VM44

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Posts by VM44

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  42

  Avoid Testing God in Your Heart - transcript of talk from District Convention 2012

  by wannabefree in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  for those who don't care to listen to the talk but would like to know what was said ... here ya go .... .

  avoid testing god in your heart.

  imagine the ancient israelites as they were slaves in egypt, under an oppressive pharaoh.. god brought nine plagues on egypt and then announced a tenth; the firstborn would be struck down.. can you imagine the cry that went out in egypt when the firstborn died, including pharaoh's own son?.

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  VM44

  "Could we be testing God in our heart by doubting His Organization's view on this matter?"

  There is a hidden assumpting made in that question.

  It is that God's view is the same as that of "His Organization"

  Another assumption is that "The Watchtower" is God's Organization.

  The Watchtower has stated often that they are not inspired by God, and yet in this talk it is stated that questioning The Watchtower (or God's Oranization) is the same as questioning God!

  Lots of Fuzzy Thinking in this talk!

  The speaker should be reminded of 1 John 4:1, " Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. "

  Any organization that claims to be God's organization must be continually tested in order "to see whether they are from God."
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  11

  "What is the difference between a religion and a cult?" BBC Radio4/Today

  by Chariklo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  alert for those in the uk.. bbc radio 4 programme today anounced at 7 am that they are going to include an item on "what is the difference between a religion and a cult.. i don't know which part of the programme, and it doesn't seem to mention it on the programme's website.

  but, you can usually pick up replays on iplayer and the programme's podcasts etc..

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  VM44

  Cults: 'Size doesn't matter'

  BBC Radio 4, Today:Saturday 7th July, 0816 AM

  http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9735000/9735902.stm

  Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have separated, possibly over Tom Cruise's devotion to the controversial Church of Scientology and his desire for his daughter Suri to be heavily involved. The story has brought the scientologist to the fore once again, but has the religion been around long enough for us to take it seriously and stop calling it a cult?

  Writer and researcher on new religions, Dr David Barrett told the Today programme that a cult is usually seen as "a personality-driven group of people" where its believers are "devoted to a guru-figure".

  Founder and spokesperson of the Cult Information Centre, Ian Howarth, explained that when it comes to defining cults, "size doesn't matter" and those who are recruited "tend to be upwardly mobile, intelligent, well- educated and of all ages". He added that the methods of recruitment employed by these groups must be scrutinised because "the basic human right to free choice is removed".

  Download:

  http://www.sendspace.com/file/zsz8yh
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  29

  When did the religion become a cult?

  by Hermano in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  am i wrong in believing it was rutherford who took the religion from strange to cult?

  under russell they had some strange beliefs but strange beliefs don't make a cult.

  wasn't it rutherford who established and reinforced the hierarchichal structure and demanded absolute loyalty?.

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  VM44

  The Watchtower will always be a cult no matter how much they protest.
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  31

  DC Ramblings: A non-comprehensive review of some lowlights

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently attended the dc.

  there have been mny threads already on this, but here are some random thoughts giving my take on what i saw & heard.... .

  -- attendance was about the same as last year, averaging around 8000 per session.

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  VM44

  How many members of the GB can read either Hebrew or Greek?

  The answer to that question also answers the question as to why The Watchtower feels threatened by those who do study those languages.
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  31

  DC Ramblings: A non-comprehensive review of some lowlights

  by sir82 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  recently attended the dc.

  there have been mny threads already on this, but here are some random thoughts giving my take on what i saw & heard.... .

  -- attendance was about the same as last year, averaging around 8000 per session.

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  VM44

  "Jehovah provides all the spiritual food that is needed - but some feel it is not enough. Some are studying the original Hebrew and Greek that the Bible was written in, as if to check the accuracy of the New World Translation, then discussing their findings in private groups and online. You should read the foreward to the New World Translation. The New World Translation Committee had Jehovah's backing, these other groups do not."

  It appears that The Watchtower feels threatened by people studying the original Hebrew and Greek languages.

  Then why did The Watchtower publish "The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures" in 1969 and 1985 if they didn't want people reading the Bible in the original languages?

  "The New World Translation Committee had Jehovah's backing, these other groups do not."

  More correctly this should read:

  "The New World Translation Committee had The Watchtower's backing"

  Perhaps the speaker equates Jehovah's backing with that of The Watchtower's?

  As for "other groups" not having Jehovah's backing, that is not for the person giving the talk to say.

  He does not have the right to make that definitive statement as to who has or does not have Jehovah's backing.

  Read what Jesus said at Matthew 18:20.

  "For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst."
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  38

  William Osbeck-The CO that helped me get out of the borg.

  by Sadie5 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  after reading cruzenheart's post on the letter about her father, and the treatment he received from the co, william osbeck, and the elders of his congregation, it brought back my own memories of this particular co and his treatment of people.

  it was 1995 and one of the hardest years of my life.

  in february of that year, i learned i was pregnant with our fifth child.

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  VM44

  "Did this CO Bill Osbeck originate from Sacramento, California? Did he at one time work as a teacher?"

  Could this be the person?

  OSBECK, WILLIAM OSCAR (Age 77)

  Possible Employment / Business Associations:
  WILLIAM O OSBECK EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, INC

  City, State
  DENTON, TX
  MIAMI, FL
  CROSSROADS, TX
  RICHARDSON, TX
  TULSA, OK
  SPRINGFIELD, MO
  SACRAMENTO, CAWALNUT CREEK, CA
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  14

  Watchtower Society Fate?

  by mind blown in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  from what i'm seeing on other sites many are now coming out of the woodwork to file charges against the wts.. in all reality with the conti case payout, could the wts and individual congregations (also having to pay) really sustain these blows?

  and if so how would this play out?

  they're not as rich as rc religion.

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  VM44

  We are now seeing the real reason why The Watchtower discontinued the Book Study being held in people's homes!
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  17

  What are the titles of the Congregation Elders?

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what are the titles currently being usined for the congregational elders?.

  "presiding overseer" was one title that was used for a long time, but i know that was changed awhile ago.. are they even called "overseers" anymore?.

  what was the reason for the change?.

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  VM44

  Is the congregation's Accounts Servant an elder or a MS, or perhaps just a brother that is qualified to handle such things?
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  17

  What are the titles of the Congregation Elders?

  by VM44 in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  what are the titles currently being usined for the congregational elders?.

  "presiding overseer" was one title that was used for a long time, but i know that was changed awhile ago.. are they even called "overseers" anymore?.

  what was the reason for the change?.

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  VM44

  What are the titles currently being usined for the congregational elders?

  "Presiding Overseer" was one title that was used for a long time, but I know that was changed awhile ago.

  Are they even called "Overseers" anymore?

  What was the reason for the change?
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  106

  Latest convention brochure on,,, the Governing Body

  by cedars in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've finally get my hands on a pdf of one of the two newly released brochures, this one entitled "who are doing jehovah's will today?".

  here's a link so you can download your own copy.... http://www66.zippyshare.com/v/98881625/file.html.

  predictably, the brochure is extremely vague on key topics.

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  VM44

  So according to JW thinking the following identity is not used becuase it gives the wrong impression:

  "leaders" = "those who take the lead"

  Although they admit there is nothing wrong grammatically with identifying "leaders" with the phrase "those taking the lead", the word "leaders" implies following men, which the JWs like to pretend they are not doing.

  According to the JW mindset, the word "managers" is substituted for the word "leaders" or for "those taking the lead."

  The elders in the congregations are "Watchtower Managers" taking direction from the FDS (according to the Organizational Chart).

  In the past, elders were even called "Overseers"(*), but the use of that word within the congregation was stopped several years ago.

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  (*) overseer - a person who directs and manages an organization