I don't know, does the UN really want to dig up the garage in a mansion in San Diego?
Their interpretation of the nonsensical Revelation is naturally nonsensical.
an org myth debunked - by the book they claim to have a better understanding of, than other religions.wt14 11/15 p. 30 - who are the two witnesses mentioned in revelation chapter 11?.
"......the account refers to god’s anointed ones who took the lead during a difficult time of testing.. so in the fulfillment of revelation chapter 11, the anointed brothers who took the lead at the time of the establishment of god’s kingdom in heaven in 1914 preached "in sackcloth" for three and a half years.
at the end of their preaching in sackcloth, these anointed ones were symbolically killed when they were thrown into prison for a comparatively shorter period of time, a symbolic three and a half days.
I don't know, does the UN really want to dig up the garage in a mansion in San Diego?
Their interpretation of the nonsensical Revelation is naturally nonsensical.
according to the wt, who lead "jehovah's organization" on earth in ot times?.
the kings of israel?
the priests?.
I always liked how God acted through the Assyrians and Babylonians etc. to bring his judgment.
having seen many, many people leave the org over the years, i have to say that, when it comes to married couples, it's almost always the man who makes the first move to leave.
conversely, when it comes to being converted into the witnesses, more often than not it's the wife who joins up first.
although that wasn't the case with my own parents, my father became converted and my mother followed very reluctantly..
And they're smeared if they leave or go to university or if they find love outside the congregation. I admit, I've looked down on women and teen girls who did just this, and I can't believe I thought it was right.
this is my first post.
as i am currently disfellowshipped, i have no one else to discuss these things with.
even if i was actively associated with the dubs, i suppose i'd still have no one else to discuss this with.
If you do a Google image search for Babylonian world view you can see what the "Cosmos" looked like to people at the time the bible was being written. The earth is a flat disk with a solid hemisphere of the Firmament above it. Above the firmament and below the earth are the waters of chaos.
Read any scripture that describes the world and you'll find that it fits perfectly into this picture.
The flood makes a whole lot more sense too.
all these hypothetical questions about the organization's demise or what if god did this or that don't do anyone any good.
personal experiences.
info and insight about your congregation, circuit, area and the watchtower itself is what we need.
Sorry you really hate that. :p
Insight and info about my congregation, circuit, and area is that there is no growth, to the extent that they're willing to compromise standards to get an assembly with at least one baptism. Outrageously so. Field service is perfunctory, routine, watered down, and utterly meaningless. The null or negative reactions at the door actually thrill some of the more hard core of the flock, because they think that means the end is coming closer.
having seen many, many people leave the org over the years, i have to say that, when it comes to married couples, it's almost always the man who makes the first move to leave.
conversely, when it comes to being converted into the witnesses, more often than not it's the wife who joins up first.
although that wasn't the case with my own parents, my father became converted and my mother followed very reluctantly..
You know that I'd be curious to know as well.
It really isn't a firm rule, but people who are led along by social ties and irrational faith seem especially susceptible.
in memory of jimmy olson, i have provided a link to his story below.
many who now post here are new to the forum and i felt it was necessary to honor his memory.
although i never knew him, his brother was my roommate for a time at watchtower farms.
That's so sad...
Bethel always sounds like complete hell.
i realize that the anointed class inherits heaven while the great crowd inherits a renewed planet earth, but how and when are the anointed chosen?
are these people born with spirits or do they grow them as they live?
when they die, they don't sleep but go right to heaven, right?
I love Sam Harris.
my wife just asked me this.
my answer, in no uncertain terms, is no.
we both grew up in the dub religion.
@scratchme1010, yeah it also means that certain older brothers and sisters she admires, and who admire her, do not actually have the truth. That's hard to take.
I also think she's close to waking up, but I don't want it to be too late before she does, and I certainly don't want to force it.
so if the gb changed its "bible based beliefs" on some teaching, would witnesses all of a sudden change their individual beliefs too?.
witnesses like to claim that "their bible trained hearts and minds" make them believe as they do, but we know that the reality is that all witnesses hold their "deep seated beliefs" according to what they have been told to believe.. so what would cause the average witness to question those that dictate their "personal convictions"??.
thoughts?.
Who was i to think i knew better than Gods chosen channel?
You mean, "don't lean on your own understanding"?
Ugh. My friend told me that recently when I showed him how the flood couldn't have happened. That little verse in Proverbs is key to their mind control.
When you go back and read Proverbs as a thinking atheist, you see pretty clearly that at least on the surface, it's a letter from a father telling his sons to stay away from thugs and hoes. If it was intended any other way, it's pretty odd to start out with that.
But no, cults need that mind control measure.