Posts by leaving

98

Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

by Listener in

the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

leaving_quietly

'well, when was the last time a president of the united states had a beard?'

An entire culture is based on one person? Hmm.

Interesting read... http://uspolitics.about.com/od/biographies/a/Why-Arent-There-Many-Bearded-Politicians.htm

P.S. Oliver Queen, a.k.a. The Green Arrow, just became stand-in Mayor of Star City on the TV Show, Arrow. Wears a beard. This IS cultural norm these days in the U.S.

I would not at all be surprised if this paragraph stirs up a wave of beard-wearing JWs, each interpreting cultural norms their own way.

98

Beards - September 2016 Watchtower

by Listener in

the issue of whether beards are acceptable or not is addressed in the september 2016 watchtower - well sort of.

it is as clear as mud as to whether they are allowed in places like australia, usa and britain.. 17. what are some factors that may affect whether a brother wears a beard?17 what about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard?

the mosaic law required men to wear a beard.

leaving_quietly

The Mosaic Law required couples to maintain chastity until marriage.

Of course, I realize this is satire, but fun fact... the Mosaic Law said very little about two unmarried people having sexual relations who were not of the same family. It had a whole lot to say about incestual relations, but regarding people not married and not related to each other, it's pretty silent. The two exceptions I've found are: don't have sex with a menstruating woman (Lev 18:19), and don't have sex with another man's wife. (Lev 18:22)

Take a look at Leviticus 18 where it describes such things.

12

The starting event of the Watchtower's "70 Years"?

by Doug Mason in

according to the watchtower society, which event marked the start of the "70 years".

on which day and month did that event occur?.

leaving_quietly

Ha! I was after the other 70 years.

I think you found the answer. October 1, 607 B.C.E. Repeatedly stated, including Insight vol. 1 p. 463: "Hence the count of the 70 years of desolation must have begun about October 1, 607 B.C.E., ending in 537 B.C.E."

12

The starting event of the Watchtower's "70 Years"?

by Doug Mason in

according to the watchtower society, which event marked the start of the "70 years".

on which day and month did that event occur?.

leaving_quietly

The 4th of Ab, 455 B.C.E.

In Nisan (March-April) of the 20th year of Artaxerxes’ rule (455 B.C.E.), Nehemiah petitioned the king: “If your servant seems good before you, . . . send me to Judah, to the city of the burial places of my forefathers, that I may rebuild it.” (Ne 2:1, 5) The king granted permission, and Nehemiah made the long journey from Shushan to Jerusalem. On about the fourth of Ab (July-August), after making a night inspection of the walls, Nehemiah gave the command to the Jews: “Come and let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer continue to be a reproach.” (Ne 2:11-18) Thus, “the going forth of the word” to rebuild Jerusalem, as authorized by Artaxerxes, was put into effect by Nehemiah in Jerusalem that same year. This clearly establishes 455 B.C.E. as the year from which the 70 weeks would begin to count. it-2 p. 900

Interestingly, earlier in this same Insight volume, it mentions that the 20th year may not have started until Tishri (September/October) by Nehemiah's reckoning:

The month of Chislev (November-December) of a certain 20th year is the reference point with which the historical narrative begins. (Ne 1:1) As is evident from Nehemiah 2:1, this 20th year must be that of Artaxerxes’ reign. Obviously, the 20th year in this case is not reckoned as starting in Nisan (March-April), for Chislev of the 20th year could not then precede Nisan (mentioned at Ne 2:1) of the same 20th year. So it may be that Nehemiah used his own count of time, reckoning the lunar year as beginning with Tishri (September-October), which month Jews today recognize as the beginning of their civil year. Another possibility is that the reign of the king was reckoned from the actual date that the monarch ascended the throne. This could be so even though the Babylonian scribes continued to reckon the years of the Persian king’s reign on their customary basis of a Nisan-to-Nisan count, as their cuneiform tablets show they did. it-2 p. 487-488

But, to answer your question, Ab 4, 455 B.C.E.

32

The Congregational Make Up Research Project: WTB&TS wants to know you.

by oppostate in

we have a bethel speaker on the english side.

they're pretty regular up here since it's only three and a half hours drive from nyc.. but this is a special kind of visit.. it turns out he's involved in doing a special research project and the christian congregation of jw's wants to know us better.. in order for the broadcasting to address issues more meaningful for families, they want to know the demographic make up of the congregations.. he spoke with the secretary about young single publishers and couples 20-35 y.o.

how are they employed.

leaving_quietly

A Witness soap opera.

You may be onto something there. Or at least some sort of episodic program with an ongoing storyline.

10

"Death will be no more" - ONLY earthly blessing?

by TheWonderofYou in

todays daily text refers to a new?

explanation for doorkeepers that "death will be no more" would only refer to an earthly blessing, because it would be logically according to the text that in heaven no one ever died or death had never been there.

seems like wishful argument for the earthly paradise.. dont forget the 144000 members of the heavenly class that will receive heavenly blessing after death and used for decades rev.

leaving_quietly

Logically, then, Revelation 21:4 must be referring to future blessings here on earth.

Well, duh... Revelation 21:2 says that, Sherlock! "I also saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

15

What would happen if...

by StarTrekAngel in

in an effort to excuse yourself from elder persecution, you present an argument.

whether at a jc or just in an average elder shepherding call.

most people who have confronted a jc, have tried to explain to the elders about what they know of the org but the incriminating questions always come up.. when confronted with the question, do you still believe the gb is the f&ds?

leaving_quietly

do you still believe the GB is the F&DS ?

How can I? Even THEY didn't believe it until 2012 when they announced it at the Annual Meeting. I mean, come on! Over 90 years and they didn't know they were the F&DS?!?!?!

32

"well beyond the intent of the scriptures" 7:44

by biblexaminer in

if you have the jw app running on your tablet, watch the latest (may) governing broadcast and hear tony the jackass, and when you get to 7 minutes and 44 seconds ...hit the pause button.. read the words at the bottom of the screen as per the jw app close captioning.. "well beyond the intent of the scriptures" .

he is describing the governing body past, like the ghost of christmas past.

yes, the governing body past were a bunch of freaking yahoo's violating 1 cor.

leaving_quietly

In context, he was talking about the early 1900s. He says: "In the early 1900s, the focus was on preaching the good news. Little attention was given to building strong Christian marriages and families. For a time, marriage was even discouraged, well beyond the intent of the scriptures."

36

Gorby says goodbye

by Gorbatchov in

jw
friends

my eyes for ttatt opened in 1995 with the generation change and the wt magazine stated "some witness thought that the generation started in 1914".

since 1997, with internet at low speed, i followed h2o hourglass, www.xjw.com and later on www.jehovahs-witness.net.. did a bachelor and post bachelor since then.. now, nearly completed with fading, i feel it's time to go on with my life and do some other things, spending more time with my wife abd children instead of thinking about jw topics in my head.

goal is being a better person and less grumpy at 45.... everything what could be said is already said.

leaving_quietly

Best to you Gorby!

50

Today's Study - Shun Disfellowshipped Family, Don't Marry Outsiders, Tell On Others!

by Divergent in

jw
friends

urghhh... what a disgusting study!7 a conflict of loyalties may arise when a close relative is disfellowshipped.

for example, a sister named anne received a telephone call from her disfellowshipped mother.

the mother wanted to visit anne because she felt pained by her isolation from the family.

leaving_quietly

They love to use 2 John 1:10,11, don't they? Let's review:

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. 11 For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.

Ok, fair enough, but what is "this teaching?" Let's back up and see the context.

Look out for yourselves, so that you do not lose the things we have worked to produce, but that you may obtain a full reward. 9 Everyone who pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. The one who does remain in this teaching is the one who has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your homes or say a greeting to him. 11 For the one who says a greeting to him is a sharer in his wicked works.

Hmm. The "teaching of the Christ." Let's see:

Did Christ teach about a paradise earth?
Did Christ teach that only 144,000 will go to heaven?
Did Christ teach that he would come in 1914?

If the answer to any of these is "yes," please show me from the Bible. If any of these are, no, then let's go back to 2 John and review verse 9.

Everyone who pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God.

I ask, then, who, really should be "shunned?"

leaving_quietly

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