Posts by TerryWalstrom

62

NAILING DOWN the fraud of John 1:1 by demonstration

by TerryWalstrom in

call me crazy, but i love to watch seminary classes when sharp teachers are in charge of the instruction.. in the following video, the teacher really nails jehovah's witnesses on john 1:1 with utter simplicity.. begin at 1 hour and 20 minutes in.. i've never seen or heard of this before.. .

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5qkj7tmbg.

TerryWalstrom

William Miller was a Baptist farmer and war hero who sat down as an unschooled, non-academic, amateur sleuth and concocted 2 years worth of "proof positive" indicating the arrival of Jesus Christ in 1843.

Well, sure he was WRONG!

But instead of William Miller's extreme failure (and false prophecy) becoming a cautionary tale for C.T.Russell--it had the opposite effect. He was like the Jim Carrey character in Dumb and Dumber who takes "1 in a Million against him as a positive indication of opportunity FOR him"--Russell went down the same amateur path of self-teaching and we all know where that led!

The Doctrine of the "Faithful and Discreet Slave" is the product of amateur inquiry by Maria Russell and Wow! It became the central doctrine of authority for all the madmen who have led the Watchtower religion into the sewer for 130 years!

26

The Man Who Interviewed the Apostles

by TerryWalstrom in

meet papias.

if you had lived in the time of the living apostles of jesus would you have personally investigated stories about.

or, would you simply read whatever was written instead?.

TerryWalstrom

I'm sure the Writing Committee is familiar with the Early Church fathers and

the many writings on Heresy. However, when did we ever get an actual Watchtower article in this arena?

If there has been, I'd like to know about it and read it.

What becomes clear to the point of startling is the fact Early Christianity was a hotbed of human error, strong opinion, debate, skeptical inquiry and truculent discord.

J-Dubs pretend they have the "True" religion but don't recognize the process Early Christians went through of publicly CHALLENGING each other!

The myth of one accord is a most unfortunate fiction.

40

INTERVIEW: with an Elder

by TerryWalstrom in

elder: "i'm not sure i know what you mean by 'diversity.'.

elder: "well, it's not quite like that.

elder: "um.

TerryWalstrom

Clambake

In the first century when Jerusalem was sacked , any kind of centralized authority was destroyed yet the apostles kept on preaching. Today when you look at the church ( the entire body of Christ ) , the differences between denominations is really quite minor yet they keep preaching the same message. I think that is kind of interesting.

__________________

JW's have no mechanism for an open airing of controversy because disagreement is seen as automatic rebellion, disharmony, and potential apostasy. Any doubt or skepticism is equated with a weakness of spirit.

The Early Christians had controversy when Paul had to face off with Peter and a public rebuke took place (about Gentiles). It was embarrassing, uncomfortable, and it demonstrates (because we can read about it) such controversy is permissible and necessary.

JW Elders are policemen. They have absolutely no training as counselors or psychologists or mediators--and yet--the assume and arrogate such skills for themselves.

The job of a JW is to become a sophisticated human version of poly parrot.
Birdseed goes in and comes out as bird shit.

In the Kingdom Hall, bullshit goes in and comes out the same.

42

DESTROYING the Governing Body’s claim of authority

by TerryWalstrom in

destroying the governing body’s claim of authority.

begin at the beginning.

what source authority did early christians have?.

TerryWalstrom

Just to be succinct about the problem of the Governing Body's claim to authority :

No 1914 = no 1919 appointment = the G.B are self-appointed Charlatans.

Would any JW Apologist care to contradict this ?

__________________________

The Org has come out and declared the 1919 teaching to be cancelled because it is a not yet situation.

This amounts to admitting the source authority claimed was completely imaginary and premature.

As far as 1914 being cancelled, they've invested everything in this dry well and cannot bring themselves to admit how repeatedly wrong and illegitimate every single declaration has been.

Prediction: The Jehovah's Witness hierarchy will eventually give up 1914 and present it as an act of heroism and humility in doing so.

42

DESTROYING the Governing Body’s claim of authority

by TerryWalstrom in

destroying the governing body’s claim of authority.

begin at the beginning.

what source authority did early christians have?.

TerryWalstrom

If you lay out all the teachings in chronological order, the only pattern detectable is that of chaotic restlessness--sort of like a mental patient changing drugs and doses.

Add to that, the firmness of conviction and of always being absolutely certain--also a trait of mental patients with delusions of grandeur.

Logic is invoked and abandoned as needed.

Discontinuity / instability led to protests which led to undue influence, threats, and authoritarian demands for loyalty to the Organization (i.e. whoever was in charge at the moment) above the Bible itself.

When J.F. Rutherford entered Bethel, he demanded everybody there sign an Oath of Loyalty to himself OR ELSE he would throw them out on the street!

The wrongness of viewing this religion as the Truth is quite clear--but only if you study the hitory of its operations.

42

DESTROYING the Governing Body’s claim of authority

by TerryWalstrom in

destroying the governing body’s claim of authority.

begin at the beginning.

what source authority did early christians have?.

TerryWalstrom

One church started by Jesus himself, 39,000 started by men.

hmm, which one should I join?

____________________

1. We must assume, believe, and maintain a premise and never stray from that premise: the Bible is actually a divine communication and has not been substantially corrupted by human error.
2. We must think we will have some means of knowing truth when we find it (if we find it.)

3. Using human reasoning (regardless of our culture, training or I.Q.) and our Bible plus the supernatural intervention of God's miraculous Holy Spirit--the puzzle will be solved, the mystery penetrated and Truth will fall out in front of us to act upon.

Jehovah's Witnesses have assumed all of the above.

So has the rest of Christianity. Each branch, sect, division, denomination is a testimony to the fact NOBODY AGREES--yet, the source of the disagreement is profound enough to cause them to consider their fellow Christians "WRONG."

42

DESTROYING the Governing Body’s claim of authority

by TerryWalstrom in

destroying the governing body’s claim of authority.

begin at the beginning.

what source authority did early christians have?.

TerryWalstrom

So before 1922 the kingdom message, how was it understood, did it play a role at all, and was the earthly hope proclaimed before or after 1922?

______________

The Earthly hope (rather than heavenly) was a message from the 1930's developed to explain why there were more members than could be accounted for in the "heaven only" 144,000

In 1920 Rutherford had written that it was "unreasonable" to think God was developing any class other than the little flock (the 144,000 to attain heavenly kingship) and the "great company" (second spiritual class also with a heavenly hope).

1932: Identification of "Jonadabs", a "sheep" class of people who take a stand for righteousness and who are to be preserved by God through Armageddon to gain everlasting life on earth. The term was drawn from the account at 2 Kings 10.

1932: Watch Tower Society adherents with an earthly hope should join the worldwide preaching work. In 1927 The Watchtower had directed that only anointed Christians were "entitled" to take part in the ministry.

In 1934, theWatchtower explained that the "Jonadabs" survive Armageddon by living in the figurative "City of refuge", represented by remaining affiliated with the Watch Tower Society.
____________________________

https://www.scribd.com/doc/301735422/Watchtower-Babylon-the-Great-Has-Fallen-God-s-Kingdom-Rules-1963

In Babylon the Great Has Fallen--God's Kingdom Rules! Freddy Franz actually tries to convince the reader that the series of conventions from 1922 were fulfillments of the Book of Revelation.

This came as a huge shock to me when I studied it in prison in 1967-69 with a group of other JW's.
It sounded looney. It really struck me as bizarre anybody would make such claims.

But, the other brothers were merely. . . impressed. . . by the claims of divine fulfillment in their choice of religion.

I didn't put up a fight. I wrongly reckoned the others were at least as wise as I was.

I swallowed the silly premise and went about my self-sacrifice like a sheep.

42

DESTROYING the Governing Body’s claim of authority

by TerryWalstrom in

destroying the governing body’s claim of authority.

begin at the beginning.

what source authority did early christians have?.

TerryWalstrom

Certain people, certain audiences, certain mindsets are more vulnerable to

this particular form of persuasion.

1, You have to believe and be convinced that the Bible is a supernatural book.

2. You must be convinced all the important answers to life are contained in the Bible.

3. You have to entertain the notion there is Bible Truth which can be extracted under the right circumstances.

If the above conditions are met, what else is necessary?

1. You must be self-centered enough to believe the time in which you live is the most important in all human history. This is a measure of egocentricity stronger in some people than in others.

2. You must believe you are smart enough to recognize "Truth" when you see and hear it and that you are too smart to be fooled.

3. You must be able to confuse promises of everlasting life with guarantees.

Russell had just the right amount of education and money and intelligence to assemble (buffet style: a little from here and a little from there) titillating false data and assemble it into bite-size, 'logical' sequences of patterns and numbers.

The fish only sees the worm--not the hook inside---not the fisherman on the shore.

Each of us met the above requirements.

We were smart, self-centered, skeptical at first and then gradually persuaded.

The story solved all the problems in the world and we were insiders in possession of absolute Truth.

What's not to like?

42

DESTROYING the Governing Body’s claim of authority

by TerryWalstrom in

destroying the governing body’s claim of authority.

begin at the beginning.

what source authority did early christians have?.

TerryWalstrom

About 40 thousand divisions in Christianity.
If we pretend only Christianity has "the truth" then the odds of picking

the right denomination is 1 in 40,000.

How very lucky all of us are!
We managed to rule out at least one of them!
Our odds have improved.

42

DESTROYING the Governing Body’s claim of authority

by TerryWalstrom in

destroying the governing body’s claim of authority.

begin at the beginning.

what source authority did early christians have?.

TerryWalstrom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNzgd8Oa2rE