Fernando

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Posts by Fernando

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  10

  One thing that the WTS & Religion in general has going for it ....

  by Simon in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  ... old people!

  yeah, i know, as pete kaye would say: "old people, you can't beat 'em .... pity".. but seriously, where else would you have a bunch or 17 year old lads chatting with some 80+ year old guy?.

  i remember some of the old people in our old kh and they were genuinely nice people.

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  Fernando

  It is a sad and horrible bait-and-switch.

  People longing for community end up in a cult.

  People longing for spirituality end up in religion.

  The truth is we don't need religion for community and spirituality. Religion actually undermines genuine community, faith and spirituality - albeit in varying degrees depending of the level of religiosity.
  

  There seems to be some good news though.

  An emergent believer movement has been quietly sweeping through the Jewish, Christian and Muslim world.

  Progressive people who are increasingly done with institutions, dogma, rules, tradition and division (aka religion).

  Sample google search 1: emergent judaism

  Sample google search 2: emerging church
  
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  21

  Aid to Bible Understanding - can you help summarise any useful sections?

  by Fernando in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  randall watters presents the fascinating backstory of the "aid book", and the brouhaha surrounding it, in this article:.

  "the watchtower bible and tract society: the critical years 1975-1997".

  so far it seems the project to research and write the "aid to bible understanding" revealed serious doctrinal and institutional flaws that the gb wanted to preserve nonetheless.. it seems what ray franz and his team were learning, and were largely blocked from presenting:.

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  Fernando

  Randall Watters presents the fascinating backstory of the "Aid Book", and the brouhaha surrounding it, in this article:
  

  "The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society: The Critical Years 1975-1997"

  So far it seems the project to research and write the "Aid to Bible Understanding" revealed serious doctrinal and institutional flaws that the GB wanted to preserve nonetheless.

  It seems what Ray Franz and his team were learning, and were largely blocked from presenting:
  

  1. Legalism is apostasy (the making and keeping of many rules)
  2. Salvation is by faith not works
  3. A right and clean standing with God is not earned but rather imputed as a "free gift"
     
  4. The liberating gospel of grace (Romans and Galatians)
  5. The "Good News" or gospel message is about a lot more than the Watchtower's reductionist Kingdom (future, physical paradise on this earth)
     
  6. The two class system is unbiblical ("one hope", "one flock")
  7. Autocracy (and hierarchy?) is unbiblical
     
  8. Jerusalem was destroyed in 587-586 BC and not 607 BC (1914 date and calculations false)

  _

  Are you able to find anything useful that slipped through into the "Aid Book" which either made it into the Insight Books or was dropped entirely?

  The 1971 "Aid Book" can be downloaded from:

  http://avoidjw.org/books/

  which links to

  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5jNoZSyIWQWNFhzWHdLaFRIMkE/view?usp=sharing
  
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  42

  Elders getting burnt up.

  by biblexaminer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the elders in this area are getting burned out.

  i have overheard comments that demonstrate this, but in my dealings with them, i clearly see it.

  they can't keep it straight.

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  Fernando

  It takes a lot of resources - time, energy and money - to keep an illegitimate, corrupt and sinking ship afloat...
  
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  42

  Elders getting burnt up.

  by biblexaminer in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the elders in this area are getting burned out.

  i have overheard comments that demonstrate this, but in my dealings with them, i clearly see it.

  they can't keep it straight.

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  Fernando

  The last thing these poor bastards need right now is a few doses of unanswerable "questions from the field"...
  
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  67

  My Issue: How To Step Down As A MS Without Getting Noticed

  by JW_Rogue in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so that other thread was fun but now i need some help with something.

  i was born in the truth most of my family is in.

  although they aren't outwardly super spiritual i doubt any of them would ever leave.

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  Fernando

  Well done in being patient and getting there!
  
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  27

  OK who threw the stink bomb in here?

  by Thisismein1972 in

  1. social
  2. humour

  come on a believer, everyone knows it was you so own up to it and teacher will not be cross!.

  this is exactly what seems to be happening, a believer runs in drops the stink bomb and runs out again...only to pear around the door when he/she deems it safe to do so.

  😅😅😅.

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  Fernando

  @A Believer

  I assume you have been a "publisher of the good news" for several decades.

  According to the good news, is a right and clean standing with God earned or imputed?

  If you are unsure, you may want to mark and read all the occurrences of the words "righteous" and "righteousness" in Paul's letters.
  
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  30

  Is it morally wrong to put Watchtower behind?

  by Darkknight757 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  with our latest and final run in with the elders, the wife and i had a very long talk about what's next in our life.

  do we try to help others see the light as it were concerning watchtower or do we just let it go and move on with our life?

  we have made it perfectly clear that we will never go back to watchtower and we are finally happy.

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  Fernando

  From a SBNR (Spiritual But Not Religious) believer's perspective:

  When the ruling religious clergy class' and their followers' spiritual confusion, inebriation, blindness and insanity is willful:

  "Let them be. Blind guides is what they are. If, then, a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14)
  
  
  
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  6

  Clever JW Meme

  by Funchback in

  1. social
  2. humour

  kudos to whomever made it!.

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  Fernando

  Priceless. The best. Thank you for sharing.
  
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  30

  New member

  by NinaCee in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i did not see a newbs thread to introduce myself, so my apologies if i'm in the wrong place.

  i was a 3rd generation born in witness for 30 years until i was disfellowshipped back in 2007 for making a mistake.

  my entire life up until that point was based on and circled around the society, and even though at first i really enjoyed my freedom (i still do), the fact is that i'm still struggling with cognitive dissonance, resentment, and loneliness.. i miss my family all the time.

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  Fernando

  A warm welcome NinaCee.

  I have found this community very helpful on my healing journey - you are not alone - many here feel the same and have been down a similar path.

  Best wishes

  Fernando
  
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  35

  Im Going To Approach A Witnessing Cart Today

  by pale.emperor in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the city in which i work is flooded with those witnessing carts.

  today im going to approach one of them and pretend i dont know what they believe.

  gonna try and record it if i can.

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  Fernando

  Well done.

  Please keep us posted on your next conversation/s.

  My favourite:

  "Is a right and clean standing with God earned or imputed?"