Posts by TonusOH

When they refer to "spiritual goals" they are actually referring to organizational goals. Any spiritual goals you set are personal goals, designed to improve your relationship with god. The WTS wants to dictate your spiritual goals to you, and those amount to becoming a company drone.

To the WTS, a spiritual goal would be something like becoming an MS or pioneer. Attending all meetings and commenting from the literature. Reading the literature as soon as it is available. Ancilliary goals would be avoiding higher education, getting a job instead of a career, being a good housewife, making sure the society always looks good, and so on.

35

Serious sinner?

by Gorb in

jw
friends

with the statement in the study watchtower this sunday, that stop serving jehovah is a serious sin, the following:.

- can i conclude now, that we, (i, wife and 2 children), since 2008 pomo and no longer active in any religious activity, are serious sinners for jehovahs witnesses?.

writing this in a watchtower, a statement like that, could have big implications.. it makes me so sad.

TonusOH

For the WTS, "independent thinking" refers to thinking that is independent of the WTS's doctrines and interpretations. If you interpret the Bible differently than you are told, you are engaging in risky and dangerous behavior. If you share your thoughts with other JWs, you can be removed for apostasy.

Because of the heavy dependence on unquestioning obedience, "independent thinking" is probably the most serious offense a JW can commit, according to the GB.

39

THE PROBLEM WITH THESE 2 NEW GB MEMBERS APPOINTMENTS

by raymond frantz in

https://youtu.be/rjr0ugtu6zu?si=d3zsz20ee33gytxi.

these new appointments are troubling, to say the least, especially considering the factors surrounding their selection.

these appointments raise key concerns about leadership, experience, and what is happening behind the scenes at the organization's headquarters.

TonusOH

thisIsNotMe: I'm confused by this. There is NO process. They pick whoever they think fits best and that's it.

That has always been the way the GB/F&DS operates. Russell, Rutherford, Knorr... all well known for shaping the organization as they pleased. Heck, Rutherford took control literally over Russell's dead body.

The selection of relatively young men is a sign that they're prepared to be in for the long haul. For all the talk about how close the end is, the older GB members know that they'll pass away in the 'present system of things' and will not see an event that isn't ever destined to happen. They're leaning into the grift. Someone has to manage Ramapo, after all...

189

What evidence is there for a biblical jesus?

by Touchofgrey in

is there any independently verified evidence that a miracle worker called jesus existed and did the things that the bible said he did?.

the four gospels were written by unknown authors many decades after the so called events, so can't be considered as eyewitness accounts.

i think that there may have been a apocalyptic preacher who was executed by the romans and the story evolved from their.

TonusOH

My heart is not invisible.

19

The World Today

by peacefulpete in

jw
friends

i've been meaning to share some recent experiences that defy the usual tropes about the 'world gone to hell' or 'people now days".. as some of you may remember i was seriously ill for a while and had to close my business and shop.

now, as it seems i have beaten it, i put up a sign again advertising that in a limited way i'm back.. what amazes me is how many times over the past 2 years customers and even competition have written and called to express their concern and best wishes.

just last week i had a personal visit of someone who i thought of as a rival, come in and shake my hand sincerely happy to see me up and around.

TonusOH

Sorry to hear about the passing of your wife, Phizzy.

I think that people, by and large, want to get along. We're social creatures, after all. In the right environment, we are friendly and caring and giving. In the wrong environment, we become defensive and selfish. I am glad that I moved from a crowded city to a more rural area nine years ago. I drove 650 miles away, but it's an entirely different world, it seems.

Unfortunately, getting to a position of power means becoming a more aggressive, assertive, and selfish person. You won't survive otherwise. And, once at the top, you are faced with a multitude of people seeking to get where you are, which usually means pushing you off the summit. The traits required to become the leader of a large nation are some of the worst traits for actually leading people. I think they world will be like this for a very long time; problems at the macro level, human kindness and cooperation at the micro.

73

JWN, 23 years posting Blondie

by blondie in

jw
friends

can i call you friends, i think so after 23 years posting here.

i am dismayed how jwn is being "dominated" or taken over by a few posters, peppering the comments.

in the past, the admin did not approve of this and did remove some posters from jwn.

TonusOH

I actually don't mind the long comments when they are part of an active discussion. The topic SBF started ("How did JWs arrive at a clearer...") has a lot of very lengthy posts, but they're delving into an area that has centuries of research and theory and discussion. I just stay out of those, but I don't see them as a problem, because there are people taking part and having an in-depth discussion. Way over my head, but not a problem as I see it.

The conspiracy theory stuff has gotten tiring, because it consists of dumping bad information in large quantities in order to avoid having to discuss any of it. The only time those are interesting is when two nuts start throwing crap at each other because they've latched on to conspiracies that are in opposition. Because the whole thing is based on acres of complicated gibberish, those exchanges can be amusing for a short time. Nothing is more effective than having them hold mirrors up to one another.

6

The Bible Does Not Say

by blondie in

jw
friends

the wts often uses the phrase about then follows with their idea of what their god meant.

i have p0sted some of the most recent.

it is worth a look at more.

TonusOH

This is what the WTS leadership has always done. Russell felt that he was the only one who could interpret scripture, and he claimed that reading his Studies in the Scriptures books was better than reading the Bible. The GB interprets the Bible for the rank-and-file, and they discourage JWs from coming to their own conclusions.

When they talk about what 'the Bible does not say,' they are stepping in to fill in that blank, because they believe themselves to be divinely inspired and the only source of light. Even with the occasional confession that they're mere fallible men, they want the rank-and-file to see them as the only reliable source of Biblical interpretation.

56

Annual Meeting live updates

by ukpimo in

i have obtained the live link for the annual meeting tomorrow:.

annual meeting live link.

the meeting will begin at 9:45am eastern time, for those of us in the uk, that will be 2:45pm.

TonusOH

It might be too much work to try to restrict it to JWs only. Sometimes I wonder if more exJWs watch it than JWs do. I'm not sure it would have been something I would want to sit through when I was a JW. Then again, I can't imagine sitting through it now. So maybe it's just me.

189

What evidence is there for a biblical jesus?

by Touchofgrey in

is there any independently verified evidence that a miracle worker called jesus existed and did the things that the bible said he did?.

the four gospels were written by unknown authors many decades after the so called events, so can't be considered as eyewitness accounts.

i think that there may have been a apocalyptic preacher who was executed by the romans and the story evolved from their.

TonusOH

Simon: They begin at least 100 years after his claimed life.

To drive this point home, the post after yours mentions the following:

Mara Bar Serapion (born 50 AD). The original letter that may contain references to Christianity was written sometime between 73 AD and 300 AD.

Early Christian Writers (ca 50-157 AD), bearing in mind that none of their original writings have been found, just copies of copies of copies, none before the second century, if I am not mistaken.

Thallus (ca 55 AD), whose writings are lost. A reference (800 AD) to a reference (220 AD) of his writings appears to be what remains.

Josephus (ca 93 AD), whose mentions of Jesus are either mistaken or very likely a forgery.

Pliny the Younger, born around 61 AD.

In other words, god took on a body of flesh, came to Earth, performed miracles and gave moving speeches, caused an earthquake and eclipse and raised many dead on the day he died... and no one thought to talk about him for some 50-200 years.