Posts by Vidqun

42

Annual meeting. Greek scholars please help!

by DATA-DOG in

below is a statement from gb member gerrit losch.

notice what is said about the fds.

is this true?

Vidqun

Thanks HB, I have lost track of their interpretations. The fact that they want to fall back to 1914 is most certainly wrong. The same goes for their generation-teaching. Matt. 24:21 mentions the "great tribulation," and then comes the generation that will not pass away (v. 34). So this generation has to do with the great tribulation, not 1914.

They also admit that the judgment of the sheep and the goats will only occur right at the end when Jesus comes to judge humanity. The parables of the virgins and the talents should be viewed within this context. Nothing to do with 1914.

16

What do you think of drawings like these?

by DeWandelaar in

a long time ago the jw's published a book called "humans in search of god" (translation of the dutch version so i am sorry if the title is not totally correct).

i always remembered one sick drawing in it and it always made me wonder how this drawing could be used in one of their books.. .

warning: can be shocking to people who never saw it before!.

Vidqun

I use the argument that goes with the pic. Would you stay in a religion that did such things? Now put a twist to it: Would you remain in a religious organization that sacrifices its children? Yes, neither would I....

1

Beginning of the Creation of God

by FutureAndAHope in

where talking of jesus the king james version says:.

... the beginning of the creation of god rev 3:14this can be confusing because it sounds like jesus was the first created being.

but as we will see this is not the case.

Vidqun

The first cause, the beginning (philos. t.t. ODittrich, D. Systeme d. Moral I 1923, 360a, 369a;—Ael. Aristid. 43, 9 K.=1 p. 3 D.; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 190 God [contrast SIG 1125, 10f]) of Christ Rv 3:14; but the mng. beginning=‘first created’ is linguistically probable (s. above 1b and Job 40:19; also CBurney, Christ as the ’arkhei of Creation: JTS 27, 1926, 160-77). Cf. BDAG. It also means “beginning.” So, I am afraid this one can swing either way, depending on your understanding (of the rest of the Scriptures) and beliefs.

42

Annual meeting. Greek scholars please help!

by DATA-DOG in

below is a statement from gb member gerrit losch.

notice what is said about the fds.

is this true?

Vidqun

I see it as you do Phizzy. The dictionary says the evil slave is hypothetical, if and when the good slave turns bad. But I'm sure the Watchtower will insist that the bad slave is Christendom. This is their interpretation of the five sleepy virgins and the talents parable of Matt. 25.

295

Survey: Who here is an atheist? Who here still believes in God?

by Christ Alone in

jw
friends

i just wanted to take a survey.

let's not let this get into the same old same old debate of atheism vs belief.

just respond with "atheist" or "believer" or "maybe god exists".

Vidqun

Believer (until proved otherwise).

42

Annual meeting. Greek scholars please help!

by DATA-DOG in

below is a statement from gb member gerrit losch.

notice what is said about the fds.

is this true?

Vidqun

In connection with the use of article in the NT, BDAG says: “In its individualizing use it focuses attention on a single thing or single concept, as already known or otherwise more definitely limited: things and pers. that are unique in kind.”

In our case the following would apply: “In its generic use it singles out an individual who is typical of a class, rather than the class itself. So also in parables and allegories. The generic art. in Gk. is often rendered in Engl. by the indef. art. or omitted entirely.” So the GB would become a class of its own. They take on a huge responsibility.

Interestingly, they do not comment on the hypothetical third class condition of the follow-up verses. In both Matt 24:45-51 and Luke 12:42-46, the eschatological disqualification of the servant is a distinct possibility because of misconduct, with dire consequences for the servant.

41

My introduction/experience

by happy@last in

i have only just recently found this site, in fact only recently gone online to do research of my own about jws.

before i left i had only gone on my gut instinct, not even realising i was not alone with my feelings.

the week i was appointed an elder some 11 years ago, i had had to write to a congregation many miles away from me about how unloving they were (more details below).. not long after i started to have concerns about jws, expecially as the message of 'following the bibles message' subtly changed to 'follow the fds', this did not sit well with me.

Vidqun

Happy@last, welcome! Sorry to hear of your bad experiences. I know of several people that had similar experiences. This is a question I posed to an elder. How many that have been affected by paedophiles, i.e., victims and their families, would remain a JW or come close to becoming a JW? What about the thought at Matt. 18:6 where Jesus mentioned that if one stumble even a little one, "it is more beneficial for him to have a millstone around his neck." He came up with the standard answer, "they have to wait on Jehovah." I made it clear that that wouldn't cut it for me. And then he had the gall to say that Jehovah's spirit was involved in the appointment of elders and the sorting out of problems. I assured him that Jehovah's spirit was definitely not involved with any unrighteousness. His answers disgusted me.

21

is there a danger in being financially secure?

by hoser in

jw
friends

this question keeps repeating itself within myself.

why is the watchtower so hell-bent on keeping jw's undereducated, underemployed and under financed?.

is it a control issue?.

Vidqun

I read an article on David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. He viewed himself as a new Cyrus and as the Lamb of Rev. 5. He was allowed to eat steak, but his male followers had to go on a vegetarian diet, including popcorn. He would annull all the marriages in the compound, allowing him to to cohabit with any female in their community (as his spiritual wife), from the young to the old. A male follower on a diet of popcorn would not be able to put up much resistance under these circumstances. Is the principle not the same? The GB of JW does not like competion. They will do the thinking, the R&F must follow. Popcorn = Koolaid. In such a case least resistance will be encountered by those followers with under-developed brains.

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