Captain Obvious, good suggestion. Interestingly, Dan. 11:40-45 ends with the King of the North being on top of the totem pole. After verse 40, there is no mention of the King of the South anymore. Wonder how they'll explain that one.
Posts by Vidqun
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28How will the WT spin China???
by Freeof1914 ini read an article this morning on how china is quickly reaching even footing with the united states in all aspects; military, economic etc.
the article continued saying how it was imperative that the united states recognize that it would be forced to behave accordingly or risk ddestabilizing the world.
another interesting statement was made that sooner rather than later the u.s. would become the 2nd largest economy falling behind china.
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28
How will the WT spin China???
by Freeof1914 ini read an article this morning on how china is quickly reaching even footing with the united states in all aspects; military, economic etc.
the article continued saying how it was imperative that the united states recognize that it would be forced to behave accordingly or risk ddestabilizing the world.
another interesting statement was made that sooner rather than later the u.s. would become the 2nd largest economy falling behind china.
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Vidqun
For anybody interested in the rise of China, read Martin Jacques’ When China Rules the World. The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order. Second Edition (2012). Penguin Books. In his Afterword there is a subheading called "Be Prepared for a Surprise...", an indication of the speed things are moving. He predicted China will surpass the US economy in 2018. The IMF has already upped the ante to 2016. I am sure even Jacques will find that surprising.
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19
Evolution Tree has no Trunk
by Escargot insimon: last post on this topic for the week!
hope all have enjoyed this information!.
"""""missing trunk .
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Vidqun
I wonder if Escargot is still around. Cantleave, take note, the post is eleven years old, still very relevant I might add.
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64
Julia gets hit with the Shun Gun for the first time...and it really hurts.
by Julia Orwell inmy jw friend of 20 years, the first one i ever met, the one who got me into jwism in the first place, unfriended me from facebook without explanation.
other jws who have unfriended me at least called me names (apostate) and told me they were unfriending me, but they were no loss.
but someone who's been your friend since you were 13...and no explanation...i'd think 20 years- 20 years!
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Vidqun
One knows it's inevitable, but still shock to the system. You have my sympathy. I reason this way: One needs friends that you can trust, that will stick with you through thick and thin (Prov. 17:17; 18:24). Conditional love and friendship are meaningless.
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21
Is Blind Obedience to group of men supported by Scripture?
by nugget ini have been pondering over the demands made by the governing body for absolute loyalty and unquestioning obedience to their interpretation of scripture.
is this a reasonable request and is it in line with scripture?
alternatively is there in fact a scriptural defence for taking personal responsibility for beliefs and having a questioning attitude when being told what is to be believed.. there are ample scriptural warnings about trusting in men psalm 146 v 3 warns us not to put our trust in nobles or earthly men and galatians 1 v 8 goes even further stating that even if an angel were to preach to us something contrary to the teachings of christ it should be ignored.
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Vidqun
Well thought out and well reasoned, Nugget! Humbled, that is how I feel, but you have put it in words and demonstrated it by an interesting example. Don't think the elders had much to say about that, except perhaps: Yes, but God and Jesus speak through the GB... Easy answer is: There is no evidence of that, rather evidence to the contrary. Reminds me of two scriptures that JWs love to quote:
In answer Peter and the [other] apostles said, We must obey God as ruler rather than men. (Act 5:29 NWT)
So, then, each of us will render an account for himself to God. (Rom 14:12 NWT)
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14
good times we had when we were JWs
by smiddy inboth my wife and i were talking about some of the good times we had when we were jw`s ......and we did have good times socialising ,going out for meals ,hotels ,/ wedding functions /,with groups on barbequres /,camping at national parks , and beaches ,/enjoying fellowship at one anothers house on many an occassion ,/video nights / thearter nights with who we thought were good freinds ,our children grew up with their children and vice versa .i was a ms my wife was a people person who liked to entertain at home and many people responded to that.and i would say that apart from the first 5 years of our involvement and discarding the last few years of our leaving their was at least 20 + years of our relationship with our brothers and sisters who we considered our intimate freinds.. once you leave the religion they dont want to know you ,i tried a couple of times with no response.. whatever happened to trying to get you going again ?
(not that we ever would but they dont know that )and no neither of us were disfellowshipped.
i just think it`s a pity that in their veiw freindship is conditional on staying with the organization.
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Vidqun
Sorry to hear, Amelia. Right through the Bible we are encouraged to look after widows, orphans and the fatherless boy/girl. Oh yes, I forget, the WT and its adherents are very picky when adhering to Scripture.
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76
Do You Believe Gods name is Jehovah and why?
by sarahsmile inmany internet sites claiming that god's names is jehovah.. do you believe it is the name of god?.
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Vidqun
I agree. I have done a long study of the subject and it is impossible to establish Mosaic pronunciation of the Tertragrammaton. Safest would be to put the Tetragrammaton back to where it belongs. Each one must then decide for himself how he wants to pronounce it.
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Why does the NWT omit Mt 23:14?
by Splash inmt 23:14 does not appear in the nwt, but does appear in many other translations:.
for this you shall receive the greater judgment.
for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
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Vidqun
A huge criticism levelled against the New World Translation Committee is that they used the antiquated Westcott & Hort text (1881). In the Introduction to the Nestle-Aland text (26th edition), Aland says the following:
From the perspective of our present knowledge, this local-genealogical method (if it must be given a name) is the only one which meets the requirements of New Testament textual tradition. The results are any but identical with those of Westcott-Hort, as the occasional ironic reference to the Standard Text as ‘Westcott-Hort redivivus’ would have it. This text (cf. App. II, p. 717 ff.) differs from the text of Westcott-Hort in numerous and quite significant points. Besides, the whole manuscript scene has changed radically since their day. The manuscript basis for Westcott-Hort’s work dates from IV century; the text of the II century could be reconstructed only by inference from agreements of the Western text (meaning the V century Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis) with the Old Syriac and the Old Latin. Today the early papyri provide a wide range of witnesses to the text of about 200 A.D., and these are Greek witnesses. The view is becoming increasingly accepted today that neither Codex Bezae nor the Old Syriac derives directly from the II century. Similarly, the idea of a “Neutral text” has been retired. Neither Codex Vaticanus nor Codex Sinaiticus (nor even p75 of two hundred years earlier) can provide a guideline we can normally depend upon for determining the text. The age of Westcott-Hort and of Tischendorf is definitely over!
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Why does the NWT omit Mt 23:14?
by Splash inmt 23:14 does not appear in the nwt, but does appear in many other translations:.
for this you shall receive the greater judgment.
for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
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Vidqun
For those interested in the fine detail:
23:13 Ο?α? δ? ?μ?ν … ε?σελθε?ν . {A}
That ver. 14 is an interpolation derived from the parallel in Mk 12:40 or Lk 20:47 is clear (a) from its absence in the earliest and best authorities of the Alexandrian and the Western types of text, and (b) from the fact that the witnesses that include the passage have it in different places, either after ver. 13 (so the Textus Receptus) or before ver. 13. [1]
23:14 omit verse {A}
Verse 14 is not included in the earliest and best manuscripts of the Alexandrian and the Western types of text. Copyists have clearly added it from the parallel text in Mark 12:40 or Luke 20:47; this is confirmed by the fact that some copyists added it before v. 13, and others added it after v. 13. [2]
{A} {A} The letter {A} signifies that the text is certain.
[1] Metzger, B. M., & United Bible Societies. (1994). A textual commentary on the Greek New Testament, second edition a companion volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament (4th rev. ed.) (50). London; New York: United Bible Societies.
[2] Omanson, R. L., & Metzger, B. M. (2006). A Textual Guide to the Greek New Testament: An adaptation of Bruce M. Metzger's Textual commentary for the needs of translators (41). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.
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What's the most extreme thing you ever did to apply Matt 6:33?
by Julia Orwell inas it's conflated with witnessing, meetings and so forth...what's the most extreme sacrifice you made for those things?
for me it was my mental health and maybe a career in something cooler than being an office fungus.. you?.
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Vidqun
After receiving my degree, having to go to court in connection with the neutrality issue, and being sentenced to a lengthy period in military detention. After all that, I find out the WT joined the UN as NGO for nine years, with them still involved with the OSCE. Then reading up on the Malawi/Mexico scandal, what a come-down! And if I may quote BluePill2: I'm and IDIOT...