Posts by Listener

42

What did Jesus really mean, when he said he had made his Father's name known?

by Faithful Witness in

i am preparing for my meeting this friday with miss k. we are reviewing the bible teach book, and she is looking forward to "showing me some things about the divine name.

" i don't know what she might pull out of her hat this time... but that section of the teach book is so completely assanine, i don't even know what to say.

) what did jesus mean when he said that to his father?.

Listener

Thanks for the update Faithful Witness, I am looking forward to your follow up. You have gone into great detail with your discussions which includes the responses of an experienced JW and this does help me to see just how easily they learn how to distort the truth.

42

God listens and RESPONDS to your prayer if you know how to log on to Him! Here is the proof.

by exWTslave in

all my family members and friends (that include some elders) advised me to divorce my wife whose only joy was to pick up fight with me for everything i do, except my grand-mother who said: when you married her, you looked for only her good pointher regular pioneering despite having an opposing family.

for being good, you will ultimately reap something far better through her.

stick on to her.

Listener

Using your method to achieve such a result then we have the answer to all our problems. Once we know how to log onto him we can ask him to bring peace to nations, peace to otherwise wicked people and to change the personalities of all those criminals. They need do nothing to change their bad ways, it only takes us to request these things through prayer.

I had no idea and I am still very sceptical but happy that your domestic situation is now pleasant.

56

JWs: not creationists but believe in creation...

by TheStumbler in

i've been having a bit of an email exchange with elder dad and i need some advice.

i thought i was getting through to him but i think my criticism and tone became a bit too strident in my last email and now he thinks that i am attacking him personally.

i think he has dismissed everything i said because he perceived me as 'overally critical, and rude.. .

Listener

You weren't rude to him but he says you were so you should probably write to him and say you are sorry if you offended him and you didn't mean to.

Explain to him the main point you were expressing to him. Take the opportunity to give him another example and one that is even more water tight such as the definition of 'generation'. Quote the history of JW teachings on this definition and all the changes. Then ask him questions, such as - Could you explain from the bible exactly how they came up with this latest definition? Why have they constantly changed the definition? What was it that caused them to change the definition each time? The bible itself establishes what a generation is, why have they chosen their own definition? Is it reasonable to expect earnest bible students to accept this new definition that is well outside any logical understanding of the term?

56

JWs: not creationists but believe in creation...

by TheStumbler in

i've been having a bit of an email exchange with elder dad and i need some advice.

i thought i was getting through to him but i think my criticism and tone became a bit too strident in my last email and now he thinks that i am attacking him personally.

i think he has dismissed everything i said because he perceived me as 'overally critical, and rude.. .

Listener

The Stumbler, I can understand why this is so frustrating and it leads me to believe that the WTBTS does this sort of thing intentionally. That is, they redefine common day words into meanings that don't exist and are not recognized by common use language. There are a number of words that they do this with. It is worthwhile considering why they do this.

Firstly, when they change their viewpoint on a matter they will try to defend themselves (where they can) by saying they always have had this view. Changing the meaning of a word helps them to do this so that they can say they never actually said (or meant) something that they obviously did in the past.

Secondly and probably more importantly, it allows them an easy escape route. This gives them an out for discussing the real issue at hand and sidetracks the conversation away from the very important message you are trying to get accross.

In your situation, does it really matter if he or the WTBTS do not want to acknowledge that what they believe is creationilsm? There is no point in getting tied down with one word. Just move on and get to the issues that you really want to discuss and sidetrack the use of the word 'creationilsm' because it is causing a stumbling block.

That is why I love this forum and the discussions here as they help to show the many tricks that the WTBTS has taught their followers and they have no idea.

It causes a circular thinking within the JW and they can never get down to the real issues with any logical understanding. It is no wonder that so many of them are stressed out or depressed. The WTBTS tries to rewire their brains and it causes confussion which they can't get to the bottom of, it is so much easier to accept as black and white anything that the WTBTS teaches them and this is why they will accept why 2 + 2 = 5.

24

Jesus 1000 years and Satan's 1000 years in the abyss

by berrygerry in

the thread about satan in the abyss for 1000 years prompts a question.. jesus will rule for 1000 years.. jesus began ruling in 1914, which means his 1000 year reign will end in 2914.. satan will be abyssed for 1000 years.. if the end comes in 2020, satan will be abyssed in 2020, and then released in 3020.. what happens between 2914 and 3020?.

honest question..

Listener

Apognophos

Honestly I don't think this is a big doctrinal problem. For instance, as a number of posters here have pointed out, this period could be likened to the 120 years before the Flood, during which Noah supposedly warned his generation of the coming judgment. So far, that pre-Flood system has gotten 20 years' more warning than ours has, if the warning started in 1914. Mind you, I'm leaving aside the point that Noah's supposed preaching work is not mentioned in Genesis; I'm simply answering this from the perspective of JW doctrine.

You could use that argument with anything the WTBTS teaches. That is, 'I don't think this is a big doctinal problem'. Then you likened it to Noah's day. Fortunately, you qualify it with Noah just 'supposedly' warning his generation of the coming judgement. That was not the job that Noah was instructed to do. He was given the 120 years in order for him to fulfill God's requirements of building and stocking the Ark. In doing this he was declared a righteous man by doing God's will. The judgement had already been made and only Noah and his family were to survive. There was no coming of judgement. It was a time of preperation, not of a preaching work.

24

Jesus 1000 years and Satan's 1000 years in the abyss

by berrygerry in

the thread about satan in the abyss for 1000 years prompts a question.. jesus will rule for 1000 years.. jesus began ruling in 1914, which means his 1000 year reign will end in 2914.. satan will be abyssed for 1000 years.. if the end comes in 2020, satan will be abyssed in 2020, and then released in 3020.. what happens between 2914 and 3020?.

honest question..

Listener

Captain Obvious

Then why was the 100 (so far) year reign in between the two events not foretold? According to JW lore

They originally taught that they were living in Christ's millenial reign so when they changed this teaching this is one of the unanswered questions that arose. They used to call one of their magazines 'the Golden Age'. I think this Golden Age refers to the Millenial rule in which they were then living. When you tell a lie you forget that you have to keep telling more lies to cover all your basis.

Leolie wrote a post which explains a lot

To add to the confusion, the Society teaches that Jesus was enthroned as King in 1914. The Society still uses the phrase "Millennial Reign" to refer to Jesus' reign. So how he could have been enthroned as King and not start his Millennial Reign in 1914?

Of course, originally the belief was that Jesus became king in 1878 with the Millennium starting before or on 1874, so the Millennial Reign was supposed to be underway when Jesus became King, not after a very long delay afterward. Then in 1925 Rutherford updated the date of Jesus becoming King to 1914, with hints in the "Millions Now Living" campaign that the Millennium would begin shortly, e.g. in 1925. Then with the passage of time, the Millennium became indefinitely postponed with the date of Christ's enthronement stuck to 1914. The more time passes, the greater the disparity between the two becomes.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/122152/1/Are-we-in-Christs-1000-year-reign-yet

Once again it is just so difficult to make any sense out of teachings that don't add up.

19

Questions From Readers (w14, 11/15, p28): How are elders and ministerial servants appointed in each congregation?

by darkspilver in

questions from readers watchtower 2014, november 15, page 28-29: "how are elders and ministerial servants appointed in each congregation?".

that's all folks!.

dark spliver.

Listener

DarkSpilver, if you could display the whole article it would be appreciated, then we can have a proper discussion.

27

Women Please give us men a little credit, we are not so dumb.

by jam in

the wife and i had a argument of all things, the correct way.

to peel an egg.. i'm making tuna salad and she comes up.

and looking over my shoulder, "you know that's not the correct.

Listener

There's no need to take it so personally (and who said guys weren't sensitive?) She just wants to feel useful and by giving you some advice she feels needed.

44

Disfellowed on 7/16/14 for sending a letter to my former congregation

by spbondgirl007 in

jw
friends

it's been quite a while since i lasted posted anything on jwn.

i was in hiding previously, but only because i wanted to avoid the shun gun until i had the opportunity to tell my former congregation what i think about the org./gb.

i last attended a meeting over 2.5 years ago but it wasn't until june--when i earned my bachelor's degree--that i finally had the time to collect my thoughts and get them down on paper...i decided to write my letter in a style i felt would be most appealing to my target audience--jw's still under gb mind control --in the hope that at least a few would read it and actually "think".

Listener

Thanks for sharing those responses Spbondgirl. Once again they show just what robotic drones they are, not one genuine thought was messaged to you.

if you choose to disfellowship me, I know this is the real reason why (my refusal to obey the GB as ruler rather than God), for I spoke the whole truth and nothing but the truth in my letter.

The elders are showing this to be the truth more and more these days due to the higher number of JC cases regarding 'apostasy'. We'll see the GB continue to get tougher and tougher as the number of these cases rise.

15

Bible Highlights(this week) : What is the bitter water that an adulteress had to drink in Numbers 5:24?

by raymond frantz in

in this week's bible highlights we read about the bizarre trial by ordeal that a woman had to undergo if she was under suspicion of adultery .in number 5:24 we read about this strange "bitter water" that she had to drink resulting if guildy to a sponteneous degeneration of her reproductive organs ,please read the rest of the article here for more clarification ,maybe you can use it this week during the bible highlights at the meeting.... what is the bitter water that a woman had to drink in numbers 5:24?.

Listener

Sounds like the 'day after' pill