ABibleStudent

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Posts by ABibleStudent

• 
  57

  Hidden program in the new WT CD alerts Bethel who has visited apostate websites!!

  by moshe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  just imagine, if that was a true statement- or maybe it is already in the works?

  do you think it is possible?.

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  ABibleStudent

  Has anyone heard of spyware and cookies? It is very possible that when the Cd installs the WTBTS software that a cookie(s) could also be saved on a computer that would track which websites are visited. Of coarse, any good anti-virus sofware would be able to detect spyware, so it is unlikely that the WTBTS would waste the time. Since most people do not read terms of use agreements, I am sure that the WTBTS would attempt to protect its self from any privacy litigation by saying that the cookie(s) were installed to keep the JW's computer as clean as it's member.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
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  216

  Religious Reform

  by Maze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as a bible based organization, how do feel jehovah's organization should be reformed?

  the answer is quite simple in christendoms churches:.

  1. reject false doctrines like the trinity and 'all christians go to heaven' and use of images in worship.. .

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  ABibleStudent

  Maze - All throughout human history, Jehovah has had a visible organization on earth to represent his interests. This was the case between Jehovah and the nation of natural Israel. Jehovah foretold the new covenant by the prophet Jeremiah in the seventh century B.C.E., stating that it would not be like the Law covenant, which Israel broke. This was the establishment of Christianity. First century Christianity was corrupted soon after the last apostle died as Jesus prophesied.

  Hi Maze, have you read what Jesus Christ said in the Gospels or Acts in the NT? Did you miss the parts where Our Father through Jesus Christ formed a new covenant with believers, because Jesus Christ (and we can assume Our Father) was very displeased with how the Jewish religious leaders were behaving. You can cherry-pick Bible verses all day long like the WTBTS, but Jesus Christ will be able to see what is in your heart on judgement day. How do you explain away what Jesus Christ said in John 16:5-16? Jesus Christ promised that Our Father would send the Holy Spirit, not the WTBTS to replace the Jewish leadership.

  John 16:5-16 (NIV 2008) 5 “Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt [a] in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

  12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.

  16 “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
• 
  51

  I have just left my parents home and the JW's about six months ago and have found it hard to get over.

  by StephanieH in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i finally desided to leave the witnesses therefore my family and basicly everyone and everything i had ever known.

  i was 19 about to be 20 and i had just finished my first semester at a community college.

  i was shocked at the respons of my father and others about me attending college at first they were ok but behind my back they were pretty much betting on my failier.

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  ABibleStudent

  Welcome StephanieH. I look forward to more posts from you. From your post you seem fairly well balanced and have been working your plan to meet more Worldly people, talk with a therapist, control being harrased by the JWs, and meeting other former JWs by posting on the JWN. You might want to read Steve Hassan's books to learn more about phobias that you may be unaware of from being a JW. Good-Luck!!

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
• 
  46

  The Watchtower, Christianity and Cultism

  by Nickolas in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  if you want to upset a jehovah's witness, refer to the watchtower as a sect.

  if you really want to upset a jehovah's witness, refer to the watchtower as a cult.

  that's pretty much a conversation stopper.. the watchtower denigrates the rest of christianity.

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  ABibleStudent

  Nikolas - if the Watchtower is a cult, as so many people in here believe, is Christianity itself a cult?

  I believe that Steve Hassan answers your question in "Combatting Cult Mind Control". It depends on how one defines a cult. Cults can be religious, business, etc. Christians have done a lot of bad things for the last 2,000 years, so have people, who are not religious, and so have governments. Organizations are composed of people, so why not ask, "Why do people form mind controlling cults?" or "Why do people join mind controlling cults?"

  People can choose to blame Our Father, Jesus Chris, and the Holy Spirit or they can look in the mirror and remind themselves that Jesus Christ did warn mankind about false prophets and now individuals are responsible for taking appropriate actions. I like Benjamin Franklin Gates' dialogue in National Treasure about interpreting a passage in the Declaration of Independence, "If there's something wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action." It is always easier to blame someone else instead of taking responsibilities for one's own actions or lack of action.

  Mt 7:15-23 (NIV 2008) 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

  21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
• 
  48

  True Friendship Only Found In the Organization?

  by What Now? in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  [if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>normal</w:view> <w:zoom>0</w:zoom> <w:trackmoves /> <w:trackformatting /> <w:punctuationkerning /> <w:validateagainstschemas /> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:saveifxmlinvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:ignoremixedcontent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext> <w:donotpromoteqf /> <w:lidthemeother>en-us</w:lidthemeother> <w:lidthemeasian>x-none</w:lidthemeasian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>x-none</w:lidthemecomplexscript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables /> <w:snaptogridincell /> <w:wraptextwithpunct /> <w:useasianbreakrules /> <w:dontgrowautofit /> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark /> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp /> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables /> <w:dontvertalignintxbx /> <w:word11kerningpairs /> <w:cachedcolbalance /> </w:compatibility> <w:browserlevel>microsoftinternetexplorer4</w:browserlevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont m:val="cambria math" /> <m:brkbin m:val="before" /> <m:brkbinsub m:val="&#45;-" /> <m:smallfrac m:val="off" /> <m:dispdef /> <m:lmargin m:val="0" /> <m:rmargin m:val="0" /> <m:defjc m:val="centergroup" /> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440" /> <m:intlim m:val="subsup" /> <m:narylim m:val="undovr" /> </m:mathpr></w:worddocument> </xml><!

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  often times, i read in the magazines that only among jehovahs people will you find true friendship.

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  ABibleStudent

  Definition of insanity - doing the same over and over again, and expecting a different result.

  Hi What Now?, you and your husband seem like very socialable people. Good friendships are more valuable than gold and diamonds, and can be harder to find. I am not going to write that people in the real world will not disappoint you, but I can write that Worldly people will not shun you because some else says to shun you because you were Df'ed. If you are disappointed with friendships that you have tried to make in the KH, why not try to make non-JW friends with similiar interests? What do you like to do besides read WTBTS literature: study the Bible (local churches usually have bible study groups), read classical literature, dance, play games, volunteer, cook? Attend functions that you will enjoy participating in and may be you will meet new friends there.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
• 
  77

  Association: Am i being lied to?

  by roxanesophia in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i don't hesitate to bring up with the girl i study with, my criticisms of the religion, and one of those is the association.

  i keep reading on here that jw's don't make friends outside the cult, and this is what i used as an excuse for stepping further away from being baptized.

  she tells me it's not true, and they can have what ever friends they want.

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  ABibleStudent

  Paralipomenon - I'm surprised that this sister outright lied like that. Usually most witnesses stretch the truth or try to change the topic, but that one is a boldfaced lie.

  Hi roxanesophia, I would be suspicious of anything that JWs say to a Bible Study. When I studied with an elder, he said that it was ok to maintain relationships with close friends and family of Df'ed JWs. If you read page 30-32 in the 15th July 2011 Watchtower Study guide, the WTBTS paints a totally different perspective. Either the elder I was studying with did not know WTBTS doctrine, new light occurred in the last year about shunning Df'ed JWs, or he was following WTBTS "Theocratic Strategy" (i.e., decieving/lying) by downplaying how JWs shun each other. By the way I questioned the elder very thoroughly on this subject to make sure that he was trying to decieve me. Just for fun ask your BS conductor how the WTBTS's defines "Worldly" people and how does it compare to how Jesus Christ views people in John 15:18 - 16:4, especially John 15:19 and John 15:22.

  John 15:18 - 16:4 (NIV 2008) - 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ [b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ [c]

  26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

  Chapter 16

  1 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
• 
  7

  The Watchtower will use any excuse to bring up "bad associations"

  by sabastious in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  live with jehovah's day in mind (pub 2006) pg 135. beware of bad associations!.

  20 what can you young ones learn from the 12 prophets?

  one of the most-quoted scriptures in discussions between you and your parents may be 1 corinthians 15:33 about avoiding bad associations.

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  ABibleStudent

  sabastious - So, according to the book, just like the Edomites betrayed the Israelites and were destroyed by Babylon we should stop developing that friendship at work or school? It's insane how jealous the Watchtower is of "worldly people" intermingling with their precious publishers.

  Hi sabastious, I feel it just goes to prove that the WTBTS uses information and behavior control to control the minds of JWs. It amazes me how many JWs do blindly follow the WTBTS doctrines. I guess that some people would rather be led instead of exert their free will to choose their own path.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
• 
  51

  I need support please

  by AwSnap in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  for the most part, i am able to understand how my family treats me.

  i was a jw for 20 years...since birth.

  i used to shun people.

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  ABibleStudent

  Hi AwSnap, I am sorry to hear about you being shunned by your sister. Just because she is shunning you doesn't mean that she doesn't care. Since you were a JW, I am sure that you can see her perspective. If your sister has an email account, can you send images to your sister and short loving notes about what you are feeling. As long as your sister doesn't respond negatively to your emails, I am sure that she would appreciate the communication. Good-luck with your child's birth and growing together as a family.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
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  20

  What a drag it is getting old

  by prophecor in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  !.........the days of youth are wasted on the youth, i've heard it said.

  the days of our lives, as the scriptures so eloquently put it are 70 years.

  i look at the youth of today in their teens to maybe thirty or so, and i have to say to myself, "boy, i wouldn't wish my 20's and 30's on anybody.

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  ABibleStudent

  Hi prophecor, every age has its good points and its not so good points. I like whatever age I am at, because the alternative of death is not what I want.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent
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  21

  Are Jehovah's Witnesses Chrsitians?

  by TimothyT in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  despite being a jw for 20 years, this has just flashed up into my mind?.

  of course jesus is important in the lives of jw's, but they worship jehovah!.

  hence, are they christians or jehovians?.

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  ABibleStudent

  Essan - They aren't Christians. They aren't even Jehovians - they are Societians.

  They worship the Society as God, Jehovah is just a cover story.

  Thanks Essan for labeling JWs "Societains". It sort of rhythms with leviathan. I agree that JWs spend more time reading WTBTS literature, trying to keep up with the latest WTBTS doctrinal changes, peddling WTBTS literature, and reading "all of the Bible" instead of focusing on the Gospels and NT. To me a Christian is someone who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ via guidance from the Holy Spirit, which was promised by Jesus Christ to his disciples (and his followers). I don't believe that Jesus Christ ever mentioned an organization such as the WTBTS in the NT helping and providing guidance to Christians.

  Wikipedia - Leviathan ( English pronunciation: /l?'va?.?θ?n/ ; Hebrew: ????????? , Modern Livyatan Tiberian Liwya?an ; "twisted, coiled"), is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper (see Hellmouth). The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature. In classical literature (such as the novel Moby-Dick) it refers to great whales, and in Modern Hebrew, it means simply "whale." It is described extensively in Job 41.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  ABibleStudent