OHappyDay

Joined

• started 13 topics
• posted 218 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by OHappyDay

• 
  9

  Birds of a Feather

  by Euphemism in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  yesterday i received a flyer in the mail from the seventh-day adventists.

  i knew that the witnesses were theologically an adventist group, of course.

  but i had no idea how similar they were in their proselytizing pitch.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  However, the Adventists had well-illustrated "Bible aids" long before JWs did.

  Both groups are mired too much in the Old Testament. The Adventists have their adherence to various features of the Mosaic Law, and the JWs have "Jehovah." However, the Adventists are more mainstream in their beliefs about Jesus, according to some sources (i.e., like Walter Martin's The Kingdom of the Cults, page 517)

  Both groups are also representatives of the Millennial Apocalyptic movement, and share a common "ancestor" in William Miller and his theology.

  A good book for you, Eu, if you haven't read it already: Apocalypses, by Eugen Weber (Harvard University Press, 1999). It surveys the whole, failed, date-setting movement, from earliest times.
• 
  7

  Pioneer School memories

  by undercover in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  an earlier thread talking about the "illuminators" book used at the pioneer school jogged my memory.

  i remember how excited everybody got about the upcoming school.

  even the regular publishers got all excited about it.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  Yeah. Some pioneers stay on the roll just long enough to attend the school and get the book, and then drop out of pioneering.

  Guess the book and the school were a disappointment?
• 
  27

  the "annointed" witnesses

  by dustyb in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i just realized that the annointed won't die off.

  i mean, the original annointed will die off within the next 10 years or so, but then there are the younger people that think they are annointed, but don't fall under the rules and guidelines of an annointed person (per jw).

  i personally don't believe in the annointed, but something struck my fancy at the memorial.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  The 144,000 are mentioned only in the book of Revelation.

  The word anointed, anoint, anointing do not appear in Revelation at all.

  There is nothing in Revelation to connect the 144,000 with "anointed" Christians.

  There is nothing in Revelation that says only 144,000 Christians go to heaven.

  And why, if 144,000 is a literal number, are they not connected with the literal "tribes of Israel," mentioned in the very same verse (Revelation 7:4)????

  Watchtower theology says one thing, the Bible says something else.
• 
  23

  Emails from elders and CO

  by Puternut in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yesterday i decided to send an email to all the elders, ministerial servants, co's and do's on my address book.

  blondie had posted a series of links to articles relating to the abuse cases in the borg.

  rather than emailing the links, which i knew they wouldn't click on, i copied and pasted, about 12 articles to them.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  It's all about "the Organization." People don't matter. Wrongs against people don't matter. It's all about "the Organization."

  Even if a brother offers a prayer and omits reference to the organization or the "faithful slave," he is suspect.

  You can forget to mention Jesus in your prayer, but for Heaven's sake, don't forget to mention the organization!

  How are we any different from the political and religious systems of the world, where CYA is the most important thing of all???
• 
  16

  Doctrine or Scripture?

  by kibizzle in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  my h and i are generally good at avoiding the subject, but the other day we got into a "debate" about the "truth".

  anyway, he gave a few reasons why he believes the jws have the "truth" such as the scripture that says "it is better to not have known the truth at all than have known the truth and walked away".

  okay, at the time i was too upset to think rationally and say, "okay, which scripture would that be?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  It is futile to apply either of those verses to questioning the doctrines of Jehovah's Witnesses. First off, the Truth does not equal Watchtower doctrines.

  Second, that verse in Hebrews applies to those who have the heavenly calling, which Witnesses have been taught does not apply to 99% of them.

  There's a lot of unbiblical stuff being taught by this religion. Only a fool (in the Biblical sense) would not question it.
• 
  6

  "IN ORDER THAT NONE MAY HONOR...

  by somebody in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  the son just as they honor the father"

  just my thoughts this week that i wanted to share.....

  october 15,1971 watchtower p. 627

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  Rutheford started the whole mess when he named his group of Bible Students, "Jehovah's Witnesses."

  I guess he never read Acts 1:8, where it says Christians are to be Jesus' witnesses.

  Just gimme that Old Testament religion......
• 
  25

  "Because They're A Cult"........

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  yesterday, a business associate asked me why jws would not celebrate a birthday, a bar mitzvah, or any other holiday.

  he asked why they literally believed only 144,000 go to heaven.

  he asked how they could celebrate everything 1 year and the next year, tell their families that everything is pagan........my answer to all of his questions, were "it's because they're a cult.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  My present thinking agrees with itsallgoodnow's, that "Jehovah's Witnesses are typical of disappointed millenarians still expecting the end of the world, desperately clinging to their beliefs despite a long history of failed prophecies." So much can be traced back to that.

  But there is also the leaders' hubris of refusing to change, refusing to admit mistakes, and refusing go a more Christian route. It's like their heads are brick walls that cannot be breached with any sense or sympathy for the rank and file.

  All the time pointing to Jesus' words, while refusing to heed them.
• 
  21

  The Watchtower - A Waste of Paper and Time? ( May 1, 2004)

  by metatron in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  often, when you pick up a copy of the watchtower, you'll notice some articles that.

  give good counsel.

  they may advise elders to lovingly care for the flock, teenagers to.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  Unfortunately Metatron, you are correct in your analysis. I say "unfortunately" because this could be a good religion if those in control would only cut the crap.

  Unfortunately, good works = field service and only field service. No other "good works" have any merit in this organization. As you said, 'charity doesn't count.' No place on the report for it.

  The emphasis is all on bringing new people in. And the ones already in are neglected to fend for themselves unless they are bringing still newer people in. All this "sense of urgency" is for what? We can't force God's hand to bring the End, but we keep trying, driving the slaves to do more!

  The newest WT, May 15, 2004, has two study articles on helping the elderly, calling them "valuable members of our Christian brotherhood." Maybe they mean those elderly gents up there in Brooklyn. Spend too much time caring for the local elderly ones, and you miss out on field service, which is a no-no. So how much real concern do these articles demonstrate? It's all just words.

  When will we learn that we can't do anything more to secure our salvation than Jesus has done already? It should be about love, not about "counting time."

  But no one up in Brooklyn really cares. So sad.
• 
  23

  What JW doctrines (topics) are NOT in the New World Translation ???

  by run dont walk in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what doctrines and beliefs do jw's stick to, that are not mentioned anywhere in the new world translation ????.

  i thought of a few ........ 1) christ returned invisibly in 1914 .

  2) heavens doors were closed in 1935.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  All Christians must be preachers. Compare Ephesians 4:11: "Some...."
• 
  14

  More Ex-Witnesses than Witnesses?

  by OHappyDay in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  jehovah's witnesses use the number of the mighty 6 million (tm) to "prove" that god is blessing them over and above all other religions.

  but with so many being disfellowshipped and leaving over the past decades, how many ex-witnesses are there?

  with thousands growing wiser and more dissatisfied with wt doctrine, might the number of ex-witnesses over the years now equal the number of witnesses?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  OHappyDay

  Another thing mentioned prominently is all the hours spent in "disciple-making." But then those disciples learn that they are not being drawn to Jesus, but to an "Organization" that doesn't treat the flock with tenderness like Jesus did. All those proud hours are for nothing.

  I use to think that many left or were put out due to moral turpitude -- smoking, fornicating, gambling, etc. But I am learning that there's much more to it than that. And that the moral turpitude is on the Society's part -- false teachings, wild speculations, harsh treatment of people, which makes people leave.

  Somehow, the whole WT enterprise appears futile. For every one that comes in through the front door, more leave out the back door.