Posts by XJWBill

54

WHY THE WORLD IS DOOMED

by You Know in

jw
friends

in referring to the preflood world, peter said that the heavens and the earth had been stored up with water, and that by those means the world of that time suffered destruction when it was deluged with water.

the christian prophet went on to say: "by the same word, the heavens and the earth that are now stored up for fire and are being reserved to the day of the judgment and of the destruction of ungodly men.

in furtherance of highlighting the apostate's blasphemy that jehovah is going to come streaking out of the clear blue sky one fine day and slaughter billions of innocents while they sleep in their beds, the apostle's brief comments on the topic of jehovah's judgments contains some interesting insights.

XJWBill

Expat, the list of LaRouche's mouthings is too funny. I remember he also claims H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is the guiding force behind the international drug trade. And I remember the election year when he bought an hour of prime time on a major TV network to inform America that the solution to all our political and social problems is to start a massive space program to colonize Mars. I watched that program, and it was obvious after the first five minutes that he needs major psychiatric help.

You don't suppose he's any kin to Joe "God's Mouthpiece" Rutherford, do you? They do sound amazingly similar.

Hmmm. Maybe they ARE kin. Maybe Old Joe left a secret directive to the GB--maybe LaRouche is the GB's mouthpiece! And his organization is the politcal-action arm of the WTBTS! Today, Brooklyn--tomorrow, THE WORLD! AND MARS!

Sounds as logical as anything else I've heard from the GB and Larouche . . . .

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

27

Answered prayers

by Oldhippie in

jw
friends

looking back over many years of prayers, i cannot pinpoint any time when i felt, unequivocally, that i had received a personal response to my prayers.

can anyone here relate any experiences where you have felt that god answered prayers for you?

XJWBill

Good question, Oldhippie. I wrestle with that one myself.

I guess the key word is "unequivocally."

For example, when I (or someone I love) embark upon a journey, I always pray for God's protection en route. Actually, I do that every time I leave for work in the morning. And to date, thank God, that prayer has always been answered. But I suppose an atheist could say, well, you're a careful driver and most planes land safely anyway.

As far as truly providential, miraculous, only-by-God's-grace answers, I have to say there have been just barely a handful I can point to over the last 25 years, at times of truly extreme need.

I've also had one or two moments of seemingly divine presence, insight, comforting, I'm not sure what to call it--a moment of knowing, rather than merely believing, that God is real and here with me.

Writing about them helps me remember those moments and those answers, which come years apart. In the everyday drudgery of life, I tend to forget them.

In the opposing column, I can set all kinds of prayers seemingly ignored. Sometimes, as Garth Brooks sings, "some of God's greatest gifts . . . are unanswered prayers." Other times, it's crushingly disappointing.

At times I've gotten very angry with God over His seeming indifference to my earnest pleas. But I've reached a point in life where I realize that I just have to get along the best I can with what I have--regardless of answers or non-answers.

Sometimes I get very disgusted with testimonies in Christian publications about "Oh, God has blessed me so much, all these material things, lots of money, houses, cars, great jobs, etc., etc.," and I wonder what the heck I'm doing wrong to be so left out. Then I am tempted to fall back into the old WT guilt trip of "well, you really aren't spiritual enough, you don't pray enough, read enough, contribute and serve enough," etc.

But then I realize all believers through the centuries have struggled with this question of prayer. C. S. Lewis, hardly a slouch in Christian good works, discusses the problem nicely in "Letters to Malcolm."

So I have to conclude, regardless of my moment-to-moment spiritual condition, that the problem is not just with me. God's running the world, I'm not. All I know is, He loves me and has a place for me in that house with many mansions, in the land of light and joy. I just believe--and accept, with thanks.

As the old song goes, "Cheer up, my brother, live in the sunshine, we'll understand it all by and by."

What about the rest of you?

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

62

The Natural Law fallacy and Homosexuality

by JanH in

jw
friends

there is a fallacy of logic that is so common that few people realize that it is, indeed, a fallacy of logic: the fallacy by appeal to nature.. one argument against homosexuality goes something like this:.

the natural use of the reproductive organs is obviously to make children.

using these organs in a way that cannot produce children is unnatural and thus ethically wrong.. .

XJWBill

I just want to thank RedhorseWoman and larc for those empathetic, insightful posts.

As a child growing up in the Deep South, I and everyone else just "knew" Negroes were dirty, lazy, ignorant, and vicious, and did not want to be any other way. Plenty of folks could quote Scripture to prove blacks were under the "curse of Noah," forever relegated by God to servitude.

As for women, well of course the Bible said they were designed to be inferior to men in every way. No wonder they are such bad drivers!

When guys started skipping the every-two-week haircut, how wicked and disgusting! The Bible says long hair on a man is a shame to him.

And of course, the Bible most strongly forbids fornication, adultery, divorce . . . oops, let's not dwell on that.

But DAMN THEM HOMOS!!

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

21

Homosexuals and Evolution

by patio34 in

on monday past, the la times health section had an article on homosexuality, especially the traits visible in young toddlers.

it also delved into possible causes of homosexuality and the latest research and theories.. there was an interesting comment in the article something like "it's a peculiarity in evolution that homosexuality occurs because it precludes procreation.

" in evolution, whoever produces the most offspring are the ones who pass on their genes.

XJWBill

The last time I studied biology, genetics, and all that, mood rings were popular and "Disco Duck" was a chart-topper. So I can't give any kind of scientific answer.

It just seems to me that the common-sense answer is that homosexuality occurs spontaneously throughout the human population all over the planet, at a certain more-or-less steady rate in each generation. Like red hair or left-handedness. I don't think the scientists have come up with any further explanation than that either, when it comes down to it. If they have, I'd like to hear it.

Footnotes:

By homosexuality, I mean the inner sense of feeling primarily or exclusively attracted to one's own gender for love and sex. Not temporary homosexual behavior that might arise in the absence of the opposite gender, as in prison or aboard ship.

By spontaneously, I mean that feeling and sense of self arises in very early childhood, not as a result of sexual abuse, mental illness, or free choice. (Hmm, let's see, what do I want to be when I grow up? Fireman, engineer, astronaut . . . I know! I'll be gay!)

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

13

Ask for your "Ordained Minister" ID C...

by LDH in

jw
friends

with all of the discussion going on on the board lately about "all jw being ordained ministers," i thought i'd point out something that may be new to a lot of you.. your local congregation has wbts id cards which states the 'cardbearer is an ordained minister.

' they won't volunteer these to you, i had to reg pio for two years before i got mine.

however, they can come in handy when traveling!

XJWBill

During the Vietname War, only pioneers--full-time ministers--were eligible for draft exemption. I remember writing a letter to the local draft board testifying to the ministry of the brother who started the Truth book study with me. He was a couple of years older, and my best friend. He also had to provide documentation from the Congregation Overseer that he was, indeed, appointed by the local congregation as a full-time minister.

But the rest of us were all considered "ordained"--it just got us no tax breaks or draft exemptions. Come to think of it, what was the point of that?

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

14

Hate Your Enemies!!

by JWD in

jw
friends

i was standing by the copy machine at a convience store here in japan.

when a local elder who i`ve know for some years came up to me and.

threatened me (his breath had the distinct smell of a couple too many.

XJWBill

When talking with Raymond Franz on the phone one time,he
mentioned that he often felt the WT acted as if the NT had never been
written. So much of their teaching was a step `back` to the OT era.

Precisely! Once again, Ray hits the nail squarely on the head. Russell and Rutherford were both OT junkies--look back at Rutherford's writings. Just on and on and on about all these obscure OT types and antitypes, the Jonadabs, Aminadabs, the Shulammite Maiden, whoever THAT was. ("Dear Shulammite Maiden/So lovely and fair/Your spiritual virtues/Are many and rare"--used to be one of my favorite KH songs, but I'm not sure I ever had a clue who we were singing about!) Hell, Rutherford was so enamored of the OT mindset, he even named us Jehovah's Witnesses--as if Jesus was just not in the picture!

It's not that the OT lacks value--but Christ came to raise men's thoughts to a more sublime level, as the quote from the Sermon on the Mount makes clear: love your enemies, do good to them who hurt you.

Problem is, as Francois so well expresses it, JW's, Christians, other religionists, ALL of us are very prone to the universal human trait of wanting to boost our fragile egos by feeling superior to someone else, even without a good reason--and hate is such a delicious emotion!

As a gay man, I've been on the receiving end of that phenomenon--very ugly.

Godly hate? Well, as the song from "South Pacific" goes, "You've got to be carefully taught . . . ." But the teachers will have a LOT to answer for. Too bad the GB never gets to the end of the book and reads where "God is Love."

Considering how ugly the whole human race is at one time or another, individually and collectively, I do wonder sometimes why God loves us at all. He must be Love incarnate--anybody else would have creamed us all by now!

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

7

Chicago conventions newspaper report

by expatbrit in

jw
friends

report from the chicago sun-times.. note the arrogant assumption that non jw's have no clue why they are of a particular religion.. also the optimism about baptisms ("scores" = at least 40).. plus, there's that word qualified again!.

expatbrit.

tina, get down there with your placards and megaphone!.

XJWBill

Thanks for the post, Expat.

Esther, where have you been? All that was covered in last week's Service Meeting under "New Things Learned." Just goes to show how lovingly Jehovah made sisters weaker in mind and body so they could enjoy looking up to the brothers for guidance. Now don't you worry your pretty little head about it . . . .

Bill, dodging a brickbat

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

12

You Know- Who are the real apostates?

by professor in

jw
friends

however, there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you.

these very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them, bringing speedy destruction upon themselves.

furthermore, many will follow their acts of loose conduct, and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively.

XJWBill

Professor--brilliant explication! You get a G for APPLICATION MADE CLEAR! (But let's work on gestures.)

TR--OMG!!! Great pic! But how'd you manage to sneak into YK's bathroom?

YK--Someone on another thread said you are really one of us, and are just making all this up for a laugh.

Are you really blowing smoke up our collective orifice? Or have you really OD'd on the Watchtower glue? And what will be the sign of your presence?

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

13

Ask for your "Ordained Minister" ID C...

by LDH in

jw
friends

with all of the discussion going on on the board lately about "all jw being ordained ministers," i thought i'd point out something that may be new to a lot of you.. your local congregation has wbts id cards which states the 'cardbearer is an ordained minister.

' they won't volunteer these to you, i had to reg pio for two years before i got mine.

however, they can come in handy when traveling!

XJWBill

So are they all "ordained ministers" again? I still have my old card--somewhere--from the early '70's. But just before I left in 1977, seems I recall "new light" that only the elders could claim to be ministers, not all us lowly publishers.

Hmmm, wonder if my card is considered a collectible now . . . maybe I'll hang it out on Ebay and see what it fetches. Also, the old orange "NO BLOOD!" card.

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)

12

Red Religion and the Lawless Man

by GinnyTosken in

jw
friends

ive been sorting through my old jw books and found one published in 1951, what has religion done for mankind?.

skimming through it, a few sections caught my eye.. the societys comments about the dangers of the totalitarian red religion of communism are hilarious, since they easily apply to the society itself.

substitute russell, rutherford, knorr, and franz for marx, engels, lenin, and stalin, and brooklyn for moscow, and voila!.

XJWBill

Ginny,

I thought the Society was always enlightened about racial equality; I had no idea the Society ever expressed racist views.

I understand what you mean. We were all so drilled in the idea that the Society was a "spiritual paradise" where everything was perfect, just perfect, always had been, always would be. Truth is, all those folks with "spirit-directed personalities" are just as human and fallible--also gullible--as any other part of mankind. We thought we--and our leaders--were so much better than the rest of the world! But that was just pride, I'm afraid.

I'm still momentarily shocked, even a quarter-century after leaving, when I discover goofball things about the Society I didn't know before--like vaccinations being a DF'ing offense until about 1960! They never mentioned that when I was studying . . .

From Russell's standpoint, Michael Jackson would be a sign that kingdom rule is at hand.

ROTFLMAO! You're right! No doubt the end is eminent! Say, wait a minute--maybe Jackson is the FDS--and all his videos are prophetic symbols. There's got to be a scripture somewhere to support that. Think I'll call my local KH and ask for a study . . . NOT!

Dana,

For my money, "spiritual blindness" was totally underated by the Jdubs...I love it!!

Amen, sister! Yeeooooooou ain't nevah lied!

Bill

"If we all loved one another as much as we say we love God, I reckon there wouldn't be as much meanness in the world as there is."--from the movie Resurrection (1979)