just wanted to let you know that a few changes were made to my website, christian fraternity of god's people (cfgp).. "news" section removed"comments" section removedforum created (with some limitations)new font used across the websitesurvey added to the welcome page (now with ongoing results displayed)thanks to all who have visited the website.
the peak of unique visitors in one day was 493, established on june 22, 2013. .
eden.
Just wanted to let you know that a few changes were made to my website, CHRISTIAN FRATERNITY OF GOD'S PEOPLE (CFGP).
Thanks to all who have visited the website. The peak of unique visitors in one day was 493, established on June 22, 2013.
Eden
.... catholics,.
dress up for mass.. and listen to,.
gregorian chants.. atheists,.
Atheists DO have a song.
"Imagine", by John Lennon.
Eden
hey people,.
as for myself, after extensive study i have concluded that it's not possible for me to trust the bible and so i am not active anymore.
however, let me please add something to the discussions here:.
I second what Phizzy said:
I found most individual JW's to be sincere, good people, who wanted to do what was right. Many were loving in a way far beyond that which the WT expects.
To the OP,
Being an ex-Elder who stepped down for personal reasons (no sin, and no knowledge of TTATT than), I know a thing of two about the inner workings of a congregation, even of a Circuit. What always stroke me as impressive about "us" - and I speak this way because it's a known fact that I'm still an active Witness, for how long it remains to be seen as there are other factors at play - is precisely the quality of the people, the rank and file, the humble brothers and sisters. Even most of the MS and Elders are perfectly sincere in what they do. I have good friends within the congregation, although I know well that the day I'm not a Witness they will turn their backs on me, because the wat they are indoctrinated, they equate leaving the organization as leaving Jehovah and Christ.
In any case, the average human quality of the people within the congregation is the only redeeming quality I see in being a Witness.
Now, regarding doctrine, a deeper study of the Bible will convince you that the original flaw of the Jehovah's Witnesses, originally Bible Students, was their beliefs being an ersats of Millerism, reengineered over the years to fit the purpose of advancing a gigantic publishing corporation. Many, many core doctrines of the Witnesses, mainly in what concerns with PROPHECY, are entirely WRONG. And this is no small issue, because it's precisely because of the peculiar interpretation of the prophecies that the Witnesses are shaped the way they are, and their expectations towards the future are what they are.
What I find especially revolting is the dishonesty involved in the re-writing of our own history. This is a clear indicator that the people running the Organization are well aware of what they're doing. They may be doctrinally deluded, but organizationally, they are perfectly aware of the perfidious scheme they're running. In turn, this leads to dishonesty, because once you establish in your mind that the "organization" is God's tool, then any means justify the ends, that is, the "organization" must be defended and upheld at all cost.
Finally, the religious practice. I believe this is, in many cases, a matter of taste. However, I agree that the shunning practice is absolutely despicable and unjustified and is used as a tool to instill fear in the rank and file, to keep the sheep in line. I think the paedophile issue is real, but often I find it to be a bit too inflated. In my years Elder, I've never had to deal - nor has even heard of - any case. So, while it's a real problem that calls for real action, and even one victim is one victim too many, this is something that is a bit overused as a throwing stone. Weren't the Organization and its Governing Body so self-righteous and above scrutiny, and the fingerpointing wouldn't be so harsh about this.
However, one word I must say about the reaction of some here: While the Witnesses are dogmatic about having "the truth", many here are just as dogmatic about having "the Truth About The truth". Sometimes that makes the debate and conversation being a bit skewed. you can't defend the Witnesses and the organization about anything, that someone, or many, will jump on you immediatly. In a way, I find it understandable that many feel hurt, tricked and wronged by the Organization. But in being so, they sometimes lack objectivity in their criticism and jump any wagon that says "anti-watchtower". On the other hand, it's remarkable that there is zero tolerance here for untruthful anti-watchtower claims.
So it's up to you if you want to remain in such environment.
Eden
ive just published on my website a commentary on daniel chapters 2, 3 and 4, concerning nebuchadnezzars dreams of the statue and the great tree.
its titled: the most high rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.
(click the title for link).
Flamegrilled,
Again, what basis do you have to take the Babylonian empire under Nabuchadnezzar II as the starting point to measure the relentless tendency for decay of human rulership? What indicators can you provide to sustain such assertion? The Ockham's Razor principle may well be applied here: " among competing hypotheses, the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions should be selected". How many assumptions you must make to back your statement? How many assumptions must be made to identify the statue with the babylonian empire?
What do you understand as "declining" of human rulership? Even if you only see it from a "theocratic" point of view? In that perspective, how was Babylon under Nabuchadnezzar more valuable that the following empires that dominated God's people?
All I'm asking is that you think about that.
Eden
complete donation what happened?.
today i added a new article to my blog showing part of a never before publicized letter where the watchtower organization makes admission of how jehovahs witnesses actually responded to the 1990 change to its complete donation arrangement.
my article is titled complete donation what happened?
Interesting post, Marvin.
JW's are a sociologically interesting group that I would love to study, if I had gone that route after university.
Eden
this is something i heard an elder say... .
is this possible?.
how many were baptized in all of 2012?.
Being "baptized into the organization" ... not "baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" .... hmmm right.
That says a lot.
Eden
sometimes we waste hours and hours debating a subject like the flood, and the impossible scientific and evolutionary consequences that it entails.
we go into great debates about how all of is is possible, what a "kind" means (species, obviously not)... etc.... but believers will not stop believing... so here is something even a child would think of more logically:if god is all powerful and love why would he have not just made the wicked drop dead, painlessly?
simply, humanly.
I nowadays lean towards - although I don't make it a dogmatic assertion - that in some cases of natural phenomena (the flood and the destruction of Sodom being two of them) God acted opportunistically, that is: He knew beforehand that certain natural phenomena would occur.* He knew the implications of it. Then he manouvered the events with mankind so that it appears to be his doing, this way letting people believe that God caused it to happen as a way to instill fear of God into people; when perhaps He was merely taking credit for something that it would inevitably happen one way or the other.
Eden
* As an example, we're nowadays just starting to understand the complex mechanisms behind earthquakes and volcanos, and we're starting to be able to predict those events with an increased degree of accuracy. Imagine God is able to know beforehand all those natural phenomena with 100% accuracy.
i was an elder until march 2012 until i resigned.
i then stopped going to meetings in october 2012 and have enjoyed 9 months of freedom that i have found to be jouful!
i loved learning ttatt and sites like this and jwfacts.com have been excellent.. i told the elders that i needed a break and that they should not contact me unless it was a social visit and true to their word they have done that.
I second what everyone else said. Unless you want to leave with a BANG!, don't do it. Your logic will be completely irrelevant; actually i doubt that they will even allow you to finish your reasoning. Even digging into old literature is looked down with suspicion from Elders, who, like ADCMS said, will ask you "What are you up to? Nothing good, for sure..." and you'll be put under close watch.
Once you question "mother", you're tagged as 'apostate' whether it's verbalized or not.
Eden
ive just published on my website a commentary on daniel chapters 2, 3 and 4, concerning nebuchadnezzars dreams of the statue and the great tree.
its titled: the most high rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.
(click the title for link).
Flamegrilled,
I'm sorry i should have been clearer, but I replied in a hurry.
I've picked up one of your assertions from the previous post:
Surely no human government is GOLD from God's POV
If we make that our assumption, then Nabuchadnezzar being identified as the "gold head" of the statue cannot be equated with a divine evaluation of its intrinsic value versus the value of other world powers. It makes much more sense to interpret his "golden" status as a divine indication that Nabuchadnezar's reign represented the "gold standard" or the height of glory of the Babylonian Empire (since one can hardly claim that the Babylonian empire was the "golden standard" or the "height of glory" of all the world powers that ever existed since antiquity until our days), and that from his passing onwards, decadence of his empire would follow.
Eden
ive just published on my website a commentary on daniel chapters 2, 3 and 4, concerning nebuchadnezzars dreams of the statue and the great tree.
its titled: the most high rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.
(click the title for link).
Hence, since from God's point of view no government is "gold", the fact that the statue of the dream has Nebuchadnezzar as the "gold head" can only be understood as his reign being the apogee of glory of the Neo-Babylonian empire, represented by the statue in its entirety. The succession of increasingly poorer materials represents its decadence.
Eden
