Posts by venus

33

The Creation of Jesus

by berrygerry in

seeing a trinity thread.. can a jw apologist explain what (not who) is jesus?.

prior to the creation of everything 13.7 billion years ago (draw close book), jehovah created jesus as his firstborn, his only-begotten.. there was nothing else - no stars, no dust, no matter - just jehovah - and then, just jehovah and jesus.

so, what was jesus?.

venus

When somebody starts writing of scriptures, he has to start with something which cannot be taken literally, and looking into past infinite is only a guess. We need to go beyond the details and see the essence. Taking things literally often makes no sense. For example, "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" is a law of retaliation if taken literally.

But if taken by its essence, it is so beautiful and meaningful because it forms the essence of a perfect judicial system. Here Bible is not talking about literal eye, tooth etc. It's all about any loss caused to you by someone else should perfectly be compensated.

2

An organization to dispense spiritual food?!

by venus in

seeing the existence of an organization of god (appointed to dispense spiritual food at the proper time) in the parable of mathew 24:45-51 is like trying to discern who the good samaritan is!

parable of good samaritan is all about how to be loving toward our neighbors whereas parable of mathew 24:45-51 is all about alertness as bringing good returns and carelessness as bringing bitter returns [which means everyone should learn from experience].

god’s ways are not like the ways of humans (unlike humans who responds to honor and dishonor, god is least bothered when he is honored or dishonored by humans).

venus

Seeing the existence of an organization of God (appointed to dispense spiritual food at the proper time) in the parable of Mathew 24:45-51 is like trying to discern who the good Samaritan is! Parable of good Samaritan is all about how to be loving toward our neighbors whereas parable of Mathew 24:45-51 is all about alertness as bringing good returns and carelessness as bringing bitter returns [which means everyone should learn from experience].

God’s ways are not like the ways of humans (unlike humans who responds to honor and dishonor, God is least bothered when He is honored or dishonored by humans). That means God would not go for an illogical option of appointing an organization to dispense spiritual food to others because there is no spiritual food that suits everyone. For example, there are many humans suffering in the world; yet suffering is also relative: A kid without much to eat and without a good hygiene in a third world country, may not feel that “experience” as suffering as a kid from the fist world country does. Suffering is only a part of life, yet what about the life itself? For most people, life is a struggle—a fight at many levels whereas for others life is to be enjoyed, relaxed—with nothing to “prove.”

Life has its own ways to teach a person!

10

Spiritual paradise is a heart condition and not connected to and ORG, that's what they said?

by Crazyguy in

according to a post over at reddit this was said at the annual meeting.

did anyone else hear this?

this is huge and very telling if they did actually say this.

venus

1) If they come out with this understanding, then JWs are really getting the truth hidden in the Bible and also with truth which we can experiment and find out. We are already endowed with the capacity to live as though in heaven. When we are fully focused on the now we live as though in heaven [for example, three hours in an examination hall are felt by us like three seconds; in contrast three hours waiting in the Airport when we have something urgent to do on arrival are felt by us like three days]. When we base our happiness on perfect behavior of others we live as though in hell because they cannot often rise to the level of our expectation as actions of others depend on many factors and forces often beyond their control. Even when we are wronged, we have the freedom to move ahead leaving the past where it belongs to and to fully focus on the now which again makes us live as though in heaven. Jesus reiterated this saying: “the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)

Jesus did mean Kingdom of God is “within” or “inside” us because he used the same Greek word in other unambiguous verses (such as Luke 11:39) where he says: “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.” If one wants he can choose to make his life heaven or hell. It’s all within us because our mind is too wonderful that it can choose to be self-contented (like some of the poor people do) or greedy (like some of the rich people do) in any circumstances.

6

Watchtower policies Versus the Bible

by UnshackleTheChains in

i thought i would run a new kind of topic.

watchtower policies versus the bible .

to start off with.

venus

JWs have unwittingly sided with the older son of the parable

2

the watchtower have cut more than just mags and books

by pepperheart in

if you go on to jw.org itself and ltype in the search box for "bethel closures" it will tell you under the headline of"giving priority to the global preaching work".

that they have kicked out 5,500 people from the bethel family.. also if you search under "2012 bethel".

on page two it will tell you that they have "consolidated 20 branch offices of jws around the world .

venus

This is disservice to the prophecy found in Isaiah 60:22 "The least will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am Yahweh; I will accomplish it quickly in its time."

11

Who is the "faithful and discreet slave"? & JW class system

by Counter-Watchtower in

ive asked my jw friends that 3 times and never got an answer.. and can someone explain the jw class system?

and or point me to info on it..

venus

This is like asking "Who is the good Samaritan?" Question found in Mathew 24:45 is a part of an illustration Jesus used to alert those living in the Last Days; it does not imply the existence of God's organization any more that it glorifies the validity of slavery.

16

Just overheard this after meeting . . .

by neat blue dog in

the annual meeting just finished, and here's a conversation i overheard from two gushing jws:.

sister:.

they said we're so close!.

venus

As someone suggested in this forum sometime back, their understanding about Babylon the Great has to change from the world of religions to United States of America which has influence over all the earth's affairs.

https://escapeallthesethings.com/60-reasons-iraq-not-mystery-babylon/

16

Just overheard this after meeting . . .

by neat blue dog in

the annual meeting just finished, and here's a conversation i overheard from two gushing jws:.

sister:.

they said we're so close!.

venus

In the 90's when the phrase 'end is imminent' was used in WT many were interpreting its implication.

But now if GB talks about end being imminent there may be more buyers as age-old myth (nuclear arms would serve as a deterrent) is crumbling because of suicidal North Korea.

6

Deadly Discipline

by Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho in

https://www.openmindsfoundation.org/loving-memory-laura-ann-gracey-father-remembers/.

the death toll from watchtower increases with the latest suicide report of laura ann gracey.

here, her father recounts the events leading up to his daughter's taking of her own life - undoubtedly starting with her indoctrination from birth into this stifling, doomsday cult.. i see many similarities to myself as laura.

venus

Unfortunately, we will continue to have cases like this till we learn that others cannot teach us what we ARE (it is not for others to say what we ARE) and what God’s will is for us. Only we could discover by observation, what we ARE, and only we could discover by reasoning, what God’s will for us.

Teaching through words, are an attempt to put Life into a shoe box. It just will not fit, hence will result in confusion and tension for which some would try to end their lives.

9

Illogicality of preaching

by venus in

not all scripture is god-breathed.

there are verses that also dishonor god.

for example, subject of preaching seems to be too illogical even though it is the very basis of many sects [especially of jw organization which defines itself as the preaching organization].

venus

Dearyweather,

Interestingly, even The Watchtower admits that this verse (John 3:13) is not to be taken seriously because "When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a teacher in Israel, Jesus had not yet gone back to heaven"

w06 6/15 p. 30
Questions From Readers

w06 6/15 p. 30(https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2006447)

If "Jesus had not yet gone back to heaven" while speaking to Nicodemus, it means he did not utter those verse. Later writers were assuming what were all the things Jesus would have spoken and done and were writing accordingly.