it used to for me, and now it doesn't.. i'm not sure how i was able to accept that argument now that i don't, but perhaps it was connected with my increasing compassion for people and their personal suffering as i've grown older.. now it seems like a sick excuse.
more like a bar-bet with satan and all of creation suffers.. i read paul's words and he has no rejoiner except to say in effect "sucks to be a vessel of wrath...glad i'm not one, but who are you to complain anyway, huh?
who's bigger, smarter and more powerful than you, you, you complaining vessel of wrath, you.
This explanation made little sense to me at any time:
- and it made no sense at all after I got myself hopelessly tangled up a few times, while trying to explain it to others!
That was particularly the case if such persons knew something about the bible (and, contrary to WTS propaganda, such persons do exist - mainly because they actually read the bible, not the Watchtower.)
Like so many other things JW, this one, too, is just another Fred Franz fairy story!
Bill.
21 days to go!.
whos looking forward to it?.
any kiwis here on this board?.
Princess Daisy Boo,
Up until this afternoon, I would have classed the Springboks as the Dark Horses of this World Cup
i.e. keeping all their experienced players out of the last Tri-Nations and on the "injured" list, while keeping the rest of us guessing.
However, the World Cup in any sport always contains an element of the unpredictable - and we have all seen our teams crash out during the quarter finals!
Bill.
http://kristenfrihet.se/vtsvar/vtsvar1.pdf.
(thanks to augustin for bringing this to our attention in another thread.
).
MrMonroe,
Rolf Furuli is a JW - one of the very few who rate as a "scholar" of anything.
Before too much be read into his input ref. the 607 / 587 issue, Rolf Furuli is a lecturer in Semitic Languages at Oslo University - and his area of expertise is in Ancient Languages:
- his area of expertise is NOT in ancient history, chronology, archeology or astronomy; i.e. in any of the disciplines that would give his opinion any weight in arguing for 607 BC over 587 BC.
Bill.
perhaps this has already been addressed, i looked ... i thought you might want to know, not much time left ..... harold camping .... some time after being released from a nursing home in june after suffering a stroke, camping, released an audio message on family radio's website saying, "we would have not been able to be used [by god] to bring about the tremendous event that occurred on may 21 of this year, which probably [will] be finished out on oct. 21 that's coming very shortly.
that looks like it will be ... the final end of everything.".
http://www.christianpost.com/news/harold-camping-update-rapture-will-probably-finish-oct-21-57197/.
I thought that I had about another 30 years to go:
- however, Mr Camping knows best.
Instead, it looks like I will just have to do 30 years worth of living inside of just two weeks (could be fun!)
Bill.
as many of us realize- times are hard for the wt society getting men to " reach out " for an elders or ministerial servants position as young men aged ( 18-35 ) are opting out of doing that due to the pressure they are under from the wt society leaders and just that it takes up too much valuable time where men could be earning a living and helping their own families instead of a thankless magazine printing corporation.
in the article " train others to reach out " in this issue it has lots of strange, controlling, yet perplexing statements which i'm sure will confuse jw men who are considering " reaching out ".
in fact, i think this article will discourage more than encourage them from doing so.. on pg.
Isn't it marvellous what that Report Card column marked "Total Hours" will achieve for a person - or not achieve, if the figure is not large enough!
Bill.
http://kristenfrihet.se/vtsvar/vtsvar1.pdf.
(thanks to augustin for bringing this to our attention in another thread.
).
The WTS has well and truly painted itself into a corner over the 607 / 1914 dates, making it extremely unlikely that the "sheeples" would ever now accept an about face on these dates:
- no matter how much the FDS might spout on about "New Light"!
Bill.
.
the longer you spend away from the organisation, the more utterly cringeworthy this term sounds when you hear it.. like they are all one big happy family.
what jw phrases make you cringe?.
Their favorite term for all things JW:
- ie."The Truth"
Although this expression makes me want to throw up, rather than cringe!
Bill
even though i was raised a witness, i was never convinced that the end would be in 1975 or even in my lifetime..
For a time I actually did believe that one:
- even when it was pointed out to me that the sun's life is finite (albeit with some 5 billion years still yet to go), thus making nonsense out of the idea of "Everlasting Life on a Paradise Earth."
Bill.
21 days to go!.
whos looking forward to it?.
any kiwis here on this board?.
For the All Black supporters, the latest news about Dan Carter is not good - in fact, it is bloody disastrous!
Maybe time for us to start being supporters, and not just the supported?
Bill.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/jehovas-witnesses-defectors-cop-a-blast/story-fn7x8me2-1226155212128.
While "Apostates" are accused of being mentally diseased, it would seem that the JWs are themselves infected with an illness when it comes to this issue - one known as "Foot in Mouth Disease":
- i.e. every time they open their mouths, they succeed in putting their foot further into it!
Bill.
