truth_b_known

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Posts by truth_b_known

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  20

  How do Jehovah's Witnesses differ from first century Christians?

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  let me start with a couple of distinctions.. first century christians:.

  1. baptized military personnel.. 2. baptized men with political authority.

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  truth_b_known

  The first Christians were Jews practicing Judaism while practicing the altruistic lifestyle Jesus' preached about.

  In addition -

  14. There were no books used to interpret scripture.

  15. There were no extra-scriptural books or magazines.

  16. There was no Bible. Just the Torah and some letters written (Mostly by Paul).

  17. There were no requirements to become baptized.

  18. There was no obsession with being different.

  19. There was no obsession with man-made rules and regulations (exception: Paul did this).

  20. The practice of Apostolic Succession (exception: Paul. Paul pulled a Rutherford and declared himself an Apostle).

  21. Christians were required to sell all personal property and donate the proceeds to the church (communal living).

  22. Those who travelled to visit the various churches were self-employed instead of living off donations and "green-handshakes".
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  52

  List of Things We Were NOT Allowed To Do as JW's

  by Sea Breeze in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here's my list of jw no-no's as i recall: .

  1. no giving or accepting valentine candy for students.

  2. no going to home coming football games.

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  truth_b_known

  Was "Cannot obtain higher education" mention?

  Also, how about -

  • Cannot refuse to indoctrinate your child or give them the freedom to decided whether or not they want to join the cult.
  • Cannot be in a romantic relationship unless your intention is marriage (Men - this means you have to be able to financially support a family before dating. Women - this means you have to be of legal age to marry...that's it?!?)
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  35

  Christmas, yes or no ?

  by jhine in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have just started to steep the mincemeat for my mince pies in dark rum .

  christmas is a big deal in my family and circle of friends.

  however among ex jws it's a bit different or so l understand.

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  truth_b_known

  When my family left the Watchtower we were all in on Christmas. We have even hosted Christmas at our house the past couple of years. My in-laws were never Witnesses so took over hosting to give them a break.

  I love Christmas. To me Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus or Christianity even though it is in the name. I call it Yule as that is where the practice of decorating with evergreen trees and gift giving came from.

  
  
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  13

  Living your life according to the bible

  by TTWSYF in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have heard it said [numerous times] that jws live their life according to the bible.. i have also heard [numerous times] that jws have restored the correct christian practice following the great apostasy [?which is a different topic].

  my question is 'is there any proof anywhere in history where jewish or christian people lived their life according to the scriptures?".

  ttwsyf.

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  truth_b_known

  The first Christians were practicing Jews who lived their lives the way Jesus taught them. Christianity was not a religion until after Jesus was elevated to a deity. The deification of Jesus came long after Jesus' death.

  So, practicing Jew have never lived their life according to the Bible. Jesus' original followers did not either as the Bible did not exist. The first book of the New Testament to be written was The Book of Acts which was written about 4 decades after the events in the alleged events in the book were to have taken place.
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  25

  God Has Only One Visible Organization on Earth!

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  why is it important to some that god only have one visible organization to represent him on earth?

  why is it important to jehovah's witnesses that people recognize their organization as such?

  what makes a witness more moral or righteous or save-worthy if they accept that it is his one and only organization?

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  truth_b_known

  Smiddy3 - You stole my thunder! Nice!!!

  Speaking in rough numbers and approximations:

  • 4000 BCE - The first human civilization in recorded history.
  • 1200 - 900 BCE - The creation of ancient Israel as a nation.
  • 33 CE - According to Christians, Israel ceases to be God's "visible organization" and is replaced by the church.
  • 99 CE - John, the last living Apostle dies and begins the "great apostasy" according to the Watchtower.
  • 1919 CE - The Watchtower proclaims itself to be God's visible organization on Earth.

  Beginning with recorded history, the first 3,100 years of recorded history there is no visible organization for the god of the Bible on Earth. According to the Watchtower, there was no visible organization for the god of the Bible for 1,820 years until Judge Rutherford caught the eye of King Jesus of the Heavenly Kingdom of YHWH. So, no salvation for anyone between the years of 99 CE and 1820 CE.
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  31

  How get out of watchtower?

  by Hellothere in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  how do you get out of watchtower?

  am i supposed to write letter to bethel or local congregation telling them i don't want to be a jw anymore?

  how are the steps.

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  truth_b_known

  To write a letter of disassociation is to imply the Watchtower has authority over you. If you have stopped attending meetings and all other JW activity you have accomplished your will.

  You owe them nothing. Do not play by their rules. Do not acknowledge the Watchtower has authority over you or anyone else.
  
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  59

  Why isn't this forum growing like reddit exjw??

  by nowwhat? in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  admittedly it 90% crap over there but still they are up to 80k in subscribers.

  over here it's the same half dozen or so that posts something, including myself.

  why is that?.

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  truth_b_known

  Joao is correct. Reddit can be downloaded as an app to a mobile device for use. In addition, Reddit is a one-stop-shop for any and all topics on anything.
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  31

  How do Witnesses reconcile Isaiah 43:10 with John 1:1

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  something does not compute.

  you are my witnesses,”declares jehovah, yes, my servant whom i have chosen, so that you may know and have faith in me and understand that i am the same one.before me no god was formed, and after me there has been none.

  isaiah 43:10. in the beginning was the word, and the word was with god and the word was god.

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  truth_b_known

  The point is that Jehovah says there was no other god beside him or with him, nor was any formed before or after him, nor did any help him create the world

  Vanderhoven7 - this is a great point. The history of the Jewish belief system does show us that there was no belief of other spiritual creatures (angels) until after the Greeks conquered them. In fact, the Gospels record that the Sadducees believed in neither angels or an afterlife. Paul used this contention of these issues between the Sadducees and the Pharisees to save himself.
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  31

  How do Witnesses reconcile Isaiah 43:10 with John 1:1

  by Vanderhoven7 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  something does not compute.

  you are my witnesses,”declares jehovah, yes, my servant whom i have chosen, so that you may know and have faith in me and understand that i am the same one.before me no god was formed, and after me there has been none.

  isaiah 43:10. in the beginning was the word, and the word was with god and the word was god.

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  truth_b_known

  What I am finding is that the divinity of Jesus was invented after Jesus' execution. Please see Dr. Bart Ehram's book How Jesus Became God : the Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee. Dr. Ehram's findings are enlightening as to the issues with the Bible as well as the Christian religion.

  Christianity is not about Jesus' teachings. Christianity is about the worship of Jesus.
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  6

  Dr. Bart Ehrman

  by truth_b_known in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  dr. bart ehrman is a bible scholar who wrote such books as misquoting jesus: the story behind who changed the bible and why and how jesus became god: the exaltation of a jewish preacher from galilee.. i found this interview with dr. ehrman fascinating.

  notice are about the 23:35 time stamp one example of many problems with errors in the bible and its many translations.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8evuuadoey.

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  truth_b_known

  Dr. Bart Ehrman is a Bible scholar who wrote such books as Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why and How Jesus Became God: The Exaltation of a Jewish Preacher from Galilee.

  I found this interview with Dr. Ehrman fascinating. Notice are about the 23:35 time stamp one example of many problems with errors in the Bible and its many translations.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8EVuuadoeY