“At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne of judgment. Some of the groups near the front were angry and bitter

"How can God judge us? How can He know anything about suffering?” snarled a woman, with a tattooed number on her arm from a Nazi concentration camp.

In another group, a black man lowered his collar. “What about this?” he demanded, showing the rope burns. “Lynched for no crime but being black!

Each group seemed to have some complaint against God for the evil and suffering they experienced in life. How lucky God was, to be able to live in heaven where all is sweetness and light, without sorrow, fear, loss or pain. Indeed, what does God know about man and about what we had to face? After all, they agreed, God leads a pretty sheltered life.

So the leaders of each group got together and decided: Before God would be qualified to be their judge; He must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth as a man.

Let Him be born in poverty...said the leader of one group
Let the legitimacy of His birth be questioned....said another
Let him experience sorrow and grief, others shouted.
Let Him be the object of hate and condemnation
Let Him be accused and convicted on false charges
Let Him be tortured and die the death of a criminal, alone and abandoned

As each leader announced his portion of God's sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the great throng.

Then after the last one had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No one uttered another word. No one moved. For suddenly, all recognized the stark reality;

God had already served his sentence.

39

Merry Christmas Everyone

by jhine in

it's that time of year again .

in the words of the bard ( noddy holder ) " it's christmaaas " .

merry christmas everybody .

Vanderhoven7

Caleb, Sophia, and family want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas 🎅 🎄

39

Merry Christmas Everyone

by jhine in

it's that time of year again .

in the words of the bard ( noddy holder ) " it's christmaaas " .

merry christmas everybody .

Vanderhoven7

Oh the horrors of Saint Nick

https://youtu.be/kPwbVGA2xws?feature=shared

45

Living in the last of the last days - A new prophecy

by Listener in

although not a new concept by the watchtower, particularly in public talks and at assemblies, they have now put this prophecy in writing.watchtower oct 2019 page 8 -13 study no.40 titled -keep busy during the last of "the last days".

the first paragraph asks '1.

what convinces us that we are living in “the last days”?

Vanderhoven7

We are living in the final part of the last days..” Watchtower April 1, 1967. Sound familiar?

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

Vanderhoven7

Mack Moore writes

Jehovah’s Witnesses are only not considered a cult by persons who have never studied the real-world cult phenomenon. Many people treat cults as if they were merely a concept, and claim that any asserted belief is “my truth”, and therefore above questioning. Nonsense. Ignorance is not equal to knowledge.

If you have to use the qualifier “your” or “my” with the word “truth”, you’re not dealing with truth, reality, or facts. Truth is shared, or not truth. Reality is shared, or not reality. There is no such thing as “your truth”. There is such a thing as “your delusion”, which is the opposite of truth.

A true belief or statement is one that aligns with reality. A false one deviates. Reality is the only standard by which to measure truth. You have to study reality in order to align with it in your beliefs and statements. We should not miss the opportunity to hold ourselves accountable to reality by observing it, and aligning with it. Those who miss the opportunity are choosing delusion.

If you haven’t studied the real-world cult phenomenon, you are uninformed. Almost everyone is uninformed, because of never having studied, and assuming that “my truth” is correct, just because they labeled it as such, which is a delusion.

No topic is more buried in myth, disinformation, and prejudice than cults and mind control.

However, all the published cult researchers are in agreement, because they have all studied the same real-world phenomenon. That agreement should tell us something.

If we want to be informed, and therefore protected, we must read the work of the only party who has studied the phenomenon. In this case, that would be cult researchers. They have published dozens of books. Ignore them at your own peril.
____

39

Merry Christmas Everyone

by jhine in

it's that time of year again .

in the words of the bard ( noddy holder ) " it's christmaaas " .

merry christmas everybody .

Vanderhoven7

Joyeux Noël tout le monde!!!

https://youtu.be/Bbu6AII10Pk?si=82IzRJAQJsMwzM5t

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

Vanderhoven7

R.ex-JW writes

Was recently talking to a JW friend that l hadn’t heard from since before covid. We were in the same congregation until l moved away. Always a great guy, cheerful, very devoted to the religion his whole life. Seems he got himself marked for disorderly conduct, he invited a sister for a meal unchaperoned, even though nothing bad happened -sounded more like a personal grudge by an over-righteous elder.

He sounded so depressed on the phone, telling me that the ‘friends’ would run hot and cold, first they would shut him out, totally ignore him, make him work alone in field service, then a while later they would welcome him warmly and invite him to social events. Only to rinse and repeat. This went on for more than a year. He said that all this messed with his mind because he could never predict if they would be pleasant or rude. He could handle either behaviour, but not both! Today l found out from a cousin that he committed suicide last night. Left a note saying that he couldn’t take it any more.

I totally blame the leaders of this toxic religion, they have no idea of the power they have over peoples lives and their minds. They killed my friend with their bullying and manipulation. I will never forgive them. If there’s a god l hope that he serves up justice to these monsters.

46

What makes a cult (in the pejorative sense)?

by Vanderhoven7 in

michael moore writes:.

a cult is an organization that enslaves minds and destroys families using cult mind control.

cult mind control involves orchestrated deception, social pressure, psychological abuse, and repetitive indoctrination (brainwashing) centering around an unchallengeable ideology enforced in a totalitarian way in a closed socially-separatist community setting.

Vanderhoven7

Yes, I have belonged to a number of conservative Christian churches over the years, including Baptist, Pentecostal, Alliance, Anglican, Bible Student and Brethren churches. My family and I have benefited from each one.

No one shunned me or said that I was not a Christian for changing affiliation. I still have friends in every one. Why? Because we all recognize that the church of Jesus Christ is a spiritual body, holy and inseparable from our Lord.

Jesus will not ask on His return, " Which church did you attend?" No He will ask, "Did you love me? Did you serve me? Did you feed my sheep? Did you clothe the poor? etc.

In one Brethren church I attended for years, they disfellowshipped a brother for ongoing fraudulent activity. He had to appologize to many and was not permitted to preach or teach until he was reinstated. He still came to church and no one was mandated to shun him while he was disfellowshipped.

The religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the other hand, is a counterfeit christian cult and a dangerous one at that.

Vanderhoven7

Posts by Vanderhoven7

We are living in the final part of the last days..” Watchtower April 1, 1967. Sound familiar?