Posts by Island Man

34

Do you have / admire Charisma?

by The Rebel in

jw
friends

"charisma is a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which the person is set apart from ordinary people and treated as exceptional".

as a kid i was afraid of such charisma, as it was usually the quality i noticed elders, head masters, and parents had to exercise with unloving authority over me.. but now i think about it "charisma" doesn't need be only for people with authority.

" charisma" is something even we can have?

Island Man

Charisma is just a pretty wrapping. A pretty wrapping can house a chocolate bar or a turd.

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

Island Man

Am not sure if we can ever solve the question of how life developed. But I think scientific knowledge will progress to the point that we can demonstrably prove at least one theory of how it could have happened. We will be able to say, with proof, that life definitely could have come about by X, Y, Z.

Maybe with future technological advances we will be able to examine remnants of the earliest most primitive microscopic pre-life biological systems that are currently hidden with current day technology. There might be other kinds of trace remnants of organisms apart from fossilization that we are currently unaware of or don't have the technology to examine.

36

This week's WT study article "Keep on the Watch" - the latest dumb article from the Gang That Couldn't Think Straight

by sir82 in

ok so this week's wt study article is entitled "why must we keep on the watch?"..

it is filled with statements on the importance of "being watchful" for the beginning of the "great tribulation".

paragraph 2: “keep looking, keep awake, for you do not know when the appointed time is.”after that, jesus admonished them repeatedly: “keep on the watch.”.

Island Man

I think the real reason that Watchtower joined the UN is that they were trying to fulfill Revelation 17:17. After so many failed predictions of the end they probably thought that they need to join the UN so that Jehovah can use them to influence the UN to hate all religions and turn on them.

37

A list of top You tubers out there worth visiting, please add yours.

by pleaseresearch in

i'm an unbelieving but baptised jw.

i woke up to ttatt around 4 years ago.

i haven't been regular to meetings for nearly 10 years.

Island Man

Vicious Fiction 101 - One of the most powerful and articulate defenses at a Judicial committee anywhere on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXEwf8u1GzhxcM2WoYGxJsudv2d6a_GT5

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXEwf8u1GzhyQZNpO_c9pnAmJuSMKSnQp

76

Visit From Jehovah's Witnesses

by Vanderhoven7 in

had two lovely jws (stephen and ruth) visit this morning.

this was our second study in the last 2 weeks.

they first knocked on my door (bell is out) 3 weeks ago and i shared my testimony and we arranged to meet last tuesday which we did.. our first study went like this:.

Island Man

"Then his statement about other churches and how the witnesses are not the only true religion? He really seems like more of a social witness than someone who cares about their dogma."

No. Stephen is clearly a flat-out, shameless liar!

23

Any word on the annual meeting?

by careful in

have all the leaks at ny bethel been discovered, or are there still some who are revealing the inner secrets beforehand?

i haven't seen anything here about the annual meeting just a month away now.

anyone have any real info on it?.

Island Man

"I bet they mention at least a word or two about not trusting the media and or apostates."

In view of the increased negative publicity that they're receiving for poor handling of pedophilia, I wouldn't be surprised if this subject took center stage at the meeting.

4

Religion's evil folly of stigmatizing doubt.

by Island Man in

punishing doubt - theramintrees (jws get mentioned in this one.).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdtzbvlg3ni.

Island Man

punishing doubt - TheraminTrees (JWs get mentioned in this one.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdTZBVlg3nI

76

Visit From Jehovah's Witnesses

by Vanderhoven7 in

had two lovely jws (stephen and ruth) visit this morning.

this was our second study in the last 2 weeks.

they first knocked on my door (bell is out) 3 weeks ago and i shared my testimony and we arranged to meet last tuesday which we did.. our first study went like this:.

Island Man

That's great information on Eisegesis vs Exegesis, Vanderhoven. I look forward to your further updates on your interactions with Stephen and Ruth.

By the way, here's an interesting and revealing exercise to pursue: apply the standards of good exegesis to NT passages that quote and interpret OT passages as being prophecies pertaining to christ. Are the NT authors applying sound exegesis. To me it seems like they're applying "I-see-Jesus". lol.

10

Ever notice this contradiction?

by stuckinarut2 in

so witnesses love using the scripture that says that "narrow and cramped is the road to life, and few are the ones finding it" as proof that they have the truth.

yes, a small number.. yet they also love boasting about the "increases in numbers coming into the truth" as proof of jehovah's blessing of the society!.

so, which is it?

Island Man

"So, which is it?"

It depends on their audience.

If they're talking to a non-JW that is part of a more populous religion and the non-JW is inclined to reject JWs because they are such a small religion, then they go with "narrow and cramped is the road to life, and few are the ones finding it".

But if they're talking to a JW with doubts about the JW religion being the truth or having Jehovah's approval then they resort to boasting about the "increases in numbers coming into the truth" as proof of Jehovah's blessing of the society!

There are many such contradictions built within the religion. Other examples include:

God accurately preserved the NT, vs God allowed "apostate christians" to remove his name from the NT - without leaving a single manuscript to testify to the fact that the name was originally in the NT. (i.e. God did not accurately preserve the NT)

They tell the public to compare JW teachings with what their bible says to see that JWs have the truth (non-JWs would have to be able to accurately interpret scripture in order to make such judgments), vs only Jehovah's organization can accurately interpret scripture. The bible cannot be accurately understood apart from Jehovah's organization. (non-JWs cannot accurately interpret scripture)

When Jesus said at John 14 that he was going to prepare a place for them in heaven, he was talking only about the 144,000 since he was talking at the time to his soon to be anointed disciples. Vs when he spoke to the same group in the same chapter about the need to pray in his name - he was speaking to everyone and not not just the anointed. lol.

Jesus is mediator only for the 144,000 and only anointed ones should partake of the emblems at the memorial. Vs Everyone should use Jesus as mediator in prayer, praying in his name. lol. The same reasoning used by Watchtower to claim that only the anointed are part of the new covenant and only they should partake of the emblems - that same reasoning can be used to teach that only the anointed should pray in Jesus' name.

30

Why is it so hurtful to be shunned? Why object to it?

by stuckinarut2 in

it seems like many feel hurt or saddened by the practice of shunning by witnesses.. yes, when ones who we were close to, perhaps family or ones we thought were close friends choose to follow the warped directions of the society, it may seem hurtful.. but really, our reaction is up to us.

the fact is, these ones have shown that in reality, their love for us was never real or genuine.

no, those relationships were superficial and lacking in substance.

Island Man

"The fact is, these ones have shown that in reality, their love for us was never REAL or GENUINE. No, those relationships were superficial and lacking in substance."

I beg to differ. Your words do have a certain "ring of truth" to them. But then again many have also said that the false JW teachings have "the ring of truth".

I don't think it's always the case of them not having genuine or real love. I'm sure many of them are also pained by the fact that they can no longer speak to the shunned but they do it because they have been brainwashed into believing that shunning you is the right thing to do to save your life. They have been brainwashed into showing love in a cruel way. It's an extreme example of mistaken love.

It's not much different to a parent who would subject their fatally ill child to a painful ordeal if they're convinced that it is necessary to save the child's life. Does such a parent lack real or genuine love for their child? No. The only difference between such a parent and many brainwashed JWs that practice shunning is that the parent's actions might be justified by medical science while the JWs actions is woefully misguided and based on error. In both cases genuine love could be present.

You cannot judge love or lack of love purely on actions. You have to consider the motives. A person can kill you out of genuine love for you and kiss you out of pure hate. I'm sure many ex-JWs on here will testify to the fact that they too engaged in the practice of shunning ex-JWs when they were indoctrinated Witnesses, not because they didn't love them but because they thought it was the best thing to help the "erring" one to return and avoid destruction. I'm sure many JWs are probably torn inside.

It is not necessarily the lack of love. It is most certainly the power of indoctrination.