Posts by Island Man

25

Anybody watch Game of Thrones?

by shakyground in

jw
friends

i started watching game of thrones and it has become my fav tv show in a long time.

i may even read the novels.

i love fantasy novels and movies, i always tried not to like them and felt bad when a new book came out and always gave in and read it lol.

Island Man

I have only watched the first 3 or 4 episodes - a couple years ago - and never continued. I plan to start binge watching soon.

65

Today's Text - Justifying The Increase Of Annointed Ones!

by Divergent in

jw
friends

thursday, august 31. jehovah knows those who belong to him.—2 tim.

2:19.. in recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of those partaking at the memorial of christ’s death.

that trend contrasts with the decrease in the number of partakers that we saw for many decades.

Island Man

Their explanation for the increase is no explanation at all.

The number of partakers includes those who mistakenly think that they are anointed.

There has always been opportunity for persons to mistakenly think that they're anointed - even when the numbers were decreasing in the past. So why has there lately been an increase in those mistakenly thinking they're anointed?

Others may have mental or emotional problems that lead them to believe that they will rule with Christ in heaven.

There has always been opportunity for persons to have mental or emotional problems leading them to mistakenly think that they're anointed - even when the numbers were decreasing in the past. So why has there lately been an increase in those with such problems leading to them mistakenly thinking they're anointed?

What's the trigger that started the upward trend in the number of anointed? That's the real issue that they're not addressing. Why aren't they saying?

The true reason for the increase is a change in Watchtower doctrine. During the time of decline in partakers, they used to teach that the heavenly hope closed around 1935 and any new anointed ones were simply replacements for past anointed who were unfaithful. Then about a decade ago they revised this claim with new light saying they can't give a date for the end of the heavenly calling. I believe this revision in doctrine emboldened more JWs to claim to be anointed. This, however, would be embarrassing to Watchtower as it would clearly imply that JWs' acceptance of their heavenly calling was being hampered/compromised by Watchtower doctrine. It puts the organization in a bad light as being so controlling as to dissuade JWs from accepting their heavenly calling and only when the organization changed a teaching did more JWs feel comfortable enough to accept the calling.

Another way of looking at it is that the trend demonstrates that JW anointing is not an anointing by God but an anointing by men based on doctrine, that's why a change in doctrine radically changes the number of anointed. This is the very embarrassing and inconvenient truth that they're afraid to admit.

22

Demonic content being used in the "Remember the Wife of Lot" video?

by The Fall Guy in

sadly it's in german, but i've been reliably informed of the crucial relevance of the moon, butterflies, owls, geckos, & mirrors in spiritistic practices - all featured in the "slave's" offering!

perhaps someone with a knowledge of german can provide a more detailed analysis.. according to this guy's forensic examination of the video, it uses spiritistic practices and symbolism repeatedly.

far too much to be a coincidence?

Island Man

Demons aren't real. It's time to toss superstitious medieval religious thinking in the trash where it belongs. "Demonic" is an adjective that JWs and other superstitious theists band about indiscriminately to refer to anything that appears remotely scary or weird.

49

Let's talk about Blood again....

by stuckinarut2 in

i know we have all talked about this topic before, but for some new ones on the forum, or to refresh ourselves, i wanted to start this thread.. the society likes to go on about the sacredness of blood, and how it should not be transfused etc.. they liken it to a symbol of life itself.

something that should be respected and therefore not transfused.. but, what is more important: real life, or a symbol of life?.

an illustration came to mind.. if we give a bunch of flowers to a loved one as a symbol of our love for them, are those flowers more important than the love itself?

Island Man

My argument against the blood ban is simple

1. BLOOD WAS CREATED TO FLOW IN THE VEINS. In fact, this is the very reason why blood is considered sacred and equated with life - because of its life-sustaining function as a medium for feeding and oxygenating all body tissue.

2. GOD IMPLICITLY APPROVES OF PEOPLE USING THEIR OWN NATIVE BLOOD IN THEIR VEINS. If he didn't he would require all his worshippers to slit their throats and bleed themselves to death in order to abstain from blood. But he doesn't require them to do this, even though he requires them to abstain from eating blood.

3. GOD DOES NOT APPROVE OF PEOPLE EATING THEIR OWN BLOOD. The scripture condemns eating "any sort of blood". This establishes that the source of the blood is irrelevant. It matters not whether the blood is your own or coming from a donor.

4. LOGICALLY, THEN, THE ISSUE HAS TO BE ABOUT THE USE TO WHICH THE BLOOD IS BEING PUT. Flowing in the veins is ok. Eating it as food is bad. Therefore blood transfusions are legit because they involve putting blood in the veins to do what it was created to do.

Ask a JW what's the difference between using your own native blood in your veins and getting it from a donor in a transfusion. They'll resort to the source argument. You then point out that source is irrelevant because scripture condemns eating any sort of blood and JWs aren't even permitted to transfuse their own blood back to themselves. Then maybe they'll give the reasoning that once it leaves the body it cannot be put back in. You simply respond by asking them why the organization allows the use of heart-lung machine and dialysis which involves the blood leaving the body and reentering. They'll say that it's different because the blood never stops flowing so the equipment functions as a continuation of the circulatory system. Then you ask them well will it be ok if you got transfused with a system that keeps the blood flowing from one person to another without stopping. Then they'll say that they're not here to argue and they'll leave. lol.

49

Let's talk about Blood again....

by stuckinarut2 in

i know we have all talked about this topic before, but for some new ones on the forum, or to refresh ourselves, i wanted to start this thread.. the society likes to go on about the sacredness of blood, and how it should not be transfused etc.. they liken it to a symbol of life itself.

something that should be respected and therefore not transfused.. but, what is more important: real life, or a symbol of life?.

an illustration came to mind.. if we give a bunch of flowers to a loved one as a symbol of our love for them, are those flowers more important than the love itself?

Island Man

Good illustration. Another illustration I've seen is that of a country on the brink of defeat and destruction by the enemy, and the only hope of saving the country rests in the hands of one lone soldier who has only one option - use the national flag to create a molotov cocktail to destroy the enemy's weapon before it activates. Should the soldier value the sanctity of his country's national flag above the country itself? Should he let his country suffer destruction because its national flag is too sacred to be destroyed in process of defeating the enemy?

36

What is the watchtower going to do when

by pepperheart in

what is the watchtower going to do when the money runs out ??

?.

Island Man

They are running out of money. That's why they're scrambling with all the cost cutting measures recently. But I don't think they will ever really run out of money - not literally. What will happen is that they'll be forced to keep cutting costs until their expenses drop below their income.

This might mean that the organization as we know it today, will eventually cease to exist. It might wind up being just a skeleton of what it is today. Maybe just an office with a writing dept and an IT department and a few volunteers. All literature will be online. JWs worldwide will be encouraged to get touch devices to download and view Watchtower material. Elders will be made responsible to make printouts for publishers who cannot get access to a touch device. They may even institue mandatory tithing.

46

Do You Think Jehovah's Witnesses Are Typically Ignorant People?

by minimus in

jw
friends

i think most witnesses are simple minded.many are ignorant.

there are a lot of basically "good people "in the religion but i believe many are kind of dumb, including many elders.

do you agree with my thoughts??

Island Man

It's hard to say to what extent that is true. The organization definitely encourages JWs to practice willful ignorance by labeling scientific information pertaining to evolution as being "satanic propaganda". So there is definitely the tendency for JWs to be ignorant concerning most of the facts about evolution. Then the "spiritual routine" that JWs are encouraged to keep up, greatly limits their free time to pursue self-education through personal research into non-religious matters outside Watchtower literature. Higher education is discouraged. So there's indeed a confluence of factors encouraging JWs to be ignorant.

But we must keep in mind that a significant percentage of JWs are not born-ins but adult converts. Before becoming JWs, many of these adult converts may have already been exposed to the information that born-in JWs have never seen. So I would say that the institutionalized ignorance plaguing JWs would be more pronounced among born-ins.

I would say that there is definitely a higher incidence of ignorance among JWs than among non-JWs. But I don't know how typical it is.

29

Relaxed rules toward oral sex?

by Socrateswannabe in

these people won't state anything definitively, but here's an excerpt from the study article entitled "making christian marriage a success", in the august, 2016 watchtower.

it does make me wonder.. although the bible does not provide specific rules about the kinds and limits of love play that might be associated with natural, sexual intimacy, it mentions displays of affection.

(song of solomon 1:2; 2:6) christian marriage partners should treat each other with tenderness.

Island Man

Although the Bible does not provide specific rules about the kinds and limits of love play that might be associated with natural, sexual intimacy, it mentions displays of affection. (Song of Solomon 1:2; 2:6) Christian marriage partners should treat each other with tenderness. (bold mine)

Actually, I think this might be a thinly veiled reference to, and condemnation of, sadomasochism - practices involving the inflicting of pain and humiliation for the purpose of sexual gratification. Maybe this is a growing problem among dubs and that's why they're writing about the need to "treat each other with tenderness".

61

Set the record straight!

by Colinconfused in

i would like to state publicly, on this forum, i no longer hold the views i had a year ago.. with much thought, research, study and logical examination i have come to a better understanding of my beliefs and where i stand on all these issues.. i'm very happy to announce i have returned to healthful teaching of the holy scriptures and i firmly believe that the governing body of jehovah's witnesses is the faithful slave.. sorry if i have contibuted to any kind of stumbling and know that if i can turn things around then there's hope for all who come to there sence.. phill4:6,7.

Island Man

I don't believe the OP is genuine. And I don't believe we should judge him. Do you judge the teller that hands over the money to the robber at gunpoint? Do you judge the man that pays the ransom money to secure the release of his loved ones from kidnappers? That's all I'm going to say about it.

21

Making Every Thought Captive To Christ(Washing the Brain Of Good Reasoning)

by Brokeback Watchtower in

not a very good idea to say the least.

when i read paul's words the more i see how delusional the guy was.

he was a genuine religious fanatic who contradicts jesus words on the sermon on the mount.. 2 corinthians 10:5 5we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of god, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to christ.. delusional and in need of some serious psychological help.

Island Man

I was surprised to learn how much of this one guy's writings made it into the NT.

Keep in mind too that a large portion of NT books ascribed to Paul are actually forgeries made in his name by others. There is widespread consensus on this among scholars who have examined the texts. Forgeries of religious text were widespread back then. Quite a sizable chunk of the NT consists of forgeries. 2 Peter is a notable one as is Jude. There are striking similarities between these two books that point to one plagiarising the other.