Zoos

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Posts by Zoos

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  46

  A contribution from one of the members!

  by Atlantis in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  a contribution from one of the members who doesn't get to post very often.. ... .......... ........................ ......... ..........atlantis

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  Zoos

  This thread is SOOOO marked!
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  29

  WT wants members to auxiliary pioneer in place of vacations now!!!

  by EndofMysteries in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  the may 2014 km, posted in another thread is a link to download it.

  page 2, for week starting may 19th under the service meeting:.

  discussion.

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  Zoos

  "How would you like it if Jehovah took a vaction from you?"
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  16

  New Light - Good for goose... gander SOL

  by Zoos in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when jws accept new light they must, by default, accept that what they were teaching was false.

  they allow themselves the luxury of error so long as it is in the pursuit of better understanding.. .

  you would think this scenario demands that allowance be made for other religions with false teachings, but alas, no.

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  Zoos

  BEMUSED - Also, if you accept new light, don't you also have to accept that there may well be more new light in future, ie accept that some of the current doctrines are probably wrong?

  I agree with your reasoning here, but I have heard JWs say that in its entire history they have never had to change any of their "core" doctrines; trinity, immortality of soul, heavenly/earthly hope, etc... Only minor adjustments in understand.

  I suppose the change from 1879 - 1914 second coming could be considered core, but that's so long ago it doesn't count.

  GINGERBREAD - "We must wash our brains clean of the former thought and embrace the correct 'New Light' from Jehovah's faithful and discreet slave."

  If that's an accurate quote, that is just horrifying.

  Lot's of great comments. Thanks!
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  16

  New Light - Good for goose... gander SOL

  by Zoos in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  when jws accept new light they must, by default, accept that what they were teaching was false.

  they allow themselves the luxury of error so long as it is in the pursuit of better understanding.. .

  you would think this scenario demands that allowance be made for other religions with false teachings, but alas, no.

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  Zoos

  When JWs accept new light they must, by default, accept that what they WERE teaching was false. They allow themselves the luxury of error so long as it is in the pursuit of better understanding.

  You would think this scenario demands that allowance be made for other religions with false teachings, but alas, no. A typical answer given by JWs at this point is:

  "But we find the mistakes and fix them. Other religions don't."

  I'm not familiar enough with other religions to confirm or deny that assertion. How would you respond to such a statement?
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  20

  Wheat/weeds parable defeats "organization' teaching

  by Zoos in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in his illustration at mathew 13: 24-30, jesus made it clear that the wheat and weeds were to grow together until the harvest.

  this parable runs contrary to the concept put forward by the wt about getting out of the world and running to their organization for salvation.. first of all, the parable says that the weeds will be gathered, bundled and burned first then the wheat will be gathered into the storehouse.. wt teaches that we need to gather up the wheat first.

  not only are they doing it backward, they are teaching that true christians must isolate themselves inside a special wheat organization, separate from the weeds.

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  Zoos

  Interesting thoughts I hadn’t considered.

  I appreciate all the feedback.
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  20

  Wheat/weeds parable defeats "organization' teaching

  by Zoos in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  in his illustration at mathew 13: 24-30, jesus made it clear that the wheat and weeds were to grow together until the harvest.

  this parable runs contrary to the concept put forward by the wt about getting out of the world and running to their organization for salvation.. first of all, the parable says that the weeds will be gathered, bundled and burned first then the wheat will be gathered into the storehouse.. wt teaches that we need to gather up the wheat first.

  not only are they doing it backward, they are teaching that true christians must isolate themselves inside a special wheat organization, separate from the weeds.

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  Zoos

  In his illustration at Mathew 13: 24-30, Jesus made it clear that the wheat and weeds were to grow together until the harvest. This parable runs contrary to the concept put forward by the WT about getting out of the world and running to their organization for salvation.

  First of all, the parable says that the weeds will be gathered, bundled and burned first – THEN the wheat will be gathered into the storehouse.

  WT teaches that we need to gather up the wheat FIRST. Not only are they doing it backward, they are teaching that true Christians must isolate themselves inside a special ‘wheat’ organization, separate from the weeds. That completely defeats the point of the parable.

  A poster on Y!A made this comment:

  You would also notice in that illustration that Jesus clearly identified the field as being the world of mankind here on earth. Therefore removing the wheat from the field to the storehouse must symbolize removing Christians from the world of mankind - gathering them to heaven - the kingdom in which they will "shine as brightly as the sun". The storehouse cannot represent a restored true congregation *on earth* because being on earth is denoted by being in the field (Matthew 13:38,43)
  
  Also, you would notice that at the harvest time it is the weeds that are removed from the wheat and bundled. But JWs say the converse - that the wheat are removed from the weeds and put in a restored congregation of their own. If that were so Jesus' illustration would instead speak about the reapers collecting the wheat out from the weeds and transplanting them to a specially cleared corner of the field that free of weeds, to grow for a while before finally gathering them into the storehouse. That is how the JW interpretation would have to be pictured by the illustration, based on Jesus' own clarification of the symbols.
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  53

  If you wrote book about JW's what title would you give it?

  by LogCon in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  many, after leaving or being cast out of 'the society,' have felt so strongly so as to write a book.

  some well thought out and good reading.. my questions are the following:.

  if you were to write such a book what title would you give it ?.

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  Zoos

  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

  Oh wait! Already taken.
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  17

  Family Lost- Dealing with the "Inevitable"

  by BLWashington in

  1. jw
  2. experiences

  so... recently lost my favorite aunt, mother of my favorite cousin- she was a "witness" when she died.

  inactive, but still a witness.

  who lived with my witness mother and stepdad.

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  Zoos

  BLW, that's exactly how I feel.

  I would be more upset by the realization that I wasn't upset. The death of a family member is supposed to make you cry, mourn. But that won't be the case for me IF someone even bothers to contact me - which I doubt.

  Family bonds can be broken beyond repair. Natural affection can can be destroyed. The Watchtower cult has not only perfected the process but they seem to be honing their skills on it every chance they get.
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  72

  On a Scale of 1 to 10---How Devoted Were You To Being One of Jehovah's Witnesses?

  by minimus in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  as i grew up in the religion, i was a 10. i wanted to be made a "servant" because that was instilled in me from infancy.

  i diligently studied ever piece of watchtower literature and defended my religion intensely.. when i got into my 30's, i started to see little cracks in the watchtower's surface but decided to "wait on jehovah".

  then i started to research a little more critically and realized i couldn't defend the prophecies, the treatment of people and the hypocrisy that was becoming more obvious, that especially an elder can see.. it was a gradual thing---from a 10 to a zero!.

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  Zoos

  Absolute 10.

  I never sought a position because I saw through the politics of it. I wanted to focus on the ministry even though I hated knocking on doors. Still, I thought that was where Jehovah wanted me.

  It's amazing that you can be so zealous for a belief or cause, then totally turn your back.

  That fact still leaves me scratching my head sometimes.
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  48

  Do you pray over your meals? If so why? If not, when did you stop and why?

  by BU2B in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  to answer my question, no i do not pray over meals anymore exept for when i am with other jws i do a 15 second head bow for appearances sake.

  i just came to the realization god had nothing to do with whether i ate or not.

  many believers are starving right now whilst many non-believers are eating like kings.. also why should god give me food while he lets little children in dprk concentration camps starve to death.

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  Zoos

  I quit praying before meals long before I woke up and left to organization. Every single freaking meal, e v e r y d a y ! ! ! It started sounding like a chant. A pre-recorded message that amounted to noise without meaning. I don't have a problem expressing my gratitude to God but EVERY MEAL?

  James 1:7 - Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, for it comes down from the Father of the [celestial] lights...

  Yes, but...

  BU2B - I came to the realization that if god gets the thanks for having food, then he also gets the blame for when there isnt any.

  I find it difficult to thank God for my full plate of food every day when there is abject poverty just up the street from me.