Increased knowledge (I mean school education) would have made people more cultured and grateful, in addition to making them learn a a skill. But now we are forced to ask:
Is education and ingratitude directly proportionate?
bible describes ingratitude as one of the characteristics of last days.
people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money ....ungrateful.... etc.
(2 timothy 3:2) it seems this prophecy about people becoming ungrateful is having its fulfillment more than 100%.. i was watching an interview on the tv the other day.
Increased knowledge (I mean school education) would have made people more cultured and grateful, in addition to making them learn a a skill. But now we are forced to ask:
Is education and ingratitude directly proportionate?
the definition of insanity boils down to expecting success by repeating actions which cause failure.. .
jehovah's witnesses are expected to prove their loyalty to the organization by believing and practicing what they are told.. does this lead to success or failure?.
ask the thousands of loyal believers who were led to expect armageddon in 1914, 1925, 1975!.
I liked your phrase:
"a test of SANITY."
bible describes ingratitude as one of the characteristics of last days.
people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money ....ungrateful.... etc.
(2 timothy 3:2) it seems this prophecy about people becoming ungrateful is having its fulfillment more than 100%.. i was watching an interview on the tv the other day.
Bible describes ingratitude as one of the characteristics of “Last Days.” “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money ….ungrateful….” etc. (2 Timothy 3:2) It seems this prophecy about people becoming ungrateful is having its fulfillment more than 100%.
Is ingratitude and education inversely proportionate?
loving ones neighbor (whether he is a believer or not) is the kingly law.
(mathew 5:44-48; james 2:8) it is the kingly law, because it originates from king of all kings; and all other laws originate from this law.
hence violation of this law is the greatest sin, or mother of all sins; because it is against king of all kings and king of all laws.. jw-system is a flagrant violation of this law on two counts:.
You are right 100%. As all other religions, Paul too finds it difficult to explain sin and its expiation. In the process, people come up with some explanation which would not stand under scrutiny!
Correct explanations should meet the following criterion:
1) Man does acts of virtue or vice because of his own volition and choice, hence he is 100% responsible.
2) This would mean there will be variety of personalities—good, bad and those in between with mixed qualities in varying degree.
3) The reward should not be just heaven and hell, but each one should get varying reward according to the degree of merit or demerit one has earned. (Jesus hinted about this when he said: “with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” (Mathew 7:2; Mark 4:24; Luke 6:38) but he gave no elaboration.
loving ones neighbor (whether he is a believer or not) is the kingly law.
(mathew 5:44-48; james 2:8) it is the kingly law, because it originates from king of all kings; and all other laws originate from this law.
hence violation of this law is the greatest sin, or mother of all sins; because it is against king of all kings and king of all laws.. jw-system is a flagrant violation of this law on two counts:.
The word “sin” is negative; hence many would not like it. Also, the word “sin” has a guilty connotation. When we are aware that there is cause and effect, that “sin” is just a cause for a consequence that you will experience. Therefore, nothing is “sin,” but just a cause for a consequence to be experienced.
Hence let us give up the word sin, and take the concept behind it:
We know that when we do good, good things happen to us—and vice versa. Hence what brings good to us and others is virtue and what brings hardship to us and others will be vice!
In broader sense, sin/vice would be doing harm to others, and not doing anything to alleviate the pain of the suffering when we have abundance to help them!
loving ones neighbor (whether he is a believer or not) is the kingly law.
(mathew 5:44-48; james 2:8) it is the kingly law, because it originates from king of all kings; and all other laws originate from this law.
hence violation of this law is the greatest sin, or mother of all sins; because it is against king of all kings and king of all laws.. jw-system is a flagrant violation of this law on two counts:.
Nice observation: “If the JWs had political power, they would kill also.” In their thinking they treat the ex-witnesses as those who have already being killed.
Now, regarding your OT apprehension:
All those God-authorized killings are attributed to God so that genocides assume validity. Jesus says many things in the OT are not original. (Mathew 19:4-8) In the great fire of Alexandrian Library, all the original scrolls of OT too were destroyed. What we have is the copy of the copy of copy ….. So is the case with NT scrolls. We need to take only what is REASONABLE. (1 Thess 5:21, 22) Mathew 5:44-48 and James 2:8 are universal in application, and its validity can never be questioned or doubted because it does not distinquish between JWs and gentiles/apostates!
Even many things that are supposedly said by Jesus is actually attributed to him. For example, the lengthy last super speech has never taken place, in which the new commandment is introduced. See, Apostle James is not at all aware of such a new command or speech. Because, he invokes “Scriptures” (not Jesus Christ) as authority for saying love your neighbor as yourself:
“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right (James 2:8)
Jesus would never make thoughtless, God-dishonoring statements. Yet we find him doing so in John 9:1-3 where he presents God as creating people with physical deformities for "HIS GLORY"—God as a sadist—another example of saying attributed to him!
loving ones neighbor (whether he is a believer or not) is the kingly law.
(mathew 5:44-48; james 2:8) it is the kingly law, because it originates from king of all kings; and all other laws originate from this law.
hence violation of this law is the greatest sin, or mother of all sins; because it is against king of all kings and king of all laws.. jw-system is a flagrant violation of this law on two counts:.
Loving one’s neighbor (whether he is a believer or not) is the KINGLY LAW. (Mathew 5:44-48; James 2:8) It is THE KINGLY LAW, because it originates from KING of all kings; and all other laws originate from this law. Hence violation of this law is the greatest sin, or mother of all sins; because it is against KING of all Kings and King of all laws.
JW-system is a flagrant violation of this law on two counts:
1) They love themselves more than others and hate OPENLY those who left them.
2) They project even God as showing PARTIALITY (in contrast to Deuteronomy 10:17 that says: “the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality.”) Because they teach that only those very few, born between 33-1935 CE, are chosen as rulers; and those who support this ruling class are chosen as subjects for the new world. (This is something God will never do as He Himself has prohibited “partiality.” (James 2:1) He also said: “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point (eg. showing partiality) is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10)
Thus, the whole concept on which the JW-system is built is something that Bible calls “sin.” (It can even be called KINGLY SIN)
Is this “’the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong”? (Mark 13:14)
i have a question.. the conventional wisdom seems to be that to 'convert' a jehovah's witness (or get them to see ttatt) you have to ask questions that they cannot answer and engage with their true personality not their 'cult personality'.. intellectual arguments tend to fall flat because jws (who do not already have personal doubts) believe they already know the absolute truth so anything contrary to that truth is nessecarily wrong.
any criticism of their beliefs will be seen as an attack or persecution and will be dismissed as flawed 'human thinking' or 'apostate lies'.. to 'true believers' any amount of contrary evidence and illogical inconsistencies in their beliefs can be dismissed or explained away.
their starting point is that they have special knowledge of absolute truth and all evidence and arguments are then weighed against this preconceived belief.. here is my question.
I have had success in getting many JWs out by asking only one question:
Why did the faithful and discreet slave class APPOINTED BY GOD to dispense food at the proper time abandon/change certain vital teachings? Who gave that teachings to them which were obviously lies? If there were proved lies LATER, God would not have given them? Appointment of God to give food at the proper time means ALWAYS SAYING THE TRUTH THAT IS ALWAYS CONSTANT.
God's teaching will be more unumbiguous than trafic signals. RED Signal means STOP; Green means START! No interpretation is necessary!
"albert" was 55 years old, and the fifth-born of seven children.
i am the second oldest and babysat him often while he was growing up --- and while i was still at home.. yesterday, albert was out taking his usual morning stroll around his small town, when he collapsed on the sidewalk.
the doctors said it was a heart attack.
Please accept my deep condolence, may "God all comfort" give you the strength needed now.
At the same time, be at peace that he has escaped from this world of meaninglessness, selfishness and thanklessness!
ok i know some of you are going to mock me but i don't give a shit and you'd better get dafaq outta this thread if you don't beleive in this stuff.. .
so,you ever seen somethin strange?shadow people?felt cold spots?touched by something you can't see?beaten by an unseen force?heard voices/whispers/growls/screams etc?are you sure about it or was it just your imagination?you ever been into the occult?c'mon share your experiences and stories!personally i've never had an encounter with the other side..
My experience is, in a way, was supernatural. When I was a very zealous JW, I used to wonder what if this JW system fails, if this is really correct?
I wanted to try meditation in the early morning hours. I began to get some insight into some of the teachings of JWs. The first one I wanted to check the validity was of the ransom teaching? Why does it elude my understanding or defy all the known logic? I assumed as though I was speaking to God!
I heard someone asking me a question: “If you put your faith in a teaching that says the innocent was killed to save the sinners, what do you think will happen to you—will your sins be removed or be increased?” I said: My sin will only be increased. You answered correctly, the voice said. So what am to do? The voice directed me to read James 2:9-10. I immediately read it: “ For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at JUST ONE point is guilty of breaking ALL OF IT. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”also said, “You shall not murder.”
What did you understand? Even if I am 99% saintly, that remaining 1% will cost my life, I said.
“You are right; Now you do as you please!” the voice said.
I told about this to my wife. She closed her ears with her hands and ran away from me.
But I did not stop my meditation!