Half banana

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Posts by Half banana

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  3

  My Capstone Essay-

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i've had approval for the topic of my capstone essay (which is supposed to demonstrate how far i've travelled in my years of study.. after some negotiation, the unit convenor has approved the topic as: "an investigation of hellenic influences on representations of divinity in daniel 7.".

  he was kind enough to suggest that i may find some interesting thoughts in this book, the human and divine in history: herodotus and the book of daniel by paul miskanen.. some may recognise the topic as similar to a thread i started some four months ago, "polytheism in the book of daniel, a late second temple religious document.

  that thread* had some interesting reactions, it was based on an idea in a book by jewish scholar, daniel boyarin called, the jewish gospels: the story of the jewish christ.

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  Half banana

  I will look forward to a summary of your essay (if not the whole thing!). I think the choice is excellent, an area I would love to investigate in depth myself. It is a critical area of study capable of busting anyone's trust in the divinity of scripture.

  So much of adventist and therefore JW belief comes from Daniel and the facts as you have mentioned about the Persian and the Hellenic world is very germane to the development of messianic belief. It links the middle second century BCE Greek philosophical view with the NT world. Not surprising then that the nominally Hebrew Daniel is more accessible and less alien to Greek Christianity. After all it was Greek philosophy and NOT JEHOVAH which gave us the 'logos' which is central to Christianity along with much else from that era.

  Keep us informed!
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  30

  Life after the witnesses, friends, faith etc

  by Theburstbubble in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi everyone, this is my first post so go easy on me :) i have been a witness all of my life (i'm 37) and truly believed it until 3 years ago.

  my husband and i had become spiritually weak and over time i began to question more and more until i came to the conclusion that the witnesses were not the true religion but just one of many religions and that if god is there then there are many paths to get to him.

  anyway, i've battled with keeping going as my husband still believed and i didn't want to be in a divided household as we have a young daughter and thought it would be very confusing for her (and us).

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  Half banana

  Hi Theburstbubble, lovely to have you here! When the bubble burst you never need to get trapped inside another one!

  It really does take time to get the brain rewired after being a JW but eventually the old proddings fade away and you can be true to yourself and your immediate family.

  I found it surprising how very good friends shunned me after leaving but then if their friendship was conditional on the imagined requirements of an invisible sky god, I'm sorry for them... but there are plenty of happy sensible contented non JWs out there who are good company.

  Hope it goes well with you and husband in the beautiful real world.
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  19

  Anyone seen this new "Bad Association" video at the Convention yet?

  by WingCommander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i read on another thread (on another forum) where someone mentioned a truly guilt-inducing, cringe-worthy, "bad association" video that was played at this summers rc's.

  here is how that person described it:.

  "the video about "bad association" was really weird.

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  Half banana

  I think even a brain-dead Witness will spot that this is the lamest of lame stories!
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  8

  Mr. Geoffrey William Jackson = Humpty Dumpty

  by kepler in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  when i use a word, humpty dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, it means just what i choose it to mean neither more nor less.. .

  the question is, said alice, whether you can make words mean so many different things.. .

  the question is, said humpty dumpty, which is to be master thats all.

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  Half banana

  Yes steve2 but then the whole of Christianity is based on the premise that the "word" (a mental construct) became flesh. Since when did mental constructs start to be living, breathing things...? From there on it's not so difficult to believe in any contradiction or impossibility...as long as nobody 'on the inside' exposes the falsehood.

  But how is it they get the cherries to grow all year round at Brooklyn?
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  10

  Fading and finding our REAL beliefs

  by BeautifulMind in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hey all.

  i hope you are all having a good day.

  just a quick update on our fade.

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  Half banana

  Welcome to the real world Beautifulmind! Your present large cong will hardly miss you if don't go.

  I remember the joy of not attending meetings, doing pleasurable things other than listening to the cult drones droning on.

  I agree with others that it's great you have your spouse with you, my fade cost me my wife and two of my three kids, damn it! But that was some time ago. There is plenty of time to meet new friends who don't have the cultic baggage. Best wishes to both of you and keep us posted.
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  14

  Who is God's spokesperson/s?

  by punkofnice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  at the australian royal commission (yes, that again), watchtower rock star pope, his holiness wacko jacko was asked by angus (my new hero) stewart the following:.

  angus stewart q. and do you see yourselves as jehovah god's spokespeople on earth?

  his holiness replied: a. that i think, would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that god is using.

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  Half banana

  Do Gods need spokespersons?
  
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  83

  As a Matter of Conscience, I Am Resigning from the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses

  by Sail Away in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  after listening to the hearings of the australian royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, i am no longer content to have simply walked away from the organization.

  as a matter of conscience, i do not want my name linked with the organization in any way.

  i know this letter has been posted previously, and i thank the author.

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  Half banana

  Well done Sail away--- go out with a bang!

  I was thinking that all JWs should be given the opportunity to know their rights on this matter.

  Then there would be many more ready to leave knowing that the law and human rights are on their side. It is the fear of reprisals which keep the "conscious class" in.
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  81

  Do you believe Jehovah's Witnesses' Governing Body is the "faithful slave"?

  by Marvin Shilmer in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this question is known to be posed by jws to other jws as an acid test of loyalty.

  i'm not the first to notice what i'm about to point out and comment accordingly, but today i felt compelled to add a short article on my blog highlighting the new language that governing body member geoffrey jackson supplies as a response.

  a person who honestly hesitates to respond with a robust "yes!

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  Half banana

  He did not deny they were the FDS instead he cleverly asked the question, " Now that would seem presumptuous wouldn't it?" In other words his followers would take it that they are the FDS and opposers would agree with him that it would be a presumptuous claim.
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  84

  The Kingdom Halls are empty

  by punkofnice in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  my jw spies tell me that the kingdom halls are empty compared to how they used to be, since i left 5 years ago.

  not saying they're empty because of me though.. is that what you are hearing?.

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  Half banana

  @Blondie, you say that Jesus' prophecy extends beyond the first century, I suggest that like all prophecy it simply was wrong, it was untrue... and Jesus' words are false.

  @ Punky is it also prophetic if the number stagnate?
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  37

  I don't want the Watchtower's version of paradise.

  by StarTrekAngel in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i am writing this in the hopes that it may help someone in a debate.

  i personally have not had a chance to discuss it with anyone but that is true for most other topics.

  i think is a good one to analyze.

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  Half banana

  The paradise dream is just the fantasy used to lure the hapless and hopeless into the cult.

  Who but the most abject JW zombie would want to live the sterile life portrayed in the illustrations? I remember one which had a mountain with snow covering from its peak down to the ground in an otherwise summer landscape which shows that they have little understanding of nature or geography, it is so unrealistic. The killer for me, like others mentioned, would be living under the "Watchtower theocracy" forever.