C.O. Jonsson did an excellent comparison exercise. It can be found on his website http://kristenfrihet.se/english/epage.htm.
On the lower side on the page you find:
A Review of: Rolf Furuli: Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptian Chronology
(Oslo: Awatu Publishers, 2007) Part I: The astronomical “diary” VAT 4956
Same conclusion. VAT 4956 can only fit 568/7.
Hoffnung
on this forum, i have carefully read most of the experiences of those who left the jw religion, i have even read experiences that have dated back to 2001, i have read the different circumstances surrounding their exits and what ensued upon leaving.
for the majority, i observed they are better remainning in the religion than leaving.
what benefit is there to strain family relationship because you want to be free?, please tell me, of what value is that freedom?,.
my pure motive is to keep lurkers away from information intended to undermine the credibility of the borg.
why should the truth not come out? Is not everybody entitled to know what is really there? What are you afraid of? Knowing the truth will only improve your life and give you the possiblity to make correct decisions in life.
I am so happy that I got this chance! Life can only improve if you remove a big unnecessary burden in your life.
to answer your question, as have many others before me:
I am very sure that leaving the JW religion has made my life and the life of my family better!
Hoffnung
here on this forum there are so many sinners, many here are doing things that will bring god's wrath upon themselves.
consider yourself if you in some aspect fit the description in romans 1:28-32:.
and just as they did not approve of holding god in accurate knowledge, god gave them up to a disapproved mental state, to do the things not fitting, filled as they were with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, badness, being full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malicious disposition, being whisperers, backbiters, haters of god, insolent, haughty, self-assuming, inventors of injurious things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, false to agreements, having no natural affection, merciless.
oooohhh, I am scared sh!tless now....
You forget that this was written about people living in the 1st century. Reconnect with the 21st.
However if something if these things are applicable, then they are also applicable to you. Things like:
"haughty, self-assuming, inventors of injurious things, ..., without understanding, ..., merciless." You know nothing about us, however you feel free to judge. Watch out mate: the way you judge others, you will be judged too...
And about Gods Kingdom, that was already installed long time ago, it is not drawing close. (Jesus referred to it)
And even if it would, you will not find in the Jehovah's Witnesses organisation.
Hoffnung
on this forum, i have carefully read most of the experiences of those who left the jw religion, i have even read experiences that have dated back to 2001, i have read the different circumstances surrounding their exits and what ensued upon leaving.
for the majority, i observed they are better remainning in the religion than leaving.
what benefit is there to strain family relationship because you want to be free?, please tell me, of what value is that freedom?,.
For all the lurkers and also for Mankelli: Your life and mental health will improve after you leave Jehovah's Witnesses. And if you go smart about it, you don't have to lose your friends and/or family.
I can tell you that, because I am living this myself. And so is my wife.
My extended family are almost all JW, and most of them are long-time, well respected in the Organization and the male members are Elders, ministerial servants, some bethelites and ex-bethelites and some were and others are still pioneering. They all together could keep easily a team of psychiaters occupied for as long as they will live. The constant pressure they are living is not just driving them into depression, it is causing serious physical health problems too. At least 3 of them were on the brink of starvation because the emotional strain drastically reduced the functioning of the liver and the intestines. Quite a few are running from one practioner to the next, and that for many years.
I have found this confirmed and repeated over and over again in all the congregations that I have visited.
Even I was draining myself in the service of the Org, depraving myself of sleep, balancing between preparing for meeting parts, attending to the sorrows of the pubs in the congo who weren't helped by the elders, service and secular work.
If I had rough times when I decided to leave, than it was caused by discovering how much I was lied to. That nothing what they claim to be promised or taught in the bible that makes JW unique, is true. It is the deep disappointment in the organisation that hurt me the hardest.
And I discovered that the majority of the people living outside the Jehovah's Witnesses also have high standards. And that you will not be their friends unless you live up to them. And that their friendship is not necessarily connected with membership of an organisation, but because they appreciate what you really are.
To please friends and family we still attend the odd meeting from time to time. Lately they turn out be so boring, so full of unfounded nonsense, that it is an encouragement to stay away. (the bookstudy this week was excellent, so much conclusions drawn about Paul and Barnabas without as much as a millimeter of biblical support, it really has become a sad show). Once you have woken up, and you can see through it all, it is so sad that such good people let themselves fooled by it for so long.
If you are in the possibility, put an exit-program in place to make yourself slowly free from this evil organisation. Give up any position you might hold, drop your service reports, reduce your meeting attendance. And start doing real research about the bible and how the witnesses misuse it. It is the best thing you can do in your life.
Thanks for Makelli for starting this thread, I am just afraid he or she won't see that (s)he is believing in fairy tales.
And with all respect for No Room for George and the difficulties in his life, if you skip through his threads, you will find many reasons it is better outside the org than inside.
It feels so good to be out
Hoffnung
in the previous thread of this series, i called lurkers attention to the need of being discreet when contemplating an exit from the jw religion.
i mentioned that the thread was borne as a result of the general observations i made reading old posts here and discussing with many ex-jws and their lives have gradually turned out.
that thread alone was visited more than 2,980 times and graced with 204 contributions.
For all the lurkers and also for Mankelli: Your life and mental health will improve after you leave Jehovah's Witnesses. And if you go smart about it, you don't have to lose your friends and/or family.
I can tell you that, because I am living this myself. And my wife would definitely agree with it.
My extended family are almost all JW, and most of them are long-time, well respected in the Organization and the male members are Elders, ministerial servants, some bethelites and ex-bethelites and some were and others are still pioneering. They all together could keep easily a team of psychiaters occupied for as long as they will live. The constant pressure they are living is not just driving them into depression, it is causing serious physical health problems too. At least 3 of them were on the brink of starvation because the emotional strain drastically reduced the functioning of the liver and the intestines. Quite a few are running from one practioner to the next, and that for many years.
Even I was draining myself in the service of the Org, depraving myself of sleep, balancing between preparing for meeting parts, attending to the sorrows of the pubs in the congo who weren't helped by the elders, service and secular work.
If I had rough times when I decided to leave, than it was caused by discovering how much I was lied to. That nothing what they claim to be promised or taught in the bible that makes JW unique, is true. It is the deep disappointment in the organisation that hurt me the hardest.
And I discovered that the majority of the people living outside the Jehovah's Witnesses also have high standards. And that you will not be their friends unless you live up to them. And that their friendship is not necessarily connected with membership of an organisation, but because they appreciate what you really are.
To please friends and family we still attend the odd meeting from time to time. Lately they turn out be so boring, so full of unfounded nonsense, that is an encouragement to stay away. (the bookstudy this week was excellent, so much conclusions drawn about Paul and Barnabas without as much as a millimeter of biblical support, it really has become a sad show). Once you have woken up, and you can see through it all, it is so sad that such good people let themselves fooled by it for so long.
If you are in the possibility, put a program in place to make yourself slowly free from this evil organisation. Give up any position you might hold, drop your service reports, reduce your meeting attendance. And start doing real research about the bible and how the witnesses misuse it. It is the best thing you can do in your life.
Thanks for Makelli for starting this thread, I am just afraid he or she won't see that (s)he is believing in fairy tales.
As I noted you live in Europe, maybe we might already have met in the real life.
Peace Bro or Sis, the Society does not need you to defend them.
Hoffnung
i know it's a complicated topic, and i've spent gobs and gobs of hours studying it and realizing that 586/587 is the most likely date.
so anyway, here's my question:.
how could jerusalem's fall be 587 but still be in line with the scriptures about 70 years of desolation that the wto uses to push 607 so strongly?
Ask them what documents were used to establish the accepted pivotal date of 539 BCE. Ask them then if they accept these documents to hold reliable dates. If the answer is yes, you can the read the entire documents and find therein 586 BCE confirmed.
dear friends,.
i wish to thank everyone who has helped me over the past nine years to fight the watchtower society in court.
as a result of your kind support there has been important legal precedents set, a tremendous amount of media coverage created and numerous magazine articles published to expose the watchtower society and many lives have been saved.
dear friends,.
i wish to thank everyone who has helped me over the past nine years to fight the watchtower society in court.
as a result of your kind support there has been important legal precedents set, a tremendous amount of media coverage created and numerous magazine articles published to expose the watchtower society and many lives have been saved.
How much money do you estimate that the trial will cost?
i am curious of any of the members comes from the netherlands and wich particular congregation, i myself was in emmen where bethel was.
maybe we know eachother.
bedankt!.
Is the Emmen bethel couple with family name "Smans" familiar to you?
it's tiresome and it doesn't add up but it's one of the most popular arguments for god's existence, "the argument by design.
" jehovah's witnesses and other believers point out a wonder of nature like the eye and compare it to a 'lesser' mechanical wonder of human design like a camera.
the supposed conclusion is that this natural wonder is evidence of creation by a powerful designer; god.. .
So Jonathan, what do you believe in?
