Great catch Aurelius.
Eden
in a recent meeting with elders, an argument was used to the effect that jehovah has always [= throughout history] used, or operated through, an organization; therefore, the wts must be that organization today, since god must be using one.
naturally, i know what arguments i've used to counter that argument.
but i'm interested in hearing yours.
Great catch Aurelius.
Eden
so is the christian hope in heaven or on earth?.
in acts chapter 1the question was raised: 6 so when they had assembled, they asked him: lord, are you restoring the kingdom to israel at this time?
7 he said to them: it does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the father has placed in his own jurisdiction.. notice jesus never said thered be a change in venue, just that it wasnt up to them to know when..... so what is there from both sides?
DS211,
Phillipians 3:12-15 - "pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus. Therefore, let those of us who are mature be of this mental attitude, and if you are mentally inclined otherwise in any respect, God will reveal the above attitude to you."
Ephesians 4:4, 5 - "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism"
Colossians 3:2 - "Keep your minds fixed on the things above, not on the things on the earth."
Matthew 5:3-12 - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven... Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
John 14:2 - "There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?"
Colossians 1:4, 5 - " We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love you have for all the holy ones because of the hope that is being reserved for you in the heavens”
Revelation 19:1 - "After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God"
There are many more, but these may give you something to ponder about. You can read this article where this subject is considered in-depht.
Eden
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
doofdaddy:
So could you pleaes clarify this point? god does not provide his holy spirit to you in any shape, form or manner??
I don't have any more holy spirit than any other Christian who asks God for it. I don't have "special knowledge" nor "special insight", nor does God or Christ come speak to me, nor do I have dreams and revelations. When I ask God for holy spirit, is to let me be guided by His spirit, namely, to understand the Scriptures, and then let my conclusions be guided by that, so I can acquire wisdom to guide my actions. There's nothing miraculously supernatural about it, I think.
What I believe the spirit has enabled me is to see through the deception perpetrated by the "organization" in doctrinal terms. What I do, I suppose that anyone can do also.
Eden
i need help with writing an article regarding vaccinations, organ transplants, and blood transfusions.. i am doing my research using limited amounts of non-wt sources and mostly just the actual wt literature.. what i am having a hard time understanding is:.
most of the articles in the golden age, at least at the beginning of the anti-vaccination stance, are actually written by contributors.
since there are very pro-vaccination articles and then lots of anti-vaccination articles, how can i determine the actual wt viewpoint on vaccinations?.
Can someone (Terry?) provide a dated quote where the Organization states that the Watchtower articles (or any other literature) is edited directly by Jehovah?
Thanks
Eden
it's been a couple of years since i checked in here and wanted to see what's up with y'all.
.
what's the most interesting thing to happen in jw land in the last two years?.
Serendipity, welcome back.
Something else that's new with the org:
Eden
it's been a couple of years since i checked in here and wanted to see what's up with y'all.
.
what's the most interesting thing to happen in jw land in the last two years?.
Simon, that Ford Mustang you gave me has the ashtray full of wasted papers. Can I get a replacement?
Eden
so is the christian hope in heaven or on earth?.
in acts chapter 1the question was raised: 6 so when they had assembled, they asked him: lord, are you restoring the kingdom to israel at this time?
7 he said to them: it does not belong to you to know the times or seasons that the father has placed in his own jurisdiction.. notice jesus never said thered be a change in venue, just that it wasnt up to them to know when..... so what is there from both sides?
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
humbled might have just proved me wrong on the non-interventionist view of God in modern day ...
Eden
yesterday evening my wife and i were invited to friends house for new year's eve.
we met them when i was a christian and we have kept in touch.
they had a few other friends there as well, including the new church pastor and his wife.
Cofty,
I understand that many points have been addressed so far, but you keep asking me the same questions and I really have nothing else to add. I don't expect to "win" this argument with you, to convert you to christianity or anyone else for that matter. If you - or any anti-theist out there - considers their challenges still unanswered, then nothing has progressed since this thread was opened. I don't represent God in this thread, but I offered what persuades ME, and it may work for someone else, perhaps.
Eden
in a recent meeting with elders, an argument was used to the effect that jehovah has always [= throughout history] used, or operated through, an organization; therefore, the wts must be that organization today, since god must be using one.
naturally, i know what arguments i've used to counter that argument.
but i'm interested in hearing yours.
Adam:
BTW, if you think you're dealing with a judicial committee who responds to well-reasoned logical arguments that are backed up by scripture and/or well-researched history, and you think you can talk them out of their power and control, then YOU in fact, are completely delusional. They could be COMPLETELY and utterly wrong, but it's their game and they also get to serve as umpire to call their own shots and get to make up the score. You're not in control; THEY are, and they might tolerate your quirkiness, but you push it too far, and you'll be DFed so fast, your head will spin and the worst part is your own family will likely be shunning you....
I couldn't agree more with you on this one; my point is that I need to persuade my family of it, not the Elders who I'm facing.
Eden