Posts by peacefulpete

20

I need to vent sorry!

by KerryKing in

i couldn't get back to sleep last night, something my father said a few weeks ago popped into my head.. we were talking about obtaining citizenship, he doesn't need it, but was contemplating what benefits it could get him now he's a pensioner.. background : i've been disfellowhipped for 15 years, i was born in, he is an elder, very much pimi, he was also born in.. i said to him how citizenship would be difficult for him as it would require him to swear allegiance to the state?.

oh he said, thats just a crowd of people together in a big room for the swearing in event, it would be easy to just mumble or say nothing, nobody would know.. this has quietly been eating away in my mind, why did it bother me?.

last night it hit me, when i was in my first year of school, age 5, i came out of school one day with a balloon with two little pencils attached, a gift from a classmate who's birthday it was, every child got one.

peacefulpete

Actually, the US government is more accommodating than the WT.

Chapter 3 - Oath of Allegiance Modifications and Waivers | USCIS

408

Is Jesus the Creator?

by Sea Breeze in

that's what the word says.

.

colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

peacefulpete

I tried to empathetically demonstrate how billions of Christians have embraced traditions that for them celebrate something important to them and at the same time promote fellow feeling and peace. I respect that. Not being a Christian, I embrace the spirit of the holiday, love of children, peace and human kindness. Rehashing the same pedantic arguments offered by captious puritans has given me another reminder of what an unpleasant divisive world view JWism was and why I'm so glad to have left it behind.

12

The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum

by nicolaou in

jw
friends

https://youtu.be/on-y9pv-cja?si=lr1dar4yshvymk7a.

just a song i really like.

it don't mean nothin' .

peacefulpete

Can't not include Floyd.

Bing Videos

408

Is Jesus the Creator?

by Sea Breeze in

that's what the word says.

.

colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

peacefulpete

deleted

408

Is Jesus the Creator?

by Sea Breeze in

that's what the word says.

.

colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

peacefulpete

P.Pete....I should say so. All people are of this 'world'.

Duran....Apparently, you do not understand Jesus' view of that..

Duran....I do understand how elitist sects have historically self-identified as exclusively chosen from, not only the world of humans, but from among the world of Christians. My perspective has obviously changed since leaving such a sect. I was hoping to help you do the same and rejoin the human race.

I'll remind you that earlier in this discussion you dismissed as irrelevant the fact that the Last Supper description incorporated pagan Greek festival traditions because Christians had given the Passover and it's symbols a new meaning. Surely this mirrors how many Christians view the adaptation of Christmas traditions. If the Gospel writers had no issue with adapting and appropriating Greek festival elements, why do you?

Your answer was provided when you graciously allowed me to pick a day to celebrate the birth of Jesus, as long as it wasn't the same day as other Christians (world) had chosen. The root of your objection to celebrating the 25th is your contempt for other Christian faiths.

20

Defend Your Borders or Listen to the Watchtower?

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/dnoww-4jfao?si=ehzmc5-gxqukgn7q.

with ww3 on the horizon the watchtower is bringing out their best hits on the issue of neutrality and the latest instalment on jw.org with stephen lett has the theme " why ancient israelites were allowed to go to war but as a christian you can't " or to paraphrase for a 2024 audience " why the modern state of israel is allowed all the nuclear weapons to defend their borders but you as a western european or north american you aren't supposed to compliant against open border policies and uncontrolled illegal migration" isn't that the exact same rhetoric or is it my imagination?

so one of stephen lett's go to arguments is that christians do not take up arms because we don't live in ancient times where israelites had a mandate to occupy the holy land where as we gentile christians we don't.

peacefulpete

The dozen of less people who crave this kind of bunk have so many other places to go. Why are you insistent upon derailing this forum's purpose?

You 8-10 guys can now give me a negative vote.

408

Is Jesus the Creator?

by Sea Breeze in

that's what the word says.

.

colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

peacefulpete

My point is, Dec 25 is not Jesus' birthday.

Since the stories of Jesus' birth were diverse and late additions to the narrative, the best anyone could argue is that there were multiple traditions. If we were to be objective about it, the lack of a date is consistent with the literary nature of the whole story. All considered, the date of Dec 25 is as appropriate as any, perhaps more so as the celebration of light and Jesus being described in solar/light motifs.

No where in the Bible was it asked for his followers to memorialize his birth. The date and choice to memorialize it was complete done by people of 'the world'.

I should say so. All people are of this 'world'.

It is not Scriptural and all that is associated with celebrating Christmas is dishonoring to the one it is claim that it is being done for.

There are many 'scriptures' that encourage singing, generosity, eating well and expressing love. These are often forgotten in a cultish obsession over purity.

408

Is Jesus the Creator?

by Sea Breeze in

that's what the word says.

.

colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

peacefulpete

I dont know a lot about this stuff, although it is very interesting. From what Ive read, logos,as used by the Greeks speaks about an abstract idea that involved the way god created the universe. The gospel of john attaches a distinct identity to this, which is actually a radical change.

As has been discussed recently on this forum the Jews had adopted the Logos concept as a variation of the much older 2nd Power theology. The G. John's use of the expression is actually pretty consistent with Philo's. The distinction some Christians make is that their Logos was a physical being. That ignores the Jewish tradition that the 2nd power had at times taken a physical appearance to eat or commune with humans. A second aspect rarely considered is that the Gospel narratives were originally metaphor and dramatizations in the same spirit as was popular, in both Jewish and Christian circles, to understand many OT narratives. As such it is difficult to be certain just how much conceptual light can be seen between Hellenistic Judaism and a sect of that movement that eventually became called Christianity.

408

Is Jesus the Creator?

by Sea Breeze in

that's what the word says.

.

colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

peacefulpete

joey...The Gospel of John, counter to the order of writing, may in fact represent a branch of Christianity more primitive than the other Gospels. Sure, much of the narrative is derived from the Synoptics yet it also relies upon sources independent from that. The Logos concept predates the Synoptics by hundreds of years as you know; that fact alone suggests the Christology of the prologue of John is likely very early. The community for whom the Gospel was written may have been, and I believe to have been, preserving elements of a more primitive concept of Christ.

408

Is Jesus the Creator?

by Sea Breeze in

that's what the word says.

.

colossians 1:16. for by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him..

peacefulpete

Duran if you prefer to argue that the writer of the Gospel intended us to understand Jesus attended celebrations only to be by crowds, aren't you free to do the same? Personally, I attend Christmas parties without being concerned about the religious aspects many still attach to it. Friends and family are more important than any of the other traditions of Christmas anyway.