Posts by schnell

193

Great Tribulation and Trump

by TakeOffTheCrown in

please, let's discuss this subject without attacking one another.. it appears that trump has won a victory that no one expected.

is it possible that trump may play a part in the great tribulation?.

there are some who believe trump is one of the most unqualified of men to ever be elected president of the united states.

schnell

I'll take the if, that's as close as we're gonna get.

In a nutshell:

https://youtu.be/SmFEK2gq4QQ

22

The uptake...

by Thisismein1972 in

with recent events pointing at watchtower growth, i felt compelled to say a few words.. if the figures turn out to be true, then we should not be discouraged.

after 9/11 there was a surge in, not only the watchtower, but other demonisation of organised religion.

whenever there is a a paradigm shifting event that puts fear into others, this tends to have a life changing affect on an individual.. now let us zoom to the present.

I guess my concern, David Jay, is where my family will be in the next few decades. My mom, my brothers, my wife... But I know the answer. It's not a question without an answer. I'll do my best and take it one day at a time.

8

Can any deity be used in manipulation?

by schnell in

pale.emperor made an interesting observation in another thread:.

the "blocking an expression of gods love" crap is a sneaky tactic to make the shunner not feel like they're doing something evil.

cults do that.

schnell

Not only that, but I can easily add that it's not limited to a diety at all. There are cults that use the same tactics and what they are based is on recovery from drugs and alcohol. There are other ways of using the same tactics, using political causes or self-help, for example, that can harm as much as using a god or diety.

By Jove, I'd say that absolute power corrupts absolutely! Yep, you have political cults, cults of personality, new age cults around some funky bestselling book, recovery programs that depower rather than empower the self...

Critical thinking is the enemy of all of this.

34

So the governing body is NOT inspired...are they still "spirit directed"?

by NikL in

okay there has been lots of buzz about the feb 2017 wt where they say the governing body is not inspired nor infallible.

yet, they are still using the baptism questions.

the second one being... "do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of jehovah’s witnesses in association with god’s spirit-directedorganization?".

schnell

@Vid, got a link? I'd like to see that.

8

Can any deity be used in manipulation?

by schnell in

pale.emperor made an interesting observation in another thread:.

the "blocking an expression of gods love" crap is a sneaky tactic to make the shunner not feel like they're doing something evil.

cults do that.

schnell

Pale.emperor made an interesting observation in another thread:

The "blocking an expression of Gods love" crap is a sneaky tactic to make the shunner not feel like they're doing something evil. Cults do that. Make something loving seem evil and something evil seem good all just to accomplish their own ends.

This can't be limited to Yahweh, however. Isn't this also true of any other deity? Can't any religious cult that's organized around a certain god be used to "make something loving seem evil and something evil seem good all just to accomplish their own ends"?

What I'm really getting at is this: The idea of a god -- any god -- creates an opportunity for power over a group of people. So, belief in a god tends to become organized, and then it's all quite political and manipulative from there.

34

Why didn't God also reveal himself to the Canaanites just as he did to Moses in the burning bush?

by deegee in

why didn't god also reveal himself to the canaanites just as he did to moses in the burning bush so that the massacre/genocide of the canaanites could have been avoided?.

why didn't god also invite the native palestinians into his covenant, giving them the same laws he gave the israelites, and establish an egalitarian society where people of all races could live together in harmony?.

instead, he ordered his people to invade and slaughter the natives, killing them to the last man, woman and child, specifically instructing them to show no mercy to anyone under any circumstances.

schnell

Moabite queen is freaking beautiful...

12

Poopie so happy now . Based on the new awake I can now smile

by poopie in

jw
friends

at disfellowshipped people the awake gave me permission poopie so happy.

schnell

Okay.

34

So the governing body is NOT inspired...are they still "spirit directed"?

by NikL in

okay there has been lots of buzz about the feb 2017 wt where they say the governing body is not inspired nor infallible.

yet, they are still using the baptism questions.

the second one being... "do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of jehovah’s witnesses in association with god’s spirit-directedorganization?".

schnell

A friend told me that he met Gerrit Losch once and asked him about generations. Gerrit put his arm around (or his hand on his shoulder, however the story went) and said, "I know, we get a lot wrong. But look how much we've gotten right!"

It's an argument that I've heard before many times, regardless of reality. I showed him Losch's statement to the court and told him all about it. My friend remains unswayed no matter how wrong he knows this is. It's maddening.

34

Why didn't God also reveal himself to the Canaanites just as he did to Moses in the burning bush?

by deegee in

why didn't god also reveal himself to the canaanites just as he did to moses in the burning bush so that the massacre/genocide of the canaanites could have been avoided?.

why didn't god also invite the native palestinians into his covenant, giving them the same laws he gave the israelites, and establish an egalitarian society where people of all races could live together in harmony?.

instead, he ordered his people to invade and slaughter the natives, killing them to the last man, woman and child, specifically instructing them to show no mercy to anyone under any circumstances.

schnell

Maybe Noah had a giant wife. Maybe that's how they built the thing.

The two rows of teeth must have been a bitch, though.

37

How does an elder become an elder ?

by Drwho in

i was never a jw , so have millions of questions .

please, how does an elder become an elder and how much trust does or should a jw put in an elder .?

simon.

schnell

No, I've had plenty of nice elders and some great overseers. They're usually just misled, and they really want this to be the truth.

My experience with bethelite special pioneers and "Society men" has been pretty damp. Overworked, out of touch, and it shows.

I don't see them as all arrogant bastards. Mostly I just see them as dorks.