Posts by Fernando

posted

609
What is spirit, exactly?
by Viviane in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
i've always wondered that.

recently i asked that question on another thread and didn't really get ananswer.

cofty made an excellent point that we often hear what it isn't, but that really isn't useful.. so, what is it?
Fernando

As my faith journey unfolds I am learning that our intangible spirit connects us with higher powers and higher intelligences from higher dimensions (beyond our 3 dimensional world).

It is in our spirit that we "hear" or actually discern the "living word" behind the "written word". Our spirit facilitates higher learning where we come to "know" and understand things over and above what we learn through our 5 senses.

Watchman Nee (1930-1972) explained the spirit has three main functions or attributes: conscience, intuition and communion (fellowship).
10
suggestions from Crisis of conscience
by monis1 in
1. jw
2. experiences
my husband is inactive, but still very much believes in the borg as having the truth.

i now have coc in spanish.

i am currently reading it, but i would love to know if anyone can point me to any specifics.
Fernando

Welcome monis1.

Possibly you could ask your husband to explain "legalism" to you (from the Watchtower library).

The word appears only once in the entire wt library (2012).

The article (g79 6/8 pp. 27-28) is really great and reads like a summary of Ray Franz' book "In Search of Christian Freedom".

You could also ask: "Is legalism apostasy?" (Yes it is and the WBTS is guilty as sin).
24
This new donation direction and true selfishness!
by stuckinarut2 in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
so we all know about this new donation arrangement.?.

every cong is supposed to send in all their savings to the society for them to allocate or use however they see fit worldwide.. but here is where true "selfishness" has become apparent!

(remember just this last weekend the wt study was all about not being "selfish" or self willed??!!).
Fernando

From ^^this^^ angle it really is becoming all about money.
28
New Arrangement for Donations: What should it be called?
by Da.Furious in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
following from a post by neverendingjourney.

we should come up with a new name for this arrangement.

feel free to post your ideas!.
Fernando

We love the new TITHING arrangement.

When it becomes TITHING AND OFFERINGS we'll love it even more.

To avoid stumbling the weak in our midst maybe we can call it MONTHLY DUES for now?

We can get round to "encouraging" ten percent a bit later in the game...

And in time we can put out happyfying "nu lite" clarifying that it is ten percent of gross earnings.

We really are the "thinkingest" people in the universe.

Oh, and we must remember to tell the sheeple they are giving to (the) God (of religion).
14
Christians, this girl hit it right on the head!!
by Crazyguy in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yxineydnky&feature=player_detailpage.
Fernando

Great video.

She's young and still growing in the faith.

Managed to get herself into a spot of bother with religious moralism.

Had to close down her YouTube accounts.
20
Any strategies to deal with elders who just don't like you?
by toto555 in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
so any ways to deal or cope with elders who just don't like you (you didn't do anything wrong or they're just making stuff up about you) assuming that you can't leave?

especially when it comes to for example becoming appointed as an elder.

or are you pretty much "dead in the water" if the elders are determined to like you despite reasonable efforts to win them over.
Fernando

The Pharisees have their identity and destiny.

You have yours.

And they are opposite.

Plus irreconcilable.

And irreformable.

So clarify and pursue your identity and let them pursue theirs.

Meaning go your separate ways in peace.

Our family decided to let the Phairsees embrace religion, whilst we embraced and pursued the liberating, healing, clarifying and full Good News instead.
16
Can a marriage between a catholic and a jw work?
by roberto avon in
1. social
2. family
this topic was posted yesterday on an italian fb page.

i replied that my personal experience was very positive.

of course i have to admit that my.
Fernando

Hi and welcome roberto avon.

I'm delighted it worked out for you and your (uncharacteristically liberal) wife.

Horror of horrors, as an exJW I'm discovering that the deeply loathed and repeatedly criticised Catholic Church is far more liberal, progressive and tolerant than the Watchtower.

The RCC is also not nearly as hostile to the liberating and healing unabridged gospel of grace.

Many years ago, as a JW I was shocked to see how many pages were in the INDEX under the heading Catholic Church.

What an irony.

After all the RCC bashing the Watchtower turns out to be much, much worse.

(BTW I now identify as a "Spiritual But Not Religious" or SBNR person of faith).
108
Lifting the Veil on "Islamophobia"
by cofty in
1. social
2. current
the late christopher hitchens decribed the word islamophobia as "created by fascists, and used by cowards, to manipulate morons.. please take half an hour to read a fascinating conversation between sam harris and ayaan hirsi ali.. ayaan is an apostate from islam.

she fled to the netherlands in '92 to escape an arranged marriage and went on to become a member of the dutch government from 2003-2006.. ayaan is now a fellow with the future of diplomacy project at the belfer center for science and international affairs at the harvard kennedy school... she lives with round-the-clock security.. "some moderate muslims hate meand yes, thats a strong word, but i think what theyve said supports itbecause i make them feel uncomfortable.

the things i talk about put them in a state of dissonance that they cant live with.
Fernando

Very informative, thanks for posting.

I share the disdain for religion and its rather obvious fruits.

(Googling "not all muslims are Islamists" produces almost 40,000 hits)
9
Who Appoints the Elders, BOE's, CO's or Holy Spirit?
by outinthemeadows in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
first it was the holy spirit that appointed elders, then they began abusing children, so then they had to say its the body of elders that appoint elders.

then they abuse even more children and now they are claiming its the co's fault.

who actually does appoint the elders and ministerial servants?
Fernando

It's all man made.

The religion.

The VISIBLE organisation.

The rules.

The doctrines.

The titles.

The lables.

The positions.

The decisions.

The behaviour.

Sure I believe God does appoint people, but there is no announcement, no title, no fanfare, no hierarchy, no clergy class, no human selection/discussion/endorsement.
25
If only there were another GB member like Ray Franz
by tornapart in
1. watchtower
2. beliefs
i'm just rereading crisis of conscience and was thinking if only there were others on the gb like him.

maybe things could change for the better.

for instance when he felt troubled that a woman couldn't get a divorce when her husband cheated on her with another man.. his response was this:-"the emotional upset i felt moved me to make a study of the original language terms (in greek) used in matthew, chapter nineteen, verse 9.".
Fernando

I believe millions of current and former followers of the Watchtower have seen what Ray saw when letting the scriptures speak for themselves.