Posts by nibbled

109

San Francisco or Bay Area Members?

by nibbled in

jw
friends

i did a search and came up with some posts related to san francisco, but i couldn't figure out how to find more recent onesthey were from nearly a dozen years ago!

i was wondering if anyone lives around sf, as well as if anyone is around my age?

i'm early 30's.

nibbled

AGuest Thank you for taking all the time to respond.

Here's the thing. I don't trust your spirit that teaches you, which leaves me reticent and wary on listening (hearing) what you speak.

I'm upset because I was and still am very much looking forward to conversing with you. But I have the difficulty testing the spirits (in this case yours) to see if they are from God. Honestly, I've never had to do it before. Normally there isn't anyone who seems to be interacting in spirit—which I am seeking out such ones. You obviously are, but then it comes to discerning from the wealth of knowledge you offer, if it is founded in the spirit of truth.

I typed out a post and then, bam, it was gone. So disheartening, because I was complete offering you links and such.

Maybe the devil did it , maybe the spirit wanted me to write a straight forward and simple post after all the thought I had worked through , or maybe it was just Chrome crashing. I know better. I should have been writing offline. Even now I'm writing in the post box and could lose this one too!

So, honey, I'm not going to be convinced to use the sound nor letter which didn't exist in ancient Semitic times nor languages. I prefer to seek out my Father and to know how to say and write (even if transliteration) his name as he presented it to Moses.

You confuse me in circular reasoning. First offering the Y is just the sound the the new J is, then say that you use J because the Y isn't the right sound. All I know is my Father and his Son both predate the alphabet which carries the J, and that the sound that letter carries is a new invention across the world, and the only way to get it in Hebrew is to use a gimmel with a specific vowel point. So the sound would dictate spelling the Hebrew name different at that point.

Yehowah is the name I came to learn by going to my Father directly in prayer, and taking what I knew from the scriptures in prayerful consideration. It had felt like such an easy "game" —"hang man" — and I marveled at how simple it was. How do we think we do not know, I think for we do not! Yosephus gave a clue which puts a secular stamp of approval on it, but that's just a bow on what was simply there for those who seek it from the scriptures.

If this weren't so much about what you were told from your spirit, as I had hoped to enjoy sharing with you, playing, in the word of God, as it were, then we could (and still can) work through the steps together. I'm interested if there's anything else I can learn by sharing what I've learned from/in the spirit of truth with others so that they can share and learn and teach me more. But the letter "J" is a step in the wrong direction. If you're interested, I'm still interested, but I'm so over "J". I study ancient languages, and the roots of linguistics and love etymologies. I can't be stuck in recent history, it's a bore to me. I'm a child who keeps asking my Father, each time I learn something, "why?"

So, I'm aware that the Black God Music uses Jahveh, but not of anyone who actually studies Hebrew or speaks it.

The second reason I come to the point were I do not trust your spirit, as it does not seem that he comes from the Father or speaks from the Word of Truth, is that you call him "my Lord".

The book of Zephaniah is about removing the remnants of Baal, and chapter 3 mentions the purification of the lips so that his people can worship him standing shoulder-to-shoulder. If you just read the opening of chapter 1, then read chapter 3 it'll set the scene for what I'm offering you for consideration. (I know that you offer scripture only for those who walk by sight, but at least we can agree that it's a source of truth from God.)

Hosea chapter 2:16,17 speaks of the unfaithful wife Israel (Zephaniah was Judah) and how he's going to remove the names of the Baal's out of her mouth. I imagine our Father washing her mouth out with a bar of lye soap.

He says, one day you'll no longer reduce me to the level of the baal's calling me your "my baal" while sleeping with other baals, but will instead call me 'your man'.

Let that sink in. "Your Man" is the literal translation, "husband" would be the meaning.

While adonai is the meaning you have, I'm sure, behind using the title "my Lord", I offer you the second point of my concern.

The word "lord" is translated from baal. Adonay, despite translation is not "lord". Those who are sensitive to this fact often use "Master" to translate "Adonay" be distinct from "baal". (As I never learned to say "Lord" anyway, I simply don't. It's an appellation, and I think of him as my brother who gave his life for me, not as "my master", similar to Hosea's thought.)

baal: (primitive root) to marry, rule over. from which we get baal: owner, lord, which became as Hosea's inspired words show, a proper name, Ba'al ; Baal, a Phoenician deity — Baal, (plural) Baalim.

I can't stay around right now, but perhaps this is a good place to leave off so you have food for thought. Please, think. Right now the balance of our relationship lies in what we come to as a conclusion together. Pray. If you speak to your spirit instead, then please, can you please use in this particular conversation "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" who sent his son "Christ the Messiah"? The devil will flee if we oppose him, and you are always safe. Hey, maybe he'll start teaching you earlier history. I'm not interested in the prophets of today, like Joseph Smith, or the alphabet that adorn their day. I am interested in the ones from 4,000 years ago, whose writings (scriptura) have been handed down though time, as if—hey!—inspired of God.

My mouth has been washed clean. I desire to associate with others who are either innocent, or have been washed clean. You are not innocent, you have a spirit. Thus I'm asking you to consider that spirit, and consider the scriptures, and consider why the image keeps going through my mind that you need your mouth washed out with soap.

I am not trying to offend. I'm a child in my heart and mind, and am simply offering the imagery which is best able to convey my thoughts. Storytelling.

When I speak to people who are innocent and they ask why I don't use "Jehovah", I don't dump all that we've talked about on them. I assure them that their Father knows their heart, and that if they seek him they will find him. They then are naturally curious, often worried they are using the wrong name. I assure them that we were taught, as my dad taught me, to pray to "Our Father", as his son instructed us. I explain that when I was scared when I first started learning what I had thought was the truth as a witness of Jehovah wasn't true, I learned to use "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" when I wanted to be specific.

Christ the Messiah is what the woman at the well knew that she and her people were waiting for.

As for Jah, or Jeh, please do some reading... Here's Witches, Whores, and Sorcerers: The Concept of Evil in Early Iran . Jeh or Jah "the whore" may give you light on "Let us be blood the great whore had shed" (think: menstruation) as spoken by the Word, speaking of Babylon the whore of the Medo-Persian empire. See also Religions of the Ancient World: A Guide .

73

Who is the Israel of God? Used one in scripture, claimed by Christians everywhere!

by nibbled in

the phrase israel of god appears only once in the scriptures, yet it is frequently used in christianity.

just who is the israel of god?.

as you consider these points, and before responding, will you please test your thinking to ensure first that you are speaking from a scripture only standpoint?

nibbled

This earthly TENT is changed to a MANSION ??

Sometimes I just feel like a naïve child. Actually I guess that doesn't quite express it, but is also true.

I've heard "exgensis" and other words you mentioned before, but they're not in my vocabulary yet.

If you can take me at my word, I'm just a kid who read the word and believed it was the Word and then believed to deny it was truth was to deny the Truth which was to deny the Christ. If you follow that and follow the capital and lower case letters (thank you for our language conventions for clarity!) I meant it as written. The key is figurative, literal, symbolic, and spiritual (not necessarily in that order).

I realized everyone spends so much time arguing about John 1:1 as the trinity and misses it's point. My Greek (former) roommate whose mother was a Trojan, and boy they were every bit of Greek as I never would have welcomed into my home had I known! (j/k, sort of) pointed out that Americans (he meant broader than that I'm sure) just don't know how the Greeks understand the verse. It reads as written without "a god" but they know what it means.

Meanwhile, we miss the point. The word was with God, and the word was God and the Word of God became flesh and lived among us. Now he's spirit... but where is he—in us.

I can't — I'm sorry. I have turned into an absolute child. I lost my daddy when I was three and spent my child hood acting as an adult. At 33 I've died to the world and am not going back. I'm a child. You can't take the Truth from me, and I believe every word he says.

Joyous tantrum aside, I'm expressing joy to you! I don't have a clue, my darling PT, what you're talking about. I know I've read all those keywords before, but since they aren't in the things I study (the books of scripture) I'm pretty much an idiot to what they mean... Should I go bother? (I ask sincerely.)

I'm not sure I want to be able to label things. I know what they mean. People just stopped respecting the word as truth. That the Word is Truth. They change it, say it means something different.

If I get confused now about a verse, I pop over to the interlinear immediately (online reading always though I now own a dozen translations) and you know what? It usually clears it up. Some guy usually change the word. Generally that's changing something regarding identity.

Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings, and have put on the new man, who is being renewed in knowledge after the image of his Creator, where there can’t be Hellene * and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian ?† , Scythian ‡ , bondservant, freeman; but Christ is all, and in all. Col 3:10,11

That verse above is from obible.org, my personal study bible. Yes, I mean mine. It's VERY much a work in progress. It's ASV/WEB because it was public domain, and then my word for word work as I research and hit areas. And I've just started recently. So the verses above are my research. I wondered what a Scythian was. I felt like it was vaguely familiar. I learned who they were, and also realized it was familiar because there's a king of the Scythian's in my (absolutely must be believe mythological!) family tree. But the point that I found funny and was only happy to have learned after I already had the foundation under my belt of Israel vs. Judah, and Israel as dispersed people that were never accounted for in the scriptures that I could tell... was that there they were! Hellene is a Jew (or person) who has adopted the Greek language, customs or culture, despite their roots (Greek Jew, Jewish Greek?), well, and suffice to say, that the whole list he gives could be simply just speaking to various people who were formerly of Israel as a once united, now nearly entirely dispersed nation. (I always have to be clear, even so, we're still a part of the new covenant, as all nations qualify; just interesting that his list shows that there were Ephraim and Judah still to that day fighting against each other like brothers. (That is a verse much earlier in scripture which I didn't know where it applied until here...)

You said something about seeming to look for a list of topics to be correct—not sure what you mean, but no.

Right now I'm looking for friends. I want to talk about the scriptures, but not here on this forum. I want to really talk about them. To me it's a book—Genesis to Revelation. I agree with Band on the Run, it really can't be taken as a verse or chapter out of context (which he eluded to, though don't know if he means he same as I).

As a wild eyed, full of wonder child, I'm begging new friends to come play with me!

I have a story to tell. I just read this amazing book, and its the most amazing story that I've ever read. And I believe it!

I felt sure, as a naïve child, that the only reason I didn't know anyone who'd ever talked about it before was because after leaving the WT I never talked to anyone about spiritual matters, and this is new to me anyway. But I talked to them first, and no, they don't know.

I have an elder friend and his wife who are really cool. He owns a copy of the DDD (Dictionary of Demons and Deities). I tried to explain to him, I put together this: http://www.obible.org/tbb/thousandyears.htm

I read the whole book, but it was a movie. But it was a movie where the scenes go back in forth in time. What you read isn't necessarily in chronological order—no, duh! you say—but I saw it all. It was a movie and I followed the plot along. There was a lot of foreshadowing and then here's what's going to happen.

Most the books of the prophets get cut off in the middle. Most meaning the major. I haven't sat down to call them out yet. I'm looking to find friends to study with. I have the whole story, but I haven't gone down to figure out the books. I just remember it all and then do the keyword search to pull back the book.

For instance, there's a verse about the women who say to the man, Let us take your name, we'll make our own clothes and food. Then it's followed with a scene of the women of Jerusalem having been purified and God erecting a tent (chuppah! it actually says chuppah! like a Jewish wedding!) over mount zion — and i thought— well I remember that scene. That's Rev. 14:1. You'll have to do a search on bible.cc for it, I think it's Isaiah maybe? It's a short chapter.

Anyway, the story puts the prophets on hold. You might as well cut off anything written about israel after it's kicked out and put them asides as God's love letters with no mailing address. The Jews get hardened, so the prophecies about them end or conclude with Jeremiah's book. From there everything is on hold until Christ comes, but that's sort of in this middle movie of the trilogy where he comes but everyone who saw the first movie knows how it's going to go—they're going to reject him, and a remnant will believe. Then there's Paul and his ministry to the nations (which includes dispersed Israel; Jews always were mean to Israel for having been apostates; irony). His movie is a mystery style, where you learn that all the blessings the Jews thought were theirs (He's our God!) were just theirs. Only the Jews didn't get the punchline. The Christians got it, and the remnant of the Jews and Israel who believed also got in on the new covenant, body of Christ, one hope, heavenly reward—anointed.

So then (I don't know which movie we're on, 4?) the full number come in. Noticing how people act around here, and how I can't even find ONE friend in SF to talk to who believes in God, it seems there isn't anyone left to believe... er, come in— anyway when the full number comes in, then it's all time for the major events we've been building to. It's where it all comes together in crashing symbols and trumpets of a symphony performance.

One minute they're there—next it's two to a family, one from a field. (Oh, forgot there's the whole everyone in churches following that white guy on the white horse who conquers all the good hearted ones who think they're following Christ. That one kills me. It makes me feel helpless.) SO sorry, I skipped ahead. White guy on white horse conquers all the good hearts but followers, they are safely in churches. People who are bold and think they "know" are noticing that the Obama administration was called out by the crazy guy for "war on religion" while the same CNN report scrolls that Biden is headed to Israel first, then Egypt. (And some have taken the time to make this chart, because they're not good at remembering what's what.) So they think maybe Daniel's treaty of 7 years is about to be made. And about three and a half years in when they call true Nobel Peace and security...

Well, anyway, I'm getting off track and I've gotten a bit cheeky with no intent to offend my friends here. Basically about a year ago I seemed to recognize this convergence of world events and bible prophecy. I am dying to talk to people about it. I'm not a news person, know little about politics, and all I know is that it's going down.

So there's a treaty, 3.5 years of peace for the first half. Then there's 3.5 years of chaos. Its the final go round of God reminding his chosen that they aren't to rely on anyone but him. Apparently besides the devastation and rape, there will also be the temple on the mount. These things sound so absurd. Unless you have Jewish friends and know that there's a prefab (I imagine to Ezekiel's specs) temple ready for the moment that they can go pop it up. There's also a press release out there from the We Do Jewish Stuff for Antiquities and Stuff group who said they have all the utensils ready too. Meanwhile you've got Rabbi whoever who died in 2005 naming Yeshua (using YHWH Yehowah) as the Messiah. Took me a longer moment than you to realize why that was signifigant. Oh year, totally forgot. They don't believe in Jesus (as having been the Messiah). So he dies and his note is read and his son says that dad says that the Messiah said that he'd come after the Prime Minister dies. (If I recall right.) Now, I don't go around believing that people get visions and hear voices unless they are either crazy or possessed... but I have to admit at the same time I come across that is when I had Joel 2 on the mind which was said by Acts to have been fulfilled at the end of the Jewish system, only obviously not entirely since the book speaks to the last Last days. I've also long wondered, anyone out there believe that there is going to be an end to the Christian system, and that's what parallels the end of the Jewish system?

So poof, after 3.5 years of chaos and ravaging apparently Christ appears (I say apparently, don't have the timing worked here, again, looking for people who want to have fun; people who enjoy the scriptures and find them fascinating and alive!) and poof! be gone are the anointed, I mean the Christs body, I mean the Christians (oh those synonyms) thus THE END of the new covenant.

And the beginning of movie 5. The picking up of the old covenant, the restoration, Armageddon. Again need help with order. I can't tell when the travel back to the land is—before or after Armageddon? The key is in the references to the "walled" and "unwalled" city, I think.

The millenium, the end.

I'm tired. Must go sleep. I love dreaming.

Apologies for the rant. I got a sad phone call from my mother. Was nice to hear her voice, at least.

Thanks for listening guys. Its a jumbled mess above. I'd rather hit send and see who sticks around despite rather than to try to craft something which takes much longer. It's nicer to find out who's with you, and work together! :)

With love,

Nibbled the Word

73

Who is the Israel of God? Used one in scripture, claimed by Christians everywhere!

by nibbled in

the phrase israel of god appears only once in the scriptures, yet it is frequently used in christianity.

just who is the israel of god?.

as you consider these points, and before responding, will you please test your thinking to ensure first that you are speaking from a scripture only standpoint?

nibbled

@Bobcat Oh thank you! That makes me happy to hear! It's lonely to be treking without anyone to consider your steps or to walk with you! The first "non JW" thing I did was order a book called "Apostle on the Edge". That was where I learned I had actually known through visiting the antiquity much of the culture which surrounds these letters. Eating the Jewish ghetto of Rome under the shadow of the arch of Janus, for instance.

The book does a great job of summing it up layman, and just letting you think for yourself style. I don't actually recall it supporting or negating my thought (which came later) on this. I just recall that it was freeing. (I had ordered it because I was interested in the disctinction between OT-John, plus Hebrew letters & Revelation, vs. Paul's letters.) And that it did a good job of making me feel like I'd actually been smart to history before I read it. (If you know me, I live it more than learn it, and only then come to learn it and realize I 'know' something.)

So basically, more than getting stuck on that one verse, I ended up backing out to a higher elevation view again. I said, okay, think about it. You know Paul. What does he mean here? Who is he talking to? Taking in the context, and the context switching (between the two distinct audiences or readers of his letter; and knowing that his letters circulated, so as we take in all his letters today they would too...) even sticking that one letter, he's telling them quite simply—you're not becoming one of them, they need to become apart of the NEW. Thus, back to that verse. If he HAD meant as most take it, that they "the true Church" or the Christians were the "[true] Israel of God"—would he have just wasted his breath in all his other arugment in the letter?

It's complicated, but I went through (in my 'free' time: sort of ditched the rest of life. tired of being hit on; they can't handle my spirituality, why bother thinking they can handle my body? ugh. j/k it's a circular thing, point is happily lonely) and essentially starting cutting it up. test each verse's understanding in the original context (when he'd quote somebody; what was the guy he was quoting talking about, and directed to whom? and how did they at that time understand it to me) and then modern (Paul's letter's day) context in the first century. As best as I can tell, there's no reason for us to believe different than the first century congregation, we just happen to understand differently. but our understanding is not well founded. what's changed?

can't wait to hear what you come across. if you're a book buyer, buy the book, but honestly i didn't finish it. i got probably halfway through and then was too engrossed in the scriptures. sounds like your brain already is freed from the scullcap. :)

73

Who is the Israel of God? Used one in scripture, claimed by Christians everywhere!

by nibbled in

the phrase israel of god appears only once in the scriptures, yet it is frequently used in christianity.

just who is the israel of god?.

as you consider these points, and before responding, will you please test your thinking to ensure first that you are speaking from a scripture only standpoint?

nibbled

BobCat hi there.

Check out this link which takes you to the Interlinear. Note in the Greek the punctuation inserted. This reads clearly as "peace and mercy to you guys who listen to my instructions; [Paul heaves a sigh] and even to the Israel of God who made me have to write this letter in the first place."

dramatized of course but trying to share the imagery; the dramatization isn't my persuasion simply trying to add help in mindset.

The versions which render it "even to the Israel of God" make the point, then you'll note others completely render it as "the true church who are the real Israel". Ah, the violence done! Click the parallel tab to see all the variations in rendering.

http://interlinearbible.org/galatians/6-16.htm

your thoughts?

oh context shows Paul's mentality. "I wish they'd castrate themselves" — gotta love that guy!

21

Baptized

by nibbled in

how old were you when you were baptized?.

.

i was 12 years old..

nibbled

Pickler, didn't realize you're female. :) You make such a good point. If I'm not trusted to make a child's choice like clothing,...

At 12, I made my own choice. My parents also pretty much treated me like an adult, and at 15 I was a legally emanicipated minor so I could make adult decisions when I traveled alone.

Puberty hit and boys and men alike were ever present. I married young and wrong. That choice and my parents freedom seems so different than that which I now recognize as our Father's guidance on the matter. His son didn't get baptized until he was 30 years old! Imagine the disgrace in the WT of a "born-in" waiting that long!

31

Music you never noticed was ...

by nibbled in

jw
friends

i have friends in very cool jobs.

my world interacts quite often with music stars, and i have interesting conversations.

for instance, i was talking with the members of animal kingdom, and asked the lead singer about the lyrics i picked up while listening them perform for the group a few minutes earlier... i felt stupid because i hadn't realized the name of the song, and only had caught a few lyrics... he wrote of mephistopheles.

nibbled

Well, I care. I have noticed that many posters have a "could give a sh!t" attitude towards anything they aren't interested in (and bother to waste their time telling you, too!). I imagine each person walking up and slapping me across the face. I've been on the Internet for 16 years but I've never found any less agreeable people than former JW's.

Why carry the bitterness? Leolaia is there any place were the people are more considerate? Is everyone the same IRL?

It's funny "why do you care?" doesn't carry much tone of voice but at least it implies you're interested in the person.

I obviously don't belong here. Every three posts I read at least one kills a little more of my happy.

73

Who is the Israel of God? Used one in scripture, claimed by Christians everywhere!

by nibbled in

the phrase israel of god appears only once in the scriptures, yet it is frequently used in christianity.

just who is the israel of god?.

as you consider these points, and before responding, will you please test your thinking to ensure first that you are speaking from a scripture only standpoint?

nibbled

@Pterist You're good with me! I can feel that you're discussing with me, as I hope you view my intent as well. I want to learn all I can, but come from a personal understanding of scripture now singularly my own through spirit and scripture, not biased to any religion or denomination (though raised WT). I also have a desire to share what I learn with others who are 'seekers' as I do believe there is one Truth. So, we're all good!

On the other hand, I seem to have a little more difficulty understanding your posts...

The scriptures SPIRITUALIZED the above events/promises

My intent in the discussion is to express that there is no "spiritualization" that I have found in the scriptures. There is a revealed "new creation", but that doesn't change what was inspired and said in the word of God in the old covenant, "spiritualizing Israel" or "spiritualizing" anything else.

By restoration, I mean that while Paul's explanations seem to be interpreted by Christians of modern history without any awareness of the cultural understanding—meaning today they believe something, I believe, entirely different than the first congregation, about what Paul was telling them/us.

I've been trying to figure out how to paint the story of the culture in which those congregations lived, their understanding of Paul's letters.

The reason is that simply, until I can find people who accept that Paul was not turning Christians into "spirtual Israel" or "spiritual Jews" but was explaining to them that both fleshly and spiritual former Israelites, and fleshly and spiritual Jews, AND anyone else of any descent were all a "new creation" in Christ, and part of the NEW covenant.

THEN ... if that foundation is understood,...

The Restoration prophecies can be discussed with a shared foundation (or at least premise). For instance, Israel was promised restoration to it's name and identity (Hosea) though having been taken captive out of their land (Samaria of ten-tribe northern Israel).

Some people have tried to persuade me to believe that it's all happened already. There are numerous points that they have not—for instance, the lion, bears, snakes and children, if nothing else, we know hasn't happened.

In any case, for me, the point is still trying to find people who either get Paul's teaching the way I do, so we can evaluate together the whole—Paul, and how what happens after the "full number of the nations come in" with the old covenant people.

To be clear, because I struggle being clear so people can understand what I mean: I believe that Israel and Judah will return to the land, just like Hosea and Jeremiah, and most all the other prophets prophesied. Even now where we now have post-1948 Israel, we still only have "Judah" accounted for, at best. Besides that, I don't believe 1948 is the restoration of Judah, but is another event mentioned by scripture (basically Judah would preceed Israel and there's stuff that goes down, and then there is the restoration which is both plus people of the nations; but this is also AFTER the new covenant folks have been POOF! be goned!)

I can explain it, right now looking for folks who are either curious and thinkers, believe simliar, or want to go along for the ride possibly to contribute.

I'll ask if any reading this are interested, let me know. I'm not going to try that discussion on this board, and am testing out new means of communication and information sharing. Basically gathering folks, as if it were a "project" and then we'll discuss.

I'm looking forward to it! Exciting to get to meet people virtually!

Pterist, did that make any sense? I don't understand your point yet, about the scriptures spiritualized the events, but maybe you're talking about Paul's letters of Romans and Galatians?

21

Baptized

by nibbled in

how old were you when you were baptized?.

.

i was 12 years old..

nibbled

@coffee_black 8 years old?!?! Wow. As a JW? Wow. Sooo young!!! I'm surprised they let you!

I find the whole thing about the WT being a corporation and our baptism basically a formalization of a legal relationship is disturbing. Since I'm new, not sure if that's something that was already discussed... don't mean to bore others, but just mentioning.

I've come across folks talking about how being a minor means that you're not able to enter into contract, thus it's like getting married and lying about your age as a minor.

32

Yehowah, the divine name known by the Watchtower, but not used.

by nibbled in

(yeho?wah); gr., ?

the participle ho?weh is from the root verb ha?wah, related to the divine name, yehowah.. .

heb., yehowah.

nibbled

@HintOfLime you know, it's funny. I don't know quite how to interact so that it doesn't become a debate. For instance, that "Y" predates "J" by more than 2,000 years is simply fact. (This part of the discussion was on another thread.) So I offered what I knew of linguistics and research for those interested, but ended up in a debate about "J". The sound for "J" didn't even exist until after the letter came to evolve from the I.

I don't think that he requires that we know how to pronounce it, otherwise he'd have ensure we knew how. He's not a Catch 22 kind of god. However, that we know how to pronounce it comes from the names which bore his name that were passed down through all these generations. They evolved over time (studies of etymology I find fasincating!) but those evolutions have been passed down, so that going back to the start and with the various data points we're able to put together what is and is not likely.

I had wanted to share. (Although, frankly, I was stupid of me to post the email here. That was the "are you kidding me?!?" moment with my parents when I found that the name that came to be out of all my research was not only known by the Watchtower but printed in the reference bible and is searchable on the WOL, and that they've known all along! Of course, I couldn't search for it until I knew it, but I'm not bitter about the journey that brought me through to the answer, I'm upset that the hid it behind "Jehovah" which is wrong on so many levels, besides being blasphemous and the description of two gods of ancient Babylon.)

Also, just a note about "the bronze age". Most people don't realize that that's a terrible way of referring to it. There were many cultures who overlapped. Cultures were defined by Iron or Bronze, etc, but that wasn't a distinct age. They overlapped. They lived in the same age.

@Phizzy We should become pals. I can send you a PM. I'm a believer but am non-religious. I very much hope to encourage those leaving the WT not to enter into someother "where". It's not "where" but "who" that matters—At least that's what Dave Matthews always says.

Apologies. I was grumpy last night. I'll try to keep my smile going.

109

San Francisco or Bay Area Members?

by nibbled in

jw
friends

i did a search and came up with some posts related to san francisco, but i couldn't figure out how to find more recent onesthey were from nearly a dozen years ago!

i was wondering if anyone lives around sf, as well as if anyone is around my age?

i'm early 30's.

nibbled

Don't mind me, I'm just admiring my ruby slippers, though I prefer tea parties with wonderful hats and rabbits instead of tin can men or scratchy ones with no heart.

I just find the hugs are better when warm.