Posts by rocketman

28

"It seems to me you folks are worshiping the teapot instead of drinking the tea."

by BabaYaga in

a friend just shared this quote with me.

he read it in "pass the jelly; tales of ordinary enlightenment" by gary crowley, in which the narrator makes witty zen observations as he wanders through his day.

while having a discussion with some jehovah's witnesses who came to his door, he tells them, "it seems to me you folks are worshiping the teapot instead of drinking the tea.

rocketman

The teapot is merely a vessel which helps get the tea to the drinker's mouth. No one comes home on a cold winter's day and says 'I think I'll heat some water so I can caress the warm teapot and warm myself'. They say 'I'm going to drink some tea'. The object of warmth and comfort is the tea, not the pot.

Hence, I see it like daniel p does. JWs are preoccupied with the vessel - the organization, and not the actual tea - the word of God. The problem with that is they become like the Pharisees, who were guilty of the same thing basically.

25

DC 2010 Release - The Origin of Life and its many misquotes

by Designer Stubble in

i have just started working my way through the new publication the origin of life 5 questions worth asking.

it is completely appalling.

it is at the very most six grade level and just the first references i verified (which most dubs dont do) have been taken out of context, are completely misquoted or in the example of using the encyclopedia britannica a dated version is used rather than the most recent one, to align with what they want to write, rather than aligned with the newest research.. .

rocketman

"Sounds rather different to me!"

Me too Designer Stubble. Looks like they're still taking liberty with quotes just as they did with the Creation book.

19

GENERATION OF 1914 - TIMELINE OF QUOTES

by UnDisfellowshipped in

jw
friends

the watchtower november 1st 1950 issue, page 419:.

the watchtower april 15th 1961 issue, page 236:.

awake!

rocketman

"In line with the above, professor of history Robert Wohl wrote in his book Th Generation of 1914: "A historical generation is not defined by its chronologic limits... It is not a zone of dates."

Where was this quote in prior years? The WTS is the one who turned it into a "zone of dates". Then all of a sudden they decide to quote Mr Wohl because his observation finally suited their purpose. Where was this quote when they were proclaiming that "This Generation" was confined to a 70-80 year period?

And...

"Is anything to be gained, then, by looking for dates or by speculating about the literal lifetime of a "generation"? Far from it!"

This quote from the 1995 article really gets me, just as it did 15 years ago. They basically yell "Far from it!" and yet THEY were the ones who, for so many years, were "looking for dates".

20

As a JW, Did You Pray & Study With Your Spouse?

by mentallyfree31 in

when you were a jw, did you pray regularly with your spouse?

what about a "family study"?.

i was a pioneer and ministerial servant, but praying with somebody was always the most awkward, uncomfortable thing ever.

rocketman

I did pray at dinner, but it often felt awkward.

Then, one time we had Star Trek on, sitting at tray tables, and I accidentally addressed my prayer to Captain Kirk. That pretty much ended the prayer thing for us.

135

The generation changed is explained in the June 15'th WT!

by life is to short in

it is here in writing the new generation change.

on page 5 of the of the wt while talking about the annual meeting report.. "john barr gave the third and final talk.".

"john barr made clear that the gathering wound not continue indefinitely.

rocketman

As we all know, when Jesus spoke the words "this generation will by no means pass away" the people who heard those words were the same people who saw the destruction of Jerusalem 37 years after. It's simple. There's no need for "new light", or "adjustments" in understanding; no need for strange explanations such as 'overlapping lives of the anointed'.

The WTS painted itself into a corner on this teaching (and on the entire 1914 doctrine) and they can't find their way out.

52

Doesn't an 'allegorical' Garden of Eden nullify the need for a Ransom?

by AK - Jeff in

i have noted in the past few months or years that christians, when faced the nearly insurmountable evidence that the garden of eden events are improbable if not impossible [i refer to fossil evidence that supports hominid existence on this planet perhaps millions of years ago, as example] to overcome, that the 'fall back' position is often that the garden of eden account is just allegory, not literal.. but it occurs to me that if it is just allegorical, then there is no specific event to mark the 'fall of man' and 'original sin'.

without that, what purpose is served with the idea of a 'ransom' in which 'the last adam' overcomes the sin of adam in the garden.

why would nt writers refer to the events as if literal if they are just allegory?

rocketman

One possibilty (though admittedly remote) that pops into my mind in regard to this topic:

1. Man evolves to the point where God now holds him accountable - in effect, God used evolution to "create" man, and then deals with a pair of Cro-Magnons named "Adam" and "Eve" when He decides that man is highly enough evolved.

2. Man fails to obey God, hence the "fall".

In this way, the story in Genesis remains allegorical, and yet there is some need for a ransom.

Of course, in this scenario, the ransom is not quite the same as the Biblical ransom.

240

Let's Talk Baseball ! Who's your Favorite Team ? Love My S.F. Giants !

by flipper in

jw
friends

and they are now in 1st place in the n.l.

west with a 6-1 record !

and the hated l.a. dodgers are in last place !

rocketman

Phillies fan here, and I like the Athletics too (used to be the Philadelphia A's after all).

Flipper, while it's nice to see the Giants off to a 6-1 start, isn't it a bit early to be jumping for joy? Last I checked, it's a 162-game marathon.

508

Most-Ignored Scriptures by JWs

by Mad Sweeney in

the watchtower has been known for over 130 years as a great scriptural cherry-picker.

they pick out disparate unrelated verses and combine them to support the wackiest of wacky doctrines.. on the other hand there are many scriptures they almost never address, whether because they contradict wt doctrine or because they simply don't have a clue what they mean or how to spin them to the wt advantage.. one of these is revelation 19:1 that mentions a "great crowd" "in heaven.

" the only time it is ever brought up it is dismissed.

rocketman

Excellent post Mary; and may I add a scripture you cited as one often ignored by the WTS:

"John 14:2-4"In the house of my Father there are many abodes. Otherwise, I would have told YOU, because I am going my way to prepare a place for YOU. 3 Also, if I go my way and prepare a place for YOU, I am coming again and will receive YOU home to myself, that where I am YOU also may be. 4 And where I am going YOU know the way."

I've seen it mentioned in their literature (including the Greatest Man book) but they seldom address what appears to be the obvious import of Jesus' words, and they (to my knowledge) shy away from explaining what the "many abodes" are.

26

Yeabook 2010 cover up -Rutherford's false prophecy that Armagedon was coming in 1925....half the Publishers leave the truth!

by Witness 007 in

this years yearbook covers "albainia" as i read these experiences i get to around 1920-25 and i notice that 3 or 4 healthy congregations turn into just 13-14 publishers by 1926 after "a time of trouble.

" although not mentioned this "trouble" was rutherford's "millions now living will never die" campaign with the watchtower saying armagedon was coming in 1925. most european congregations by 1926 lost whole congregations with only 3-10 "faithful " remaining {e.g poland, romania yearbook experiences} notice how the graph starts from the 1940's to avoid and cover up showing the flat lined publisher figures after 1925.....{notice also dips after 1975}.

however, check out the 2006 yearbook page 80. romania graph, and you see a flat lined publisher figure at 1926. the witnesses had to start from scratch.

rocketman

"John Barr, from the Governing Body, and Robert Pevy, who had pioneered in Ireland and who is now serving at Brooklyn Bethel, offered assistance. They took time from vacation trips in Britain to come to Ireland to talk with the brothers and encourage them."

Not to divert the topic, but how nice of those GB members to take time from their precious vacations. And wouldn't it be nice to be able to take an overseas vacation on the congregation's dime?

30

How much is gas in your area?

by Outaservice in

jw
friends

also, do you think gas prices affects the jw field service any?.

here it is approximately $2.69 per gallon.

i heard in michigan it is $2.99 right now.. outaservice.

rocketman

$2.80-2.285 for regular.

As Memorial Day approaches, it almost always goes up in price.