Posts by bats in the belfry

8

Watchtower May 1, 2013 with William Holman Hunt quote

by bats in the belfry in

up for grabs: watchtower may 1, 2013. .

what does it mean that jehovah draws us?

the greek verb rendered draws is also used in reference to hauling in a net of fishes.

bats in the belfry

You parents, watch out for your childen!

If you don't smarten up they will die at the big A. just like the Canaanites that were notoriously cruel, and they deliberately opposed God and his people.

HOW YOU ARE INVOLVED: We can learn a vital
lesson from the judgment of the Canaanites.We
are rapidly approaching the foretold “day of judgment
and of destruction of the ungodly men.”
(2 Peter 3:7) If we love Jehovah, we will benefit
when he eliminates human suffering by ridding
the earth of those who reject his just rule.
Jehovah lovingly reminds us that the choices
parents make affect their children. God’s Word
says: “You must choose life in order that you may
keep alive, you and your offspring, by loving Jehovah
your God, by listening to his voice and by
sticking to him.” (Deuteronomy 30:19, 20) Are
those the words of a cruel God or the words of a
God who loves people and wants them to make
the right choice? (page 6).

Just listen and obey the FDS/GB.

8

Watchtower May 1, 2013 with William Holman Hunt quote

by bats in the belfry in

up for grabs: watchtower may 1, 2013. .

what does it mean that jehovah draws us?

the greek verb rendered draws is also used in reference to hauling in a net of fishes.

bats in the belfry

Up for grabs: Watchtower May 1, 2013

What does it mean that Jehovah draws us? The Greek verb rendered “draws” is also used in reference to hauling in a net of fishes. (John 21:6, 11) Does Jehovah drag us against our will, forcing us to serve him? No. Jehovah gave us free will, so he does not force our heart open.

One scholar puts it this way: “There is no handle on the outside of the door of the human heart. It must be opened from within.” (page 14)

So, if God does not push us, why does the GB?

BTW, the scholar most likely is William Holman Hunt. After painting " The Light of the World" Hunt said: "I painted the picture with what I thought, unworthy though I was, to be by Divine command, and not simply as a good Subject." The door in the painting has no handle, and can therefore be opened only from the inside, representing "the obstinately shut mind".

46

Jehovahs Witnesses and psychiatric diagnoses?

by Marvin Shilmer in

jw
friends

jehovahs witnesses and psychiatric diagnoses?.

today i added a new article to my blog sharing information from a 1983 study published in the journal for the scientific study of religion addressing religious affiliation and psychiatric diagnoses.

this article pulls information from an excellent academic study that is often misunderstood and therefore underutilized for its value.

bats in the belfry

Marvin Shilmer >>> It's a study done 30 years ago.

Research data on the "Radioactive Solar Pad" eventually was superseded, too.

Is there more recent research out there?

What is the diagnosos nowadays? Has it gotten any better or worse?

41

w92 7/15: "It is the obligation of all JWs to hate apostates"

by cedars in

today i was doing some research for a new article, and i came across the following quote which succeeded in raising my eyebrows.... "the obligation to hate lawlessness also applies to all activity by apostates.

our attitude toward apostates should be that of david, who declared: 'do i not hate those who are intensely hating you, o jehovah, and do i not feel a loathing for those revolting against you?

with a complete hatred i do hate them.

bats in the belfry

Some people have caused human death willfully or through carelessness. Others have taken part in collective killing, perhaps persuaded by religious leaders that this was God’s will. Still others have persecuted and killed servants of God. Even if we have not done such things, though, we share community responsibility for the loss of human life because we did not know God’s law and will. We are like the unintentional manslayer ‘who killed his fellowman without knowing it and who did not hate him formerly.’ (Deuteronomy 19:4) Such individuals ought to implore God for mercy and should run into the antitypical city of refuge. Otherwise they will have a fatal meeting with the Avenger of blood.
w95 11/15 p. 16 par. 5

Isn't that exactly what they encourage their flock to do?

9

Two questions for you.

by AMO in

jw
friends

jonno12225 posted earlier that god was resposable for some 25 million deaths of men women children and babys in the bible.. my first question is how many innocent deaths is satan responsible for, in the bible ?..

my second question is in genisis 8 21 god said "never again shall i call down evil upon the ground on mans account".. seems to me this god is capable of great evil, by his own admission, blatantly lies, (whats this big a all about) and is sooooo hypocritical, what makes some one devote there whole life to such a god ?????..

from the outside looking in.. amo.

bats in the belfry

Satan made God kill millions.

22

Leaps in Logic Reguarding The Faithful Slave of Matt:25:42-46 and The Governing Body Claim of Authority it Gives Them

by frankiespeakin in

do you see anything even remotely in these scripture that fore tell a future slave that would dominate the rest of the slaves with a publishing company?

.

42 therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your lord will come.43 but understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.44 so you also must be ready, because the son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.. 45 who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?46 it will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns..

bats in the belfry

How many times did the FDS/GB reinterpret Matthew 25:45 by now?

4 times, or more?

Evidently, it is all guesswork.

34

The Bible and Masturbation...4000 years of inspired input and no scriptures about it ?

by smiddy in

my philosophy when i was a teenager :"those who admit to it are stupid ,those who deny it are liars" that was my response to peers who posed such a subject when i was a teen .now, being a mature aged person i think this subject could do with a bit more enlightened content.. i am a male so i can`t speak for the females ,who, i hope will give their input on this topic for discussion.and i mean it as a serious discussion.. males experience erections from the time they are babies and the natural thing to do is to hold it , and before you know it fondling it gives you releif.. society doesnt help by making you feel guilty and like shit as a dirty person.why in the world do babes ,young children ,young boys get erections before they even know what it`s function is for.

if a god designed sex for procreation then surely this wouldnt become an issue until they reached the age of puberty ,not when a male is still a baby.. and getting back to my op nowhere in the bible does it talk about masturbation which surely has been going on since adam was a boy/man.. i`m sorry, but to deny that you would have to be a complete idiot ,imbecile ,fool ,or just brain dead.. so for 4000 years of inspired scriptures from god ,nothing is said about a condition that effects every man from his birth to his death .. makes you wonder doesn`t it ?.

smiddy.

bats in the belfry

Nothing much has changed over the years. In 2011 they are at it again: "Like Mário and André, you can find help in your efforts to conquer the habit of masturbation." Really, those dix are still up to writing about

"Although the people quoted in this article are males, many females also struggle with masturbation. Hence, the advice given pertains to both genders. Note, too, that this article discusses masturbating oneself. Doing it outside of marriage to another person is included in what the Bible calls fornication, a very serious sin in God’s eyes" (g 11/06 pp. 18-20).

Bible-based backup for that assertion: zip.

44

jw's view of wordly people - hipocrisy

by spirituk in

jw
friends

i was wondering how a baptised jw see wordly people?

i mean what do they think of people who arent jw ?

do they think we will die forever and that we are controlled by satan?

bats in the belfry

That's because some are very dumb - they mistake astrology for astronomy.

33

December 15 Watchtower --- A New Low in WT Anti-Intellectualism

by Room 215 in

i wonder whether any of you took note of the article in the 12/15 study edition wt "the simplified watchtower .. why introduced" i couldn't believe they actually had the temerity to put such tripe into print and onto the record.. i was flat-out astonished with its put-down of vocabulary building and self-improvement:.

one egregious example: " the time spent looking up words and explaining expressions (ostensibly from the "smart people's" watchtower) is now spent gaining an understanding of the scriptures and how they fit into the lesson.".

one jw cited in the article actually blames her college education for causing her to fall into the bad habit of "speaking and thinking a way that was more complicated than necessary.

bats in the belfry

Apognophos >>>

Gerrit Lösch (GB member) stated recently that "pursuing higher education is like putting a gun to your head"

You can watch it here (courtesy of Cedars):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B7DRwti-H4

27

Worship at the meetings(TM)....REALLY??

by punkofnice in

there were times when i was a jw that i asked myself :.

'what constitustes actual worship at the meetings?'.

it got to a point where the only worship i could see was a sycophantic arse licking of the governing body.. i found nothing at the meetings(tm) were actually anything like worshipping god.. .

bats in the belfry

Video endings: