Depends on what you mean when you say "believe." Do I believe in its message, veracity, or "holiness"? No. Do I believe it's a fantastic piece of literature? Yes. Do I believe it gives us incredible insight into the social priorities and concerns of the people of its time, and that that's why it's so valuable to us? Yes.
Palimpsest
JoinedPosts by Palimpsest
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35
Do you believe the Bible?
by Cagefighter ini don't want to high jack african gb's thread but something got me thinking.... moses, abraham were inbred and hearing god's voice... paul never met jesus yet he is the only apostle coming down like a hammer of gays and has this "close bond" with timothy.
then there is the issue of "horus" the egyptian god and is this where the story of jesus comes from.
i have searched the internet for information on horus and have not had much luck finding anything authorative either way.. my question is do you or don't you believe in the bible and why or why not?
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Most Ridiculous Thing You've Ever Been Counseled On
by MrFreeze ini'm sure topics like this have already come up but they tend to get hilarious with the absolute absurdity that goes on in the kh.
i was once counseled for not shaving after two days.
i was also counseled by a sister for eating lucky charms cereal.
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Palimpsest
English congregation: Wearing my hair down and heels on the same day.
Spanish congregation: Wearing a blouse where you see the cap of my shoulders.
You hussy! How do you sleep at night? I mean, other than with your clients...
(These people are so stupid. They can sexualize anything.)
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156
Worldly Shunning
by alice.in.wonderland ini hear quite a bit of criticism about jehovah's witnesses enforcing 1 corinthians 5:9-13. while jehovah's witnesses have a formal system of maintaining the organization's core values; egocentric, self-worshiping secularists have an informal system of rejecting those of whom they have nothing in common with.
http://www.objectivistcenter.org/cth-32-390-religion.aspx.
most major religions have believed in the existence of a supernatural realm, a realm beyond the natural world of physical objects and bodies governed by causal laws, the world we perceive with our senses and can study by rational methods.
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Palimpsest
I like reading your posts because it saves me the hassle of having to Google ridiculous topics myself. You're doing all the work for me -- thanks!
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23
JW Urban Legands
by ShellyDee inin my congregation we have many urban legands, like the one about the smurf doll jumping out of a girls lap and running out of the kh because it couldn't stand to hear the good news.
we also had one where a sister was out in fs and a dog talked, it told a sister not to knock on this one door, the sister went to the house and knocked anyway, and the doors and windows of the house flew open and dishes flew out, the sister was scared and ran away and the dog yelled at her retreating back "i told you not to got here!
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Palimpsest
One that I remember goes: The householder hates JWs and swears the next one to knock on his door will get both barrels of his shotgun emptied in their chest. Only when this lone male JW shows up with "two big guys on either side of him" the householder accepts a study and eventually becomes a DO or something.
At least that version explains how the Witnesses found out about this after the fact! I love the ones where they leave it hanging. Like...the rapist saw the angels, but how do you know that he saw them? Does the rapist come to a meeting and tell you about it? Amazing how so many Witnesses "know" a person this happened to, yet if you press for a pretty basic detail like that, they can't answer. ;)
We had an ex-Warlock at our Hall, who at one time was so powerful he could throw you against the wall by just looking at you.
Yeah, you really gotta look out for those warlocks...
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Political Neutrality: Required for Servants of God?
by leavingwt inhow many here (who are no longer jws) believe that servants of god must be politically neutral?
i ask, because there are many regular posters who do not participate in political discussions -- ever.
there could be a wide variety of explanations, but i would like to know if any of you refrain from political discussions and political activity because of your religious beliefs?.
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Palimpsest
I'm so passionate and involved, including having worked in politics for a few years, that I know better than to get into Internet discussions about it. ;) That's my only reason.
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Worldly Shunning
by alice.in.wonderland ini hear quite a bit of criticism about jehovah's witnesses enforcing 1 corinthians 5:9-13. while jehovah's witnesses have a formal system of maintaining the organization's core values; egocentric, self-worshiping secularists have an informal system of rejecting those of whom they have nothing in common with.
http://www.objectivistcenter.org/cth-32-390-religion.aspx.
most major religions have believed in the existence of a supernatural realm, a realm beyond the natural world of physical objects and bodies governed by causal laws, the world we perceive with our senses and can study by rational methods.
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Palimpsest
In your case I would have to convince you that a supreme being exists and go from there. This can be accomplished if you're not disfellowshipped.
Disfellowshipped people can't be convinced there's a god?
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Despite your reservations with being a JW, did you ever sometimes felt like you accomplished something in field service?
by miseryloveselders ini've got my fair share of things that irritate me to no end regarding this religion.
however, i have to be fair.
i got up this morning, and for some reason i didnt feel overwhelmingly negative about what i was getting ready to do.
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Palimpsest
Whenever I did something kind or helped a householder with no interest in the literature with something (finding a job, senior care & transportation, finding free afterschool programs) I was regularly reminded that the ministry is not a social service.
I sincerely believe that if more Witnesses got a taste of what real volunteer work is like, the religion would collapse over night. No wonder the leadership always comes down so hard on it as being a "waste of time" and such.
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JW Urban Legands
by ShellyDee inin my congregation we have many urban legands, like the one about the smurf doll jumping out of a girls lap and running out of the kh because it couldn't stand to hear the good news.
we also had one where a sister was out in fs and a dog talked, it told a sister not to knock on this one door, the sister went to the house and knocked anyway, and the doors and windows of the house flew open and dishes flew out, the sister was scared and ran away and the dog yelled at her retreating back "i told you not to got here!
".
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Palimpsest
I know there have been threads about urban legends before, but my favorite will always be the two pioneers in service who call on a rapist's door. He doesn't attack them because he sees two big strong men standing behind them. When the pioneers find out about this later, they realize God had sent his angels to stand beside them.
The same story circulates among the LDS and some other evangelical faiths. It's ridiculous and offensive on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin dissecting it.
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36
What Are Some "Strange" Beliefs Jehovah's Witnesses Have?
by minimus ini think it's fair to say that witnesses' beliefs are often odd.
how they come to a "biblical" conclusion is often unreasonable and far fetched!.
please list some ideas and views that jehovah's witnesses have that are unusual or weird..
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Palimpsest
Ahh, 1964 -- I assumed we were discussing actively-held positions. The more recent publications have taken the position that women do not have to say anything or fight back. Also, it doesn't look from that citation that they ever said you had to scream for Jehovah in the sense of calling his name out or for him to come help you, which is how I read the initial comment.
I love pointing out past craziness of the Witnesses, but there's so much current insanity that I don't feel like we even need to go back to the old stuff for examples. What are some other current beliefs that people can think of? :)
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163
Field service reporting
by gutted inso one of the elders called asking for my time.
i lied, somewhat.
yes i did talk to people about the "truth" but not in favourable terms.. has anyone simply stated, "i have not been in service this month"?
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Palimpsest
Do witnesses have a pet name for apostates?
"Pagans" would be a good place to start. Goat and wolf comparisons are also always fun.
Do they mock you and ridicule you?
Constantly. Ever seen a convention drama? Read the YPA book? Seen a picture of an "apostate" in any publication? Sat through a JC? Sat through a TMS meeting after sitting through a JC and hearing your name announced for your "sins"?
In any case, it's fantastic to see an active Witness on an apostate board, especially when they are specifically banned by the Witnesses! You're breaking your own rules and using your own mind -- I applaud you for it. :)