so, i was just viewing an interview with professor yonathan adler regarding the origins of judaism as an everyday practice of the masses.
he makes a very convincing argument that the jews only became torah observants in a generalized way around the beginning of the hasmonean dynasty, between the 3rd and 2nd centuries bc.
you can watch the interview here:.
I don't think the Writer of "Mark" was at all worried about historical accuracy, throughout his Work,and may well have known his little story about Jesus confounding the Pharisees with his clever ploy with the coin was inaccurate, but it IS a good Story.
I wonder if the Writer of "Mark" was most motivated by the desire to write entertainment, more than he was by the desire to Evangelise.
i was out on the ministry(tm) in the 1980's when i was pie-on-earring.
i was only a lowly publisher(tm) being coached by a rather odd elder(tm).. one of the publications(tm) had recently mentioned japan and the growth(tm) of jws there.. the elder(tm), brother(tm) i was with offered the magazines(tm) to the householder(tm).. then he stated, 'there are (gave the reported numbers at the time.
i can't remember the number he stated), jehovah's witnesses(tm) in japan.'.
Carla said : ".......at a dinner function (non religious) yet they have someone say a generic prayer and my jw is looking all around trying very hard to make sure people can see he is not participating in anyway. Funny thing is most people have no clue he is a jw and think he is an atheist or something. lol"
This is an example of JW needing to be seen to be towing the line. In such a situation when I was a JW, I respectfully bowed my head, and looked at the floor, why not ? Why be SO rude ?
I do hope he wakes up one day soon.
do they have any kind of mental health arrangements at bethel?
i mean to help jws with mental problems.
like a psychiatric.
" and really uncover the root of their depression."
My Therapist pretty soon got to the root of my suicidal depression, it was the Religion! nothing else, that won't surprise any of you, but as a just exited JW at the time I was surprised there wasn't at least one other reason, but she was right of course.
No tame JW Psychiatrist would ever identify the religion itself as the problem, hence a person like I was would probably top themselves, not having received proper help when they were at their lowest.
"Jehovah's loving organisation" ? It just isn't. If they provide a Psychiatrist it is so they can say they did all they can, its always about the $$$.
the names of the gods of palestine and surrounding regions are known to most of us only through the condemnations of the ot writers.
baal peor, hadad, chemosh, molech/milkom dagon, etc.
it is therefore surprising that the main deity of the sister nation to the south, edom is never mentioned.
So it is possible that Qos evolved/morphed/been absorbed into Yahweh, in which case the Israelites may have worshipped Qos first ? or have I got that wrong ?
in lanark, scotland, the congregation of jw's moved from their old kh in 2021, to their new one - a mere 20 yards across the road.. https://www.google.com/maps/@55.6737105,-3.7766103,3a,75y,150.95h,97.94t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sd6nifniiuccxgv5kovtbog!2e0!6shttps:%2f%2fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2fv1%2fthumbnail%3fpanoid%3dd6nifniiuccxgv5kovtbog%26cb_client%3dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3d203%26h%3d100%26yaw%3d309.83023%26pitch%3d0%26thumbfov%3d100!7i16384!8i8192.
if you rotate the street view camera, you will see the empty premises (future kh) directly opposite.. the new kh features a jw shop at street level, and the auditorium upstairs.. they've even got a tv screen in the window, so people can watch stephen lett on video!
here is the finished article:.
Interesting ! the cost of this move was presumably stumped up by the local J.W's, but I bet the C.O was behind the idea, to get a building that was all theirs.
i thought i’d shear this with you good people.
the cognitive dissonance is just breath taking.
i over heard this comment at a relatives family dinner the other night.
Only in certain Congregations here in the U.K were beards frowned upon in any way. I grew mine in early '75, 6 months or so before that W.T came out, interestingly I had at the time received a letter from H.Q in N.Y saying that they could not make Rules for the whole World as to dress and grooming, and that the local BOE would make any decision on appointments, taking in to consideration local attitudes.
I was appointed M.S later that year, with a beard, I kept the beard and gave even away Public Talks etc. for about 13 years after that.
I also grew my hair long for a while, down to my shoulders, I would not have got away with either in even some neighbouring K.H's. My Congregation was a one off, known as Rebels, one C.O told me on his first visit that other C.O's had told him they didn't like coming to us, because we questioned everything the "Society" said.
If I hadn't been in such a liberal, rebel type Congo. I would never have stuck it for as long as I did, I'm sure.
the bible is well known for its ellipsis* and its lack of explanatory statements of a term used.
there are exceptions in grammatical patterns, such as john exclusively using archon for ruler in his writings - which make the term self evident.sin - is defined"one" (unity) - is somewhat defined and also self evident from the context (no exceptions, every person part of that unity is listed in the context)an interesting thing to see would be how many terms are actually used and explained.
*the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are superfluous or able to be understood from contextual clues..
"The Qumran sect, the Gnostics, the Cerinthians, the Paulinists, the Jamesians, each had colored usage." That is why we have to be so aware when trying to understand what their meaning was, of course, their intended readership understood, or the Writer assumed they did ! hence they never felt the need to explain !
Also many words in the N.T take on a unique nuance of meaning, different to both Classical and Koine Greek.
"...became neutered and domesticated, stripped of sectarian meaning and catholicized." I presume you mean, PP, that the pseudepigraphical Epistles were written this way ? or are you pointing to a later Editing ?
have you guys noticed, this year 2023 no more public edition magazines...i wonder how they are gonna spin that fact.
It always comes down to money,$$$,and covering their Corporate arses.
It is expensive to produce and ship magazines, and they do not produce donations or new members.
It is easy to change stuff on-line, in the old days they had to print special, secret Editions of embarrassing Mags. suitably Edited, to bind into the Volumes, and hope the original mags disappeared.
here are some things i never really believed the jw taught...i just didn't really examine it closely.
i shelved it, so to speak, thinking no one is perfect and they know more than me...if i ever thought about it at all.. i never believed that only jws would be spared at armageddon.
i never believed the where in james, you went to the elders to confess being spiritually sick-always thought that referred to a real illness.
I often wonder what my life would have been if I hadn't shelved things, I can remember, but not firmly date, a few times when a question that rocked the teachings occurred to me, and yet I shelved it, shoved it to the back of my mind.
The first big one was when I was at mum's for lunch in around 1981, and she was telling me about some who had left the org. she said "They do not believe in 1914!" as though that would clinch things, but I remember thinking, but not saying of course, "I'm not sure I do". Why Oh Why did I not pursue that thought ?
I could have been free from that time, instead of about 25 years later !
video documentary and academic article on the divine name:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljpgxsyiqtc&ab_channel=johnwyatthttps://www.academia.edu/14029315/the_name_of_god_y_eh_ow_ah_which_is_pronounced_as_it_is_written_i_eh_ou_ah_simplified_edition?email_work_card=title this does not prove gods name was present in the nt, however some points do lead us to that conclusion simply by process of elimination.
I do not trust the conclusions and arguments of Gertoux, he is especially at odds with a large number of Scholars, from more than one Field, in his contention that the Exodus, and surrounding events, actually took place. I seem to remember reading somewhere that he believes Eve was a real person ???
The Video is as boring, overblown and inaccurate as any produced by the JW org.
