Posts by NeonMadman

2

Permanent students of the Watchtower beware!

by Marie B. Paraison in

jw
friends

whenever a student enrolls in an institution of learning he/she works hard at learning because the student looks forward to graduation.

your study of the bible is the prime thing, but do you lower your standard in this respect?

does jehovah/yah has a lower expectation of you than your educators at your school?

NeonMadman

Even when I was a JW, it used to bother me that their study program was so shallow. We used to go over the same books over and over again in the book study. That made no sense to me. If we had covered certain material, why did we not go on to more detailed or deeper material? I reasoned that, in school, if I passed Algebra 1, they didn't say to me, "Well, there might have been some points in the course that you missed, so we're going to have you take the course over again to be sure you really understand it." No, they would advance me to Algebra 2, or Geometry, or whatever the next course in the progression was. By learning the more dvanced concepts, the earlier concepts from the previous course would become second nature. But the Watchtower simply recycled the same material in the meetings repeatedly.

The excuse they offered when I asked was either the one about repeating the material in case some points were missed, or else they would say something like, "there are a lot of new people in the truth now, so the material is being re-considered for their benefit." Well, that's great for them, I would think, but how about some spiritual food geared for those of us who have been around for a while?

Now, of course, I realize that they did this because there was no deeper material available. Any really in-depth study of Scripture would have shattered their belief system. The object was not to have true "Bible students," but organizational drones. I think they may by now have sufficiently dumbed down the organization to the point where anyone who really craves serious biblical material has been weeded out, and they are left with the mindless and unquestioning.

20

A difference between 2009 Annual Report and 2010 Annual Report

by Gayle in

in 2009 annual meeting report, the report was given of these stats:.

u.s. 7/09 new peak in pubs and again in 8/09 land mark of 1,154,275 pubs.

making a 4% increase over last year.

NeonMadman

Like the CDrom, it isn't about 2010 because 2010 isn't over yet. Won't 2010 be discussed in 2011?

Since the "service year" for JW's runs from September to August, 2010 is already over for their purposes. That's why they can include complete statistics for the year in the next year's yearbook, which often comes out before the end of the calendar year.

41

BIG WEEKEND JW NEWS STORY EXPOSES HEARTLESS CULT

by West70 in

the following newspaper article appears to be the original (and more lengthy and indepth) article from which associated press took their "summarized" (and less informative) story which is being picked up by a number of television stations and newspapers across the u.s. .

this better version should be forwarded to media outlets as a more informative version for their audience.

they also embrace political neutrality.

NeonMadman

Debator:

We can toss different translations of the verse around all day, but the Greek word in the text is a form of sarx, which does not mean "flesh/world," it means FLESH. Any translation that uses "world" there is paraphrasing. This is important because Paul constantly pits the terms "flesh" and "spirit" against each other. In this chapter, Paul is not discussing whether it is appropriate for Christians to join the military service of various nations. He is talking about a spiritual type of warfare. True, we don't "wage war according to the flesh" when we "destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (v. 5). That is not the sort of warfare where weapons of the flesh are effective (even though, as someone noted above, the WTS has expressed a desire to kill physically those who leave its ranks). FOR THAT PURPOSE, "the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." This is spiritual warfare being discussed, not the defense of nations. These remarks by Paul have no bearing on whether Christians might serve in the military.

To interpret the text in the way you are trying to do, we must ignore all of the other arguments I mentioned - and I notice that you did ignore them.

Why didn't John the Baptist take advantage of soldiers asking him what they should do to tell them that their profession was unacceptable to God?

Why wasn't Cornelius told to remove himself from any form of military service, even inactive status, before being baptized, as would be required today of anyone who wanted to become a JW? For that matter, why does the policy of the WTS regarding those in military service not conform to the biblical model as demonstrated with Cornelius in Acts 10?

Additionally, Israel was a warrior nation. They fought God's wars and were commanded many times to engage in military action. So it does not appear that God is adverse to His people engaging in military service. Now, it's true that Israel had a special relationship with God as His people, and that Christians are not under the same covenant as they were. Nonetheless, for God to go from REQUIRING His people to engage in warfare to PROHIBITING the same, it seems to me that there should have been a very explicit command and explanation somewhere in the New Testament - just as we are explicitly told that the laws about Sabbath observance and unclean meats no longer applied to Christians. But there is no such reversal with regard to military service.

Again, I don't expect that every Christian will agree with me about this. I can certainly understand why some Christians might take a pacifistic position (though JW's claim not to be pacifists). However, this is clearly an area where there should be room for personal conscience, and it is the Watchtower's unreasonable control, to the point of breaking up families over this issue, that I find to be morally repugnant.

41

BIG WEEKEND JW NEWS STORY EXPOSES HEARTLESS CULT

by West70 in

the following newspaper article appears to be the original (and more lengthy and indepth) article from which associated press took their "summarized" (and less informative) story which is being picked up by a number of television stations and newspapers across the u.s. .

this better version should be forwarded to media outlets as a more informative version for their audience.

they also embrace political neutrality.

NeonMadman

2 Corinthians 10:3
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

Looks like you cherry-picked the NIV for this verse; other translations make it clear that Paul was talking about spiritual, not physical warfare:

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. (ESV)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, (NASB)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage warfare according to [what we are in the] flesh. (Yes, even the NWT).

Read the context. This verse has nothing to do with whether a Christian should serve in the military. It's talking about spiritual warfare against false teachings (notice verse 5).

In Luke 3:14, soldiers came to John the Baptist and asked what they should do (in response to the message he had preached). Did he tell them that their military service was unacceptable to God and that they should resign from the army? No:

Luk 3:14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."

Similarly, there is no record that Cornelius was asked to resign as a Roman soldier (even an officer!) in order to be pleasing to God (Acts 10).

Paul used military illustrations constantly (Ephesians 6, for example, but there are many others). Why would he do that if military service were repugnant to God? Can you picture Paul using adultery or murder as an illustration of spiritual virtues? Of course not - but he used military imagery over and over again.

It's true that some historians report that the earliest Christians did not join the military. But why was that? Was it a moral position taken on biblical grounds? Or could it have been that the earliest Christians lived under the Roman empire, which spent a lot of time trying to hunt them down, destroy their scriptures, and throw them into arenas to be eaten by lions? If that was the business in which the army was engaged, one can easily see why the Christians would refrain from joining - not because military service in itself was forbidden, but because the military AT THAT TIME was their greatest enemy.

I see no biblical objection to military service in a nation where the military is not engaged in the persecution of Christians. I respect that other Christians may disagree with my position. What I don't respect is that an organization dictates matters of conscience for its members in a pharisaical fashion and requires parents to shun their children who make a conscientious decision that differs from the organizational position.

32

Shepherding Book Cover Guessing Game!

by yknot in

jw
friends

lets play a guessing game to help us remain patient while the "shepherding' book is being scanned by more elders than i am gonna admit cuz i don't wanna embarrass the service department!.

so we know it is a softcover..... (if you are an elder and have yours-- mums the word-- please pass on playing and just enjoy the board speculation).

speculation:.

NeonMadman

Interesting picture on the cover. A shepherd standing watch over a flock of sheep in what appears to be an area of high ground with storm clouds gathering in the distance. The image they are trying to convey is obvious. But given that 80% of the book deals with judicial matters, a more appropriate picture would probably have been the shepherd drop-kicking the sheep's butt right out of the flock and down the hill.

12

KS made public-Jah's will

by Sayswho in

it would appear that this may be gods will...since the book is being made public...despite the effort to stop it.so the ones trying to stop it may actually be working againts jehovah's will.

(?

)

NeonMadman

Not much, obviously. It can't even protect itself, much less anyone else!

43

can we talk "public apostacy" for a moment?

by chickpea in

jw
friends

how public have you been as an apostate in your community, where your activities.

that are decidedly contrary to the bleatings of the b0rg and publicized?.

i am about to commit a humdinger of a display of worldliness, with potential for.

NeonMadman

I speak at local churches, teaching them why JW's are wrong. I guess that makes me a public apostate.

12

KS made public-Jah's will

by Sayswho in

it would appear that this may be gods will...since the book is being made public...despite the effort to stop it.so the ones trying to stop it may actually be working againts jehovah's will.

(?

)

NeonMadman

So, not only is the Watchtower's god unable to stop the demons from bothering his people, he can't even stop apostates from foiling his organization. To paraphrase Dr. Ron Nash, if I had a god like that, I think I'd want to pray for him!

44

"We're not here to debate or argue"

by sabastious in

as a jw i was always taught "never to get into debate or argue with householders.".

you know what is interesting about that?.

the message i had when i went to your door was essentially "hello, what ever your current belief is... is wrong.

NeonMadman

They are there to debate or argue right up to the point where the householder presents them with a debate point or an argument. Then they run away.

29

The Bedbugs are coming....

by Snoozy in

i seem to hear more and more on the news about the bed bug epedemic.

today they were talking about it on tv and they said they are spreading ,among other ways, at theaters and libraries.. i love going to the show and my grandchildren are spending a lot of time in the libraries at their colleges.. it's just a matter of time before someone close is exposed to them.. what do you do?.

i know for myself i am fearfull of going to the theater now.. they were talking about it in illinois and i am in missouri..can bedbugs swim?

NeonMadman

I try not to be paranoid about these things and would like to think part of it is media hype.

No, it's really not. I sell pest control services, and we deal with these things constantly. They really are spinning out of control. Industry predictions say they will be the #1 domestic pest within a few more years.