Bobcat

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Posts by Bobcat

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  14

  Since when does a slave appoint itself over anything???

  by Roger Kirkpatrick in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  at matthew 24:45, where jesus discussed the faithful and discreet slave, he gave only two identifying features of that slave.

  (1) providing the master’s domestics food at the proper time; and, (2) after having done so, being appointed by the master himself over all the master’s belongings.. since current watchtower teaching is that the appointment over all the master’s belongings is yet future and that such appointment is to be made by the master himself, how does the governing body of jehovah’s witnesses account for the fact that it has preemptively identified itself as that faithful and discreet slave?.

  surely there remains among believing jws some who can discern the problem with this teaching!

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  Bobcat

  RK, here is a post that has links to a good bit of research I have done on this parable (in case it is of any interest to you.).

  There are numerous incongruities in the WT's explanation of that parable. For example, Jesus goes away at his death, with the promise of a return. But the WT explanation requires Jesus to return again in 1919 and go away again with a promise of yet another return.

  The real and only reason for their present interpretation of this parable is that it suits them at the present time. The increase in Memorial partakers in recent times required them to react. They don't mind if most of the 'anointed' are already dead. But when there come to be many of them still alive they have to insulate themselves and their ruling authority.
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  27

  Infiltrated Elders?

  by john.prestor in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so i'm watching john cedars commentary on the annual meeting from this last october, and at one point he shows a clip of garrett loesch talking about the struggles jehovah's witnesses faced decades before in the soviet union.

  he claimed that police officers, maybe the kgb, infiltrated congregations which met in secret by studying with jehovah's witnesses, getting baptized, and then working their way up to becoming elders.

  ceders jokes that this shows what kind of role holy spirit actually plays within body of elders, but another interpretation came to my mind just now.

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  Bobcat

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  26

  Blood doctrine question

  by AuntBee in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  when witnesses go on and on about bloodless medicine, they often imply that this will work in all situations.

  do they really believe this, because it's what the society has led them to believe?

  are they just trying to divert their own mind, from the reality of blood deaths, that still happen?

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  Bobcat

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  143

  Fidel Castro and the WT

  by Hecce in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i am going to engage on a trip to the past and share with you some of the matters that marked the beginning of the jws persecution in cuba.

  you will be surprised that the pattern that was followed is very similar to what happened in other dictatorial countries.. in the cuban case, i am going to surprise you and tell you that like what happened with hitler; the wt was partially responsible for their clash and confrontation with the cuban government.

  during the early 60s the revolution was fighting for survival and they were willing and ready to demolish any perceived enemy to their cause.. a prime example was their war against the catholic church that was the most influential religious entity in the country; it took the supreme leader only a few public discourses to send the vast majority of clergy packing and back to their country, in this case spain.. the jehovah’s witnesses were an insignificant minority but they over estimated their importance and displayed a belligerent attitude, it was known that this was a us based religion and an easy target to connect them with the cia.

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  Bobcat

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  14

  Mark 13: 1-8 ...Not a composite sign/ two-fold prophecy scripture

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this brother starts off with reading the following scriptures from the book of mark 13:1-8.

  3 while he was sitting on the mount of olives across from the temple, peter, james, john, and andrew asked him privately, 4 “tell us, when will these things happen?

  and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”.

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  Bobcat

  R&R, as you saw above, I agree with you that the events described in the Olivet Discourse (up to the parable of the fig tree and "this generation") are referring to events in the 1st century. And it is not just the WT who claim that those events have a more future fulfillment. But the surrounding context definitely places them in the events of the Jewish-Roman War of 66-73 CE.

  But having said that, look at a comparison of foretold events that Rev 16 describes laid side-by-side with Mt 24 & Lk 21 here. There are obvious similarities, and a few differences also. One could understand some thinking that the Olivet prophecy and Rev 16 are describing the same thing. They aren't. But they are similar enough to lead some to think they are.

  It appears that both follow a similar pattern. Yet they each have differences because one is a local event and the other is a world wide event.
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  14

  Mark 13: 1-8 ...Not a composite sign/ two-fold prophecy scripture

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this brother starts off with reading the following scriptures from the book of mark 13:1-8.

  3 while he was sitting on the mount of olives across from the temple, peter, james, john, and andrew asked him privately, 4 “tell us, when will these things happen?

  and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”.

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  Bobcat

  Even the scripture about preaching to the nations was really written about preaching the Roman lands.

  You are correct CrazyGuy. Romans 16:25-26 & Col 1:23 agree. And "inhabited earth" from Mt 24:14 was often used to refer to the Roman Empire. (E.g. Luke 2:1)
  
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  14

  Mark 13: 1-8 ...Not a composite sign/ two-fold prophecy scripture

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  this brother starts off with reading the following scriptures from the book of mark 13:1-8.

  3 while he was sitting on the mount of olives across from the temple, peter, james, john, and andrew asked him privately, 4 “tell us, when will these things happen?

  and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?”.

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  Bobcat

  If you look at the whole chapter (Mark 13), verses 1 & 2 give the reason for the disciples questions in verses 3 & 4. Verses 1 & 2 are discussing the Jewish temple and a prediction by Jesus that it will be leveled. So, naturally, the disciples questions in verses 3 & 4 are directly related to that.

  At the other end, verses 28-31 are a sort of summary parable describing the events just described (verses 5-27) and Jesus describes these things as being fulfilled within "this generation." An unbiased reading would place everything between verse 5 and verse 27 as something Jesus was predicting for (then) contemporary Jews. Even if one doesn't understand how verses 24-27 could have happened back then, the surrounding context argues that Jesus was expecting those things to happen within that 'generational' time frame.

  Claiming that verses 5-27 must have a dual fulfillment is, in reality, an admission that they don't understand all of what Jesus was talking about.

  It is only starting at verse 32 that there is a hint of some future judgment that the disciples have to be ready for. The events in verses 5-27 have the disciples being given a way of escape and salvation from what was predicted for the temple and that Jewish generation. (verses 14-20)
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  19

  The Society is Blocking Research On their Web Site

  by new boy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  it seems, you can not research many of the older publications on society's web site anymore.

  for the obvious reasons, that they don't want people to go back and read about all the false prophecies, changing guide lines (new light that became old light that became new light once again) and the just plain stupid stuff they have said over the years.

  i not quit sure what publications they have blocked.

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  Bobcat

  For WT pubs older than 1950 (or later for that matter), try here.

  Here is an example of the extensive list of magazines they have.
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  43

  Hidden history of the Watchtower religion

  by TerryWalstrom in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  the deeper you dig--the less impressive jw’s become!___________________you may think you know the men who are vitally important to the birth of the religion--but chances are good you’ve been kept in the dark.. _____________.

  did you know?the 1st case heard by the supreme court of the united states concerning the watchtower society involved a director (an officer) of the watchtower, william franklyn hudgings.. a brief description of hudgings and his character.hudgings was an attorney, quack doctor, self-identified ‘scientist’, a pro-zionist, and religious enthusiast who over the years held various director and officer positions in the watchtower society, and the affiliated people's pulpit association and international bible students association.

  at the time of this particular case, william hudgings acknowledged being the corporate secretary of the people's pulpit association and acknowledged that his daily duties included the administrative charge of printing of the watchtower magazine, the bible student's monthly, the kingdom news, and other watchtower publications.. (hudgings was also re-elected to the watchtower society board of directors in january 1919.

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  Bobcat

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  28

  Has Anyone Ever Outed You For Being “Apostate”?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  either here on this site or by a congregation member?

  ?.

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  Bobcat

  Hi ToesUp,

  What was their reaction to not answering their yes-or-no question? Just curious.