Separation of Powers

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Posts by Separation of Powers

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  23

  Daniel Chapter 7 - Commentary - NEW ARTICLE

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i've just published a new article on my website.. it's called: "daniel and the future of the 'saints of the most holy' - a commentary on daniel chapter 7".

  i'd like to draw your attention in particular to the identity of the fourth beast since i depart clearly from the more or less consensual explanation that is about rome and the antichrist.

  i won't waste time with that it isn't, though, and focus on what it is.

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  Separation of Powers

  EdenOne,

  Having read your commentary, I have one question, well, actually two.

  Are you fluent in ancient Hebrew or Aramaic?

  If not, are you fluent in ancient greek or greek used before the 1st century i.e. used in the translation of the Septuagint?
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  40

  Former Long Time Elder - Judicial Committees

  by James Jackson in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  when i first was appointed as an elder, i could not wait to be on a judicial committee.

  it semed like most hearings invovled middle age men and women cheating on their mates because either they had married early or felt that were being neglected by their mate.

  most times i felt i need to take a long hot shower after a hearing.. the toughest part was seeing these sweet young children grow up in "the truth", and now you are about to judge their future based on their repentance.

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  Separation of Powers

  James said, "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment." I think that just about sums it up for those that affected the lives of so many.
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  23

  did Russell come up with 1914 via the pyramid or just confirm it via pyramid

  by Crazyguy in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  so i read somewhere that the 1914 date came from bourbor and that russell used the pyramid to confirm his belief in 1914. its this accurate?

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  Separation of Powers

  The great stone witness cannot lie. However, it can deceive. Afterall, does the first step count as a step or does it not? what about the step before the first step, that would be considered a step if one were ascending the steps. The last step, then, would also be considered a step. what about the small resting platform half-way down the descending staircase, is that considered a step, or maybe it's two because whoever descends would have to step twice before reaching another step.....
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  33

  Do Jehovah's Witnesses REALLY believe that their worldly friends, relatives and small children will be slain in the street by god?

  by jambon1 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i mean, it's so utterly ****ed up, it's unbelievable.. just think about the nitty gritty of it:.

  people that they love & care for who don't share their religion deserve to be killed, left without a grave & eaten by wild animals.

  one day, this will happen & they'll be surrounded by billion upon billion of decaying, rotting corpses.

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  Separation of Powers

  Yes...they do REALLY believe this. It makes them special and extraordinary. It makes them selfish and self-absorbed. Afterall, how can you really have a meaningful relationship with anyone when you know they don't measure up as well as you do, and they are probably gonna get taken out? That's why everything is so superficial. That's why gossiping is so bad and throwing people under the bus is commonplace.

  I heard it said once, "Being a witness is a selfish thing, you have to ensure your salvation before anyone else's. That's all that matters. It's like when the flight attendant is going over the safety procedures before a flight, "make sure you put your oxygen mask on BEFORE assisting anyone else."

  As for the children? Don't get me started.
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  16

  Faithfull Slave Teaching Leaves something out!

  by DeWandelaar in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  for years the so-called faithfull slave has brainwashed us with their doctrine.

  number 6 the possessions?

  according to the text only the servants are being inspected!

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  Separation of Powers

  DeWandelaar,

  Very good analysis. I appreciate the text you used for Matthew 24:45-47. The NWT does not use "household" but rather, "domestics." For some, that may not be a big deal, but for me, it immediately puts that "faithful slave" in a position of prestige. With that simple term, he is now distinct, he is now elite. It is interesting to me that the majority of other translations use terms like "other household servants"(New living translation) and "other slaves" (NET Bible) so as to not distinguish the faithful slave from his counterparts, the "household". He is still a slave. The ONLY thing that distinguishes him is his responsibility and if he fails to live up to that responsibility, he is deemed "evil." I appreciate the way one translation renders it, "On the other hand, that servant, if he is wicked, may think that it will be a long time before his master comes." (God's Word Translation) This rendering makes it plain that the parable is referring to the same "slave."

  If, then, the Master is happy with the "faithful" slave, he appoints him over all his "goods" or "possessions." Notice that it does not say over his "household." The "household" or "other servants" are already being tended to by the "faithful servant, logically, there is no need to appoint him over them. This understanding distinguishes further the appointment. The "faithful slave" has the responsibility of looking after his other servants, making sure they are fed, i.e cared for. If he does good, then he is "placed over" the possessions of the Master.

  Today, this parable can have many interpretations. However, if you consider ancient Jewish life and the audience that Jesus was speaking to, i.e. the impoverished, abused, and uneducated masses, many of which were slaves or had family members enslaved, it is not difficult to understand that Jesus was speaking to his audience about individual responsibility and accountability.
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  6

  We Demand The Freedom to Say That One plus One = Two !

  by BluesBrother in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in george orwell's masterpiece "1984" winston smith makes the following observation about the state he was living under :.

  "the party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.

  it was their final, most essential command.

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  Separation of Powers

  You already have it...walk away, fade away, disappear. The book 1984, in my estimation, wasn't a story about a totalitarian regime as much as it was a testament to freedoms. Winston realized what he was part of and dealt with it in a way many in the book did not. They, too, must have realized but were too fearful or too in awe to do something.

  Sometimes I wish I were simply a "prole" then I wouldn't have to deal with anything but the issues of ordinary existence.
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  15

  Why leave one religion only to join another one??

  by Monsieur in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i read how many here have learned ttat, leave the jw faith, but then subscribe to the 'true' gospel of jesus.. it seems rather contradictory.

  the jw faith teaches a very positive 'concept' of christ and his teachings, how is this different from the way other religions teach it?.

  it seems more logical to discard or ignore any claims of historic or authentic proof of christ's existence.

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  Separation of Powers

  Some need religion. They need the sense of belonging that only organized religion can provide. Others, others lose all faith in religion after leaving the organization. They feel like JF Rutherford felt, "Religion is a snare and a racket." When you get to that point, all religion becomes a joke. It is a means to an end, and typically that end is money.

  I have seen more leave the organization and becomes agnostic or atheist than return to an organized sect. Can't say that I blame them, faith is a precarious thing and when it is damaged or abused, does not mend well.
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  153

  The antidote to the myth that JWs are declining

  by slimboyfat in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  one of the most persistent myths on this website is that jws are already in decline, the rot has set in, and the descent of the watchtower is inevitable from here on in.

  unfortunately the facts do not bear this out.

  jws are still increasing even in most developing countries, and they are still growing worldwide at a faster rate than the general population.

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  Separation of Powers

  I agree Slimboyfat, particularly with the idea of projecting one's feelings onto the situation. The reality is, the organization continues to grow. Many commenters here have pointed out the reasons, so I will shy away from that. With regard to the lying and deception about numbers, well, I don't see that, and never have.

  To my point, I recall the mass exodus after the 1975 debacle. The Society didn't fudge those numbers as noted in the Yearbook, I believe 1977 onward for a couple of years. It was there in black and white, close to 250K left as I recall. It prompted no real explanation to the rank and file. No real apology. Just an in your face "so they left" mentality. I remember Sydlick saying, "They were not of our sort." Funny, I didn't feel that way at the time.

  Today, people come in, not in droves, but in trickles. Like a bucket placed under a leaky roof, drop by drop. The bucket still fills, not as fast, but still. And when a piece of moss breaks from the cedar shingle and drifts down the roof, the hole might plug, so the bucket is moved to an area where the trickle is stable.

  Sometimes the pail overflows and water trickles out of the bucket and through the cracks of the floorboard. The bucket doesn't really care about the loss...it's just a bucket. But, I, I am just a drop of water pooling below the floorboard with other drips. LOL
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  287

  What about your vow to Jehovah?

  by a watcher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  did you get baptized without being dedicated?.

  why did you allow men to come between you and jehovah?.

  why were you serving jehovah at all?

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  Separation of Powers

  As an adult, I have never agreed that young people should be baptized as they do not...can not...fully understand the ramifications of their decision as defined by the organization. Although I have lived a life of dedication, I cannot say that I fully, knowlingly, and consciously dedicated myself until many years later, probably in my adult years. As with many of you, I was simply fulfilling the role as my parents saw fit for me. It made them happy, and I garnished a measure of praise that was otherwise nonexistent in the life of a young person craving acceptance.

  As for men coming between, well, that is the reason I am where I am. The apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 1:24, "But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm." (New Living Translation) When I read those words, I came to the realization that my faith was being dominated. I think a better expression would be commandeered. It's like my faith was growing and I was getting closer to my Creator when all of a sudden an external force grabbed hold of the wheel of my life and said, "We are commandeering this vehicle! You need to go this way and steer that way. You are using the wrong fuel and your floor mats are dirty! You didn't change the oil at 3000 miles again?" I feel that I have been excused from a relationship with God and for that...there is no excuse.

  As for serving, I have come to realize that people need help now more than ever. They don't want answers, at least not until they have the help to determine how to start moving forward. They need compassion. They need demonstrable concern. Not because someone needs to write it down on a piece of paper to impress the powers that be, like some bureaucrat, but because they truly care. That, I believe, is what the God I worship expects from those dedicated to him.
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  57

  The Elders want to meet with me ... (Judicial Meeting)

  by Oubliette in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  the elders want to meet with me.

  at least that's what they keep telling me, and they've been saying it for more than a month and a half now.

  just so you're clear: this is a judicial committee.

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  Separation of Powers

  If your ultimate objective is to simply walk away after the meeting then it shouldn't matter that you have to wait a while. The reality is that with any reinstatement committee there are always those in the group that think "not enough time has passed," or "I don't think he has really learned from this, afterall his magazine wasn't even studied the other day," or my personal favorite, "I don't think the congregation is ready for him to return."

  In any event, realize that the process needs to be followed. The longer you wait, the more patient you are, the more you show you really want it. I recalll several who disappeared right after reinstatement. Just shows, sometimes the decision is more man than God.