Apply every scripture about Pharisees to the Governing Body and everything starts making sense. One you realize they are not "the faithful and discreet slave", but more likely the "wicked slave", "disgusting thing in a holy place", "man of lawlessness", false prophet, etc., suddenly their actions, words, and mentality fit perfectly. One of the reasons I believe JWs are "God's organization" is because of how closely they repeat all the awful things "God's organization" has done throughout the Bible and history. I actually discuss this very issue in my papers "Do Christians Have Human Leaders?" and "Should I turn 'Apostate'?"
WontLeave
JoinedPosts by WontLeave
-
9
If the Watchtower stopped their cultic ways...
by Mickey mouse in...places like this would be far quieter.
why can't they see that they are raking hot coals into their bosom by trying to keep people prisoner?
.
-
-
-
-
-
WontLeave
One of my favorite Watchtower quotes about how their word is superior to God's word:
The world is full of Bibles, which Book contains the commandments of God. Why, then, do the people not know which way to go? Because they do not also have the teaching or law of the mother, which is light. Jehovah God has provided his holy written Word for all mankind and it contains all the information that is needed for men in taking a course leading to life. But God has not arranged for that Word to speak independently or to shine forth life-giving truths by itself. His Word says: “Light is sown for the righteous.” (Ps. 97:11) It is through his organization that God provides this light that the proverb says is the teaching or law of the mother. If we are to walk in the light of truth we must recognize not only Jehovah God as our Father but his organization as our mother. - w5/1/1957 p.274
I include this with some other juicy tidbits in my paper, "Do Christians Have Human Leaders?"
-
42
Becoming of the anointed & seeing the light
by discreetslave ini was recently born again and thus am anointed because of this i have come to realize that though there are sincere people who are jw, some teachings are fine but the wt organization is a fraud.
here is my story sorry if it's a bit long but i need to tell it.. 16 years ago today i was baptized as one of jw's.
i was 17 years old the only one in my family.
-
-
WontLeave
I talk about the relationship between "the faithful and discreet slave" and the Governing Body in my paper, "Do Christians Have Human Leaders?" The attitude of the Watchtower toward those they claim are the vast majority remaining of those mentioned by Jesus is appalling, if they believe it. They can't really come right out and deny the people drinking the wine are "fds", because the GB would lose their position along with the others they reject.
-
23
PRIVACY doesn't exist (inside Jehovah's organization)
by Terry inwhat belongs to an individual jehovah's witness that is their's alone?.
do they have their own personal opinions?
do they have their own taste in clothing, recreation, friends?.
-
-
WontLeave
Like the Dark Ages Catholic Church and fundie freaks standing on street corners yelling at people that they're going to Hell, JWs believe it's their job to police other people. They believe they have the right to deterimine God's standards and enforce them by any means necessary. They reject Paul's and Jesus' examples, in favor of the example of the Pharisees.
I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among YOU and will not treat the flock with tenderness - Acts 20:29
-
-
-
WontLeave
Why would someone have to "go somewhere else"? There is no true church, as in building or group. Claiming to be the only true group is a method of control used by cults, whether mainstream church, mosque, or small, obscure, unique group. They're all just cults of various sizes all claiming exclusivity.
If Jesus is present wherever 2 or more are gathered in his name, just trust that someone else in the Kingdom Hall is there for Jesus. If you're alone, all the more blessed you'll be for being outstanding among your peers. Jesus told us we could recognize his followers by their love; not their doctrine.
-
18
Why Does God Need A Name Anyway?
by Room 215 inif he is the lord god almighty, solely the creator and sustainer of the universe, why the need for a name other than that?
doesn't monotheism require belief that the other, named gods worshipped by the pagans don't exist in a place beyond the imaginations of their worshippers?
why then the need for a name, if it isn't to reinforce a differentiation between him and lesser gods?
-
-
WontLeave
The tetragrammaton is probably a third-person derivation of a statement of being. Extracting every possible nuance from an ancient, dead language in a single word is not an exact science, so there is some debate. It does, however, makes sense that God - who referred to Himself as basically "I am" - would give us a name to refer to him that basically means "He is". JWs claim the tetragrammaton means "causes to be", but that's an assumption. "He be" or a better English way of saying it, "He is", is more likely. This really isn't a name, so much as a statement of God's existence, similar to the "Ehyeh" (I am) in Exodus.
-
16
It's official
by iamwhoiam inwe are now doing a trial run for accepting credit/debit cards at the convention for donations this summer.
no reciepts or copies of reciepts will be held by the wt.
the monies will be deposited straight into the society's account.
-
-
WontLeave
“‘Zion’s Watch Tower’ has, we believe, JEHOVAH for its backer, and while this is the case it will never beg nor petition men for support. When He who says: ‘All the gold and silver of the mountains are mine,’ fails to provide necessary funds, we will understand it to be time to suspend the publication.” - w8/1879 (cited in Proclaimers p.340)
So, how's that working out? On occasions where I do attend meetings and conventions, it seems like an inordinate amount of time is spent on the subject of donations. The Proclaimers book goes on to say:
Consistent with that, there is no begging for money in the literature of Jehovah’s Witnesses... What is true of their literature is also true of their meetings. There are no emotional appeals for funds in their congregations or at their conventions.
I guess that attitude is a thing of the past. Either that, or - in typical JW fashion - they do it then immediately deny they do it and all JWs are instantly blinded to reality. Maybe the word "emotional" is the loophole, since it's stated very matter-of-factly; but isn't contempt an emotion?
-
17
Latest installment in the TL;DR collection. I need an editor.
by WontLeave ini sat around researching, compiling, and writing this today.
i know it's long, but there's a lot of information in it.
i could probably split it into 2 or more parts.
-
-
WontLeave
@MS
I'll check out Perimeno. I've seen e-watchman and he's just trying to start an offshoot cult of his own. He and Rick Feron exactly fit the Biblical warning,
from among YOU yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves. - Acts 20:30
Rutherford did the same thing. Russell just wanted to leave people in their churches and talk about what he thought the Bible said. Creating another denomination added to the sectarianism already happening and warned against by Jesus. I don't want to start a cult and I would never suggest people follow any man. Christ is the only leader and I seek the elimination of human leaders; not to supplant them.
-
14
Topic #1 in my letter
by outsmartthesystem indisfellowshipping.
the bible only gives expressly, 7 things that a person may be disfellowshipped for.
found at 1 corinthians 5:11, they are: anyone that is a fornicator, a greedy person, an idolater, a reviler, a drunkard or an extortioner.
-
-
WontLeave
@ots
Sorry if my sarcasm seemed directed at you. I looked it over and it can be read that way. I meant it toward the egomania of the men who run the Watchtower corporation.
That's why I write the things I do. I have little complaint with JW doctrine, as I don't even believe micromanaging doctrine is a necessity. Jesus wasn't a doctrinal teacher; the Pharisees were. Jesus was a teacher of hearts; not minds. I don't believe everything JWs do, but the only thing I take up arms against is their disgusting interpretation and implementation of "the faithful and discreet slave". I am always on the lookout for the magic subject that will open a JW's mind without triggering the shut-down mechanism all cults implant in their members. I wrote "Do Jehovah's Witnesses hold the 'Memorial' on the wrong day?" for this reason. I hope the date of Memorial won't seem like a huge doctrinal issue and put up the mental quarantine wall. It's not like I'm throwing Hellfire or the trinity at them, so maybe I can get them to think just for a moment. Just to make a crack in the impenetrable armor the Society makes for itself, in the minds of JWs is all I seek. After that - with the Internet - it's easy for them to find more information. The first step is the hardest and that's what I try to help them make. While minute doctrinal details are moot in themselves, they are tools to pry open the proxy-Christ grip of the fallible human leaders, who seat themselves in the seat of Moses.
He is set in opposition and lifts himself up over everyone who is called “god” or an object of reverence, so that he sits down in the temple of The God, publicly showing himself to be a god. - 2Thes 2:4
-
17
Latest installment in the TL;DR collection. I need an editor.
by WontLeave ini sat around researching, compiling, and writing this today.
i know it's long, but there's a lot of information in it.
i could probably split it into 2 or more parts.
-
-
WontLeave
@cofty
You - like most - are probably confusing genetic drift and speciation with Evolution. Extrapolating data of "small steps" into indicating a long journey over time is not scientific. Only fundie weirdos believe every species currently in existence (and that have relatively recently gone extinct) was on the Ark. God didn't create every species, but "kinds". Both Evolution and young-earth fundie Creationism are red herring religions which present a false dichotomy each can point at for validation of their own lie.
This thread isn't about Evolution vs. Creation, so I won't get into the details, but Evolution is one of those things that the more I studied, the more I believed it - to a point. Then, the more I studied, the less I believed it. When I cross-checked what would have to happen for Evolution (I mean big evolution, which leads from amoeba to humans; not from light moths to dark moths), in the light of other fields of science, it became clear to me that it's impossible.