Posts by EdenOne

9

Christian Fraternity of God's People website - some changes

by EdenOne in

jw
friends

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.

EdenOne

Cofty

I don't believe anymore that we live in "the last days"; I believe that the greatest part of the OT prophecies has been thoroughly fulfilled until the first century. Isn't that a major difference?

As for what I believe the Kingdom of God is, you must go and read beyond the "Basic Beliefs". On the article "The Divine Purpose of Redemption", please go to Part VI, "The double mission of Christ", and you'll find there what I believe the Kingdom is. I intend to write a dedicated article to that alone, but the fundamentals are there.

As for Paradise on earth, you obviously didn't read my article "The tree of life and its meaning". If you had, you would understand how my beliefs regarding the "earthly paradise" are quite a departure from what the WT teaches.

You see...the other day you told me to "go read a book" ... and now you raise a bunch of points that clearly show that you haven't got much clues on what I've been writing. You remind me of Dawkins when he was trapped into an interview with a TV crew from Australia. They asked him a question that only a creationist could have asked, and he realized he had been tricked into an interview with a creationist, something that he had refused, for he feels that debating with a creationist (or a believer, for that matter) is to give undeserved credibility to his antagonist. In a way, this is ironic, because you raised points that clearly show that you don't know what you're talking about when you point your finger at me.

There are a bunch of things I haven't written on yet, because unfortunately both my business and a bit of an ailing health has stolen from me my time and my capacity to focus. I hope I can back to cruise mode sometime soon.

Laika,

You're right to point out what you did. Old WT habits die hard. I did write "exercise faith" before i made some research about the term and debated it here on JWN. I made an edit, and replaced the expression "exercise faith" by the most biblically accurate "put faith". Thank you for pointing out my mistake.

Eden

73

DID YOU KNOW the latest Brooklyn sell-offs will take total Watchtower earnings to $804 MILLION since 2004?

by cedars in

jw
friends

hi folks.

i apologize if this is old news to some, but it's news to me.. i stumbled on a comprehensive list of all the sold properties on wikipedia on this link... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/watch_tower_bible_and_tract_society_of_pennsylvania#brooklyn_property_sales.

it's just a mind-boggling amount of money, and useful information to have handy when talking to witness relatives.

EdenOne

Cedars,

as far as I could read from 2011 and 2012 finantial reports from the UK branch, they have sustained losses on their Hedge Fund portfolio in recent years.

Eden

9

Christian Fraternity of God's People website - some changes

by EdenOne in

jw
friends

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.

EdenOne

Forgot to mention that I've added a plug-in whereby you can read the Bible on the site (and search Bible passages etc), using the Holman Christian Standard Bible Translation.

Also added a contact form (linked to our email) on the front page.

Eden

9

Christian Fraternity of God's People website - some changes

by EdenOne in

jw
friends

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.

EdenOne

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 removed
Forum created (with some limitations)
New font used across the website
Survey 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

4

Steve Martin - Atheists Don't Have no Songs, Until Now

by cofty in

.... catholics,.

dress up for mass.. and listen to,.

gregorian chants.. atheists,.

EdenOne

Atheists DO have a song.

"Imagine", by John Lennon.

Eden

95

Introduction and a note on several posts here

by LizO in

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:.

EdenOne

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

25

NEW ARTICLE - Commentary on Daniel chapters 2, 3 and 4.

by EdenOne in

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).

EdenOne

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

29

Complete Donation What Happened?

by Marvin Shilmer in

jw
friends

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?

EdenOne

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

21

"20,000/month being baptized into the organization"

by NeverKnew in

this is something i heard an elder say... .

is this possible?.

how many were baptized in all of 2012?.

EdenOne

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

34

Food For Logical Thought...

by braincleaned in

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.

EdenOne

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.