Posts by Half banana

42

“Tree of good and bad” means what?

by venus in

if “tree of good and bad” were literal, it would mean adam and eve would know what is “good and bad” only after eating of that tree.

however, even before eating of it, they would think “it is good for us to eat of this tree” which means they are already endowed knowledge of “good and bad.” that means “tree of good and bad” is symbolic of something.. since religious organizations interpret this differently, each reader has to adopt his own conclusion.

for me it looks like this: one thinks of good and bad in relation to himself—if something is beneficial for him he would say it is good for him, and bad for him if it is not beneficial.

Half banana

It is I think, a mistake to give every incident a profound meaning in a mythical story, and most certainly not to reckon that it is from God. Incidents and objects in myth are often explanations attempting to reconcile contradictions.

Adam and Eve clearly never existed and neither did the fabled tree. Nevertheless it is possible to unpick the events, characters and components of this story as a creation myth which points to the mythical creator's right to determine what his innocent creation must and must not do. This is something we were all confronted with as we grew up; we all asked ourselves-- but not necessarily at one moment, the basic philosophical question: what is the best way to live our lives? What should we do and what must we not do?

The Biblical story has been used by Jews and Christians to capture the allegiance of young people in turning them towards "God" as ultimate authority.

I might add that since the Age of the Enlightenment, "reason" has proved to be a more reliable authority.

3

Blood as the seat of life: The blood paradox among Afro-christians.

by TheWonderofYou in

i find this an interesting read.. https://www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/perc.2016.14.issue-1/perc-2016-0003/perc-2016-0003.pdf.

Half banana

An interesting assessment of Zimbabweans beliefs on blood as ritual and a good reason for the ready acceptance of Watchtower doctrines in the region. (Zambia to the north haas even more JWs per capita than Zimbabwe).

They also have one of the worst governments in the World.

30

Why is the approval of family so important?

by jwfacts in

one of the reasons people remain pimo is fear of losing family.

those that are disfellowshipped and shunned regularly comment about how devastated that they have lost the approval of their parents.. when i respond to emails from people saying how difficult it is being estranged or looked down on by their parents, i would like to say that over time they will come to terms with it, except i not sure that people ever do.

i cannot shake that feeling either.

Half banana

We probably grow up trying to get the approval of our parents-- so it's built into our psyche.

As a JW we were infantilized! We had our natural flesh and blood allegiance transferred to a surrogate family whose leaders claim to be looking after us. But they don't care a fig.The new paternal authority, the governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses says that the old parents must now come second!

Actually the aim of the leaders of the new family is to suck the living daylights out of the followers and relieve them of their old family's wealth. . . and they are very successful at it.

41

Why does this forum tolerate Cold steele and his mormonism beliefs ? Who`s next ?

by smiddy in

jw
friends

i thought this forum was for people who were ex jw`s and pro jw`s and the like to debate ,discuss and reasonably talk about our differences ,and sometimes drift off into politics world events and whatever.. however over a period of time i have come across cold steel `s many posts which are nothing more than promoting his mormon religions point of view./beliefs what has that got to do with jehovahs witnesses and the concerns many have with the jw religion.?.

it seems to me he is using this forum to promote his religion and is getting away with it over a long period of time.. how long before other cult religions see this as a springboard for promoting their own religion such as .

sda`s ,christian scientists , christadelphians ,beroean bible students ,etc.etc.. where will it end if he is able to keep doing this ?.

Half banana

Punky, does this mean you are against mass debating now or is it the mass debaters you are against?

30

"...You will be Disfellowshipped for 7 years"

by HereIgo in

shortly before i left the "troof" a co had given a talk during his visit.

at the time there was a scandal going on in the congregation where 2 couples basically swapped spouses with each other.

it was quite the scandal.

Half banana

The funny thing is that Biblical morality showed that God's chosen ones, those paradigms of faith and virtue like King David had concubines and affairs and killed a husband to get the wife. Outrageous behaviour by modern standards. Most Bible characters has less than perfect marriages.

The example of the New World Society is also fraught. Russell (jellyfish man) married to enjoy a sexless union and Rutherford a married man appears to have lived with his "anointed" mistress. Knorr was against the principle of sex probably because he could not control it in others.

Anyway it's nobody else's business if I have a harem!

29

The bizarreness of Genesis 6:2

by doubtfull1799 in

"the sons of the true god began to notice that the daughters of men were beautiful.

so they began taking as wives all whom they chose.".

it may be feasible to some to accept the bible's assertion that the first humans were tempted to pursue independence from god, especially since they were created in his image and he is independent from any authority.

Half banana

Yes the GB have demoted the "anointed remnant" and instead elevated themselves to the rank of the immortals, the new demi-gods! (excuse me I have to vomit)

29

The bizarreness of Genesis 6:2

by doubtfull1799 in

"the sons of the true god began to notice that the daughters of men were beautiful.

so they began taking as wives all whom they chose.".

it may be feasible to some to accept the bible's assertion that the first humans were tempted to pursue independence from god, especially since they were created in his image and he is independent from any authority.

Half banana

Yes likewise a fool for believing these Bible stories to be literal (although I always thought Adam and Eve to be in the nature of a creation myth).

Clearly the contents of Genesis were written with the cosmologies in mind from the surrounding nations of that time (seventh century BCE?).

It was a prescientific world, it carried the universal assumptions of the day that the heavens were perfect and therefore were the abode of the gods. By contrast the Earth was imperfect and the domain of the mortals. However the activities of the gods were not bound by human ideals, they seemed to have reflected the amorality which humans thought they would get up to if they were gods. Revenge, deceit and weird sex figuring prominently in the celestial motives.

The classical theology actually did contain godesses who had sex with men; Eos and Aphrodite for example and then there is the interesting Hebrew myth of Lilith, Adam's first wife who wouldn't lie beneath him I think the story goes. Now why didn't we get more of this in the Bible?

Perhaps the writers of Genesis were just male chauvinists incorporating their version of pagan myth to limit women's power to suit their own agenda?

30

"...You will be Disfellowshipped for 7 years"

by HereIgo in

shortly before i left the "troof" a co had given a talk during his visit.

at the time there was a scandal going on in the congregation where 2 couples basically swapped spouses with each other.

it was quite the scandal.

Half banana

It puzzles me how wife-swappers might still want to crawl back to the WT cult. Is it they are so convinced JWs have the only truth when four people presumably organize themselves to flagrantly break the rules.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all in favour of wife swapping but especially among elders and their wives.

16

Will Charles Taze Russell be Resurrected With a Beard?

by Cold Steel in

the scriptures say all will be resurrected, some to eternal life, others to judgment.

so i wondered what's going to happen to those who wore beards during mortality?

picture if charles taze russell was resurrected and came face to face with joseph rutherford, second president of twt (the whole tamale) and the instigator of the beardless policy.

Half banana

What the scriptures say is irrelevant. No one has ever been resurrected and no one will be resurrected anywhere, anytime, in any physical state or otherwise. It's a religious fairy tale folks! Get real and grow up.

15

Yesterday's Watchtower Study 11 June 2017

by BluesBrother in

"what will go when god's kingdom comes?

" from april w/tower.

we start with a picture of jesus riding a white horse into battle, galloping towards terrified people in darkness.

Half banana

This paranoid drivel from the WT is based on a stupid belief that the Bible is a magic book. The message is all you have have to do is try and comply with every scripture that we (JWorg) bring to you and you will be OK--Big J will reward you.

Actually this is absurd! To quote two scriptures which can be linked by a common thread does not make an instruction from God. All it does is link two scriptures with a common thread or idea. The verse in Psalms 37 has nothing tangible to do with Revelation except that the themes are wish fulfillment of triumphal victory and salvation for the Jews in the first case and narcotic induced dreamlike military victory in the second case.

To put them together does not make it the word of God.