Half banana

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Posts by Half banana

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  13

  Anybody know about this one?

  by careful in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  a new book has just been published called the oxford handbook of the bible in america.

  in it is an article by michael gilmour, professor of new testament at (the evangelical) providence university college in manitoba, canada, on jws and the nwt.

  that's chapter 41. but that is not the only time jws are brought up.

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  Half banana

  Gutjahr ought to get his facts right, Jehovah's Witnesses did not exist in the 1920s and therefore could not have "invented" Bible paper at that time. There is a faint possibility that it was a Bible Student who was also a paper technician who developed Bible paper according to the demands of Bible publishers. Did the Watchtower Society even print Bibles back in that decade? I didn't think they did but am happy to be corrected.
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  10

  Baby parts story from 1989 Awake magazine

  by OrphanCrow in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  *this post was prompted by a reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/7eqno4/jehovahs_witnesses_promote_truth_by_verifying/.

  so.. the org makes the claim that.

  "anyone who reads our publications or views our videos can be confident that the facts were thoroughly researched and are accurate.".

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  Half banana

  Thanks for your research Birdie, the Watchtower mentality is so limited it imagines that by quoting something accurately, then that is all that is required of them. Clearly they have been charged and found guilty of inaccurate quoting but "accuracy" is not the only requirement in publishing.

  Among the failings and blind spots of the writers of JW org are :

  No consideration for the authority of source material

  No consideration for the evidence or truthfulness of source material

  No consideration for the effects of cherry picking parts of a document which would otherwise have led the reader to an opposite conclusion.

  No respect for the hard won scholarly research and evidence of modern textual critics, achaeological findings and scientific discoveries which contradict JW Org.

  Not only is the JW org irresponsible and reckless with information but throughout its whole history, it has produced absolutely no information whatsoever which is advantageous to anybody. . . except for those hooked on their brand of delusional relief from reality.

  If you value your sanity; NEVER LISTEN TO THE JW ORG!
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  78

  Work Christmas functions: Being a Bible Student (unbaptized)

  by rulehayl in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  hi all,i have been studying with the witnesses for more than 6 months and regularly attend both midweek & weekend meetings, and i am nearly at the end of the "bible teach" book.

  my boss is adamant i attend team christmas functions.

  she knows about my studying and potential baptism next year, and has suggested that i attend and just not participate in activities like kris kringle.

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  Half banana

  Hi Rulehayl, glad you found this site and thank you for posting. You sound like a decent person and want to do the right thing. When thinking of "what is right" you must not forget you have your own rights, you are not obliged to do anyone else's bidding or let others think for you. Please think about this.

  Every coin has two sides, when you study with JWs you are only ever given one perspective; the one which supports their own doctrines. Always check for evidence on the internet about any information you are told, preferably from an academic source or a recognised authority on the subject. (not another preacher) For example: could a global flood really have existed? Was Adam really the first man?

  There is another aspect to celebrating a person's birthday, it is the opportunity to say to them that you are pleased they share their community with you. It is an opportunity to validate a friend or family member, it says; I'm glad you exist!
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  19

  2018 Memorial and Special Talk Speculation

  by SplaneThisToMe in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so we all know that the special talk titled "who really is jesus christ?

  " will be given before the memorial next year which is very new.

  also new this year is that the special talk will be prerecorded and given by a branch committee member rather than a brother from the local congregation.

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  Half banana

  Personally I have run out of patience with the fairyland politics of the JW org whether they redefine 144,000 or not. May I please remind you lot that Rutherford stole the idea of a heavenly and an earthly division from an 'apostate' who had vied with him for presidency of the org after Russell's death. He was FL Alexander Freytag who began his splinter group The Church of the Kingdom of God in 1921, which I believe was still running at the end of the 20th century in Switzerland.

  That aside, I wonder whether it occurs to any JW to ask why Jesus is called Jesus Christ ?

  For people in the Roman world there had to be something to distinguish between the christ called Jesus and other saviour christs who shared the same credentials and biographical outline such as Dionysus, Attis. Mithra, Orpheus, Horus etc.

  The Jewish christ simply got better publicity through Imperial Roman patronage which in later centuries, as Rome's power declined, "Jesus" Christianity became the exclusive and compulsory form of worship. Worship of any other christs were forbidden and written out of existence.

  I think the congregations would be better served by explaining these facts instead of the usual hackneyed drivel which will be found at the pre- memorial talk.
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  15

  Where to go for the 'Deep Things'?

  by cobweb in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  as someone who has been out a while, i wondered what publications a jw would turn to now if they want to do serious bible research.

  are there any meaty jw publications left?

  i haven't heard of the insight books being revised.

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  Half banana

  So simple minded is the JW org that it imagines that by reading their propaganda this amounts to "research". There is no research possible within the JW org just "beliefs" and obedience.

  If you want some honest research, try Professor Thomas L Thompson's books. He mainly considers the OT not from wrangling a meaning from the Bible but by looking at the sociological context in which the Bible writers lived using archaeology, and contemporary text and stone inscriptions to identify the prevailing ideas at the historical time of writing.

  Professor Thompson is uncompromising when it comes to evidence however painful the consequences. His PhD dissertation was refused by his adjudicator, later to become Pope Ratzinger, because his research denied the authenticity of Catholic doctrine.
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  5

  Youtube video

  by Phoebe in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  not sure if this has been mentioned before so admin feel free to take this down, but i just watched this interview.

  i always love exjwfith's interviews but this one particularly grabbed me.

  pedro (broken kite) not sure if you are on here but wow, what a story you had to tell.

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  Half banana

  Thanks for posting this Phoebe, an excellent story Pedro has to tell.
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  14

  JW Baptism Anullment

  by Farmer Jim1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  has anyone ever successfully annulled their jw baptism?

  especially if they were very young when baptised?.

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  Half banana

  If someone wants to annul their JW baptism, it would indicate that they think that it still has meaning. Surely it only has meaning to JWs?
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  13

  It Might Have Hit The Fan

  by VW.org in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i haven't associated with the jws for at least 6 months.

  they do not know that i am an apostate.

  maybe till just now becaue i was browsing reddit and stumbled upon a story from a paper about $4000 a day fine imposed upon watchtower.

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  Half banana

  If the elder is your friend he won't be now! It might have been better to approach him with the idea of confidentially sharing the information on the fine rather than baiting him with an anti JW story. Perhaps you did it because it seemed exciting. Anyway I hope you get an interesting response-- but of course gung-ho JWs run on theocratic rails which means you will be targeted as a disloyal apostate. Never mind it's only JWs who will be against you and that's like being savaged by a dead sheep.
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  13

  Reveal Article, Nov. 16, 2017: Jehovah’s Witnesses’ tab for child sex abuse secrecy: $2M and counting

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  https://www.revealnews.org/blog/jehovahs-witnesses-tab-for-child-sex-abuse-secrecy-2m-and-counting/.

  jehovah's witnesses' tab for child sex abuse secrecy $2m and counting.

  by trey bundy / november 16, 2017. .

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  Half banana

  I sincerely with all my heart want everyone associated with JW..org to wake up and LEAVE.

  Absolutely Lois!

  Only an organisation with shameful secrets would want to defy the law and refuse to hand over documents. Not only this but defying the law is against Bible teaching, why are they in denial about this?

  Is it because there are brothers in positions of authority who will be revealed for their shameful past?
  
  
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  32

  My unbelieving husband was offended by the WatchTower just studied

  by Isambard Crater in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it was the paragraph talking about people who don't want to be j.w's being executed, and it being an act of compassion from jehovah towards his witnesses..

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  Half banana

  Nicolao, thank you for producing this portentous 'puffball' statement from the Watchtower.

  Nothing here has any provable meaning to a rational mind, its only purpose was to control the thoughts of their flock.