Posts by jabberwock

24

Has the WTS removed the 'offending' publications? Or just retired them due to time?

by AK - Jeff in

i seem to recall the earlier versions of watchtower cd-rom containing books from the 50's and 60's [life everlasting in the freedom of the son's of god - babylon the great has fallen - etc].

i have no cd predating 2001 now in my possession - and looked at that one today doing research, finding that virtually nothing pre-1970 is there [except the revised/altered 'truth' book].. is my memory faulty on this?

could it be that they just 'retired' the older pubs innocently?

jabberwock

>>Is "Comentary on the Book of James" on any of those CD's?

Yes, it is still in the latest edition.

24

Has the WTS removed the 'offending' publications? Or just retired them due to time?

by AK - Jeff in

i seem to recall the earlier versions of watchtower cd-rom containing books from the 50's and 60's [life everlasting in the freedom of the son's of god - babylon the great has fallen - etc].

i have no cd predating 2001 now in my possession - and looked at that one today doing research, finding that virtually nothing pre-1970 is there [except the revised/altered 'truth' book].. is my memory faulty on this?

could it be that they just 'retired' the older pubs innocently?

jabberwock

In order to confirm and add to what OTWO said, here are some of the contents of the latest edition (2009) of Watchtower Library:

Watchtower (1950-2009)

Awake! (1970-2009)

The earliest published book is Listening to the Great Teacher (1971), but the earliest publication on the CD is either of the two booklets Look! I Am Making All Things New and Saving the Human Race—In the Kingdom Way, both were published in 1970.

The 1994 Index is said to cover from 1930 to 1985.

There is an entire section for the various Kingdom News publications, which I've hear referred to sometimes as booklets and other times as a tracts. The earliest is Kingdom News No. 16 Is Time Running Out for Mankind? (1973).

25

Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Christian denomination? The Feb. Watchtower seems to say so

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

i have not noticed the witnesses referring to themselves in the literature as a christian denomination before: is this a new development?

the february 1st wt says on page 22:.

"a high-school textbook, world religions in denmark, published in 2007, described jehovah's witnesses as a christian minority who follow the bible closely.

jabberwock

slim, I found two interesting uses of the word denomination in older issues of the Watchtower.

the w58 2/1 p. 81: "Before the entire world the New World society stands as proof of this mounting increase. This it does, not as a new sect or a new denomination, because, organizationally, the New World society is one of primitive Christians, and it is neither a sect nor a denomination in the usual sectarian sense of these words."

w56 4/1 p.221: "On January 7, in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Lord Judge of the Court of Sessions handed down the decision that Jehovah’s witnesses are a religious denomination but their pioneer publishers and congregation servants are not “regular ministers” of religion within the meaning of the 1948 National Service Act of Britain. The adverse part of this decision was appealed to a three-judge High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh, only to have an unfavorable decision rendered by all three judges July 21, 1955. "

28

The new "Find a Brother" arrangement - I went to the meeting for the first time in months tonight

by slimboyfat in

jw
friends

i went to the meeting for the first time in months tonight.

during the announcements the presiding overseer mentioned that the "find a brother" arrangement was being moved from wednesday nights to saturday afternoon.

what in the name of god is a "find a brother" arrangement?

jabberwock

I thought that hamilcarr was exaggerating, but then I came across this quote from the article Meet the Challenge of Witnessing to Men (km 8/09), " In the house-to-house ministry, especially in territory that is worked frequently, brothers might on occasion ask to speak with the man of the house."

4

Discussion with my family.

by ColdRedRain in

jw
friends

it was a cold night and my girlfriend needed to make a pitstop at my grandmother's house.

of course, no good jw would give up an opportunity to witness to people.

and my family are no exceptions.. anyway, my grandfather was asking my girlfriend why i don't attend the cult meetings anymore.

jabberwock

At first, I didn't want to overwhelm them with the dirty laundry of their faith, so I attributed mistakes in their theology to other religions. Of course, they laughed. They honestly believe that the scientologists believe that organ transplants were akin to cannibalism and how they predicted the end of the world to be in 1874 and they had a good time laughing at that cult.

This is brilliant! What an excellent way to criticize Witness beliefs without them immediately ending the discussion. It reminds me of the prophet Nathan telling King David the story about the poor family's little lamb that was taken and slaughtered by the rich man.

Did you ever reveal to them that these were Witness beliefs? How did they react?

21

Enjoy it.........Daniel Sydlik telling us to get back at "Jehovah's table"

by sspo in

but it's a new king in israel.

"and david proceeded to say is there anyone left over from the house of saul that i may exercise loving kindness to him for the sake of jonathan?

>>>david said: that's the man that i am looking for.

jabberwock

From what I have heard Daniel Sydlik was one of the more decent members of the governing body and someone who cared a lot more about people than many of the others. However, this talk is disgusting.

Then the next person comes in. It's a cripple! IN WALKS A CRIPPLE! With all of this beauty at the table, in walks a cripple!!! He told us we are all crippled brothers. Adam and Eve dropped every one of us... we are all crippled......... We are all messed up.

How very cruel to talk about a paralyzed person using such a demeaning word. I don't look down on those with physical handicaps and I certainly don't think that they should be considered of less value than other people.

David, and by extension Jehovah, is made to seem especially magnanimous for not discriminating against someone with a debilitating condition that is completely out of their control. But, isn't this the very least a decent person can do? This seems to me to be like praising someone for not being racist or sexist.

The Bible says she was so good looking that her own brother raped her...

What?!?! Amnon raped his sister simply because she was so beautiful? So, it wasn't his fault, she was just too beautiful not to be raped. What an outrageous and revolting thing to say!

2

Why wait for a confession?

by jabberwock in

the recent post about a co urging confession of secret sins to the elders brought up an interesting question:.

why doesn't god or the holy spirit reveal the secret sins of the congregation to the elders?.

there are many scriptural examples of this kind of thing happening.. adam and eve, cain, achan, david, judas, ananias, and sapphira all did not confess their sins at least until their sins were exposed.. i think the most appropriate example is that of ananias and sapphira who were exposed as exaggerating the amount of a donation.

jabberwock

The recent post about a CO urging confession of secret sins to the elders brought up an interesting question:

Why doesn't God or the Holy Spirit reveal the secret sins of the congregation to the elders?

There are many scriptural examples of this kind of thing happening.

Adam and Eve, Cain, Achan, David, Judas, Ananias, and Sapphira all did not confess their sins at least until their sins were exposed.

I think the most appropriate example is that of Ananias and Sapphira who were exposed as exaggerating the amount of a donation. Perhaps their example will be of particular use when individual Witnesses are asked to "pledge" to donate a certain amount.

At the very least, we might expect terrible disasters in congregations where serious sins are being kept secret.

22

Letter to all congregations in Canada 2010

by bobld in

jw
friends

pledge forms will be issued to all brothers & sisters requesting for donations for k.h.,assembly halls,reno of k.h.etc.they did give some poor excuse as why this was necessary.my guess is that the brothers who made interest free loans to the wbts are asking for these loans back because of all the layoffs and the down turn in the economy.. bob.

jabberwock

I believe the same letter was sent to all congregations in the United States.

10

Lest we forget -- WTsaid this exactly 100 years ago

by Fatfreek in

if you were a jw 100 years ago what would you have been reading?

here are a few snippets.

highlighting is mine.. .

jabberwock

Which scriptural prophecies were thought to point to the Federation of Protestant Churches/ Evangelical Alliance?

36

Circuit Overseer said from platform ,if you have ever done something and not confessed to Elders...going to die!!

by Lady Liberty in

just had lunch with a inactive jw friend of mine who is well on her way out.

she said that when the she went to the kingdom hall the week of the circuit overseers visit, he said from the platform, that if anyone had done any wrong doing in the past, no matter how long ago, and had never come forward to tell the elders, then they would not make it into the new system, but would rather die at armegedon!!.

i guess after that talk the elders were inindated and they began privately, and publically reproving, and removing ones!!

jabberwock

I'm not surprised.

Sounds rather like another religion, one that the WTS has condemned time and again, oh, yeah, the Catholic Church, with their need to have a priest intercede for forgiveness.

Yes! The elders say that only Jehovah can forgive sins and only then if you are repentant. Of course, the investigations and judicial committees are needed to see if you are repentant and determine whether or not Jehovah has forgiven you. This hardly seems like much of a difference to me.