Sea Breeze
JoinedPosts by Sea Breeze
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5
Spiritual Paradise?? (ex)JW Elder to stand trial for multiple rapes over a 10-year period.
by Balaamsass2 informer jehovah's witness elder committed to stand trial accused of sunshine coast rapes, sexual abuse.
a former jehovah's witness elder has been committed to stand trial for raping and sexually abusing young men on the sunshine coast over a 10-year period.police arrested 62-year-old mooloolaba man peter mitchelson in august 2022 and charged him with more than 50 sexual offences, including 21 counts of rape that allegedly occurred at various locations on the sunshine coast and in brisbane from 2008 to 2018.. the charges relate to five adult male complainants known to mr mitchelson through the jehovah's witness faith.. a committal hearing at maroochydore today heard mr mitchelson allegedly used his seniority as a former congregation elder to coerce the younger men to perform sexual acts for his gratification.. police said the acts were non-consensual and made the alleged victims feel "used, controlled, and lied to".. mr mitchelson was committed to stand trial in the district court on 53 charges, while charges of incest and torture were dismissed due to a lack of evidence.. 'positive affirmations' allegedly escalated.
the court heard the majority of alleged offending started with mr mitchelson advising alleged victims on how to use '"positive affirmations" to improve their confidence.. police said initial meetings with mr mitchelson involved alleged victims standing in front of a mirror repeating the phrase: "i'm strong.
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Sea Breeze
Jesus Outside the Bible-The Top Ten Historical References
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXpOLh2vNNM&t=332s
Things we can know about Jesus from ancient non-Christian sources.:
First, both Josephus and Lucian indicate that Jesus was regarded as wise. Second, Pliny, the Talmud, and Lucian imply He was a powerful and revered teacher. Third, both Josephus and the Talmud indicate He performed miraculous feats. Fourth, Tacitus, Josephus, the Talmud, and Lucian all mention that He was crucified. Tacitus and Josephus say this occurred under Pontius Pilate. And the Talmud declares it happened on the eve of Passover. Fifth, there are possible references to the Christian belief in Jesus' resurrection in both Tacitus and Josephus. Sixth, Josephus records that Jesus' followers believed He was the Christ, or Messiah. And finally, both Pliny and Lucian indicate that Christians worshipped Jesus as God!
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Spiritual Paradise? Jehovah's Witness cons JW seniors out of life savings.
by Balaamsass2 in3/28/2024 central california coast.
found guilty of $1.2 million scam targeting seniors.
ex-insurance agent brett e. lovett convicted of fraud, elder abuse, grand theft, and money laundering".
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Sea Breeze
You can’t make this stuff up! Of course he ripped off gullible JWs yo buy breast implants for his stripper gf.
According to Casey, Lovett had been implicated in a prior case — a civil action — for bilking parishioners at another Kingdom Hall. In that case, Casey said, Lovett settled. On the stand in that case, Casey stated Lovett admitted to using the proceeds to buy breast implants for a girlfriend and hair plugs for himself.
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Sea Breeze
There is a near universal majority of scholars in many fields—historians, Bible scholars, New Testament scholars, philologists, archaeologists, anthropologists, literature, folklore and oral history specialists, paleographers, linguistics scholars in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, those in the field of the Classics, a Dead Sea scroll specialist or two, and many others—from atheist to Jew to liberal to fundamentalist Christian, who all agree Jesus existed.
Over the last two hundred years, there has also been a small group called “mythicists” who have asserted there was no historical Jesus. Richard Carrier is a mythicist.
Bart Ehrmann is an "agnostic leaning atheist" New Testament scholar. He is not a Christian.
Here is his critique of Richard Carrier. It's worth a read.
Richard Carrier: A Fuller Reply to His Criticisms, Beliefs, and Claims about Jesus
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Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness
by Ron.W. ina slightly tongue in cheek, but also serious roundup of jw speak and why trying to reason with them is like trying to chip through concrete with a plastic spoon.. how many can you think of??.
elder: 'yes.
i read through the material you asked me to at your judicial meeting - you're right we're both in a cult!
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Sea Breeze
"It is appointed unto man once to die and then to face Judgment" - Hebrews 9: 27
I corrected the chapter and verse above.
Gal. 1: 8 - As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
The two-tier salvation (one with the new covenant "for the forgiveness of sins' and one without it) was unknown in Christianity until Russell taught it.
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Sea Breeze
Here's the whole argument. It's definitely worth a listen:
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Sea Breeze
Dr Gary habermas is a evangelical Christian so not independent.
That is nonsense. No Real Scotsman fallacy.
His Phd. Thesis on the Resurrection was approved by non believers.
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87
Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness
by Ron.W. ina slightly tongue in cheek, but also serious roundup of jw speak and why trying to reason with them is like trying to chip through concrete with a plastic spoon.. how many can you think of??.
elder: 'yes.
i read through the material you asked me to at your judicial meeting - you're right we're both in a cult!
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Sea Breeze
"All our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" - Is. 64: 6
"It is appointed unto man once to die and then to face Judgment" - Hebrews 27: 9
Scripture says that the new covenant is "for the forgiveness of sins", not heavenly rulership positions.- Mt. 26: 27-28
"By your works shall no flesh be justified" - Romans 3: 20
These 4 scriptures destroy the belief system of JW's. That's why you'll never hear them quote these.
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Sea Breeze
@TouchofGrey
I agree. The whole thing was a pretty big affair because Jesus said he was God and then predicted that he would raise himself from the dead....while he was dead. Something ONLY God could do. Claims don't get any bigger than that. Lots of people have claimed to be God and most everyone acts like they are God from time to time. But, Jesus actually proved it. That's why it's such a big deal. The trajectory of the whole world changed after that.... pretty quickly.
Dr. Gary Habermas’ 12 Minimal Facts on the Resurrection are:
- Jesus died by Roman crucifixion.
- He was buried, most likely in a private tomb.
- Soon afterward, the disciples were discouraged, bereaved, and despondent, having lost hope.
- Jesus’ tomb was found empty very soon after his interment.
- The disciples had experiences that they believed were actual appearances of the risen Jesus.
- Due to these experiences, the disciples’ lives were thoroughly transformed, even being willing to die for this belief.
- The proclamation of the resurrection took place very early, at the beginning of church history.
- The disciples’ public testimony and preaching of the resurrection took place in the city of Jerusalem, where Jesus had been crucified and buried shortly before.
- The Gospel message centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus.
- Sunday was the primary day for gathering and worshipping.
- James, the brother of Jesus and former skeptic, was converted when, he believed, he saw the risen Jesus.
- Just a few years later, Saul of Tarsus (Paul) became a Christian believer due to an experience that he believed was an appearance of the risen Jesus.”
The above facts are accepted by the majority of scholars who publish in this area. I think they are difficult if not impossible to explain away without Jesus being raised from the dead. Here is a discussion of each of these facts and how they relate to that event.
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Sea Breeze
The Watchtower doesn't believe that Jesus was resurrected. They believe that Jesus was re-created and his body turned to gases.