Do they still list the number of Congregations by Country ?
Posts by Phizzy
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169Are the statistics out yet?
by slimboyfat inisn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?
or have they stopped publishing it?
did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?
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15
bringing up the 1954 Walsh Trial
by enoughisenough ini went back into this forum a little ways and found quite a bit of discussion on the walsh (1954) for those newly out or those who don't know of what i write, you should really check it out.
anyone who is a jw or studying with jw should see material from this trial.
my take away...the printed materials of the wtbts were to believed over the bible and if you didn't believe the wt teachings over the bible, ( even though they admit to false prophesy )you would be disfellowshipped and deserving of death.
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Phizzy
Off Topic a bit, but Tonus O.H. also said these two perceptive things :
" They know that they are lying to you. They think they have to.
The GB are the original Twitter- they thrive on followers, not on honesty or truth."
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169
Are the statistics out yet?
by slimboyfat inisn’t it about time they released the report for the service year?
or have they stopped publishing it?
did they released selected figures at the annual meeting as they usually do, such as the memorial attendance or record number of pioneers?
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Phizzy
I know that Slimboy and others will do a proper analysis, numbers are not my thing, but I was heartened to see that the ratio of J.W's in "Britain" , publishers to population ,is static.
To me that is NOT an increase !
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14
God Talks to Himself in the Trinity Bible
by BoogerMan inpsalm 110:1 (niv) “the lord says to my lord: “sit at my right hand until i make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”” .
psalm 110:1 (trv) “the lord god almighty says to a third of himself: “sit at my/our right hands until i make our/your enemies a footstool for our/your feet.”” (but don't tell the other third) .
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Phizzy
I do think some here are still looking on the Bible as J.W's and fundies/Evangelicals do, as a unified whole, like a single Book. Now, now children, you KNOW it is not !
We see theology evolve through the O.T, and again theology and christology evolve as the N.T jogs along time wise, the Apostle Paul would not recognise the Christology in the Gospel of John as being exactly the same as his.
In the time between the completion of the N.T and the formulation of the trinity doctrine ideas had "progressed" some more.
To use the very anthropomorphic idea of god from early O.T writings, or even early N.T ideas about the risen Christ to "disprove" the Trinity makes no sense.
Unless you believe in Sola Scriptura in a very literal way, but one who does that is again ignoring the evolution of ideas we see in Scripture.
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Face-Masks - don't stop infection OR transmission!
by BoogerMan inpores in surgical face-masks = 600 microns.
coronavirus = between 0.125 & 5 microns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qomrgfyfdie&t=227s.
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Phizzy
" However I think I don't need to take any more Covid-19 vaccines." really ? let me know in a year or two how you got on.
I will try all fairly safe measures to protect myself and my wife from infection of any sort, ignoring just SOME benefit because unqualified people "question the Science" is plain silly.
My wife and I are elderly, and because of ongoing health problems are in real danger if we got even "just" the annual 'flu, we would be among the small number who DO die from it. I appreciate people who, here in the U.K, still care enough for others to wear a mask, we are not commanded to do so, or even advised much, it is voluntary, and caring.
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Front row seats watching the collapse of watchtower
by Indoubtbigtime ini’m a pimo ministerial servant and i won’t fade because i want to keep my front row seats watching what happens next few years.. my predictions are that this current governing body will slowly die off and the current younger helpers will be the next gb.
they will eventually have new light that they were wrong about 1914 and the overlapping generations.. the new light will be something on the lines of the last days are now because of king of north king of south pushing each other etc etc.
they will do their very best to burry old literature and try to change the past trying to make it sound like they were right all along just as they have done for 150 years now.
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Phizzy
" The numbers they present every year must be fake."
It will be interesting to see the figures for the 21/22 Service year, which ended last September ! Well into January 23, and still no sign of a yearly Report ? Hmmmm what's that smell of Books Cooking ?
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Poor metabolic health increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
by was a new boy init’s all a big fat lie.
more precisely a big low-fat, high-carbohydrate lie.. 'it took dr. paul marik 12 weeks to prove that conventional wisdom about dieting is a lie, and that was just to himself.
he lost 35 pounds, and cured himself of type 2 diabetes.
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Phizzy
Welcome back Cofty ! thanks for the recommend, I have ordered Taubes' book, which may spur me to do some "weight watching" again.
I did the same as you, worked out a sensible system of losing weight, without silly cutting out of any foods, combined with exercise, and lost 3 and half stone, by December 2019, then, what with bloody lock-downs etc. I have put over a stone back on !
I need to lose weight, and get fit, sadly my great pleasure of walking in the Countryside is denied me, because of personal circumstances. (No, I am NOT in Prison......... yet!)
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Hell, what is it
by Anony Mous inso perhaps we all heard the jw story about jesus talking to gehenna and he was referring to a place outside the city where there was a dump burning refuse and everyone knew what it meant.. according to jw.org: tradition relates that the valley of hinnom thereafter became a place for the disposal of garbage.
and the bible provides confirmation for this.
at jeremiah 31:40, for example, the valley of hinnom is evidently called the “low plain of the carcasses and of the fatty ashes.” there was also the “gate of the ash-heaps,” a gate that seems to have opened out onto the eastern extremity of the valley of hinnom at its juncture with the kidron valley.—nehemiah 3:13, 14.. i think i heard that in the study of the greatest teacher book first.
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Phizzy
P.P said "Next, they have to dismiss passages in the NT that clearly express this thought, usually by labeling them as metaphor or symbolism, or in the case of the rich man parable, declare since it was a parable it wasn't a reflection of beliefs. As if that somehow makes sense."
In the case of the JW/WT use of these excuses, it is particularly hypocritical, this Lazarus story is a parable, but the "Faithfull Slave story" just happens to be literal ?
P.P also said "I respect anyone who rejects the concept as barbaric and vengeful but am perplexed by those who dismiss the doctrine while clinging to the writings that teach it." Well said Pete ! this especially applies to JW's, and many others, who take the Bible as all being the "word of god" from Gen. to Rev. And read it very LITERALLY in instances where it suits them, or as showing "belief" when mere metaphor COULD be argued.The "mental gymnastics" they have to go through to excuse the inconsistencies, contradictions and downright disgusting bits in the Bible, is as good to watch as Olympics quality Gymnastics !
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So where oh where did Judge Rutherford come up with JW theology?
by Terry inbits of unreported history that may be of casual interest… as to doctrinal origins.
sykes was one-of-a-kind in the pentecostal movement, but he was considered quite a maverick who went his own way with heretical teachings repugnant to the pentecostal faith.. joshua sykes’ congregation was integrated, unlike pastor russell’s public speeches/sermons where blacks and whites both could attend, but only in separate sections--sykes's members were sitting side by side in the pentecostal church.
this was considered dangerous and inflammatory at the time.. pentecostal preacher joshua sykes practiced racial and gender "integration" as early as 1908 -- having both african-american and female assistant preachers, staffers, and members.
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Phizzy
Thanks for this Info. Terry, I rarely interest myself much these days in J.W history stuff, I thought I knew it all !
But you have drawn attention to where Rutherford may have stolen his ideas from. Russell was an unreformed Plagiarizer, with few truly unique ideas of his own, it seems Rutherford learned the technique from his predecessor !
If only there was proof positive of direct plagiarising, it would blow out of the water the concept that the Holy Spirit whispered stuff in their ears at ANY time !
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Beyah the God of the Jews?
by peacefulpete inhaving stumbled upon this little tidbit, i thought i'd share.
i've a few times mentioned the midianite or kennite hypothesis which assumes the numerous ot texts that describe yahweh as having migrated north to judah represent credible mnemonic history.
while reading an article by prof. israel knohl i learned something rather surprising.
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Phizzy
Thank you so much for this PP, I LOVE stuff like this, I keep going back to old threads from the incredible Leolaia, (what a mind that lady has !) to read about these connections, they fascinate me !
I wonder, do you have info. on if Yahweh/Beyah was actually in the Canaanite pantheon, and if "he" was, did he enter via the Israelites ?
Everything from Ugarit is too early to see something like this, so I guess evidence for Yahweh's exact "travel itinerary" is sparse ?
Keep on posting this stuff please !
The contention that it is an Editorial Gloss in both instances is difficult to maintain. But even if one is, surely the original merely had "Beyah", which would have led early readers to associate with the Canaanite Baal, The "Rider on the Clouds" Storm god, which later editors would try to hide. They wanted all the qualities of Israel's former gods to be adopted/subsumed by Yahweh.