Posts by alcyone

34

Seven Trumpets of Revelation

by Zico in

i read on here that the society teaches that the seven trumpets of revelation are representative of seven conventions held in america in the 1920. is this actually true?

is it old light?

i asked some witnesses but they all gave me a look like i was weird and said it couldn't be right, and i can't check the watchtower library as i can't get it on my computer (apparently the society doesn't think mac users are worthy of the 'good news') i mean... it would be a bit...odd, wouldn't it?

alcyone

They are still teaching it! Destruction of 1/3 of the earth is equaled to the convention of 22,000 plus proclamation nobody in the world even noticed.

Watchtower 2009, 1/15 pg 32:

8:6-12; 9:1, 13; 11:15—When did the seven angels prepare to blow their trumpets, and when and how were the trumpet blasts sounded? Preparation to blow the seven trumpets included giving direction to the revitalized members of the John class on earth from 1919 to 1922. Such anointed ones were then getting busy in reorganizing the public ministry and building up publishing facilities. (Rev. 12:13, 14) The sounding of the trumpets represents fearless proclamations of Jehovah’s judgments against Satan’s world by God’s people in cooperation with the angels. Notably, this began with the Cedar Point, Ohio, convention in 1922 and lasts all the way down to the great tribulation.

34

Watchtower go full on propaganda!

by David Graham in

i see the watchtower are getting extremely desperate now.http://jwtalk.net/forums/topic/25503-injustice-abounds-for-our-dear-russian-brothers/check out the professionally edited video, using professional equipment!

alcyone

It is an irony JW elders do not allow to record a judicial committee (you need to use "Rahab tactics"if you want to have it), but WTS proudly presents JWs filming policemen in Crimea. A bit hypocritical, isn't it?

22

Is the reasoning book no longer in use ?

by opusdei1972 in

i would like to know if witnesses are still using the reasoning book in the field service.

i am asking about it, because i had read that it is currently out of print, doesn't it??

.

alcyone

This discontinuation thing shows well big challenges the WTS is facing now. In the past they discontinued some book when there was a new light published, now they are dropping book they have no replacement for.

So you will not find online (i.e. wol.jw.org) any exegesis of 1,335 days or trumpets in Revelation, but the old Freddie-style books (Daniel's prophecy or Revelation climax) explaining them are not distributed anymore. The light is not shining brighter. I am wondering how they will tackle it...

54

"Even if it isn't the truth, it's still the best way to live"

by Simon in

have you heard that old chestnut?

i have.. typically it's the last resort when you have dismantled a jws beliefs and they have no way of defending them.

they know they are beat so they come out with that one.. its effectively an admission that you are right and they have no argument but they are still going to attend meetings because they like the social club.. what a lame way to defend your faith..

alcyone

We can hardly find any similar organization that would impose so many rules and bans...

1) WTS can prohibit whatever they want. This is something other groups cannot achieve so easily - they need a conference or a council to meet, relatively large number of people should agree the change. This naturally leads to slow pace of changes and extravagant things are generally avoided. On the contrary WTS can set whatever rule 5 people (out of 7) agree upon. They proved in the past they literally destroy your life without any remorse. (ban on organ transplants, civil service, blood dogma, ...).

2) In other groups there is a variety of lifestyles you can follow. For example in the RCC there are charismatic groups, there are groups for families, there are catholic scholars, pilgrims, whatever... if you are an introvert you can meditate and look for solitude, if you are and an extrovert you can spend a lot of time with the people. You can join charity and help orphans. You have many things you can pursue and still your friends will consider you to be a good Catholic. The same applies for other denominations, but the WTS is different. Everybody is forced be an extrovert, going "from house to house", charity is discouraged, separate bible study groups de facto banned, constant guilt-trips, "do more" etc. At the end, many witnesses are mentally ill.

I do not see anything superior in the witness lifestyle. And as for morale, if you join a Christian group you will find other people trying to be morally clean (and sometimes failing in the same way as JW's are failing).

14

Book Review: The Watchtower Society, Organizational Misbehavior

by johnny depp in

jw
friends

this is the way crisis of conscience should have been written.

finally, a book written on the watchtower society by someone who actually knows how to write!

after reading the subheading, “the psychology of jehovah’s witnesses,” (pages 160–182), i have abandoned the belief that we have an “unconscious,” and will never again consult any psychologist, psychiatrist, or counselor.

alcyone

Looks like professional profile of Judge Rutherford...

A brilliant Bible scholar and ancient language scholar, Gabriel H Ibarra holds supremacy, an excellency worthy of respect. Seeing first hand the absolute mastery he has over these disciplines, I’ll put Gabriel H Ibarra against any scholar with a thousand doctorates any time.

38

Who can you trust to admit you have doubts?

by MrMonroe in

(that is, doubts).

in margaret atwood's "the handmaid's tale", a futuristic story of life inside a repressive, abusive big brother-style society tightly controlled by religious fundamentalists, there's a passage in which the protagonist is alone with another woman at a state-controlled centre where prayers are generated -- then printed out and read out -- by a machine.

the other woman asks, in barely more than a whisper, "do you think god listens to these machines?

alcyone

I see three dangerous types of people in the congregations that can lure you to express your doubts:

1) "weak one": You suppose somebody who is missing meetings and doing the absolute minimum will discuss your doubts freely. Mistake! When you confront him with the TTATT, he turns to be a hard core WTS apologist and report you to the elders.

2) "semi-doubter": person expressing various doubts for less important WTS dogmas - trumpets in Revelation, university education - or the person criticizing CO, DO, branch committee. You think "okay I am safe to come out in front of him". Again it is a mistake! When confronted with serious stuff ("deep truths") - wrong christology of WTS, God's name in the new testament, FDS/GB not being led by the Spirit - he looks like he caught you sharing child porn and he goes to the elders.

3) "I can explain everything": self-confident elder who says "come to me, express your doubts, I can explain it. I will give you arguments. Let's discuss the matter." He is so self-confident! He thinks he can destroy any argument against the WTS easily. In reality he expects something like

You: "Brother X, I do not understand the 1914 teaching."

Him: "OK, so let's think - who else is preaching worldwide in 236 lands? Who else has such a great webpage jw.org?"

You: "Oh yes!, thank you brother, now I do not have any doubts anymore"

But if you put really strong arguments on the table, he is upset and he will start to look for ways to DF you.

At the end it is almost impossible to find somebody in the congo to share your doubts...

14

Is there new light about joining the Military?

by ShirleyW in

jw
friends

i'm sure there's probably not, but on jwmatch, which i subscribe to for laughs, i got their usual email today saying they found the perfect match for me, he's in hawaii, i'm in nyc, he's 40 and i"m 18 years older, perfect so far, right?

anyway below is the first line of his narrative introducing himself.

i am disfellowshipped and likely won't be reinstated until i retire from the military in three years.

alcyone

i think he wants to be part of the UN forces when they "attack false religion". Then he will drop from the army before Gog attacks WTS.

21

Pictures in the Watchtower

by Sour Grapes in

jw
friends

after sitting through last sunday's watchtower i got so sick of seeing the bobbing/nodding heads when talking about the pictures.

they act like god himself took the picture.

there must have been 10 comments about the group in service and the one brother was looking at his phone with a smile, which is a dead give away that he was reading something interesting.. what got me was how the older brother in the posed picture had a bible in his hand had a stern look on his face looking at the young brother.

alcyone

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/mp/r1/lp-e/w13/2013/1406

this is the picture i wrote about. good career advice!

21

Pictures in the Watchtower

by Sour Grapes in

jw
friends

after sitting through last sunday's watchtower i got so sick of seeing the bobbing/nodding heads when talking about the pictures.

they act like god himself took the picture.

there must have been 10 comments about the group in service and the one brother was looking at his phone with a smile, which is a dead give away that he was reading something interesting.. what got me was how the older brother in the posed picture had a bible in his hand had a stern look on his face looking at the young brother.

alcyone

they use these pictures to convey "hidden messages" as Oubliette said, but in the same time they can deny the meaning - "we do not say...". So instead of giving detailed instructions on grooming, they just show "spiritually weak" brother / sister and the people can contemplate on how such person looks. I can recall picture of brother showing to his boss it is 5 o'clock I am leaving now - this is really good advice if you want to have good relationship at your workplace. But they can deny it as it is not explicitly said.

15

Peace and security

by The freewheeling in

i wold love to see all the worlds leader proclaim "peace and security" soon, loud and clear.

that wold make all jws go totaly nuts.

they would all run around and yell "now it's coming, now it's coming!".

alcyone

this is a bit strange exegesis by the WTS. Paul's words are more to say that when they will feel secure it will come than that some "proclamation" should be made.

In that way also old commentators saw it.

Barnes:

(2) the impenitent and wicked world will be sunk in carnal security when he comes. They will regard themselves as safe. They will see no danger. They will give no heed to warning. They will be unprepared for his advent.

Calvin:

3For when they shall say. Here we have an explanation of the similitude, the day of the Lord will be like a thief in the night. Why so? because it will come suddenly to unbelievers, when not looked for, so that it will take them by surprise, as though they were asleep.

Clarke:

For when they shall say, Peace and safety - This points out, very particularly, the state of the Jewish people when the Romans came against them; and so fully persuaded were they that God would not deliver the city and temple to their enemies, that they refused every overture that was made to them.

WTS says there should be a proclamation, so now every witness is watching news are looking for a politician to say "now we proclaim peace and security."