Half banana

Joined

• started 79 topics
• posted 3,096 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Half banana

• 
  39

  My sister just sent me this text.

  by Brainfloss in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  my sister sent me this text a few minutes ago.

  what does she know about my relationship with jehovah?

  it was followed up by a bunch of links to jw org problem is dialog is not possible her side is the only one to be heard.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  Jehovah's Witnesses live in a childish fantasy.

  Since when did Jehovah do anything at all? How can anything be attributed solely to Jehovah's doing? There is no evidence for any deity let alone Jehovah, therefore he and his exploits live only in the realm of fairy tales.

  The only evidence for YHVH is in the evolution of an ox-headed idol the Hebrews inherited from their Phoenician neighbours way back in the Bronze Age. Who would want to "draw close" to this monster as your sister is recommending? Jehovah hates everything the Hebrews hated back then. This god's 'love' for his devotees involved killing all those who disagreed with him including smashing the heads in of all the children who were not his followers. It's far worse than childish -- worshipping Jehovah was routinely evil exactly like the exploits of other pagan gods at the time. In Isaiah 45 v7 (and elsewhere) God says he does good and evil. He is a jealous god with a short temper, completely fabricated from the worst qualities of fanatical nationalist zealots. Have nothing to do with it.

  Help your poor deluded sister with the milk of human kindness and fellow feeling, help her to escape the madness which comes from slavish obedience to this crackpot religion.
• 
  10

  Ever wonder how to be "saved" as a JW?

  by sir82 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was searching for something on the wt online library, and was struck by all the requirements a jw has in order to be "saved".. want to see a partial list?

  all these found by searching for "salvation depends" on wol.

  just do all 26 things, and you too can be saved!.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  Hey good people, do you all feel lost or are you in need of being saved in the first place?

  It's a bit like a quack doctor telling you that you are suffering from a deadly disease (Peccatus adamicus), something that you weren't aware you had -- and then being told by this dodgy medic that you must buy his medicine because only he can cure you.
• 
  8

  The irony of 2 Tim 3:16-17

  by pseudoxristos in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.. most scholars don't think paul wrote 2 timothy.. every time i here a witness quote this verse, i will be reminded of the irony.. -undisputed-.

  1 thessalonians.

  galatians.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  Pseudoxristos, the very expression of the sentiment that "all scripture is inspired" i.e. all (christian) writings are inspired, whoever wrote them, would have been the forger's plea or justification to include his own work!

  Fast Jehu, I would like to mention that when the text was written, perhaps in the second century CE, whoever wrote it, would likely be referring to writings other than the canonical Hebrew scriptures. Bear in mind that by then the Jews had been defeated and dispersed and thoroughly secularised, Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina by the Romans and out of bounds to Jews. The rabbinic schools were the custodians for textual tradition but religious Jewry was at a low ebb and suffering low status.
  

  If we look at the Koine Greek "all scripture" pasa graphe, could in today's language also be translated as "all literature" with the inference of all writings of a christian or uplifting nature, as opposed to say legal writing, historical records or written documents as a function of the Empire.

  The first thing to remember is that irrespective of meaning, 2 Tim 3;16 cannot possibly be a reference to the Bible, which is a fourth century compilation of texts by the Catholic Church. (Would the Watchtower please take note!) What was available to the educated christian was much literature which did not get into the Bible canon. Bear in mind too that most but not all christians were humble folk including slaves and therefore could not read.

  The following are some of the works available which would therefore constitute "all literature" or "all scripture" to the followers of the Lord. (The name "Jesus" incidentally was not yet attached to the "saviour" in literature until later in the development of christianity). These writings reflect some the promiscuous beliefs of pre-Catholic enforcement of orthodoxy.

  • Titus
  • Apocalypse of Peter
  • Secret Book of James
  • Preaching of Peter
    
  • Gospel of the Ebionites
  • Gospel of the Nazoreans
  • The Shepherd of Hermas.-- and many more.
• 
  48

  Does prophesy negate free will?

  by Tim207 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  not sure if this is in the right subject but here it goes.

  i’ve asked this question to a few elders and bethelites but they don’t seem to understand or like the question.

  to start off we have to agree that jehovah is all powerful.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  Would the person who negated my post like to supply evidence to the contrary of what I said?
• 
  48

  Does prophesy negate free will?

  by Tim207 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  not sure if this is in the right subject but here it goes.

  i’ve asked this question to a few elders and bethelites but they don’t seem to understand or like the question.

  to start off we have to agree that jehovah is all powerful.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  Prophecy is part of the ancient desire for omens and magic abilities in soothsayers to enlighten us. Old Mother Shipton's prophecy from the sixteenth century predicting the end of the world for 1881 had people in despair of anticipation in England. Suspiciously close in time to the prophecy shenanigans of CT Russell I think.... (1874/1878 and first Watchtower 1879)

  People always would like to know the future but there is no possible way since we cannot time travel. At best we can weigh the evidence and make a guess with the observations of prevailing courses of events -- but no one can make a useful prophecy of the future with a certainty of its happening.

  As Waton points out^, educated star gazers could predict eclipses so astrologers would feel entitled to wield authority in the department of prophecy, after all apparent evidence for their mystical ability was at hand!

  There are no unambiguous USEFUL prophecies to be found in the Bible.

  With "holy" literature, the reader is conned into thinking that it is all honest text but alas most Bible prophecies are those done and dusted so to speak, cleverly written after the manifest fulfillment!

  Prophecy cannot negate free will as it is merely a superstition.
• 
  12

  144000 who’s idea first

  by Tim207 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hello this is my first post although i’ve lingered on this site before.

  i’m curious about a comment i read saying that rutherfords idea of only 144000 going to heaven was taken from the founder of the church friends of man.

  i tried looking up this church but could not find information on when they started this belief.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  Prior to 1935, all "true Christians" were said to be anointed and called to heaven. Therefore, everyone associating with the Watchtower Society prior to 1935 was automatically part of the heavenly class. Those who converted after 1935 generally are told they have an earthly hope.

  JW Facts
  
  
• 
  12

  144000 who’s idea first

  by Tim207 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  hello this is my first post although i’ve lingered on this site before.

  i’m curious about a comment i read saying that rutherfords idea of only 144000 going to heaven was taken from the founder of the church friends of man.

  i tried looking up this church but could not find information on when they started this belief.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  I came across the information about six years ago in the British Museum Library in a book on the origins of modern religions. Freytag it seems started Friends of Man with the notion of two classes; the 144000 with heavenly destiny and the other sheep inheriting the earth. This would have been been in 1919 soon after his expulsion from the Watchtower.

  Had he in fact taken the Watchtower with him as the president to follow Russell, as he thought he should, the organisation would have had a completely different flavour and tone, one of real charity and humanity.
• 
  54

  Do You Feel Your Rights Are Being Trampled On By Government Regarding Coronavirus?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i support local and state and federal government’s power to safeguard the public.

  i wonder is it getting to a point where we will be told we can’t go out anymore, can’t use your phone or computer anymore because of the viruses that we can get, etc.

  are we prolonging this virus at all ?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  I live in a country (UK) where I feel the government is acting responsibly. For a change there is no political party capital being made, it is in the interests of everyone to stay at home and not infect others. Although a bit inconvenient, all the people I know are taking it in their stride and with good humour. Apart from a few groups of young wild-things getting together at the start requiring the police to be called, common sense prevails and it has settled down to a new routine of social distancing without major rucktions.

  In France the same is being achieved but by a very strong police presence, on the spot fines and imprisonment for third time infringers of the government's emergency measures.
• 
  5

  The organization is missing out on a golden opportunity to reach people with the "good news"

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  great question to ask your pimi's.

  if we truly are in final minutes of the last days before the great tribulation.

  with most everyone home, why is the org.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  What is the most important thing in the JW org? It most certainly is not the welfare of the flock.

  The governing body's two imperatives are to retain total control over their members and to prevent them from leaving.

  The survival of the governing body depends on milking bad news and cranking out the rhetoric.... It has nothing to do with truth. It is the time honoured mechanism within the JW cult to prevent the sheep from original thoughts and straying outside of the compound.
• 
  36

  China where it started ,83,000 / USA now <400,000 How come ?

  by smiddy3 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  am i missing something here ?

  how is it that where this covid 19 started , in wuhan china, china has only ,reportedly 83,000 for the whole country ?

  whereas in the united states of america the figure is just under 400,000 ?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Half banana

  It is extremely unlikely that China was able to monitor and identify all those with the disease.