Ah, Larc, going to the Jesus Witness convention in Pa this weekend, eh. I went a few years ago, what a WHINEFEST! Never again!
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i am a college student taking a course in religious studies.
we started studing christianity today.
my professor branched out several religions on the board.
Ah, Larc, going to the Jesus Witness convention in Pa this weekend, eh. I went a few years ago, what a WHINEFEST! Never again!
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the watchtower, october 22, 2001, page 22, column 2, paragraph 2:.
loyaty to jehovah also includes loyalty to his organization.
necessarily, over the years there have been corrections and adjustments to our understanding of certain scriptures.
I think it should say, "Jehovah is stuck with his earthly organization."
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it has been recorded in his own material, his admittance to being a freemason.
" i am very glad to have this particular opportunity of saying a word about some of the things in which we agree with our masonic friends, because we are speaking in a building dedicated to masonry, and we also are masons.
i am a freemason.
HS
I once heard a rumour that Elton John was a Mason and that his head was made of laminated poly-fibre.After meeting him, I can assure you that he is not a Mason.
Ahhh ... but what about his head? Was it made of laminated poly-fibre?
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it has been recorded in his own material, his admittance to being a freemason.
" i am very glad to have this particular opportunity of saying a word about some of the things in which we agree with our masonic friends, because we are speaking in a building dedicated to masonry, and we also are masons.
i am a freemason.
Cyrano
Putting a Pagan Sun Disc Symbol on religous literature considered to be from 'God's only channel' is quite different than some car company using it.
Tit for tat, the cross is a pagan symbol, but some how it has been Christianized. Russell saw a scriptural reason for using the symbol. It reminded him of the scripture in Mal. 4:2 "The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings."
The very fact that Russell even used Masonic symbols on his Watchtower suggest he had some affiliation. You don't just say 'Gee what art will I put on God's Literature today'. He had to think about it.
Exactly and he did, and saw a scripture. The Cross and crown symbol is another synbol that many tie to masonry. However the symbol dates back further than masonry and today many established churches use the symbol.
Russell preached figuratively using Masonry terms to appeal to Masons. Why, to join his organization.
He did the same to many prostestant, catholic and jewish audiences, does that mean he was all of these?
Just because Russell may have wrote negatively of Masonry doesn't mean anything, especially considering the U.N. fiasco.
This is so absurd, what does Russell have to do with the UN?
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i am a college student taking a course in religious studies.
we started studing christianity today.
my professor branched out several religions on the board.
Very good MA, Russell himself was a member of the congregational Church, and YMCA and he and his father and sister studied with the Advent Christian Church for some ten years. Before forming the Watch Tower Society.
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the watchtower, october 22, 2001, page 22, column 2, paragraph 2:.
loyaty to jehovah also includes loyalty to his organization.
necessarily, over the years there have been corrections and adjustments to our understanding of certain scriptures.
The Watchtower, October 22, 2001, page 22, column 2, paragraph 2:
Loyaty to Jehovah also includes loyalty to his organization. Necessarily, over the years there have been corrections and adjustments to our understanding of certain scriptures. The fact is that no one is as spiritually fed as we are. (Matthew 24:45-47) Unquestionably. Jehovah has stuck with his modern-day organization. Can we not do likewise.
In other words, "yes we screwed up, we said and did things that were wrong, please, pl pl pleezeeeeee don't go, we promise to be good."
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we read from the oct 1, 2002 watchtower.
pioneering a way of life.
in these last days, as we draw ever closer to armageddon, we realize just how important the imminent approach of armageddon makes the preaching work.
Well I looked at the 10/01/01 WT and don't see anything like that, unless BX gives us a page number.
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it has been recorded in his own material, his admittance to being a freemason.
" i am very glad to have this particular opportunity of saying a word about some of the things in which we agree with our masonic friends, because we are speaking in a building dedicated to masonry, and we also are masons.
i am a freemason.
Thank you MAD, I have done so much research into this issue and have always come up blank.
It's as if, people want to destroy the Society so badly, they'll stoop to making things up or sretching the truth. There is no truth to Russell being a mason of any kind, and anyone who had read the supposedly articles and sermons that say he has will know that this is NOT what he was admitting to.
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the 'old-timers' generally carry a congregation.. i grew up in a cong' with six members of the 'anointed' - only two remain and one of those, a lovely lady with genuine warmth and interest in people, is now in a nursing home.. what happens when the depth that these individuals bring is lost?.
of course, they were/are barking up the wrong tree as much as the rest of the dubs but their influence at least tended to 'round out' some of the more hard-line jw's.. .
nic'.
Although I would dread the thought of the Society becoming 'mainstream' I do believe it is possible for them to grow and survive without doing a major makeover.
Christian freedom is important for growth, the Society is in for a big downfall, as they have chased out all of their capable people.
If they would just lax a bit and allow their members to think for themselves and not ENFORCE their theology, things would go a long way.
Perhaps they could learn a lesson from Pastor Russell and the way things were done in the early days. When the Society was nothing more than a publishing house, publishing religious literature, and the congregations were autonomous, governing themselves.
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i've never had a bd party given for myself, and have never attended one for a friend.. the company i work for gives bd parties for people born in a certain month and i go because i know it would be considered rude not to.. i don't think it is endearing to snub other people just because they have different ideas, especially on something like this which can easily be accommodated.
does it really threaten g-d's superiority to tell someone else "happy birthday"?
I believe the Society's ban on certian activities is just a way to isolate their members. Granted I can see their arguments for such holidays as holloween and Christmas, however, birthdays are harmless. I personally do have birthday parties for myself, but we do have parties for my daughter. And no, I don't see anything wrong with saying "Happy Birthday" to someone.
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