Posts by Alfred

81

Here i am....

by makersmark in

here i am - born in truth, hard-core spiritual everything all my life, early reg.pioneer, ms, elder, assembly parts, tour at bethel, etc, married now...... i'm trying to examine jw teachings a little closer...... i've spent the last two weeks reading many many posts, info , references on where ex-jw's are coming from.

i'm kind of concerned about a few things lately..... honestly - some points make sense to me - some don't - here are my general thoughts:.

-wt getting un membership for access to library - doesnt bother me - some passports and other governement documents have similar forms and requirements..... -blood issue - some counterpoints to the jw 'rules' makes sense (original intent of scripture is unbled animals, white blood cells similar in mothers milk) etc -however a lot of 'apostate' reasonings and proof are inaccurate.

Alfred

Makers mark...

No disrespect intended but I think you may have missed the point... the fact that the Watchtower has changed their false teachings does NOT get them off the hook. You also have to consider WHY and under what circumstances these changes were made. For example, in 2007 they abandoned 1935 (as the year when the 144,000th person became annointed). But WHY exactly did they change this teaching? New light? Progressive refinement? NO... The real reason is that 6 members of the Governing Body who were born before 1935 had passed away between 2001 and 2007 (the last two died last year)... So there are currently no GB members who were born BEFORE 1935... I'll let you fill in the blanks... Bottom line: they really needed to do something quick before the letters overflowed their mailbox questioning their claim of authority (since they wren't born before 1935). Same thing happened with the Generation of 1914... Jack Barr was 97 in 2010... he was the only GB member born BEFORE 1914 when the the definition of "generation" was changed to "2 overlapping generations of annointed christians"... Interesting how they managed to squeeze that one in just before Barr passed away... excellent timing I might add.

Also, have you watched the DVD "Faith In Action"? Chock full of distorted information, halftruths and flat out lies... For example, twice in this DVD the narrator explains that the Bible Students looked forward to 1914 as the year Christ would take his throne. F A L S E ... They were taught that Jesus took his throne in 1874 and it wasn't until the late 1920's that Rutherford changed this to 1914... That's why the older publications are relevant... they expose the lies that the WT feeds their brethren through whitewashed history lessons such as the one found on this DVD.

I could go on and on... the point is that it really doesn't matter that the teachings have changed if these were changed for the wrong reasons (or if the WT attempts to cover up their past in the process or even lie about it)... Not very honest is it? i hope you now get the point...

41

Will Humanity Bring About a New World Order?

by Spade in

http://www.watchtower21.org/2011/02/will-humanity-bring-about-new-world.html.

will humanity bring about a new world order through government?.

the cia in the new world order: intelligence challenges through 2015. remarks by john c. gannon chairman, national intelligence council to the smithsonian associates "campus on the mall" .

Alfred

Spade... I might be stating the obvious here but I find that most people on this site are here because they've learned to analyze Bible matters objectively which eventually allowed them to wake up and stop humbly accepting the ridiculous nonsense from the WT. Its precisely that "objectivity" that allows them to see right through your BS. So, I think your time might be better spent on another site or you might consider regurgitating the Society's agenda in field circus... just a suggestion.

16

Help w/ Bible Teach ch 9 section "Major Developments of the Last Days"

by InterestedOne in

i'm in ch 9 in my study, and we will go over the section "major developments of the last days" (pars 6-9) next week.

although i don't see anything special in pars 7-9, i think par 6 allows the jw's to strike a chord with people, and i was wondering if anyone could help me with how to respond to it.

they are able to quote real figures in that paragraph such as "three times as many people fell victim to war in [the 20th] century as in all the wars from the first century ad to 1899.".

Alfred

Interested One...

You might also ask him if the founder of the WT (Russell) predicted an increase in wars just prior to Armageddon... I'd be really interested to know how he responds.

382

The Gentile Times Reconsidered

by Spade in

disproving the date 1914 as a significant year in bible prophecy is of great importance to some (e.g.

carl o. jonsson).

along with the meticulous details of bible and secular chronology, broadening one's horizons when assessing exactly what this date represents when compared against the 6000 years of human history likewise has merit.

Alfred

Spade....

Nice job at cut/pasting WT literature... Seems like you're on some sort of mission...

I just have a few questions though... Since the Bible unambiguously states in Jeremiah 25:11 that “these nations will have to serve the king of Babylon seventy years”, exactly how was it possible for the Jews to continue serving the king of Babylon between 539 BCE and 537 BCE when he was killed in 539 BCE? Are you saying that the 70 years of servitude started in 609 BCE and ended in 539 BCE? Or are you saying that the Jews unknowingly served a dead king for 2 years after 539 BCE (assuming they started their servitude in 607 BCE)? You must choose one or the other since there really is no other option.

Also, had you carefully read the FULL Biblical account (in its entire context), you would have noticed that the desolation of any of the nations (that served the king of Babylon) only came after that nation rebelled against the king of Babylon. If, for example, one of those nations only served the king of Babylon for some 20 years (out of the 70) and then rebelled against the king, the remaining 50 years of servitude would have to be completed while in full captivity and slavery (and while that nation’s land lied desolate for those remaining years). So the years of desolation do not necessarily equal the years of servitude… it just means that certain nations (not all) would eventually lie desolate until completely fulfilling their 70 years of servitude… the full Biblical account could not be clearer in this regard. Yet the Watchtower continues to teach that 70 years of servitude equals 70 years of desolation.

I suggest you do more Bible reading and less cut/pasting of WT literature... your time would be better spent...

36

Assembly changes

by d in

i was wondering what changes have you seen with assemblies now.compared to assemblies in the 1950's..

Alfred

Nothing has really changed content-wise, at least in the last 30 years or so. They'll pretty much recycle the same old "experiences" every few years depending on the assembly theme. For example, if the theme is about field service, they'll talk about the two sisters who helped a poor old lady in the territory by stopping by with some groceries. If the theme is about remaining close to God, they'll give a demo about a kid who went to "the world", had some fun, lost his worldly friends and then came running back to the congo... same old recycled "Leave it to beaver" crap served up with a side of guilt...

81

A roaring current of change.... Is The Watchtower in the process of a major overhaul of their religion?

by koolaid-man in

jw
friends

a roaring current of change..... what is going on at the world headquarters of jehovah's witnesses?

in the last couple of years unprecedented changes in policy, procedure, and doctrine have been coming forth in rapid fire sequence.

this uninterrupted episode of new information is beginning to backfire for the rank and file witnesses.

Alfred

The 2nd "overlapping generation" of brethren is already forgetting the significance of 1914, 1918, 1935, etc. or are simply dismissing these as "no longer relevant" since they have been thoroughly convinced (through progressive thought contriol) that the GB is continuously receiving "new light" from God.... So whatever the latest "progressive refinement" might happen to be (however absurd or contradicting) is what's considered relevant to them. After all, they ARE in "The Truth".

But this money-making cult is just making a temporary and necessary "pit stop" before it gets moving again...

50

Don't you DARE to get up!!

by stillin9 in

interesting points from this week's wt study (dec 15 2010 study edition):.

par 12: "do i encourage my children not to view the song between the theocratic ministry school and the service meeting or the one between the public talk and the watchtower study as a sort of intermission,an opportunity for them to leave their seats unnecessarily, perhaps just to stretch their legs?".

why do they have to make such a big deal out of everything?

Alfred

If I were "thrown in prison", I'd most definitely NOT be singing any "Kingdumb Songs"... (that would probably be the quickest way to become someone's "bitch").... seriously?

21

I'm an HBH

by Lunatic Faith in

jw
friends

i have received two visits from car-groups this week and am trying not to freak out.

i think it is because the co's visit is coming up.

i have been home-but-hiding both times.

Alfred

Home but hiding?

10

Spokane Newspaper-Spokesman-Review: Official who assigned abusive priests charged

by AndersonsInfo in

february 12, 2011 in nation/worldofficial who assigned abusive priests chargedcatholic district attorney goes higher up hierarchical ladderassociated press the spokesman-review photolynn.

philadelphia nearly a decade after the scandal over sexual abuse by priests erupted, philadelphias district attorney has taken a step no prosecutor in the u.s. had taken before: filing criminal charges against a high-ranking roman catholic official for allegedly failing to protect children.i love my church, said district attorney seth williams, himself a catholic, but i detest the criminal behavior of priests who abuse or allow the abuse of children.. williams announced charges thursday against three priests, a parochial school teacher and monsignor william lynn, who as secretary of the clergy was one of the top officials in the philadelphia archdiocese from 1992 to 2004.. the three priests and the teacher were charged with raping boys.

lynn, 60, was accused not of molesting children but of endangering them.

Alfred

I'm sure the WT will be jumping all over this one soon (to deflect some attention away from the GB)...

47

Blind Allegiance to G.B. supported by scripture?

by honorsthesis in

hey everyone,.

i have been getting in on going debates with brothers in the congregation about the role of the governing body.

i feel that jehovah would not want us to blindly follow a particular g.b.

Alfred

Pyramid Scheme makes an excellent point.

Also, it's amazing to me how many brothers are conditioned to defend (and justify) the GB's long list of failed predictions, flip-flops and false teachings with this childish response about Moses' "error" which was nothing more than a momentary lapse of judgement.

Your response to those brothers should have been: "It is highly unlikely that any nation on earth would turn their backs on their leader because they made one or two mistakes here and there. So that analogy is completely incompatible with what continues to occur in the organization and should NOT be used to assist anyone who has lingering doubts. To do so would be irresponsible and misleading." That ought to shut them up or at least make them think a little more...

I'm sure there are better ways to respond... that's just what I would have said.