Posts by onacruse

32

Without using the Bible.........

by searcher in

.

.......prove that the bible is true.. .

onacruse

Interesting observations above. There certainly is an "unprovability" about everything, even the reality of our own existence!

However, the first thought that came to my mind when I saw this question was how I so frequently used 1 Timothy 3:16 ("all scripture is inspired of God") as proof to myself, and others, that the Bible must therefore be true! It had never occurred to me (until a few years ago) the absurdity of taking what a book says about itself as proof of anything!

Heck, I might just as well take one of Kevin Trudeau's books like Cures They Don't Want You to Know About, and then simply because he says in his book ("like I say in the book!"....one of his most common sales pitches) that everything he has written is true, that therefore I should buy into it (and, of course, also buy the book).

Self-delusion is one of the most powerful forces in this universe.

72

Name a Book Title That Will NEVER Be Written...

by owenfieldreams in

"the truth--why the core beliefs and doctrines of the wtbts will never change" by the gb of jehovah's witnesses.

also, on the lighter side..... " how i invented the internet, why i will not debate global warming, and other musings of an ex vice president" by albert gore, jr.. and, finally, for you young ones.... "teenage chastity for dummies" by jamie lynn spears .

onacruse

RisingEagle, I'll have you no that Dan Quail is one of my faverite fellos...at leased he can say "nuclear."

3

Can you help me with Religions Paper?

by crypto in

i am taking a world religions class online and need to interview someone of this faith.

i need to make comparisons to another religions.

my main questions are how marraige works in your faith?

onacruse

Very good conversation!

In a way, it was refreshing to have a revealing chat with a person who has never been a JW. The responses were pretty much all: "What??""Your kidding me!""That's incredible.""Bizarre!""Oh my goodness." etc.

And to think that I actually believed all that crap!

But then I'm talking to the choir here, eh? LOL

crypto plans to send us a copy of the paper, and with permission, and if appropriate, we'll post it up. It sounds like it would be an interesting read.

72

Name a Book Title That Will NEVER Be Written...

by owenfieldreams in

"the truth--why the core beliefs and doctrines of the wtbts will never change" by the gb of jehovah's witnesses.

also, on the lighter side..... " how i invented the internet, why i will not debate global warming, and other musings of an ex vice president" by albert gore, jr.. and, finally, for you young ones.... "teenage chastity for dummies" by jamie lynn spears .

onacruse

Eryn:

Make Money Selling Your Cow Memorabilia on E-Bay by Bikerchic

Muahhahaahaha!

We already have so many of those memorabilia around here, the shelves are at the breaking point! Anybody sells any more of that stuff to her, and I'll come over and squeeze their head like a ripe tomatoe.

10

THEOCRATIC TOOLBOX

by badboy in

jw
friends

did/do you own one?

onacruse

Everything a well-prepared JW needs:

http://www.stoopsmfg.com/

For only a few hundred dollars, you too can "present yourself as a workman with nothing to be ashamed of."

51

Was There A Specific Event That U Remember-- Realizing It Wasn't The Truth?

by minimus in

jw
friends

for me, it was a combination of things over a long period of time.

.

how about you?

onacruse

1994 (the generation change).

53

How do angels and demons influence mankind?

by onacruse in

wts publications, and indeed virtually all religions on this planet, assert that angels and demons have regular influence on mankind, on individual human beings as well as on the general course of human events.. but i've never read anything specific about how they supposedly accomplish this.. do they tweak our neurons?

do they fiddle with our hormones, thereby making us feel good or bad about a certain course of action?

do they inject thoughts into our brains, perhaps in such a subtle way that we think those are our own thoughts?

onacruse

Well, the incubus and succubus thing was not exactly what I had in mind when I started this thread...maybe you guys should go over to the "Nephilim" thread? LOL

53

How do angels and demons influence mankind?

by onacruse in

wts publications, and indeed virtually all religions on this planet, assert that angels and demons have regular influence on mankind, on individual human beings as well as on the general course of human events.. but i've never read anything specific about how they supposedly accomplish this.. do they tweak our neurons?

do they fiddle with our hormones, thereby making us feel good or bad about a certain course of action?

do they inject thoughts into our brains, perhaps in such a subtle way that we think those are our own thoughts?

onacruse

Interesting remarks above.

One example of the WTS's vacillation on this subject is "guardian angels." Until 1974 the teaching was that angels would actually provide physical protection for true worshippers; in 1974 that was changed to mean only 'spiritual' protection.

For example, as late as 1970 there was this personal experience:

*** w70 6/1 p. 347 Desiring to Know My Grand Creator ***
GUARDIAN ANGELS
The more I have come to know my Creator, the more confidence I have gained in the protective care he throws around those who serve him from the heart. One must have faith in order to meet successfully many of the experiences encountered in the work of preaching the Kingdom. But Jehovah’s assurance to such is: "The angel of Jehovah is camping all around those fearing him, and he rescues them."—Ps. 34:7.

And from The Harp of God:

Harp of God p. 304
before entering the presence of the noble one. Entering heaven, the Christian expects to see the Lord Jesus, and ultimately the heavenly Father, according to the promise. As the Christian looks over the precious promises given to the church, he finds many assurances that he has had an unseen friend during his earthly pilgrimage, namely, his guardian angel. Of such the Psalmist wrote: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." (Psalm 34:7; Hebrews 1:14)

20

Baptismal vows in Norwegian?

by kifoy in

does anyone know how the baptismal vows are worded in norwegian?

i think they can be found in wt june 1, 1985. but i don't have wts that old.

i also need the page number in the norwegian edition of the 1985 wt.

onacruse

Here's one compilation (from DocBob's site http://www.docbob.org/index.php ):

Baptismal questions from the August 1, 1966 Watchtower, p. 465:
(1) Have you recognized yourself before Jehovah God as a sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?
Baptismal questions from the May 15, 1970 Watchtower, p. 309:
(1) Have you recognized yourself as a sinner and needing salvation from Jehovah God? And have you acknowledged that this salvation proceeds from him and through his ransomer, Christ Jesus?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for redemption have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to Jehovah God, to do his will henceforth as that will is revealed to you through Christ Jesus and through God's Word as his holy spirit makes it plain?
Baptismal questions from the May 1, 1973 Watchtower, p. 280:
(1) Have you repented of your sins and turned around, recognizing yourself before Jehovah God as a condemned sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?
The newest baptismal questions, from the June 1, 1985 Watchtower:
(1) On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?

(2) Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization?

With those from 1942, it looks like there might be 5 revisions? Maybe even another one or two.

I think it goes without saying that the 1985 was the real zinger.

20

Baptismal vows in Norwegian?

by kifoy in

does anyone know how the baptismal vows are worded in norwegian?

i think they can be found in wt june 1, 1985. but i don't have wts that old.

i also need the page number in the norwegian edition of the 1985 wt.

onacruse

Somewhat off topic, but an interesting little piece of the past:

w 3/15/17 R6061
The question may arise in the minds of some, Who should partake of the Memorial? We answer, Those, and those only, who have entered into a covenant with the Lord by sacrifice. This means that if we have made a full consecration unto the Lord, trusting in the merit of Christ Jesus, then it will be our privilege and our great joy to commemorate the death of the Master by partaking of the Memorial emblems and thereby testifying that we have agreed to die with Christ Jesus, and with each other as members of his body. If the opportunity has been afforded, we should have symbolized our consecration by water immersion, thus testifying to the deadness of our wills. We suggest that provision be made for the symbolizing of consecration by water immersion prior to the celebration of the Memorial, for those not yet immersed who desire to partake; but the mere fact that one had not observed baptism since being accepted of the Lord would not necessarily preclude him from partaking of the Memorial.