truth_b_known

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Posts by truth_b_known

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  15

  Best Xmas Songs

  by peacefulpete in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  my favorites.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsdg9qtjzzi.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uudu66e_vw.

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  truth_b_known

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvK3jEXJFdg

  Charles Shultz seems to have invented all the best holidays.
• 
  39

  why celebrate xmas?

  by enoughisenough in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  many on here are ex jw....they have left the jws because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations.

  one of the things learned as a jw is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of jesus.

  ( matt chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby jesus than what is portrayed by the christian churches) they learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices jesus told the samaritan woman that god wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth.

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  truth_b_known

  Something I recently learned is that Christianity is unlike any other religion. This difference even set Christianity apart from the other Abrahamic faiths of Judaism and Islam. Christianity is a religion based on belief and not on practice. Even practicing Jews have learned to answer "What do you believe" when asked by Christians because originally the question was a foreign concept.

  We find in the Gospels that there are many differences in what the Jews of Jesus' day believed. Some, like the Sadducees, believed there were no spirit creatures other than God and there was no resurrection. The Pharisees on the other hand did believe in angels and a resurrection. They all offered sacrifices to God at the temple. They all attending the synagogue to listen to the law being read. They all obeyed the Sabbath. That was their practice. Because religion is a practice...unless you are a Christian. Then it is all about belief.

  The first Christians were practicing Jews who added Jesus' teachings to their practice. This practice evolved even in the New Testament. The New Testament and the entire Bible stops, but Christianity kept evolving. Those changes are recorded, but just not in the Bible.

  Those who are obsessed with trying to recreate the original Christian congregation fail. Those original 11 Apostles + Matthias changed their beliefs and practices. The Apostles who replaced those 12 Apostles did so likewise. They had to. As a religion grows its membership the religion natural changes.

  To begin with the premise that 1) If it is not in the Bible it is not true and 2) If the Bible does not command/sanction something it is unacceptable practice to God is a logical fallacy. There are many recordings by Christians of the 1st and 2nd centuries of how they practiced.

  Do you object to the celebration of wedding anniversaries? Do you object to the wearing of wedding rings? These are practices of a non-Judeo-Christian origin. So are these "pagan" practice that should be avoided?

  Finally, read only the teachings of Jesus. Jesus on several occasions rebuked the religious leaders of the true religion of the day, Judaism, because they were concerned with rules and regulations rather than carrying for others and being content with basic necessities.
• 
  39

  why celebrate xmas?

  by enoughisenough in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  many on here are ex jw....they have left the jws because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations.

  one of the things learned as a jw is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of jesus.

  ( matt chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby jesus than what is portrayed by the christian churches) they learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices jesus told the samaritan woman that god wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth.

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  truth_b_known

  This line of thinking is a typical Watchtower exercise in leaps of logic.

  When was Jesus born? No one knows. We don't even know if Jesus ever existed. Let's assume Jesus was born. Again we don't know when.

  Is that sufficient reason not to celebrate Jesus' birth? That is to say, is that sufficient reason to believe the alleged Almighty God/YHWH of the Bible does not want the birth of His son on Earth celebrated? Is it a sin in itself to celebrate the birth of the Messiah? Short answer - No.

  Many cultures in the past had celebrations during the winter solstice. These celebrations honored gods other than the God/YHWH of the Bible. At some point these cultures converted to Christianity. These cultures enjoyed their winter festivals, but wanted to honor Jesus rather than their old gods. The church sanctioned this.

  Is the stopping of the honoring of old gods and starting of honoring Jesus a sin?

  Now, some might argue that the Bible does not record any command to honor Jesus birth on Earth? The concept of "it must be in the Bible or it is false" was a heretical teaching of Martin Luther. It is known as Sola Scriptura or "By Scripture Alone". Luther's Reformation movement started in 1517, 1,484 years after Jesus' death and alleged resurrection. As early as 125 CE Christians were celebrating Jesus' birth.

  I no longer believe in the Bible as a book of historical fact, the existence of the God of the Bible, or that the historical Jesus was immaculately conceived or the literal son of God. I do know that the Watchtower attack on Christmas is full of logical fallacy.
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  49

  Early Hominem. Neanderthals. Evolution.

  by solameguy12 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so i grew up as a witness but i’m no longer active, i have some family that still practices very seriously.

  but i don’t want to ask them my question.

  but what does the bible and teaching’s of jw’s say about early hominids?

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  truth_b_known

  This is news.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI-wacGl4EM
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  33

  Merry Christmas

  by jhine in

  1. social
  2. humour

  i don't think that it's too early for my annual merry christmas thread .

  merry christmas everyone.

  jan .

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  truth_b_known

  Merry Christmas to all!
• 
  89

  Myth of 1914

  by peacefulpete in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the wt engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. in fact the european power struggles that came to a head were centuries old.

  millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of franz ferdinand in june 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the great war.

  take a look at these two pages and ask if the wt's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.

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  truth_b_known

  So Jesus gets put on the throne of his heavenly kingdom in 1914, 1,881 years after his death and resurrection. Then, in 1919 he allegedly comes to examine his "slaves" to see who is faithful and who is wicked only to find Rutherford's Watchtower be faithful. I wonder what King Jesus was doing for the five years in between 1914 and 1919?

  
  
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  24

  Why do Jehovah's Witnesses attend so many meeting?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ronald curzan ( helper to the teaching committee ) gives a talk on the real reasons jehovah's witnesses should attend meetings.

  it looks like the zoom meetings have softened up many witnesses.

  many are probably turning off their cameras and zoning out.

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  truth_b_known

  The meetings, assemblies, and conventions are a means of mind control. It only works if it is frequent. Once a person gets some time and space away from them they start to have a clear mind.
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  16

  Can you answer my questions, please?

  by Sandie in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i have three questions.

  i would be most grateful if someone could respond for me, please.

  thank you.. 1. can jehovah's witnesses practice faith with the bible as a guide, or is it crucial to include the teachings of the watchtower society?

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  truth_b_known

  Many great answers found above. I will only comment on question #2.

  The divinity of Jesus is a creation of man and not a Gospel teaching. Any scriptures that attempt to assert Jesus' divinity are either mistranslations, scriber's mistakes, or man-made teachings. The Apostles Paul & John are notorious for this.
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  18

  The use of "Stumbled" as a Control Technique.

  by Phizzy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i thought about this when i read the expression in another thread, "someone was stumbled", they would never tell you who the person was, and simply used it to control you, or it got worse, some times it was "you might stumble someone" .. who were these stumbling loons of which they spoke ?

  not only was it a control mechanism, it encouraged you to not be your real self, ever.. i liked the response of one of my jw relatives to this, where they expected him to change the person he was, he said "these people accusing me are not perfect are they ?

  no, well then, they cannot expect perfection from me".

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  truth_b_known

  Look at what "stumbling someone" means in the world of the Watchtower -

  Stumbling implies that, by your words or actions, another person stops being a Witness. These potential "Stumbled ones" are also labeled as "new" to the religion or "spiritually weak."

  So, by doing something that may or may not be wrong in the eyes of the Almighty you are condemned for another's lack or faith or weak faith.

  No personal responsibility!

  Yet, when the Watchtower does wrong we are reminded that the Governing Body is made up of imperfect men.

  Double standard!
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  10

  Faithful & Discreet Slave - 72 years ago!

  by BoogerMan in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it was every jw taking part in the preaching work.

  lol.. (matthew 24:45) “who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?.

  w50 7/1 p. 199 par.

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  truth_b_known

  Defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory. The Watchtower had it right 72 years ago. It was a very different religion back then. More Christ-like I suppose.