Posts by scotoma

48

When do you think there will be a revised "Reasoning Book"

by Amelia Ashton in

jw
friends

because i was abroad we had to use the original revelation book and only the reader had the new improved version so i don't know if this was the same else where but following along using the old version made the adjustments seem even more ludicrous.. why didn't they ensure everyone had the new version before studying it rather than highlight all the "adjustments" that had to be made in a km and therefore making them more obvious?.

do you think there could be a list of amendments to be inserted into the reasoning book in the same way?.

scotoma

There once was a book that basically was The Governing Body Said So

you can read it here:

http://www.a2z.org/wtarchive/docs/1916_What_Pastor_Russell_Said.pdf

14

What argument do Witnesses use to justify shunning DA ones?

by BU2B in

jw
friends

i may be late on this, but i was just thinking yesterday about how witnesses justify shunning.

mainly the scripture in 1 corinthians that says to stop mixing in company with anyone called a brother who engages in various sins.

therefore if someone was to write a letter stating that they no longer wish to be known as a jehovahs witness, what justification do they use for shunning that person?

scotoma

Terry,

Some have speculated that the book of John really ends twice.

Acts 20:30 ends the real book of John: "To be sure, Jesus performed many other signs also before the disciples, which are not written down in this scroll. But these have been written down that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, and that, because of believing, you may have life by means of his name.

The added chapter 21 ends as follows: "There are in fact many other things also which Jesus did, which if ever they were written in full detail, I suppose the world itself could not contain the scrolls written."

Some scholars believe the 21st chapter of John was cut and pasted from the original last chapter of Mark which ends very abruptly. But if you read chapter 16 of Mark and then go strait to John chapter 21 it seems like it is a continuation.

The motive was a power struggle between those following John and those following Peter. The Peter cabal subtly linked John with the betrayer in vs. 20 and most of the 21st chap of John focuses on the honorable death of Peter as a martyr whereas John would at worst die a natural death or even be present to be raptured up to heaven.

There will not be a discussion of this concept in the Watchtower. EVER.

14

What argument do Witnesses use to justify shunning DA ones?

by BU2B in

jw
friends

i may be late on this, but i was just thinking yesterday about how witnesses justify shunning.

mainly the scripture in 1 corinthians that says to stop mixing in company with anyone called a brother who engages in various sins.

therefore if someone was to write a letter stating that they no longer wish to be known as a jehovahs witness, what justification do they use for shunning that person?

scotoma

The crazy thing about 1John 2:18,19 is that John himself was creating false doctrine by his statement.

Jesus said that if a sheep leaves the flock he should be searched out and restored.

The apostle John was a grumpy, disgruntled Christian who thought Jesus would return in his life time.

John probably believed the idea that he would be alive when Jesus returned (see John 21:20-23) "If it is my will for him to remain until I come of what concern is that to you?...In consequence, this saying went out among the brothers, that that disciple (John) would not die."

Old John wanted to believe that Jesus was coming soon because he was approaching death. So he switched the meaning of Antichrist from the traditional belief that it is a wicked world ruler to being any person that quit associating. This is a good example of switching the meaning by creating a "class" of people out of a single actor. There was one Christ and there can only be one Anti-Christ.

Jehovah's Witnesses have been twisting things just like the early christians.

21

JW.org publishing Urban Legends in their News section

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

crazy, those fellows at jw.org pr news.

they publish their urben legends!!

http://www.jw.org/en/news/by-region/world/saved-from-suicide/.

scotoma

Salesmen tell the story over and over about how they went a whole day trying to make a sale.

It was 5 minutes after 5 and one more cold call made a sale.

The Jungians call this "synchronicity".

I call it plain ordinary luck. Maybe bad luck.

18

The Statistical End Of The Disciple-Making Work?

by metatron in

jw
friends

you guys with the stats feel free to correct me but it appears to me that we are within a hairsbreadth of the statistical end of the preaching work (as a disciple making activity).. if the world rate of publisher increase is 1.9% - and the estimated world population increase is 1.09%, then we are extremely close to the point at which the increase of the jw organization is entirely due to making babies.

the work of gathering disciples from the public has ended statistically.. metatron.

scotoma

In the United States and Europe at least the preaching work has reached its end.

Done.

There are plenty of scenarios for re-orientation at this point.

All you need is to resurrect Fred Franz. Or maybe he can give us his latest take now that he's in ?heaven?

Any good fiction writer can generate some good possibilities.

Here's one:

Rev. 8:7 "A third of the earth was burned up." So, brothers & sisters we have thoroughly born witness to the rich third (Babylon) of the world that is soon to be destroyed. The other 2 thirds must be witnessed to after the great tribulation. They are the "rest of the beast" whose "rulerships were taken away and there was a lengthening in life given to them for a time and a season." (Dan. 7:12) It is the nations that constitute the immense image that are destroyed NOT all nations. The stone hits the image and GROWS (increases in size) until it takes over the whole earth. If all rulerships were destroyed how could the scripture be fulfilled that says "all the rulerships will serve and obey even them." (Dan. 7:27) You dear brothers must be prepared to take over the whole world.

FWF (from a special vision)

12

Links to analysis of the 2012 Service Year Report

by cedars in

jw
friends

i am amazed by the speed with which jwfacts has been able to update the graphs on his website.. please check out his statistics page on the link below.... http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/statistics.php.

i have also published an article with my own analysis of the 2012 report which you are welcome to read through.... http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/2012-service-year-report-available-on-jw-org-but-what-do-the-numbers-really-show.

if anyone can think of how i can improve my article in any way, please let me know!.

scotoma

Cedars,

As you point out in your blog the internet is a significant player in the decreased results of the Watchtower. When you look at a graph of internet use over time there is a strong correlation between witness productivity and people using the internet.

One of the tests for authoritarian entrenchment is the efforts to squash the internet.

The decision by the american congress to open the internet to private use and to make it practically free almost would make me believe in divine intervention. Of course it isn't. But it was the most enlightened decision to ever come out of the US congress. Other countries have done the same. It was an event right up there with the Magna Carta.

Jehovah's Witnesses are now trying to flood the internet with their propaganda. The many new "schools" for indoctrination that they have set up will not accomplish what they need. The only other possible response would be to honestly answer the challenges that have appeared on this and other discussion boards. The only thing that a rational person can conclude is that they really are unable to rebut the thousands of arguments that have been raised against their dogma. If they could - they would. Now that the information playing field is even they have chosen to commit organizational suicide.

68

Being Agnostic is depressing me....

by SkyGreen in

jw
friends

for those that dont know my story, basically i "woke up the ttatt" about a year ago, started fading, then went back, now fading again because i just cant stomach it anymore.

my husband is very supportive, although he's still "in" for now, and trying to be regular with meetings and witnessing, he can see my point of view now, and often notices things in the wt or other publications that are "off".

the fading thing is hard, sometimes i want to da, but because of the upheaval it would cause my family, im waiting a little while - i guess hoping that my husband will be on the same page at some point, so that we can support eachother.

scotoma

I am thankful for my experience of being misled, bamboozled, fooled, duped.

I feel thoroughly innoculated against the transcendental virus that shows up in pseudo-science, religion, economics, psychology and politics.

I am glad my kids were young enough to learn from my experience early enough in their lives (late teens 4th gen witnesses) to avoid fanatical thinking.

It's like the relief you feel when you quit repeatedly hitting yourself in the head with a hammer.

12

100 Years Ago: We Were Already Backpedaling

by breakfast of champions in

jw
friends

from the december 15, 1909 watchtower:.

"while our faith and hopes would be equally clear and logical whether this age ends in october, 1914, or a century later, nevertheless our expectation that "gentile times" will conclude october, 1914, undoubtedly has a stimulating effect upon our hearts and influences all of life's interests and helps to "wean" us from earthly joys and ambitions and to set our affections on things above!

" [italics mine].

scotoma

Whatever Russel said doesn't matter anymore. He wasn't one of the faithfull and discreet slave.

12

100 Years Ago: We Were Already Backpedaling

by breakfast of champions in

jw
friends

from the december 15, 1909 watchtower:.

"while our faith and hopes would be equally clear and logical whether this age ends in october, 1914, or a century later, nevertheless our expectation that "gentile times" will conclude october, 1914, undoubtedly has a stimulating effect upon our hearts and influences all of life's interests and helps to "wean" us from earthly joys and ambitions and to set our affections on things above!

" [italics mine].