I don't think the eternity of hell is in question, rather the nature of hell or what it represents, and whether you are referring to Hades or Gehenna.
Confusedalot
JoinedPosts by Confusedalot
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63
Hell Exists
by Poppy520 inmany people of all denominations are beginning to believe that hell does not exist - but the bible supports the claim that it does.
examine this verse, one under nkjv and the other nwt:.
nkjv - matthew 25:46, "and these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.".
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Isiah 65:17 (Memory wipe?)
by pleaseresearch in“for behold, i create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.. i need some help with this please guys and gals.
what is this implying?
god will wipe those past memories, the past system of things from our minds?
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Confusedalot
It is not a memory wipe. One of the main themes in NT is the nailing of the flesh to the cross and becoming one with God in spirit. This is the new heaven where the flesh, its desires and pains will be irrelevant, because God is a spirit. It is new because by the sacrifice of our Lord, he gave up the flesh as an example for us, and as a result removed the devil from heaven and his claims of truth.
The new earth is a system where the woman from Genesis (Eve) and Revelation 12 etc. will not travail in birth pangs to produce spiritual children for God. (read rescue us from flesh)
Our journey to unity with God is marred with pain and tears - so called birth pangs because of the corruption of the current system we find ourselves in and our desire for it. Once the harlot (flesh centered religions) that sells us into captivity to this system, and the devil that misleads us to revere and value ourselves and our flesh is removed, the woman(new Jerusalem) would not have pangs of distress to produce children of God. This is the new earth.
Jesus was free from this old earth because of his virgin birth and his pure origin, unfortunately we miss his example and have to suffer to let go of the flesh and draw close to God, and the current earth will reject us for this (pangs), because we evolved and are born of flesh. Thanks be to God for rescuing us from our corrupt origins and giving us an escape to spirit and eternal life!
A more intriguing question would be that if we realize this: could we already live in this new earth (paradise) NOW because of our Lords example?
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Positive Topic - ‘Good Elders’ or Extra Special Kindness shown by elders
by Farmer Jim1 inafter the last topic getting me mad, does anyone have a positive experience of dealing with an elder or a particular favourite elder that was a top bloke?.
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Confusedalot
Thanks for this topic.
Many of us, after realizing TTATT, have a lot of anger, and unfortunately the elders are 'the face of the org' and much of our anger gets directed at them (realized this when reading some of my older posts). I'm not saying they were all great loving people, just that some of them may have been misled and controlled just as I was at one stage.
Many are well meaning, having a true devotion to God, but are also trapped. My thoughts and prayers also go to them. I think it may be very hard for and elder to get out after seeing TTATT.
On the other hand many of them could be described as just plain evil, but recently I try not to make it personal and just use it to justify the truth that the org is not guided by spirit, and aim my anger at the org.
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Past child abuse comes to bit me in the butt
by Still Totally ADD inhere i am 63 years old, out of the cult going on 8 years, went through a year of therapy back in 2007, been working very hard to become the person i have always wanted to be.
but what happen to me a few days ago just blew me out of the water for the past two days.
i am now finally coming to grips with my emotions and understanding what caused me such distress.. here's what happen.
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Confusedalot
@Still Totally ADD
As you must know people sometimes lash out unreasonably when driven by their own pain and I think it would have been better for her to accept your sincere apologies. I hope she can deal with her issues, and that you can find the strength not to have this undo your hard work.
When I went to school it was in an area where Jehovah's Witnesses were not accepted. I was literally alone through primary and high school. I was called 'that jehoova'. There was physical abuse from the other kids and I was even thrown in the school pond with all my stuff in front of everyone. At home there was molestation. The teachers never did anything because I kept quiet and 'trusted in Jehovah' my young mind already corrupted by the filth.
This is why today 20 years later the scars still run deep and I struggle to have any meaningful social life. People don't realize the impact abuse can have on a mind, especially a young mind that is trying to make sense of the world and trying to fit in. Even today I find myself pushing people that care away, and then being depressed and lonely.
I wish these things on nobody, and all I can say to you is stay strong, we the survivors share this burden, and by sharing we can find strength and peace!
All the best.
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What’s The Strangest Belief of Jehovah’s Witnesses?
by minimus inthere’s a lot.
i think one strange view is how only 144000 go to heaven.
since the number is mentioned in the symbolic book of revelation, you would expect that the number would be viewed as figurative, but jws say otherwise.
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Confusedalot
YHWH = Jehovah
They make you aim your prayers at a specific God named Jehovah while they admit the original pronunciation is lost. People live and give their lives, shun family members for this name.
Isn't it better to just use the title God as opposed to using a personal name with extremely questionable accuracy? Even though their own literature admits the original pronunciation is lost they still put 'Jehovah' into their bible! Of all the things not to take a chance on, the personal name of God must be No: 1 IMHO.
When I meet people and I cant remember a persons name, I normally avoid using a name in the hopes I will remember or someone uses it. Once I'm certain then I will freely use it. GB makes an uncertain name the cornerstone of their organisation and forces their members to use it. Imagine at the second coming if the name turns out to be Yahweh or something else. How would an organization called 'Jehovah's Witnesses' explain using a name they were not even certain of for the God of the old testament and remain alive?
This is a case where people made a God and not a God people.
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Is the name Jehovah`s Witnesses a misnomer ?
by smiddy3 ini ask this because from what i read on this board lately is that they jw`s seem to be very reluctant to engage in conversation with anybody nowadays and are only interested in placing literature at carts.. and if anyone brings up questions in their d2d work that challenge them ( like the arc ) they will promptly excuse themselves and move on.
also didn`t jesus say "this good news of the kingdom would be preached in all the inhabited earth " for a witness ?.
when was the last time you heard a jw speak about "the good news of the kingdom" ?
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Confusedalot
Their own encyclopedia - Insight into the holy scriptures admits that the original pronunciation of the name is lost and that they use the common English version under the heading 'Jehovah'. (if it hasn't been changed by now)
How do you base a whole multi million member organisation (that control peoples lives, to the point of having them die or breaking up families) if you don't even know the real name of your God? This is especially mind boggling considering the emphasis they put on the importance of said name!
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And finally I'm out
by Skepsis inhi all.. it's being a while that i don't share in the forum.
after moving to another country and finding a job, i asked my congregation in my country to send my publishing card here.
once i did it, i stopped attending meetings.
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Confusedalot
Good for you Skepsis! All the best for the future.
For anyone reading this that are still in the org, I know that you have been taught that the freedom talked about in the posts here, the freedom from restrictions and obligations etc are the same that was offered to Eve in the garden. But I can assure you that its not the same. How close can you get to the true God or truth if people and organisations are always a middle man? Many ex-JW's were happy in the org but could never shake the feeling of a distance between them and God or truth, and this is because organisations and people occupy this gap for their own continued existence, profit or to ease their own fears. (sometimes well meaning)
Sometimes freedom means shaking the influence of organisations and people, getting closer to spirit and to truth. For some this means finding a loving heavenly father, and for others it may be answers in reason and logic. They then find that distance or emptiness disappears, and at last they find peace.
All the best to those who seek.
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gb, PLEASE, PLEASE UP THE ORGANIZATIONAL HARSHNESS IN 2018
by steve2 insometimes i have expressed a longing for jw organization to tone down its rhetoric and become, well, nicer and more loving.
i have not been alone in my hope.
some posters have even said that if a wave of kindness washed over jw organization and, say, the shunning doctrine was modified (e.g., left up to the individual's conscience without fear of retribution from elders), they'd go back.
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Confusedalot
I'm sorry but I cannot agree. I know people who will follow the WT into the fire without a second thought. I pray WT eases up on the control, especially when it comes to child abuse.
In exodus the pharaoh's heart was hardened, and it caused great suffering before the end and resulted in the freedom of the Hebrews, but the demise of the Egyptians. It did work. What you are suggesting may be similar, the only difference is that the ones we want to save are not the Hebrews temporarily in captivity, but they are so misled and controlled that they ARE the Egyptians!
In the end if there is a God these trapped people will not be judged, and are free by the blood of Christ. Lets rather hope WT can come to the light and lets not wish more pain on its members.
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Professions in the Paradise
by The Real Edward Gentry inwe know there will be no money in paradise.
but there will almost certainly be jobs to do.
we will be perfect at our jobs but that doesn't mean we will be perfect at every job.
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Confusedalot
If you think having Moses, Elijah or Noah repairing your roof or making your cabinets has special meaning, you are elevating these men of flesh and forgetting the one by whose power their great deeds were done. Hopefully there (in paradise), we would stop revering men, or I fear it may be a case where 'flesh' inherited the kingdom of God.
Also, having possessions like houses and cabinets etc. is a way of elevating oneself, and again that would imply we did not leave 'the world and its desires' behind. Back to square one I guess.
I fear these are ways in which Jehovah's Witnesses have made their members blind to the spirit, giving them a compromise where flesh can have eternal life, yet the main theme of the gospel of the good news is our escape from the flesh. The devil said to Eve "you will surely not die", and JW's unfortunately believe that, believing their flesh will live eternally in paradise. Sad, the son of god wasted his time! May that not be so.
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So today this happened...
by Phoebe inyou all pretty much know my story so i won't repeat it but.... to say i'm being hounded by my local congregation is an understatement.
today the cobe finally found us in.
well, i refused to answer the door but my husband did.
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Confusedalot
Phoebe, i cannot add much to the comments already made, only that I wish we could save you all this pain and trouble somehow. We are made to sneak around and be careful of what we say like the offenders in the situation, while we are in fact the victims!
Hope everything works out!