if you enjoy a challenge, i recommend this book: mind the gap: how the jewish writings between the old and new testament help us understand jesus, by matthias henze.
fortress press.. one example from the book:.
while there are several individuals in the bible who are said to be anointed, the word “messiah” or “anointed one” is never used in the old testament to designate a future anointed redeemer figure.
Thanks once again Doug for you direction in these matters, another eye-opener for me ! I always imagined that the Jews were awaiting a Messiah figure like the one the Jesus Myth presents, but it seems there is no reason they should have been !
I am aware that the Qumran Community spoke of a kind of Messiah figure, The Righteous One, or even more than one such figure, but even their ideas are not the same as the idea presented in the N.T are they ?
the jws in my country can't preach to anyone these days and they're going crazy.
i live in romania and initially during the covid-19 lockdown they were very enthusiastic about preaching.
they've since held daily "field service meetings" on zoom.
" Time will soon tell." yes, time will tell anyone who follows such a silly appreciation of what the Bible Books are, that nothing from them is going to come true, simply because they were not prophesying about our day, the writers were merely writing for the people of the time in which they wrote.
being raised a dub i never voted.
i’m not a republican or a democrat, not a liberal or a conservative.. i’m pretty middle of the road.
i want everyone to have a fair shake if possible in this life, but i definitely don’t believe in forced equality, that’s just not possible.
The way forward for the Palestinians is difficult to see, without similar support as that which the Israeli State has received, not that I am advocating supplying the Palestinians with Arms as Israel has been, but with support to bring about a Democratic Secular State. The problem is that the religious influence is the most powerful it seems. Would a secular State be really possible ?
Israel too has its problem with a strong Religious faction that makes it not really secular in its make up.
There needs to be a Two State Solution, with an evening up of power between the two States, and both being made to observe International Law and Human Rights for all, this is almost impossible to envisage being achieved. Of course, as well, there are other States in the Middle East mix, all posing more problems. I fear the region will be problematical for many decades to come.
brother gave a zoom talk this morning about the conquest of “the promised land” and how in many cases, ‘everything that breathed” was destroyed.
how loving!
but the real question here is:.
" They claim relays." do you mean like " Chinese Whispers " ? you know how well that worked, illustrated well in the Film " Life of Brian " , " Blessed are the Cheesemakers ?, Oh, I am glad they are getting something, I like the Cheesemakers".
so this weekend my girlfriend and i will move into our own place together.
it turns out that “a cord of three strands is stronger” is bullshit and two people in a relationship are perfectly capable of being happy without outside influence.
what a journey i’ve had since leaving 3 and a half years ago!
from your O.P : " I honestly can’t believe I used to be a JW, my personal tastes, opinions, character and values have all been explored and allowed to grow until I know who I am and am completely comfortable with myself. "
I think that for most, not all, XJW's that point in ones life is reached eventually, and then ! how great it is to be so totally free of the thinking and effects of a being a JW ! how great to truly comfortable in your own skin ! That feeling of looking at yourself and seeing someone that you would not believe had ever been a JW is priceless.
Live your wonderful free life to the full, all the best !
i wonder if it will be published ?
i asked when would those responsible name and shame those institutions that have refused to join the redress scheme and if it was a one off event or are they going to continue to do so.. that was the gist of the message .it was to the herald sun newspaper printed in victoria and distributed nation wide.australia.their are about 5 institutions that have refused to sign up ,4 of them are very small institutions and the jehovah`s witnesses are by far the largest body refusing to join.. those of you in australia keep your eyes peeled to the herald sun to see if it gets published or not..
If it gets published, or better still if they do an Article on those not signing up, stick it on Social Media please.
as someone who left in 1991 aged 21, one of my overriding memories of growing up in the watchtower was being able to "prove" the end times by referencing 1914.. major change in 95 then again after that.
if i'm being honest i could not even tell you now what the current teaching is.. for those who still attend the meetings, is it still openly spoken about?
i genuinely curious as i wonder if the teaching will be altogher dropped eventually, and one of the easiest ways to achieve that is to stop speaking about it.
I am glad they haven't been able to bury it completely, as it is the card that when pulled out, makes the House of Cards that is their unique beliefs fall down.
Once a JW realises that the whole 1914 thing is simply not in the Bible at all, it is therefore a short step to realising that today's G.B is a sham, made up of self appointed charlatans, and that there is no "Time of the End", that too is made up by misusing the Bible.
saw this on a friend's facebook page.
of course all the jws were quick to say that it must have been the apostate israelites.
bbc news - 'cannabis burned during worship' by ancient israeli test.
" Of course all the JWs were quick to say that it must have been the apostate Israelites. But who knows..."
The J.W's could be right according to the timeline, circa 700 BCE Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, and Judah subjugated, so was "pure" worship maintained at this time ? Who knows, and who is to say that Cannabis was NOT used throughout ALL the years they worshipped ?
If JW's today want to get back to the worship of Big J as it was more than probably done, then getting high on weed it is then !
as someone who left in 1991 aged 21, one of my overriding memories of growing up in the watchtower was being able to "prove" the end times by referencing 1914.. major change in 95 then again after that.
if i'm being honest i could not even tell you now what the current teaching is.. for those who still attend the meetings, is it still openly spoken about?
i genuinely curious as i wonder if the teaching will be altogher dropped eventually, and one of the easiest ways to achieve that is to stop speaking about it.
The Org began a policy of rarely mentioning 1914, or when they did, just presenting it as a given, with no explanation as to how it was arrived at, very wise, their convoluted calculations, which start anyway with the wrong date for the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, which was 587BCE, not 607BCE, is so blatantly rubbish that this was a wise move I thought.
Then they went and wrote three W.T Articles, 3 or 4 years ago, which were, I have to admit, cleverly done, so that the average thick , non reading, non researching JW would accept the nonsense once again, and the vast majority did.
They seem to have gone back to never mentioning it now, (wise), and just keep shrilly shouting " the End is near ! the End is near!".
I have not attended a Meeting for many a long year, but would guess it is the same there, no mention of 1914, just " We know the End is so very near". Poor benighted fools.
will we ever be able to congregate together for a concert or a theater?
will we forever be wearing a mask at walmart?
will restaurants and bars allow people to eat drink and simply hang out?.
It is my hope that the new normal as some call it, will take what is good that has come from this, i.e, that not so many people need to travel in to work everyday, many can do much of their work from home. That Business meetings can be held by Zoom or similar. This is good for the Planet. That people do take up the lessons learned about hygiene, personal, SO many people were downright filthy in their habits, and also in the areas of food production and service.
And that people who are kind, considerate and working for their fellow man, continue to do so, and hopefully shame the many arseholes out there ! Other positives may emerge. Certainly, what are often touted as negatives are really just a bit of inconvenience, and unlearning the old ways.
