Posts by 88JM

5

Mis-translation of the bible even by the time of Jesus

by 88JM in

*** g76 7/22 p. 27 what worship does god approve?

"evidently to give credence to their belief, the samaritans changed a passage in the fifth book of moses to read gerizim instead of ebal.".

came across this quote last night.. i was slightly surprised to see an awake article admitting that "corruption" of bible texts started so early, even before the time of jesus.. i was wondering a couple of things:.

88JM

*** g76 7/22 p. 27 What Worship Does God Approve? ***

"Evidently to give credence to their belief, the Samaritans changed a passage in the fifth book of Moses to read “Gerizim” instead of “Ebal.”"

Came across this quote last night.

I was slightly surprised to see an Awake article admitting that "corruption" of bible texts started so early, even before the time of Jesus.

I was wondering a couple of things:

How do we/they know that the Samaritans changed the passage? Presumably there are multiple copies of that text in existance that can be compared, or testimony of the time that it was changed?
If the WTBTS is willing to admit that corruption of bible texts started so early, then how can they be so sure that the text they have today isn't totally corrupted?

82

Most Annoying Things That Happen At JW Meetings

by LittleSister in

jw
friends

today i was remembering how angry i used to get at the meetings and all the little irritations that in the end would just make my blood boil these included:.

prayers that go on foreverstudy or wt conductors still taking comments when its clear that the point has been covered 20 times alreadymeetings over running by more than 5 minsmy favourite was this one elder who would play guess the point i am thinking of.

he would keep rephrasing the question from the wt until someone would bring up the point he was thinking of.

88JM

Like many have commented, out of all the meetings I find the Watchtower study the most annoying, often for the content, but certainly for the way it is conducted usually.

Reading the paragraphs of the Watchtower - it's mostly pointless and wastes everyone's time, as is demonstrated on the circuit visit when the paragraphs aren't read anyway. And as has been commented on already, most of the answers are just reading out the paragraphs AGAIN.

Some conductors also can make the Watchtower more annoying than usual too. I find it annoying when they ask too many specific auxilliary questions, trying to extract every little snippet of the paragraph, effectively having the audience read out each bit again. It leaves no time for "discussion" or "expanding" on anything, and kills any possible usefulness of the already wasted time.

62

Marriage Consummation - emailed question has me stumped

by jwfacts in

i received an email from a jw that got married, but the wife never had sex with him.

they were together for a period of years.

he told the elders, but they said there was nothing that could be done.

88JM

Fascinating.

11

What book do they study with ''newly interested ones'' ?

by ThomasCovenant in

jw
friends

as title, when starting a new ''bible study''..

88JM

Oh right, yeah I forgot about that one - you hardly see it around anymore. Horrible, horrible book that one...

11

What book do they study with ''newly interested ones'' ?

by ThomasCovenant in

jw
friends

as title, when starting a new ''bible study''..

88JM

It's still the Bible Teach book, no? Then if they finish that, they are moved on to the Draw Close book.

36

Blondie's Comments You Will Not Hear at the 02-09-2014 WT Study (QUICKLY SHAKEN)

by blondie in

jw
friends

the wts?.

we request of you not to be quickly shaken from your reason.2 thess.

(1 tim.

88JM

It certainly did feel like the cognitive dissonance was turned up to "MAX" for this one.

I couldn't believe some of the comments at the meeting here.

In the very first paragraph, one brother mentioned "a Times newspaper article that said the witnesses had done a U-turn on blood transfusions, which was of course false..."

Later in the study, the conductor said how "amazing that so much has changed in the past few months. If you hadn't come to the meetings in a few months you would feel like you didn't know anything."

He also threw in his own extra question on some of the "new light", as Thessalonians was being discussed. He asked about the order of things with the cry of peace and security, destruction, and the final sealing of the anointed. No one put up their hand to answer it!

However there was a bit of slightly "heated discussion" afterwards with a few brothers who couldn't even quite agree themselves on the order, and they seemed to be arguing whether there was a gap between the sealing of the anointed and them being taken to heaven, or whether it happened at the same time. One brother argued that if there was a gap, then that would perhaps give the anointed a chance to prove unfaithful, so they must happen at the same time. I don't think they realise they are supposed to believe in the rapture now!

16

Anyone else having a bad few weeks??

by quellycatface in

jw
friends

i seem to have a really crap couple of months with stuff going wrong.

people being nasty to me.

i saw a neighbour of mine today (who i fell out with 18 months ago), to whom i've since apologised for losing my temper with, but today, when i smiled at her, she looked at me daggers!!!

88JM

I know what you mean - bad things always seem to happen all at once. I had 2 minor car crashes in about the space of a month.

I find it helps to have something to look forward to though, like having a holiday planned in advance. The winter months in general can be a bit dreary anyway.

65

Any explanation from the WT as to why Adam and Eve did not have sex before they sinned? (and other Genesis stumpers)

by BU2B in

(disclaimer- i know this is all fairy tales but i like to pick genesis apart since many millions still take it literally and is the foundtion of jw doctrine.

without genesis being real, the whole thing collpses).

i was just reading through genesis yesterday, and it really hit me.

88JM

Also, how could the entrance to the garden of eden be garded by swords? Why would it have been invented or created back then?

Another questions from readers that is a total cop out:

w94 2/1 p. 31 Questions From Readers
Consider another example from the early chapters of Genesis. After Adam and Eve sinned and were expelled from the garden, Jehovah prevented them from returning. How? Genesis 3:24 says: “He drove the man out and posted at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubs and the flaming blade of a sword that was turning itself continually to guard the way to the tree of life.” Notice, “the flaming blade of a sword.” Did God invent swords?

We need not conclude that our loving Creator was the first one to make what we know as swords. Adam and Eve saw turning in front of the angels something that was blazing. What exactly was it? By the time Moses wrote the book of Genesis, swords were well-known and used in warfare. (Genesis 31:26; 34:26; 48:22; Exodus 5:21; 17:13) So Moses’ words “the flaming blade of a sword” enabled his readers to visualize to a degree what existed at the entrance of Eden. The information known in Moses’ day contributed to the understanding of such matters. And the language Moses employed must have been accurate, for Jehovah had it included in the Bible.—2 Timothy 3:16.

Which is part of an even crazier larger article trying to explain why animals only ate vegitation before the flood!

65

Any explanation from the WT as to why Adam and Eve did not have sex before they sinned? (and other Genesis stumpers)

by BU2B in

(disclaimer- i know this is all fairy tales but i like to pick genesis apart since many millions still take it literally and is the foundtion of jw doctrine.

without genesis being real, the whole thing collpses).

i was just reading through genesis yesterday, and it really hit me.

88JM

He seemed pretty excited when he saw her though? Bone of my bones and all that?

Maybe it was the other way around and SHE wasn't interested in HIM? There's not much recorded about Eve's reaction to Adam. All she seemed to be interested in is food and talking to a snake.

65

Any explanation from the WT as to why Adam and Eve did not have sex before they sinned? (and other Genesis stumpers)

by BU2B in

(disclaimer- i know this is all fairy tales but i like to pick genesis apart since many millions still take it literally and is the foundtion of jw doctrine.

without genesis being real, the whole thing collpses).

i was just reading through genesis yesterday, and it really hit me.

88JM

There are loads of problems with the Genesis account, and even more problems with the JW interpretation of it.

Some of the previous threads on here, especially ones by Leolaia, make much more sense of the account, when looked at from a Jewish mythology point of view - things like the word "perfection" or the snake being Satan not even being mentioned in the account, but were later Xian additions.

I seem to remember the mythology does have something like Adam and Eve as being far more "child-like" than the WT interpretation, and not knowing about sex either - that's why only after they had eaten from the tree they realised they were naked? Presumably God was later going to aquaint them with "doing the business" as a reward for not eating of the tree or something?