Posts by StarTrekAngel

1

Mubariz Gurbanli meets with chairman of European Association of Jehovah's Christian Witnesses

by StarTrekAngel in

http://en.apa.az/azerbaijan_religion_news/mubariz-gurbanli-meets-with-chairman-of-european-association-of-jehovah-s-christian-witnesses.html.

StarTrekAngel

http://en.apa.az/azerbaijan_religion_news/mubariz-gurbanli-meets-with-chairman-of-european-association-of-jehovah-s-christian-witnesses.html

6

abc.net.au/news article: Child-sexual-abuse-royal-commission-refers-1659-cases-to-police

by AndersonsInfo in

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-12/child-sexual-abuse-royal-commission-refers-1659-cases-to-police/7834972.

child abuse royal commission: police 'under pressure' after 1,659 cases flagged for investigation.

by brad ryan.

WT “Study” for 11th Sept 2016 – “Why Must We ‘Keep on the Watch’”?

by Nicholaus Kopernicus in

i was really puzzled when i opened this edition of the wt magazine at the above “study”.

what on earth has this picture at the top of page 13 got to do with christian watchfulness?

i wasn’t making a connection at all.

I did not want to believe that they would make emphasis on anything other than what the magazine was about. But our elder decide to make an injunction at the end of the meeting to remind us all what we had learned in the past. He asked us to remember prior studies were we were told that the vital instruction required to survive the end would come thru the congregation and we need to be ready to obey even if we don't understand the instruction.

20

If anyone claimed that god speaks to them personally.....

by jambon1 in

jw
friends

they'd be viewed as completely mentally ill and laughed at.. so, how do the governing body get away with it?.

StarTrekAngel

I remember hearing in a meeting (can't remember if it was a public talk or WT study) that the clarification for elders is that the holy spirit is not selecting them directly as one would imagine. Rather, an elder appointed following scriptural direction of 1 Timothy chapter 3, is considered "spirit selected" because the text itself was inspired.

I swear I am not messing with you. I was fully awake when this talk or study happened and I was paying close attention :)

405

Origin of Life

by cofty in

in recent years significant progress has been made in solving the question of how life originated on our planet.. how do you think theists will respond when it finally happens?

as a former christian i know my reaction would have been something like "well that just goes to show that it takes intelligent life to make life", but for two reasons that defense doesn't work.. firstly it would prove that life is not an ethereal force that originates with god.

there is no 'ghost in the machine', no elan vital.

StarTrekAngel

Modern religion (or modern theism in general) is not based in logic. Science is. Therefore the two will never find a way to prove each other right or wrong. It is just impossible. Unfortunately it doesn't end there. For many of us here would conclude that having logical thinking is they way to go (and I agree) but we can not expect to ever reach a point where this disagreement will ever be settled. Personally I feel this is where religion looses its ground. Not on the fact that religion may always have another reason to believe, despite the mounting scientific evidence to the contrary, but rather on how religion has been redefined since the last scriptures were written down. The characters of the bible where always basing their belief in evidence. Miracles, unlikely military victories, etc. Although I don't believe that the two will ever be 100% compatible or agreeable, the religion of that time may have had a lot more in common with the scientific method of today.

In case you have not seen this movie (Nacho Libre), this isn't just a meme, it is a real line from the movie.

With that said, we always run the risk of simply falling under the religious mentality. That is that you know better because you have your Almighty God in your side, whom knows everything and is capable of anything. Religion defined as worshipping of a deity is the default understanding of it. The reality is that we can make a religion out of anything. If the WT every said anything correctly is that patriotism for example, can be a form of religion. No, I do not advocate for not saluting your flag or any of that. But in the fervor of national pride we loose sight of the real purpose of why we classify ourselves under a book of laws, national name or flag or anthem. This is to care for one another and provide a level of equality and governance. We eventually turn patriotic fervor to the point where it becomes just as unreasonable as modern religion. We make the constitution our bible and we attach ourselves to it and listen to no reasoning and all our very own selfish purposes. One has to simply look at the battle over the second amendment in the US to see a clear example. Regardless on which side of this debate you seat, it is not difficult to see that some are too quick to resort to the constitution as an irrevocable basis for their stand. Any non believer would probably agree that even if the bible has some good advice, it was written thousands of years ago and therefore outdated to modern life. Yet, a book that was written a bit over 200 years ago, in an age where no one could have imagined what a modern weapon could do, seems to hold up to modern times and therefore worthy of outmost consideration.

The key in all of this, in my view, is wether we are making our life outlook or belief into a religion worth fighting for and worth proven ourselves right rather than imagining how our life outlook can help our fellow man without causing any further harm. Science has a leg up on this for sure and by far. At least in modern times.

53

The Real Reason why the WT predicted Armageddon in 1975

by OrphanCrow in

i am of the opinion that the wt doctrine is influenced more by external factors that it is by internal ones.

one of the doctrines that has puzzled me for some time is the armageddon prediction of 1975. why would the wts make this prediction?

what was their real purpose?.

StarTrekAngel

It is a little bit of everything in my view. Sure JWs were already on the streets by then but lets not forget that publications were offered at a price then. Tickling the Armageddon scare sensors back then was more profitable that it is now. Every publication distributed amounted to some income where today you can distribute probably hundreds of publications before you ever find a stranger willing to contribute to your cause.

This could have helped them shore up their accounts with ease. Every witness took the message to heart as we know, selling properties and making ever increasing donations, plus whatever interest you could get from non believers meant another magazine or book sold for a price. Today, sounding the Armageddon bell only reaches the hardcore and those who can spare some change.

11

Stocks and Shares of the WTB&TS

by Truthexplorer in

watch the following video from 6 minutes 50 seconds to find out.. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i0lrdx3vpug.

a woman wrote to the guy refuting his research.

here is his reply to back up his proof.. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=woqjxehuppq.

StarTrekAngel

I did not finish watching the first video (too long at the moment too busy) but I liked the second one better. I've always sustained that regardless of what the implications are (Wether WT actually manages the fund or not), they know where the money comes from and that is enough for me. And it technically should be a big deal. This issue has been dismissed many times as a perfectly legal and standard practice of any corporation and also as a not so big issue since the WT does not own the stock directly. Even if they don't, it is still a big deal because most witnesses are lead to believe the watchtower does not have a single blood penny in their coffers. Not true

With that said, I got to say this peeked my interest. I am somewhat hesitant at the fact that if Rilley died in 1945, why does he say the trust was turned over to the WT in 1970? I know probates can be lengthy and they probably were more so in those years. However, 25 years seems like an awfully long time for something that was technically setup for this very purpose.

10

Ever notice this contradiction?

by stuckinarut2 in

so witnesses love using the scripture that says that "narrow and cramped is the road to life, and few are the ones finding it" as proof that they have the truth.

yes, a small number.. yet they also love boasting about the "increases in numbers coming into the truth" as proof of jehovah's blessing of the society!.

so, which is it?

StarTrekAngel

Divergent..

For believers that is a very good question to ask. Its answer beats the crap out of the idea that you need someone to explain the bible to you. Sure the Ethiopian eunuch needed some help but that is a far cry from saying that unless you follow a self righteous leader who claims to have all the truths (at least for today) then you will not be saved.

If the bible is a letter written by God to lead his people, there is no way he included instructions on how to find someone to explain it in the same letter you technically can not understand by yourslef. Otherwise is an unsolvable paradox.

4

Some kid wrote a book about the GB

by EndofMysteries in

.

StarTrekAngel

LOL. that looks like the character of a cartoon may kids watch. The series is called "Chowder". Chowder, the main character, has a pet fart called "Kimchi". When Chowder talks to Kimchi, he replies with farting noises.

Not very far from reality in my view...

7

Letter: Mexico special preaching campaign 2016/2017

by StarTrekAngel in

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0b6b33rjkq_hfmvdutgjsbnhzm3c/view?usp=sharing.

see translation bellow.. dear brothers:.

we are glad to inform you about our next preaching campaign for the 2017 service year, in order to help spread the message of the good news "to the ends.

StarTrekAngel

I doubt they will allow that to happen, specially when they have documented evidence showing who made the definitive choice of territory. This is most likely aimed at isolated communities. My wife, for example, has family in a small town in Jalisco state. They are now way more communicated than before but the last time we visited there, there was one phone for the whole town and no running water. It took a 45 min bus ride in a dirt road to get to this town and the bus only runs twice a day (comes in morning and leaves in the evening). I assume many other towns are still more isolated than this.

I would be more concerned with the devotion they already have for their catholic faith in those little towns. I remember they used to have a baby Jesus statue which they would pass around in a weekly basis. Every week, someone different had to take the baby Jesus home and take care of him. The neighbors would come in the evening to put the baby to bed and kiss him or else, they said, you would have very bad luck.