Posts by garyneal

29

Greek Mythology influence on New Testament

by Magnum in

a few days ago, i was in a book store, and i picked up a book providing a brief overview of classical mythology.

as i examined the opening pages, i read about tartaurus (place of punishment) and hades (god of the underworld).. it seems so odd that tartarus and hades would be mentioned in the new testament, and yet they were part of greek mythology which predated the new testament.

why would bible writers have used such terms?

garyneal

My big shock was in discovering there were NO ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS in the whole wide world!

I remember when I began looking for the Truth in the Bible thinking that I would dilegently search the scriptures for the one true doctrine and discovering the fact that there are no original manuscripts and thinking how am I supposed to know what the authors really wrote? Copies of copies of copies with numerous errors in them, some intentional while others due to fatigue or human error. If the argument could be made that the Bible was written perfectly and transmitted God's message perfectly, we have no way of knowning without the original manuscripts.

I've ultimately concluded that if there is a god then none of the world's religions accurately depict him.

19

2015 XMAS CARD EXCHANGE

by blondie in

jw
friends

if you pm a mailing address and your name of choice, i can gather together a list and send it to your e-mail or pm you by december 10.. love, blondie.

.

garyneal

Count me in too. Sending PM.

21

I'm Shocked The Jehovah's Witnesses Even Allow Their Kids To Go To Mainstream Schools.

by Jehovanomics in

judging by the material that my kid brings home on a daily basis in copius amounts.

everything about everything in elementary school goes against the doctrines of the jehovah's witnesses.

how do jw's expect to make any money if all of their kids are defecting the jw's?

garyneal

Yeah, I think of our kids and how my wife feels about what they are being taught at public schools. The schools in our area do not officially celebrate the holidays due to their being politically correct with all the religions (remember the Jehovah's Witness religion is not the only religion to not celebrate Christmas for example) which I actually agree with but they still do some things related to the holidays. My kids come home frequently with Mother's Day cards, Christmas themed crafts, etc. not to mention the interaction with people of other faiths.

If you want to get a glimpse of what witness children will be like if everyone turned to home schooling look no further than your other fundamentalist sects who advocate it on a whole. Look particularly at the quiverfull movement (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/) at the sections that speak about homeschooling.

19

Mommy says no Christmas

by Anony Mous in

daughter is 3 now, that's a little less than i've been on this forum.

you can find my life story in earlier posts.

enough to say that i have a generous amount of visitation with her.. i picked her up and was talking about the lights some of her neighbors had.

garyneal

Doubt you will be able to reason to reason with your 3 year old the way I did with my 8 year old.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/social/family/287081/1/Interesting-Religious-Conversation-with-my-Daughter

Just keep showing her an alternative. I like rebel8's response, make it look like your wife's eccentric beliefs.

...we talked about Halloween and the holidays and why mommy does not celebrate. "She chooses not to celebrate because she believes that by not celebrating she is pleasing God," I said.

We talked about how different people of different faiths practiced their faith differently even though they are pleasing the same God. I asked her if she remembered the invitation she got from her Mormon friend to attend her baptism. She did so I told her that Mormons feel that they please God by not drinking coffee or sodas because of the caffeine nor do they smoke. They feel that by abstaining from these things, they keep their bodies clean and please God. "So you mean no more Dr Pepper's?" she asked. "If you and mom were Mormons I could not drink Dr Pepper?" "That's right," I said, "if mom and I were to try to raise you up as a Mormon, no soft drinks for us and no coffee for mom." She questioned about how different people's religions have different rules when they are all trying to serve the same God to which I responded, "Yeah, it does all seem a little man made, doesn't it."

...we passed by this muslim couple and my child, being 8 and naturally inquisitive began asking, "Why is that lady wearing a mask and only her eyes can be seen?" To which I replied, "Well, remember what we talked about concerning rules and pleasing God? People of the Islam or Muslim religion believe that women should remain covered from head to toe so as to show respect to their husbands or fathers and in so doing, please God." "Mom does not do that," she said. "I know, same God different rules," I replied.

45

Why isn't the story of SAMPSON quickly and clearly regarded a myth?

by Terry in

judges chapter 15:.

14 when he came to lehi, the philistines shouted triumphantly at meeting him.

then jehovahs spirit empowered him,+ and the ropes on his arms became like linen threads that were scorched with fire, and his fetters melted off his hands.+ 15 he now found a fresh jawbone of a male donkey; he reached out and grabbed it and struck down 1,000 men with it.+ 16 then samson said: with the jawbone of a donkeyone heap, two heaps!

garyneal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRh7W-Bsg5g

86

Merry Pantsmas Everyone!

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

okay, i posted this in a thread that got locked and buried.

since then i've been really busy and have overdosed on christmas music in the past week.

so, i'm resurrecting this "holy day" holiday that most people will unknowingly be celebrating tomorrow.

garyneal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwr-7nkTuX4

86

Merry Pantsmas Everyone!

by Billy the Ex-Bethelite in

okay, i posted this in a thread that got locked and buried.

since then i've been really busy and have overdosed on christmas music in the past week.

so, i'm resurrecting this "holy day" holiday that most people will unknowingly be celebrating tomorrow.

garyneal

Merry Pantsless

8

Scientific explanation of how spirit creatures could materialize

by EndofMysteries in

jw
friends

in my science class book i was just reading about particles and antiparticles.. i'll just quote a few parts, "every type of particle in nature must also have an alter ego, an antiparticle........one fascinating property of particle-antiparticles pairs is that if you bring such a pair together, the two particles will annihilate each other......when the pair annihilates, the mass of the two particles is converted into energy which is carried away by a pair of photons.....the reverse is also possible, two photons may collide to produce a particle and it's antiparticle-by a process called pair production.. so assuming spirit creatures are made of energy, there is a scientific explanation of how energy can become physical mass, and physical mass to energy.

whether you believe they exist or not, i thought that was an interesting read and a way to explain how they could materialize and de-materialize.. .

garyneal

Oh wow, you should preach like Bro Russell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAECWW9oX9M

11

PLEASE don't read this . . . if you have O.C.D. tendencies or are superstitious

by Terry in

what if there were no such things as arabic numerals (0123456789)?.

what if you only had your alphabet?.

you could use letters as numerical values.

garyneal

Caesar Nero's value was 666. Ring a bell?

No, NO, it is Ronald Wilson Reagan. According to my childhood friend who preached a lot, he preached it like this...

You have Ronald-ha, Wilson Reagan-ha.

You have R-O-N-A-L-D, you have 6-ha.

You have W-I-L-S-O-N, you have 6-ha.

You have R-E-A-G-A-N, you have 6-ha.

I want to let you knoooow!!!

Of course, the beast is now dead. Unless you count that super computer in Belgium. That was what my old IFB pastor said.

Of course, 666 could also mean "to prick" as in implant a microchip under the skin of your right hand or forehead. According to Jack Van Impe.

3

do religious believers have too many privileges

by WildeLover in

i am sure that jws will use this as an impending sign that the beast will turn on babylon and ban all religions.

it will feed thier persecution complex quite a lot!.

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/do-religious-believers-have-too-many-privileges.

garyneal

If the wild beast is the UN then the WTS rode it for approximately 9 years. Were (are) they part of the harlot?