Posts by TheWonderofYou

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HOW the WatchTower leaders flipped the script on Christianity

by TerryWalstrom in

worship of jesus was declared to be an act of idolatry!.

we are going to examine the cataclysmic changeover in christian teaching exploding inside the watchtower religion in the early 50’s by exploring a background of the history of jesus’ place in christianity.

jw teaching about the nature of jesus’ importance in the salvation of mankind will be compared with christian history.

TheWonderofYou

Just jumping over some passages of this thread and how fine you cull out the basic ideas and changes. Gratulation.

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DOOM and LUXURY : the Watchtower Elite prepares for the GREAT TRIBULATION

by TerryWalstrom in

boondoggles and preppers watchtower style!

a religion of doom and luxury!.

in 1866, the times of london wrote:.

TheWonderofYou

My country has a total population numbering approx. 8 Mio too!

Imagine all JW once in 200 - 300 years migrating there countries and settling down in a undeveloped region, creating a new state, how would that be. This reminds me of a russian sect who lives in the woods and have an own community life there. The prophet of the sect calles himself "Jesus of Siberia" or Vissarion, one of his books called "The last testament" and the group is called "Church of the Last Testament" (Церковь Последнего ЗаветаTserkov Poslednego Zaveta), also known as "Community of Unified Faith".

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/may/24/russia.iantraynor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Cv5hZfOmk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTgaHZ-wbVI

cult home page

http://www.vissarion.info/

Perhaps this will be the future of JW in 300 years after the GT of today and preparing in itself in the outcast for the next GT?

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Gods' name removed in Silver Sword?

by AmyWatson916 in

does anyone have an explanation about why the silver sword edition of the nwt removed god's name at exodus 34:14?

that verse is now different than the 1984 and 1970 versions of the nwt.

odd for an organization who believes that "god's name is of the utmost importance" as it says on page 195 of the bible teach book..

TheWonderofYou

Noted.

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EXISTENTIAL topic: Why is Paradise or Heaven the solution to anything?

by TerryWalstrom in

gather around the campfire, boys and girls.. i have a little journey for us all to take together.. long, long ago in this universe not so far away .

.we were told a story.______________once in timeless nothingness, there existed a timeless being we now call god.whatever "perfection" is or was--god was.

god was perfect.. but wait--that's not all!and here is where the story begins!.

TheWonderofYou

NIRVANA – What is it?

„blown out like a candle“ or „quenched“

Are you ready for putting another log on our campfire and listen to a story? At the campfire our thoughts ramble.

I did a little homework to understand the idea of „Nirvana“ and the connected „Samsara“ how I could work for my own Buddhahood to help others if I would find time. This is necessary before talking about the fictive situation, that we put our monotheistic GOD into Nirvana and think about how „he“ feels there.

If Nirvana meant really squinching of the candle literally, than our campfire would not exist here, because I feel content with our situation here. And what about feelings, personal identity and our personal liberated ultimate contentment, would it be squinched?

The „magi“ speak of two kinds of Nirvana, one that is even already achievable in this world, as human being and the other after the death, the buddahood in this life is Nirvana.

In Buddhism a person can be in this live in the state of Buddhahood, what would be the same as being already in Nirvana, but this kind of Nirvana is only achievable after much CHANGE in someones thoughts and deeds, liberation, awakeing. Yes furthermore, this kind of change of mind is positive, a positiv change that leads to enlightenment, the state of altruistic BUDDAHOOD and the release of our inner buddha-nature, say the magi.

As for the Nirvana-state in this life, the CONTENTMENT does not mean – as we saw - liberation of feelings, emotions but in contrary the fullness of empathy towards other beings.

What than is meant with the „extinguished flame“ in Nirvana, if the personal true nature/individuality the EGO is not „quenched“? It turns around the „ CHANGING triple FIRE“ of „illusion, greed and hatred“ - the source of suffering - from which in Nirvana you are liberated, they are blown out.

Truth of Cessation of Suffering.
„It is clear that nirvana-in-this-life is a pyschological and ethical reality, a transformed state of personality characterised by peace, deep spiritual joy, compassion, and a regined and subtle awareness. Negative emotional states and emotions such as doubt, worry, anxiety and fear are absent from the enlightened mind.“ Truth of Cessation of Suffering.

To come further I go first into explaining how the way to Nirvana looks like and how it can the state of Nirvana/Buddahood is achieved.

I read “How to expand love, widening the cycle of loving relationship“, 2005 by Dalai Lama. In this book he describes the way of altruistic enlightenment as mediation, awareness, widening out out empathy on all beings, commandable meriterious altruistic deeds.

Fundament: Equality of friend and enemy, meditation

First step: Positive attitute towards other beings
Second step: Appreciation of benignity and amicability
Third step: Responding to benignity
Fourth step: Love, solidarity, awareness of suffering, care (unconditional Love)
Fiftch step: Development of Pity and mercy,
(Desire to see others released of suffering)
Sixth step: Pledge oneself to altruism and charity, (unconditional devotion)
Seventh step: Unselfish altruistic entlightment
(transformation from egoisms to healthy welfare and love towards others)

Conclusions:

So everthing in buddhism turns around „AWAKENING“ of the spirit. This is a process accompanied by CHANGE, wisdom, learning, meditating, empathy, doing.
“Ultimate enlightenement therefore is not egoism of the individual, redemption for yourself without thinking of others, but is only achievable through being merciful and pityful to other beings.

Dalai Lama writes: So you will not rest in peace but consecrate yourself to the wellbeing of others....The endpoint of spiritual practice is the large empathy.“

The wellknown titels for this way of AWAKEING are:
Buddahood [Awakended one = being benefit all beings]
Buddanature [awakened mind]
Bodhisattva [someone who wants to awake]
NIRVANA [state after awakening],

The highest degree is in buddhism the enlightenment [AWAKENING] which is the permant presence of empathy.

Dalai Lama writes: So you will not rest in peace but consecrate yourself to the wellbeing of others....The endpoint of spiritual practice is the large empathy.“

_____

Terry:
Buddhists might describe the ultimate state of existence as NIRVANA.
Nirvana means that the candle has been blown out.
It describes the darkness and peace God was in BEFORE he decided to change.__

So my understanding of the meaning of "blowing out the candle" is now not any longer a state of DARKNESS, BOREDOM, LONELINES in heaven but of AWAKENING,TRUE COMMUNION, FRIENDSHIP like at our fine campfire here, with flames of empathy, flames from our hearts, free of false illusions. This comes close to nirvana-paradise.

How does this fit to a GOD FLOATING over the sea?

More shall come if my spiritual condition allows.

_______

SAMSARA - NIRVANA - cling to each other

In this enlightened BUDDHAHOOD state that anyone can theorically achieve by own efforts and preexisting abilities like buddha nature the NIRVANA, the inner freedom means simple the exemption from the conditional world called SAMSARA, which is the conditional world existing only in our imagination that causes pain due to our compulsive spiritual attachment or adherence to false premises, dualistic ideas, fears and hopes, changing conditions and false premises of the own EGO, SAMSARA is described as endless world-cycle of painful and conditional experienes. Only then we understand why NIRVANA is unclear translated as „great quenching“, it turns around „exemption from evil conditional thoughts and not from feelings, experiences, personality or happiness in general.

In contrary in turns around bringing out the best of mankind to its full enlightenment, values, love, mercy and empathy and realisation about an inconditional permanent true condition of the clear spirit as a boundless candor.

_____

COMPARISONS

Comparsion 1- House built on sand

I would compare the SAMSARA notion for the beginning - in a limping comparison of course - with the biblical „house that is built on sand, and not built on permanent positive values or treasures with God.“ Samsara would in my comparison be then a whole WORLD built on sand, built on false premises and veiled spirit. True values and happiness would be found only then in the House of Nirvana, the world-House of values and clear spirit of boundless spirit. If you like kingdom-spirit (NIRVANA) against wordly spirit (SAMSARA)

Note: It turns around spiritual conditions in our mind.

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Old Watchtower publications in improved format

by Watchtower-Free in

the website avoidjw.org has been working to improve all the older documents.

right now, all the zion's watch towers from 1880 - 1908 and the watch towers from 1909 to 1920 have been improved drastically.

i'm currently working on updating pdfs from 1921 to 1949. this updating will include the following features:1. reduced file sizes.2.

TheWonderofYou

Volume XXI No. 2, January 15,1900

In the section "Views from the Watch Tower" it was common to cite the press and to comment on it like in this example: The YMCA and Brookly Theater are given as examples for the modern "churchianity" - which was a term for churches who acted as social clubs.

So conservative a journal as The Advance has already intimated that “Candy-pulls” and other modern methods of making Christianity attractive must not be interfered with by “old fogies.” And so say we1 Let the innovations proceed—they are essential to the very existence of “Babylon.” And besides, the sooner the social Churchianity clubs act out their real sentiments all along the line, the better it will be for true Christianity, whose separation from Churchianity is now due to be accomplished in this harvest time— “wheat” from “tares.”

The more it becomes apparent that, with the vast majority, religion is merely “a form of godliness,” the more will thosewho have the power of it as well realize the width of the gulf which really separates the two classes in divine estimation. The louder grow- the revelry and irreverence and the scoffing at God’s Word by “higher critics” and the boasts of Evolution, the louder in the ears of the Lord’s true saints will sound the Master’s command: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen! Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”—Rev. 18:2, 4.

The old Watch Towers - A wonderful tool for christian research activicty.

Thanks.

8

From the Spirit Realm: Weird Interview: Russell and Rutherford

by TerryWalstrom in

russell: oh my yes!

russell: oh my no!.

russell: certainly.

TheWonderofYou

Archangel Gabriel asks Rutherford who is standing in front of a gate with the inscription ""The little flock", guarding the entering of the newcomers.

"How many will come yet with heavenly call?"

Rutherford counting: " 144.003, 144.004, 144.005, 145.000, 148.000 ...OHH, Christ Jesus, my christ Jesus, I should have completed the calling already 1975 or 1940 with my death. Now already everybody wants to achieve the heavenily reward. I made an ass of myself. They dont like the paradise earth.

Gabriel: "JUDGE!?".

Rutherford: "Some have to be replaced. Lets sum up the pros and cons. Gabriel, forward the scrolls."

Russel unamused: "Judge, you will not replace me, you dare ha ha?
Will you send me back to earth paradise like you did with Bro. Franz? Its really damnable what you are doing as guardian of your "little flock" GATE. Why are you counting at all?"

Rutherford: "Shut up bro. Its not up to you to speculate whom I will send back to earthly paradise and who remains in heaven. I am prince."

Voices of a crowd of little sheep in the little flock "We want to remain in heaven, pleeeeaaaase, we liked the rapture, Im sheep 133.333, i like my number" and "we wont go back and there is no paradise yet on earth, its a lie, the world is really so evil at the moment. Your promise of paradise did not come true Judge, Theres no place for us on earth, Shall we go back to our graves?"

Other newbies who thought they had heavenly hope already achieved in front of the gaite waiting to get entry.
Gabriel "Hey Prince Rutherford, dont let em wait! Are you completed?"

Heavenly called ones: "It would have been better to remain in our graves than to wait here in this intermedium state".

Rutherford: "Wait, there are coming new ones from a new generation, let us wait only a little bit of time yet. Let me write a petition to the Almighty, my doctrin shall not be changed, let us only shift the generation that will be blessed by him."

8

From the Spirit Realm: Weird Interview: Russell and Rutherford

by TerryWalstrom in

russell: oh my yes!

russell: oh my no!.

russell: certainly.

TheWonderofYou

So we see how impressivly direct your channel from STAR*BUCKS up to our stars (Russel, Rutherford, Franz) in heavenly Jerusalem must be. I should visit a Starbucks too.

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Judge sanctions WTS - $4k per day penalty for not producing sex abuse documents

by Simon in

judge sanctions jehovah's witnesses.

imposes $4000-a-day penalty for not producing documents in sex-abuse case.

by dorian hargrove, june 24, 2016. a san diego superior court judge has ordered the church of jehovah's witnesses, also known as the watchtower bible and tract society of pennsylvania, to pay $4000 a day for every day that it fails to produce documents requested in a civil lawsuit brought by former parishioner, osbaldo padron, who claims a church elder sexually abused him when he was seven years old.. in a june 23 ruling, expected to be made final today, judge richard strauss admonished the church for willfully ignoring a court order to produce all documents associated with a 1997 body of elders letter that church leaders sent to parishes around the world in a quest to learn about sexual abuse of children by church leaders.. over the course of the past year, the watchtower society and its lawyers have fought hard to keep the letter confidential, claiming that turning over the documents would infringe on the privacy of those mentioned in the letter that were not associated with the case.. in march 2015, the church turned over a heavily redacted version of the letter.

TheWonderofYou

They still think that in this - unwillingness to follow court orders - they are obeying God more than men.

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100-million man hours

by Coded Logic in

the james webb telescope is set to launch in october of 2018 and will allow us to study the formation of first generation stars, the molecular clouds that became the first galaxies, and directly image exoplanets.

roughly one hundred times more powerful than the hubble space telescope the jwst is going to push back the current boundaries of science.. this is what 100-million man hours can accomplish.. .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8p0samsz7m.

TheWonderofYou

Faszinating at 21:00: the installation of 18 mirrors, surfaces are polished to a spec of better than 20 nanometers surface figure area, near atomic level! Wow.

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