i have just finished reading one of the most powerful, thought-provoking books i have ever read.. if somebody really wanted to know the reality of life inside the watchtower they must talk to a rational ex-jw.
only people like us can see through the offical statememets and stereotypes and understand the thinking, pressures, hopes and fears of life in the cult.. ayaan hirsi ali shares her personal experience of growing up in a muslim community.
ayaan was born in somalia with it's culture of clan loyalty and honour.
I watched that Youtube video of one of her lectures that you posted Cofty and found it very enlightenin, particularly in how she describes Islam as a philosophy all about how our live's on earth are just temporary and not the 'real life' and how everything a Muslim should do is with the aim of securing their future in the 'real life' ie in the hereafter.
Where have I heard that before?!
i heard through the grapevine that one of the slave laborers was walking backwards on the roof of the falls city, nebraska quick build this weekend and fell of the roof.
i heard he landed on his back and head and sustained some pretty serious injuries.. anyone in that area that might provide more information?
extent of injury?
He fell off the roof at Falls City?
Sorry.
i know this has been dished over before, but when i was doing some research i discovered a couple of interesting points.
as far as i can find, there is only one wt article that implies that jw men should not have beards.
*** w75 8/15 pp.
As a JW teen my mother explained the reason for this rule was that beards are sometimes associated with religious fanatics or beatniks (fair point) and a big beard on a JW man can sometimes be a bit frightening to women householders on the door to door work. I thought those seemed like reasonable enough reasons at the time.
okay mr. anointed governing body elder, tell me exactly.
q: how you know what jehovah wants "channeled" into the watchtower?.
1. j. f. rutherford, preparation, watch tower bible & tract society, 1933, page 64, 67, "enlightenment proceeds from jehovah by and through christ jesus and is given to the faithful anointed on earth at the temple, and brings great peace and consolation to them.
Look out Terry's on a roll now, mining 1930's Watchtower quotes to prove some relatively obscure, esoteric point.
as hillary clinton might say, what difference does it make???.
even if god's kingdom was established in 1914, why is that such a big deal?
other than unprovable actions in heaven, what can jws say is the significance of it all...with a straight face?.
Excellent point Scenicviewer. To continue saying the 'gentile times' ended in 1914 is complete and utter LUNACY. You should start a new thread with your comment.
as hillary clinton might say, what difference does it make???.
even if god's kingdom was established in 1914, why is that such a big deal?
other than unprovable actions in heaven, what can jws say is the significance of it all...with a straight face?.
Great post SAHS!
so many changes throughout the wt history!.
.
is matthew 25:31 concerning after armageddon or during/before?.
It would help if you quoted the scripture and did you try using the 'Search' feature on this forum?
Future:
10/15/95 WT
"25 This means, then, that Jesus’ ‘sitting down on his glorious throne’ for judgment, mentioned at Matthew 25:31, applies to the future point when this powerful King will sit down to pronounce and execute judgment on the nations"
Here's a nice Seventh Day Adventist video teaching aid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHO-6VwWSh0
KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid!
i have heard a lot of talk over the last year or so if the gb will eventually ditch 1914 and some have even made the claim that most, if not all of the gb do not believe in 1914. ive given this some thought and in the past i wasnt sure.
this annual meeting puts 100%, without a doubt in my mind that the gb do not believe in 1914. id even go as far to say that they talked about that date and have a game plan in mind.. here is why i feel this way:.
there were a lot of changes with the parables at this annual meeting.
Have the Seventh Day Adventists ever abandoned 1843 as one of their official teachings? Nope. It will always have a mystical significance to them.
Nevertheless, 2034 has to be the terminus ad quiem of what can reasonably be called a "short period of time" for the ousted Devil from 1914 in God's eyes (Rev 12: 12).
Compare Genesis 6:3 where God sets a time-limit of his patience on that ancient wicked world of 120 years. So why would God's patience be any longer than that for the post-1914 world?
The JW's directly parallel the days of Noah with Jesus 'parousia' since 1914. The inference of a similar 120 year time limit is undeniable.
Genesis 6:3 - Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years." (NIV)
Matthew 24:37 - As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. (NIV)
After 2034, the 1914 creed will be majorly revised. It will end up nothing but a sort of 'investigative judgment' concept similar to the SDA's teaching about 1843.
Here's the official SDA website explanation and video! They are still promoting their 1843 date 171 years later! :
http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/apocalypse/christs-ministry-in-the-heavenly-sanctuary/
Will this video explain how they connect 1914 to 1919? You would be lucky to find a single publisher in any typical congregation who could explain THAT!
Or how about this scenario built in to the demonstration:
Householder: "Ok. So if Jesus was enthroned as King in 1914 then his thousand year reign must have started then, right? (Rev 20:4)"
JW: "Umm, no. The thousand year reign doesn't start until after Armageddon."
Householder: "Huh? But if Jesus was made King in 1914 he must have sat on his throne and started ruling then?"
JW: "Errrmm, yes he did, but his thousand year reign is only when he effectively starts to reign over the whole earth?"
Householder: "Oh. So what has Jesus been reigning over since 1914?
JW: "Aaah...technically nothing really, except possibly JW's. He did boot Satan and the demons out of heaven a few years later though in 1918."
Householder: "What? So you're saying Jesus became King in 1914 and ruling since then but hasn't been reigning over anything but apparently your organisation? Where did Jesus say that?"
JW: "Ummmm...here in Matthew 24:3. It says "What will be the sign of your presence and pf the conclusion of the system of things". You see, Jesus has been present as King since 1914 then all the wars, famines, earthquakes, etc, happened to prove it."
Householder: "My Bible says 'coming' not 'presence'. So does that mean Jesus came in 1914?
JW: "No, his second coming is in the future still, but he became present in 1914."
Householder: "Huh? How could Jesus be present unless he first comes? It's like saying I'm present in this house but I've never come into it?"
JW just stares blankly....
Householder: "And Matthew 24:3 doesn't say anything about his being king in 1914? Here in Matthew 25 it says Jesus sits on his glorious throne and separates the sheep and goats - so you must mean that happened in 1914 right?"
JW (squirming and feeling quite embarrassed now): "Errm, no, that is actually a future event that hasn't happened yet. Jesus sat on a different throne in 1914, a judgement throne."
Householder: "Look, this really does seem a bit queer to me and hardly convincing. Sorry it's been interesting chatting but I just don't think I'm interested, bye."
(JW walks off disconsolately scratching his head feeling like a bit of a dork.)
