HenryP

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Posts by HenryP

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  49

  BEARDS letter from GB

  by Shane in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  watchtower.

  bible and tract society of new york, inc.. writing department phone (718) 625-3600.

  25 columbia heights, brooklyn, new york 11201-2483, u.sa.

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  HenryP

  I do see the point badwillie is making and you have something going in your argument. Could we possibly apply 1 Corinthians 10:23-33 to the discussion?

  The scripture says :

  “You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is helpful. You say, "I am allowed to do anything"--but not everything is beneficial. 24Don't think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them.
  25Here's what you should do. You may eat any meat that is sold in the marketplace. Don't ask whether or not it was offered to idols, and then your conscience won't be bothered. 26For "the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
  27If someone who isn't a Christian asks you home for dinner, go ahead; accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you and don't ask any questions about it. Your conscience should not be bothered by this. 28But suppose someone warns you that this meat has been offered to an idol. Don't eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. 29It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.
  Now, why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks? 30If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it? 31Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do all for the glory of God. 32Don't give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God. 33That is the plan I follow, too. I try to please everyone in everything I do. I don't just do what I like or what is best for me, but what is best for them so they may be saved. [New Living Translation]
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  11

  Report from the Publishing Committee

  by JEMIMAH in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the following is part of a report to all bethel family members.

  and is the reason why the uk bethel move to milton keynes.. -------------------------------------------------------------------.

  a report from the publishing committee on making the best use of contributed funds.. five years ago because of construction in the united states and throughout the world on k. h. and a. h. and branches the needs were greater than the available funds putting quite a strain on the resources.. the design build committee limited any building projects to only those absolutely necessary.

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  HenryP

  I don't think the problem is that they are running out of money, but that their responsibility is now global and not only the US. Most of the friends in many lands cannot afford to pay for their own Kingdom Halls, publishing of literature, Assembly Hall rentals, and other expenses. The US, UK, and other branches that have the resources to help are now paying for those buildings and expenses. A little cost cutting and saving of money is always a good idea.

  Sometimes I wished my kids would save me some money by turning off the lights for an hour.
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  49

  BEARDS letter from GB

  by Shane in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  watchtower.

  bible and tract society of new york, inc.. writing department phone (718) 625-3600.

  25 columbia heights, brooklyn, new york 11201-2483, u.sa.

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  HenryP

  I don't know if they had beards or not, so I can't comment on your reasoning. I do know that the apostles did not force them to grow one if they didn't. Again, we must adapt to our culture and what is acceptable or not.
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  49

  BEARDS letter from GB

  by Shane in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  watchtower.

  bible and tract society of new york, inc.. writing department phone (718) 625-3600.

  25 columbia heights, brooklyn, new york 11201-2483, u.sa.

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  HenryP

  Jesus had a beard because that was the custom in those days and it was acceptable by someone that served God full time. Would Jesus have a beard if he were on Earth today? Maybe, but Jesus was humble and would not do anything to stumble his brothers, especially something so minute as having a beard.

  The letter is balanced in saying that if you want to grow a beard, fine. Now about the privileges, they leave it up to each individual body of elders, who know the friends in their own congregations better than the brothers in Bethel. I don't see anything wrong with that. Notice that the elders would not be involved in deciding for the individual, that decision is up to him. The elders would only be involved in analyzing if it would be appropriate for that individual to have privileges of service in the congregation.

  My personal view on the matter is that if the individual so desperately seeks privileges in the congregation to serve his fellow brothers and sisters, then he would not want to do anything that would cause them to stumble. He still has one of the biggest privileges, sharing in the ministry
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  49

  BEARDS letter from GB

  by Shane in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  watchtower.

  bible and tract society of new york, inc.. writing department phone (718) 625-3600.

  25 columbia heights, brooklyn, new york 11201-2483, u.sa.

  1. 
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  HenryP

  The letter seemed balanced. It is true about the different cultures and what is accepted or not in that culture. I was thinking about the men wearing skirts. This is accepted in many islands of the Pacific and men wear them to the Kingdom Hall and have priviledges. Would this be accepted in the US? No it would not.
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  20

  LIVING 4EVER ON EARTH

  by hannibal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  being inactive for over a year now, many things .

  have come to "light" about the religion i was raised.

  much of witch is becuase of the insight and fine posts.

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  HenryP

  You are right, there wouldn't have been a Jesus that came to earth to die for our sins. This process would not have been necessary if all humanity was perfect and sinless.

  God does not need help. The Messianic Kingdom is the means that he uses to get the issue settled once and for all. He has delegated that responsability to his son.

  Your issue with the earthly and heavenly hopes is just a matter of perception. The earthly hope is clear in the scriptures, specially in the Psalms and Isaiah. Maybe Jehovah thought that this was common sense and did not see it necessary to reiterate it again and again. Although the descriptions of that perfect world are presented as a paradise, no sickness, peacefulness, etc...

  The heavenly hope was a new hope and is mentioned many times by Paul. He was counseling those early Christians and helping them to hold firm to their faith throughout their trials.
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  20

  LIVING 4EVER ON EARTH

  by hannibal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  being inactive for over a year now, many things .

  have come to "light" about the religion i was raised.

  much of witch is becuase of the insight and fine posts.

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  2. 
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  HenryP

  If Adam and Eve wouldn't have sinned, there would never have been 144,000. These are part of the solution to the problem. God did not lie, but provided a way to gain what was lost.
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  20

  LIVING 4EVER ON EARTH

  by hannibal in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  being inactive for over a year now, many things .

  have come to "light" about the religion i was raised.

  much of witch is becuase of the insight and fine posts.

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  2. 
  3. 
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  HenryP

  There are many other scriptures that mentions the purpose for the earth:

  Gen. 1:27, 28 What was Jehovahs original purpose for the earth?
  Prov. 2:21, 22
  Isaiah 45:18 Earth was made to be inhabited, by whom?
  Psalms 37:9, 11, 29
  Isaiah 6:6-9 When and where does this scripture fulfilled?

  You say that Ps 37 and Matt 5:5 are vague, but Titus 1:2 says that Jehovah cannot lie. Why would Jehovah include those scriptures in our Bible? Why would Jesus say inherit the earth in Matt. 5:5?

  Reasonably these scriptures are there for a reason, to give us hope of a paradise earth.
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  21

  Part 5: The Beginning of the End

  by Amazing in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  part 5: the beginning of the end .

  note: from this point forward begins not only my final journey out of the jws, but even more bizarre and twisted turns in the road.

  i hope you all find this interesting, because to me it only gets more intriguing and weird for the 3 12 years following january 1992... moment of decision: i can point back to the mountain top visit with god, or maybe today i might call it a visit with my higher power, whomever she/he/it might be.

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  HenryP

  I have been enjoying your story. It is unbelievable what some elders will do. At that time, did you have a chance to discuss what this elder was doing with another elder or with the circuit overseer?
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  26

  Parable of wheat and weeds

  by HenryP in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have been wondering the meaning of this parable.

  i know what jehovah's witnesses believe it is, but is there another interpretation?

  i found this article on it:.

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  HenryP

  I have been wondering the meaning of this parable. I know what Jehovah's Witnesses believe it is, but is there another interpretation?

  I found this article on it:

  *** w84 3/1 31 Questions From Readers ***
  In Jesus’ parable of the wheat among the weeds, do the “weeds” include those who recently have become apostates?
  No, for strictly speaking they are not “weeds.”
  This illustration and Jesus’ explanation of it are found at Matthew 13:24-30, 37-43. In the “field,” which is the world, the “Son of man” sowed “fine seed,” representing “the sons of the kingdom,” genuine anointed Christians. Then the Devil sowed “weeds” that might appear to be “wheat,” but are actually “the sons of the wicked one,” evidently imitation Christians that exist at the same time as the wheatlike true Christians. This developed particularly after the apostles died. (2 Thessalonians 2:6, 7) Through the centuries there have been many who merely claimed to be Christians, including the clergy who have spread false teachings.
  Jesus said that during the harvest period, the “conclusion of a system of things,” the “weeds” would be collected out and “burned with fire.” Some might view the small number of persons who recently turned apostate as “weeds” being collected out. But Jesus did not say that the “weeds” had once been “wheat” and then turned bad. They were sown as “weeds” and remained such, consistent with the genetic rule that vegetation reproduces “according to its kind.” (Genesis 1:11, 12) We need to bear in mind, though, that in speaking of the “weeds” Jesus was foretelling a particular sort of false, or imitation, Christians who would appear. He was not discussing individuals of the “wheat” class who might go bad, becoming like rotten wheat stalks.
  Apostates of the apostles’ day and their modern counterparts are not represented by the “weeds.” Yet the Bible shows that such apostates are “not of our sort,” have God’s disapproval and should be shunned by loyal Christians. Any who apostatize and do not repent by the end of this system of things will experience the same fate as the “weeds,” being “burned with fire” or destroyed completely.—Titus 3:10; 1 John 2:18, 19; 2 John 9-11.

  My question is simple, what is the wheat and what are the weeds?