god is alike to all of his children, hence cannot elevate one child above all others just because one was brought into existence before others.
(ezekiel 18:4) someone has to be first-born which does not give him any superiority over others!
interestingly, jesus simply dismissed the whole idea of one being placed over the others as pagan.
Personally I believe a direct, personal and spiritual relationship with God is available to anyone who accepts the liberating and transformative word, message or gospel of grace which was initially published via prophets and then in human form.
The man-made ideologies of magisterium and clericalism are not only redundant but obstructive.
As Bill Maher observed, religion is a bureaucracy between God and man.
i recall that some years ago the wt stated that not all offences need to be reported to the elders, but that confessing serious sins to another person who was not an elder could suffice.
the article stated that this did not include sexual offences and that these must be reported to the elders.. can anyone throw any light on this please?.
DATA-DOG's simple and powerful logic has my vote.
In other words: "the Elders must NEVER be Told".
The man-made religious institution of "elders" exists only to judge.
That is why they form Judging Committees - which in evil wolf-like fashion protect wolves and shred sheep until they gnaw bones (Zephaniah 3:3).
*** jd chap. 6 p. 78 par. 17 “Let Justice Roll Forth”—A Key to Knowing God ***
Justice was ripped to shreds by leaders who preyed on the people rather than caring for them.
That is why they do not have "Repentance Counseling Committees" or "Spiritual Healing Committees".
Few if any JWs know that Rutherford always referred to ALL religion as being bad (from the Devil).
The concept of a "true religion" was a later invention (scam) by Watchtower Lawyer and Vice President Hayden C Covington (in the early 1950's).
It was a detailed and "brilliant" scam which has completely blindsided the entire mighty US legal system down to this day...
Or as in RICO.
do the individual article writers have persistently opposing views, or do they each just flip-flop between opposing views?.
what have you observed?.
Do the individual article writers have persistently opposing views, or do they each just flip-flop between opposing views?
What have you observed?
did you really believe in things as ;- the earth is only 6000 years old- the 144.000- 1914, based upon the destructiono of jerusalem- harmagheddon or the end of the world coming soon???
?i married a jw when i was an interested person and studying with the jw's ( not the way they wanted) but i told my wife before marrying her that " most probably " i would never have been a jw.she accepted me as i was and married me.
after that i had interrupted the study for one year, i started all over again with an elder of my wife's cong.
did you really believe in things as ;- the earth is only 6000 years old- the 144.000- 1914, based upon the destructiono of jerusalem- harmagheddon or the end of the world coming soon???
?i married a jw when i was an interested person and studying with the jw's ( not the way they wanted) but i told my wife before marrying her that " most probably " i would never have been a jw.she accepted me as i was and married me.
after that i had interrupted the study for one year, i started all over again with an elder of my wife's cong.
As a 3rd generation born-in I mostly accepted the "reality" presented to me.
Doubts on birthdays, the generation, the anointed, and (spiritually) infantile "elders" were suppressed or rationalised.
Then one day the gospel was brought to my attention.
The more I pursued the gospel in their own publications the more I realised they don't in reality believe or teach it.
The clincher was the vitriolic contempt of the Pharisees ("elders") for the gospel in their own publications.
while it may seem unlikely which of the currant governing body members do you feel would be most likely to defect?
i know it is a loaded question.. what about wealthy anthony morris iii?
or mark sanderson or geoffrey jackson?
None of them strike me as having sufficient conscience, integrity, courage, ethics, honesty, or intelligence.
They just don't make them like Ray anymore.
Then again I haven't the stomach to look hard enough at the apostate Pharisees in the Sanhedrin to seek out the tiniest of redeeming features.
of course we all know that many ex-jw's are doing this online constantly and that's a good thing.
whether by you tubes, websites, blogs, etc.
the worldwide community of ex-jw's has been and will continue to be proactive in putting out real information to counteract and offset the lies and fantasy propaganda put out by the wt society.
It can't be an accident that it takes around 140 years of door-knocking, per publisher, at 10 hours per month, to generate one new external baptism. (Depending on year, assumptions and calculation used).
The word has gotten out, and most know to avoid the WBTS like the plague.
