for those of you that don't research this stuff i will give a little back story.
we all know about the moses exodus, but history and archeology didn't seem to confirm this event.
the only exodus out of egypt ever recorded was that of a group of asiatic tribes that had taken over egypt for a bit over 100 years called the hyksos and the followers of the pharaoh akhenaten who perpetuated a monotheistic idea of worshiping only one deity the aten.
Just a thought; how could reed and red be confused in the original languages... surely it is only in English that there is a similarity?
Second thought; the Egyptian "monotheism" of Akenaten was probably similar to Jewish henotheism which recognised other Gods but worshipped only one. Monotheism (belief and worship of an only god) arrived, or rather evolved,very much later... the Jews being henotheistic almost up to the first century. Anyone have evidence for a date on this?
please be aware of everything that is happening around the world at this moment in time.
this goes to anyone, ex-communicated, removed, serving, believer and non.
at this point in my observations i have realized many religions/ideologies know there is some sort "end of time" or a transition into a new order of living in this earth.
the study wt of march 2016 is up on jw.org and is the standard article around this time of year...pressuring young kids to dedicate their lives to the organization again.
this wt will be studied during may, so just in time to pressure them into baptism at the regional conventions this summer.such articles really upset me, as the realization of how many young promising lives will be destroyed.
how many families will be broken up, when the child who got baptized as a minor (ages 6 and up are mentioned in the literature) decides as a young adult that his/her conscience no longer allows him/her to be part of such a destructive cult.
Baptism vows... interpreted for the practical meaning behind them.
Note to the all congregations; will the elders please make sure that baptism candidates are as young as possible, ideally before they have the slightest idea of the consequences of what they are committing themselves to.
The vows:
Do you give up your connections to the world outside of the congregation and henceforth put all your effort and money and time to be spent in furthering the property portfolio of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society?
Under penalty of death do you promise to be a servile worm and do everything you are instructed according to the edicts of the governing body of the JW organisation ahead of any personal or mere family interests?
Do you vow not to get an education which might expose the flaws in the Watchtower teachings and hereafter live in blind faith of the absolute truth of their current beliefs until they are changed for new beliefs which you will then defend with your life?
Do you vow forever to instantly cut off all ties with family members or friends who dare have religious thought at odds with the JW org.?
Can you say that the JW org. governing body is the exclusive channel which God is using today to build his property empire on Earth?
If your answer to these questions is in the affirmative... then gawd help you!
i've been invited to attend this conference (limited attendance) and consider it an exciting privilege.
maybe for many it would be too boring, as a poster said on one of my threads, (my paraphrase) " who cares about the past?".
but, if i started my adult life as a brainwashed slave to yhwh/jesus (and, don't give me any shit about jw's ignoring jesus), i am finishing it as a (somewhat-grin) enlightened man who just may have some understanding of the development of world thought.
FTS, enjoy your conference. Hearing the serious thinkers in the field of late classical knowledge is a joy. I heard a lecture last week from the academic Karen Armstrong, (she is extremely well informed and assiduous in presenting an accurate picture but still, I believe, leans towards a deist interpretation). I agree heartily on the matter of JW mistrust of proper disinterested scholars, they are the ones at the coal-face of reality not "Bible scholars" who have only one object in mind. To understand the true birth of christianity demands a knowledge of contemporary life and thought which involves knowledge of the many sects and pagan beliefs. Manicheanism was an important ingredient as was the big cover-up you mentioned once Roman Christianity had gained ascendancy. Have you early textual references for this (cover up)?
I will read up on Sam Lieu's work.
just one little thought....adam & eve ate the fruit from the tree "of the knowledge of good & evil".
so..in other words, before they ate they did not know right from wrong...hmmmm so how can you blame someone who does not know right from wrong?.
for a crime to take place in human law you must have the act - 'actus reus' - and the guilty mind or 'mens rea' as it is termed.
i'm non-jw.. been following this forum.
most of you folks have been through hell, but are still loving souls.
i'm reeeally impressed and glad to be here.. my question is at the end of this.
Just don't get your hopes up until she realises what a sham and toxic religion she is in. Otherwise...
the disaster is not immediately apparent, it will come with children and she wants to return to the cult and you don't want to go there. It's hell on earth friend.
so i've been reading the imitate their faith book (because my wife wants to) and keep coming upon these ridiculous ages for the bible patriarchs.
now i know wt takes everything literally but there has got to be some explanation that makes more sense.
why would the bible writers create these obviously false ages?
i have a number of old books and am looking at selling a few.
in particular i have all the old yearbooks (from 1927?
) and i was looking at selling the 1934 yearbook.
somebody mentioned in a recent topic that they had a conversation with a former elder whose breaking point was when the overlapping generation was highlighted in recent times and how he would never serve again until somebody gave him a scriptural reason to believe it.
i am in a similar position.
i have gone in the last 18 months from taking the wt study, leading fs groups, and doing talks on the mtngs to doing almost nothing, as i resigned a little over a year ago as an elder due to a combination of family responsibilities and huge doubts.
yeah, they'll leave it all, their home, savings, etc.. never mind helping out their struggling children who never had a chance.. fuck this organization and everything it stands for when its members think god will favor them more by willing everything to a corporation instead of their own struggling seed..
How can people subscribe to a religion which places the commercial interests of the leadership above the welfare of the followers and their families?
We're with you Phaedra.
