vienne

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Posts by vienne

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  22

  Should JW's Follow an Apostate?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  wasn't ct russell an apostate seventh day adventist?.

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  vienne

  I presume you are led to this by the winged globe design on the Studies and the pyramid monument in the Society's cemetery. Russell and many other, including Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, famous clergymen some of them, were persuaded that the Great Pyramid was built by Melchizedek. Nonsense of course, though still believed. But in the Russell era it was a widely spread belief. Russell accepted it along with many others.

  One should note that Russell had no hand in the pyramid monument. It's not his grave marker. That's a headstone nearby. It was designed by a Bible Student and built after Russell's death. It was not meant to connect Bible Students or Russell to the Masons. That claim is unsupported by facts. It was meant to connect to Russell era belief that the capstone on the pyramid was a picture in stone of Jesus, "the head of the corner."

  You will find more in Separate Identity, vol. 1 and on the blog to which Mom contributed before her death.

  https://truthhistory.blogspot.com/

  Use the search function to find appropriate articles. There are a number of them
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  22

  Should JW's Follow an Apostate?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  wasn't ct russell an apostate seventh day adventist?.

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  vienne

  I am continually puzzled by those who post 'authoritative' things that are based on nonsense. Russell was never a Seventh Day Adventist, or for that matter an Adventist of any kind. He was an Age to Come Millennialist. [See vol 1 of Schulz and de Vienne (my mom), Separate Identity and Mom's introductory essay for vol 2.] He associated most closely with The Restitution, an age to come newspaper, before going his own way.

  By 1844 Storrs was no longer a Millerite Adventist. Stetson wrote for the Restitution and the British journal The Rainbow and was by the time Russell met him no longer an Adventist. Shouldn't we inform ourselves before we write?

  Oppose Jehovah's Witnesses. Certainly. But when we spew uninformed nonsense, we persuade no one.

  https://www.amazon.com/Separate-Identity-Organizational-Readers-1870-1887/dp/1304969401
  
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  19

  Ministry school

  by road to nowhere in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what is the purpose?

  the skits are not real.

  i have been assigned a reading again.

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  vienne

  I'm a plain spoken very young woman. I'd counsel the counselor. In what way does someone who can't handle the language qualify as a teacher? Aren't elders supposed to be teachers? And why haven't the other elders counseled him? Are they 'hicks from the sticks' too?

  Do the research anyway. I do that with my assignments - university not meetings of course. Probably shouldn't stump the teacher too much, but if you find something interesting, slightly puzzling, then politely put him on the spot.

  My mom [PhD in history] would do that when elders came to call. She was never a Witness though gramma was in late life. But they'd call on her regularly. I have two uncles by marriage who are elders and a grand uncle who was a long-serving elder, though he is infirm now. They enjoyed mom's questions, but under-educated elders did not. She, as the expression goes, "cut them no slack."
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  19

  Ministry school

  by road to nowhere in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what is the purpose?

  the skits are not real.

  i have been assigned a reading again.

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  vienne

  I attend meetings with my sisters sometimes. Two of them are baptized. To be clear, while I like most Witnesses, their religion is not Biblical in key areas, and I'm not a Witness. There are NO prospects of me becoming one. But I listen to the meetings very carefully. I'm just at the start of perusing my BA in Education, following mom's footsteps, and gramma's too.

  If I were in your situation, I'd put huge effort into researching assignments, and making my presentation as polished and studied as possible. You will learn from that. You do not have to believe Watchtower publications to learn from the experience.

  I have a question though. How old are you? I ask because it's not called 'the ministry school' anymore. How you approach this may be affected by your age.

  Dealing with elders can be a challenge. Witness education level is low. Ignore their faults, no matter how difficult that is. As long as you associate you may as well suck in as much experience, thought and education as you can. If you approach their sometimes boring, ill prepared meetings with that goal, you'll be surprised what the experience will teach you.

  All the best,

  Anastasia (Annie)
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  76

  Do You Support Trump Being Impeached Again?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it looks like it can happen again and i suspect if it does happen, the senate will not convict either because they can’t convict him since it’s after his presidency or simply because they don’t have sufficient votes..

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  vienne

  No. But I would support a total ban on the Democrat Party.
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  13

  Just helped my kid get his first used car.

  by GrreatTeacher in

  1. social
  2. family

  my son, only child, age 19, college sophomore, just got his first used car.

  most importantly, he learned the fun and exhilarating process of buying a used car from a dealer.

  he had saved some money, but everything around the $5000 range was basically a shit box on wheels.

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  vienne

  I'm saving for my first car. Dad says I can't have one until I'm 18, preferably until I'm 19. That's okay by me.

  It's harder to save now because my part-time job went away with the 'lock down.'
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  23

  New JW study book / method announced on JW Broadcast

  by Funky in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so did anyone catch the january jw broadcast?.

  it's the "spiritual content" of what would have been introduced in the october annual meeting, had the october annual meeting taken place.. morris, splane, and jackson introduce a new jw study publication: "live forever eternally - an interactive guide".. details were sparse, but apparently it is a 256 page book (when in actual printed form), primarily designed to be used in its electronic form, stuffed with links to videos.. it is designed to be "just one book" to be studied prior to baptism, where "all 60 questions that baptism candidates have to know" are found in just one place.. the purported reason is to make jw "bible" studies more "productive", i.e., lead to more baptisms.. splane brought out the governing body's "great concern" that 10 million+ "bible" studies are conducted by jws every year, but the number of baptisms has been stuck at 200,000 - 300,000 per year for decades.

  so the thinking is, this new book + a "new method of conducting studies" (again, no real detail, but apparently it involves more "discussion" and less "question and answer").. want to know my thoughts?

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  vienne

  Dear RB

  Actually, you can.

  http://www.susankayjewelry.com/NewCoprolite1.html
  
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  27

  Simon's Living Room!----10 Documents You Might Want!

  by Atlantis in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  these have already gone out by email.. when we come here, we are coming into simon's living room and need to protect all of his belongings.

  this includes protecting the security here.. as many of you know, the watchtower has made a lawsuit over a song that they feel was wrongly used.

  so, friends, the watchtower is still out there sending subpoenas and filing lawsuits.we have a few things you might want, so just reply below and i'll send you a pm.the norwegian letters are translated on page 2 of the pdf.instructions for russia prison letter writing2020-11-10--norwegian-english-campaign2020-12-09--direction related to covid-192020-12-15--norwegian-english2020-12-16--announcement december 16, 20202020-12-17--announcement2020-12-18--announcement2020-12-19--covid-19 vaccine announcement2020-12-21--kingdom hall internet service during the pandemic2020-12--bethel visitors lodging and car rental listatlantis!

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  vienne

  yes, please send. thanks.
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  34

  Was Jesus Born on December 25th?

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  we were told by watchtower that no way jesus was born on dec. 25th.

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  what do you think now?.

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  vienne

  Several Biblical approaches for an approximate date, assuming that there was a 'real' Jesus - and I believe there was. Consider the 'course' of John the Baptist's priesthood give us the month he served at the temple and had his vision. That would take us to an October date for Jesus' birth.

  The shepherds in the field at night would take us to a similar date, and that removes a December birth.

  Also, December 25 is the date for the rebirth of the sun, making it an unlikely date for the birth of God's son.
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  32

  Will You Take A Covid Vac!

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yes.

  right now i would like to see how good the vaccine really is.

  i’ve never taken a flu shot and so far, no flu..

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  vienne

  Will I take it? No.