The Wikipedia article on Job is very interesting! To me, various things about the book of Job do not make sense and seem wrong. I believe the book of Job is a literary creation/device … as do some (a minority in number) of rabbis in Judaism. It was the Jewish people that wrote the book – I figure they are the best ones to consult about its meaning! I believe that some of the Jewish literary techniques involved mixing some amount of historicity (perhaps a very small amount!) with other fictional literary elements to tell a story. Hence, the consistent use of numbers like 7, 40 and other round numbers throughout the Bible. Job was not speaking of actual events that happened in heaven – this was only a literary creation of the author reflecting the author's philosophy, intent and view of the universe.
Posts by Maryo
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35Last Week's Watchtower had something that made people start questioning things?
by silentbuddha ini just got a call from a friend who said that something in last weeks watchtower caused a number of people in various congregations to start questioning things, and several long time elders left.
i am totally out of the loop but i do read things here and i heard of no such thing.. something to the effect that jw's and governing boobies are not inspired or something along those lines?.
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35
Last Week's Watchtower had something that made people start questioning things?
by silentbuddha ini just got a call from a friend who said that something in last weeks watchtower caused a number of people in various congregations to start questioning things, and several long time elders left.
i am totally out of the loop but i do read things here and i heard of no such thing.. something to the effect that jw's and governing boobies are not inspired or something along those lines?.
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Maryo
Observed at the Anglican church I was attending: after the service which included a sermon about Job, a parishioner remarked "Job is my favorite book in the Bible." Another long-time parishioner said "Well, it certainly is NOT mine." This parishioner and his wife were never seen at that church again. A Jewish literary creation intended to teach a moral lesson (of some uncertain kind) is taken (mistakenly) literally by Christians! -
Leimert Assembly Hall Black Muslims
by Maryo ini have a memory that in the 1960s the leimert assembly hall in los angeles in the crenshaw district had assemblies with integrated audiences.
however, about that time the black muslims – not approving of integration – made some kind of trouble and that thereafter the assemblies were segregated with the black friends having their own separate assemblies and the white friends having their own separate assemblies.
does anyone out there remember the details of this?
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Maryo
I have a memory that in the 1960s the Leimert assembly hall in Los Angeles in the Crenshaw district had assemblies with integrated audiences. However, about that time the black Muslims – not approving of integration – made some kind of trouble and that thereafter the assemblies were segregated with the black friends having their own separate assemblies and the white friends having their own separate assemblies. Does anyone out there remember the details of this? -
36
Please tell me: what is a relationship with the "person" Jehovah like?
by Maryo indoes anyone out there know of any jws that have talked about what their personal relationship with jehovah was like?
for example, hearing his voice, a certain feeling?
an intellectual understanding?
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Maryo
JWs and others misunderstand the poetic, literary language and literary devices in the bible as being literal, such as that there is a literal throne of Jehovah. Even as a teenager in the mid-1960s somehow my inner brow furled when it was said that 1000 years being like a day in the eyes of Jehovah was a literal 1000 years – and used for their last days calculations. years later, when I took some literature classes in college, I learned about these uses of language in literature. perhaps Pastor Russell should have gone to theological seminary! I believe I read that now Jehovah's Witnesses have said that the 1000 years in this case is not literal.
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36
Please tell me: what is a relationship with the "person" Jehovah like?
by Maryo indoes anyone out there know of any jws that have talked about what their personal relationship with jehovah was like?
for example, hearing his voice, a certain feeling?
an intellectual understanding?
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Maryo
thank you for your detailed description, Muddy Waters!
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36
Please tell me: what is a relationship with the "person" Jehovah like?
by Maryo indoes anyone out there know of any jws that have talked about what their personal relationship with jehovah was like?
for example, hearing his voice, a certain feeling?
an intellectual understanding?
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Maryo
I find it especially "odd" that Jehovah's Witnesses think the person Jehovah – the sovereign of the universe – feels human emotions like sadness. We do not want to make Jehovah "sad" seems ultra ridiculous to me. [BTW, I do not remember in my day of the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s that Jehovah was referred to as being "sad" when people misbehaved in the manner they now do on JW broadcasting.] you would think that the sovereign of the universe would be somehow above that. you can see why am no longer one of Jehovah's Witnesses! I just could not get it; it could not be helped!
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36
Please tell me: what is a relationship with the "person" Jehovah like?
by Maryo indoes anyone out there know of any jws that have talked about what their personal relationship with jehovah was like?
for example, hearing his voice, a certain feeling?
an intellectual understanding?
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Maryo
It is very interesting to me that JWs do not claim to know where the throne of Jehovah is, where "he" lives! that is, since they no longer teach that Jehovah lives in the Pleiades (which was thought to be the center of the universe during the time of that teaching). I am evidently pretty "dense" because during all my years as a JW I did not really get the WTS emphasized the personhood of Jehovah. perhaps this was because the personhood of the sovereign of the universe seems so intuitively wrong to me. I thought Jehovah was more like a force of some kind.
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36
Please tell me: what is a relationship with the "person" Jehovah like?
by Maryo indoes anyone out there know of any jws that have talked about what their personal relationship with jehovah was like?
for example, hearing his voice, a certain feeling?
an intellectual understanding?
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Maryo
Does anyone out there know of any JWs that have talked about what their personal relationship with Jehovah was like? For example, hearing his voice, a certain feeling? an intellectual understanding? an assurance of life in the New World? I am curious about this – especially since now from a post here it is clear that they teach Jehovah is a person! I never experienced any of this when I was a JW.
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2017 Conventions
by Maryo inin view of the terrorist attacks going on in the world right now, as well as the high degree of animosity towards jehovah's witnesses as a result of their shuning practices, etc., i think it would be wise for the wts to discontinue meeting for large conventions and use live streaming and broadcasts instead.
even with the increased security measures being put in place this year, it would not be surprising if some incidents take place.
has anyone heard any talk in this regard?.
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Maryo
The one set to be held in San Francisco in July is at the Cow Palace. Certain venues in and of themselves could attract attention.
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2017 Conventions
by Maryo inin view of the terrorist attacks going on in the world right now, as well as the high degree of animosity towards jehovah's witnesses as a result of their shuning practices, etc., i think it would be wise for the wts to discontinue meeting for large conventions and use live streaming and broadcasts instead.
even with the increased security measures being put in place this year, it would not be surprising if some incidents take place.
has anyone heard any talk in this regard?.
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Maryo
I personally would not feel safe to attend one of these conventions. it is clear from the kingdom hall bombing in Australia in 1985 that divine protection is not going on with regard to these kinds of events. Perhaps if a serious incident occurs, the WTS will reconsider the wisdom of holding these large events in today's world!