Last year, I was able to spend a pleasant afternoon with an old friend, who is now an elder in one of the local congregations. However, we have heard no more from he and his wife - probably as they have learned of my "official status" amongst the JWs!
Bungi Bill
JoinedPosts by Bungi Bill
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45
Does Anyone Know The "Real" Attitude That JWs Have Towards "Inactive Ones"?
by minimus indoes the rank and file or the elders view us as disassociated or disfellowshipped or simply "weak" or possibly a "prodigal son" type?.
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45
Does Anyone Know The "Real" Attitude That JWs Have Towards "Inactive Ones"?
by minimus indoes the rank and file or the elders view us as disassociated or disfellowshipped or simply "weak" or possibly a "prodigal son" type?.
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Bungi Bill
Very definitely as a lower form of life!
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77
Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.
by towerwatchman ininterpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .
the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.
but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.
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Bungi Bill
when the noun lacks the definite article it is up to the translator to translate definite or indefinite depending on the context.
And accurately performing that "translation" requires more than just a superficial understanding of Koine Greek grammar and its nuances. Definitely not for the amatuer to attempt! (or some college dropout such as FW Franz).
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Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.
by towerwatchman ininterpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .
the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.
but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.
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Bungi Bill
Again, more than a superficicial knowledge of Koine Greek grammar is required to accurately determine what is going on here.
Despite having a surfeit of time on my hands at the moment, I don't intend to wade my way through the 50-odd pages of Daniel Wallace's Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics that deal with both this matter and how it relates to John 1:1
(even if our local library had a copy of this work, which they haven't).
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46
Do You Trust The News Media?
by minimus inobviously, trump doesn't.
but do you?
do you think that they are generally fair, unbiased and honest?.
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Bungi Bill
Our local media appears to be reasonably accurate as far as it goes - but only as far as it goes!
By that I mean it typically provides a very superficial coverage of a very few headline-grabbing events, but then has absolutely no follow up news after the initial report. The whole effect is to leave a person feeling much like they have been completely left in the dark.
It is difficult to know where to turn in order to keep reasonably well informed. Not the local news media, anyway (perhaps I should resume reading of Awake! Sorry, just kidding).
So far, the best I have been able to come up with is the reading of periodicals that deal with specific matters, rather than general news. In my case, this principally means the regular reading of engineering and technical publications, such as Create, the journal of the Institute of Engineers, Australia. Such publications do deal with a surprising variety of subjects, and at a much greater depth than could ever be obtained from an eight-second sound bite on TV.
I remain, however, open to suggestions!
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77
Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.
by towerwatchman ininterpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .
the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.
but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.
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Bungi Bill
An interesting take on what seems will always be an everlasting point of contention!
Certainly, almost all scholars are in agreement that the NWT's rendering of the second part of the statement as "and the Word was a god" is taking excessive liberties.
However, determining what the Bible writer actually meant in John 1:1 does require more than a superficial understanding of the grammatical structure and nuances of the Koine Greek language - particularly as to how this relates to the use (or not) of the definite article.
For example, Daniel Wallace, in his Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, includes an complete 50 pages dealing entirely with just with the use of the definite article. (This section is entitled "The Article - Part 1"). Furthermore, he then goes on with a further 15 pages that apply directly just to John 1:1. The outcome of this dissection of that verse is very much one of "nature and essence" rather than identity:
- i.e. The Bible writer is here saying that "The Word" is of the same nature and essence as God, but he is not saying that "The Word" and God are one and the same being (not in this verse, anyway!).
Given this, it would seem very few translations of The Bible render John 1:1 correctly. Most render the second part as ".... and The Word was God." According to most informed commentators of the Bibilcal Languages, that is no more correct than the New World Translation's "and the Word was a god".
Just saying, anyway! (Certainly don't intend to re-open the 2000 year old dispute over whether or not God is a Trinity)
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A major misadventure!
by Bungi Bill inhi, everyone.. i haven't posted here much in quite a while, but having just been laid low by injury, i'll likely be a frequent visitor for some time to come!.
two weeks ago, i was involved in a workplace accident that left me with my lower l.h.
leg fractured in three places (the tibia and fibular both broken clean through, plus another crack in the "neck" of the fibular for good measure!
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Bungi Bill
At my next hospital appointment, which is scheduled for next Tuesday, they will be fitting me out with a fibreglass cast of the type commonly referred to as a "moonboot". After that, I ought to be able to venture a bit further outside the house (to say nothing of being able to take a proper shower!).
Fortunately, the pain has been controllable with nothing more than paracetamol and asprin. (Except immediately after the injury occurred - when the paramedics administered a double-shot of morphine before the rescue operation commenced!) I have been also given a supply of something more potent, a type of synthetic codiene. However, that stuff plays havoc with ones intestinal tract, so I try to avoid having to use those tablets!
My employer has been wonderfully supportive, to the extent of this morning sending one of the junior staff around to mow my lawns. A full accident investigation has been initiated, both internally (as per company requirements), and externally (as per statutory requirements).
I had managed to last 62 years without ever breaking a bone, despite having played rugby football, crashed motorbikes and been thrown from horses. Just goes to show that - like most cliches - the one about there "Always Being a First TimeFor Everything" is quite true!
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A major misadventure!
by Bungi Bill inhi, everyone.. i haven't posted here much in quite a while, but having just been laid low by injury, i'll likely be a frequent visitor for some time to come!.
two weeks ago, i was involved in a workplace accident that left me with my lower l.h.
leg fractured in three places (the tibia and fibular both broken clean through, plus another crack in the "neck" of the fibular for good measure!
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Bungi Bill
Hi, everyone.
I haven't posted here much in quite a while, but having just been laid low by injury, I'll likely be a frequent visitor for some time to come!
Two weeks ago, I was involved in a workplace accident that left me with my lower L.H. leg fractured in three places (the tibia and fibular both broken clean through, plus another crack in the "neck" of the fibular for good measure!) I came away from the orthopaedic ward with a steel rod driven down through the centre of the tibia bone, and a series of steel pins driven through the bone at each end.
The surgeons tell me that it will be three months before I am able to place my full weight on the leg, and up to six months before I can walk again on it comfortably.
So I guess I am going to be "hors de combat" for quite some time - with little to do but chat on social media!
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46
How many years did you waste away in the Org?
by Tallon inin my case; 27 years.
7 of which were as a ministerial serpent ... sorry, i mean 'servant' ;).
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Bungi Bill
TBL - which translates as "Too Bloody Long!"
While not exactly "In Da Troof" for all of that time, I was definitely influenced by the utterances and mores of the WTS / GB / Jehovahs Witness Theology / Mad Rantings of "Crazy Fred" Franz for a total of 28 years.
Significantly, these included my formative years. (While not a "Born In", I was introduced to this nonsense by a newly-converted grandmother while I still an early-adolescent).
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Were You Ever A True Believer?
by minimus ini was raised in the religion and for the most part believed that my religion was truth.
i recognized some mistakes were occasionally made but felt that nobody is perfect.
then i smartened up and realized how dumb so many of the beliefs are....was there ever a time that you truly believed you had the "truth"?.
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Bungi Bill
I now regret to have to say that there was indeed a time in which I swallowed the whole thing:
- "Hook, Line and Sinker" as the saying goes, and did believe everything that that lot told me.
Looking back, it is difficult now to identify when exactly the realisation began to alter - but the fuse was probably lit by the failure of 1975. Even so, it was a bloody long fuse!