Jofi_Wofo

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Posts by Jofi_Wofo

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  20

  False memorial partakers deserve to die???

  by Jofi_Wofo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  every memorial, much emphasis is placed on making sure that only the (self-proclaimed) anointed partake in the emblems.

  this year, however, the speaker at my wife's congregation presented it as an even more serious matter.

  he likened it to individuals in ancient israel who sought position of the priesthood despite never been appointed by jehovah.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  @vienne Thanks for confirming. Do you (or anyone here) happen to know when the last time any change to the outline was made?

  And now I'm actually more curious and will try to see if I can find a copy online to look at.
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  20

  False memorial partakers deserve to die???

  by Jofi_Wofo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  every memorial, much emphasis is placed on making sure that only the (self-proclaimed) anointed partake in the emblems.

  this year, however, the speaker at my wife's congregation presented it as an even more serious matter.

  he likened it to individuals in ancient israel who sought position of the priesthood despite never been appointed by jehovah.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  Thank you both. I guess this is more of an example of one speaker getting carried away.

  Now I'm wondering if it was a point he made up all on his own, or if there was some publication on WOL that might have laid out the same argument.

  It took me a while to figure out just why this particular point was so jarring to listen to, given how frequently WT uses biblical executions as a warning for why we should do X and never do Y. I'm now certain that what rattled me a little bit was the context. The memorial talk is usually relatively tame compared to other meetings- it seems to serve as a meet and greet and open house for non-JWs to take a peek at what goes on inside a Kingdom Hall. The least palatable parts of the religion, and religion in general, are usually either hidden or severely watered down. In this case, the speaker went full on talking as if it was the midweek meeting without thinking twice about how crazy some of this stuff sounds to people who aren't already all in. 'Don't take a bite of the cracker because god killed scores of people for doing something similar' is a pretty hot take for a guy who's trying to introduce the religion to unbelievers.
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  20

  False memorial partakers deserve to die???

  by Jofi_Wofo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  every memorial, much emphasis is placed on making sure that only the (self-proclaimed) anointed partake in the emblems.

  this year, however, the speaker at my wife's congregation presented it as an even more serious matter.

  he likened it to individuals in ancient israel who sought position of the priesthood despite never been appointed by jehovah.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  Every memorial, much emphasis is placed on making sure that only the (self-proclaimed) anointed partake in the emblems. This year, however, the speaker at my wife's congregation presented it as an even more serious matter. He likened it to individuals in ancient Israel who sought position of the priesthood despite never been appointed by Jehovah. Such people were executed for their disrespect in flouting Jehovah's arrangement, and the speaker claimed that that demonstrates just how seriously Jehovah feels about false emblem partakers.

  To my recollection, I have never heard any speaker threatening (at least by way of analogy) false partakers with death. I'm wondering if anyone here might have caught the memorial talk and heard something similar. I know that Watchtower tightly controls what is said at memorials with their outlines and I also wonder if there was a change in the outline or a letter that the elders might have been given to the effect that this point needed to be brought out.

  If so, it doesn't bode well for Watchtower. It's blatant poisoning the well + gaslighting + damage control over all the controversy about the increase in memorial partakers, despite for many years claiming that a decrease in partakers was (somehow...) evidence that they actually interpreted a Bible doctrine correctly for once.

  Are they now trying to scare people into not partaking, or was this just one speaker adding his own spin?
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  16

  Cain and Abel...Who recorded this tragic event?

  by RULES & REGULATIONS in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  3 the day came when cain brought a gift of the fruit of the ground to the lord.

  4 but abel brought a gift of the first-born of his flocks and of the fat parts.

  the lord showed favor to abel and his gift.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  So Cain kills Abel.

  Why didn't God stop it from happening? Well, according to JW theodicy, God supposedly had decided to not intervene with human affairs, in order to prove the point that humans can not rule over themselves. Instead, God does intervene with human affairs by preventing the remaining human beings on earth from bringing Cain to justice for his actions. He then sent Cain to a different location where Cain could go ahead and create a whole new family/nation/race of people that will follow in the footsteps of a vindictive and cowardly murderer.
  

  Let's review: God lets an innocent person die because he does not want to intervene. Then, God intervenes to save the life of a murderer.
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  4

  Challenging the teacher.

  by Jofi_Wofo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  imagine the case where a student disagrees with his teacher's method, and believes that he knows a better way.

  the teacher realizes that if he kicks the student out of the classroom, the other students may begin to wonder if the teacher was hiding something.

  to settle the matter once and for all, the teacher gives the student a chance to prove himself.. wisely, the teacher takes a moment to lay down the parameters for the challenge.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  Imagine the case where a student disagrees with his teacher's method, and believes that he knows a better way. The teacher realizes that if he kicks the student out of the classroom, the other students may begin to wonder if the teacher was hiding something. To settle the matter once and for all, the teacher gives the student a chance to prove himself.

  Wisely, the teacher takes a moment to lay down the parameters for the challenge. He takes away the textbooks and calculators, removes all the desks and chairs from the classroom, turns off the climate control, pulls down the window curtains and turns off the lights.

  The teacher then makes an announcement. This challenge will only take place during lunch period, but no one will be allowed to eat. When the challenge is over, the teacher, alone, will be the one to judge the winner. He adds the stipulation that if even one student agrees with the teacher in the end, that will be considered evidence enough that the teacher is right and all other students will be kicked out of the classroom forever. Further, the teacher makes a pronouncement right then and there that no matter how the student performs, the teacher will intervene at the very last minute of the period and sabatage all of the student's efforts.

  The teacher then steps aside and lets the student begin. Immediately, however, the teacher doesn't like what he sees so he interupts over and over again, often forcing the student to start again from the beginning.

  Meanwhile, the teacher separates the other students into several different groups scattered throughout the classroom, then puts up drapes to prevent the groups from easily intermingling. Many students can't even hear the student at the front of the room, and in their state of confusion, don't understand what's happening. The rest either don't know who is talking, what he is saying, or are so uncomfortable, frightened and hungry that they have lost the will to even try.

  In the midst of all this chaos, the teacher roams around the room, whispering some good news into the ears of some, but not all, of the student's ears. He tells them that all hope is not lost! Any student who sides with the teacher will automatically be given an A for the course, while all students who don't side with with the teacher will automatically be given an F for the course. He then hands them earplugs and tells them that the best way to make it to the end is to stop up their ears so as to not be able to listen to the student at the front the class and to stay as far away as possible form any other student who does not have their ears stopped up.

  Was that not a wise and loving thing for the teacher to do? Let us now consider what this illustration teaches us about suffering, death and the vindication of God's name.
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  9

  No inetrest in Watchtower & Awake?

  by Ardian in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the watchtower and awake have been listed as the most popular magazines.the figures are astonishing.

  i am not sure whether it is based on reality or not.. source: https://tingtopten.com/2020/01/top-10-most-popular-magazines-in-the-world/.

  i have seen the link on many social media networks.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  "This magazine is published by a reputable agency Jehovah’s Witnesses. "

  
  

  https://media3.giphy.com/media/Qsfs5FJCoZqmI5G8UF/giphy.gif
  
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  15

  Misheard song lyrics

  by jhine in

  1. social
  2. entertainment

  i thought that as there seems to have been some very serious sh-stuff being discussed lately maybe a light hearted thread might be in order .

  i was thinking about misheard song lyrics ( climb every woman ) and it seemed a good topic for a thread .to start off for many years l thought that fat boy slim was singing about some very posh shoes with funk soul rubber on the bottom .

  has anyone else realised that they have been singing the wrong words ?

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  Jofi_Wofo

  Taylor Swift's "Blank Space" has one of the most famous misheard lines in all of history.

  Misheard: "All the lonely Starbucks lovers."

  Actual: "Got a long list of ex-lovers"

  I like this one because I think that the misheard line still fits in perfectly with the song, is catchy, and even a bit clever. It's even an amphiboly: are "lonely Starbucks lovers" romantic partners in failing relationships who meet up at coffee shops, or are they hopeless romantics who dream of falling on love while sitting alone in coffee shops?
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  13

  Meeting Workbook - I am your inheritance - April 5-11

  by JWTom in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  similar to the bethelites being dismissed topic for march/april 2020 is the article for april 5-11 related to the idea "if you just do what jw.org says....then someone is going to slide cash under your door and it will all be good related to your future finances" (link below).. i know current jws that believe this and have pimi family that believe this.

  they believe these even though they have endlessly challenging finances even struggling to pay bills.

  the reality is that anyone struggling financially as a jw is going to be in a state of poverty just trying to survive.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  I'm extremely grateful that I had a more balanced view of education and finances than most of my fellow congregants, despite their condescending protests. I regret that I spent all that time preaching instead of taking extra weekend hours to better stack my retirement account, but after reading so many other anecdotes, I can take solace in how much worse it could have been for me.

  JW finances work as such:

  If you're well off- Jehovah is blessing you with abundance. You should pioneer.

  If you're poor, but getting by- Jehovah is blessing you with sustainance. You should pioneer.

  If you're destitute- Jehovah is blessing you with endurance. You should pioneer.

  If you starve to death- Jehovah is blessing your surviving relatives with the ability to cope. They should pioneer.
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  23

  So what have the rank and file been saying now that a vaccine is being given. What happened to Armageddon

  by goingthruthemotions in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  a vaccine is here!!!

  the light at the end of the tunnel is visible!!!

  so what happened to armageddon?.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  At least in my wife's congregation, they've established an out. Yes, if COVID-19 gets worse, it means the end is coming! But if things get better... it means that the end is coming!!!!

  The reasoning?

  Well, it's going to happen at a time "when you least expect it", which means that things have to be so good so that nobody will be expecting it.

  Let's review. If times are bad, it's proof that the end is near. If times are good, it's proof that the end is near.

  Also, if you don't see that this is the truth, then you are deliberately ignorant.
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  19

  My new definition of cult.

  by Yomama in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  forcing someone to believe something that is untrure and shunning them if they do not believe it.

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  Jofi_Wofo

  Ok, but I think we're doing this backwards. Starting with a religion we don't like, then using that religion as a model for our definition of a cult.

  WT pulls the same trick, but to its own favor. Whenever any of its publications describe how to find the true religion- gee golly gosh don't ya know- it just so happens to lead right to the doorstep of a Kingdom Hall. Who would have thunk it???