Posts by proplog2

13

Missing Light

by proplog2 in

jw
friends

the february 15 watchtower article "walking in the path of increasing light" reviews what they consider evidence that they are directed by holy spirit.

sometimes it's what isn't said that speaks the loudest.

the article tries to highlight what they consider significant events.

I know it sounds a little self-absorbed. But I've been on this forum long enough. I don't expect anyone to comment on what I wrote but I am surprised at how slowly it has taken off. I used to post and within an hour there would be 200 readers. Perhaps the subject doesn't grab attention.

The length has no bearing on how many click on it. You don't know the length until you click.

It seems to me that there used to be a place you could click that would bring up the posts in chronological order. It doesn't do that anymore. For some reason a post can take a pretty quick dive as soon as its put up.

Certainly there are a lot of excellent threads here that don't get much attention. That was Farkel's gripe - and I believe that's why he doesn't post extensively anymore.

So be it.

Thanks for paying attention.

13

Missing Light

by proplog2 in

jw
friends

the february 15 watchtower article "walking in the path of increasing light" reviews what they consider evidence that they are directed by holy spirit.

sometimes it's what isn't said that speaks the loudest.

the article tries to highlight what they consider significant events.

proplog2

It looks like this post was a complete waste of time.

No Comments?

If after 4 years on this forum no one cares to read what I've written - then I guess I'd better quit wasting time.

13

Missing Light

by proplog2 in

jw
friends

the february 15 watchtower article "walking in the path of increasing light" reviews what they consider evidence that they are directed by holy spirit.

sometimes it's what isn't said that speaks the loudest.

the article tries to highlight what they consider significant events.

proplog2

The February 15 Watchtower Article "Walking In The Path of Increasing Light" reviews what they consider evidence that they are directed by holy spirit.

Sometimes it's what isn't said that speaks the loudest. The article tries to highlight what they consider significant events. First of all they skip one-third of the organizations history from 1879-1919. Apparently they figure the Russell years weren't significant. Or maybe it's too hard to explain pyramidology. They conveniently sweep all that stuff under the carpet of "Babylonian Captivity"

Next they fast forward to 1919 when they supposedly took the first step toward getting democracy out of the organization. What's so "enlightened" about top down management. It makes more sense to view that move as the consolidation of Rutheford's personal authority. The next big event was the invigorating introduction of "Advertise, advertise, advertise the king and his kingdom". What a novel inspired idea - combining a word , hated by everyone except Madison Ave, with redemption and salvation!! 1931 Rutheford put his trademarked Jehovah's Witnesses name on what was rapidly becoming HIS organization. No doubt he thought any name that uses "Christian" in it was a little time-worn and wouldn't attract much attention. He needed something different to go along with his advertising concept.

1932-1938 continues the attack on democracy. But then the article jumps forward to the next big change in organizational structure - which really involved a return to democracy. Well not exactly - democracy. By 1972 the organization was full of second-bananas all wanting to be top bananas. So they organized a coup. The actual article involving the change came out in the 11/15/71 Watchtower and the title was "A Body of Elders with ROTATING CHAIRMANSHIP".
Whatever happened to the "rotation" feature? The current Watchtower doesn't tell us what happened to that aspect of this divinely guided improvement. Back in 1971 we spent a couple hours on Sunday studying all the reasons why rotating the chairmanship of the elder body was THE DIVINE WAY of running things. Many secular theologians were quoted in those articles justifying this idea. But there was some amazing new light that came out in the July 1983 Kindom Ministry. In the announcement section there is a brief reference to presiding elders being appointed to "indefinite" period (time indefinite = forever?) But the article about increasing light made no reference to this move back to the old structure.

1976 is marked by the establishment of Governing Body committees. 1992 is a reference to the "given ones". Apparently this controversial explanation is still in good standing. What all of this really amounts to is the very ordinary changes (evolution, really) any organization goes through over time. There is nothing enlightened in any of it. It surely bears no extraordinary mark of being directed by some omniscient "mind". Why does it take over 100 years to get things right when God supposedly organized the Israelites in a few weeks at Sinai?

THE BRIGHTER DOCTRINAL PATH

Again the pre-Rutheford era is ignored. 1925 marks the revolutionary discovery (March 1st 1925 article "Birth of the Nation") "that there are two distinct organizations - Jehovah's and Satan's". Now that's a dichotomy that never passed through the mind of any religious person until then! And once again you have to wonder about Rutheford's use of popular culture to come up with names for things. "Birth of a Nation" was a popular movie in 1916. Was the title of that inspired article planted in D.W. Griffiths head first with the real target being a Watchtower article in 1925?

1935 was another no-brainer. When you have more than a 144,000 members combined with first century Christians you've got to come up with another hope. Guided by holy spirit?. Nope. Guided by simple math.

Although the article mentions new light about the relationship between JW's and the authorities it avoids talking about the realization that all those JW men who had their lives interrupted with prison terms because they couldn't do alternative military service really didn't need to go to prison after all. Blood doctrine is also presented as significant new light. But nothing is mentioned about the confusion over organ transplants. Nothing is mentioned about the startling new light that the "heart" mentioned in the Bible was figurative and that it didn't have it's own brain.

The article tells us in paragraph 18 that in 1987 the meaning of the Christian Jubilee was thoroughly explained. And I thought the jubilee was thoroughly explained in 1966 and that it was going to start in 1975. No mention of that.

The article says in paragraph 19 "In 1995 the separating of the sheep from the goats was more clearly understood. Then it jumps to the year 1998. But didn't they forget the biggest doctrinal brightening that took place in 1995? Yes it was in the November 1 1995 Watchtower where it was explained that we were wrong to be counting years from 1914. The "generation" that we believed for over a "generation" was no more. Again we have to ask Was this spirit guided enlightenment or just a matter of doing the math. This is an obvious sore spot that they didn't want to deal with.

The article ends with the ATF rules (Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms).

All in all it portrays an organization struggling for identity, organization power grabs, failed attempts at prophecy and petty pharisaical rules. No extraordinary knock out proof that this organization has an invisible divine hand guiding it.

54

I BELIEVE THIS IS AN OUT AND OUT LIE

by Gill in

jw
friends

ok. i've just read this in the march 2006 - i reckon its an out and out lie and i challenge anyone to find a school where this is happening.. this is in the young people ask section:.

'how can i say no to sex at school?'.

"every day, kids are talking about sex.

proplog2

I went to a school in a very poor part of town. I was in 5th grade in 1956. A couple of times I had to stay after school for fighting. I was shocked when I heard the teacher scold a group of the other kids who had been having sex. The teacher (male) was dealing with a girl who had been pulling a train in one of the window wells at recess. I hardly knew what sex was at 10 and here were kids already doing it.

Again that was 1956 - the year Disneyland opened in Anaheim California. McDonalds was just starting to pop up around the country. Everyone rushed home to watch Mickey Mouse CLub . Apparently Disney had the right idea when he hired Annette Fuincello as the "up front" mouseketeer.

At that time no one would have believed what was going on in some of the poor schools.

13

New GB members WT March 15th p 26

by stillajwexelder in

new gb members wt march 15th p 26 .

i am sure you all know but it was finally published in this magazine on page 26 - geoffrey w. jackson and anthony morris 111 are the new gb members and it gives biographical details.

then all current gb members ar ealso listed.

proplog2

I've mentioned this before:

The scary part is that these new younger members of the governing body had to decide through a process of introspection that they are "annointed".

The older ones didn't have to go through that bizarre process but were part of the crowd.

What kind of self-talk produces the "feeling" that one is annointed?

"I am smart (or different). I am special. God made me special. I am chosen. I am blessed. The others (less smart or less different) were not chosen. God is working through me at this unique time in history. Whatever comes into my mind has been put there by the force that chose me."

It could even be stranger than that!

"I can't control my sexual urges. I keep thinking about sex. I keep falling into a pattern of self-abuse. God help me. I need strength to rise above this problem. Hmmmmm. If I am a chosen one I will be giving up sex for heaven. WIth heaven as a goal I can deal with this problem. Yes that's it - NOW I CAN BE GOOD!!!"

Ask any therapist.

47

We don't want to divorce, but we do. What other options exist?

by BrianGreen in

jw
friends

ive been reading this forum for a long time, but this new situation has come up and now it looks like i need your help.

i thought i dodged a bullet.

my wife and i were both jws, and we both left it together.

proplog2

It doesn't sound like either of you are abusive. Stay together until your kids get launched on life. That's what marriage is really all about. "Love" is noise in the machine. Abusive relationships are hard on kids - and at least one of the partners. But a cold relationship is manageable and will give a better environment for the children. But you have to reach some kind of consensus on the children.

One of the biggest sources of violence, molestation etc. is a step-father. BEWARE!!

Men often don't like other men's children.

61

HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS PARADOX?

by Terry in

religion tells us that man has a damaged consciousness polluted by sin.

religion tells us that man cannot think or reason on his own power.

religion teaches us that .

proplog2

Terry:

I am sure you know that it is only a paradox to those who accept the premises.

There is a use for the "religious" function. Otherwise it probably wouldn't have survived.

I believe the function of religion is to give humans orientation. It is the collective mind of a culture.

The problem is that culture has its origins in the pre-scientific past.

Good religion adjusts gradually to science.

Hey! If the Catholic Church can accept evolution then there IS hope for religions to change.

If you just throw religion out there is a chance that you lose your connection to your culture.

33

Noah's Ark.- Kangaroos

by Stewart75 in

jw
friends

f(l)ood for thought,.

if god had organised for each pair of species into noah's ark prior the flooding which destroyed many in wildlife.

i wonder if any of australian animal species like kangaroos, wombats and emus were also included?

proplog2

The only land animal fossil found in Antartica was a Marsupial. Australia, Antartica, South America used to all be connected.

The Marsupials in Australia are harder to explain for creationist than any problem evolutionists have to explain.

114

Do you support gay marriage?

by chappy in

is your belief moral, social or practical?

would you feel the same way if there were absolutely no religious influence on the matter pro or con?.

regardless of your belief, does every adult have a fundimental right to marry anyone of his or her choosing, regardless of gender?.

proplog2

I am against all state sponsored marriage. The ancient idea behind marriage is the official certification of a woman's enslavement to a man. It gave the husband title to ownership of his wife. It has no place in a civil society. If organizations - religious or otherwise - choose to define and document something they want to call "marriage" that is their privilege. But such relationships should not be policed and enforced by government.

The state needs to come up with another system for dealing with property and obligations between individuals. It could be tagged onto the back of some kind of corporate law.

37

Apes prove male superiority

by joelbear in

jw
friends

within the great apes the male is always dominant.

as they are the highest on the evolutionary track next to man i think it proves that males are supposed to dominate women in all aspects of life.

proplog2

The reason males of species are larger than females is because the males have to fight each other for access to fertile females.

The human male is about 15% larger than females which means in our evolutionary past we fought other males to get females.

Gorrilla males are twice the size of females. They tend to have harems. Serious competition among gorillas.

Testicle size tells another story. Chimp females are fairly promiscuous so the male with the greatest sperm count gets the job done.

Who is really in control? You can't say asbsolutely.