Posts by Rattigan350

37

If you were to design a new religion?

by ExBethelitenowPIMA in

what the jw sect has become and is slowly becoming is far more near what i thought could be a good religion based on the bible.. no more counting hours and no more blindly following direction now they admit they are not inspired.. i would like to design a new sect inside the jws.

it has to be kept secret because the elders would not like it.. this new sect involves giving a tick every month or so saying you are still kindof active talking about the bible.. going to meetings occasionally and attending on zoom sometimes.

very rarely go to ministry groups but don’t ever do first call, just say you are doing street work and have a nice walk somewhere maybe the shops or the park.

Rattigan350

"they have admitted they are not inspired"

The Governing Body is inspired the same as Paul was inspired. The thing is, people don't understand what the word 'inspired' means. While it can mean getting direct messages from God, mentally, audibly or in vision, the word inspired means where the idea came from.

Movies are inspired by true stories. Songs are inspired by events in the writer's life. So when Paul writes that all scripture is inspired of God, he means Gen - Malachi originated from God and the focus and idea of the apostles' writing was from those scriptures and for the serving God.

That's how the Governing body is inspired by God in that they use the scriptures as a basis for their serving God, not that they got direct information from God, Jesus or the angels.

8

"Watchtower" vs Jehovah's Witnesses

by NotFormer in

jw
friends

rattigan350, whenever someone brings up the failings of the organisation we refer to as "the watchtower", tries to define the argument away by saying that the watchtower is a corporate entity and has very little to do with the kingdom halls, the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses.. could someone who knows their stuff please explain if this is a false dichotomy, using the literature which is used by r&f jws, if possible?.

it gets kind of tiresome when someone makes a point about something that the watchtower said and mr. apologist comes along and tries to define away what is usually a very good point..

Rattigan350

The WTBTS is a corporation that owns property and printing presses. People more than 20 years ago used to use the term "The Society" when referring to the religious authority of the Watchtower magazine, and other publications and the writers. Back in 2000 the Watchtower Society split from the Governing body and is no longer the religious authority of the religion and the people within. The Governing Body is referred to as the Faithful and Discreet slave that Jesus said to have appointed, thus the Governing Body is the spiritual overseers of the organization, not the Watchtower Society.

Then there is the CCJW which is not so much of a property and money holder but the Corportation that is more aligned with the religious aspect of matters. That is what runs and operates and directs the congregations. In other words the CCJW is what is referred to as the Branch. The GB communicates to the congregations through the CCJW, not the Watchtower Society; although the Watchtower is still the name of the magazine that is studied on the weekend meetings.

The failings of the organization is what people refer to as the doctrinal changes. I don't see how that is a failing. It is simply as it was said in the AGM, a better understanding. Not being dogmatic about specifics that were not stated in the Bible. Because sometimes an issue is looked at narrowly but later the view is expanded and looked at with a wider scope. It's like a Supreme Court will make a ruling or issued opinion and then later they will overrule it because there are different people in there and different understandings and different views.

Those people were wicked and because they were destroyed in Sodom they are gone; but Jesus said in an metaphor they are not so bad. But then what about these ones such as an 8 year old girl who died in the flood, etc. Why does anyone care? Worry about those alive today and not the ones who died many millenia ago.

I'm not an apologist. I'm a centerist. I think proJW is wrong and I think antiJW is wrong. So what is right is somewhere in between.

33

THIS is how Jehovah operates? Examining GB Jefffrey Winder's words

by Terry in

governing body member jeffrey winder on jw dot org:“we are not embarrassed about ‘adjustments’ that are made; nor is an apology needed for not getting it ‘exactly right’ previously.

we understand: this is how jehovah operates.”

1952 no wt 6/1/52 p.338 1965 maybe they will be resurrected .

Rattigan350

Someone sure had too much time on his/her hands to be researching all of that.

But then, the question is: Does any of that matter?

Is anyone a Watchtower follower?

50

The Watchtower—Study Edition | December 2023 ...Are you marriage material?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

the watchtower—study edition | december 2023. study article 52. young sisters—become mature christian women.

18 you may choose to get married.

the qualities and skills that we have discussed will help you to become a capable wife.

Rattigan350

The problem with dating JW women is that they are most concerned with how the man makes them look in the congregation. If they are dating a CO or a Bethelite, that is the highest. Then an elder, then a MS as that makes them look good. It's all a show for them. Status symbol.

176

No more REPORTING field service!!!!!!!!!

by BoogerMan in

this is going to break the hearts of a lot of uber-jw's!

reddit has now removed the video link of samuel herd telling jw's they will no longer have to report time or placements - just tick a box which says "active.".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akdshyx79rm&t=13s.

Rattigan350

ChildofGod89 said "i can prove biblically through scripture countless times Jesus is God"

No you can't.

Why do people get hung up on archangel? Angel is a messenger. Jesus is God's chief messenger.

Changing of John 1:1. Change from what to what? Jesus did not speak what was written in John 1:1 and I'm not a follower of the apostles, so if you adhere to John 1:1, you are a follower of men.

"There is so many scriptures that prove Jesus is god and Jesus himself claims this countless times."

No, on the contrary, Jesus in John 3:16 said that he is God son. So many times he is referred to as God's son. Peter in Matt 16 said that Jesus is God's son. In Luke 1:32 the angel told Mary "and will be called Son of the Most High". The Most High is Jehovah. Thus he is Jehovah's son.

Also if Jesus were God, then how could this be fulfilled ? Luke 2:22 "when the time came for purifying them according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to Jehovah". If that baby was Jehovah, how could he be presented to Jehovah?

Jesus can't be God because he is the sacrifice that is presented to God, the high priest that presents that sacrifice. Jesus' being God would invalidate that.

37

Can the Watchtower Society survive without time reports?

by DT in

jw
friends

there has already been much discussion about how the watchtower society has declared in australia that going door to door is part of a personal ministry.

this seems to be a lame attempt to avoid liability considering that they require time reports and have formal meetings for field service at the kingdom hall.. this is a bit of a dilemma.

reporting time and formal meetings for field service are important methods of control, however it's not clear if the organization is willing or able to handle the potential liability that may come from this.. imagine what would happen if they lost these methods of control.

Rattigan350

What does this have to do with the Watchtower Society surviving? Everything is done through the CCJW

31

Jehovah's Witnesses no longer count time. How is this news affecting moral and meeting attendance at local congregations?

by Balaamsass2 in

no more watchtower and awake mags every 2 weeks to place.

no private home book studies.

no more "essential" spiritual food meals 5x a week.

Rattigan350

The word is "morale" - ": the mental and emotional condition (as of enthusiasm, confidence, or loyalty) of an individual or group with regard to the function or tasks at hand"

Morals have to do with the adhering to right or wrong.

16

Son out?

by Nantiques in

jw
friends

our son joined the wts 20 years ago.

we, his parents and siblings are not jws.

he is now 41. he knew we were "opposers" from the beginning, and so we were pretty much shunned by him.

Rattigan350

People don't join the WTS. It is a printing company.

Long hair and a beard are not good things.

41

2023-10-13-Announcement (Reporting Field Service)

by Atlantis in

jw
friends

2023-10-13-announcements (reporting field service).

page 1. https://imgbox.com/96lgsfw4 .

page 2. https://imgbox.com/zynoa02m .

Rattigan350

Notice how it says they will no longer be asked to report. So everyone was always asked to report their field service and it was not a command?

67

Real reasons behind this change?

by Gorb in

jw
friends

just a good conversation at home about the hour report change.. we think the change was not impmemented because the gb are such a lovely bunch of old grandpa's having the best in mind for us individuals.. there will be only, and we say only, an organizational reason for it.

a legal reason, to protect jw.org and it's officials and wealth.. next step?

maybe selling more kh and when jw hollywood studio's in rampoo are ready a change to tv subscription.. what do you think?

Rattigan350

My feelings on this is like what Sansa said to Littlefinger in the episode The Mountain and the Viper as to why she helped him. Actually she didn't say it. I thought she said "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know." Littlefinger said "To gamble on the man you know than the strangers you don't."

We know this world and this system, but we don't know what things will be like in the new system. We just have painted pictures.