Flowers popped here this week. Forest is blooming as of yesterday.The bunnies are twitterpated, lots of them this year. Ahh, spring at last.
Blithe Freshman
JoinedPosts by Blithe Freshman
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There are spring flowers
by John Doe inand green pastures outside.
time to go outside and smell them.
synthetic computer life is a poor substitute.
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What does the Bible Really Teach...chapter 8, God's Kingdom
by insearchoftruth inmy wife has invited the sister she is studying with and her husband over on tuesday evening so i can follow along with her 'bible study - gag' since i may be very interested in this chapter.
i have read the notes from wilbur lingle on freeminds and they are helpful, but am wondering if there are any other good questions i can ask.
this is the first time i have met this gal and her husband and i do not want to come off as 'major apostate', as i am pretty sure i did with a previous study sister, i want to keep the door open to ask questions and raise some thoughts.
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Blithe Freshman
Chapter Eight
What Is God’s Kingdom?
Much of what is written in this chapter you will not have to discuss in detail because most Christians believe in a Kingdom in which Christ will rule over the earth for 1000 years and at the end Satan will be defeated. However, the major difference between Bible-believing Christians and the Jehovah’s Witnesses is “who” reigns over this Kingdom. Christians believe that it is the resurrected Christ, who is both man and God, who reigns over the Millennial Kingdom. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that it is Michael the archangel (though they never clearly state this), who was re-created three days after the death of Jesus, and that along with 144,000 assistants he will rule over this Kingdom. But the Society is very deceptive in the way it presents this material, so you will need to be on your guard and probe deeply to understand what the Society really believes. A number of the following questions are designed to uncover this deception and make the Witness think. Maybe the one you are speaking with is not aware of this deception.
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Page 77, paragraph 5. “From where will God’s Kingdom rule? Well, where is Jesus? You will remember learning that he was put to death on a torture stake, and then he was resurrected.”
Question #1: I am utterly confused by this statement! I have come to the conclusion from reading this book that the Watchtower Society believes that Jesus Christ was “only a human man.” It further believes that when Jesus died His body went back into the elements or became gas. It believes that there is nothing spiritual in man that lives on after death. It believes that the human body of Jesus was not resurrected. So from what I understand of the teachings of the Watchtower Society, the answer to the question, “Where is Jesus?” would have to be “He is dead, the body has disintegrated; he will never been seen again.” Will you please tell me how Jesus Christ can be both dead and at the same time alive?
Response: (At this point they might tell you that it was Michael who was resurrected, but maybe they will not. If they do not, then ask the following question.)
Question #2: It seems to me that I heard or read somewhere that the Watchtower Society believes that at the birth (or conception) of Jesus, that Michael the Son willed himself out of existence (how he did this is never explained) and then three days after the death of Jesus Michael was re-created--so it is really the archangel Michael who will reign over the Kingdom and not the human Jesus, since he is no longer in existence according to the Watchtower Society. Is this true?
Response: (If they answer “Yes,” you can ask the following question.)
Question #3: Why doesn’t the Watchtower Society come out and state this very plainly instead of beating around the bush and giving non-Witnesses the false impression that it really was Jesus?
Response: I don’t know.
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Page 77, paragraph 6. “What makes Jesus an outstanding King? For one thing, he will never die. Comparing Jesus with human kings, the Bible calls him ‘the one alone having immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light.’ (1 Timothy 6:16) This means that all the good that Jesus does will last. And he will do great and good things.”
Question #1: Why does the Watchtower Society say that Jesus will be “an outstanding King” (using a capital “K”) when Jesus is dead and will never been seen again?
Response: I don’t know.
Question #2: I feel this paragraph is very deceptive. If you do not read it carefully you will miss what is inferred. This paragraph uses the word “immortality” and would leave one under the impression that the Society believes that Jesus Himself was “immortal” when it really has nothing to do with Jesus but is actually speaking about the works that Jesus accomplished. The Jesus of the Watchtower Society is not immortal ? because He died and ceased to exist. Michael of the Watchtower Society is not immortal ? because he tasted death by committing suicide. Would you not agree that this is deceptive?
Response: (You probably won’t receive one, but hopefully you have made him or her think.)
Note: I want to point out that according to the Society, not even the work that Jesus did is “immortal” and “will last.” It claims that Jesus provided a ransom so that most people would be resurrected and given a second chance on the new earth, but in 1914 the ransom was canceled and so is no longer in force. Since that date, Jesus plays no part in man’s eternal destiny.
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Page 79, paragraph 10, lines 2-3. “For one thing, Jesus knows what it is like to be human and to suffer.”
Question: I am utterly bewildered at such a statement. The Watchtower Society does not believe that the human Jesus, who lived upon this earth, rose from the dead and went to heaven! The Society teaches that it is the archangel Michael who will reign over the Kingdom. Michael never had an earthly life! He never even saw the suffering that Jesus went through because he was not conscious of anything during the 33½ years Jesus lived upon this earth! Anything the Michael of the Watchtower Society knows of the earthly suffering of Jesus would have to be “secondhand,” something that was told him. How could this book make such a statement that is so obviously false?
Response: (Probably none.)
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Page 82, paragraph 20. “.”Another problem is that many people do wicked things. They lie, cheat, and commit immorality. They do not want to do God’s will. People who do wicked things will be destroyed during God’s war of Armageddon
Question: All down through the history of mankind humans have told lies, cheated, and committed immorality, yet the Watchtower Society claims that since God is “loving” that most of these wicked people who have ever lived will be given a second chance on the new earth. What happens to the “ransom” at the time when Armageddon occurs? (Witnesses will not clearly admit that the ransom has already been canceled--in 1914.) Doesn’t this make God partial in that He will destroy the people at the time of Armageddon while giving most other people a second chance?
Response: (You will probably not receive a very good answer.)
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Comment: Page 84, paragraph 21, line 8. “The earth will be made into a paradise.” I note from this statement that the Watchtower Society recognizes that the new earth will not become a paradise overnight by some miracle of Yahweh, nor will it be something like Jesus said about heaven being built by Him. The new earth is something that must be built by hard manual labor taking many hundreds of years.
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Page 84, paragraph 23. “For how long? During the 19 th century, sincere Bible students calculated that the waiting period would end in 1914. World events that began in 1914 confirm that the calculation of these sincere Bible students was correct.”
Question: This is a very confusing statement! It seems to me that I heard or read that originally the Watchtower Society taught that Christ began to reign in 1874 and that in 1914 Christ was actually to come back to earth and take everyone to heaven. It was not until 1943 that the Watchtower Society recognized that the “sincere Bible students” had been greatly mistaken and Christ should not have been expected to come back in 1914, but began to reign in heaven in 1914. Why doesn’t this book mention this mistake? (Proof that the Society taught the 1874 date is documented in: Studies in the Scriptures—The Time Is at Hand, series 2, 1889, p. 239; Thy Kingdom Come, series 3, 1911, page 234; The Finished Mystery, series 7, 1917, p. 386; Creation, 1927, p. 312; and Prophecy, 1929, pages 65-66.)
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Page 95, paragraph 23, lines 10-11. “We can also say with certainty that soon God’s Kingdom will act to cause God’s will to be done on earth.”
Question: Will you please help me to understand this statement? The little I know about the Watchtower Society, it first taught that Christ would be returning in 1874 to set up this Kingdom. We know that it did not happen. Then it was to occur in 1914, but this did not happen. So now for over 130 years the Watchtower Society has been teaching that the Kingdom will “with certainty soon” be set up! Since the Society had been saying the same thing for so long and it has not happened, how can it continue to make such a positive promise?
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Blithe Freshman
Second row from the top, between the Q & E.
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Climate Change - Why are only the negative points presented?
by donny ini was reading some articles from the 1960's through the late 1970's where scientists were concerned about global cooling.
the articles talked about how the oceans would become more salty as the ice caps grew larger which would wipe out many types of marine life.
they also mentioned how this would lead to more cool/cold "high deserts" as there would be less water in the atmosphere for rain to develop from.
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Blithe Freshman
For you to say we're remembering wrong is insulting.
Ditto, It was taught in school in our science books. It is not a vague memory implanted in reading something I haven't read.
Blithe
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Did You "Care" About Disfellowshipped People?
by minimus inas a witness, i was trained not to feel bad for "those that left us".
if they didn't want to stay, that was their decision.
if they decided to stop the "sweet fellowship" of the brotherhood, we needed to avoid them so that they could miss us, see the error of their way and "come back to jehovah".. when you were a jehovah's witness, did you avoid disfellowshipped ones and mentally stop caring about them?.
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Blithe Freshman
At first I believed a df'd person must be really bad. But then one of our congs young ones was df'd and I knew some of the circumstances and I doubted. Then another was df'd and I couldn't shun them. But they shunned me. That raised more questions.It started making me sick how people talked of them.I started shunning the shunners, then I got shunned. I still worry about those kids.
Blithe
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My JW Life... (LONG)
by silent ini never, ever thought i would ever be posting on a board such as this but here i am.
i've been reading the boards for several months and despite my initial conscience twinges, i couldn't help but follow a logical thought process on many issues that were causing me grief.
over this past week, due to the things i've read on here, i've had a massive cloud lift from me and i'm starting to feel joy and love in my heart that i've *never* felt before.
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Blithe Freshman
First a BIG WELCOME!
What would tend to get people's attention is you having a great time in life and having fun - avoiding all the pitfalls of life because you applied Bible principles. They might envy your life and want to know how you did it.
That's what I wanted from my Bible study. I wouldn't call it envy though. I knew people who could live & enjoy life and overcome obstacles because of their faith. I didn't find it in JW teaching. I learned it from Christians.
Blithe
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Climate Change - Why are only the negative points presented?
by donny ini was reading some articles from the 1960's through the late 1970's where scientists were concerned about global cooling.
the articles talked about how the oceans would become more salty as the ice caps grew larger which would wipe out many types of marine life.
they also mentioned how this would lead to more cool/cold "high deserts" as there would be less water in the atmosphere for rain to develop from.
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Blithe Freshman
Donny, I remember growing up reading and learning about the coming ice age. I would count the years to see if I would still be alive, hoping to live long enough to see glaciers grow. I thought it would be cool. :) A global cooling would have as serious effects for mankind as a warming. What I see as a big difference is then , what would happen would happen and we'd have to make changes and adapt. There was a challenge for us. Now it is threats and fear . Bigger than the climate change is our attitude change.
Blithe
ps My brother from Pa,. says he looks forward to golf in January and will embrace a S.C. climate.
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Anyone suggest GOOD educational PPP's for children?
by AK - Jeff inpowerpoint presentations are wonderful.
i have found many good ones for use with my 9 year old grandmunchkin.
but i would love to find some more creative ones - with music or flashy effects to hold attention.
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Blithe Freshman
I have been on a lot of educational groups, lists, forums, can't remember them ever mentioned. I know a lot of good websites. Are you wanting math drill or instruction? What history? Reading instruction or books read aloud? PM me if you want.
Blithe
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polar bear club
by John Doe inanyone here a member?
even though i'm deathly afraid of water, i want to join the polar bear club and jump in some freezing water.
(with flotation device, of course).
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Blithe Freshman
When I was younger I outdoor bathed , early mornings, Easter through Thankgiving. I enjoyed it then,very invigorating. Now I drag my tired butt up the stairs & sit in the steam shower, then go to bed.
Blithe
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Mindful Eating
by rebel8 inhave you read this book?
mindful eating: a guide to rediscovering a healthy and joyful relationship with food (paperback), by jan chozen bays (author).
mr. rebel8 and i are reading it right now to eat healthier.
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Blithe Freshman
About the stevia after taste, half the people I know who have tried it taste licorice, half don't. Our family is split down the middle on this. It's worth trying.