https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k
Reza is one of the most articulate scholars I've encountered. He's even more adept than say, Bart Ehrman. He convinced me in this interview that Sam Harris, as just one example, is a fundamentalist to atheism. (What you hate, you become).
I realize too, the narrowness of my own view needs broadening as well.
I say, well done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl6e4emx-4k
you have your bethel watchtower study on a monday evening, as i understand it.therefore, prepare your hearts and your bible trained consciences to "test the inspired expressions" being presented as bible truth in the next study article - especially this one;w14 11/15 p. 26 par.
"acts 1:8 - "you will be witnesses of me...." [jesus]john 1:15 - "john bore witness about him..." [jesus]john 5:37 - "the father who sent me has himself borne witness about me.
"revelation 12:17 - ".......and have the work of bearing witness to jesus.
I've tried this line of reasoning before.
Heres the stock answer: "But Jesus perfectly reflects his father's qualities, so being Jesus Witnesses is the same as being Jehovah's Witnesses."
__________________________
Were the above true, then it is equally correct to say Jesus' Witnesses. It can't be 'wrong.' That being said, why are JW's thinking of themselves as Christians, instead of Jehovahs?
Riddle me that, Batman.
tv.jw.org does not provide a download option for this monthly broadcast.
also it has made it difficult to download direct through other means .
here's one way that still works.
SAVE this stuff? Um-m-m-m-m-m
pop quiz on jw (current) teaching.
1. was jesus 2nd coming in 1914?.
2. is jesus 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his coming?.
pop quiz on jw (current) teaching.
1. was jesus 2nd coming in 1914?.
2. is jesus 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his coming?.
So far, nobody has it right! That is, according to the Watchtower's current (as of this moment) 'understanding.'
pop quiz on jw (current) teaching.
1. was jesus 2nd coming in 1914?.
2. is jesus 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his coming?.
I think many of you will be amazed, dumbfounded, and/or indifferent to the actual answers to the above.
I'll give you a BIG HINT.
The GB has had to reinvent the entire structure of its doctrine. How they are spinning it depends on the ignorance of the eight million JW's around the world.
If few JW's know what WAS actually taught for over 100 years by direction of Holy Spirit, you can't expect them to be upset when it is scrapped and rebuilt!
pop quiz on jw (current) teaching.
1. was jesus 2nd coming in 1914?.
2. is jesus 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his coming?.
You two should be writing for Comedy Central!
or the writing committee for the Watchtower!
pop quiz on jw (current) teaching.
1. was jesus 2nd coming in 1914?.
2. is jesus 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his coming?.
Pop Quiz on JW (current) Teaching
1. Was Jesus’ 2nd coming in 1914?
2. Is Jesus’ 2nd (parousia) presence the same thing as his ‘coming?’
3. Is the doctrine of the ‘faithful and discreet slave’ still regarded as a prophecy instead of a parable?
4. Were the FDS appointed over ‘all His belongings’ in 1919?
5. Did the Gentile Times end in 1914, or is that yet to come at a future date?
6. Is the ‘great tribulation’ in the past, the present, or yet to come in the future?
7. Did Jesus die in order to save the ‘Great Crowd’?
8. If the Bible was only written for the anointed, why should non-anointed bother to read it?
9. Was Charles Taze Russell a member of the anointed 144,000? If so, since what date?
_________________________
I won't post the answers for several days. Why? I'm wondering who has been keeping up!
church leaders refused to co-operate with a police investigation into a sex attack by one of their congregation on a teenage girl.. jehovahs witness paul atkin has now been jailed for five years after he admitted sexual activity with a 15-year-old.. a court heard the south shields based branch of the church carried out their own investigation after the allegation came to light and atkin was booted out.. but when police came knocking, church officials refused to help what was then a rape allegation, on the grounds of confidentiality.. prosecutor deborah smith told newcastle crown court: it would appear there was some form of investigation by the church.. we know the defendant was disfellowshipped as a consequence of that investigation but there has been no disclosure of any minutes of meetings with the defendant and the elders have refused to provide statements to the police, despite the fact the defendant is no longer a member of their congregation, on the grounds of confidentiality.. atkin, of east moffat street, south shields, was initially accused of rape but the charge was dropped when he admitted sexual activity with a child.. the court heard his victim was 15-and-a-half when he had sex with her.. miss smith said: she did not wish to have sexual intercourse with him.. the crown accept, having discussed matters with her, the defendant may reasonably have believed that she did.. she did not fight back or shout out at the time of the incident.. the court heard the woman is still on anti-depressants and says her self confidence has been shattered by the ordeal.. in a statement read to the court, the victim, who is now an adult, said: this has had a major effect on me and i cannot trust men.. i bottled everything up and as a teenager i turned to drink and drugs.. i hope he gets sent to prison and gets what he deserves.. judge simon hickey jailed atkin for five years and said he must sign the sex offenders register for life and abide by the terms of a sexual offences prevention order for five years.. the judge told him: this has had a huge effect upon this young lady.. gavin doig, defending, said atkin has a good, supportive family and partner and said his family describe him as a hard working man with a job who will face devastating consequences if sent to jail.. he added that it was atkin himself who had brought the matter to the attention of police.. mr doig told the court: this defendant made a very bad mistake a number of years ago.
he has not made any further mistakes.. he is extremely sorry he committed this offence knowing, as he did, the complainant was under age.. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/south-shields-jehovahs-witness-jailed-8567927.
This takes the prize:
A spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in the North East said: “Paul Atkin has not been one of Jehovah’s Witnesses for seven years.
“We understand that the elders had no significant information related to the prosecution of this case that the police were not already aware of. Jehovah’s Witnesses have an absolute and unequivocal abhorrence of child abuse. We never would shield a perpetrator from the consequences of his crime.
“Victims or their families are entirely free to report crimes to the police. We respect and support the valuable role of the police in protecting the community from such individuals.
“For decades Jehovah’s Witnesses have published ground-breaking articles on child safeguarding.”
