Since the Governing Body has been wrong about dozens of Scriptures, isn't it likely that they are also misinformed about the "new light" at Proverbs 4:18? For example, based on the number of Witnesses who have left that false religious group after gradually "seeing the light," wouldn't this verse really apply to them, and not as the crutch the GB regularly uses as they continually change their doctrine to save face? Just wondering ...
matt2414
JoinedPosts by matt2414
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Why the "New Light" in the July 15 Watchtower?
by Indian Larry init seems to me that in the past large flashes of "new light" have come when the governing body was backed into a corner.
for example the multiple re-defining of what a generation is until it ended up the ridiculous "overlapping" meaning.. what is the reason this time?
are they worried because the number of partakers has been going up?
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Why no females on the governing body but ok to be one of annointed
by not bitter inso why not female governing body?
why not female anything?
i mean, i kind of know the answer.
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matt2414
Also women, especially married ones, have no personal identity among the Witnesses. For example, if your name is Sara Smith and your husband's name is Wolfgang Smith, you are now Mrs. Wolfgang Smith, because you are your husband's property. Forget about keeping your own last name; that rarely, if ever, happens. If you are called before a judicial committee, your husband has a right to be present. If your husband cheats on you and he is called before a judicial committee, you are not invited. None of this, by the way, is based on anything God or Jesus commands. It's based on the misogynistic practices of ancient times, and women-hating views and opinions of a few Bible writers. (See mindnumbed's comments for examples.)
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Slowly Awakening at the DC 2013
by breakfast of champions inso after the district convention was over, i asked my wife what her overall impression was.
she said, "maybe something has changed, or maybe it's your influence that i see things differently now, but a lot of those talks sounded more threatening than anything.
not loving, not really hopeful, just threatening.
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matt2414
breakfast of champions, I haven't been to the DC, nor do I plan to attend, but was wondering, In what way did the program sound more threatening? Was it "Be obedient or you'll be disfellowshipped," "Follow the rules or God will punish you" or was it something else? I'm just wondering how the Watchtower leaders are now "lording it over" the laity these days.
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The beroeans....listening to antichrists?
by msconcerned inw06 12/1 pp.
4-7 - testtheinspiredexpressionsconsider the good example of certain noble-minded people who lived in the city of beroea in the first century.
they received the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the scriptures daily as to whether these things [spoken by paul and silas] were so.
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matt2414
The antichrists today are the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses. Every time they demand their followers to study Watchtower publications in lieu of the Bible, its various translations and the many scholarly and reputable encylopedias available, they are promoting their "counterfeit words" and not God's word of truth.
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Leaving the Borg > rebuilding your Life > How to erase your time as Bethelite, Missionary, FTS?
by BluePill2 inso, here i am almost 5 years after the big exit.
life during this time has been tumultous, joyous and sometimes full of tears.
got new friends, social circle moving well (i am an outgoing person), new girlfriend (after messy divorce of jw wife), own business.. but i knew something would come back and bite me into my rear-end:.
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matt2414
BluePill2, I faded about 8 years ago and have faced something similar as you. As soon as I set up LinkedIn, JWs started messaging me, wanted to link. Same thing on Facebook, which we use at work to announce and invite people to events. I just ignore all the JWs who want to connect, not even allowing one as a friend. I don't mention to any co-workers that I used to be a Witness because there are JWs who work in my building, and I don't want them asking questions, calling the elders or trying to get me to return. It's funny that among my co-workers I've admitted that I am gay and in a relationship with another man, but I absolutely avoid at all cost any talk about being a JW. It's interesting that I have had no problems from my "worldly" co-workers about being gay, but if the JWs find out that I'm inactive and used to be an elder and a missionary, I would have hell to pay from that hate group.
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12 Things the Watchtower does to stop JW's from using Critical Thinking Skills
by God_Delusion inhi guys,.
have you ever wondered how the watchtower bible and tract society keep all the jehovah's witnesses in line?.
it's a simple concept really.
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matt2414
Interestingly, while the anti-Christ Governing Body encourages its masses to blindly follow its lead, the Bible encourages Christians to use their critical thinking skills:
1 Thess. 5:21: But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
1 John 4:1: Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Acts 17:11: Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
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Delicate subject "Gay youths in the Boy Scouts.
by jam infirst of all i,m not against gays, i have made a 180 degree.
turn on my view on homosexual.
i thought my son was gay and.
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matt2414
I agree with Darthweef. But I'll also add, that there have been gay kids in Boy Scouts since the inception of Boy Scouts, so really nothing is changing in that respect, they just won't have to hide their sexual orientation if they are mature enough to be sexually aware. No doubt throughout the history of the Boy Scouts a few of the gay teens may have felt attracted to some of their fellow members. However, we've rarely heard of any problems or incidents involving gay boys forcing themselves onto the others. Most boys appreciate that the goal of the Boy Scouts is to train youth in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through outdoor activities, educational programs and career-oriented programs. It's not Match.com. Remember, nowadays most young people already accept their gay peers. It's the older people - Scout leaders, parents, politicians, religious zealots - who seem to have a problem with it.
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Homosexuality is an abomination!
by Fernando inmoralism,.
which as ray franz said about legalism, also seems to lead to a "morass of inconsistencies".. ray seemingly even went as far as describing "legalism" (or by extension moralism) as apostasy or "a denial of christian faith" (g79 6/8 pp.
an amusing look at the levitical law.. (from bible house of grace).
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matt2414
There are more straight men having same-sex intercourse than gay men.
This is an open secret that most straight people don't realize, or refuse to acknowledge. According to researchers, only about 3.0%-3.5% of men are actually gay. Yet 10% of straight men have had or continue to have same-sex relations. And of that 10%, 70% are married to women. This is crucial because gay men used to be exclusively targeted with ads, warning them to practice safe sex. Now, according to WebMD (http://www.webmd.com/sex/news/20060918/many-straight-men-have-gay-sex), proponents of safe sex realize that all men should be targeted with that message.
What's my point? Well, was God targeting gay men or straight men in Leviticus, when he warned men about "lying with a man, as you would a woman"? Would that statement even make sense to a gay man?
It's obvious that every law and regulation in Leviticus was tied to true and false worship. Lots of Pagan worship of that time involved sex, including same-sex relations. So was God referring to just homosexuality or to the practices of straight men and women having same-sex relations to appease the Pagan gods? If God was referring to only homosexuality, why didn't he just say so? He is God, isn't he? It would certainly make more sense for his worshippers throughout the ages who would read his words later. Interestingly, no prophet, not even Jesus, referred to this law later as having to do with homosexuality. Also, it would be completely out of place if it were just targeting homosexuality, because all the verses surrounding it had to do with paganism. This explains why most Christians do the things that God condemns in Leviticus with a clean conscience, because they aren't doing them to worship some Pagan diety who no longer exists and is long forgotten.
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Homosexuality is an abomination!
by Fernando inmoralism,.
which as ray franz said about legalism, also seems to lead to a "morass of inconsistencies".. ray seemingly even went as far as describing "legalism" (or by extension moralism) as apostasy or "a denial of christian faith" (g79 6/8 pp.
an amusing look at the levitical law.. (from bible house of grace).
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matt2414
Why was bestiality such a big deal that they had to mention it in the bible so many times.
Giordano: Well, first of all, bestiality is in no way related to homosexuality, any more than it's connected to heterosexuality. Bestiality doesn't involve consenting adults and would be considered by most people as cruelty to animals.
But you're right, the Bible mentions bestiality in the Torah, namely, Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Why did God see the need to warn against it at all? It's not likely any of the Israelites were committing bestiality, so why was it mentioned? There's a reason for it and all the other restrictions mentioned in these Bible books. People who don't understand the reason, however, shouldn't be using these verses to apply to people today. If Jesus and the apostles didn't use these OT verses to apply in the first century -- they would certainly have more insight on the purpose behind these verses than we would -- who are we to take them and start beating people over the head with them?
As the apostle wrote at 2 Peter 3:16: "[Paul's] letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
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Homosexuality is an abomination!
by Fernando inmoralism,.
which as ray franz said about legalism, also seems to lead to a "morass of inconsistencies".. ray seemingly even went as far as describing "legalism" (or by extension moralism) as apostasy or "a denial of christian faith" (g79 6/8 pp.
an amusing look at the levitical law.. (from bible house of grace).
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matt2414
Fernando, great post! Recent news events here in the U.S. have kept the controvesy brewing.
My take: If a person cannot explain why the laws in Leviticus were originally given, then they are certainly in no position to be able to tell people how they are to be applied today. The Levites knew; the nation of Israel knew. But few people today can explain them in detail.
I also wonder, if God is antigay and the nation of Israel was a nation of straight people, why would he have to warn the men against lying down with other men as they would a woman? What would move a straight man to do that? Dr. Laura? I'm waiting for your answer.