I think the increased appearance of the GB on TV has served to separate the more rational, level-headed JWs from the uber-brainwashed zealots. The former have begun to take the GB less seriously. The latter have begun to idolize the GB and the organization, even more.
Island Man
JoinedPosts by Island Man
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21
Do Jehovah's Witnesses view the governing body differently since seeing them on the TV?
by jambon1 ini think this may be a bigger issue for the society than we realise.. when you consider that witnesses have now had well over a year of regularly seeing their 'channel to god' with their own eyes, what do you think they're thinking?.
i'm going to put this as respectfully as i can; these men are clearly a bunch of utter clowns who are laughably inadequate to present a tv show, but also, they are now ridiculously discredited due to the absolute shite that they've spoken in these laughable productions.. consider things from a jw's perspective; tony morris, stephen lett & geoffrey jackson are 'the channel' that makes their religion 'special'.
these men are the channel god is using to lead his people in the modern day.
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Moving to Warwick Video incl. Morning Worship
by Listener ina new video is up about the commencement of moving to warwick.shawn bartlett tells the viewers that jehovah has said, through the governing body, ‘it’s time to move out of brooklyn.
‘ then helper robert lucciona says ‘ the governing body, these brothers, as soon as they see god’s direction, they just move, it doesn’t matter if it is long held, cherished ideas, this is the way it has to be done, as soon as they see jehovahs direction.
he just kept nudging imperfect humans, he knew where he wanted us and then we end up where we are supposed to be.
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Island Man
Shawn Bartlett tells the viewers that Jehovah has said, through the Governing Body, ‘it’s time to move out of Brooklyn.
“‘If any prophet presumptuously speaks a word in my name that I did not command him to speak ... that prophet must die." - Deuteronomy 18:20
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Biblical Scholar Claims The Story Of Jesus Christ Was A HOAX Designed To Control The People
by anointed1 inhere is something i found interesting:.
biblical scholar claims the story of jesus christ was a hoax designed to control the people.
http://simplecapacity.com/2016/10/biblical-scholar-claims-story-jesus-christ-hoax-designed-control-people/.
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Island Man
Isn't that the truth about many religious stories? The details of Atwill's claims may be wrong, but the I believe the Jesus story as written in the bible, is definitely a myth.
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JW Carts Cause Thousands to Start Studying!!!
by Drifting Away ini would love to know the stats of how many hours were spent, standing by a cart, or sitting at a local town fair with jw table tent set up, compared to the number of bible studies started that led to baptism since the inception of the carts.
anyone have any idea?
if i had to guess i would say thousands of hours pent standing by a cart, and maybe less then 5 that actually got baptized.
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Island Man
JW Carts Cause Thousands to Start Studying!!!
Yeah, and dozens will get baptized. lol.
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Who has the authority to decern what the bible really teaches?
by TTWSYF inso i ask because of all the books, mags and testimonies that the wts promotes.
not only the wts, but many other christians attempt to speak about the bible with authority.
how do we measure who is an authority if we don't know that much?.
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Island Man
Who has the authority to [discern] what the bible really teaches?
Wrong question. With that kind of thinking, you're setting yourself up to be deceived and manipulated by unscrupulous religious leaders who will always try to convince others that the Bible does not mean what it says but means what the religious leaders say it means. The correct question is...
Who has the responsibility to discern what the bible really teaches?
The answer? You the reader. See Mark 13:14 parentheses, Revelation 1:3 and 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
Think about this: If the Beroeans did not have the authority to discern what the bible really teaches, then what legitimate basis could they have had to compare Paul's teachings against the bible to judge whether or not he was teaching correctly? They would have been acting presumptuously. But the Bible said they were noble-minded.
If Christians do not have authority to discern for themselves what the bible says but must look to some hierarchical authority whose interpretations they are beholden to accept without question, then they are no longer trusting in God but in that human authority. They would be followers of the teachings of men instead of followers of what the Bible says. They would be making themselves vulnerable to being deceived and manipulated by those who twist the scriptures to serve their own interests.
Consider this too: how can any person know which church is teaching the truth and which is teaching error? Compare their teachings with the bible, you say? But how are you to do this if you don't have the authority to discern what the bible is really saying, in the first place? In other words if individuals don't have the authority to discern what the bible says then they don't have any means of testing any church's teachings in light of the scriptures since they have no authority to discern the scriptures. So you're proposing a situation where Christianity has to be based on faith in men's teachings and interpretations as being correct without having the authority to objectively determine if they're correct. Does that strike you as being a logically and ethically tenable position?
According to JWs, how did God make known to the first century Jews that he had chosen the apostles and formed a new Christian congregation as the approved way of worship? They say he empowered the apostles to perform miracles that served as indisputable proof of divine backing. Now look at the mess that exists today with 30,000+ conflicting denominations all professing to be true but teaching conflicting doctrines and using scripture to back them up. Is it reasonable to think that the God who provided 1st century Jews with miracle-working apostles, expects people today to wade through the mess on their own without him ever empowering his true earthly representatives to make themselves unmistakably known through some miracle? Is that reasonable. Search the scriptures and you'd see he always gave his representatives miraculous credentials to prove their divine appointment. Where's the miraculous credentials by the Watchtower or any other group? It's nowhere to be found.
There is obviously no God or none of the groups today are his special appointed channel.
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Hypothetical: If WTS Reformed...?
by Cold Steel inas i said in the subject line, this is purely hypothetical.
what do you think would happen if the wtbts leaders decided to reboot some of the organization's more controversial practices.
not that they would deny their claims to be jehovah's earthly representatives, nor the key elements of their eschatology; but in administrative outlooks.
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Island Man
Such changes would undoubtedly increase interest and activity in the Society. In the short run, they will see a dip in membership as all those who were trapped by the shunning policy would now seize the opportunity to make an official exit. Some of the more judgmental, hardcore JWs who love shunning and the martyrdom that comes with refusing blood, would also take their exit. But in the long run, more non-JWs would decide to become JWs when they find out that they won't have to endanger their life by refusing blood, if they become a JW. The religion will become more mainstream.
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Hello - New Member
by NotAnointed ini just wanted to intoroduce myself.
i have been lurking for some time and finally decided to register and hopefully contribute to this great forum.. i am in my mid 30s and have never been in the truth.
my wife became a jw several years ago and since she is a (mostly) stay at home mom my two boys are also jws.
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Island Man
"I am saddened that some on this forum have lost their belief in God due to their proir association with this false religion."
I don't know of any who lost their belief in God due to association with JWs. I think you're very mistaken in your views. It is the lack of evidence for God that caused me to stop believing and not any association with JWs.
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If I Became a JW, Could I Have My Cat on Paradise Earth?
by Cold Steel inwould i?
i wouldn't mind if he slept through eternity (he sleeps most of the time anyway).
i'd just like to be able to move him around occasionally.
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Island Man
No. JWs say animals were not made to live forever and the resurrection hope doesn't apply to them.
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How to Irritate JWs: The Catholic Way
by Hernandez inwhat's the greatest advantage in becoming a roman catholic after leaving the jehovah's witnesses some 17 years ago?
why, it's the way it totally irritates people and really pushes their buttons...that is, if you are one of the unfortunate jehovah's witnesses who happens across my door during field service.
i have developed several techniques to make it very frustrating to the unwary witness who hopes to make headway at my house.
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Island Man
You can also try this: Ask them what religion they belonged to before becoming a JW. There's a good chance that one of them was a Catholic. When they say they were Catholic you just say: "So that means you're an apostate and I have no dealings with apostates!" then you close the door and leave.
Alternatively, you can take the same platitudes and rationalizations that JWs use to excuse Watchtower's errors and injustices (imperfect men taking the lead, the light gets brighter, that was in the past, wait on Jehovah (or "the LORD"), etc) and apply them to your own church to justify remaining in your own church despite its errors. Just change the wording slightly to avoid suspicion that you're mocking them. Give them a taste of their own medicine.
Another thing you can do is ask them for advise on how you can help your friend escape the clutches of some obscure cult. Just make up a name for the cult - preferably a name that is not the name of an existing cult, so that the JW will find nothing online if they researched it. (It's a very obscure cult) Then you describe the cult to them making sure to mention characteristics that are very similar to JWs. For example you can say that the cult:
~ Teaches that they are the restored true church and only they are true chritians and it labels all other professed chrisitians as being part of "churchianity".
~ Teaches that the cult's leadership council was divinely appointed by Jesus in the year 1939 to teach true christianity. They are the only channel of instruction that God is using today. Members must trust the leaders and accept their teachings to have God's approval. Persons must serve God in association with their group to have any valid hope of surviving the end of the world.
~ Forbids invasive gynecological exams citing the command to "abstain from fornication" mentioned at Acts 15:28,29. As a result female members refuse to get pap smears and male members refuse digital (with the finger) prostate exams. The result is that the death rate from cervical cancer and prostate cancer is higher than average, among members.
~ Teaches members to not have friendship or close association with non-members because they will corrupt them spiritually.
~ Shuns those who resign from the cult - including their own family. Shunning causes some to commit suicide because they find themselves all alone since they never cultivated friendships with people outside the group.
~ Teaches that the end of the world is coming soon and only members of the cult will survive. Because of this the cult discourages university education and many members forego getting a good education and end up struggling financially later in life.
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2016 annual meeting
by obarac injust a few minutes till the start ..... we hope for a news from absalom and wifibandit very soon.. wifibandit, any tread on reddit for am?.
also there were some info about live stream.
any news about that..
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Island Man
So the new songbook that was released just a couple years ago is now to be discarded. What a waste of dedicated fund$!