Posts by RobCrompton

6

Studies in the scriptures Divine plan of the ages full of "poems?"

by dogon in

i got a copy of dpota and its full of lame poems.

has this ever been discussed before?

its just wierd, there are many poems through out the book.

RobCrompton

I had a complete set of Studies in the Scriptures which I used when doing research for my MLitt. It's a long time ago since I disposed of them but I don't recall seeing many poems in DIvine Plan or in any of the other volumes. Which edition are you referring to? I know that new editions published by the various Bible Students groups incorporate some "corrections" though I wasn't aware of any actual additions to Russell's text. I'd be very interested if you could give us an example of any of the poetry you are talking about.

40

Purged songs of the Watchtower

by LogCon in

my memory of singing the kingdom songs go back to when i was a child in the 1950's.

they still hold a place in my memory and my heart.

how can something that is so much a part of your childhood not stay embedded in your heart.?.

RobCrompton

One of the baptismal songs from the 1950s, as I recall (I was baptised 1956) was a version of this one:

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
*Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

This is No 705 in the Methodist hymn book, Hymns and Psalms, and it was written by Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879). She was an Anglican, daughter of an Anglican priest and ber brother was also a priest.

Anyone else remember the WT version?

23

NEW BRITAIN BRANCH HYPOCRISY

by The Searcher in

a letter from the uk branch is being read out this week - begging for a long list of highly qualified brothers such as engineers, draughtsmen etc.

to contribute their expertise free of charge in order to get the new britain branch built!.

the gb vilifies in print and from platforms, higher education!

RobCrompton

Any info on which London properties have been sold?

23

NEW BRITAIN BRANCH HYPOCRISY

by The Searcher in

a letter from the uk branch is being read out this week - begging for a long list of highly qualified brothers such as engineers, draughtsmen etc.

to contribute their expertise free of charge in order to get the new britain branch built!.

the gb vilifies in print and from platforms, higher education!

RobCrompton

Anyoneknow where and when this new British Branch office is to be built?

8

I'm Watching Phantom Gourmet & Want To Know What Your Favorite Dessert Is

by minimus in

jw
friends

i, this past week, had a delicious blueberry pie along with french vanilla ice cream!

yum!!!!.

i love whoopie pies too.. i hardly ate anything yesterday and now i'm thinking about goodies..

RobCrompton

Fruit pie. I shall be making a damson pie tomorrow with fruit picked in the wild.

44

Could we quantify how many posters their are from different nations ? Would you like to know ?

by smiddy in

maybe its just me , i`m just curious as to how many people on this site are from australia as i am .

how many from germany , italy , zambia , etc.

etc.. do two or three "countries " seem to dominate the threads ?

RobCrompton

UK (Leominster)

13

Leaps of Logic

by FadeToBlack in

from the march 1, 2010 wt:.

is the bible the word of god?.

all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.2 timothy 3:16, 17.. .

RobCrompton

@FadetoBlack, yes, that is it. The Hebrew canon, which came to be favoured by the Jews did not contain the apocryphal books. This was the canon which was adopted by the Protestant reformers following the break with the Roman Catholic Church. And, of course, there are many other extra-canonical books (or NT Apocrypha) which, I would argue should be read if we are to get a full understanding of the kinds of stories which were circulated amongst the early Christians.

13

Leaps of Logic

by FadeToBlack in

from the march 1, 2010 wt:.

is the bible the word of god?.

all scripture is inspired of god and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of god may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.2 timothy 3:16, 17.. .

RobCrompton

The very inconvenient fact for JWs and others in arguing from 2Tim 3:16 for the belief that the Bible is God-given, is the fact that the expression "All scripture" in referring to the Bible as the early Christians used it, was the Greek Septuagint - which included the deutero-canonical (apocryphal) books.

25

When was the significance of the year 1919 first stated?

by jwfacts in

.

when was it first introduced that the watchtower organisation was chosen in 1919?

i expect this was something first published under rutherford, as a way of making his leadership more important than that of russell, but would like some evidence to back that claim up.. .

RobCrompton

As far as I can tell, this was fairly blurred for a long period - and probably still is. Rutherford's book, Riches, (1936) introduced the idea (using the principle of types and antitypes) of an "Elisha" work beginning in 1919 following on from the "Elijah" work of the preceding period.

So when was the "faithful and discreet slave" appointed? That was never clarified - this was my summary in 1996:

"The doctrine of the "faithful and discreet slave" allows room for the view that the Watch Tower movement, as constituted under Russell's leadership, was already Jehovah's organisation, and that its commissioning for the prophetic role of the antitypical Ezekiel did not amount to its first becoming Jehovah's organisation." (Counting the days to Armageddon, p121.)

The trouble was that every item in Russell's end-time calendar had been reassigned a date in a new calendar beginning (instead of ending) in 1914. But Russell's understanding of his movement's place in the divine plan could not similarly be transferred to the new era without throwing away the foundation on which Rutherford had built. So this problem was left unresolved. And it looks like the Wise Old Men are only now getting around to tidying things up. To get away with it they will need Russell to be completely erased from their history.

27

Do you give thanks for every meal?

by bruh in

do you give thanks for every meal or do you thank god once for the whole day of meals???

is thanking god for every meal scriptural or something that came along in early christianity ?

?.

RobCrompton

At home we would never "give thanks" "say grace", "ask a blessing" or whatever. But when I was in theological college grace was always said prior to tucking into our meal in the dining hall. For the evening meal there would be about fifty or more diners (other colleges joined us) and when we were ready to start, the catering manager who had prepared the meal would walk up to one of the seated diners and place a small handbell in front of them. That meant you were the one who would say grace. So, if you get the bell, you stand, ring the bell to bring the chattering crowd to order and then say grace in whatever style you preferred. And then we all tucked in to the food.

Then, at the end of the meal, we had another acknowledgment to the almighty. The person who had been picked by the catering manager would stand and give thanks once again, but this time it always followed the same pattern. You would say, "Let us bless the Lord," to which the satisfied diners would respond with, "Thanks be to God." And then we would all rush off to whatever we we planning to do next.

I really loved that routine. Even now as barely any sort of believer, I miss that. (It's a bit different from JW style prayers though - which I don't miss at all!)