so real quick, i know this comes up now and then and i've looked over some of the posts from the past but here's the thing.. when i was a jw i drank all the cool aid, i was 100% and so i have all my own arguments (from the jw's) for why the bible is inspired.
i no longer believe this but i'd really like to read something that is pretty much 100% academic on this subject.
i want to read what scholars have to say about the authenticity of the bible and it's claim at being the inspired word of god.
My favorite Bar Ehrman book was Lost Christianities. I'm don't recall how well it fits the OP request, but I think it said more for the context (at least the Pauline books) of the bible than his other books.
Also for an amazing book on the old testament check out Richard E. Friedman "Who wrote the Bible"
all they did was invite us to a convention on the other side of town in mid-july.
my husband tried to engage them and asked where he could send them some information.
they showed him the address for the convention center across town-yeah, they are going to get it there.
My wife was told not to stop and engage the H/H in conversation....just thrust the invite in his hand
Yes, that's what they are told to do both with the convention tract and the memorial tract.
i'm going to relate a jw family that i know of that highlight how disproportionate disfellowshipping is.
both dad (elder) and mum are die hard jw.
the son was always a nasty boy and when he got into drugs it just intensified his personality 10 fold.
guess who will be taking care of them?
The Daughter, I agree.
I wonder who will be taking care of my parents, I assume I won't know when they die, who is going to tell me?
just been thinking about the "persecution" video where the modern day "job" loses everything.
here's an alternative narrative.. instead of turning down the salary job in the next town over, our hero takes the job even though it's a tough commute.
he is still able to contribute in a meaningful way to his "ministry.
I always have had a similar thought in the back of my mind with many of the "experiences" over the years.
This was no exception. I was thinking, take the promotion and find a new job while keeping this one.
Same with the often repeated convention experiences, boss won;t give you time off? Probably poor planning on your part. Go to a different city for the convention, get a new job before next year's convention.
There are many more intelligent possibilities than quitting your job for one day at one convention.
They create this distress to themselves.
I bought what I thought was a legitimate PDF from Commentary Press a few years ago. So it was already digital then, although it would appear it had older photos in it.
I don't understand why it needs anything added to it.
i thought that photos weren't allowed as proof of sin to the jc because they can be faked.
same with audio recordings.. this thread in response to the pale.emporer thread where his sister-in-law snooped on his computer, found his info from here and took pictures of it.
if the photos and recording are not allowed for a jc, this could be valuable info to anyone else who has a sneaky relative trying to 'out' them with photos or recordings.. anyone have any info on this?.
I had an elder take photos of my decorations, so I know they will use them. He did bring them out, I cut him off before he could, but I admitted to it anyway. But at any rate, I saw him take them.
I also know second hand of pictures being sent from one cong to another of someone staying over night at a house. I guess the pics were of the car in the driveway, I never saw them.
i've posted these before but this one looks more "official".. .
I guess you don't need tools if you are not building.
It' been many years for me since I was involved with RBC, I didn't know the RBC actually owned anything other than the construction trailer and some safety equipment.
because i simply decided the watchtower corporation wasn't the truth(tm) i was da'd in a secret jc that i didn't attend.
i was writing songs with a friend that day instead.. jws wasted no time in labelling me as an evil villain.
the rumours abounded.. i was labelled as 'a false prophet'.
If had many rumors spread about when I was a good JW, I can only imagine they are much worse now.
JWs are a gossipy bunch. The JW community is small and I think paths cross often, it did surprise me when I was about to get married after moving across he state that there was gossiping in the new cong. I was naive enough at the time to think it was isolated to my old cong. I guess that was about the time the rose colored glass of the org started to fog up.
by invite only!.
my jw spy tells me that this is in st paul's road, peterborough.. as far as i can tell, he tells me some corporation bully boy is coming over from bethel.
so, the local jws have been tasked to clean it so it's fit for this visiting dignitary.. of course there are only a certain amount of invites available and nepotism rules.
I forgot about the AssHall here is Ga, I was out by then, but I remember my Mother getting an invite to go because she was a pioneer and worked on the construction. Maybe that is just logistics, there isn't enough room for everyone, but sad that rank makes a difference. JWs Definitely have classes and ingroups.
I have to agree Slim, we were always taught that halls were not sacred, just to be respectful but, it was just a building. Why not have each cong say a special prayer at their next meeting and be done with it.
by invite only!.
my jw spy tells me that this is in st paul's road, peterborough.. as far as i can tell, he tells me some corporation bully boy is coming over from bethel.
so, the local jws have been tasked to clean it so it's fit for this visiting dignitary.. of course there are only a certain amount of invites available and nepotism rules.
I've seen the invite only thing before. Usually in places with mnay congs where there are more people than seats.
On the other hand once I saw a dedication in a sports arena since the hall couldln't hold 4 congs at once. I never understood the point of a dedication anyway, much less one that didn't happen at the actual place. Even in I thought that was strange.
