That's a genuine cover Loubelle, still available from the official website.
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/?contentLanguageFilter=en&pubFilter=wp&yearFilter=2012
a practical question concerning human psychology .
it very well be that it was the jws who were.
responsible for first approaching this posing question to people to incite their interest and concern.. i can confidently say it was for my 20 something year old mother back in the early 50's.. unfortunately people who did so, weren't completely discerning the probable commercial .
That's a genuine cover Loubelle, still available from the official website.
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/?contentLanguageFilter=en&pubFilter=wp&yearFilter=2012
i have always been taught that jehovah god never changes his mind and he always carries out what he predicts.
then a friend of mine who is atheist showed me a scripture in the bible that caught me totally off guard.
it is in the book of jeremiah.
It seems to me that not only does He change His mind, but He then regrets His original action as well, e.g;
Gen 6:6-7
Ex 32:14
1 Sam 15:10-11
2 Sam 24:15-16.
.
every schoolboy used to know that at the height of the empire, almost a quarter of the atlas was coloured pink, showing the extent of british rule.. but that oft recited fact dramatically understates the remarkable global reach achieved by this country.. a new study has found that at various times the british have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe.. .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9653497/british-have-invaded-nine-out-of-ten-countries-so-look-out-luxembourg.html.
Actually, it's not that small, excluding Australia, it's the 8th largest island in the world, and the journey from Lands End to John O'Groats is longer than Florida to Washington DC. But the weather's crap, so we have to invade the rest of the world to get the sunshine.
from time to time there are things said by the brother giving the public talk or conducting the watchtower that just make my jaw drop.
here are two from sunday.
"we are 98 years into the last days"
Do not forget - a thousand years with Jehovah are but a moment. (and in case that's not clear, I am being sarcastic).
just a few wts that put to the effect anything from them should be taken as from jehovah himself and also with elders or being disfellowshipped, that it means jehovah himself is angry with them, that's it's punishment from him.
.
DATA-DOG - " They revise their history at will"
That nails it! The most repugnant aspect of their being - and coming from an org than supposedly reveres TRUTH it is hard remain objective with them.
.
every schoolboy used to know that at the height of the empire, almost a quarter of the atlas was coloured pink, showing the extent of british rule.. but that oft recited fact dramatically understates the remarkable global reach achieved by this country.. a new study has found that at various times the british have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe.. .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9653497/british-have-invaded-nine-out-of-ten-countries-so-look-out-luxembourg.html.
Satanus, you are right, I missed that sub tly in the title - and you are also right, IT has many more means than military and economic tools at it disposal. But information is an old tool that is becoming ever more difficult to control, and so long as the internet survives, that will be a tool that will prevent invasion rather than help it.
a practical question concerning human psychology .
it very well be that it was the jws who were.
responsible for first approaching this posing question to people to incite their interest and concern.. i can confidently say it was for my 20 something year old mother back in the early 50's.. unfortunately people who did so, weren't completely discerning the probable commercial .
I don't think the fear fo Armegoddon had much to do with my conversion. But I think that 00DAD has a point as to while people stay. But I think it has more to do with their love of the network of friends etc than a fear of shunning. If they had friends outside the Org, they wouldn't give a f**k for shunning.
.
every schoolboy used to know that at the height of the empire, almost a quarter of the atlas was coloured pink, showing the extent of british rule.. but that oft recited fact dramatically understates the remarkable global reach achieved by this country.. a new study has found that at various times the british have invaded almost 90 per cent of the countries around the globe.. .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/9653497/british-have-invaded-nine-out-of-ten-countries-so-look-out-luxembourg.html.
Invasion takes more than one form. Yes, we the British invaded most of the world at some point or another, but these days it's taking a different form. The USA failed miserably to invade Vietnam militarily, but has achieved so much more economically since then. We will all be colonies of the Chinese before long.
what attracted you to the watchtower?
were you raised in it?
if not, what caused you to convert?
I still feel a certain reproach from those that were “born in” towards those that were converted. I understand that feeling from purely objective perspective, given the passage of time. I would only say to those that were born in, do not hold that too much against your parents. Hindsight is easy. I would love to turn back the clock. Oh how much!
I do not consider my teenage self to be simple minded, unread, or to have a dead end life – I fought hard against what was presented before me because I didn’t want to give up what I had up till then held as my future in life, but I found the answers very compelling. I didn’t have a leaning towards needing to search for “meaning”, even though I lived trough the hippie period. I was, as steve2 put it, optimistically gullible. Please do not condemn me - or your parents, for that.
just a few wts that put to the effect anything from them should be taken as from jehovah himself and also with elders or being disfellowshipped, that it means jehovah himself is angry with them, that's it's punishment from him.
.
AnnOMaly – a very interesting piece from Carl Olof Jonsson, and you’re right, I did find it an interesting read. And Leolaia, a very good précis on the subject, thank you. If I have to disagree with anything you posted (and I acknowledge the IF) it is this; “So if Knorr actually predicted anything, it is this: … ”
My point was that Knorr (and/or Franz) predicted nothing at all! That is, nothing that actually came true. Everything HE predicted failed. He took an (after the event) some one else’s prediction that did come true, ignored the rest, and claimed it for himself. Intellectual dishonesty at the highest.