Sorry it's so late in the day with this.
If anyone would like the passover bread recipe:
1 cup Whole wheat flour, 2 Tbls Olive Oil [extra virgin] 1/2 cup water. mix. knead for a minute, roll out and bake in 350* oven for 20 min.
Newly Enlightened
JoinedPosts by Newly Enlightened
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If anyone needs the unleavened bread recipe....
by Newly Enlightened insorry it's so late in the day with this.. if anyone would like the passover bread recipe:.
1 cup whole wheat flour, 2 tbls olive oil [extra virgin] 1/2 cup water.
mix.
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The FIRST Memorial Ive missed in 41 years
by Londo111 inlast year, my last jw memorial, i listened to the talk as an outsider would.
the speaker strung unrelated texts together and for the first time, i saw that the interpretations made no sense.
afterward, i had a private memorial with homemade unleavened bread and wine with four people--three of whom partook.
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Newly Enlightened
Wrong week to stop sniffing glue: Do you know Don't call me Shirley? He's a new poster. Same movie, just a thought.
This will be Hubby & I first time missing in 49 yrs. We plan on doing a quiet celebration at home by ourselves. I just posted the bread recipe on the other thread about the Memorial if anyone needs it.
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Anyone else celebrating the Memorial with just their families at home tonight?
by ohiocowboy intonight, i have decided to bake unleavened bread so that my partner and i can have our own memorial at home.
i already have the wine, and i will be serving it in an authentic ancient greel drinking vessel called a kantharos that was used in ancient times.
i've collected ancient greek and roman coins and antiquities for quite a few years, and i thought it would be neat to try be be as authentic as possible by serving the emblems in ancient wares.
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Newly Enlightened
Yes. Hubby & I will be celebrating at home for the first time without WTBT$ crap. Authentic as possible is a very nice touch Cowboy.
If anyone else would like the passover bread recipe: 1 cup Whole wheat flour, 2 Tbls Olive Oil [extra virgin] 1/2 cup water. mix. knead for a minute, roll out and bake in 350* oven for 20 min.
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Why a day behind Passover? Weren't the apostles celebrating Passover?
by wha happened? ini don't get the day differeance.
what's the obscure referance the wt uses to set the memorial a day late?.
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Newly Enlightened
Does beer & pretzels count as long as they're kosher?
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Long time reader first time poster
by MissMyHarley intrying to get out after only being in for a year or so.
my wife and i were really taken in by these folks.
we are both have degrees and should have known better.
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Newly Enlightened
Welcome Harley! Glad to have you here with us
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slavenomore
by Slavenomore inleaving the org was not a doctrinal choice for me as it was for many on this board.
i left mentally because of the boredom and then i physically left by being dfd.
i have been reading here for about a month or so and now i know i made the right decision.
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Newly Enlightened
WELCOME Slavenomore. Glad to have you here with us.
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Jury duty as a JW, were you summons for Jury service.
by jam infor over 12 years i have been summons for jury service.. each year i receive a summons and each year my physician.
send in my medical excuse.
don,t get me wrong, i would love.
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Newly Enlightened
In AZ [U.S.A] they used the driver's license list. I served on the COUNTY Grand Jury for 6 months because at the time, I had no excuse not to. But after my own research and asking a dear friend who was an elder. The Grand Jury was different than a regular trial hearing. You are only read details of a case and then you decide if there is enough evidence for it to go court.
I learned alot in that 6 months! I also learned which JW's had got arrested for DWI's/DUI's
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The Cult Test
by AndDontCallMeShirley inafter reading this, is there any doubt watchtower is a cult?.
the following information describes cults in general but is not specifically focused on the jehovah's witnesses, although they are mentioned several times.
the characteristics of cults are so much in line with wt tactics, down to similar phrases and buzzwords.. .
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Newly Enlightened
Their own literature condemns them!
WT 1994 2/15 pg 5-7
? Are Jehovah’s Witnesses a cult?
What
theEvidenceShows
A government official of the city of St. Petersburg, Russia, explained: “Jehovah’s Witnesses were presented to us as some kind of underground sect sitting in the darkness and slaughtering children and killing themselves.” However, the people of Russia have recently become better acquainted with the true nature of the Witnesses. After working with Jehovah’s Witnesses in connection with an international convention, the same official observed: “Now I see normal, smiling people, even better than many people I know. They are peaceful and calm, and they love one another very much.” He added: “I really do not understand why people tell such lies about them.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not hold ritualistic meetings, nor is their worship cloaked in secrecy. Non-Witness author Julia Mitchell Corbett notes: “When they meet, usually more than once a week, in Kingdom Halls (their meeting sites are not called churches), most of their time is spent in Bible study and discussion.” Their meeting places are clearly marked with a sign. The meetings are open, and the general public is invited to attend. Unannounced guests are more than welcome.
The “Witnesses have earned the reputation of being honest, courteous, and industrious,” adds Corbett in her book ReligioninAmerica. Many who are not Witnesses readily acknowledge that there is nothing freakish or bizarre about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their conduct does not clash with what is accepted as normal social behavior.TheNewEncyclopædiaBritannica accurately states that the Witnesses “insist upon a high moral code in personal conduct.”
The director of news and special projects for a television station in the United States wrote to Jehovah’s Witnesses in response to a biased report about the Witnesses on the TV news show 60Minutes. He said: “If more people lived the way your faith does, this nation wouldn’t be in the shape it is in. I am one newsman who knows that your organization is founded on love and a strong faith in the Creator. I want you to know that not all News people are as biased.”
A
Well-KnownReligion
Is it fair to say that Jehovah’s Witnesses are a small fringe religious group? In a sense, Jehovah’s Witnesses are few in number compared to some religions. However, recall what Jesus said: “Narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.”—Matthew 7:13, 14.
At any rate, the Witnesses are far from being a small fringe cult. In the spring of 1993, more than 11 million people attended the Witnesses’ Memorial of Christ’s death. But more important than their number are their moral character and exemplary behavior, which have brought them worldwide commendation. Undoubtedly this has been a factor in countries that have given them official recognition as a known, bona fide religion.
Outstanding is a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights. It declared that the Witnesses should enjoy freedom of thought, conscience, and religion and that they have the right to speak about their faith and teach it to others. This would hardly be the case if Jehovah’s Witnesses were known to use deceptive and unethical techniques to recruit members or if they used manipulative methods to control the minds of their followers.
Multitudes around the world are well acquainted with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Of the millions of non-Witnesses who are studying the Bible with the Witnesses or who have studied with them at one time or another, we ask, Were there any attempts to brainwash you? Did the Witnesses employ mind-control techniques on you? “No” would doubtless be your frank response. Obviously, if these methods had been used, there would be an overwhelming number of victims in contradiction to any argument in favor of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
“Absorbed
inHumanity”
Cult members often isolate themselves from family, friends, and even society in general. Is that the case with Jehovah’s Witnesses? “I do not belong to Jehovah’s Witnesses,” wrote a newsman in the Czech Republic. Yet he added: “It is obvious that they [Jehovah’s Witnesses] have tremendous moral strength. . . . They recognize governmental authorities but believe that only God’s Kingdom is capable of solving all human problems. But watch it—they are not fanatics. They are people who are absorbed in humanity.”
And they do not live in communes, isolating themselves from relatives and others. Jehovah’s Witnesses recognize that it is their Scriptural responsibility to love and care for their families. They live and work with people of all races and religions. When disasters strike, they are quick to respond with relief supplies and other humanitarian assistance.
More important, they are engaged in an educational program that has no comparison. How many religions have an organized system to pay personal visits to every individual in their community? Jehovah’s Witnesses do this in more than 200 lands and in more than 200 languages! Clearly, Jehovah’s Witnesses are “absorbed in humanity.”
Strict
AdherencetotheBible
Admittedly, the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are different from those provided by the churches. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jehovah is the almighty God and that Jesus is his Son, not part of a triune deity. Their faith is anchored in the belief that God’s Kingdom alone can bring relief to suffering humanity. They warn people of the imminent destruction of this corrupt system of things. They preach about God’s promise of an earthly paradise for obedient mankind. They do not venerate the cross. They do not celebrate Christmas. They believe that the soul is mortal and that there is no hellfire. They will not eat blood, nor will they accept blood transfusions. They abstain from involvement in politics and participation in warfare. Have you ever asked yourself why the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses are so different?
A Massachusetts newspaper, the DailyHampshireGazette, explains that Jehovah’s Witnesses’ “strict interpretation of the Bible forbids many activities others take for granted . . . , all in an effort to follow the example of first-century Christians and the word of the Bible.” TheEncyclopediaofReligion agrees that “all that they believe is based on the Bible. They ‘proof text’ (that is, supply a biblical citation to support) almost every statement of faith, taking for granted the authority of the Bible, which entirely supplants tradition.” The book ReligioninAmerica states: “The group has never wavered from its focus on Bible study, and its teachings are supported by an elaborate system of references to scripture.”
Who
IsTheirLeader?
It is precisely because of this close adherence to Bible teachings that the veneration and idolization of human leaders so characteristic of cults today is not to be found among Jehovah’s Witnesses. They reject the concept of a clergy-laity distinction. TheEncyclopediaofReligion aptly states about Jehovah’s Witnesses: “A clergy class and distinctive titles are prohibited.”
They follow Jesus Christ as their Leader and as Head of the Christian congregation. It was Jesus who said: “Do not you be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, whereas all you are brothers. Moreover, do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly One. Neither be called ‘leaders,’ for your Leader is one, the Christ.”—Matthew 23:8-12.
It is clear that Jehovah’s Witnesses are as far from being a cult as Jesus was from being a glutton and a drunkard. Admittedly, not everyone who was influenced by the false reports about Jesus and his disciples fell into the trap of slandering him. Some may simply have been misinformed. If you have questions about Jehovah’s Witnesses and their beliefs, why not get to know them better? The doors to their Kingdom Halls are wide open to all who seek truth.
You can also benefit from their careful search for accurate Bible knowledge and learn how to worship God in harmony with Jesus’ words: “The hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.”—John 4:23.
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The Cult Test
by AndDontCallMeShirley inafter reading this, is there any doubt watchtower is a cult?.
the following information describes cults in general but is not specifically focused on the jehovah's witnesses, although they are mentioned several times.
the characteristics of cults are so much in line with wt tactics, down to similar phrases and buzzwords.. .
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Newly Enlightened
Excellent topic DCMS! Here are some quotes from some different sources that you all might find interesting:
Definition of a cult
THE ORIGINAL USE OF THE WORD "CULT" AS WELL AS IT'S USE TODAY DERIVES FROM THE LATIN WORD "CULTUS" WHICH MEANS "WORSHIP".
DICTIONARY DEFINITION- A GROUP BOUND TOGETHER IN A INTENSE DEVOTION TO A PERSON, IDEAL OR THING; A SYSTEM OF BELIEFS AND RITUALS THAT ARE BOGUS. In other words they are practicing a false system of spirituality while claiming to be authentic.
In 1912 Ernst Troeltsch in the book social teaching of the Christian church, classified religious groups in three groups: "Church", "sect", and "cult". A cult represented a mystical or spiritual religion to intellectuals and educated classes.
With a more Biblical perspective, in 1938 Jan Van Baalens' "The Chaos of Cults" critiqued Theosophy, Mormonism, Christian Science, and Jehovah's Witnesses as 'Cults.' Because they were aberrant in their teachings while claiming to be Christian.
Christian apologist Robert Bowman defines a cult as A religious group originating as a heretical sect and maintaining fervent commitment to heresy. Adj.: "cultic" (may be used with reference to tendencies as well as full cult status.( Robert Bowman, A Biblical guide to Orthodoxy and heresy.)
Cult's will say they are the way to Christ and Christ Himself is not the way. So they put themselves as a group or their teaching in between man and God. They become mediators between God and man. They do not have the Christian distinctive, but will claim to be Christian in their beliefs and practices. It was Christ himself who Said "I Am the way, the truth the life."
A THEOLOGICAL DEFINITION A THEOLOGICAL DEFINITION OF "CULT" MUST BE BASED ON A STANDARD OF CHRISTIAN ORTHODOXY. USING THE BIBLE'S TEACHING AS A FOCAL POINT. A CULT IS ANY RELIGIOUS GROUP THAT CLAIMS TO BE CHRISTIAN (OR MAY NOT BE) IS DISTINCT AND HAS DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES THAT CONTRADICT THOSE OF THE SCRIPTURES AS INTERPRETED BY ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY. THOSE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN UPHELD IN HISTORIC CHRISTIANITY .
ORTHODOXY IS REPRESENTED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH, AND IS EXPRESSED IN STATEMENTS SUCH AS THE APOSTLES CREED WHICH ARE DENIED . THEY WILL DENY THE BIBLE AS THE COMPLETE BOOK OF REVELATION AND OUR GUIDE TO KNOWING GOD. THEY WILL DISTORT THE CENTRAL MESSAGE OF THE SCRIPTURES AS CHRIST BEING THE SAVIOR ALONE. THEY WILL DENY HIS DEITY AND DISTORT HIS NATURE. THEY FORM THEIR GROUP AROUND A SINGLE PERSONS INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE, OR CHRIST USUALLY BY A NEW REVELATION. THEY REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE LARGER BODY AND OPERATE AUTONOMOUSLY. A CULT IS ORGANIZED HERESY. THEY WILL DISTORT ONE OR MORE OF THE FUNDAMENTALS.
Walter Martin described a cult like this: "as a group of people gathered about a specific persons interpretation of the bible... from a theological view point, the cults contain not only a few major deviations from historic Christianity. They paradoxically, they continue to insist that they are entitled to be classified as Christians." (Kingdom of the cults p.11)
In his book The New Cults, Walter Martin defines a cult as “a group religious in nature which surrounds a leader, or a group which either denies or misinterprets essential biblical doctrines.”
