Thanks for info FTS, how tragic that human leaders even in this more enlightened world still resort to killing people if they disagree with authority. When will humanity finally stop this savage mind-set?
Half banana
JoinedPosts by Half banana
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6
The Murderous Rule of the Hasmonean King (and High Priest) Alexander Jannaeus
by fulltimestudent inalexander janneaus ruled (and also served as high priest) in jerusalem between 103 and 76 bce.
the books of maccabees provide information for the start of this historical period, brought to an end by herod the great now archaeological evidence has emerged in jerusalem of his murderous reign.
this times of israel article diuscusses the evidence and how the story was put together.
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9
Epiphany #2
by Solzhenitsyn inso after much emotional struggle out into the open comes why my dear wife continues to want to stay with the wt organization.. i simply couldn't understand why someone so intelligent would suffer from such confusion wether to stay active or fade away when she has faced and accepted the anti-jw facts.
simply put: she was raised with such sick instability that jw life was the only thing that provided stability, the only thing she felt she could count on.
to this day this remains the primary reason she stays "in".
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Half banana
JWs are brought up to be totally dependent on the cult leadership for everything except money.
Being a JW involves sharing a particular identity as it has developed over the years within the org. This involves acting, speaking and thinking like a JW and avoiding breaking the club rules. The trade off for believing the JW nonsense is that you get the false hope of everlasting life and a bunch of like minded friends.
However paranoid and unreasonable the organisation is, this completely human need for identity and belonging is largely fulfilled by being a JW and that's why so many are bamboozled.
So Solzhenitsyn, I suggest you might look at helping your wife discover her real self and get her to know her own potential.
Of course creativity and independence has previously been stamped on by the cult and in most witnesses the 'real person' is suppressed, often living the life of a Watchtower drudge or human doormat. Not suggesting for a moment that your wife is such but this would be the ideal personality from the point of view of the cult leadership.
So how about thinking of ways to help her realise her own dreams? Of course you will probably have to tease them out of her in the first place! There are courses in the UK called Outward Bound for example which help the timid become adventurous and most importantly self-reliant-- which is the very thing the Watchtower doesn't want its followers to be. (You could do something like this together). Perhaps encourage her to take up something she has always wanted to do for which she will receive praise because of her initiative or so that she can enjoy the results of seeing something created by her own efforts.
She needs weaning off the cult fixations and learn to fulfil her own dreams and express her own personality, and as Onager says this will have to be done with love and patience as well on your part.
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19
The Sufficiency of Christ - Salvation
by JW Answers incan we rely solely on christ and his sacrifice for our sins to be forgiven, or do we have to attribute our own works upon his finished work?
this video gives an explanation of the sacrifices made for israel under the law and what it meant at that time, and the sacrifice which christ made for ourselves under the age of grace today.
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Half banana
Adam never sinned since he is just a character in an ancient myth that has received too much publicity. Therefore we are not born with sin and we do not need a saviour.
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Possible leak from Annual Meeting 2018
by Listener ini'm a member on jw talk (until now at least) and have been regularly checking up on their thread regarding the annual meeting.
there hasn't been a great deal to report on except for this recent post that has been made.
i may get outed but that's no loss.
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Half banana
It does make sense for the grubby Russian leadership to ban JWs after receiving from them a starring role in Bible prophecy.
It is absurd to think that the Bible ever had in mind anything other than the political powers of its own time in the second century BCE. Why should we today be the focus of all the attention? it is only our limited view and fear of God which makes us think we are the important ones. However, this tricky scripture in Daniel has led millions of believers to get the prophecy bug and hang on every turn of world events looking for "the great tribulation".
Actually there is a much happier way of life which ignores all this childish speculation. In other words don't get hooked on this Bible mumbo jumbo, it only puts the fund into fundamentalism to keep them deceiving people. (He said crossly)
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50
Belief in God
by jdash inwhen did you guys start to doubt your faith in god?'.
what made you doubt your faith in god?.
thanks !.
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Half banana
I think a problem arises from those individuals who wear the badge of "Believer" and imagine that those who differ must also wear a badge such as "Atheist" or "Agnostic" and similarly fraternise at their own meetings. Of course it's nothing like this. Personally I am without the knowledge of or need for a god, so I think of my self as simply being atheist, as opposed to being an atheist. (Is this too subtle?)
Anyway as for giving up belief in the God of the Bible, I first gave up a belief in the devil because he is a ridiculous characterisation of all that is bad. In fact I pioneered not believing in the devil alias Satan and told other JWs I thought he was just a personification --and nobody complained! So I started doubting all spirit creatures.
Reading philosophy gave me an insight into spotting logical errors and made me realise that truth has to be consistent with evidence and reason-- and there is no concrete evidence for spirits. Then again the God of the Bible is a perfect tyrant. I remember the very moment I became atheist. I was standing, so I sat down and considered the consequences; it meant no more religion let alone no longer remaining a JW.
The relief was enormous, no longer imagining some unknowable and fiendishly powerful busybody permanently breathing down my neck-- and that joy continues!
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12
New Ezekiel Book Clarification
by johnamos inhttps://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/pure-worship/summary-of-clarifications/.
is christendom the antitype of ancient apostate jerusalem?.
previous understanding: unfaithful jerusalem is a prophetic type of christendom.
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Half banana
The bible has no prophetic value. (Can anyone point out where believing a Bible prophecy has been an advantage?)
Jehovah's Witnesses interpretation of useless Bible prophecy is even more worthless since it wastes the whole of your life and is likely to alienate your family.
Prophecy is for idiots.
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7
Is "Independent Thinking" good or bad???
by The Fall Guy inone source describes independent thinking this way:.
good - w57 8/1 p. 469 par.
good - w72 3/15 p. 170 par.
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Half banana
"Independent thinking" is not a common phrase, this is because thinking is normally done independently as a matter of course-- unless that is, you are stuck in a cult.
What cults demand is not to think thoughts other than officially permitted thoughts--this is by any standards a gross violation of human freedom.
Note that the Watchtower quotes are not condemning critical analysis but instead condemning any independent thought, in other words stop thinking for yourself and let us do all the thinking for you.
Really! What authority have these intellectual pygmies at Warwick got to dictate how anyone should think? They have track record of total failure for predicting events from their Bible interpretation and they show not a jot of divine inspiration. Yet they demand your unthinking loyalty and that you hand over your thoughts and even your conscience to them.
Isn't this a prime example of how a cult works? The JW organisation is truly Orwellian!
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Is "Independent Thinking" good or bad???
by The Fall Guy inone source describes independent thinking this way:.
good - w57 8/1 p. 469 par.
good - w72 3/15 p. 170 par.
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Half banana
The JW org only disseminates propaganda.
The JW org never teach anything remotely useful unless it advances their own interests.
Everything it tells its followers is designed to keep them bound into the cult. Everything it says, as you have posted Fall Guy, is there to promote the leaders and inhibit the normal thinking process of the rank and file.
Propaganda, unlike evidence based fact, is very susceptible to being exposed so threats and inducements are given by the leaders for the flock to stay blinkered and dumb-- So don't you dare ask questions you miserable worms! (It may expose the propaganda for what it is).
Progress in any field of activity is only made through seriously questioning everything, including the "received wisdom" related to the matter in question.
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What changes would stabilize JW membership?
by StarryNight9 ini've seen many topics about how things are changing or might be changing in jw doctrine/culture.
some have extrapolated how those changes would result in declining jw membership.
i'm curious to know what changes others think would stabilize those numbers.
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Half banana
In answer to the OP:
this would have an effect:
1/ Get rid of the prohibition on blood transfusions
2/ Forbid shunning
3/ Stop teaching the imminence of Armageddon and paradise
4/ Quit door to door preaching
Then they could get back to the key issue; property investment. However it's a pity the rank and file are not involved in the profit dividends.
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What changes would stabilize JW membership?
by StarryNight9 ini've seen many topics about how things are changing or might be changing in jw doctrine/culture.
some have extrapolated how those changes would result in declining jw membership.
i'm curious to know what changes others think would stabilize those numbers.
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Half banana
Yep, this is the way it works --the GB have already seeded the idea 2034, it's not that far away to make it plausible for those who lost out on the 1914 generation and in their minds and hearts it just could work.........until 2035! And then they start off again and bamoozle another generation of compliant zombies.
Apart from the fact that 1914 was irrelevant and that Noah's ark is a folk tale, the safest thing to do is waste no more time and totally ignore everything the JW org says. They always get everything wrong.