"Because JW's don't go around with poles tied around their necks."
True, but many people speculate that witnesses go around with a stick hidden elsewhere on their person.
The Stake is a more pagan symbol than the Cross
by jwfacts 28 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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FaithfulDoubter
I always found it interesting, that in much of the literature, there is (was) the claim that early christians drew Jesus as being nailed to a stake. Despite years of searching, I've yet to find such a drawing in anything except the societies literature.
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Elsewhere
http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jcpa2.htm
Life events shared by Osiris, Dionysus and Jesus
The following stories appear both in the Gospels and in the myths of many of the god-men:
Conception: God was his father. This was believed to be literally true in the case of Osiris-Dionysus; their God came to earth and engaged in sexual intercourse with a human. The father of Jesus is God in the form of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18). A human woman, a virgin, was his mother. Birth: He was born in a cave or cowshed. Luke 2:7 mentions that Jesus was placed in a manger - an eating trough for animals. One early Christian tradition said that the manger was in a cave. His birth was prophesized by a star in the heavens. Ministry: At a marriage ceremony, he performed the miracle of converting water into wine. He was powerless to perform miracles in his home town. His followers were born-again through baptism in water. He rode triumphantly into a city on a donkey. Tradition records that the inhabitants waved palm leaves. He had 12 disciples. He was accused of licentious behavior. Execution, resurrection, etc: He was killed near the time of the Vernal Equinox, about MAR-21. He died "as a sacrifice for the sins of the world." 1 He was hung on a tree, stake, or cross. After death, he descended into hell. On the third day after his death, he returned to life. The cave where he was laid was visited by three of his female followers He later ascended to heaven. His titles: God made flesh. Savior of the world. Son of God. Beliefs about the God-man: He is "God made man," and equal to the Father. He will return in the last days. He will judge the human race at that time. Humans are separated from God by original sin. The god-man's sacrificial death reunites the believer with God and atones for the original sin. All of the Pagan myths had been circulating for centuries before Jesus birth (circa 4 to 7 BCE). It is obvious that if any copying occurred, it was the followers of Jesus incorporating into his biography the myths and legends of Osiris-Dionysus, not vice-versa.
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Elsewhere
True, but many people speculate that witnesses go around with a stick hidden elsewhere on their person
Careful! That's borderline blasphemy against the great Elsewhere!
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daystar
Too bad this would all be right over the head of the average JW.
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knothead34
good point that they don't wear the pole around their neck. the only symbol they have is the watchtower symbol, but even that isn't plastered everywhere like the cross is. Not saying it is right or wrong to wear the cross or defending the watchtower. In my opinion, it doesn't matter what Jesus died on, just that he died. The WT makes way to much out of that and I think they do that just so they can be different.
Prime example, at the last 2 day assemble I said something about going to "church" and another sister said "you go to a church"? I guess the appropriate terminology is going to the "kingdom hall". My bible study teacher said they changed it because of this:
You go to the town hall to find out info on the town, so you go to a kingdom hall to find out about the kingdom AND to be distinguishable from other "generic" churches. That burns me for some reason. They change stuff just to be different when there is no biblical basis for it.
sorry to go off on rant
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M.J.
I also note that the Watchtower loves to use a watch tower as a symbol of its organization. They put it on their magazines and wear the watch tower symbol on their id tags at assemblies.
And, behold the pagan origins of the watchtower symbol (no, I don't really beleive that but it illustrates the silliness of their own argument against the cross):
The Canaanite altar:
The Idol, Artemis of Ephesus:
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kristyann
Don't some JW women wear little charms of watchtowers on chains around their necks? I have read this different places before but never seen anyone wearing one... I know it's slightly off topic, but it reminded me...
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knothead34
i've never seen any women wearing wt symbols around their necks. i've only been studying for a year though. But I don't think that's true
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peacefulpete
MJ...that is a picture of a "horned alter" as was used through Caanan and the Jewish Temple courtyard. It has obvious direct links to bull worship. Both Baal and Yhwh were called the 'Bull". So anyone sincerely seeking out "pagan" origins would have to recognize that the Jewish cult had very few original aspects, nearly every aspect of its temple and rite had precedents or parallels.
