Posts by soft+gentle

42

Even the Bible doesn't say that the world is about to end..

by The Quiet One in

here are some scriptures that show that the world isn't about to end, even according to the bible!

i noticed most of these in my own reading, but this page brings them all together.

i don't believe in the coming system of things, though.. any comments welcome.. http://www.apocatastasis.net/prophecy/prophecy-system-of-things-.html.

soft+gentle

The Quiet One I agree that a fulfillment did happn in 70 CE and Jehovahs witnesses accept this also ... but even after 70 CE end time propheteers were warning of another impending end ... this time Rome's end was imminent. I think this is because one of the major signs of the end are the traits spoken of in 2 Timothy 5 ... so as long as people possess those traits there will be end time prophets and the end will always be imminent during one's lifetime. We can see this in the history of jehovahs witnesses. The end was supposed to come in 1914, 2 tim 3 was one of the signs ... and in fact there was a major upheaval. Then it was supposed to have come with the second world war ... something did end then ... a way of life, a world view ended and it would even seem that mankind was liberated from many self serving people who were responsible for making life perilous. A new era was ushered in but not the new system.

Looks like... as long as mankind possesses those traits (and along with other signs) the world will be about to end and end time prophets will flourish.

this sort of a discussion with some Jehovahs witnesses is quite fruitful - it is not antagonistic but it is stilll dealing with a controversial issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschatology

best wishes and thanks for raising this subject

Queenie C

42

Even the Bible doesn't say that the world is about to end..

by The Quiet One in

here are some scriptures that show that the world isn't about to end, even according to the bible!

i noticed most of these in my own reading, but this page brings them all together.

i don't believe in the coming system of things, though.. any comments welcome.. http://www.apocatastasis.net/prophecy/prophecy-system-of-things-.html.

soft+gentle

quiet one

2timothy 3:1-9 describes the last days (the end)

jehovahs witnesses know their bible.

86

Sleeping with the enemy

by Nickolas in

jw
friends

i have been wondering of late about the extent to which jwn's minions (one of whom i am beginning to see myself to some extent) differentiate the machine from its parts.

what i mean is, what degree of separation is discerned between the watchtower bible and tract society and its individual members?.

henry milner, who is a polical scientist at the university of montreal, posits that those who rely heavily on the internet for their information ultimately become dogmatic.

soft+gentle

Hi Nickolas,

I tend to adopt a feeling of withstanding (sometimes more sometimes less) rather than outright dogmatism and hatred towards Jehovahs witnesses. As for the Governing body - their reckless corruption takes my breath away and I counter this by being in a state of escape. When the going gets tough I remind myself that this is what escaping is all about. My family are escaping too because of their association with me rather than because they are consciously doing so. Hopefully they take on board some of the seeds of doubt I cast their way. Most go to the birds or fall on rock I daresay but still you never know...

36

Was Jesus sent only for

by jam in

soft+gentle

jam, I think your instincts are correct on matthew 15:23-27 - that an important geo-political point is being conveyed. Those scriptures are very clear about Jesus and his disciples' attitude to the Canaanite woman. They ignored her pleas for help and - "Then Jesus said to the woman, "I was sent only to help God's lost sheep—the people of Israel."

but because she expressed strong faith in Jesus and then expressed emphatic acceptance of Jesus' mission to the people of Israel, he healed her daughter.

If jesus had not shown how strongly he was affliated with Israel and Israelite traditions he could have been charged with being in league with the devil or of simply being a magician. In Matthew's gospel which was written after 70 CE a miracle worker/wisdom teacher who went from village to village had to be written about as someone who identified himself with a traditional God. There are quite a lot of references in Matthew to how negatively Jesus viewed the conduct of the religious leaders. So the question arises who then was he aligned with or was he indeed linked to beelzebub? Writers needed to ground Jesus in a Godly traditon. So this is part of waht I see in Matthew 15:23-27.

any accusation of racism and any justification of racism grounded on the gospels must first take account of the geo-political situation of the Jesus being written about.

36

Was Jesus sent only for

by jam in

soft+gentle

Jam

Why then is Jesus call the Saviour of mankind.

my answer is that it is quite complicated but I think Constantine was a key figure in making Jesus the saviour of mankind. I'm saying this from an historical perspective of course. Constantine put himself in the earthly mediator place (between humans and God) that had been occupied by Jesus and raised Jesus to a triune place. This tendency (of triunity) was already being debated by some - many were against ... Constantine saw a political-relio opportunity for himself and took it to unify his empire. With Jesus out of the way in a completely transcendent place Constantine could become the earthly go between much like the governing body of Jehovahs witnesses. Constantine appropriated Jesus as saviour of mankind to consolidate his own political postion as ruler of all mankind - the kingdom of God on earth.

7

Just noticed a .pdf New World Translation on jw.org

by sd-7 in

interesting.

always wanted a bible i didn't have to carry, except preferably a more accurate one.... one thing i noticed was, remember how they'd have the brackets [] to indicate words inserted, according to them, to complete the sense of what was meant in the original languages?

i noticed that those brackets are gone, and the words are just in the text now.

soft+gentle

great news sd-7 ... now I can download to my kindle ...thanks

I don't mind about brackets or no brackets as the bible inclines towards groups making up their own truths ... what is important though is that they keep integrity to their own interpretation.

48

If you believe in the resurrection or reincarnation what race would you prefer?

by jam in

for the past few years i have been asking people.

i have know(blacks) this question.

the results,.

soft+gentle

I'd like to come back as mixed race

10

Please reccomend a book

by mankkeli in

jw
friends

would anyone reccomend a good material on .

(1) the history of the world.

(2) the history of religion.. i am just interested in man's development over the years to create gods for himself, any good book would be appreciated, and a review of the book highlighting a short summary is also welcome..

soft+gentle

In the Power of NOw---"you become connected to the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death" --- after you read this book you will see what religon is all about.

10

Please reccomend a book

by mankkeli in

jw
friends

would anyone reccomend a good material on .

(1) the history of the world.

(2) the history of religion.. i am just interested in man's development over the years to create gods for himself, any good book would be appreciated, and a review of the book highlighting a short summary is also welcome..

soft+gentle

the Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle.

46

Abusive Families Drawn Like Moths to a Flame or Does WTS Help Develop Abusive Attitude?

by OnTheWayOut in

so many ex-jw's are stepping forward here and other places and relaying information about their upbringing in the jw's being an abusive one.. we have the two types of abuse- physical and sexual.

i thought i would give a chance to everyone to ponder on what's up with the high levels within watchtower congregations.

i know the subject has been covered before, but some fresh voices and some new readers might want to know that they are not the freak, not the problem in their family, not alone, able to relate to others.. as far as physical abuse goes, i consider the attitude of wts that is passed on- beat the littlest of children in order to keep them quiet during meetings.

soft+gentle

abuse is part of all stratas of society not just us!