Posts by rocketman

53

Did Jesus ever use the name Jehovah?

by LMS-Chef in

just wondering.

rocketman

Interestingly, in that lengthy prayer recorded in John 17, Jesus does not utter God's name a single time. One would expect that he'd at least be recorded as saying it on that occasion.

The Society also reasons that Jesus would not be afraid to use God's name around those who thought it blasphemous to utter it. However, the question isn't one of fear, but of simply going with the flow of the prevailing view of the time. The bottom line is that in the available written record we have (the Gospels and Acts 1) of Jesus' actual words, we do not find God's name being used, save for the possibility of the quote from Isaiah 61 at Luke 4. And even that is based mainly on supposition - i.e., 'the divine name was there in the Hebrew text, so Jesus likely used it'.

37

When you left the JW's, did you keep all your books & magazines?

by Rod P in

i had a collection of older publications almost second to none.

along with the 30-year publications index, i felt invincible in the research department.. then i got disfellowshipped and divorced, and my ex kept them all.

" i couldn't tell her "for research" because that would have sounded like i was going to write a book exposing jw's, which would have made things even worse.

rocketman

I did my civic duty by recycling them.

....Environmentally-Minded Class....

35

Has your relationship with Jesus changed?

by Honesty in

since you either left the organisation or started to objectively examine wts doctrine.

rocketman

After 30 years in the .org, Jesus and religion in general were pretty much ruined for me. But lately I've been taking a renewed look at the Bible, including Jesus, simply using a different translation (the NWT makes Bible reading a drag) and online Bible commentaries.

One of the problems with jw teaching is that the emphasis is so much on a personal relationship with Jehovah that Jesus seems to be effectively neutralized. It's as if you can't talk to him or think of him as having any real impact on daily life. After 30 years of that, it's difficult to actually find the degree to which Jesus can influence my life. But I am making some effort, and I'm interested in hearing how others here have come to regard Christ. Good thread.

26

If you could create a new canon - what books/ writings would you include?

by Qcmbr in

ok so the bible is a work of the early roman church - if you could add any books to a new canon of 'scripture' what would you add - would you take anything out?

my starter for ten: .

i think i'd take out song of soloman.

rocketman

2 Peter is also strongly apocalyptic (especially in ch. 3), and it dates to the second century AD (it is probably the latest book in the NT).

In response to Leolaia's comment, part of which is highlighted above: I was referring to conventional Christian teaching - and I must emphasize conventional, which places the writing of 2 Peter at about 67 AD. I'm sure that you (Leolaia) could post, or already have posted elsewhere, much info on a contradictory view, which would obviously include the view that 2 Peter was not written by Peter.....either that, or the guy lived pretty long.

Matthew is generally viewed, again conventionally, as being written around 60-65 AD.

However, I must be careful not to get off the beaten path. The thrust of this thread being which book(s) we might add/subtract from the generally (and again, conventionally) accepted Bible cannon, maybe we can just chuck 2 Peter and Matthew - there'd still be lots of interesting stuff left over.

26

If you could create a new canon - what books/ writings would you include?

by Qcmbr in

ok so the bible is a work of the early roman church - if you could add any books to a new canon of 'scripture' what would you add - would you take anything out?

my starter for ten: .

i think i'd take out song of soloman.

rocketman

I don't know the so-called "Apocryphal" books well enough to vouch for the possible inclusion of any of them. I'm sure Leoleia would be qualified to comment on whether any of them should be added, since she's made many an interesting post in which she skillfully uses them.

On the other hand, if Revelation were omitted, I think the Bible would be quite a bit more 'tidy' for lack of a better word. For example, it seems to be the only bible book written after the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in 70 AD that contains judgement messages. If not for Revelation, I think the Preterist argument that such prophecies were completely fulfilled in that destruction of Jerusalem would be pretty iron-clad. But since Revelation is generally accepted (except by the Preterists) as having been written nearly 30 years later, the judgements and prophetic pictures therein would seem to apply to a later time.

37

SO WHY AREN'T YOU AT THE MEETING THIS MORNING???

by Mary in

jw
friends

what excuse could anyone possibly have as to why they're not attending the 2 hours + of boring bullshit partaking of spiritual food this morning??

as for me, i have a perfectly valid excuse: i'm doing laundry and baking banana bread this morning.

what are you doing sunday morning instead of being told you're not doing enough in god's service?

rocketman

I'm running a coax cable line outside for an additional TV. Later, I'll be retuning a DVD/VCR Combo player from Sony To Circuit City because I'm unhapppy with the performance.

I did look at the official WT web site to see what's new with the jws - same stuff, as always. The web site always tries to put on the innocent appearance of a credible religion. Too bad interested people usually don't get to see what it's really like until it's too late.

55

Al Capone vs. Judge Rutherford

by Farkel in

ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone...for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" - james 2: 24, 26

al capone vs. judge rutherford

al capone gained his power by exploiting the weaknesses of people.. judge rutherford gained his power by exploiting the weaknesses of people.

rocketman

Al Capone never wrote any worthless books.
Judge Rutherford wrote dozens of worthless books.

My favorite among the comparisons.

This post was very funny - and it'd be funnier if it wasn't based on such a sad truth.

63

Is Jesus God?

by Honesty in

.

does the bible prove or disprove whether or not jesus is god?

rocketman

I guess AlanF is god cuz he's the only one who answered my question and made logical sense. Now I pray to AlanF.

Gumby, that's the most hilarious thing I've ever read in a looong time!

56

What religion have you changed to now that no longer a witness?

by AK - Jeff in

jw
friends

i know many have rejected the idea of organized religion.

i teeter on that myself.

but i have toyed with hooking to a little country church with some friendly people to associate with.

rocketman

I haven't changed and have no real plans to join another religion. But, I have been checking out a web site that I clicked on here as one of the Google ads in the right column. It's the Biblical Unitarians web site, and I've been looking at some of their beliefs.

79

Talesin --------------> Has had SURGERY...AGAIN !

by Rabbit in

jw
friends

attention !

i just talked to our dear tal, she is a sick puppy.

so, she's really disappointed as she's been dealing with this problem for quite a while now.

rocketman

Get well soon!