Vanderhoven7

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Posts by Vanderhoven7

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  5

  In the spirit of Christmas

  by no-zombie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  on this auspicious day, i'd like to propose a question (half in fun and the other half not) to ask, ... if the governing body reviewed the origins of christmas and now proclaimed that it was now a matter of conscience, how many of the brotherhood would pick it up and start practicing it?.

  for me, i think that very, very few would take issue of the change and disassociate themselves.

  yes, many would question it in their minds for a while but since it would be a governing body sanctioned holiday, i think a very surprising large number would do so with zeal ... particularly in europe, were it still has wholesome family traditions.

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  Vanderhoven7

  MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE AND ALL!!!
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  17

  Interpretation of Acts 15:28,29

  by Christianhonest in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  what does the mandate to "abstain from blood" mean for jehovah's witnesses freed from the control of the governing body?.

  it had previously been understood that the best translation of acts 15: 28-30 was "to abstain from blood.

  " however, a careful analysis of the passage shows that the best translation of this passage is "to abstain from (shedding) blood," where the word "pour out," which does not appear in ancient manuscripts and other biblical versions, does.it appears there understood in elliptical form.in the same way it happened in the case of colossians 1: 16-20 where the new world translation of the holy scriptures correctly inserted the word "other" several times, understood there in elliptical form, in the phrase of the original greek "all things ", thus obtaining the correct translation" all (other) things ".even though christianity reaffirms itself in translating this passage as saying that "through him all things were created", because he maintains that jesus is god according to his pagan doctrine of the trinity, multiple biblical passages sustainthe biblical truth that jesus is not jehovah god, but his beloved son that god later used as his creative partner.according to this paul said that "though he existed in the form of god, he did not give consideration to a usurpation, namely, that he should be equal to god, no, rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave and he came to be in the likeness of men, more than that, when he was in the manner of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, yes, death on a torture stake, for this same reason, also, god he exalted a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above all else, so that in jesus' name every knee of those [who are] in heaven and those who are [over] the earth and those [who are] under the ground, and openly recognize * every tongue that jesus christ is lord for the glory of god the father.

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  Vanderhoven7

  
  

  The Bible is clear on this subject. See Acts 15.

  
  

  No - on the four major components

  
  

  No storing of blood

  
  

  No blood removed from the body can be returned... unless returned to the body via an uninterrupted continous flow

  
  

  Blood must be poured out immediately unless it is gathered into small tubesfor testing.

  
  

  
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  17

  "We're living in the final part of the last days, undoubtedly the final part of the final part of the last days....

  by Ron.W. in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  "we're living in the final part of the last days, undoubtedly the final part of the final part of the last days, shortly before the last day of the last days!!!".

  how are they going to phrase this in ten years time......

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  Vanderhoven7

  Nothing new here

  April 1, 1967 Watchtower p.197)

  
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  70

  A BEARD PREDICTION FOR 2024

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  fyi, i posted this prediction on my facebook page last night and it has received 224 likes and there have been 83 comments made.

  many of the comments are hilarious.. .

  a beard prediction for 2024:.

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  Vanderhoven7

  https://www.youtube.com/live/dF1HNA-emmc?si=6IKMC7Th9v8tH1le
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  23

  Broadcasts, Are they just a distraction?

  by KerryKing in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the recent broad casts about not handing in time sheets, and then about beards, especially the beards, it seems so trivial, are those talks only released in order to distract the followers from the recent court case they lost on spain, from the csa cases, the kh sales and so on?.

  i reckon they're taking their lead from the media, distract and divide tactics..

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  Vanderhoven7

  Beards OK and filling in forms no longer required are critical issues proving Jehovah of the Watchtower continues to major in minors and the Faithful Slave has nothing to important say to mankind.
• 
  124

  JWLITE

  by Teddnzo in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  even elders can be part of the new jw lite brigade these days.

  they don’t need to go on door to door anymore and there is no requirement for anything really.. taking meeting parts is all dead easy you could turn up on the day with zero preparation because it’s all in the meeting workbook.. quarterly elders meetings are just old men having a good old natter just like old men do down the pub.. congregations could be likened to pubs or bars these days just without the drinks, those come at other times.. no need for territory maps, these almost went away with covid letter writing now they are extremely slow getting finished as those who still go door to door only do ten mins.. you could even voice your questions these days about things the gb say and then just say “we can’t be dogmatic we just don’t know”.

  i predict they will say this about 1914 soon..

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  Vanderhoven7

  M.M writes -Apparently, watchtower used to think unfavorably regarding “new light”. But, just as with excommunication, or disfellowshipping/shunning as jws call it, they discovered it is useful to control and keep their followers.

  *** w52 2/1 pp. 80-81 par. 13 Jehovah’s Theocratic Organization Today ***

  13 There are some who seem to dote on speculations. They love to be the talking center of little groups, voicing their theories on how or when this or that is going to happen. They may not be deliberately rebellious about what the slave provides, but if they can offer only what the slave has already supplied they do not stand out. How can they shine personally if they merely reflect what all others of Jehovah’s witnesses are reflecting? So they seek for something more sensational, for some “new light” to dazzle unwary listeners. As they feed the open-mouthed listeners their line of new theories, the listeners by their rapt attention feed the ego of the speculators. When someone else begins to do the talking and occupies the spotlight, the speculator loses interest in the conversing group and drifts on. These speculating ones may acknowledge that some of their past theories were wrong, but they do not show they have learned the lesson from these mistakes by refraining from bringing forth new theories. Their longing to be viewed as an independent and deep thinker is stronger than their desire to be theocratic.

  https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=1952083&srctype=wol&srcid=share&par=17

  
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  13

  JWs and Coping with Reality

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  become a jw only if you can't cope with the real world.

  i believe i picked this up here but can't find the thread.

  i think it worth a repost.. “top ten reasons jehovah's witnesses can't cope with the real world.

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  Vanderhoven7

  
  

  Become a JW only if you can't cope with the real world. I believe I picked this up here but can't find the thread. i think it worth a repost.

  “TOP TEN REASONS JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES CAN'T COPE with the REAL WORLD

  ____________________

  1.The WatchTower hOrganization denies access to reality, substituting its OWN propaganda version instead

  1. Only Watchtower approved publications are allowed.
  2. No higher education is to be pursued.
  3. No non-JW friends or associations are encouraged with worldly "outside" POV.
  4. No free-style questioning of doctrine is permitted nor is constructive criticism.
  5. Threat of being "marked" or disassociated is wielded to discourage insubordinates.

  2. Between every real-world event and the JW's mind, a roadblock has been placed.

  1. The interpretive moment of free thought is interrupted by RE-LABELING in Watchtower-speak, jargon, and doctrinal rhetoric substituted.
  2. World events are twisted into a narrow storyline and propagandized as End Times signs leading to Armageddon.

  3. Individual tastes for Personal IDENTITY are expunged and replaced by a collective PERSONA. You are not yourself. You are to be viewed as a representative and example.

  1. Private thinking is red-flagged as selfish and sinful.
  2. Personal ambition is crushed. Only door-to-door ministry substituted as "worthy" endeavors. Beards and tight-pants are glaring demonstrations of satanic ego.
  3. JW’s are coerced into a public spectacle of theocratic performance for judgement.
  4. No individual is allowed a right to fall in love and marry or educate or earn without prior approval. You are the property of the Kingdom Hall and the Governing Body.

  4. Both History and Future cease to be objective occurrences

  1. Every human endeavor is judged as to whether it is part of Jehovah's Plan
  2. Great Leaps of advancement for humanity are disregarded and minimized.

  c. Terrorist atrocities are proof positive of a Satanic doomed world.

  d. Individual triumphs and tragedies have no particular value; only Armageddon matters.

  5. Talent, Creativity and Genius are transformed into useless ego obsessions.

  1. No personal achievement is praiseworthy since all glory is for Jehovah only.
  2. Neither Musical, Artistic, Scientific or Mathematical ability is encouraged because the preaching activity supersedes all else.
  3. Critical Thinking leads to skepticism and eventual disfellowshipping. Even intelligence itself is marked as suspicious.

  6. Ignorance, poverty, disease and psychological disturbance are NOT worthwhile for charity, education or institutional tasking for JW's.

  1. Building hospitals or colleges diverts precious time away from the JW ministry. Besides, Paradise implies repair and perfection anyway.
  2. Becoming a physician, social worker, volunteer in the community or joining any established task-oriented organization DISTORTS rather than solves human problems because Armageddon is coming quickly anyway.
  3. Humanitarian activity, disaster relief and institutional charity promote secular and false-religious creeds instead of Jehovah's solutions.
  4. Personal financial concerns aren't important to the congregation. Your finances are a symptom of End Times eventuality, not a focus of brotherly remedy.

  7. Human perception is untrustworthy, corrupted by sin and worldliness

  1. Only thoughts which come from official Governing Body writings are safe.
  2. Personal opinions, life experience and original analysis constitute hubris and running ahead of Jehovah's plan for his people.
  3. Calling attention to doctrinal irregularity, questioning "new light" and repeated calls for clarification red-flag spiritual weakness and danger.

  8. There are no "Good" people in any other religion. If they were good they'd join Jehovah's Witnesses.

  1. The appearance of goodness, charity, benevolence and selfless devotion to others by Catholics, Baptists, Buddhists or other religious types is only an artificial misunderstanding of Jehovah's permanent solutions to mankind's true problem: sin and death.
  2. Most do-gooders are religious fakes, imposters and money-grubbing charlatans who should be exposed and not admired.
  3. There is no one good except Jehovah anyway

  9. Everything you read, see, experience and think is a distortion by Satan for the purpose of deflecting you from Jehovah's TRUTH.

  1. Watchtower study replaces corrupt images, thoughts and ideas with clean, purified and approved replacements.
  2. The human heart is desperate and corrupt. What you "feel" is probably sin and not compassion. Don't trust yourself to know anything.
  3. The entire world is in the control and power of invisible demonic forces hellbent on destroying humanity

  10. Doubting Jehovah's organization isn't the result of logic or awareness of errors

  1. They never said they were perfect or inspired or prophetic
  2. Jehovah eventually repairs any damage (Wait on Jehovah)
  3. Disloyalty to the Organization is disloyalty to Jehovah himself. Armageddon will settle that score.

  In view of the Ten reasons above, there can be no doubt that the Organization has completely REMOVED REALITY from JW awareness.

  _________

  Being denied a right to reality is to have one's mind taken hostage.

  Without thinking your own thoughts you cannot ever be an actual real person.

  The group thinks FOR you and instructs you what to do and say and how to be.

  Without that GROUP there is only doubt, emptiness, and longing to be cocooned by the "other" and cradled away from fear.

  ________

  Why it is hard to break free?

  You wonder why JW family member won't listen to reason?

  You wonder why the obvious isn't at all obvious?

  __________
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  45

  Merry Christmas

  by jhine in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  so for those amongst us who celebrate the season .

  merry christmas everyone.

  .. jan from tam .

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  Vanderhoven7

  Yes! We can celebrate the birth, life death, resurrection, Ascension and future parousia of the Lord Jesus Christ every day of the year.

  Joyeux Noel to all!
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  68

  Are Atheists Hypocritical in Celebrating Christmas?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  richard dawkins revealed that he celebrates christmas on radio four's today programme.. here is is quoted as saying: .

  'i am perfectly happy on christmas day to say merry christmas to everybody,' dawkins said.

  'i might sing christmas carols - once i was privileged to be invited to kings college, cambridge, for their christmas carols and loved it.

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  Vanderhoven7

  No, because partying, decorating trees and giving presents has nothing to do with pretending to be religious.
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  22

  What is worse: 1914 or Beard change

  by Gorb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what is worse for jw's: changing the 1914 doctrine or allowing beards without the right to say what their opinion is?.

  g..

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  Vanderhoven7

  @Rattigan350

  "There is nothing wrong with 1914. It is solid doctrine that preceded the governing body, Rutherford, Russell, etc."

  Actually there is everything wrong with 1914.

  Initially, it was based on the 1874 parousia. Because Russell assumed that a generation lasted max 40 years, Armageddon would occur by 1914 at the latest.

  As I understand it, Rutherford changed the 1874 parousia date to 1914 around 1930. It could have been as early as 1927 when he also changed the resurrection of the saints to heavenly life date from 1888 to 1918.

  Regardless, currently the 1914 is based on at least 9 assumptions, the first being that Daniel 4 has a second fulfillment.

  So the 1914 doctrine is solid only in the minds of those who are also willing to mindlessly assume that Jesus was talking about an overlapping generation.