Island Man

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Posts by Island Man

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  24

  A brazen falsehood in this week's Watchtower study! (week of Feb 9 - 15, 2015)

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  on page 13 of the december 15, 2014 watchtower (study edition), the first 2 sentences of paragraph 10 say:.

  "the symbolic separating of fish does not refer to the final judgment during the great tribulation.

  rather, it highlights what would happen during the last days of this wicked system.".

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  Island Man

  Am going to have a go at it tomorrow. By that I mean I'm going to comment on paragraph 10.
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  46

  What comforts you when you no longer believe in a ressurrection ?

  by EdenOne in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  our family just lost someone dear and very close, a faithful jw.

  as we went through the entire funeral services and meeting long time brothers and sisters, who in general have been very kind and warm towards us, we realize that the hope of resurrection is a meaningless utopia for us, like a fairytale for little children.

  we don't have faith in it anymore, and serves us of no comfort.

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  Island Man

  The dead do not suffer and they do not miss out on anything - because they are not aware of not having the joys of the living. They are conscious of nothing at all (that much the bible got right). So there is no reason to fear being dead; or think that you will be missing out on life when you die. It is the living that suffer from death. It is the living that experience the deprivation of death.

  I was dead once before. I was dead for countless eons longer than I have been alive. It was the time before I was conceived. That death didn't trouble me the least bit. It didn't do me the slightest bit of harm.

  Live and enjoy life to the fullest while you have it and know that you truly will not be missing out on anything when you die because the unconscious dead cannot experience deprivation.
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  12

  Does the NT condemn/outlaw polygamy for christians?

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  yes, we all know that, according to the bible, god originally established a union between one man and one woman - adam and eve.

  however, later in the ot we see that polygamy started being practiced and god permitted it and later even gave laws to regulate it.

  so in the ot god does not condemn polygamy and israelites practiced it.. fast foward to the nt.

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  Island Man

  "Since polygamy was practiced more frequently and not considered taboo 2000 years ago I think the prohibition on more than one wife only applies to MS and Elders. A polygamist having more than one wife could be a lot of work and would leave them very little time for congregation matters and that is my opinion for the ban with regards those serving as elders and what not."

  Exactly what I believe, Brokeback Watchtower.
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  24

  A brazen falsehood in this week's Watchtower study! (week of Feb 9 - 15, 2015)

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  on page 13 of the december 15, 2014 watchtower (study edition), the first 2 sentences of paragraph 10 say:.

  "the symbolic separating of fish does not refer to the final judgment during the great tribulation.

  rather, it highlights what would happen during the last days of this wicked system.".

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  Island Man

  On page 13 of the December 15, 2014 Watchtower (study edition), the first 2 sentences of paragraph 10 say:

  "The symbolic separating of fish does not refer to the final judgment during the great tribulation. Rather, it highlights what would happen during the last days of this wicked system."

  But notice the words of the illustration recorded at Matthew 13:47-50 (especially the verses 49 and 50):

  “Again the kingdom of the heavens is like a dragnet let down into the sea and gathering up [fish] of every kind. 48 When it got full they hauled it up onto the beach and, sitting down, they collected the fine ones into vessels, but the unsuitable they threw away. 49 That is how it will be in the conclusion of the system of things: the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous 50 and will cast them into the fiery furnace. There is where [their] weeping and the gnashing of [their] teeth will be."

  Jesus words clearly indicate that it is the angels that do this separating work and that it involves casting the unsuitable ones in the "fiery furnace", indicating their everlasting destruction. Note that verse 50 is virtually word-for-word the same as what is stated at Matthew 13:42 - just a few verses above. How does Watchtower interpret Matthew 13:42?

  The July 15, 2013 Watchtower (study edition) discusses this very verse (Matthew 13:42) on page 13. In commenting on the expression "weeping and gnashing", they say this in paragraph 13:

  "Speaking about the condition of the weed class, Jesus states: "There is where their weeping and the gnashing of their teeth will be." (Matt. 13:42) Is that happening right now? No."

  Then in paragraph 14 they say:

  "During the great tribulation, after all organized false religion has been destroyed, former adherents will run for cover but will find no secure place to hide. (Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:15-17) . . . As Jesus foretells in his prophecy about the great tribulation, at that dark moment, they "will beat themselves in lamentation." - Matt. 24:30; Rev. 1:7"

  Then in paragraph 15 they say:

  Fourth, pitched in to the furnace. What will happen to the bundles of weeds? The angels "will pitch them into the fiery furnace." (Matt. 13:42) That means complete destruction. Hence, those former adherents of false religious organizations will be destroyed during the final part of the great tribulation, Armageddon"

  Thus, it is very clear from the July 15, 2013 Watchtower that they understand Jesus' expression at Matthew 13:42 about being cast into the fiery furnace and experiencing weeping and gnashing of teeth refers to events during the great tribulation. How can they come now and say that Jesus illustration of a separating work involving angels and where he used this very same expression, does not refer to a separating work happening during the great tribulation? Why, Matthew 13:47-50 is practically a less detailed repetition of the illustration of the wheat and the weeds found in the very same chapter! Watchtower is a brazen false teacher!

  Awake ones still in: paragraph 10 of this week's Watchtower study provides an opportunity to share a subtle TTATT comment exposing the brazen false statement made at the start of that paragraph.

  
  
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  17

  Bible is true in some vital matters!

  by abiather in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  while there are many interpolations in the bible (such as john 3:13 .... .. ) which can be ignored, there are very meaningful verses too in the bible such as ecclesiastes 4:1; 8:9 which states: man has authority over another to his detriment, they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors..

  let us make a comparison of humans (in general) with lower beings, or even with inanimate things!

  many people earn, spend, sleep, and finally go into the deep sleep of death, which is no way better than that of a stone or any animate being, which remains unaware of its self, origin, objective of life, final destination and macrocosmic surroundings.

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  Island Man

  Don't feed his delusions, EoM.
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  12

  Does the NT condemn/outlaw polygamy for christians?

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  yes, we all know that, according to the bible, god originally established a union between one man and one woman - adam and eve.

  however, later in the ot we see that polygamy started being practiced and god permitted it and later even gave laws to regulate it.

  so in the ot god does not condemn polygamy and israelites practiced it.. fast foward to the nt.

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  Island Man

  "Not Yahweh, Not Jesus. But the most popular, the most important God (with the power of literal life and death to all inhabitants of the area) who commanded monogamy ....
  was the Divine Caesar Augustus."

  So it was Ceasar's law that resulted in christianity diverging from the Jewish practice of polygamy! So they eventually abandoned polygamy so as to obey the superior authorities and not because of some new directive from God forbidding polygamy for christians. Interesting.
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  12

  They're GONE

  by OneFingerSalute in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  so any scuttle-butt on the wherefores and why's of the disappearance of song 139 and the april km from jdubya dot org?.

  seems strange even for them to release something and just a few days later nuke it.

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  Island Man

  Has anyone noticed that the Spanish word for Watchtower - Atalya - bears a striking phonetic resemblance to the name of wicked queen Athaliah in the bible? In the Spanish NWT her name is spelled Atalia - i instead of y. Surely this close resemblance must have caught the attention of Spanish speaking apostates. Watchtower is wicked queen Atalya. LOL.

  
  
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  20

  Rationality could be found in Scriptures!

  by abiather in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  though religions have done enough harm to mankind, it often has to do with the exclusive attitude most of them developed misinterpreting the scriptures.

  thus scriptures were blamed for all the misdeeds of religions.

  this was precipitated by certain verses in scriptures which are obviously interpolated by those with vexed interest..

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  Island Man

  "Interpolations do not destroy its value. Course of wisdom is to weed out!"

  And given that you're not the author of the bible and weren't around when it was written, what exactly would be your criteria for determining which passages are interpolations to be weeded out and which are genuine? You would be going off of your own subjective understanding and wisdom and moral sensibility. And if you're truly wise enough to make such a determination then aren't you wise enough so as to not even be in need of the bible? Think about it.
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  16

  I Thought we had Friends!

  by Kelley959 in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  i am a life long jw, but this issue i'm going through has taken the cake.. i am in a job situation that is not good.

  and we were promised to us in our old hall that we would have a roof over our head for us an our animals.

  so i gave notice on thursday then went to call by so-called jw friends and they backed out and claimed he now couldn't let us move in and broke the deal.

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  Island Man

  Sorry to hear the situation you find yourself in. I think one of the biggest problems with the organization is that they use putting faith in the kingdom to solve all of mankind's problems as an excuse for not putting themselves out to offer practical charitable assistance to others. Many JWs even think it is wrong to support charitable organizations like soup kitchens, etc. They see getting involved in such activities as showing lack of faith in God's kingdom to solve all the problems. It's very sad how Watchtower's teachings produces the psychopathic tendency in many JWs where they feel justified in failing to provide practical assistance to others.
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  72

  Does anyone remember a district overseer Joe Slaiman?

  by stuckinarut2 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  joe slaiman and his wife jean were in the travelling work in australia throughout the 90's... ( i may have spelt the name incorrectly).

  anyone remember them?

  they were very well liked by many of the brothers and sisters.. i wonder what happened to him?

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  Island Man

  jysjw you said: 
  

  "That is why no judicial committee was called for and no action was taken by the Society."

  Then you later said:
  
  

  "When I left I gave the Society, out of respect, a 20-page document explaining my reason for leaving. I left because, after a thorough re-examination of the Bible, I could no longer accept it as inspired by a super natural being or diety. Consequently, I could no longer accept the god of the Bible or any other so-called god for that matter."

  So let me get this straight: rejecting the society as God's spirit directed organization while still believing in the bible and in God, gets you into a judicial committee where he you are disfellowshipped for apostasy. But a JW who becomes an atheist -  who rejects faith in God and the inspiration of the bible - is not disfellowshipped as an apostate?. ???
  What does this very inconsistent way of dealing with apostates reveal about the organization? Do they really see apostasy as christians rejecting christianity? Or do they see it as rejecting Watchtower? Which is more important to the society - faith in God or faith in Watchtower? How can a JW be acted against judicially for rejecting Watchtower but let off scot free for rejecting belief in God? I think your experience plainly illustrates that the JW organization is cult more concerned with faith in its leaders than faith in God.