I am glad you are here :)
Penn
i was raised 3rd generation dub.
my dad is an elder as his dad was and my brother and the other brother is ms on the way to elderhood.
i'm df for 21 years when i was 20. the only credit i can give my parents is they're crazy would be whether they were catholic, buddist or atheist.
I am glad you are here :)
Penn
does anyone have any personal experiences as to the effects that the 1975 end of the world announcement had on them??.
for starters..i was a 7 years old little girl in 1972 when they were starting to announce it...i remember my dad buying 5 foot long cheese (we are italian)...about 100 salami's...because they said we would first suffer with the starvation and all that and needed to be prepared for it.....also i remember every thunderstorm my mom would run to the window and yell..."maybe this is it..maybe this is the end of the world starting!!
"...and one day i literally got so scared that i locked myself in the cellar and shit my little pants.
>Mavman wrote ' I believe this was a tactic of Satan and many bit into it, even brother Franz. It really made the organization look bad, but Jehovah let it happen for a reason. I don't know the reason, but have my own conclusions.
Why Jehovah *let* it happen.?!? People don't read the Word of God. A small child can figure out from this passage that man is not to set dates for the 'end'.
(Luke 21)
7"Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?"
8 He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.
Did you catch that last part? Not only do the JW's claim to come in His name, but the last part of the verse says that these types will say<I> the end is near</I> Then it says 'Do not follow them'. People need to read the Bible instead of JW literature and it will clear things up considerably. Imagine if Rags parents had done this, it would have saved him/them a lot of grief!
Penn
that's all i wanted to say.
you can always spot them by the 'less than 1/2 miles per hour' they stroll down the street.
salvation by the hour.
Hey Buddha, well I dont make it to these parts much anymore. Too many negative feelings from reading peoples convaluted ideas about God and Holy Scripture. ANyway, regarding Graham, I would say definitely not. It's amazing how the tongue can be used to tear people down. Any person that is a public figure, escpecially one who is a man of God, will definitely incur abuse from peoples gossip. Billy Graham is very careful what he says, how he says it and how things appear. He was quoted as saying that he will never be alone with a woman in the same room (who's not his wife), even for a minute. He will not even ride an elevator if it puts him in a situation where there is just a woman in there. First of all, people would talk, secondly, it could be a set up and this woman could be used to destroy what Graham has spent 50 years at, his minisrty and integrity, by lying and saying that Graham groped her or some sick lie. People are wicked. I would disregard your friends comments as just gossip. Hope that helps. Nice to see you too :)
Penn
that's all i wanted to say.
you can always spot them by the 'less than 1/2 miles per hour' they stroll down the street.
salvation by the hour.
That's all I wanted to say. You can always spot them by the 'less than 1/2 miles per hour' they stroll down the street. Salvation by the hour. How sad!
Penn
Dinky! I am so glad you are here. PLEASE email me. I want to talk with you. I come from a similar background and would like to share with you my story. I would be so blessed to dialogue with you, but would rather do it over the email where I dont have others there to make comments that can often hurt. Anyway, I thank you for posting your story.
Penn
This world will leave you hopeless, religion will leave you breathless, but Jesus won't leave you regardless :()
there have been so many bible thumping posts lately, i thought i would offer an anti-bible article from my truthquest website.
i wait with bated breath to see how bible supporters will rationalize and explain this one.. .
atrocities of the bible: the midianites .
>>Paine advocated Deism as a better alternative than the Bible. Deism teaches that there is one God, who created the universe, but does not intervene in man's affairs.
Kind of like an absentee Father. What a nice God. Creates us and then doesnt care if there are children molested or innocent people slaughtered. Just has other things to do besides caring about right and wrong. Sounds like an ugly God to me.
>>It also teaches that one be kind to their fellow human being, just as God has shown kindness and love to all creation.
Showing love to them by abandoning them? People dying of disease and wasting away from starvation. Thanks God!
Also, you keep using the term 'bible thumper'. What is that? Is it possible that you are slapping a label on people that believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ, and by applying this label it helps to ease your conscience since you are not living for God? I like to put forth logical and reasonable arguments, absent from petty name calling. I would think others willing to discuss things could do the same.
Penn
the other day, i was messaged by a young jw guy (using yahoo messenger, where i am breezyone2001; chat me up, gang!).
his opening line to me was, "why are you attacking the witnesses?
" i responded by asking him in what way i was attacking the witnesses, and he said that he saw my name in a yahoo club for ex-jw's.
Accuracy wrote >>Imagine that! If Jesus has a God, how is it that he is God?
If Jesus is not God, how come He didnt rebuke Thomas for calling Him God? Read Hebrews chapter 1. The Father calls Jesus God. I dont think it gets any clearer than that. Also, I urge you to scroll through this web link. It is on the Deity of Christ, even using the NWT. I think you will find it enlightening.
http://www.jude3.net/JWDOC.HTM
Tom, great post. I will try to drop you a line through Yahoo Messenger some night.
Love in the Lord,
Penn
P.S. You too Adonai :)
<href=" http://home.gay.com/evilslave/index.html
Very Funny, the freeminds.org one and the Family Circus had me in stitches!
Penn
first post.
not df, so a bit nervous.
thought i would check in from lurking.
Cynicus wrote> Why people believe weird things, by Michael Shermer.
Ha, my pastor debated him some years ago (3 or 4). Mr Shermer did not fare so well. It was kind of embarrasing for him. I think I could have defended his postition better than he.
Cygnus, interesting book ideas. Should he read them in that order?
Penn
first post.
not df, so a bit nervous.
thought i would check in from lurking.
Magog, I second what jst2laws said. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Realize the WT is a system of works/righteousness that even the pharisees couldnt bear (Matt 23:4). Read Galatians chapter 5 and see how desperately Paul is trying to keep people free from legalism. There *is* freedom in Christ! Also, I am currently reading 'In Search of Christian Freedom'. I recommend it, and also 'Reasoning from the scriptures' by Ron Rhodes. If you dont want to buy alot of books just yet, go to freeminds.org and read the free articles there. Great website. Email me if you want to chat. [email protected]
Penn