If anyone goes forward with this, I have graphic layout experience (3 years at my university newspaper) and own the same professional software used by the city paper (InDesign).
I Want to Believe
JoinedPosts by I Want to Believe
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9
Can we make our own magazine?
by bottleofwater ini had an idea the other day while seeing someone reading a watchtower magazine on the bus, why can't we make a magazine similar to the watchtower in size, font, and format?.
even a one time 16-page brochure would be great.. basically even if many jws are stubborn it would help at least some who are on the fence.... why can't we?
we don't even have to make it say jehovah's witnesses on the cover.. just call it.... the truth (where the watchtower header line would go in the same font).
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12
Christ Jesus And The Apostle Paul----Were They At Odds?
by minimus inpaul seemed to be a real hard ass whereas jesus preached love, not judging people, patience..... could it be that paul was a fraud?.
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I Want to Believe
" Luke records the affection which the Ephesians had for him, if that is true, he cannot have been the total, prickly. mysogynistic martinet that some paint him to be."
Really? So if I show how much some people love Don Imus, or Rush Limbaugh than they can't be as bad as others think?
Again, why can't both be true? Paul was a loveable, traditional mysogynist who taught his own version of Christ and some loved him for it while others didn't. Isn't that reasonable?
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I Want to Believe
I went for my wife but brought my red (ESV) Bible and silently mouthed alternate words to the songs. I was happy to see that the Branch library had hardbound Golden Age and Watchtowers back to 1928, and the first five volumes of Studies in the Scriptures. Now I know where to go if I ever need hard proof.
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9
A Prayer
by Greybeard indear heavenly father above heaven and earth it is through your son christ jesus/yeshua we pray.
thank you for the hope you have given us through the life of your son.
please strengthen us and help us to do your will.
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I Want to Believe
So say we all.
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12
Christ Jesus And The Apostle Paul----Were They At Odds?
by minimus inpaul seemed to be a real hard ass whereas jesus preached love, not judging people, patience..... could it be that paul was a fraud?.
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I Want to Believe
I had some thoughts about Paul here (My critical thoughts about Paul), and I think a lot of the confusion, sectarianism, and contradictions in the NT is because people try so hard to reconcile the different Bible writers instead of accepting that they each wrote from their own viewpoint. Having this "There is only one way of thinking" mindset discounts that Paul thought differently from other apostles because of his background, and feeds the conformist structure of JWs and other fundamentalists.
Sorry, I went into college thesis mode there for a second, but the bottom line is: Yes, Paul did have a different way of looking at things, and his way of interpreting Christ formed it's own Pauline sect, which, by Paul's sheer force of zeal, became the default sect of Christianity that went mainstream.
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5
revelation 14:5
by independenthinker inso im at the memorial talk, this year though im reading above and below all scriptures.
anyway the speaker uses revelation 14, and i find a new scripture ive never seen used before by the brothers.
they always use v1-4, referring to the anointed.
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I Want to Believe
Most translations say "no lie was found in their mouths," not that everything they say is perfect, to which JWs simply say the GB doesn't lie... they just tell current truth, which may not be correct.
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TO ALL LURKERS: the WTS approves of parents humilating their children!
by Chemical Emotions inno person can escape rendering an account to god.
5 after showing that children are not free from rendering an account, the apostle paul goes on to stress the obligation of the parents before god: "and you, fathers, do not be irritating your children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and authoritative advice of jehovah.
since parents will render an account for the way they bring up their children, the question arises: what is jehovah's discipline?.
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I Want to Believe
"It begins with right parental example. Jehovah sets the perfect example..."
Jehovah: Sent other nations against Isreal to drive them off their land as punishment. Lesson for parents: If your kids disobey, send the neighbors after them to beat them up and kick them out of the house. Don't let them back in for 70 days.
Jehovah: Killed that guy for touching the Ark. Lesson for parents: Keep your grubby hands off Daddy's stuff, or it's the belt for you.
Jehovah: Goes hundreds of years between communications and then only speaks through a few prophets. Lesson for parents: Only communicate with your kids via a single e-mail several years old; even if you have 10,000 children be sure to only talk to one of them.
Jehovah: Gives 10 commandments, the breaking of which means death. Lesson for parents: Lay down laws and if your children disobey, kill them.
Jehovah: Promises peace for his followers by means of Armageddon. Lesson for parents: Create a better world for your kids by killing the neighbors and taking their stuff. (see also Promise Land/Canaan)
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23
I Pads at Meetings
by seenitall ini know a boe letter just came through approving use of electronic devices (ipads) at meetings for the wt, bible, cd-rom.
anyone care to post the original letter?.
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I Want to Believe
6 months ago our substitute CO was reading his talk outlines off an iPad from the platform... I just figured they were always OK.
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19
Gossip, gossip, gossip
by time2keepmoving ineven though i've been disfellowshipped for several months now (looking forward to my 1 year anniversary).
i did have a brother contact me about one of my siblings who is still "in" and ask me personal questions about them.
he also shared with me a lot of personal info about my sibling that i did not know, obviously my relative shared this information with this brother in confident.. i felt like if my relative wanted me to know they would have told me.
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I Want to Believe
Gossip is also a byproduct of a culture that expects everyone to snitch on anyone doing something they see as wrong, often being told to be wary of bad association even in their own midst. The first thing guests do is look through the host's CD/DVD collection. There's a high level of paranoia is the organization; I don't see how anyone could consider it an upbuilding place.
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43
What changes have you noticed in the Witness
by d ini have noticed are more angrier then when i was a child in the 90's and that they seem more uptight.what changes have you seen?.
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I Want to Believe
"Witnesses don't witness anymore. When I came in, early '70s, knowing your beliefs and being able to explain them, using your Bible, was emphasized. At some point, during the 80s as I recall, it began to change. Extended conversations at the doorstep were now discouraged. Witnessing became more of a 'let the literature do the witnessing' kind of job."
I don't think it was an early '70s thing, just a matter of when you came in. When I was pioneering in the late '90s I still used my Bible. I went toe-to-toe with a minister once, and another time had a half-hour cold-call discussion about the Kingdom as a real government, both times using only the Bible. The problem is once they start changing your beliefs it becomes impossible to defend, because I'd have to use the literature just to remember what the lastest understanding was. The longer you're in the harder it is to defend because you just can't keep track of "current truth" anymore and eventually just give up.