Posts by Jeremy C

343

Defence of watchtower society Links

by reniaa in

i thought long and hard before making this thread, that many will not agree with it but i think there needs to be balance and people to realise there are alternate viewpoints out there on many of these subjects, the ones that are most spoke about on this forum.

i was recently sent a full message containing mary's book and these links give the rebuttal to many of her points.

those that are still open-minded enough feel free to look over them even if in the end you still don't agree at least you have heard both the defence as well as the attack as they are on the internet.

Jeremy C

Do you honestly think if you looked behind the curtains of any religion the men would be anything more than just men?

Yes, but the Watchtower has opened itself up to special scrutiny. Most Christian organizations do not assert that they are the exclusive channel of communication from God to mankind. Most do not claim that humans must be members of their organization in association with certain men (Slave Class) to gain salvation. Only the cults make these kinds of bellicose assertions.

Whenever an organization (and the men who govern it) make the grandiose claim that they are the sole mouthpiece of God; and that all other churches are part of the anti-Christ, they are setting themselves up to be knocked off of their pedestal. Incredible claims demand incredible evidence. When you read the Scriptures, you will find that Divine appointments to office (i.e. Moses and the priesthood) were accompanied by supernatural displays from God. The only thing the Watchtower can point to is the year that their former president got released from a Georgia prison.

The Watchtower demands a level of reverence and allegiance way beyond what they deserve. Yes, you are correct that they are imperfect men. But imperfect men do not have the right to be given unwavering allegiance when they have made asses out of themselves so many times. Reverence must be earned, not demanded.

It saddens me that so many elders and bethel workers are on here. And they have had hardest work to do they truly give all their life to Jehovah.

I served at Bethel, and I now know that I was not serving God, but the interests of a publishing corporation masquerading as a Christian congregation. You don’t have to be sad. People like us are now in a unique position to help others gain their freedom.

10

Does Existence of Jehovah Hinge on Exodus?

by cameo-d in

what if exodus never happened?.

what would it mean to you if the story were entirely fabricated?.

http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/doubtingexodus.htm.

Jeremy C

"There's a definite anti-Bible bias," Wood said.

Those kinds of statements make me laugh. As if there is some global conspiracy within academia to discredit Old Testament accounts purely out of a bias. The Watchtower has made the same assertions in response to all of the archeological findings that clearly prove that the human race is older than 6,000 years. If dating methods do not provide answers that agree with Genesis, then ergo; there must be an "anti-Bible bias" on the part of the scientists involved.

Yes sir, it was the Devil himself who fabricated those Lucy fossils.

10

Does Existence of Jehovah Hinge on Exodus?

by cameo-d in

what if exodus never happened?.

what would it mean to you if the story were entirely fabricated?.

http://www.raceandhistory.com/historicalviews/doubtingexodus.htm.

Jeremy C

For me, the question of Exodus was a non-issue. As far as I am concerned, there were other Old Testament mythological miracles and curses which were even more fantastical than the Exodus.

Stories like the global flood, the confusion of the languages, and Yahweh’s active involvement in military campaigns was more than enough evidence for me that Yahweh was no more real than Zeus, Poseidon, or Vulcan.

14

In anticipation of next Sunday's WT...

by Mickey mouse in

...can someone give a summary (or point me in the direction of one) for the reasons rutherford et al were imprisoned and subsequently released?

i seem to recall it had something to so with a section of the finished mystery?

i've tried the search function but can't find a straightforward explanation..

Jeremy C

Gregor wrote:

No wonder the WTS forbids consulting outside sources for information about them. Keeps the followers in a dark cave where the only "light" is supplied by them.

For sure. It is interesting how much J.F. Rutherford has been held up as an idealized patron saint for the organization. His antics have been white-washed to a degree where they are now portrayed as acts of heroism in Watchtower folklore. And to think that the Supreme Power of the Universe would look down upon mankind and choose this pompous, delusional ass as a messenger to mankind. The absurdity of it all is mind-boggling.

Rutherford is idealized by the Watchtower in the same way that Americans have idealized Christopher Columbus.

16

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 11-09-08 WT Study (ESCAPE)

by blondie in

jw
friends

comments you will not hear at the 11-09-08 wt study (september 15, 2008, pages 3-7 (escape).

review comments will be in red.

q 20. why can we trust in jehovah as our "provider of escape"?

Jeremy C

Cultic religious groups usually always rely disproportionately upon the Old Testament for their teachings. This is because they like to draw parallels between the Old Covenant Priesthood and the modern day leadership. In the OT, Moses was a human mediator to the rest of Jehovah’s servants. Thus, groups such as the Watchtower like to draw parallels between that ancient human mediator, and the supposed modern day human mediatorship of the Watchtower. The fact that the Old Covenant was done away with and replaced by one mediator, Jesus; is inconvenient for cults, and it is why it is not emphasized very much.

Another reason why cults use the OT so much is that the Noah / Flood myth is a perfect way to draw parallels between his ark, and the "modern day ark" of salvation - the organization. This plays into the Jehovah’s Witness mindset of "where else would we go?"

I’m sure that many of the dyed in the wool Watchtower Witnesses will eat this up; believing that the Slave Class is preparing them for the end. The funny thing is, there is absolutely nothing new about this material. It could have been lifted from a Watchtower during any one of the decades of the last 50 years!

The Watchtower organization is like a washed up rock band that can’t write anymore good music. So, all they do is release more "greatest hit" albums in re-mixed form every couple of years.

8

IT is not true that members of the Jehovah's Witnesses do not vote.

by fokyc in

jehovah's witnesses do vote in ghana .

http://www.modernghana.com:80/newsp/189459/1/pagenum1/jehovahs-witnesses-do-vote-in-ghana.html.

they do, nathaniel gbedemah, of the public affairs department at the group's headquarters in accra.

Jeremy C

Many of these elections in smaller countries allow write-in candidates on their ballots. I have heard that Jehovah's Witnesses in certain African countries with compulsary voting merely write in the names "Jehovah" or "Jesus Christ" on their ballots.

9

Did Jesus Mention or Confirm the 144,000?

by cameo-d in

i must have overlooked it.. it seems the kingdom hiearchy would be important enough to be mentioned.

did jesus ever discuss the "kingdom arrangement"?.

did jesus confirm his cabinet members of the 144,000?.

Jeremy C

It doesn't really matter what Jesus really said or didn't say. The Watchtower will interpolate into the Scriptures whatever they wanted him to say. Using whatever rhetorical methods they have at their disposal, they merely overwrite what was written (some of it quite ambiguous) with modern day organizational interpretations.

It's like one of those Godzilla movies that was filmed in Japanese but was dubbed over in English. It is unrecognizable to the Japanese, humorous to Americans, and believeable to children.

15

These look like good yearbook pics!

by purplesofa in

jw
friends

witnessing in hondorus, where the need is greater!!!!.

just got this in email, thought i would share.. .

.

Jeremy C

It reminds me of Jurassic Park. I can't help but picture a Velociraptor darting out of the foliage and snatching that guy with the straw hat as he tries to place a Watchtower with Jeff Goldblum.

26

Did the WTS with all it's lies take away your interest in the Bible?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

still interested .

still read .

still study .

Jeremy C

Actually, I questioned the validity of the bible before the WTS. It was only after seeing the flaws in the bible that I was able to question the teachings of the WTS without guilt.

My situation is very similar to what keyser soze wrote above. I seriously questioned Biblical infalibility while I was still an active Witness. I actually researched the Old Testament itself before I ever started to research the other Watchtower doctrines. I had rejected the notion that all of the Bible was the "word of God" before I ever left the JWs.

I had attended churches shortly after leaving the Watchtower; and wanted to cling to the Christian faith. However, after more research and some serious introspection, I began to realize that my church going was based purely on emotion. I wanted to believe, but realized there was not much of a foundation for such emotionally based belief. So, I am no longer religious and do not put much credence in the Bible as a foundation for my world view.

But, I am intrigued with the Bible, and I enjoy researching various aspects of it's history and cannon. I still do see that there are valuable moral lessons and teachings contained in various parts. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is about as simple and profound as one can get. Just immagine what the world would be like if every person practiced this.

Hey . . . . . didn't John Lennon say something about that? Maybe the churches should read more John Lennon than they do Levitecus.

343

Defence of watchtower society Links

by reniaa in

i thought long and hard before making this thread, that many will not agree with it but i think there needs to be balance and people to realise there are alternate viewpoints out there on many of these subjects, the ones that are most spoke about on this forum.

i was recently sent a full message containing mary's book and these links give the rebuttal to many of her points.

those that are still open-minded enough feel free to look over them even if in the end you still don't agree at least you have heard both the defence as well as the attack as they are on the internet.

Jeremy C

Apostates dismiss 607 BCE because of its historical and prophetic connection with the Gentile Times ending in 1914 CE demonstrating the reality of the Kingdom and its Gospel and prefer the darkness rather than the light of truth.

How childish. You know, this is the same method of argumentation that Evanglelicals use to criticize Jehovah's Witnesses regarding the Hellfire and Trinity doctrines. I have heard them use these same statements almost verbatim. "Prefering the darkness rather than the light of truth" is a snappy slogan that all of the religions use to describe those who disagree with them.

We reject the 607 date because it is . . . . .uhmm . . . .wrong. It's a carry-over doctrine from the crackpot Adventists of the 1800s. It's the same reason that we reject many doctrines that are taught by other religions as well. I will also tell the Evangelicals that I don't reject the hellfire doctrine because I prefer darkness, I reject hellfire because it is ficticious. The same applies to 607, Mormon magic underwear, the rapture, snake handling, and Dianetics.