RunningMan

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Posts by RunningMan

• 
  79

  When God created Adm, did he knw that Adam wd sin?

  by D wiltshire in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  when god created adam and eve did he foreknow that they would sin?.

  this is taken from the reasoning book:.

  when god created adam, did he know that adam would sin?.

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  RunningMan

  I'm sure this isn't a coincidence, but this was the subject of last week's number 4 talk - and
  I just happened to be the one that delivered it in our congregation.

  The society has a problem. They teach that there is no predestination. After all, if tomorrow
  is already set, why go from door to door? On the other hand, they also teach that God can
  tell the future. But how can the future be known if it is not set?

  So, they invented the idiotic concept of "selective foreknowledge", meaning that God can foretell
  the future, but he chooses to switch it off as a gift to humans, allowing them freedom.

  This is their idea of having their cake and eating it, too. You can't have it both ways. Either the
  future is knowable, and therefore set in stone, or it is not, and God doesn't know the future.

  Ah, the problems you encounter when you try to take an obvious myth and believe it literally.
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  9

  From the Watchtower Oct 1, 2002

  by biblexaminer in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  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.

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  RunningMan

  Corollary:

  "Our faith was strengthened this summer when we heard that two elderly Witnesses were killed by
  flood waters while attending the summer District Assembly at the Houston Astrodome. While some
  thrill seekers were risking their lives at the convention, a number of our young pioneer brothers were
  modestly partaking of alcoholic beverages, while observing well-endowed young women at the local
  Hooter's. Their forethought in skipping the sessions saved thier lives, and perhaps even sent a
  powerful message to others who may have observed thier behaviour. May we all exhibit a spirit like
  this. Indeed, our very lives depend on it!"
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  20

  KMs Needed!!!

  by Kent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  can anyone help me with quality scans of the latest (and coming) km?

  i need it for publishing on the watchtower observer!.

  yakki da.

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  RunningMan

  I have archived every KM since the late 1970's for Canada.

  Tell me which issues you need, and I can fax them to you (I don't have a scanner).
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  15

  Its the Whole Premise that Gets Me

  by pettygrudger in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  #1 - original sin: supposedly all this stuff is going on because adam/eve "ate the fruit" (type of fruit still under question).

  because of this, god let billions & billions of people, "his children", suffer imperfection, pestilence, plague, wars,death, etc.

  & let his "true followers" throughout bible history be persecuted because of this "original sin".

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  RunningMan

  Here are a few more points to ponder:

  1. Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat from the the tree of the
  knowledge of good and bad. After eating from it, their "eyes were opened".
  They realized they were naked, etc. So, if they did not know good from bad
  prior to eating the fruit, how could they be held responsible for being bad?

  2. Inherited imperfection caused by original sin is credited with our current
  state of sickness and death. But animals also get sick and die, sometimes of
  the same diseases that humans get. They had no original sin. It seems pretty
  obvious that original sin has nothing to do with sickness and death.

  3. Adam and Eve ate a piece of fruit. The seriousness of this infraction is comparable
  to a parking ticket. Yet, it resulted in the death of somewhere around 24 Billion people.
  What kind of sick sense of proportion is involved here?
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  11

  You Know, and then the end will come

  by joelbear in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  matthew 24:14. jesus says, this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth, for a witness, and then the end will come.. this work only done by jehovah's witnesses for about 125 years approximately.

  they have 6 million preachers concentrated in mostly 20 countries.. lets say they have preached it in all of north america, which is still debatable since there are still a large segment of people who have no really clear idea of what witnesses believe "the good news" is.. even so, just in china and india there are 2 billion human beings who have probably never been preached to even once.

  add bangladesh, iran, iraq, saudi arabia, etc and you have at least another billion with the population in these hard to reach countries continuously growing.. how can the end come before jesus's prophecy comes true.

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  RunningMan

  Actually, I'm not sure what JW's are trying to accomplish, anyway. According
  to the Bible, the good news was preached to all the earth in the first century.

  "So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching
  of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for 'Their voice has
  gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.'" - Romans 10:17,18

  Whatever standard the Bible was using to determine what constitutes the "entire
  earth" is unknown. However, it should be safe to assume that the writer of Romans
  knew the answer. And according to him, the work was done.
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  21

  How have appointed bros handled leaving the WTS

  by Leander in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm debating on when to actually decide and step down as a ministerial servant.

  my conscience will no longer allow me to give talks or speak to others in the door-to-door work.. i'm feeling really apprehensive about what i need to do, i know for a fact that my wife is going to be devestated.. .

  whats the best way to step down from an appointed position?

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  RunningMan

  I stepped down as a Ministerial Servant about three years ago.
  My excuse was that I felt that my other responsibilities (work,
  family, etc) were preventing me from doing the kind of job as
  an MS that I felt was needed. Therefore, it would be best if I
  stepped down, at least for a little while.

  The PO had a personal chat with me, encouraging me not to let
  anything affect my spirituality, so I assured him adamantly that
  I would not. Since then, we have been fading slowly.

  I guess the next step is to stop reporting time. I haven't been out
  in service since March, but I never miss a report.
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  11

  Dubs Worked My Street Today

  by FreePeace in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  this morning, i went outside for a smoke, and lo and behold, down the street i saw 2 dubs just starting their door-to-door work.

  it was an older dub brother i used to know from my old congregation, and an unidentifiable sister.

  i knew that they would not be good candidates for the current un/ngo discussion, as he is a dub who really doesn't get it.

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  RunningMan

  Your note was obviously too subtle. He didn't get the point.

  Next time, speak your mind. Don't beat around the bush.
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  15

  WELL WORTH READING: JW's + 144,000

  by stevieb1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  found this material on an yahoo egroups site on greek theology on which quite a number of witness apologists contribute.

  there is quite a bit of interesting stuff on here, but here is a worthwhile comment made on the 144,000 as they relate to the "fds class" and jw's since 1879. establishes from purely mathematical point of view that the 144,000 cannot be a literal but figurative.

  quote:.

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  RunningMan

  Most of us intuitively know that this doctrine is just plain silly.
  It's nice to know that it can be mathematically demolished, too.
• 
  29

  My Encounter with a Witness

  by Unclepenn1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well, the other night i had invited a young man to my house to share with him, respectfully, the false prophecies of the wt, using older wt books.

  the conversation started very nicely, with the usual small talk and such.

  i decided to ask some questions, that i knew the answers to, but just wanted to get the gears in his head turning.

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  RunningMan

  Good work, Unclepenn1. You made him think, at least a little, and
  it was obviously very painful.

  Your words probably will not make any immediate difference, but they
  will prey on his mind. Then, at some future point, when he is confronted
  with some additional information, he may link the two. You have contributed
  to his possible future awakening.

  If you try this again, try to be as tactful as possible, so that you get
  in more information before he bolts.
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  18

  Why the disaster will hurt the WTS in the long run

  by Seeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  jws have been excited about events last week.

  their sensibilities have been fine-tuned to expect armageddon at any moment, and last week's events seem extreme enough to lead to one thing after another.. i think these events will hurt the wts in the long run.

  consider the typical long-term jw.

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  RunningMan

  I agree that this is going to hurt the JW's in the long run. It is just one
  more disappointment that adds to all of the others - one more nail in
  the coffin.

  In my area, I am picking up what appears to be a downplaying of these
  events. I think people are already expecting to be disappointed with this.

  On the night of the tragedy, our attendance was approx 110% of our
  publishers. Last night, it was under 90%. I predict that in about two
  weeks, we will be back to our usual 70%. We had a local needs part
  last night dealing with meeting attendance, and the speaker dealt at length
  with the recent upturn in attendance that appears to be downturning
  already.