playdrums

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Posts by playdrums

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  9

  Questions for Jehovah's Witnesses about Blood

  by UnDisfellowshipped in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  is this true?

  90% of red blood cells is hemoglobin.

  so why are red blood cells forbidden?.

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  playdrums

  UD,
  
  I love your posts too. It's asking way too much but I must do it anyway. Do you have any bibliographic info for the articles referred to in the Q&A section. I'd love to have the source information available when I start asking my girlfriend these questions.
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  32

  Ok, I NEVER post about anything having to do with god or the bible, but....

  by Jesika in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i was in chat a few days ago, and the topic of god came up.

  i was trying to understand how people can still believe in one.

  now, just wanted you to know where this ?

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  playdrums

  Jesika:
  
  This may sound really weird. But I've found as an outsider to things JW, that discovering the forces that are aligned against Christianity within JWism has somewhat reaffirmed a faith I had become rather lax about. It's weird because whatever is behind the Watchtower is diametrically aligned against all of Christian history - and in strangely specific but sneaky ways. But why?
  
  Anyway, I feel that it is definitely a spiritual battle and discovering that has definitely made me feel more connected to God.
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  30

  One foot in and one foot out.

  by tech 597 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i have to say that at one time i wouldn't even consider reading material at a discussion group like this one.

  but in the last two years, discussion groups like this one have been indispensable to my dealing with a very personal crisis of faith, and i want to thank the brave and loving persons who sponsor sites like this, and the brave and loving persons who participate in them.

  like many here, i was raised as one of jehovah's witnesses and never questioned the validity of the wbts view.

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  playdrums

  Hey Tech:
  
  It's good to hear that you feel you're learning new things. And as someone who is trying to help a special person think for themself as you have done, I feel encouraged. I would also encourage you to check out www.freeminds.org. If you still believe what you read in the Word, then you know all Truth has a source and all lies have a source. They don't mix and match. If indeed you have found "untruths" you likely will find more.
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  40

  I attended my first meeting at a KH!!

  by playdrums in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  for the memorial service i went with my girlfriend.

  she's the jw.

  i also brought my best friend.

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  playdrums

  Thanks everyone for your responses! I definitley appreciate that you allow me to partake and not just observe!
  
  

  Yes, but that is the case in almost all religions....including catholism. Religions IMHO all try to put their own spin on " their interpetation of the bible " ...so now surprise for me there.

  
  
  Calamity, absolutely, I don't disagree with you at all. The difference is that I can read a Catholic newspaper that openly criticises the Church. Or, I can refuse to observe the abstinence from meat on Fridays during lent. I do this in deference to the Pauline epistles which clearly don't promote such things. I can also refuse to keep ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday (I liken that to announcing my observances to the World). But I don't get excommunicated for such things and can still involve myself fully in the liturgy and faith society - or not. Even Pastor Russell's philosophy allowed such variances among believers. For those inside the JW camp I grieve.
  
  regarding the music:
  

  Never looked at it that way, and you know.....of course you are correct. Just another ingredient in their cult soup.

  
  
  It is really no different than the songs in an oppressive state such as Nazi Germany. And in all seriousness, this is a big one. You get people to sing together and you drive ideas into heads deeper than you can imagine. There is no doubt whatsoever that these songs are serious tools if not the most serious tools. Did you see the special about the children of Waco last night. At 8 they are singing songs about death and annihilation as they ring around the rosie. Very powerful.
  
  From a Christian perspective, I’ll bet you must see what transpired or rather what didn’t transpire, as nothing less then blasphemous. Such a scripted display of enforced non-participation in something meant for everyone is in essence a mocking of the Christian Communion itself, would you not agree?
  
  Freeman, very well put. This subject has come up many times I'm sure but I think that the evil of this orgnaization is executed in "levels" which makes it hard for those at the bottom to observe. At the "real" top is pure evil personified - the one who deceives. The GB is then motivated by whatever they get from the situation not unlike Judas. Down through to the R&F are simply the deceived. But the end result is the denial of Christ and the Cross - both things that are central to being a Christian. It's very clever. Whom would want you to deny the true power of the resurrection and do so thinking your were pleasing God? So, you are deceived into practicing a faith which cannot reconcile you to God. The true power of this deceipt can be seen in the fact that even among those that leave the JW's, the Bible is forever shattered. The end result is still pleasing to the deceiver. There are those here that ashew all religion now because of their wounds and also there are those who are no longer JW's but still accept some tenets of the faith - still unwilling to except that a lier tells only lies (no criticism of anyone, just an observation!!!). I'm just theorizing about the shear genius of this machine!!! It's built for very final deceipt.
  
  I want to see the end of the entire machine badly.
  
  Love and Peace!!
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  40

  I attended my first meeting at a KH!!

  by playdrums in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  for the memorial service i went with my girlfriend.

  she's the jw.

  i also brought my best friend.

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  playdrums

  For the memorial service I went with my girlfriend. She's the JW. I also brought my best friend. He is a pastor in Manhattan Beach and was overjoyed at the possibility of attending.
  
  I can honestly say that it was very much as I expected it to be because I've been doing so much research. And elder gave a little talk. It was really apparent that he was following some kind of directives in what he was presenting. The teaching was out of the Bible but it jumped around quite a bit - a couple passages here, a couple there - nothing was in context. They were all the same old passages that are repeated over and over in the dub pubs. Do whole sections of the New Testament go just completely ignored? I guess the answer is yes.
  
  It was also apparent to me that there was some effort to speak to people who may be new. There seemed to be somewhat of a "summary" of the JW faith. This ended with talk of James and works. Clearly James was talking about feeding the hungry but apparently JW's believe it means they must go door to door to be justfied.
  
  Interestingly, the teaching started out very digestible with talk of Jehovah and Christ Jesus and the great sacrifice that was offered "for us all." Everything just took a sharp left turn at one point separating the believers into two classes. It was very clear that before passing "the emblems" that it was going to be strongly reiterated that only one of these classes was to partake. Definitely they don't want the number of annointed going up yet again and they are being very aggressive about it!!! The room felt very tense to me. I've learned of the teaching but I was still very surprised to hear straight from the mouth of this elder that the New Covenant was not for me.
  
  What really blew my mind were the songs. They were such obvious and blatant propaganda material with very specific doctrinal messages in them. I was dumbfounded and didn't sing many of the lyrics. My girlfriend, Carmen, asked me afterwards if I liked the music. I said I felt like the words were forced into the songs - like they didn't lyrically flow. That was honest. I didn't attack the content but I really wanted to. She said "The brothers wrote all those songs." I just felt like, "yeah, whatever. Didn't you mean Big Brother?"
  
  There was definitely a grand effort to "get to know us." They were all over us and definitely wanted us to come back and to Bible study. One member clearly implied that we would learn more about the really important stuff - the Watchtower Society itself - in addition to the Bible.
  
  My girlfriend is currently disfellowshipped. We were attending a congregation that is not hers so people were talking to her. One person from her congregation was also there. She came over, walking right passed Carmen, to say hello to her sons. That's love? Anyway, I made sure to say hi to that person when I left - she did not seem to want to talk to me either. It's strange - the very unnatural decisions such an unnatural doctrine forces you to make. Obviously, it's fine to speak with me, but she didn't know how to reconcile that in her mind apparently. That should be a clue to her that it's wrong.
  
  The other hurtful thing was watching the bread and wine go by. I'm Catholic and my best friend Jon is a pastor - this seemed so evil to us in light of the Gospel.
  
  Anyway, I just wanted to let you all have my eyes from the outside. Thanks for this forum. You all are very helpful to me in my understanding of the JW "system of things."
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  43

  My Memorial Experience-not so good

  by wednesday in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  well i just got back form the memorial, and well it was not all loving and warm like scobbysnax had.

  two or three couples spoke to us, not one elder.

  an elder came up to some people who had apparently just showed up for the first time, and they were all over them.

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  playdrums

  QuiteVoice
  
  

  Personally, I think people who isolate themselves from the organization is just giving excuses for being lazy.

  
  
  I think you would do well to actually read what the hearts participating in this forum have to say. I would doubt very much that any of them are on the outside of your organization because they are lazy. Their testimonies speak something quite different.
  
  In regards to being lazy: If I were in receipt of information from the Mormons, would I not verify their teaching and sources before I continued - maybe study their history? How many people in your JW congregation have taken a tract such as "Should You Believe in the Trinity" and actually verified the information and sources inside? The Bible is quite clear that we should examine the teaching we absorb for validity. No source, not even the Watchtower, can validate itself merely by saying it's members are better behaved. So, I challenge you to find the books and materials quoted in the above mentioned tract. Nothing false comes from Jehovah right?
  
  "An open mind is free from the fetters of prejudice, which by one dictionary is defined as follows: 'A judgment or opinion favorable or unfavorable, formed beforehand or without due examination; a mental decision based on other grounds than reason or justice; especially, a premature or adversely biased opinion.'... But decisions made "without due examination" or judgments reached "on other grounds than reason or justice" are evidences of a closed mind."
  
  And later, "A closed mind may indicate a lack of knowledge. We may know so little about a subject, or have information so distorted or incomplete, that the facts necessary to reach proper conclusions are missing...A closed mind may betray a lack of interest in the subject or a reluctance to look into the matter."
  (Watchtower 11/22/84)
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  20

  NEW WORLD TRANSLATIO. WAS IT INSPIRED BY JEHOVAH.

  by nightwarrior in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  who wrote the new world translation.?????????????

  as it has no author,no one is brave enough to claim responsibility for this particular interpretation of the bible.

  whom is responsible for all the changes of scripture, no one will put there name to doing this.therfore if no one from the society claims to being the author ,is it because they have invalidated the word of jehovah and are scared that they will receive the plagues as mentioned in revelation.for adding to the scriptures or taking things away.

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  playdrums

  If you were looking to confuse the stature of Jesus what would be the first thing you could do? In God's Word you could make the meaning of derivatives of the word "kyrios" ambiguous. The best example really is Romans 14:8-9. Kyrios is used every time yet why is it translated as both "Lord" and "Jehovah?" It completely removes the context. In a way choosing the correct translation is almost beside the point because it is quite obvious that no author would use the same term to reflect two separate entities in a passage where one thought is being completed. What's classic is that the propaganda materials will make it clear that the WTS prides themselves on a "literal" interpretation of the Word. However, the translator in this clearly mixes meanings makes the passages read as desired. It's such a complete mind screw. Another classic example is our favorite: 1 Thessalonians 4:16. We know that the WTS likes to teach that this is the proof that Jesus is Michael the archangel. OK, so kyrios is properly translated as "Lord" and theos is translated as... hmmm, "God," as in "God's trumpet." Typically, I'd say that's right but I'm confused. Isn't "God" Father God - Jehovah? Why wouldn't you print "Jehovah" there? But wait, now I'm even more confused. The NWT reference Bible says that the "Lord" refers to Jehovah. Wow, my head is really spinning now. Well, if kyrios meant "Jehovah" there (per the reference Bible) why didn't you just print Jehovah in the first place like you did in a bunch of other places where kyrios is translated as such. Why make a subnote explaining the word "Lord?" And, hmmm, is Jesus really not Michael the archangel now? It must be time for a knap. playdrums
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  66

  All About Jesus Christ

  by UnDisfellowshipped in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  truth book (1981), page 52:.

  of the resurrection to heavenly life, the bible says: it is sown a physical body, it is raised up a spiritual body.

  *** the watchtower, march 15th 1954 issue, page 187 ***.

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  playdrums

  UD, I for one, really appreciate your posts and find them very helpful. I'm not opposed to seeing them posted elsewhere either but I like seeing the ensuing discussion and emotions as well. I'm datin' a JW and appreciate "collection" of the information.
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  27

  While A Witness, Did You Ever Date A "Worldly Person"?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  how many here ever dated a "worldly" person, while still a jw?

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  playdrums

  I'm the datee trying to figure out how to be the liberator. Stumped so far but this board helps! :-)
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  27

  Halliburton wins Iraq rebuilding contracts

  by Trauma_Hound in

  1. social
  2. current

  lol, , i and many anti-bush people were right.

  hate to say this, but told ya so!

  http://money.cnn.com/2003/03/25/news/companies/war_contracts/index.htm.

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  playdrums

  I think if you do a little research you'll find that KBR (subsidiary of Halliburton) was awarded contracts with the Army Corps. of Engineers in Kosovo, Bosnia, and Albania as well. If my memory serves me correctly Bill Clinton was the President then. The reason this contract was won without a bid is because the want the wells capped now - not 5 months from now when the bidding process is over. Halliburton doubled it's business as a Governement contractor when Cheney was there. They've been doing like work since. The fact that the Army Corps. of Engineers chose KBR really has nothing to do with the Executive Branch of our Government or Dick Cheney. Some journalists are just as good as the Watchtower Society at being sneaky and pushing their agenda.