Saved_JW

Joined

• started 14 topics
• posted 89 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Saved_JW

• 
  6

  Thoughts on "Our Christian Life and Ministry" meeting

  by Saved_JW in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just watched the sample meeting corresponding to the new release of "our christian life and ministry" and i have a few lingering thoughts.

  1- meeting layout simplified to match level of publishers.

  when i grew up in the watchtower, the only real positive takeaway i have is being forced from a very young age to have the skill for public speaking, this has directly helped me with my confidence and gave me a skillset that is valuable in my current job.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  Honestly, it really ain't that subtle.

  your right, lol
• 
  6

  Thoughts on "Our Christian Life and Ministry" meeting

  by Saved_JW in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i just watched the sample meeting corresponding to the new release of "our christian life and ministry" and i have a few lingering thoughts.

  1- meeting layout simplified to match level of publishers.

  when i grew up in the watchtower, the only real positive takeaway i have is being forced from a very young age to have the skill for public speaking, this has directly helped me with my confidence and gave me a skillset that is valuable in my current job.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  I just watched the sample meeting corresponding to the new release of "our Christian life and Ministry" and I have a few lingering thoughts.

  1- Meeting Layout simplified to match level of publishers

  When I grew up in the Watchtower, the only real positive takeaway I have is being forced from a very young age to have the skill for public speaking, This has directly helped me with my confidence and gave me a skillset that is valuable in my current job.
  
  What is interesting about this new layout, is the focus isn't so much on training the Publisher with any real practical skill in evangelism, instead the focus is on entertainment. The new layout of the magazine I will admit is much more informative and simplified [no doubt an effort to cut through the boredom of the two tone Kingdom Ministry] However replacing the student talks with videos will not be effective when it comes to training the publisher to be confident in speaking to the public.

  The "Bible Highlights" portion of the meeting is vastly simplified. Notice that the Watchtower sets the agenda for WHAT the bible reading is, and the application of the chapter being read. The speakers job is to simply repeat the application. Gone are the days when the individual Witness read the chapter for himself, and delivered from his own words the application of the verse.

  Also notice that the questions are CLOSED ENDED. No more are the witnesses encouraged to simply comment on what they read in the bible reading. Much like the Watchtower study, bible reading questions are prepackaged and are tailored to steer the reader to specific conclusions of what the bible reading is about. Thus the publisher is drawing the same conclusions as the Watchtower as to how to understand and apply the bible chapter [through the WT Doctrinal Lens]

  2- Subtle propaganda

  I noticed something very fascinating about this video, the very specific camera shots of the publishers holding Ipads and tablets in the audience. I believe there is a push for members to move to digital devices in an effort to curb printing costs. I just wanted to add that the Watchtower often times pushes agendas without saying a word.

  3- Still a sales meeting

  I find it very funny that the Watchtower makes a change, without actually changing anything. If the end goal of the Watchtower is to make an effective service to produce publishers effective in field ministry, I am afraid that this program being implemented is simply more of the same thing. Its still a sales presentation, minus any experiential training.

  What I see is an effort to make the meeting more entertaining and interactive visually, but hardly prepares the publishers for "Real world encounters"

  The sales pitches for the WT magazine assume that the Householder is dumb as a box of rocks, they allow the JW in the presentation to completely control the flow of the conversation with absolutely no objections. In my experience this is hardly if ever the case. What this means is that the sales presentations at the meetings do not actually prepare the Jehovah's Witness for effective apologetics thus being able to defend their own point of view. Another way of sheltering and controlling conversations. Any real objections or challenges at the door are met with deaf ears and a "do not call" next to the address.
• 
  447

  Does Anyone Still Believe in God?

  by LaurenM in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  do any of you ex-jw's still believe in god?

  even with the new rebranding/softening of this religion, i still don't see how people can believe in him.

  the god of the old testimate is an angry murderer who approved rapes and slavery and killed thousands of men, women and children.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  From a strict Philosophical point of view, I really don't understand how our culture [this post included] ties in the subject of the existence of god with the existence of evil.

  In other words: Evil exists = No god

  Historically this has never been the case. The ancient pantheists [Egypt, Babylon, Greece, Rome..] never tied in moral virtues [as our culture defines them] with religion or the existence of God. They were separate things.

  Morality was strictly a philosophical concept and was a topic of much debate. Religion and god was tied into power, magic and sacrifice. In fact, they viewed the gods [or nature] as more powerful yet equally as morally depraved as we are.

  So you can see why I find it strange how people simply discredit the existence of god by using subjective emotions of what morality should or should not look like.
• 
  48

  Does God Exist? / Who is God? These are Questions which Lead nowhere. What is God Like, is the Correct Question.

  by LAWHFol in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  there are 2 questions that generate more pain,suffering & death, than any other question in existence.. these 2 questions are :.

  "does god exist?".

  "who is god"?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  how does Life go from simple to complex,

  Evolution by natural selection

  @Cofty There is no scientific model through testing or otherwise that will demonstrate even on the simplest level life going from simple to complex. If anything [using DNA as an example] we see life breaking down.

  Each generation looses information in the DNA, mutations contaminate our dna structure as we loose information. Same thing happens with the breeding of dogs. In every instance we can prove that information is lost.

  Yet you simply declare that life goes from simple to complex through evolution and natural selection. This my friend is a faith statement, not grounded in science, but scientism [the religion of science] you simply bought their dogma.

  Peace
• 
  28

  You tell me, does God give a damn?You tell me , do God give a damn?In one word. . .NO!

  by James Mixon in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  2005...three billion people live on less than $2.50 a day.

  at least 80% of humanity lives on less.

  than $10.00 a day.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  I guess this really depends on perspective. Having money can be a blessing or a curse. Same thing with poverty, some would even consider poverty a blessing. Some religious traditions in the East take vows of poverty because that brings them closer to god, having money is possessions is a distraction.

  For most of human history people lived on their own means; growing their own food etc.. So does God care that people are living on less then 3.00 a day? This statement assumes that God cares about financial prosperity in the first place. It also assumes that this life on earth is the fulfillment of Gods purposes.
• 
  24

  New hominid Species Discovered in South Africa

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  homo naledi has been added to our family tree but exactly where, is still to be discovered.

  read more here.... over 1500 fossils making up 15 separate individuals have been discovered in a cave near johannesburg.

  here are a few highlights of it's anatomy.... the skull was globular, like a member of our genus but the brain was small and primitive.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  Addressing the question about human evolution:

  We really have to define first of all what it means that we are "evolving" many people make pragmatic assumptions that evolution benefits a species in some way.

  The problem with this is that inherent in that assumption is that evolution has a goal. There is no scientific basis to establish this. A lot of evolutionary theory is philosophy based on observation.

  IN fact, from what we do know of the DNA structure, we loose information. There is no model scientific or otherwise which will show DNA mutation that gains information. So are we evolving as humans? depends on what you mean by evolving. If anything we know we are loosing information in each generation. Mutations in the dna that loose information is never a good thing. Apperances and traits can change over time but we cannot say based on evidence that those changes result in different species.

  When we breed dogs, the same is true. We take away from the DNA and loose information. We can modify height, appearance, traits. But we can never modify the species nor can we add to the DNA.
• 
  50

  thinking of leaving

  by justme67 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am 46 and have been a jw for only 6 years.

  i was doing ok until about a month ago.

  we were having an international convention and i heard the brother that had to pick up 2 of the members of the governing body had to get a background check done on him and his wife.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  There is no honorable way to leave the organization. I really guess it depends on what you mean by "Best way"

  If the agenda is to leave the organization with the least amount of backlash and judicial rammifications would be to simply fade away. Stop going out in field service as a start, gradually only attend Sunday meetings, then leave completely.

  However lately the organization is cracking down on faders as well even going so far as to treat them as being disfellowshipped.

  In my opinion, its always to leave with integrity and truth on your side. Do your research as you are continuing to do. Jwfacts is a great place to compare watchtower doctrine and Biblical doctrine, focus on the inconsistencies within the organization's past, and within their own doctrines. Specifically what the bible says and how it contradicts with Watchtower doctrine.

  The lynchpin of the Watchtower is the 607 bce doctrine. The organization stands or falls on this axiom alone. If they are incorrect about 607 being the destruction of Jerusalem, this means the math leading up to 1914 is incorrect, ergo the day of inspection of the Governing Body is also incorrect. Everything depends on that doctrine. The website gives great detail on this. Also there are resources available that show how you can use only the bible and the Insight books to prove the chronology of 598 being the correct date, USING THE WATCHTOWERS OWN LITERATURE!

  If the truth is on your side, you can at least leave with dignity knowing you left on your terms, not theirs. Who knows, maybe you might have some witnesses in your congregation who are also questioning but out of fear do not speak up, you may be that voice for them.

  Since I have left, I have had the privlege of helping a couple of witnesses from my old congregation leave. They had the courage to actually call me and ask what really happened and not listen to the gossip.

  Anyways hope that helps.
• 
  41

  What's the story behind Adam and Eve and fig leaves.

  by jam in

  1. social
  2. family

  where they blind?

  nakedness is a sin between married folks?.

  that is so silly.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  Missing the point entirely.

  At the moment of creation everything was created Good. There was no seperation betwen God and his creation. In fact God dwelt with Adam and eve in the garden. No guilt, no shame. Unbroken relationship between God and man.

  After the fall sin entered into the world, along with it came shame and guilt. The covering of the fig leaves was really mankinds first act of religion. Because when we sin, we want to COVER IT UP, justify our actions. Which is exactly what they attempted to do. Eve blamed it on the serpant, Adam blamed it on the woman. They hid from God out of shame.

  They covered themselves up as a reaction to their shame before God. No longer were they pure before God, but fallen. No longer good. They made clothes for themselves to cover themselves up. God instead had to make a covering for them. This is the gospel in a nutshell. Man cannot justify himself or his sins through his own actions, but only God can cover them for man. One is religion, the other is grace.
• 
  320

  Richard Dawkins defends “mild pedophilia,” says it does not cause “lasting harm”

  by chrisuk in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.salon.com/2013/09/10/richard_dawkins_defends_mild_pedophilia_says_it_does_not_cause_lasting_harm/.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  Objective morality is about how we think about how to minimise the suffering - or promote the well-being - of conscious creatures

  what objective source did you use to define objective morality cofty? Is this a universal law? or did you just make that up?
• 
  320

  Richard Dawkins defends “mild pedophilia,” says it does not cause “lasting harm”

  by chrisuk in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.salon.com/2013/09/10/richard_dawkins_defends_mild_pedophilia_says_it_does_not_cause_lasting_harm/.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Saved_JW

  I drew a clear distinction between "absolute" morality and "objective" morality that has NOTHING to do with anybody's personal preference.

  This is the answer to all of your previous post

  Whats the difference between absolute and objective morality. I need to know this so I can actually dialogue.