leaving_quietly

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Posts by leaving_quietly

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  31

  Does the GB claim the sole power of scriptural interpretation?

  by DATA-DOG in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what are the best quotes, old and new about this mystical power?

  i just had a " come to jesus " talk with my wife.

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  leaving_quietly

  I don't believe they've ever claimed that directly. Indirectly, however...

  *** w88 8/15 p. 14 pars. 19-20 Build Trust in Jehovah—By Diligently Studying His Word ***
  Study is hard work. We can therefore be grateful that Jehovah’s organization grants us much assistance. In recent years some have claimed that individuals should be allowed to interpret the Bible themselves. The Ethiopian eunuch, however, openly acknowledged his need for spiritual guidance. As a circumcised proselyte, he no doubt already had a considerable knowledge of the Bible. The very fact that he would attempt to study something as deep as the prophecy of Isaiah 53 indicates this. Yet, when asked if he understood what he was reading, he admitted: “Really, how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?”—Acts 8:26-33.
  20 Jehovah’s people today similarly need spiritual guidance. Desiring to “speak in agreement” when it comes to spiritual matters, they welcome the help offered by Jehovah’s organization—and what a grand help that is! (1 Corinthians 1:10) We have a constant flow of information through the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. We have numerous books and brochures covering a wide range of Bible topics. English-speaking readers are particularly blessed to have the Watch Tower Publications Index 1930-1985, a tool that can help a person ‘keep seeking for wisdom as for silver and as for hid treasure.’—Proverbs 2:2-4.

  *** w67 10/1 p. 587 par. 9 Finding Freedom with Jehovah’s Visible Organization ***
  As the canon of books of God’s Word was expanded and the Christian Greek Scriptures were added to complete the Bible, each book was written directly to the Christian congregation or to a member of the Christian congregation in its behalf. Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible. For this reason the Bible cannot be properly understood without Jehovah’s visible organization in mind.
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  51

  Dating Advice needed

  by KateWild in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  well i joined two dating sites yesterday and i have had lots of messages.

  a couple of guys want to chat to me by phone to get to know me better.

  i've been asked out on two dates.

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  leaving_quietly

  I don't know how old you are, but a guy taking me for coffee at 10am in the morning is interested in more than just sex, I am sure of it.

  I'm a couple of years older than you. I hope my comment didn't offend you too much. It was made purely in jest.
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  51

  Dating Advice needed

  by KateWild in

  1. social
  2. relationships

  well i joined two dating sites yesterday and i have had lots of messages.

  a couple of guys want to chat to me by phone to get to know me better.

  i've been asked out on two dates.

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  leaving_quietly

  What exactly are new guys interested in?

  Need you ask this?

  Seriously, though, I would tell if you actually find a guy you could see yourself with longer-term. That means getting to know him a little bit, too, but definitely not a first date sort of thing.
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  79

  If a Nuclear War Was to Start would you start praying again

  by cassuk11 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i would be interested to know if the announcement came of an immenent nuclear war would you start praying or get drunk etc etc..

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  leaving_quietly

  To answer the question in the OP, no... I'd be more like this:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om5rbtudzrg
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  20

  Today is Father's Day in the US

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is one of those holidays jws do not celebrate.

  there is no reason for it.

  it is not a religious holiday.

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  leaving_quietly

  I'm just completely baffled after reading that article. Since when is giving a gift and a card and saying "I love you, Dad!" tantamount to creature worship?!?!?!?!?
• 
  20

  Today is Father's Day in the US

  by leaving_quietly in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is one of those holidays jws do not celebrate.

  there is no reason for it.

  it is not a religious holiday.

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  leaving_quietly

  It is one of those holidays JWs do NOT celebrate. There is no reason for it. It is not a religious holiday. It is not a political holiday. In fact, there is absolutely nothing in the WT Library that says JWs can't celebrate it, at least not in the last 50 years. Yes, in 1956, there was one single article dealing with this, and it's full of nonsense. Basically, WT says it's creature worship.

  For the full 1956 Awake! bound volume:

  http://ia600304.us.archive.org/27/items/WatchtowerLibrary/magazines/g/g1956_E.pdf

  Or, the applicable pages:

  

  
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  44

  This week's WT study...made me so sick.....

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  this week's study april 15th 2014 was called "do you see the one who is invisible?".

  it was perhaps one of the most depressing, controlling, fear-mongering, stress inducing, doctrinally incorrect, hate-inspiring, judgemental, cult-like, irrational, hyped-up, critical, crazy, stretched out, fanciful, illogical, burdensome, inflated, coersive, manipulative, and brain-snappingly weird stuff i have read for some time.... (but i'm sure it was just a rehash and repeat of previous stuff...for the new masses....).

  i had to keep up a sane appearance while in the hall, and even answer some garbage while this was being 'studied'... my cognitive disonance must be so strong now, because i found this one of the hardest ones to endure....now that i am home, i have poured a stiff drink and am trying to clear my head...... one paragraph was classic:.

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  leaving_quietly

  Par. 8(a): What is the antidote to fear of man?

  Answer: "Faith in Jehovah" (according to WT)

  Answer: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts fear out, because fear restrains us" (according to the Bible at 1 John 4:18)

  ---

  Par 12: Jehovah has instructed us to convey what important message?

  Answer: "Under angelic direction, Jehovah's people are conveying an importang message: "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of judgement by him has arrived, so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water".

  This is completely misleading. It's not under angelic direction that JWs are to declare this. Revelation 14:6 says: "And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, and he had everlasting good news to declare to those who dwell on the earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. He was saying in a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of judgment by him has arrived, so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and the springs of water.”
  
  The real answer: "teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you" (Matt 28:20)

  ---

  Par 14: "We love Jehovah, and we love our neighbor. Jesus illustrated what love and mercy really mean in his parable of the neighborly Samaritan. We might ask ourselves, 'Am I, lie the Samaritan, "moved with pity" to give a witness?'"

  OMG, I can't even begin to say how completely twisted this is. Jesus was talking about helping someone who was physically in no condition to help himself, regardless of that person's race or religious beliefs. He was not talking about preaching to someone.

  ---

  Par 17,18: These two paragraphs talk about Gog and him coming against God's people. I personally do not see the connection between Ezekiel and Revelation. WT makes this connection because of the phrase "Gog and Magog" in Revelation 20:8. However, on closer inspection, we can see how far off WT is. First, Gog is NOT Satan. Notice verse 8:

  and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Ma′gog, to gather them together for the war.
  
  
  Who is "he"? In verse 7, that is identified as Satan. Who are Gog and Magog? "those nations in the four corners of the earth".

  Next, WT's timing is way, way off. Let's read Revelation 20:7,8 in their entirety:

  Now as soon as the 1,000 years have ended, Satan will be released from his prison, and he will go out to mislead those nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Ma′gog, to gather them together for the war. The number of these is as the sand of the sea.

  Do you see it? "as soon as the 1,000 years have ended". This is not at the great tribulation.

  Finally, what would be the purpose? To destroy religion? "he will go out to mislead"
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  48

  Farewell from Confused and Alone

  by confusedandalone in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i use to hate when people who made goodbye posts on message boards.

  why would they think that just because you no longer post on a chevy truck forum or a los angeles lakers forum the world would crumble around those still left there.

  this place is definitely different.

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  leaving_quietly

  Good for you, man... good for you! Best wishes whereever life takes you.

  ~LQ
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  26

  Help please!!!

  by braincleaned in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  my mom just hung up on me, convinced that the borg has never said that jesus was not the mediator between the sheep and him!.

  i know they have presumptuously took the place of jesus as mediators can someone pleeeeeeze give me the wt references of this?.

  she does not believe me..

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  leaving_quietly

  *** w09 4/15 p. 27 pars. 14-15 Appreciating the Greater Moses ***
  Like Moses, Jesus was a mediator. A mediator acts as a bridge between two parties. Moses mediated the Law covenant between Jehovah and the Israelites. If the sons of Jacob obeyed the laws of God, they would remain God’s special property, his congregation. (Ex. 19:3-8) That covenant stayed in force from 1513 B.C.E. until the first century C.E.
  15 In 33 C.E., Jehovah initiated a better covenant with a new Israel, “the Israel of God,” which became a worldwide congregation made up of anointed Christians. (Gal. 6:16) While the covenant mediated by Moses included laws written by God on stone, the covenant mediated by Jesus is superior. Its laws are inscribed by God on human hearts. (Read 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:10.) Thus, “the Israel of God” is now God’s special property, ‘a nation producing the fruits’ of the Messianic Kingdom. (Matt. 21:43) Members of that spiritual nation are the participants in that new covenant. Still, they are not the only ones to benefit from it. Untold multitudes, even many who at present are asleep in death, will receive everlasting blessings because of that superlative covenant.

  *** w08 12/15 p. 14 pars. 13-14 Appreciate Jesus’ Unique Role in God’s Purpose ***
  What does Jesus’ role as Mediator involve? Well, Jehovah applies the value of Jesus’ blood to those being brought into the new covenant. In this way, Jehovah legally credits them with righteousness. (Rom. 3:24; Heb. 9:15) God can then take them into the new covenant with the prospect of their becoming heavenly king-priests! As their Mediator, Jesus assists them in maintaining a clean standing before God.—Heb. 2:16.
  14 What about those who are not in the new covenant, those who hope to live forever on earth, not in heaven? While not participants in the new covenant, these are beneficiaries of it. They receive forgiveness of their sins and are declared righteous as God’s friends. (Jas. 2:23; 1 John 2:1, 2) Whether we have a heavenly hope or an earthly hope, each one of us has good reason to appreciate Jesus’ role as the Mediator of the new covenant.

  *** w03 2/15 p. 22 par. 19 What Does the Lord’s Evening Meal Mean to You? ***
  Anointed Christians are certain of their heavenly hope, of their having been taken into the new covenant. Jesus mentioned it when he instituted the Memorial and said: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.” (Luke 22:20) The parties to the new covenant are God and anointed ones. (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 12:22-24) Jesus is the mediator. Made operative by Christ’s shed blood, the new covenant took out not only from the Jews but also from the nations a people for Jehovah’s name and made them part of Abraham’s “seed.” (Galatians 3:26-29; Acts 15:14) This “everlasting covenant” provides for all spiritual Israelites to be resurrected to immortal life in heaven.—Hebrews 13:20.
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  70

  How do you shut your mind down so you can get a good night sleep???

  by jam in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  the more i learn about jw's the harder it is.

  to sleep at night.

  the wife hit the pillow and within 5 min.. she is snoring.

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  leaving_quietly

  I haven't had a good night's sleep in over two years. The last thought before I finally doze off is usually around how to implement my exit plan. And that's the first thought when I wake up. It's an obsession.