Posts by JWoods

23

Science Channel program on "Lost Gospels" - did anyone else see it?

by JWoods in

i watched an interesting program last night on science channel called mysteries of the bible - this episode was about the lost gospels.. they include one by peter, another by mary magdelene, and one by judas.

the most interesting part of the show, to me, was how they debunked the notion (shared by the wtbts) that constantine's council was somehow inspired and picked out the correct four gospels by divine means.. the pictured constantine as a practically non-religious person except in the sense that he saw a centrally organized system of christianity as a source of political power for himself.

much was made of how he disliked the independent spirit of the gnostics, and therefore viewed mathew, mark, luke, and john as the least politically dangerous of the numerous gospel writings available in his time.. and, of course, again i was reminded of just how uncertain we really are about the writings preserved in the present-day new testament: they were written at least decades after their events took place, and were the result of verbal traditions told from one person to another.

JWoods

Going on memory, there is the one about women turning into men or something like that, its been awhile since I read the GOT.

If so, that would be the only biblical miracle that modern society has been able to achieve in the 20th/21st century!

OK, back on the serious topic: I have long wondered about the suppression of non-canonical material as sort of a point of religious honor...For one thing there are many points in the accepted canon that seem out of place or contradictory.

Looks to me like (historically at least) all of the archealogically authentic writings should at least be considered in the eyes of history - but of course I am viewing it without any religious prejudice.

23

Science Channel program on "Lost Gospels" - did anyone else see it?

by JWoods in

i watched an interesting program last night on science channel called mysteries of the bible - this episode was about the lost gospels.. they include one by peter, another by mary magdelene, and one by judas.

the most interesting part of the show, to me, was how they debunked the notion (shared by the wtbts) that constantine's council was somehow inspired and picked out the correct four gospels by divine means.. the pictured constantine as a practically non-religious person except in the sense that he saw a centrally organized system of christianity as a source of political power for himself.

much was made of how he disliked the independent spirit of the gnostics, and therefore viewed mathew, mark, luke, and john as the least politically dangerous of the numerous gospel writings available in his time.. and, of course, again i was reminded of just how uncertain we really are about the writings preserved in the present-day new testament: they were written at least decades after their events took place, and were the result of verbal traditions told from one person to another.

JWoods

I think that, in regards to Thomas, soemthings said there were so out of "whack" with what was accepted "Gospel" that the time that it was just to "hard" to make it canon and the rest was already in the more accepted works, so it may have been the case of why include something that can cause confusion when the good stuff in it is already present elsewhere.

Any specific examples come to mind that are out of whack?

24

John of Patmos NOT John of the Gospels

by PSacramento in

as we know, john and his brother james, along with peter, were the closest to jesus.. john, along with james and peter were the sole witnesses to jesus's transfiguration on the mountain.. it may have been this john that dictated the gospel of john and some scholars believe that there was john the apostle, john the elder and john of patmos, that all were different john's.. well, lets not go there right now, but in regards to john of patmos being john the apostle:.

john the aspostle saw jesus's transfiguration:.

the transfiguration.

JWoods

I was not the only one Sylvia, but thanks anyway.

I knew the witch could conjure you up again. So did Minimus.

24

John of Patmos NOT John of the Gospels

by PSacramento in

as we know, john and his brother james, along with peter, were the closest to jesus.. john, along with james and peter were the sole witnesses to jesus's transfiguration on the mountain.. it may have been this john that dictated the gospel of john and some scholars believe that there was john the apostle, john the elder and john of patmos, that all were different john's.. well, lets not go there right now, but in regards to john of patmos being john the apostle:.

john the aspostle saw jesus's transfiguration:.

the transfiguration.

JWoods

Nice to see Sylvia post, even if it is only once in a while.

35

Do Elders and Bethelites really follow this site?

by jamesmahon in

just a question really and whilst i would not put it past them i sort of feel it is too 'conspiracy theory' for me.

are elders and bethelites officially sanctioned to lurk (or engage) in this or other sites to try to weedle out apostates?

does anyone have any direct experience of it happening?.

JWoods

Well, I had not heard that story by Marvin Shilmer...I can see them doing it in isolated cases like that.

However, like Undercover says - probably the more they publicize the internet by poring over it for hidden apostates, the more they just publicize it an hurt themselves.

28

Demon possessed furniture?? Any scriptural support?

by digderidoo in

jw
friends

i remember instances where we told that the demons could get into the house through furniture or ornaments.

if anyone had a problem in the house with demons, they should remove anything that they may have bought second hand.

i remember one family getting rid of their carpet!.

JWoods

But he got all bent out of shape about it and took it outside, doused it with lighter fluid and burned it up.

Somebody should have pointed out to him that if the thing were real - that would have just caused the human object of the voodoo spell to get 3rd degree butns all over their body -

Seriously, I remember similar cases from when I was an elder. Usually from people in the cong with mental issues - I always tried to talk them out of the demon notions. It usually did not work - they wanted ritual cleansing, not common reasoning.

EDIT to add - surely you meant BBQ lighter fluid, not cigarette lighter fluid...LOL

28

Demon possessed furniture?? Any scriptural support?

by digderidoo in

jw
friends

i remember instances where we told that the demons could get into the house through furniture or ornaments.

if anyone had a problem in the house with demons, they should remove anything that they may have bought second hand.

i remember one family getting rid of their carpet!.

JWoods

Not just "get rid of it", undercover - back in my day the rule was that you had to burn it to ashes, so as not to spread the "demon" to someone else.

Some things, like a bound book, are difficult to burn by just lighting a match to it. This was always taken as a sign that the demon inside was resisting the destruction of its hiding place.

How could we have been such lunatics?

36

An Apology to Snowbird

by Dark Side in

jw
friends

i apologized to snowbird in private for a insensitive and disrespectful comment i made on her "swan song" thread.

i told her i would post a public apology on the board if she wanted me to.

so here is my apology to snowbird exactly as i wrote it.. it's been brought to my attention a number of times that my comment to you on your "swan song" thread was offensive and uncalled for.

JWoods

If Sylvia accepts it, then I accept it.

I am hopeful that this type of thing does not repeat itself in the future - waiting for a while from a distance to see.

28

Demon possessed furniture?? Any scriptural support?

by digderidoo in

jw
friends

i remember instances where we told that the demons could get into the house through furniture or ornaments.

if anyone had a problem in the house with demons, they should remove anything that they may have bought second hand.

i remember one family getting rid of their carpet!.

JWoods

Seriously, are the JWs showing any signs of giving up some of this ultra-superstitious view of "the demons"?

I remember an hour public talk outline back in the 1960s which just covered this one subject - it even supported the notion of "ectoplasm" as a real demonic phenomenon. It was a very popular public talk with the rank & file - so woo-woo-scary that is was actually not as boring as most others.

35

Do Elders and Bethelites really follow this site?

by jamesmahon in

just a question really and whilst i would not put it past them i sort of feel it is too 'conspiracy theory' for me.

are elders and bethelites officially sanctioned to lurk (or engage) in this or other sites to try to weedle out apostates?

does anyone have any direct experience of it happening?.

JWoods

It has been claimed several times, I believe without any real proof. I too think it is just a little on the wacky-conspiracy side to be believed.

Probably there are some amateur lurkers here from Bethel a lot of the time, though -