DesirousOfChange

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Posts by DesirousOfChange

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  50

  Were the life spans of the patriarchs just an allegory of astronomical cycles?

  by was a new boy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  lengths of life of the patriarchs.

  genesis.

  length of life.

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  DesirousOfChange

  Why wouldn't they be real years?

  Maybe because there is nothing to substantiate lifetimes of 100's of years? (You do recall that if there are not TWO WITNESSES, it didn't happen.)
  
  
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  26

  Is the USA gradually moving to a majority of citizens being non-religious

  by Reasonfirst in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this is a topic discussed in a current article in the hongkong based asia times*.

  find it at: https://asiatimes.com/2023/09/nones-still-no-match-for-us-christian-nationalism/.

  the claim is made in the article, that near 30% of americans are non-believers, and that this number is increasing.

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  DesirousOfChange

  We live in the buckle of the Bible Belt. Among our "new friends" (since we've been working hard to replace our former "conditional friends") I am surprised that the majority of them not just profess to be Christian, but go to church regularly. These are people 50's and older. I think the younger crowd we know from the same venues are not regular church goers and may in fact be agnostic or atheist. The older generation (non-overlapping) of these friends are all married and at least a couple of them are still in their first marriage. Of the younger crowd, at least 50% just live together. Of course, a larger % of the latter crowd went to college and were likely more exposed to more liberal thinking/ideas and perhaps are more critial thinkers.
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  55

  Trinity Statements in the Dead Sea Scrolls

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  dr. ken johnson has identified several statements in the dead sea scrolls that predict that god would visit the earth as a man... as the messiah.

  .

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljrfvytjhve&ab_channel=kenjohnson%28biblefacts%29 .

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  DesirousOfChange

  
  
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  13

  CA Judge Orders VICTIM to Pay Award to Abusers

  by Newly Enlightened in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://youtu.be/ay9do_jojtm?si=76u8asuictmymi9m.

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  DesirousOfChange

  
  
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  125

  Mandated Shunning is a Crime

  by Lee Marsh in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  mandated shunning is on the rise around the world with devastating effects on millions of people.

  shunning that is mandated by organized groups to its members is a form of both physical and psychological violence against those people being shunned and cut off from their family and life-long relationships.

  mandated shunning means that the shunning is ordered from the top down.

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  DesirousOfChange

  That's why it's called "great tribulation". Once it starts, it'll be over in 3 1/2 years. Then we'll really be free.

  
  
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  60

  Sign of the Last Days

  by Fisherman in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in the sermon on the mount, jesus foretold that earthquakes “in one place after another” would be part of the sign of the last days clímaxing in the great tribulation.. what could jesus possibly have meant?

  using a phone app nowadays, there are earthquakes detected in one place after another but is this what jesus meant and did they have so many earthquakes throughout the centuries affter his prophecy or are these modern day detected earthquakes unique to this epoch?

  how can we be sure unequivocally that modern day earthquakes are part of the sign fulfilling bible prophecy?.

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  DesirousOfChange

  OK! What do wars, famines and pestilences symbolize? ~ Vander

  Famine- the widespread absence of spiritual truth/food.
  Pestilence- spiritual sickness. As described in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. Mentally & spiritually diseased.
  [ Wars] -Conflict between good & evil. Between Satan & Jesus's kingdom.

  Sky Daddy's will is to "save all men" and so he gives the "sign" of CJ's return BUT GIVES THE NOTICE IN SECRET CLUES THAT NO ONE CAN UNEQUIVOCALLY EXPLAIN.

  Hell yes! That makes sense!

  
  
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  5

  Trish Fancher, shunning experience, HuffPost article 9/3/2023

  by EasyPrompt in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  trish fancher experience.... .

  https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/i-flew-across-the-country-for-my-mums-wedding-when-i-arrived-she-uninvited-me_uk_64f1b6cce4b0fe066b17f93b.

  from article.... .

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  DesirousOfChange

  Would she really spend an eternity in paradise as a happy person, knowing that her daughter was sentenced to death by that same god?

  Evidently, you fail to realize that it is her daughter that made the choice. . . . . to reject Joe Hoover.

  * [Just posting the standard JW reply. Please don't stone me!]
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  39

  So, 60 Years Ago

  by titch in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so, folks, 60 years ago, starting on september 1st, i believe, we, local witnesses in southern california, had the "privilege" of attending the "around the world assembly", at, of all places, the rose bowl, in pasadena.

  (i think that it was an 8-day assembly) i was 9 years old then, almost ready to start 4th grade.

  so, was anyone else, on this site, at that assembly?

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  DesirousOfChange

  JW Friend: "Doc, you don't want to miss the Regional Convention!"

  Doc: "I can assure you, I WILL NOT MISS IT!" [Under his breath -- "I sure haven't missed any of those meetings!"]
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  125

  Mandated Shunning is a Crime

  by Lee Marsh in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  mandated shunning is on the rise around the world with devastating effects on millions of people.

  shunning that is mandated by organized groups to its members is a form of both physical and psychological violence against those people being shunned and cut off from their family and life-long relationships.

  mandated shunning means that the shunning is ordered from the top down.

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  DesirousOfChange

  But don't try to get the government to help. Any help they offer is not going to make your life better. ~SIMON

  Most things the government touch go to sh!t. You cannot get past the bureaucracy. The old "too many cooks...." thing.

  So , if a member of someone's family does something that warrants shunning and their family doesn't shun would there be no comeback on them ? Or does that depend on individual Kingdom Halls and the elders ? Can people be punished for not shunning? ~jhine

  My experiences with the WT Service Dept was that elders are told to STAY OUT of anything dealing with association with FAMILY and they have a very broad definition of "family". (The case I questioned was regarding a DF "former" step-daughter who was homeless and a pioneer sister who was no longer married to the girl's biological father was offering to allow her into her home. "If they claim to be "family", then they ARE family".) IF it was to cause concerns (gossip) in the Cong, then her qualifications as a pioneer could come into question. (That would also apply to men serving as Elders or MS.)

  However, if there is no familial relationship, active members in good standing can be warned if they are found out to be associating regularly (BRAZENLY) with DF persons. (Business relationships may be exempt but hardline elders with a grudge could push that. Failure to cease association could result in the "wrongdoer" being "marked" or even DFd for "brazen conduct".

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• 
  47

  Retirement savings

  by TxNVSue2023 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what's the current jw stance on retirement savings?

  i know it changed.

  pre1975 it was an attitude of "don't worry about retirement, this system is ending soon".

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  DesirousOfChange

  I overheard two elders discussing their strategy on their retirement/pension plans. One said he was fully vested in his current union pension plan, so he was seeking to join a different union trade and build a second pension for his retirement. This was over 10 years ago and that elder was not yet 40 years old.

  So much for "Armageddon is right around the corner".