Vanderhoven7, you have been out for about 12 years, is that correct? I ask sincerely, why are you trying to understand these things? JW theology is just made-up nonsense based on cherry-picking proof texts and bad exegesis. Debunk it, yes, but why try to understand it? I have found it far more enjoyable to study the Bible from the historical-critical viewpoint and learn about comparative mythology, rather than trying to work out so-called proper beliefs and dogma. Given that the Bible is not an inspired collection of books, and the canon we have was never meant to make sense as one unified collection, this is an exercise in eternal frustration! I think you will find far more richness in the Bible if you let go of trying to see it through a Christian faith lens and enjoy it for what it is.
doubtfull1799
JoinedPosts by doubtfull1799
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72
20 Things I Don't Understand about Jehovah's Witnesses
by Vanderhoven7 ini don’t understand how jehovah’s witnesses can rightly claim:.
that less than 150,000 faithful christians existed prior to the 20th century....when allegedly millions were martyred during the first 3 centuries of the common era alone.
unique ability to interpret scripture...when interpretation of prophecy has been 100% wrong for over 130 years.. .
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More JW left ideology examples
by neat blue dog inthe latest gb update ramps up the fear of the plandemic even more, and introduces a whiteboard animation that advocates staying at home, wearing masks and social distancing.. https://www.jw.org/finder?locale=en&category=latestvideos&item=pub-jwb_202012_12_video&docid=1011214&applanguage=e.
then there's another 'save the planet' type article that mentions debunked and unrealistic green new deal-esque talking points such as alternative energy, switching to a plant based diet and less manufacturing.. https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/peace-happiness/save-earth/.
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doubtfull1799
They aren’t going to inform their flock that the inventor of the PCR test said Faucci was a joke and invited him to a debate, which he refused. Or that the PCR test is being used fraudulently in a completely illogical manner that the inventor never supported.
Fact check/Citation please? (on the second claim - I have confirmed that he didn't like Faucci and thought he was just a bureaucrat, but the inventor died in Aug 2019 before PCR was being used for Covid testing)
If they cared about people, they would be instructing people to take hydroxychloroquine, quercetin, and/or green tea along with zinc and vitamin D. This combination is known to reduce the severity of other coronaviruses (such as those that cause regular colds), and quercetin is a nutrient that just happens to protect you from this virus without bad side effects.
Citation, please?
If everyone took these supplements in sufficient doses, there would be no need for all this nonsense. No "social(??)" distancing, no masks, no closing down things, no mandatory vaccinations, no nothing. You get the virus while taking these supplements, you barely get sick if at all, you become immune to the whole thing, and that's the end of that
Citation please?
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2020-Articles Of Association--Bylaws--Notice Of Special Meeting! (as of 2020-11-25)
by Atlantis in2020--articles of association and bylaws--3 pages.. .
2020--notice of special meeting in december--8 pages.
if you are a jw read carefully before you sign.. .
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doubtfull1799
Yes please
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By What Authority Do you Teach?
by Vanderhoven7 ini am in earnest.
i will not excuse; i will not equivocate;.
i will not retreat a single inch.
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doubtfull1799
Great questions but they're all too fundamentally flawed to be of any real use for anything other than arguments along the lines of "my religion is better than yours."
2 Tim 3:16 doesn't define what constitutes "scripture" so that's useless. Paul doesn't provide a list for an accepted canon that he is referring to, but since the NT hasn't been written yet, it can only refer to Jewish scripture.
Q2 - we don't actually really know how the apostles viewed scripture as we don't have their written comments on the subject, just hearsay by anonymous authors.
Q3 - this question is based on a problematic premise - that the Bible teaches anything "clearly." It is too full of contradicting ideas and statements. Most Christian doctrines are based on short pithy cherry-picked quotes or a mash of conflicting arguments.
The Bible is an extremely poor piece of communication if it is meant to convey divine doctrines, and no-one could ever claim that their interpretation is the closest match to what the author intended, so the whole idea of Bibles clear teachings vs religious leaders teachings is a misnomer.
Q12 - short of a divinely signed document this is impossible to verify, but so is the mandate of the Bible writers themselves - there is no way to verify that they were authorized by God to write what they wrote, so again the mandate of interpreters is meaningless.
So to sum up, no-one really has any authority to teach anything about God, assuming there even is one.
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8 Documents Arrived Today!
by Atlantis in1.--authorization and release agreementfor disaster relief medical assistance.
------------------------------------------------------------------2.--for the attention of all elders------------------------------------------------------------------.
3.--additional direction regarding assistance with practical needs------------------------------------------------------------------.
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doubtfull1799
Yes please Atlantis!
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A great new interview video! (One of our fellow forum members) A video you will love!
by stuckinarut2 inthis video has to be watched!
ben is truly wonderful guy who i count as a genuine friend!
his insights and experiences are so interesting.. enjoy:.
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doubtfull1799
@Wake me up - so true. You are spot on. They don't really care about truth, just the appearance of it. They care more about being in their special club and having a "hope". Last Sundays Watchtower is a classic example. It tells them to make sure they have the facts, but then discourages them from actually looking into the facts from any source other than their own. That whole Watchtower was paying lip service to the importance of "facts" when we know full well no JW would really care to find out the facts about their history, their doctrines, or child abuse etc They are indeed terrified of it. It is visibly traumatising for them even to be offered it form a source other than Watchtower.
@steve2 - thanks Steve, I try to be. But I also find being intellectually honest requires constant vigilance with oneself.
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Trully brilliant interview with Watchtower writer
by Diogenesister inexjw fifth knocks one out of the ballpark with this trully brilliant interveiw with watchtower writer and researcher ben.
extremely thorough and informative.. https://youtu.be/vnzmnion5tk.
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doubtfull1799
AKA Doubtfull1799
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A great new interview video! (One of our fellow forum members) A video you will love!
by stuckinarut2 inthis video has to be watched!
ben is truly wonderful guy who i count as a genuine friend!
his insights and experiences are so interesting.. enjoy:.
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doubtfull1799
That would be me! Doubtfull 1799 = Ben
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EU Court Ruling Against WT on Data-Protection
by cofty intoday's london times reports on the july ruling of the eu court that forces the organisation country to comply with data protection.. the action originated in finland but the ruling will affect every eu country.
the cult tried unsuccessfully to argue that the notes taken by jws in the door-to-door work were personal and not accessed by the congregation.
the court ruled that they are acting under the auspices of the congregation and therefore they must comply with data-protection laws.. keeping lists of do-not-calls also falls under this ruling.. why does the cult always feel that it is above the law?.
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doubtfull1799
@Doubter
Personal House to House notes are not accessed by anyone other than the individual publisher. What I mean by “accessed” is that they are not handed over to the elders.
While this may be the most common case it is simply not true to say this is always the case. There are many times when a publisher hands on these notes to other publishers when they move or when they feel another publisher could handle the follow up better, and this is often done via the service overseer or another elder.
On another more personal note. I have tried to get access to my personal data under the Australian data and privacy laws and have been given the run around so much so I have had to make a complaint to the privacy commissioner. They may claim to obey the law, but they are a law unto themselves the it suits them. They have given me partial information when I requested but they have also withheld a lot fo information that I know they hold on me. I know the data exists because as an elder I was involved in creating it.
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Simple introduction to the theory of evolution
by Diogenesister inhi new folks, lurkers and trolls.
i thought i would post this simple but interesting video which shows how scientists bring multiple lines of evidence together to prove evolution is true; for example:.
comparative anatomy.
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doubtfull1799
@perry
Um, doesn't the Genesis account claim that God created the sun and moon in the upper atmosphere between two layers of water, the water on the earth and another layer in the upper atmosphere?
Gen 1:6,7 - Gen 1:14