just kidding.. el oh el (c) cygnus 2002 -- all rights reserved
Cygnus,
Please, no idol or anything like that. Just a poor messenger with a strong message of hope for the lost in Watchtowerdom. What we are as human beings is what matters. But if we can somehow manage to learn the truth by unlearning what the WT has taught us all these years then so much the better.
Joseph
just kidding.. el oh el (c) cygnus 2002 -- all rights reserved
Hello Cygnus,
Yep! Good to see you on again. In case anyone is worried it was moved to 8PM EST instead of 10PM tonight because of the game.
Joseph
the watchtower society has occupied an enormously important place in the lives of millions.
i believe this is especially true for those raised in the religion.
based on the wts published statements, the teaching of wts representatives and their parents, jw children are methodically indoctrinated to believe that the watchtower is god's organization - his channel for communicating with mankind.
Lee Elder,
Scary as your comments are this just came in my E-mail from a reliable friend. I never knew things were this bad:
Date:
24 May 2002
Time:
09:44:25
Comments
I work in a residential treatment center for troubled youths. There is a section devoted to adolescents who have been court ordered to receive treatment for sexualized activities with younger ones....generally siblings. Age range from 12 to 18....separated into different dorms based on age groupings, etc. Of course ALL started this path by acting out what was perpetrated upon them by one or more adults...generally a family member. Some got caught early on, and remain more victim than offender. Some are hardened, seasoned, sadistic, sociopathic rapists, with no conscience at all. Those usually end up back in the penal system. Throughout this spectrum have always been a high number of Jehovah's Witnesses. Some learned their behavior at book studies. Some at Kingdom Halls. Some in the field ministry. Almost all suffered horrific, and often ritualistic sexual abuse. Many will not talk about being a Jehovah's Witness, having been trained and brainwashed not to bring reproach on the congregation. Many continue to preach their religion. The other day I heard a boy from that section belting out a Kingdom Song (what Jws call their hymns). Loud and clear. Every verse. It rang down the corridors, and out onto the playground. I got goosebumps. Another one. The stream never stops. The ones who are JWs typically have the worse horror stories of how they were abused by family, and high profile ones serving in their congregations. Some of them will continue this cycle throughout life...often in prison. Hopefully, those silent lambs that are receptive to cognitive therapy, will break free of their old patterns, and lead productive and abuse free lives. For me, personally, and professionally, I don't see how they could do so, if after release, they go back to their old "Theocratic" way of life. To be truly free, they would have to break free of that. For those that do go back, I woulld hope that due to the work of Silentlambs, the exposure on Dateline, and families finally saying they have had enough, that the organization could clean up their act enough to make a safe ewnviroment for children.
Joseph
have you ever asked yourself, "why was the stone rolled away and the tomb that christ was laid in, empty?
there are many thoughts,.
1. the pharasees stole the body.
The body He died in is the same body risen from the dead, but it has been changed to a glorified body!
Robin,
This statement is almost correct. The body He died in is the same body risen from the dead but it was not changed. It was already a glorified body before being executed. This glorification took place at the transfiguration.
Our Lord raise His own body just as He prophesied. But our Lord did not raise himself from death. The hope of our Lord was not to be raised as a human again. His hope and prayer was:
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Or in other words the hope of our Lord was to be restored to life as the WORD that created man in the beginning. In this state our Lord could easily raise His own body and use it as He pleased. This would in no way change history nor would it nullify the value of His sacrifice in any way. The Watchtower does not understand this since they do not have the truth as they claim. Therefore our Lord now has two natures which He can use interchangeably at will, both of which He demonstrated to His disciples and the apostle Paul. The scriptures continued to refer to Him as a man for the same reasons, the only human to obtain immortality in fact. This will also be the case when He returns here to earth to rule in his kingdom and raise the dead. During this time He will give resurrected mankind a human body like His immortal human one during the symbolic 1000 years.
Joseph
the other day, in your thread, i was 'pulling your chain' a bit.
with that comment to you... and sunspot annie grinned and knew.
i was kidding, because she knows me.. no.. i do not believe in leaving the kult quietly... and slinking away.... they do way too much damage and need to be called for it.. consequences.. below is an exchange of emails with an x-dub i do not know,.
Tallyman,
Witnesses really give me the devil when I call them evil, but I am now sorry that I did not do it more often. Perhaps trash is a better word?
Joseph
i have had a week to reflect on my life and was thinking about what i have seen, what i am going through, and where i am going.
i know many of you here experience unbelievable pain, suffering, anger, depression, and disbelief.
i have lived with these myself.
Hello Justin,
I lived in South Camden NJ when I came became a JW. I agree that you need to devote your time to your family and build new relationships once again. We all need time for reflection after such an experience and that is what I usually recommend to those asking me. But as time goes on then what?
How you live your life and what you teach your children is your responsibility. Each one of us must face the Christ on our own merits. So if you choose to continue to study scripture apart from organizational dogma to better guide your family along, fine. Knowing the real truth of scripture is both very satisfying and healing. Very little of what the WT teaches can be called truth so there is much to learn and unlearn. And this is an achievable goal as well with all the assets now available to you. Even if this is just for your own personal use and such a study should not consume much of your time. So if you can balance your new found freedom in Christ with an improved understanding of the faith then much of the disappointment that you now feel can be turned to joy, and rather quickly at that. But do give it all time. We can all see better if we simply step away for a while and then look back. Only then can we see where we really were and where we would like to go in the future.
Joseph
the wheels of the watchtower termination squad grind on.
at 4:45 p.m. today barbara anderson was contacted by the chairman of her previous judicial committee from last week.
barb was asked to meet with a new judicial hearing to face new charges which are adjusted as follows:.
Anderson's attorney fires back....
Silent Lambs,
Where is the link? Why not post it in a new thread.
Joseph
the trinity my thoughts.
the thought behind the trinity is not so hard to understand or appreciate if you approach if from a philosophical viewpoint.
you must look beyond the obvious.
Olympiad,
Beyond Trinitarianism, my thoughts can be downloaded at:
http://localsonly.wilmington.net/jmalik/
Joseph
i've been lurking for a few days, trying to get a feel for the board.
h2o used to be my regular hangout.
boy, has that place changed.
Hello Linda,
You may know me from H2o as well. But that board seems dead now. Seems like the moderators have pushed all the good posters off.
Joseph
i've recently come accross 2nd corinthians 12:2 where paul talks about the "third heaven".
did he make this up in an attempt to call other versions of the world false prophecy, or did he somehow know he was in a place called the third heaven where he talked to dog?
he admits only dog knows ,so where did he come up w/the third heaven concept?
District Overseer,
These passages of Paul simply reaffirmed his authority as an Apostle of Christ to the Corinthians that he was correcting. As one of the 12 chosen by our Lord he did have the authority over them that he was now exercising in his letters.
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
This third heaven is nothing more than the authority that will be exercised over man during the future kingdom or Paradise that Paul was privileged to see. The words heaven and God are interchangeable for authority and do not point to identity by themselves. This authority or heaven of the future will exist in the Paradise into which Paul was projected. Up until then we had the Jewish age under Law, and then the Christian age under Grace. The Kingdom will be the third age of man under new a new heaven or under new authority living in a Kingdom under Christ.
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
During such a time Paul was privileged to information that cannot be revealed at this time, but Paul had a glimpse into this new world and could rightly prepare the Corinthians for this hoped for Paradise. Yet, the weakness that Paul had with his eyes and in his struggles served as a balance that kept Paul from abusing his position as an Apostle in the faith.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. . . . 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
Joseph
