Posts by oppostate

63

How the Watchtower Screws Up Your View of Scripture

by CalebInFloroda in

while i do not argue the stand of atheism (because as a jew i find it totally logical and acceptable), i have noticed that there are odd carryover preconceptions about scripture that some hold as axiomatic about the bible (at least the hebrew texts), misconceptions that have nothing to do with the jewish scriptures themselves.. so regardless of what you may think of scripture, whether you believe it is of g-d or not, i thought some of you might enjoy a reference to see how much the watchtower teaching on scripture might still be influencing the conclusions you are making today...at least about the tanakh.

jews read their texts acknowledging the following:.

1. no scriptural concept of original sin.

oppostate

You too wound up about things and need to chilax. You are splitting hairs and reading things into my comments that are not there and far from my intentions.

Ayuh! I'm too wound up, and in need of healing like Ben Harper wrote and Marvin sang it.

Jews come in all different shapes and sizes, you can't just ask a Jew because just about every single Jew has a different opinion, there's secular Jews, and reformed Jews, and progressive reformed Jews, conservative Jews, agnostic Jews, constrictivist Jews, marxist Jews, atheist Jews, and Orthodox Jews, and even Ultra-Orthodox Jews--How do you expect to make headway with your individual point of view if other Jews would argue tooth and nail about things you say?

How about re-titling your "new" thread WISH YOU KNEW? ASK "ME", CALEB.

6

Hi Everyone...

by Adewale in

hi there, my name is adewale!

internet marketer & online entrepreneur, a fervid and easy going blogger at 70mack.co .

i have passion specially concerning things that concern technology!

oppostate

flagging it!

1

A Day at the Circus--or is it A Day with the Dubs?

by FreeGirl2006 in

i recently was at the hospital visiting a dfd relative having her first baby.

a little background: baby mama and daddy are dfd for having sex.

thankfully they have not rushed into marriage because of the little package that has come along 9 months after their "transgression.

oppostate

Good to hear the baby and mama are doing great, and it's really nice they had you there for support.

he just went and made an a**hole of himself in front of most of the family and nursing staff by saying over and over again that a broken femur (which he has had) hurts far worse than child birth (cause he would know?).

I would have whispered very sternly to him that if he didn't shut up about it I'd break his other femur myself if he continued making an ar$e of himself by saying that. (I would also have stepped and ground down his big toe to punctuate this message, while continuing to smile quite broadly : - )

21

Hi all, the prodigal daughter returns to JWD.

by cattails in

jw
friends

it's been four years (has it really been that long) that i haven't been on jwd.. i was back out west for a long while and i came back to new england.

just got an appartment with another sister and things are looking up.

i'm keeping under the radar and avoiding elder visits--not fully out of the kingdom hall yet.

oppostate

Hi, Catttails. Welcome back.

63

How the Watchtower Screws Up Your View of Scripture

by CalebInFloroda in

while i do not argue the stand of atheism (because as a jew i find it totally logical and acceptable), i have noticed that there are odd carryover preconceptions about scripture that some hold as axiomatic about the bible (at least the hebrew texts), misconceptions that have nothing to do with the jewish scriptures themselves.. so regardless of what you may think of scripture, whether you believe it is of g-d or not, i thought some of you might enjoy a reference to see how much the watchtower teaching on scripture might still be influencing the conclusions you are making today...at least about the tanakh.

jews read their texts acknowledging the following:.

1. no scriptural concept of original sin.

oppostate

I don't believe Christianity is pagan. It's origins are Jewish.

Earlier you said:

It is pagan to base your beliefs and religion on so-called sacred texts.

Is not Christianity based on the OT and NT are those not sacred texts?

JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES ARE ACTING LIKE PAGANS WHEN THEY USE THE DIVINE NAME. (all caps yours Caleb)

I would grant you that JW religion is cultish, but it is a Christian cult. They teach faith in one God and in Jesus as the Christ (Messiah). Does that not make them Christians? I don't believe they are acting like pagans. They aren't acting like Orthodox Jews, but Evangelists and other denominations use the Name in worship and preaching, does that make them pagans? I think you're exaggerating the pagan thing a bit much.

In the Torah the Name is used by His people often. The exclamation Hallelujah has Jah in it. It showed up in most Hebrew names Netanyahu, Yeshayahu, Yirmiyahu, Matthiyahu (called Theophoric names). They also named some places with the Name such as YHWH-YIREH, YHWH-NISI. Heck, it's even used in greeting one another in the OT.

The abstaining from mentioning the name is a later tradition, and not typical of OT worship.

And I've never quoted from the Jewish Encylopedia. In fact I can't remember ever using that as a resource.

Earlier you said:

Wikipedia states under “Firmament”: “The firmament is the sky, conceived as a vast solid dome. According to the Genesis creation narrative, God created the firmament to separate the "waters above" the earth from those below. The word is anglicized from Latin firmamentum, which appears in the Vulgate, a late fourth-century Latin translation of the Bible.”

This from the same Wikipedia article on Firmament:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firmament

Like most ancient peoples, the Hebrews believed the sky was a solid dome with the Sun, Moon andstars embedded in it.[7] According to The Jewish Encyclopedia:

So you're quoting from Wikipedia, and it plainly quotes from the Jewish Encyclopedia. I guess you may not have realized this. Either that or you're putting me on.

But the rest you have written may be right. I will leave it to the others here and my Creator to decide if I am a hypocrite.

Well perhaps hypocrite was too rash a term. I took it that you meant what you said (earlier) and if you say one thing and then do another that's hypocrisy.

But you actually denied saying what I understood you to say, and that made me wonder. Maybe there was an assumption on my part and I should not have taken you at your word the first time.

So if you meant no hypocrisy I retract my statement and offer my apology for the rash accusation.

However, there is ample room to see a discrepancy in the things you wrote at first and how you write things later, (as you one can see from your quoted words above).

63

How the Watchtower Screws Up Your View of Scripture

by CalebInFloroda in

while i do not argue the stand of atheism (because as a jew i find it totally logical and acceptable), i have noticed that there are odd carryover preconceptions about scripture that some hold as axiomatic about the bible (at least the hebrew texts), misconceptions that have nothing to do with the jewish scriptures themselves.. so regardless of what you may think of scripture, whether you believe it is of g-d or not, i thought some of you might enjoy a reference to see how much the watchtower teaching on scripture might still be influencing the conclusions you are making today...at least about the tanakh.

jews read their texts acknowledging the following:.

1. no scriptural concept of original sin.

oppostate

Oh Caleb, you're really full of bung and quoting from the Jewish Encyclopedia isn't going to get me to believe anything you're selling.

The term RAQIYA means to spread over like if you whirl a pizza pie dough over your head and you don't catch it going down and you end up wearing it as a hat, it is "spread over" you, now imagine I come along and smack down on it a few times so it is firmly attached to your head.

This lessons on Jewish belief are also "over" you, I'm afraid.

The Greek stereoma (LXX) and the Latin firmamentum (Vulgata) mean firm, stable, constant thing.

Judaism has had so many different sects that who's to say what the belief of one sect or another is correct. Was Paul not a Jew? Was he not taught about Torah from the best?

And there were the Essenes, and the Saducees, the Pharisees, the Zealots, and whoever else cared to interpret the Torah. The Talmud is just that, arguments about interpretations and traditions.

And today there are quite a few different sects of Judaism not agreeing one with another about traditions and interpretations.

I find it quite ridiculous that you start badmouthing Christian belief as pagan! I guess you're siding with the Pharisees and the Priests in calling Jesus a blasphemer. Then, like them, you're just exposing yourself as a hypocrite.

69

The 1995 Generation Change

by sloppyjoe2 in

jw
friends

i was just a teenager and have a vivid memory of sitting in a chair doing a microphone for the sunday meeting.

everyone was commenting that it didn't mean the end was far off, and it didn't change the condition of the dead, or the 144,000, or the trinity so we should still remain faithful.

this is my first memory as a kid being just a teen that i ever had a single doubt.

oppostate

I was an upwardly mobile MS, trying to be perfect so the elders would bless my efforts and deem me one of the in crowd of younger older-men.

When the 1995 change came I remember asking my then mentor, a know it all elder who was only four years older than I and was barely twenty when he was appointed elder, say to me that it really didn't matter.

He said that to him The Truth(C) was the best way of living and even if it turned out it was wrong, he would have still lived the best life. So it could never be wrong in his mind, it would always be the best life, free from drugs, immorality, and everything this "wicked system" has to offer.

I remember it struck me as a weird way to look at things.

If it wasn't the truth, I thought, then I really want to find out exactly what is the real truth. And I remember thinking how stupid it really sounded to continue doing something you found out was a lie.

Shortly after that I became an elder and had to quiet down all doubts lest I backslide into questionings and doubts.

What a bone head I was. (& probably still am, it's just that now I know for a fact the many lies that hold up The Truth(C) and no, it's not the best life one could ever have!)

15

Beware the will use legal means against lies

by Listener in

i am posting a transcript a part of the talk given by anthony morris iii from jw broadcasting july 2015. i've posted much much more than necessary but i wanted to keep it in context.

the governing body has approved of my speaking of something that jesus himself spoke of on a number of occasions.

and i might say at the outset that this is by no means a pessimistic speech meant to discourage anyone.

oppostate

So reading over what you wrote I could just hear his slurry whine tone of voice saying the words, it was quite disconcerting.

All I can perceive from the broadcast is Tony III, trying to put the scare on.

26

Bethelite"s wife storms out of headquarters and leaves him...she was forced into Bethel. My story begins....

by Witness 007 in

we were all in our 20's the 1990's pioneers who still hoped the 1914 generation was for real.

jenny {names changed} loved peter who was younger then me and very handsome.

he wanted to go to bethel since he was a kid.

oppostate

Call her up! Give her an out for a day off! Sweep her off her feet! Take her to dinner and a play on Broadway! Be her shining knight for a night on the town!

12

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 07-12-2015 WT Study (FIGHT SATAN)

by blondie in

blondies comments you will not hear at the 07-12-2015 wt study (fight satan)(may 15, 2015 issue).

http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/.

the wts usually says the devils main and sometimes only target are the anointed remnant and the other sheep are collateral damage because of their association with them..

oppostate

Every single stinking article they publish is just wrong on so many levels.

Thanks Blondie for exposing the inane WT study articles as the written piece of rubbish that they are. Oh I wish your comments could be voiced during the WT study meeting!

The WT study meeting compounds the WT stupidity of what they write because the loyal publishers are going to regurgitate the insanity and commend each other for their commenting.