The Power Beyond What Is Normal

by IWant2Know in

related to this topic:.

isaiah 40:29-31 and being gay (jehovahs-witness.com).

i would like to know if any former or current jws have ever experienced any type of superhuman strength from god?

Sea Breeze said:

But, I came to the end of how far that horse would take me, and it wasn't nearly enough, not for me.

So, are you talking about your new-found faith after JWs, or the JW faith?

6

The Power Beyond What Is Normal

by IWant2Know in

related to this topic:.

isaiah 40:29-31 and being gay (jehovahs-witness.com).

i would like to know if any former or current jws have ever experienced any type of superhuman strength from god?

IWant2Know

peacefulpete said:

Well, a number of Bible stories have characters given literal superhuman strength, but as the religion matured superman stories gave way to promises of peace and future rewards. Religion can offer a believer a structured path to acceptance of horrible tragedy or loss. It is not necessarily the best coping method. Very often the religion's promises ring hollow when really faced with suffering or loss.

Thank you, Pete. I've noticed that too. Also, I've come to the conclusion that if something works for you then it works for you. However, that doesn't mean that it necessarily works for me. Also, I've noticed that when a person is really sold on their belief system, then unfortunately, they believe that their belief system is the all-encompassing solution and truth for everyone. Although, I can understand their perspective and their stance (even though that doesn't mean that I always like it 😄) because I was once that way myself.

Also, that just brought back a memory of shortly after I had come into the organization, I had serious doubts about my struggle and my experience in the JW religion. Therefore, one day, I saw this one guy who was a bit older than I was (and maybe in his mid 20s or early 30s, because I was in my late teens) at a bank, and who was married to this one baptized JW, but he wasn't baptized yet, and therefore, was obviously not considered strong in the truth. Therefore, I decided to say to him while in the bank that I didn't think that the 'truth' was for me. (Thinking that I would get a sympathetic ear and some sort of camaraderie and support from him.) However, to my surprise, 😮 I think that he got a bit defensive and perhaps put on the spot, because he ended up giving me this little speech about how: Sure, the truth was for me because the truth is for everyone. 😵

Therefore, with another effort of trying to get out of this religion during the early stages of when I was in it, I experienced another dousing of my efforts. lol 😄

In my experience, strength comes from the sober yet optimistic recognition that we, and those we love, are here for a little while and then make room for others after us.

Over the years, I have come to look at things that way too. However, perhaps my sense of self, or perhaps my ego still kind of believes on some level that there's more to us, and that with our complexities and out distinctiveness and out personalities, that there's more to us than just birth, life, and then death. 😕

There is no cosmic conspiracy, no fated destiny, no great injustice in life being transitory. No one has wronged us. No one has robbed us immortality. No one owes me a perfect world.

It's interesting because not too long I saw a movie on, I think Netflix, where this one character was threatened with death, and she said something like: Well, if I die, then I will be back in the situation that I was in before I was born. And I must admit, that left a kind of 'practical' impression upon me.

6

The Power Beyond What Is Normal

by IWant2Know in

related to this topic:.

isaiah 40:29-31 and being gay (jehovahs-witness.com).

i would like to know if any former or current jws have ever experienced any type of superhuman strength from god?

IWant2Know

Sea Breeze said:

Mind over matter? That's a pretty good description of the JW mindset.

Thank you, Sea Breeze.

The good people are "strong" in the truth. Bad people are "weak" in the truth.

I remember when I was in the org in my late teens, fresh out of high school, and found out that a friend of mine from high school's mother was a JW and went to the KH. But actually, I became better friends with the mother than the high school friend, however, the mother wasn't really considered 'strong in the truth' and wouldn't really consistently go to the meetings or out in field service. Therefore, in spite of how good of friends we were, I recall thinking about her as being 'weak in the truth.' 😕 However, that didn't stop us from being good friends.

Me too. It was unbearable. That's why Jesus said you must be born again.

Thank you, Sea Breeze. Also, it would be nice if that worked for me, but unfortunately, it just doesn't. 😕

6

The Power Beyond What Is Normal

by IWant2Know in

related to this topic:.

isaiah 40:29-31 and being gay (jehovahs-witness.com).

i would like to know if any former or current jws have ever experienced any type of superhuman strength from god?

IWant2Know

Manners and Respectfulness

by IWant2Know in

i would like to know if there are any ex's or formers who still appreciate good manners and respectfulness?

but i hope this question isn't offensive to this forum.

.

IWant2Know

Queequeg said:
Can you give us some examples of disrespect, orneryness etc. on this forum? Please?

Lack of manners?
So, are you asking for a specific person, example, or post? Or are you asking for something in general?

52

Manners and Respectfulness

by IWant2Know in

i would like to know if there are any ex's or formers who still appreciate good manners and respectfulness?

but i hope this question isn't offensive to this forum.

.

IWant2Know

MeanMrMustard said:

I've had no issues changing mine...

So, how did you change yours?

74

Doctrines and Bible Interpretations

by IWant2Know in

i would like to know if ex's and formers who are not church christians, believe that many of jws' doctrines and bible interpretations are correct, or do you feel that they aren't?

.

IWant2Know

Here is something clearer than my previous answer about Jews and blood:

Is Human Blood Kosher?

By Eliezer Posner

Question:

I know that the Torah prohibits the consumption of blood. Does this apply to my own blood as well?

Answer:

When the Torah tells us that we are allowed to eat the meat of kosher animals, we are warned that "…you shall not eat the blood…."

Although human blood is not included in this Biblical prohibition, it is nevertheless forbidden. This is because human blood resembles animal blood; one who observes people eating human blood might believe it is permitted to consume animal blood.

Is Human Blood Kosher? - Chabad.org

74

Doctrines and Bible Interpretations

by IWant2Know in

i would like to know if ex's and formers who are not church christians, believe that many of jws' doctrines and bible interpretations are correct, or do you feel that they aren't?

.

IWant2Know

NotFormer said:

"But JWs aren't the only ones who interpret Michael to be Jesus."

There's a small amount of truth in that. I believe I heard (this was decades ago, so my memory may be faulty) a Christadelphian say that Jesus was Michael in some prophetic sense. But they wouldn't have had the same belief as JWs, even though Russell probably got his non-Trinitarian views from the Christadelphians. The Christadelphians don't believe in any pre-existance of Jesus before his conception, while Michael was around before that.

Because of Michael’s prominent position in the rank of angels, there are some cult and religious groups who teach that the archangel Michael is none other than Jesus Himself. By claiming that Christ is only an angel, Jehovah’s Witnesses seek to portray Jesus as a created being instead of Almighty God. Seventh-day Adventists also claim that Jesus is the archangel, Michael.

Why Is Jesus Thought to Be the Archangel Michael? (christianity.com)

74

Doctrines and Bible Interpretations

by IWant2Know in

i would like to know if ex's and formers who are not church christians, believe that many of jws' doctrines and bible interpretations are correct, or do you feel that they aren't?

.

IWant2Know

NotFormer

"But JWs aren't the only ones who interpret Michael to be Jesus."

There's a small amount of truth in that. I believe I heard (this was decades ago, so my memory may be faulty) a Christadelphian say that Jesus was Michael in some prophetic sense. But they wouldn't have had the same belief as JWs, even though Russell probably got his non-Trinitarian views from the Christadelphians. The Christadelphians don't believe in any pre-existance of Jesus before his conception, while Michael was around before that.

Well, actually, if you Google this topic, you will see that the whole Michael/Jesus thing isn't as unique as some people think it is:

I’ve discussed the fact before that the first Christians believed Jesus was secretly an angel who came down from heaven in the guise of a man (a conclusion with which even Bart Ehrman now concurs). Even if Jesus was a historical person they believed this (a key point in my new book Jesus from Outer Space). And even if semantically you dislike the word “angel” and imagine the first Christians employed some other term for what he was, still they believed he was an eternal being who descended from what they understood to be outer space. And this idea features as well-documented background information in my peer reviewed study On the Historicity of Jesus (index, “angels and angelology,” “Logos,” “Melchizedek,” and of interest to today’s topic, “Michael”). For articles on my blog covering this subject in more focus, see The Original Scriptural Concept of ‘The Lord’ Jesus, Can Paul’s Human Jesus Not Be a Celestial Jesus?, and my two articles on Larry Hurtado’s bizarre attempt to deny this: The Bizarre Fugue of Larry Hurtado and The Difference Between a Historian and an Apologist. Of course the Jehovah’s Witnesses have long claimed to have uncovered the secret truth that, in fact, Jesus was none other than the Archangel Michael, traveling under another name (one that just happens to mean God’s Messianic Savior, suggesting that name, in this case, is fabricated: Christ means Anointed ergo Messiah/Messianic; and Jesus, i.e. Joshua, i.e. Yeshua, means God’s Savior). And there is a good case to be made that they are right. And this case is most expertly laid out in Darrell Hannah’s doctoral dissertation, later revised and published by Moer Siebeck and then Wipf & Stock in 1999: Michael and Christ: Michael Tradition and Angel Christology in Early Christianity.

Was Jesus-Is-Michael an Early Christian Mystery Teaching? • Richard Carrier Blogs

The blood doctrine is totally unique to JWs. . .

Actually, it's not. Many Orthodox Jews have the same doctrine:

FACTS-REL-Judaism-20191106.pdf (defenseculture.mil)

144000 Israelite male virgins referring to Christians of both genders and not being necessarily celibate is unique. The nature of those people is apparently "symbolic", but their number (12×12×1000, extremely symbolic biblical numbers) is apparently absolute.

I haven't looked into this enough to really give an intelligent answer to this subject, however, I would like to ask: Why wouldn't the number 144,000 in Revelation be a symbolic number?

74

Doctrines and Bible Interpretations

by IWant2Know in

i would like to know if ex's and formers who are not church christians, believe that many of jws' doctrines and bible interpretations are correct, or do you feel that they aren't?

.

IWant2Know

Sea Breeze

The nice thing about freedom is that you get to read the promises of God for yourself and choose whether or not to receive them. You don't need anyone's permission.

Well, perhaps not permission, but doesn't reading those promises incorrectly result in either everlasting destruction or everlasting pain and torment in an eternal hellfire? Or whatever sort of comeuppance that one believes in.

Jesus is quoting Ps. 118: 26. Here it is in context.
A stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This came about from the LORD;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let’s rejoice and be glad in it.
Please, O LORD, do save us;
Please, O LORD, do send prosperity!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD;
We have blessed you [Jesus] from the house of the LORD.
Jesus knew that his first coming would be a curse for him - "cursed is every man that hangeth upon a tree"... (Gal. 3: 13; 2 Cor 5: 21)) Israel pronounced a curse upon their King and in so doing liberated all believing mankind from the authority of Hell. Because that verse also says he became a curse "for us" not just Adam..... thus satisfying the harsh demands of the LAW which is the death penalty for all who receive it.
When Jesus comes a second time, it will not to be to become a curse - but a blessing as he destroys the Anti-Christ and his human armies and demon hordes that gang up on the nation of Israel and squeeze them until they are literally begging Jesus to show up. As a nation they will have come all the way to their end. This is the time of Jacobs trouble. Not many Jews will be left, perhaps less than a third. But, enough will be left to welcome their Savior.
Roman 9: 27 - And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,
Christianity is just a parenthesis in the over-all plan of God. And what a marvellous parentheis it is. But, the main theme of the bible centers around the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as the replacement for King Adam who gave away his kingdom for little more than a whim from his wife.
Instead of a prison planet, the Milleniuim Reign will be a time of ubelievable freedom and peace as King Jesus shepards the nations with a rod of iron.
All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. - Ps. 86: 9

Well, I would say that whatever works for you.

IWant2Know

Posts by IWant2Know

Sea Breeze said:

Sea Breeze said:

Queequeg said:

MeanMrMustard said:

Is Human Blood Kosher?

NotFormer said: