Posts by redvip2000

87

Arguments in favor of the destruction of Jerusalem in 607 BCE

by TJ Curioso in

i received the following explanation in favor of the date of 607 bce.

accepted comments on the points at issue.. .

conclusion.

redvip2000

There are scores and scores of archeological and astronomical evidence that support the date of 587, and yet the Watchtower society turns a blind eye to it.

For me i like the smaller peripheral points of evidence that nobody looks at. For example, in Jeremiah 44 ( which is placed at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem) the writer mentions the ruling pharaoh at that time. In this case Pharaoh Hophra

Now Pharaoh Hophra ruled from (589 BC – 570 BC) which fits nicely with the idea that the destruction of Jerusalem was in 587 BC. In 607 BC he was simply an infant.

If you study Egyptian history you will learn that during the siege of Jerusalem just prior to it's destruction, Pharaoh Hophra sent an armed to Jerusalem to protect it from the babylonian forces. The Egyptian army was crushed and Jerusalem was destroyed.

47

Overlapping Generations: A wacky kool-aid thread

by RayPublisher in

another wacky kool aid thread for your reading pleasure from the hardcore dubbs on jw talk dot net is here if you want to read it:.

they wax philosophical, they curse this horrible old world, they gently try to project how soon the big a will come, and then swoon when someone quotes a tidbit from a gb member that they overheard.

warning: those with weak stomachs do not read!.

redvip2000

"At our visit to Brooklyn we met Brother Loesch and talked a little bit with him. When my husband said we came to see the HQ for the last time before they move to Warwick, Brother Loesch told us that they don't think they will make it out of N.Y. completely before the end. The end is that close! And when do they plan to finish Warwick? 2016 I believe......That gives me such a deep feeling of satisfaction, contentment, and yes---goosebumps!!!"

It didn't occur to this rocket scientist to then ask Brother Loesch why on earth would you go through the trouble of making this real estate move, being that the end will come before it is done!! Surely that shouldn't be the priority.

45

Unbelievable Experience in Yearbook

by gingerbread in

jw
friends

a number of years back i heard a story of a young girl in a congregation ( i have some good friends in this hall ) who had an amazing field service experience.

it was so amazing that it was retold in the 2007 yearbook!.

it is retold in the highlight of the past year section.

redvip2000

One time i was on a flight over Zimbabwe and i went to the bathroom. As i leaned over to flush the toilet, a tract fell out of my shirt pocket and was flushed out of the plane.

Amazingly it landed in the middle of an african village where it was picked up and put on display in the middle of the village square as a gift from God. News of the tract went viral and scores of people came to learn about it. Millions of book studies were started and we are happy to annouce that that a branch will be opened soon in that country.

Speaker: Thank you brother X. Aren't we happy that Jehovah provides in such amazing ways?

Clap! Clap! Clap!

88

jw.org store in Rouen, France

by breakfast of champions in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvcvnhohno4.

naaaahh.

we're not a business.

redvip2000

This is clearly a pilot program run by the Watchtower org.

I have to give credit to them for at least re-inventing themselves. They can see that knocking on stranger's doors is simply not cutting it.

Putting up a store with a nice front and some suggestive slogans in a high traffic area will bring people, even if just for curiosity.

I'm struggling though, as to why they are going with a solution that has costs associated with it. The org has always shied away from preaching in ways that cost money ( tv, radio etc) .

I'm not quite understanding the bottom line of this business model to be honest, when comparing the costs of running a store versus the money from potential donations.

71

My JW best friend is bringing a 'heavy' around to my house to talk some sense into me.

by Julia Orwell in

jw
friends

i agreed, if only because i want to see my friend of many years.

the 'heavy' is a large, imposing man with a booming voice and is a creature of the gb through and thru (eg only visited his dfd dad on his death bed because it was a 'good witness' to the hospital staff) and i'm feeling stressed about seeing him.

i so badly wanted to see my friend though, i agreed without thinking and now wish i hadn't have.

redvip2000

They rebutted: Oh that's old stuff! Why bring it up!?

I guess the word "credibility" doesn't mean much to them.

Perhaps next time they apply for a loan, and the loan officer points out previous late payments and defaults, they can use this same idiotic logic.

Heavy: but someone's got to print the literature! How would people learn the truth without an org?

I love when they ask this question. I usually answer that assuming that we believe (which they do) that there have always been servants of Jehovah on earth, then who was printing literature 200 years ago? how about 1000 years ago? how about in the first century? Then the blank stare of someone who doesn't have a answer...

Them: Oh Russell, oh no, he wasn't inspired, just a guy...

So if we admit that during Russell's time, what they called truth was actually false for the most part, in what year did the truth become truth? And it is all truth now, or only partial truth? And why did Jesus choose "just a guy" as a cornerstone for his organization despite all the errors?

And since the Org is still making corrections on an on-going basis, why does it take Jehovah over 130 years to make simple corrections in his organization? Has Jehovah not figured out a streamlined way for cascading accurate information down to his organization in an efficient and expedited manner? It seems most other corporations are doing a better job!!

ahhh good old Watchtower logic.

14

Congregation Loans

by sosoconfused in

what i am trying to figure out is wether or not the society actually collects interest on the money they loan for kingdom hall construction.. .

for instance if we have 70k in the bank and need 90k for project and we get a loan from the borg - do they charge interest on the loan or is just the base 20k paid back over time?.

i never actually paid attention to this process, does anyone know.

redvip2000

I could be wrong, but i believe that they didn't stop charging interest alltogether.

My understanding is that if the loan is repayed within X amount of time, there is no interest. If it takes longer than that period, then there is interested charged. Again not 100 % sure.

26

God will forgive me....apparently

by punkofnice in

i left the jws and went to a baptist church which was far better than anything i'd known before having been born into the dangerous cult of the watchtower corporation.. having travelled a path of spirituallity i have concluded that there is no god evident to me.

evolution?

i have no idea...i just live my life knowing that when i die there is nothing after it.

redvip2000

I believe that God many times is busy with other things in his vast universe. It's not all about us earhtlings.

Isn't it amazing that us humans, have such little expectactions and such low standards for the Allmighty, All-powerful creator of the universe?

Anything is excusable. If God seemingly helps you, he loves you. If he does not help you, he also loves you because perhaps he has something better.

Starvation, cancer, crime, torture, rape, wars, received no attention from God? Oh thats ok... maybe that's part of his plan. And what is that exactly? Only he knows of course.

But yet, we are unwilling to give our much less powerful human leaders any leeway, when they show any sign of not being able to effectively manage issues in our world....

I believe George Carlin was right when he said:

“I've begun worshipping the sun for a number of reasons. First of all, unlike some other gods I could mention, I can see the sun. It's there for me every day. And the things it brings me are quite apparent all the time: heat, light, food, and a lovely day. There's no mystery, no one asks for money, I don't have to dress up, and there's no boring pageantry. And interestingly enough, I have found that the prayers I offer to the sun and the prayers I formerly offered to "God" are all answered at about the same 50% rate.”

14

Will we grow old and die?

by compound complex in

.

http://www.eldritchdark.com/tributes/poetry/235/the-stoick.

a beautiful way of putting the truth .

redvip2000

I think that ex-Jehovah's Witnesses (and those who are still believers) in particular have a hard time with this issue. We have been conditioned, yes even brainwashed into believing that "millions now living will never die" and to come to realize as we age that it simply isn't true is especially heartbreaking.

Absolutely. This is one of things i've struggled with. After leaving, and after facing the probability there perhaps there is no God, i slowly had to face the reality that this little small period of time on planet Earth, really might be all there is.

Before this realization, i never really felt this urgency to live, to see things, to experience things. After all, there was something great coming after this. Even if your life wasn't that great and fullfilling, what came after would surely make up for it.

Now it's all different. This is it. This is all i have, and i have to make the most of it within reason. It puts everything in perspective, but in many ways it truly makes your life worth living.

21

1914 must go... they have no choice now (at least it would seem)

by sosoconfused in

i am sure this may have been discussed previously and if so just disregard this.. .

as a born-in 1914 is a date stamped into my head that is pretty much the foundation of our religious beliefs.

nearly everything that sets jw's apart from everyone is this date of 1914. forget all the chronology that proves that daniels prophecy and the 2520 years is incorrect - there is far worse damning evidence that makes this date useless and in error.. with the magazine that shines new light on the whole faithful slave thing - charles taze russell is no longer a member of that faithful slave class that jesus is using to feed his people./ by getting rid of russell the no doubt were able to distance themselves from all his crazy ramblings and teachings that are appearing all over the internet.

redvip2000

" i've seen the average brother move from being a bible student, then to become watchtower student and now to end up being a nothing student"

Quite true. It continues to amaze me how current JW have no desire to study at all, but instead are complete drones, who simply enjoy and value the social aspects of being in the organization, regarless of what is actually taught.

86

Here's PROOF that Charles Taze Russell Was NOT a Pennsylvania Freemason

by AndersonsInfo in

no, charles taze russell was not a pennsylvania freemason!.

this is the answer i received in a letter: .

"after a search of our records, we determined that the three russell's were not members of our organization.

redvip2000

"The Freemason organization will not give out their names, degrees or positions. It is super secret with a death oath."

Not necessarily true. Each lodge determines whether to make the records available. Some share and some don't