Island Man

Joined

• started 138 topics
• posted 2,374 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by Island Man

• 
  28

  WHEN WAS THE VERY LAST ARTICLE ON BLOOD IN EITHER THE WATCHTOWER OR THE AWAKE?

  by steve2 in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  there's been a buzz on this forum - on and off but currently on - that there has not been an article in any watchtower publication on the blood ban for a while - which feeds speculation that the organization is distancing itself from this doctrinal absurdity.

  does that mean there's been nothing mentioned about the blood doctrine for months or years?

  specifically, when did the watchtower last mention the blood ban?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  I think that part of the reason for the lack of publications dealing with the blood issue in recent times, could be that their study magazines are now being made available online for download by the public. I think you should expect to see less and less Watchtower articles that explicity cover such controversial topics. Instead, I think such issues will be dealth with in inhouse publications like the 'Our Kingdom Ministry'.
• 
  5

  Giving the Pharisees a JW mindset to expose the folly of JWs' anti-blood arguments.

  by Island Man in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  parallels have often been drawn between the pharisees' condemnation of healing on the sabbath, with jws' condemnation of life saving blood transfustions.

  in a question on y!a, i attempt to hightlight the folly of jw anti-blood arguments and reasoning by equipping the pharisees with comparable arguments for refuting healing on the sabbath.

  since the pharisees are portrayed as being wrong for condemning jesus' healing on the sabbath, then giving them jw-anti-blood-like arguments and reasoning should hopefully help jws to see that such reasoning used by them is wrong.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  Parallels have often been drawn between the Pharisees' condemnation of healing on the Sabbath, with JWs' condemnation of life saving blood transfustions. In a question on Y!A, I attempt to hightlight the folly of JW anti-blood arguments and reasoning by equipping the Pharisees with comparable arguments for refuting healing on the Sabbath. Since the Pharisees are portrayed as being wrong for condemning Jesus' healing on the Sabbath, then giving them JW-anti-blood-like arguments and reasoning should hopefully help JWs to see that such reasoning used by them is wrong. What follows is a quote of a fictional conversation where a Pharisee is employing JW thinking to condemn Jesus' action of healing on the Sabbath. I have included numbers in brackes [n] at the end of key arguments within the text and corresponding end notes with explanations of the parallels with JW thinking on blood:

  "The law at Exodus 20:10 strictly forbids doing *any work* on the Sabbath [1] - not even to light a fire in your own house on the Sabbath! (Exodus 35:3) At the very least we can agree that any activity which one might engage in to make a living, is work. Doctors make a living by healing or trying to heal people. Therefore it is clear that healing people is a form of work. [2] But aside from that the phrase "any work" means . . . *any* work! So your healing of others is clearly a form of work and should not be done on the Sabbath! [1]
  
  Or why are you violating the sanctity of the Sabbath just to give someone a few more years of good health in this dying old system? [3] Aren't you making them complicit in your violation of God's Sabbath law and putting them in jeopardy of losing out on everlasting life in the new system? Is it right to give someone healthy living now only to have them lose out on the prospect of everlasting life, later? [4]
  
  This healing by you is not done with God's power because God would never direct someone in a way that is contrary to his revealed word in the written Law, which is what you're doing. It is by satan's power that you perform these Law-defying miracles! Satan is using you to mislead others away from the truth of God's word which we teach!" [5]

  ENDNOTES:

  [1] This focus on the scriptures use of the phrase "any work" to highlight a very broad application that precludes even healing work, mirrors the JWs focus on the phrase "abstain . . . from blood" to suggest a very broad application that precludes even life-saving blood transfusions. This text in Exodus 20:10 can thus be used to as a mirror to show JWs the folly in their reasoning on the use of "abstain" in Acts 15:29.

  [2] This 'doctors work as healers means Jesus' healing is work' analogy, mirrors the JWs 'food is fed intravenously therefore intravenous blood transfusions is feeding' analogy. The difference here is that this kind of reasoning actually seems more valid and convincing when applied to the issue of healing on the Sabbath - and yet the Pharisees were clearly wrong, if we are to go by scripture.

  [3] Prolonging someone's imperfect life in this dying old system - how often have you heard JWs use that kind of fanatical, fatalistic reasoning to devalue present human life as a means of justifying their fanatical and fatal refusal of blood? They make it seem as if present human life is cheap and valueless and we shouldn't shirk from sacrificing it for life in the new system. What fanatics! But the Pharisees could also make use of the same reasoning - to defend a less egregious action of delaying healing someone to another day.

  [4] This mirrors the JW's habit of devaluing present human life and scaring others into fanaticism by talking about the supposed better, perfect, eternal life in the new system that they stand to lose if they accept a life saving blood transfusion.

  [5] This one is not actually specific to the matter of blood, but more or less deals with JWs view on the 'miraculous works' done by other professed christians. JWs would say that such works are done with the power of demons and not God. That such persons can't possibly have God's approval if they're teaching things contrary to the bible [as understood by Watchtower]. The point here is that the Pharisees could have used this reasoning as a thought stopper to dismiss miraculous nature of the healing as being any evidence that he did it with God's approval and backing.
• 
  40

  If there was a pill that could open their eyes - would you give it to them?

  by truthseeker in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  if there was a pill you could give to your jw family members that would awaken their eyes to the truth about the cult, would you give it to them?.

  most would probably say yes.. but what about those who are completely institutionalized, the elderly, the super zealous, the geeky kids who have no friends, the misfits?.

  some people need "boundaries", they need someone to lead and give them directions, they need a sense of belonging, even in an organization that has no social programs.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  Impossible! There is no pill that can open their eyes. It would have to be a cocktail of 40 pills . . . just to get them to listen to you with an open mind.
• 
  14

  Bacteria That Eats Electrons

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  http://www.impactlab.net/2014/07/18/electric-life-forms-that-live-on-pure-energy-are-unlike-any-other-life-on-earth/.

  the amazing diversity and adaptive nature of life.

  we're just finding out what lives on this planet.. .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  I smell a hoax.

  The idea that any living thing lives on subatomic particles sounds rather ridiculous. Life exists at the molecular plane. Life is a complex symphony of chemical reactions. Nutrition is a chemical process. These things happen way above the subatomic scale - even though they depend on what happens down there. What happens at the subatomic scale is so miniscule and so fundamental as to be completely abstracted away from direct detection and and interaction with living systems. Sure, life can feel electricity - the effects of it - but it can't consciously and directly intereact with individual electrons because they are at a different scale of existence.

  Saying that bacteria live by eating electrons sounds as ridiculous as saying that a species of rats have been discovered which collects helium atoms in their nests.
• 
  152

  Something Big is Coming...

  by notsurewheretogo in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the annual meeting of the governing body of jehovah's witnesses will be in october 2014.. .. in november 2013, just after the last one they published this now famous statement in the 15th of november 2013 watchtower page 16 paragraph 17 says:.

  "at that time, the lifesaving direction that we receive from jehovahs organization may not appear practical from a human standpoint.

  all of us must be ready to obey any instructions we may receive, whether these appear sound from a strategic or human standpoint or not.".

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  "Faithful servants of Jehovah have always been eager to submit to theocratic direction. (Read Hebrews 13:7, 17.) We may initially lack full understanding of the reasons for carrying out our assigned work in a particular way. Nevertheless, we are fully aware of the benefits of cooperating with Jehovah in any adjustments that he sees fit to make. "

  Like others have said I think there is a clear shift toward more public witnessing and the use of the website. Perhaps there would be some new major adjustment regarding door-to-door. The phrase "We may initially lack full understanding of the reasons for carrying out our assigned work in a particular way." is clealy hinting at adjustments in the preaching work.

  Maybe they will make door to door work the responsibility of the individual publishers and no longer a congregation organized activity. Publishers would be told that when going door-to-door they are not to give the impression that they are representing JWs. They would be told to introduce themselves as a christian sharing helpful information to their neighbors. This will help the congregations - and ultimately, Watchtower - to further distance itself from any liability or even the perception of liability in the event of any wrong actions on the part of rogue JWs.

  "What! No, no, no we did not send bro. Perv Pedophile to your door. Bro. Pedophile acted on his own volition as an individual. We are not responsible for any crimes committed by this individual in the course of his own personal activities conducted on his own volition and outside of the activities arranged and sponsored by the congregation."

  Perhaps this will be coupled with the congregations being told to shift focus to public Witnessing - trolley witnessing and street witnessing and informal witnessing - trying to use their normal everyday interactions with people at work, on public transportation, at the doctors office, etc as opportunities to give a witness. This is where the new tracts will come in handy. JWs may be told to never leave home without having some tracts that they can give to others in informal witnessing. The org. will probably also capitalize on modern technology by training JWs to use their smart phones to bring up the JW.org when informally witnessing to others.

  What I find disturbing about the quote above is the very matter of fact way in which the organization is being equated with Jehovah. "we are fully aware of the benefits of cooperating with Jehovah in any adjustments that he sees fit to make." This is a disturbing trend of late. I'm seeing more and more JWs speaking of the direction coming from the organization as coming from Jehovah himself. JWs are being programmed to equate the organization with Jehovah. This is a very dangerous trend as it essentially blinds JWs from listening to any criticism of the organization as they would consider you as criticizing Jehovah himself. They are not able to separate the two. If "Jehovah" tells JWs to harm their ex-JW relatives, will they obey?
• 
  13

  Focus sends his LOVE to the GOVERNING BODY, senior OVERSEERS, etc.

  by Focus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  focus.

  ("love and kisses" class).

  focus.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  Cancer of the rectum? Well that makes a lot of sense. After years of pulling toxic, man-made teachings out of his behind . . .
• 
  15

  Very young baptized in new brochure

  by Bye bye birdie in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  on page 25 of the new release, "your family can be happy" the illustration of the young boy being baptized looks between the ages of 9-12.. thoughts?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  " My elder family member told me that they, as elders, are told to discourage children from baptism at young ages. I see and hear the very opposite.

  He told me this a few years back when I was "murmuring" about it and he didn't have any good answers."

  It seems your elder family member may have been using "theocratic warfare" on you.
• 
  59

  BBC Radio 4 reference to 607 Babylonian conquest?

  by 88JM in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  was listening to bbc radio 4 late sunday night, and in a programme about migration, they referenced the "babylonian conquest of jerusalem in 607 b.c.

  " which caught my attention.. did they not mean 587 b.c., or did i understand it wrong?.

  the link to the programme is below - sorry if you're not in the u.k. as you probably won't be able to listen to bbc programmes.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  Hold your horses, don't get too excited. The presenter is probably referring to when Jerusalem first came under Babylonian control - not when the deportation started or when Jerusalem was razed.

  Or maybe the presenter is an indoctrinated JW or did his research online and got the date from an article on JW.org.

  Scrap my first paragraph. Having listened to the clip, it is clear that the presenter is a JW, JW sympathizer or has been misled by a JW source.
• 
  15

  HERE IS YOUR MAP. . . your task is to find the spot which says: YOU ARE HERE

  by Terry in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  here is your map:.

  1. i suspect the truth isn't what i thought it was.. 2. omg--i realize i've been lied to and duped.. 3. what should i do?--i don't want to lose my wife, kids, family, friends, dog, pet hamster .

  .. 4. what if jehovah's witnesses really do have the true religion and it's simple human error screwing it up?.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  7.
• 
  43

  The INTJ Personality Type, (and those close to it)

  by done4good in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i am compelled to write a bit about this at this late hour here in the us, because it is keeping me up.. the recent four year old thread on the briggs myers personality type test that was dug up, produced an interesting finding.

  many here, (at least tested informally for), the intj personality type.

  intjs also do not understand irrational behavior particularly well at all.. why does this matter?

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Island Man

  " Dubbery is highly incompatible with INTJs, so it would stand to reason that many are ex-jws."

  "Dubbery"? LOL. I like that!