How a Gay Jewish Boy from New England Came to Be and Leave the JWs (and what he did next) (page 2)

SafeAtHome

What an interesting life story! Can you imagine the announcement coming from the platform: Brother so and so has been disfellowshipped bcause he has a high IQ!!! Bear with me, I do not remotely fall into that realm, but I take it from your posts that you do not find the NWT all that accurate?

CalebInFloroda

Giordano,

Hi, thanks for the welcome.

Yeah, it's the boring stuff you see in Bible footnotes and footnotes in things like study editions of Shakespeare. It can be useful to non-theists in a lot of their arguments because it shows how ridiculous a lot of Watchtower teachings (and those held by many religions) really are.

One thing the Jews rarely did was speak directly and clearly. Remember Jesus of Nazareth who when asked point blank if he was the Messiah by the High Priest answered: "You yourself said so." In Jew speak, that means, "Duh!"

So for a bunch of people to run around and think this stuff is meant to be literal is ridiculous. Jews were never direct, not even in their holy writings. It's like the joke where the kid goes to the rabbi and asks the rabbi:

Kid: Rabbi, do you know the meaning of life?

Rabbi: Sure.

Kid: What is it?

The rabbi then proceeds to mutter something in Hebrew.

Kid: (not knowing Hebrew) What does that mean?

Rabbi: I'll tell you for $200.

Kid: Why $200?

Rabbi: Because that's how much I charge for Hebrew lessons.

CalebInFloroda

SafeAtHome,

Thanks.

Except for those controversial parts like John 1.1 it is quite on the spot. But its English is terrible, wordy, and sometimes so bad (even in the 2013 revision) that it ruins the good they did accomplish. But those controversial renderings, most are just possible on a technicality, outweighed by critical methodologies.

It is the opinion of a colleague of mine (well he's not really a professional, but he's one of those genius types who studies etymology for fun--I know, weird) that many of the NWT revisions are lifted or based on the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). While I don't have a complete list here, there are several phrases that are unique to the NRSV that suddenly appeared in the NWT 2013 version. These phrases and word choices don't appear anywhere else and some of them are a little controversial for conservatives like the Watchtower and seem an unlikely choice by "translators" who have no formal training. In other words it is unlikely that anyone would use such terms outside the liberal editorial choices of the NRSV translation committee, but some appear in the NWT of 2013.

I think it is plausible to conclude that they merely compared the NWT to new translations like the NIV, NRSV, ESV and even the Catholic NABre and lifted what they liked, pasting it and working it into their "revision." As a philologist I have to admit that I can see what circumstantially looks like this is what they did.

oppostate

Shalom CIF (is floroda a misspelled State reference?)

I'm also from Sephardic stock (from my mother's side of the family) and spoke non-standard Castilian, but unlike you, quite happily straight, married to a very loyal JW wife, who like me was born in Europe and moved to this country as a kid, so both thoroughly Americanized. I too studied languages in school, liked to research, and got taken to the back room of the KH to answer for using the ASV and the KIT (the WT's Diagott) at the meetings instead of the NWT.

What's your ancestral connection to the Nazarenes?

I know a family who we are very close to, named Chavez, from NM and they too have these quaint kasher customs that are done because that's how it's always been done.

Zoos

Another gay genius?

Good lord, how many of us are there?

Welcome! :)

CalebInFloroda

Shalom, oppostate. My ethnic connection to the Nazarenes was recently uncovered when a member of my family was helped by researchers connected with Ancestry.com learned that there was a unanimous tradition that an ancestor or several of them were likely Christians before the Second Temple fell.

Also in my lineage is, according to the same, Maimonides, and possibly (according to constant legends) King David (but those are hard to substantiate until some DNA can be found from David's line).

As to customs, It's funny how we kept them going even while JWs, mostly I think because we never talked about them or felt it was significant. We too just did things because, well, everyone else in the family did.

And hey, Zoos...Yes, just another gay Jewish genius who secretly wanted to be a comedian like Steve Martin when he was a kid.

CalebInFloroda

Oh, yes, "Floroda" is an inside joke kinda. I live in the Atlantic Beach area near Jacksonville right off the Atlantic Ocean. Someone I know pronounces "Florida" that way.

fulltimestudent

Fine story, thnx for sharing.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Welcome! Thanks for sharing your story.

FayeDunaway

Caleb that's amazing all FIVE of you siblings are out! How did that happen?? With your parents being faithful to the end??

You say you are not atheist anymore, and I'm curious what may have changed that. Are you feeling agnostic these days, or are you believing in God...and do you believe in Jesus or no. That's interesting your ancestors were some of the first Christians. Your bloodline has such an amazing journey.

Also! I know you have a best friend, but do you have a partner or are you still single etc etc

How a Gay Jewish Boy from New England Came to Be and Leave the JWs (and what he did next)

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