jgnat Just a quick note of correction. The rituals and traditions followed within the walls of a church are not legally binding .
Very true. I was onlt 13 when I was dunked; too young to make a legally binding decision.
i have read some of you talking about baptism not being a legaly binding contract as, for most it was undertaken as a minor.
has anyone successfuly nulled their baptism and exited free of consequence?.
jgnat Just a quick note of correction. The rituals and traditions followed within the walls of a church are not legally binding .
Very true. I was onlt 13 when I was dunked; too young to make a legally binding decision.
dear friends:.
forty-five years ago i was out in service with an elder, and we came upon a house where the owners kindly received us.
this was not so unusual as the family was jehovah's witnesses.
in luke 11:13 jesus refers to his beloved deciples as wicked.
the wt (and most jws) see themselves as faithful and discreet.
they are teaching people to be self-righteous arent they?.
Good points moshe
People seldom see themselves as evil - no matter what they do. They act as they do because they believe they are right. Hypothetically, the devil does not see himself as evil but as standing up for the right of men and women, from Eden onward, to decide for themselves what is good and what is evil.
The devil is not alone in questioning the behaviour of the Hebrew desert god Jehovah. Despite the devil being called a liar in the Bible, I am unable to find a single incident of him lying. In contrast Jehovah told the first lie to Adam & Eve.
As Jehovah's Witnesses adore Jehovah they are going to act just like him and see themselves as righteous. Personally, I have more respect for the devil.
last thursday i was propmpted by a recent thread to read the daily text (feb 28, 2013).
i then had the audacity to send a text message to all four jw's nephews/nieces (in their mid 20's).
i offered my opinion by summarizing it "put and shut up".
Re: Is trying to awaken a JW tantamount to "robbing him of his bliss"?
This is often a dilemma that applies to tolerance of other people beliefs, no matter what they are. Jehovah's Witnesses are only one group of magical thinkers. Is it best to let people find comfort in their beliefs, however bizarre, and allow them to remain unchallenged?
Is it a kindness to not attempt to point out the contradictions? Should people’s cognitive dissidence be allowed to grow as we stand by and do nothing? If we see someone we care for being unduly influenced by someone, should we express our concern at the risk of attracting scorn, or do we walk by on the other side?
I have tried it both ways and been punished for my efforts. I tend to keep quiet nowadays, but my restrained may not be a kindness in the long run. Perhaps ridiculous beliefs should be vigorously challenged.
continuing on our mini discussing at.
http://jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/246435/8/greatest-show-on-earth#4664173.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/documentary_hypothesis.
'He wasn't terribly supportive of anything other than following him to heaven.'
He supported the Hebrew desert god Jehovah.
sorry for the late notice.. this is an informal get together.
barbecue and beverages guaranteed.
all else you bring yourself.. .
Wish you all a great time together, shame I can't be there.
I live in the UK and my private jet is being serviced that day.
in a nutshell: i think that (and i do not enjoy thinking about this)...i think that the crazies within the religion (who range from just low level people to co elder do and up) have won so many battles at this point (over the more balanced people/ideas)......that the people who tend to think in a more balanced fashion (whether they themselves be low level or higher up) are getting to be the real minority.
i think this dynamic, will be what finally sinks the ship.. as we see with any organization (corporate or otherwise), many times there are reports that make you wonder (how is this thing alive or prospering?
), and upon closer scrutiny, there are strong people in the background holding the walls up (who themselves get little attention).
continuing on our mini discussing at.
http://jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/246435/8/greatest-show-on-earth#4664173.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/documentary_hypothesis.
people here have commented how in judicial meetings, they are asked if they believe that the gb or wts is god's representative or the fds is used by god.. what if you say you don't believe in god anymore because of all of the bad things happening around the world and god does nothing.. representatives of a god that does nothing, would also do nothing so how could one believe in them?.
"What if you say you don't believe in God anymore because of all of the bad things happening around the world and God does nothing."
I often say that and it closes most threads!
continuing on our mini discussing at.
http://jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/beliefs/246435/8/greatest-show-on-earth#4664173.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/documentary_hypothesis.
The Wizard of Oz was a very telling story, because the wizard was not able to give them what they sough. The just discovered an old man behind a curtain conning people.
This led them to the discovery that what they were seeking had always been within themselves.
They just needed to believe in themselves.