Here's a good article written by Jan H, who used to post here. The question it attempts to answer concerns what the Bible teaches about the flood:
http://blogs.salon.com/0001561/stories/2003/02/15/doesGenesisTeachALocalFlood.html
rocketman
JoinedPosts by rocketman
-
19
Flood help in reasoning book.
by bother_forever inwhen going door to door at a young age, the topic concerning the flood would from time to time arise, when i first encountered this topic with a "knowledgeable" householder i knew i needed fire power and fast.
it was when opening the "reasoning on the scriptures" book that i knew i would find something to not only amaze the householder with a fact that could not be argued with, but i would re affirm my faith and be happy, etc etc.
there was nothing, no flood heading, after pointing this out to a few bro&sis that our main weapon in the field seemed to lack some fire power in this subject i was told that it was not a neccessary subject for the society to have it in such a book.
-
-
-
8
In the news: Jehovah's Witnesses - Who are they and what do they believe?
by Elsewhere inhttp://www.kentuckylaketimes.com/special/religionwatch/index.php?010619122901jehovah's witnesses - who are they and what do they believe?.
unlike in the case of christians who are persecuted in other lands for talking about jesus christ, jehovah's witnesses are largely persecuted for following the teachings of their corporate headquarters.
the deadbeat watchtower corporation pays no municipal taxes on their buildings, without even one charity to compensate the community.
-
-
rocketman
Any jws reading this will see the credit and dismiss it as axe-grinding.
Nevertheless, he makes some good points, and it's nice to see the article picked up by a news site.
-
62
My last District Convention (I hope) ... observations
by ithinkisee inso last weekend was my last district convention.
i plan on breaking the news to my wife real soon.
nowadays even at the meetings my blood pressure raises and my back gets all tense as i sit and listen to some of the stuff we are supposed to believe.
-
-
rocketman
Nice summary. I see they still wield the Bible like a hammer, pounding away with their ridiculously close-minded view of the world.
When I attended those things, I felt beat up, not refreshed. It was a constant pounding with the same old refrain.
-
34
Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-19-05 WT Study (Resurrection 3)
by blondie inthing.
other again on earth one day.
10, published by jehovah's witnesses.
-
-
rocketman
Then, based upon the promises set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die.
There it is. Missed copying it before prior comment. What a gem.
-
34
Comments You Will Not Hear at the 6-19-05 WT Study (Resurrection 3)
by blondie inthing.
other again on earth one day.
10, published by jehovah's witnesses.
-
-
rocketman
Ah, good to see some of those quotes about 1925 again Blondie. Yep, the facts were "indisputable". The speculative nature of their writings back then is laughable - except for all the expectations they raised only to be dashed by the real fact that what these poor jws have been told over and over in past decades never came about.
-
17
Serious or casual relationships?
by greendawn inwhat do you believe is better, the traditional serious marriage attitude of total and permanent commitment or the lighter and more casual approach to relationships?
-
-
rocketman
Probably something in between - if a happy medium is possible.
One thing that bothers me about people who are into the total commitment thing is that many of them get jealous at just about every little thing. If a guy/girl can't trust the other person, then all he/she is doing is undermining the very relationship they claim to hold so dear.
-
25
2005 New Release - What Does The Bible Really Teach?
by ezekiel3 inwhat is god like?
but many people seem to stop asking questions, especially the most important ones.
these are some of the most important questions you can ask.
-
-
rocketman
As Blondie's exerpts show, the jw org vacillates quite often on what's really needed to make a disciple.
Back when the Knowledge book came out, I remember how pioneers and others who conducted home bible studies were struggling to finish one chapter each week, after big emphasis was put on practically racing through the book with the student. This led to further service meeting parts which were aimed at demonstrating how the book was to be studied, as the WTS seemed to try to adjust their ill-fated bible study program. This super-express (and later express-lite) method never seemed to sit well with the congregation. One could sense that in actual practice, what we were being told was impractical. Some jws even joked that it seemed like the Society couldn't make up its mind. Basically, we were expected to make jw disciples out of people who barely would have a chance to ask questions and who not be able to benefit from any outside research.
-
7
Convention Photo-half empty?
by startingover inafter my wife returned from the district convention in san diego last weekend, she had this picture on her camera.. i find it interesting that they would rent this big stadium and then block off half of it.
maybe this is what they always do, but it seemed a little funny to me.
anyone else gone to qualcomm and seen it like this?.
-
-
rocketman
They did the same thing at Veteran's Stadium (when it existed) in Philadelphia. That stadium, which seated about 65,000, would usually be more than half-empty during two conventions each summer. Interestingly, despite the half-full status, parking was always a problem. Either the city or the jws ran a very poor parking show.
-
33
Do you think the WTS will ever seriously start DA'ing faders?
by AK - Jeff insome have indicated that this might be coming.
based mostly on the new book - some think maybe the org is positioning itself to remove all possible 'doubters' and 'inside apostates' this way.. i mean - having spent four decades watching the actions of this organization as a witness, i can see something like that happening perhaps.. service meeting announcement;.
having had six months to renew his association actively with jehovah's witnesses, and having not been to a meeting or out in service for that same time span, we must announce that ____________ has left the organization and shown by his actions that he is no longer one of jehovah's witnesses.. the brothers and sisters need to be reiminded that he should be treated 'as a man of the nations' - full shunning is in effect!.
-
-
rocketman
For starters, I can't ever see them serving refreshments.
The rest, while plausible, is doubtful, at least in the foreseeable future. It creates problems possibly for shut-ins or the infirmed, though I'd imagine that the elders would take circumstances into consideration. It also creates problems for the emotionally or mentally ill. For example, in one congregation I was in there was an elder's wife who hardly ever came - and once when she did, she had to leave very soon after the meeting began. Certainly they wouldn't consider such a person DA'd.
However, if those little problems could be side-stepped, it may be something that could one day happen. After all, they've already gone from not bothering inactives to suddenly being quite worried about them. And they DF smokers after a six-month window. So the six-month chance at reprieve plus a concern about inactives could perhaps one day morph into some new little WTS monster.
-
47
Dub at work said that the Knowledge book was too difficult for new ones
by acsot into understand so that's why the wts published the new book being released at this year's district conventions.. the new book gets "straight to the point".
according to her "and many others", the knowledge book was too difficult for those just beginning a bible study.
i said, "you're kidding!
-
-
rocketman
I remember the studies we had in the Ezekiel book, the Thousand Years book, the Paradise Restored by Thoecracy book, etc. I was a teenager at the time. Those books were not a problem to comprehend. Like Blondie said, a lot people don't want to study. When I was a bookstudy conductor, I was often perplexed at the total lack of recall and knowledge that jws had. Five meetings a week - you'd think they'd be able to remember something they learned. Also while conducting, I learned quickly that trying to ask any question that required thinking, rather than looking at the book for answers, was a totally vain pursuit. I'd ask and they'd always look at the book, as if the answer would hopefully jump out at them.Then again, the jw routine pressures people so much, no wonder they can't absorb anything.