Posts by Big Dog

33

THIS is how Jehovah operates? Examining GB Jefffrey Winder's words

by Terry in

governing body member jeffrey winder on jw dot org:“we are not embarrassed about ‘adjustments’ that are made; nor is an apology needed for not getting it ‘exactly right’ previously.

we understand: this is how jehovah operates.”

1952 no wt 6/1/52 p.338 1965 maybe they will be resurrected .

Big Dog

Like I said in my last post, this is how they all operate. Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, and the fringe lunatics like the WTBS. From the very beginning there have been arguments, schisms, inconsistencies, retractions, and on and on and on.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, you either believe in the magic or you don't. The rest is window dressing, interesting conversation over coffee and reliant on faith and not verifiable to any significant extent.

All of the apologists and the tortured logic applied to scripture and prophecy, if anything in my opinion, make people less likely to believe than to do so.

33

THIS is how Jehovah operates? Examining GB Jefffrey Winder's words

by Terry in

governing body member jeffrey winder on jw dot org:“we are not embarrassed about ‘adjustments’ that are made; nor is an apology needed for not getting it ‘exactly right’ previously.

we understand: this is how jehovah operates.”

1952 no wt 6/1/52 p.338 1965 maybe they will be resurrected .

Big Dog

No, this is how people operate and they've been doing since 33AD. There were all sorts of different schools of thought after Jesus' death. Different interpretations and conclusions reached. Jesus was God, no Jesus wasn't God, actual blood and body in the bread and wine, and on and on and on. As time went on various councils "settled" things, until they weren't. The JW's don't have a lock on this one that's for sure.

15

J.W org and Noah's Flood

by Phizzy in

i remember when i was "in" the org.

had a ridiculous public talk outline defending the genesis flood myth.. do they have a current one doing that ?.

Big Dog

@ PetrW

Yes, the flood account was just one of many issues that I had over the years while growing up in the Borg. As I got older the theological issues multiplied until I had quite a bill of particulars. The issues with the WTBS were in my mind separate and distinct from the theological issues and those got to the point to where by the time I was 15 I had decided that the WTBS was a complete sham.

The theology can make for interesting discussions and ponderings but in the end, I subscribe to the very simple mantra of, you either believe it or you don't for whatever reasons make sense to that individual. Trying to "proof" it like an equation is a waste of time, it's a mystery is as good an explanation as there is for most of it.

Science has its own problems, mainly that it's wielded by humans and its "truth" is often subservient to politics, greed, economics, academic infighting, crackpots and so on. One only needs to revisit the recent pandemic to see that in action. Anyone that holds up science as the ultimate authority on everything and proclaims with absolute certainty this or that needs to check themselves as well. Science has the potential to answer far more than theology, but we aren't quite there yet either.

15

J.W org and Noah's Flood

by Phizzy in

i remember when i was "in" the org.

had a ridiculous public talk outline defending the genesis flood myth.. do they have a current one doing that ?.

Big Dog

The flood story was one of the first things that started me thinking as a child being raised in the Borg that maybe something was amiss. I remember thinking even at middle school age this whole thing makes no sense at all. I'm going to kill everyone because humanity sucks so hard, but then no, I'll save a handful of people so they can, wait for it, start the whole species that I want to wipe out all over again and we will be right back to square one.

I remember thinking about the logistics of the whole thing and I asked questions about that. I had been to the zoo and seen elephants take a dump, and hippos and rhinos and I'm thinking, man that's a lot of shit for a handful of people to shovel everyday. I was counseled that well with God anything is possible, and I thought well hell, why not just float them around on a cloud then for 40 days instead.

I remember looking at my old playschool Noah's Ark toy as a high schooler and thinking, man, that's a pretty weird thing to give a kid to play with. Ok Johnny, get all the animals on the toy ark before every other living thing dies a nasty death by drowning.

11

Why do Catholics pray to Mary/saints?

by BoogerMan in

jw
friends

a very good friend of many years told me that he prays to mary and makes requests.

i didn't try to discuss/debate the subject - his choice - but wondered how catholics would view these scriptures: .

(john 14:6) jesus answered, “i am the way and the truth and the life.

Big Dog

Why ask a bunch of ex-JW's? Why not go to the source?

Here is one explanation from Catholic Answers, there are other even more detailed answers out there if you look. Being raised a JW I always thought Catholics were complete loons and made no sense, these days I think they make as much sense as anyone else in the religious sphere.

Why Pray to Mary? Because Jesus has given us his Blessed Mother as our great spiritual mother (Rev.12:17), a heavenly advocate who intercedes for us.

Some Christians will ask, “Why pray to Mary when we can go directly to Jesus?” And yet they have no problem asking others here on earth to pray for them, instead of simply and solely praying to Jesus on their own. Indeed, St. Paul says that God grants blessings “in answer to many prayers” (2 Cor. 1:11). And if the prayer of a righteous man on earth avails much with God (Jas. 5:16–18), how much more would prayers from one who has finished the race and now reigns with Christ in heaven?

Scripture elsewhere speaks of the “the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” and “the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb. 12:23, emphasis added). Given their heavenly perfection in Jesus, which would include perfection in charity and thus concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ on earth (see 1 Cor. 2:12-26), we should not be surprised that Scripture presents these holy men and women of heaven bringing our prayers to Jesus the Lamb (Rev. 5:8), and that from the early Church onward Christians have asked the intercession of the saints who have gone before them to heaven.

In this light, we see that the saints—as faithful disciples of Jesus—are his collaborators, not his competitors in interceding for us. Consequently, because Mary is the Mother of God and the disciple par excellence (see Luke 1:28, 38), we should not be surprised that she is our preeminent intercessor among the angels and saints.

543

Encouraging scriptures for the day

by Kosonen in

jw
friends

hello my friends,.

here are some encouraging scriptures for the day:.

revelation 21:2 i also saw the holy city, new jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from god and prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.. hebrews 11:10 for he (abraham) was awaiting the city having real foundations, whose designer and builder is god.. revelation 21:24 and the nations will walk by means of its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.. revelation 22:1 and he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of god and of the lamb 2 down the middle of its main street (of the holy city).

Big Dog

There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy

34

My goodness! Fourteen years since I began posting here...

by garyneal in

jw
friends

i'm not sure if anyone remembers me since i do not post here much anymore.

i sometimes pop in around christmas time to see if anyone is interested in exchanging christmas cards like we used to back when i first posted on this site.

speaking of which, the holiday season will soon be upon us.. if you recall, i was married to a jehovah's witness and i had a daughter i spoke of a lot.

Big Dog

Hello Gary, I have stopped by myself after a 15-year hiatus from posting for a return visit. I think I had already left by the time you arrived. I came back by because someone I never thought would wake up from the Borg did and it got me to thinking about all of us who passed through this site and I wondered if they might be here right now, the same place I was 19 years ago.

It has been interesting to see what has changed and what remains the same and for sure the soul sucking, life hating and fun adverse mindset that the Borg wears like a badge of honor is tough to shake but given enough time it's possible.

Best wishes for a satisfactory outcome on your personal issues.

15

Annual meeting 2023....

by mikeflood in

any news?

it should be pretty soon....

Big Dog

Ron W, what it means is that you can have a church that is not an organized legal entity. You set up a pulpit and start preaching and you are a DeFacto church. When a church wants to be officially recognized as a not for profit the IRS they will form a not-for-profit corporation and then apply to the IRS for not-for-profit status.

What the WTBS did was simply remove the "church" element from the corporate entity. This was accomplished by resolutions and consents filed in the corporation so that that religious arm is stand alone and the publishing arm is a separate legal entity. Outwardly not much of an effect and almost no one would notice, but for certain legal and tax purposes a significant distinction.

15

Annual meeting 2023....

by mikeflood in

any news?

it should be pretty soon....

Big Dog

The annual meeting is actually a legal requirement for both for profit and not for profit corporations. Under Section 519 of the New York not for profit code:

According to Section 519 of the New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, not-for-profit corporations in New York are required to present an annual report of directors at the annual meeting of members 1. This report should be verified by the president and treasurer or a majority of the directors, or certified by an independent public or certified public accountant or a firm of such accountants selected by the board 1. The report should include details such as the assets and liabilities of the corporation, revenue or receipts, expenses or disbursements, and the number of members 1. The annual report of directors should be filed with the records of the corporation and entered in the minutes of the proceedings of the annual meeting 1.

It's interesting how they always turned this into a "religious" event. Making announcements about how the borg had grown, new book releases or doctrine changes etc when at its root it's a house keeping meeting where the tax returns and financial statements from the previous fiscal year are reviewed and ratified.

25

JW.ORG Needs Lawyers

by Vanderhoven7 in

jehovah's witnesses are not encouraging university education... but those who are lawyers already can apply to volunteer to help at bethel.. https://youtu.be/5d_-1lbg-oc?si=fsxeewic-fkczu9p.

Big Dog

Send lawyers, guns and money.

I remember as a child asking my parents, wouldn't it make sense for JW's to go to college, that way you could have talent, lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc., that were born in the faith rather than converts? I was told, no, born in are the lucky ones, we get to be paupers and preach, when God needs talent, he'll import it. One of those things that just made no sense to me.