
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Pickled
Welcome Spanteach
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It looks like I will become an elder this week!
by outofthebox inthat's right guys.
as i told you before, they boe have been considering me for the eldership.
which i don't care for, but since my family is stuck in this cult, i guess i can use the new position to help them see that the holy spirit has nothing to do with me being an elder.
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Pickled
Well, I doubt that.
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It looks like I will become an elder this week!
by outofthebox inthat's right guys.
as i told you before, they boe have been considering me for the eldership.
which i don't care for, but since my family is stuck in this cult, i guess i can use the new position to help them see that the holy spirit has nothing to do with me being an elder.
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Pickled
Got your pm Chikikie and replied.
Pickled -
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did taze plan for a massive religion that appeals to only the downtrodden?
by Lotus65 indid taze when originally created this religion did he plan for the massive cult organization that it has become or was it mere chance and did he plan to prey on the weak and downtrodden people in society or was this originally supposed to encompass all people into "life saving" religion
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Pickled
Wow Forscher, that is an interesting behind the scenes look.
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It looks like I will become an elder this week!
by outofthebox inthat's right guys.
as i told you before, they boe have been considering me for the eldership.
which i don't care for, but since my family is stuck in this cult, i guess i can use the new position to help them see that the holy spirit has nothing to do with me being an elder.
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Pickled
Shawn10538, it is my limited opinion, and not a statement of judgment, that this dilemma is not rooted in a lack of education about the gross inconsistencies of the WTBTS.
I have said...
The Bible exists.
It is widely claimed by many religions that this same Bible is their standard for teaching.
The JW make that claim as well.
The teachings of the JW are not aligned with the teachings in that same Bible.
The characteristics of the WTBTS are however in alignment with the definition of a cult.
Therefore, I believe that the WTBTS is a cult that is also not teaching from the Bible.
What I get in response is this...
"Stop judging me. Stop being so aggressive."
I don't know how to work with that regardless of how pure my intentions may be. -
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It looks like I will become an elder this week!
by outofthebox inthat's right guys.
as i told you before, they boe have been considering me for the eldership.
which i don't care for, but since my family is stuck in this cult, i guess i can use the new position to help them see that the holy spirit has nothing to do with me being an elder.
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Pickled
Chikikie, I apologize for what you have interpreted as an aggressive and judging tone.
I now see in retrospect that I approached you with the premise that you encouraged your sister to become a member of this forum in an attempt to discourage her from joining a cult that you were able to tear yourself away from years ago. I understand from your responses that my premise was wrong. Because my posts included questions for you, as well as statements about the religion itself, I had no way of knowing that you would interpret questions as statements of judgment, or statements of judgment against this cult as statements against you personally. My effort was to approach this duo dilemma in the same way I would approach it if I myself had a sister who was considering returning to a cult that I myself found very painful. After encouraging her to join this forum I would solicit all the help I could get from those who were willing to jump in. I see this was a grievous error in thinking on my part, one which I will certainly no longer pursue at the apparent cost of your designated now alternate purpose, one that I need not understand.
Again, I apologize for my literal interpretation of your intent and I hope you will forgive my misguided attempts.
Pickled -
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did taze plan for a massive religion that appeals to only the downtrodden?
by Lotus65 indid taze when originally created this religion did he plan for the massive cult organization that it has become or was it mere chance and did he plan to prey on the weak and downtrodden people in society or was this originally supposed to encompass all people into "life saving" religion
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Pickled
Charles Taze Russell (February 16, 1852 – October 31, 1916), also known as Pastor Russell, was a Protestant evangelist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and founder of the Bible Student movement. [1]
After having published several articles in various religious journals as early as 1876 he formed his own religious journal Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence in 1879, as well as establishing Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1881. In 1884 Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society published the first in a series of seven books (six of which Russell wrote himself) entitled Studies in the Scriptures with the first six originally entitled The Millennial Dawn. In 1908 Russell transferred the headquarters of the Society to its current location in Brooklyn, New York.
Following Russell's death controversy arose over the practices of the new president of the Society, and a widespread schism erupted which divided the movement. The majority of the membership broke away, eventually resulting in the formation of several smaller groups known as Bible Students, while those who remained in fellowship with the Watch Tower Society took on the name Jehovah's Witnesses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Taze_Russell
What was going on in the world around Russell and during the formation of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society?
1838 Samuel Morse invents the Morse Code
1848 Gold discovered in California
1850 Religion’s Third Great Awakening begins
1851 Isaac Singer invents the Sewing Machine
1852 Charles Taze Russell is born
1853 George Crum invents the Potato Chip
1856 Louis Pasteur invents Pasteurisation
1857 Joself Gayetty invents Toilet Paper (Gayetty’s Medicated Paper)
1860 Abraham Lincoln elected 16th President of the U.S.
1861 Civil War begins
1862 Abraham Lincoln proclaims abolition of slavery
1862 Dr. Richard Gatling patents the Machine Gun
1862 Alexander Parks invents the first man-made Plastic
1865 Civil War ends
1876 Custer defeated at Little Big Horn
1876 Russell begins writing articles in religious journals
1876 Alexander Graham Bell patents the Telephone
1877 Edison invents the Phonograph
1879 Edison produces an incandescent bulb for commercial us
1879 Russell prints the first edition of Zion’s Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence
1881 David Houston patents the Roll Film for cameras
1886 Gottlieb Daimler builds the world’s first Four-Wheeled motor vehicle
1886 John Pemberton invents Coca-Cola
1893 American, W.L. Judson invents the Zipper
1898 Edwin Prescott patents the Roller Coaster
1899 I.R. Johnson patents the Bicycle Frame
1901 The first Radio Receiver successfully receives a radio transmission
1903 The Wright Brothers invent the first gas motored and manned airplane
1903 Mary Anderson invents Windshield Wipers
1904 Teabags are invented by Thomas Sullivan
1904 Benjamin Holt invents a Tractor
1905 Albert Einstein published the Theory of Relativity and made famous the equation, E=mc2
1906 William Kellogg invents Cornflakes
1908 The first Model T car is sold
1909 Instant Coffee invented by G. Washington
1910 Thomas Edison demonstrated the first Talking Motion Picture
1912 Clarence Crane created Life Savers candy
1913 Arthur Wynne invents the Crossword Puzzle
1913 Mary Phelps Jacob invents the Bra
1914-1918 World War I
1916 Radio tuners invented that receive stations
1919 Short-Wave Radio invented
1919 Charles Strite invents the Pop-Up Toaster
1921 The first Robot is built
1922 Insulin invented by Sir Frederick Brant Banting
1922 The first 3-D movie requiring spectacles with one red and one green lens is released
1923 Garrett A. Morgan invents a Traffic Signal
1923 Clarence Birdseye invents Frozen Food
1924 The Dynamic Loudspeaker is invented by Rice and Kellogg
1924 Notebooks with Spiral Bindings invented
1925 The Mechanical Television, a precursor to the modern television is invented by John Logie Baird
1927 Erik Rotheim patents an Aerosol Can
1927 Philip Drinker invents the Iron Lung
1928 Alexander Fleming discovers Penicillin
1929 Yo-Yo invented
1930 The “Differential Analyzer”, or Analog Computer invented by Vannevar Bush at MIT in Boston
1930 Frank Whittle and Dr. Hans von Ohain invent a Jet Engine
1931 Max Knott and Ernst Ruska co-invent the Electron Microscope
1932 Polaroid Photography invented by Edwin Herbert Land
1932 Radio telescope invented by Karl Jansky
1932 The Zoom Lens and Light Meter invented
1932 Carl C. Magee invents the first Parking Meter
1933 Adolph Hitler becomes the leader of Germany
1933 FM Radio invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong
1933 Stereo Records invented
1933 Richard M. Hollingshead builds a prototype Drive-In Movie Theater in his driveway
1935 First canned Beer is made
1937 Second Sino-Japanese War (a precursor to World War II)
1939 German invasion of Poland (another precursor to World War II)
1940 Karl Pabst invents the Jeep
1945 World War II comes to a close -
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did taze plan for a massive religion that appeals to only the downtrodden?
by Lotus65 indid taze when originally created this religion did he plan for the massive cult organization that it has become or was it mere chance and did he plan to prey on the weak and downtrodden people in society or was this originally supposed to encompass all people into "life saving" religion
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Pickled
Russell's message and theology seems to fit perfectly within the religious landscape of that time. He was among many who stood out at that time that had charismatic qualities that they channeled into religion. If you take a brief look at the historical environment during the years that he invented this religion, it becomes clear that he was one of many who were swept up in the same type of movement.
RELIGIOUS LANDSCAPE
1730 – 1740’s The First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening (often referred by historians as the Great Awakening) is the name sometimes given to a period of heightened religious activity, primarily in Great Britain and her North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. In New England, the Great Awakening was influential among many Congregationalists; while in the Middle and Southern colonies (especially in the "Backcountry" regions of those colonies) the Awakening was influential among Presbyterians and other dissenting Protestants. Although the idea of a "great awakening" is contested, it is clear that the period was, particularly in New England, a time of increased religious activity. The revival began with Jonathan Edwards, a well-educated theologian and Congregationalist minister from Northampton, Massachusetts, who came from Puritan and Calvinist roots, but emphasized the importance and power of immediate, personal religious experience. Edwards was said to be "solemn, with a distinct and careful enunciation, and a slow cadence." [1] Nevertheless, his sermons were powerful and attracted a large following. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," is his most famous sermon. The Methodist preacher George Whitefield, visiting from England, continued the movement, traveling across the colonies and preaching in a more dramatic and emotional style, accepting everyone into his audiences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Great_Awakening
1800 – 1830’s The Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening (1800–1830s) was the second great religious revival in United States history and consisted of renewed personal salvation experienced in revival meetings. Major leaders included Charles Grandison Finney, Lyman Beecher, Barton Stone, Peter Cartwright, Asahel Nettleton, and James B. Finley. It also encouraged an eager evangelical attitude that later reappeared in American life in causes dealing with prison reform, temperance, women's suffrage, and the crusade to abolish slavery.
[…]
, the renewed interest in religion inspired a wave of social activism. In western New York, the spirit of revival encouraged the emergence of new Restorationist and other denominations, especially the Mormons and the Holiness movement. In the West especially—at Cane Ridge, Kentucky and in Tennessee—the revival strengthened the Methodists and introduced into America a new form of religious expression—the Scottish camp meeting.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening
1850-1900’s The Third Great Awakening
The Third Great Awakening was a period of religious activism in American history from the late 1850s to the 1900s. It affected pietistic Protestant denominations and had a strong sense of social activism. It gathered strength from the postmillennial theology that the Second Coming of Christ would come after mankind had reformed the entire earth. The Social Gospel Movement gained its force from the Awakening, as did the worldwide missionary movement. New groupings emerged, such as the Holiness movement and Nazarene movements, and Christian Science.
[…]
The awakening in numerous cities in 1858 was interrupted by the American Civil War. In the South, on the other hand, the Civil War stimulated revivals, especially in General Robert E. Lee's army. After the war, Dwight L. Moody made revivalism the centerpiece of his activities in Chicago by founding the Moody Bible Institute. The hymns of Ira Sankey were especially influential.
The Gilded Age plutocracy came under harsh attack from the Social Gospel preachers and with reformers in the Progressive Era. Historian Robert Fogel identifies numerous reforms, especially the battles involving child labor, compulsory elementary education and the protection of women from exploitation in factories. [2] In addition there was a major crusade for the prohibition of alcohol. The major pietistic Protestant denominations all sponsored growing missionary activities inside the United States and around the world. Colleges associated with denominations rapidly expanded in number, size and quality of curriculum. The YMCA became a force in many cities, as did denominational youth groups such as the Epworth League (Methodist) and the Walther League (Lutheran).
New sects
Mary Baker Eddy introduced Christian Science, which gained a national following. In 1880, the Salvation Army denomination arrived in America. Although its theology was based on ideals expressed during the Second Great Awakening, its focus on poverty was of the Third. The Society for Ethical Culture was established in New York in 1876 by Felix Adler attracted a Reform Jewish clientèle. Charles Taze Russell Founded a Bible Student Institude that we know know as The Jehovah's Witnesses.
With Jane Addams's Hull House in Chicago as its center, the settlement house movement and the vocation of social work were deeply influenced by the Tolstoyan reworking of Christian idealism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Great_Awakening
1960-1970’s The Fourth Great Awakening
The Fourth Great Awakening was a Christian religious awakening that some scholars - most notably, economic historian Robert Fogel - say took place in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The terminology is controversial, with many historians believing the religious changes that took place in the USA during these years were not equivalent to those of the first three great awakenings. Thus, the idea of a Fourth Great Awakening itself has not been generally accepted. [1]
Whether or not they constitute an awakening, changes did take place. The "mainstream" Protestant churches weakened sharply in both membership and influence while the most traditional religious denominations (such as the Southern Baptists and Missouri Synod Lutherans) grew rapidly in numbers, spread across the United States, had grave internal theological battles and schisms, and became politically powerful. Other evangelical and fundamentalist denominations also expanded rapidly. At the same time, secularism grew dramatically, and the more conservative churches saw themselves battling secularism in terms of issues such as gay rights, abortion and creationism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Great_Awakening