Posts by Anitar

37

What proof is there that the JWs were chosen by Jehovah to be His people?

by VM44 in

what proof is there that the jws were chosen by jehovah to be a "people for his name"?

growth in numbers is not proof, other religions also have displayed such growth over the last 100 years.. material prosperity is not proof as other religions also have considerable wealth, both in cash, property and real estate.. printing the watchtower and awake!

magazines certainly is not proof!.

Anitar

What proof is there? It doesn't need proof.

Recall, if you can, the first law of metaphysics:

Nothing unreal exists.

Essentially, the watchtower is telling the truth because they say they are telling the truth.

It's every bit as real to them as this religion:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_pink_unicorn

It probably has just about the same amount of legitimacy too.

Anitar

101

Strange picture In J W publication

by BluesBrother in

.this "new world scene " is from p 190 of the "bible teach " book dated 2005.. it is just a joke.

they have transformed their key belief into a cartoon type kiddies scene.

is there no thought of child safety?

Anitar

RedPill: Just wanted to welcome you to the board. Thank you for the story. Even with everything I know about the watchtower, that was still the creepiest thing I ever read. Sometimes the most disturbing stories come from the rank and file, like that neo nazi. I wish my mom had heard something like that and had a reaction like yours, but something tells me she wouldn't have noticed his implications...

79

KM Insert "How Do I View Blood Fractions..." Complete Scan and PDF

by V in

download pdf here (all four pages).

page 1 of insert: http://i11.tinypic.com/2s67s6g.jpg.

page 2 of insert: http://i12.tinypic.com/2dtnpr9.jpg.

Anitar

You know what's funny, 50 or 60 years ago, they would have denied the very existence of cells and hemoglobin and would be calling the scientists satanic. The average rank and file died believing the teachings of their precious watchtower back then. How do you think this would make them feel if they could see this now? Do the self-righteous windbags at Bethel care about the families that were torn apart, or even remember them for that matter? Of course not.

And yet the rank and file keep swallowing the lies, and the watchtower beast charges on.

Well, not everyone believes it. Just take a look around here. Every one of us is a living testament to the power truth through knowledge, and we can use that power to change the world.

Peace everyone,

Anitar

9

Someday Non-Voters might regret staying home-ex-JW speaks out

by Dogpatch in

jw
friends

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/emaf.nsf/popup?readform&db=stltoday%5cnews%5ccolumnists.nsf&docid=5efe7838d864e3fe8625721f00071e7f.

someday, nonvoters might regret staying home.

by sylvester brown jr.. st. louis post-dispatch.

Anitar

So I see it's been a few days and nobody's responded. What did everyone think of the elections?

101

Strange picture In J W publication

by BluesBrother in

.this "new world scene " is from p 190 of the "bible teach " book dated 2005.. it is just a joke.

they have transformed their key belief into a cartoon type kiddies scene.

is there no thought of child safety?

Anitar

Ha Ha Blondie, elephant poop!

Does anybody mind if I show this to my sociology class? This is a working title for my presentation:

The Sociological Perspective of Subliminal Imagery Used in Cult Advertising and Certain Freudian Implications With a Plastic Beach Ball

How do you like it....?

Anitar

45

The three wise men

by Simon in

just a thought.... looking through the greatest man book, something just occurred to me which i can't recall has ever been highlighted (but please correct me).. i always thought it a bit strange that jehovah allowed the three pagan astrologers to find jesus especially as they were obviously guided to him by satan's star (remember they were led to herod first who wanted to kill the messiah).

what purpose did it serve?.

well, a few pages earlier in tgm book, we see mary presenting a dove as a sin offering at the temple - this was the cheapest offering that was acceptable which must have meant that they were pretty poor at the time.. shortly after the three wise men visited the family had to flee to egypt when herod started to kill all the young boys in an attempt to kill jesus.. what would they need to travel and live as exiles for a couple of years?.

Anitar

Wow this post is six years old and has only been viewed about 850 times?

What am I doing, no one's ever going to read this...

Just kidding

101

Strange picture In J W publication

by BluesBrother in

.this "new world scene " is from p 190 of the "bible teach " book dated 2005.. it is just a joke.

they have transformed their key belief into a cartoon type kiddies scene.

is there no thought of child safety?

Anitar

Ok everyone, it's time for a corny joke.

What do you call the yucky brown stuff inbetween an elephant's toes?

A slow Jehovah Witness! AHA HA HA HA HA Ha!

22

How Do You Read The Bible?

by Anitar in

i wanted to get your opinions on the bible, particularly the differences between the old and new testament.

now, i am not a biblical scholar, and i don't presume to possess more knowledge than anyone else, i would just like to hear what everyone else believes.

so, if you don't mind answering a few questions:.

Anitar

Terry: Fascinating link... I'm familiar with the Ten Commandments, but I'm not sure I agree with the ten punishments. Also the title Positive Atheism I think is a bit strange because I've never thought of atheism as a negative thing. But what ever works for an individual is up to them.

In regards to the Catholic statues, I certainly agree that worshiping a statue is blasphemous. However, as is often the case with God, things are not always what they seem. When the Ten Commandments were first written, many people were building idols and altars and making sacrifices to many different gods. It would appear that God hated those practices and therefore some came to the conclusion that as long as you don't do that, you're not doing anything wrong.

If memory serves, Jezebel worshiped the god Baal, and forced her subjects to do the same. There was a similar case when Moses came down from the mountain and low and behold, they had built a golden calf. These people were called Pagans. I have never like the term Pagan verses Christian, because it sort of implies that one is superior to another, especially the context in which the WTS uses it. God was warning us against all forms of idolatry, not just statue worship. He knew that eventually people would abandon the ridiculous golden calves and wise up about the statue idea. But the statue itself was not the point; it's how the people view it.

The JW's like to condemn us because we have statues. Now even though I think too many ornate windows and statues are inappropriate, the simple fact of having them does not make us idolaters. Idolatry is a state of mind. One can come to worship anything or anyone.

Having a statue in your church doesn't necessarily make you an idolater. And just because you don't have a statue, doesn't mean you're worshiping the true God. In my church, we have one statue of Mary and one cross, and in the 21 years I have been a member, I have yet to see anyone bow down to them. I fact, one time we were repainting and had to put Mary in storage for about six months, and half the people didn't even notice it was gone! It's because we see them as an illustration; and we by no means worship them. And we certainly won't be excommunicated if we don't do so.

Now consider the JW's. They have no statues, but are they idolaters? Do they no forsake the scriptures for the watchtower magazines? My mom is so paranoid they will get mangled she puts them in zip lock bags and locks them in the car and checks on them at least twice a day in case the rain leaked in through the windows and damaged them. Talk about fanatic! Meanwhile her bible sits at the bottom of her bag as an afterthought collecting dust.

As a JW, and some of you no doubt remember, you must accept the watchtower organization and all its rules all the time, or you will be disfellowshipped. God is your father, the WTS is your mother, and you have no personal relationship with Jesus. Things like education, self esteem, cognitive dissonance, and family relationships are replaced with obedience to the organization, working endlessly for your salvation, and complete isolation from the outside world. Does that not sound like idolatry?

Anitar

22

How Do You Read The Bible?

by Anitar in

i wanted to get your opinions on the bible, particularly the differences between the old and new testament.

now, i am not a biblical scholar, and i don't presume to possess more knowledge than anyone else, i would just like to hear what everyone else believes.

so, if you don't mind answering a few questions:.

Anitar

I am quite surprised at the number of responses I received. Please by all means, keep them coming!

Terry: Very, very good comments. I am astonished at the insight and research you have done. I shall strive to live up to the example you set. It seems to me that the God of the Old Testament is one of great contradictions. Cain, who murdered his brother in cold blood, was banished into the wildnerness, where a wife magically appeared, they started their own tribe, and they lived happily ever after. This indicates that the authors were male, who probably assumed that the reader cared not about the origin of Cain's wife, and seemed to have the ability to conjure women out of nowhere. And then there's the punishment itself. It seems oddly unfair considering what happened to Abel, who was a faithful believer.

Next there was Noah. If we are to believe it exactly as it says, and as the watchtower teaches, then we are to beleive that Noah and his family are pure and faithful, and everyone else on the planet is corrupt and evil? Is that possible knowing what we know about human nature? And logically, if everyone was that evil, would they not have stoned Noah and his family long before he made an ark? And if Noah was so pure and righteous, what was he doing in the midle of all this? How did his children get married if the only people to chose from would kill their mother for a sack of gold?

Take a look, if you will, at Judges chapter seven. It describes a timid young soldier who must see for himself what God is telling him, because God doesn't want blind obedience. That hardly seems like the God who would commit the previous acts, nor the one who would one day proclaim to love one another as he loves us. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

I think I see a similar point from Narkissos, Seeker4, and Parakeet. If I understand you correctly, I think we are in agreement. I have a working theory that I have come to adopt over the years. God knew that his word would fade and people would eventually twist his message beyond recgonition. He knew everything would happen that Terry explained (again, wonderful job!) He therefore humbled himself and became a human being for the benefit of all mankind. I believe this not because someone else tells me to, but rather from my own findings.

It makes sense to me that Jesus was not a "perfect man" or an angel, or whatever is the flavor of the month in watchtower land. He was God in human form, because a man can be destroyed, and so can an angel, but God can never be destroyed. He does not make "choices" as we know it, and he does not see mortality and immortality as we see it. And in their coming together, the divine and the human are intermingled, and we have a much more complete humanity through that.

That's how Jesus has remained consistant through the centuries. He manages to cut through all the other confusion and mistranslations to reach the reader on a spiritual level. If we follow his two most important commandments, worship one God and love one another as he loved us, than all else is secondary.

BabaYaga: It's funny you mentioned the Catholics omitting certain scriptures. Just last week we were discussing that very topic in Sunday School. It occured to me that while this religion may not have all the answers, at least they don't try to hide their past, which shows me they are on their way to a bright future. Thank you for your comments and your kind words of encouragement. It's good to see you again!

Thank you everyone for your responses, whether bible readers or not, I find them all very insightful and have already learned alot.

All the best,
Anitar

22

A Message To All The Lurkers

by Anitar in

in recent weeks, i have seen several posters that some call the jw "lurkers," meaning the witnesses who read the articles of this site, and are perhaps questioning what the watchtower has been teaching them, yet are still very defensive of the watchtower's actions.

as a result, i have seen and participated in several heated debates.

it seems the main criticism of us is that we focus too much on the "negative," that we dig up the past too much, and worst of all, that we have nothing to really complain about, other than the personal vendettas some of us have against the watchtower.

Anitar

LuckyNun: My God, I feel angry just reading your story. For what it's worth, I offer you a big hug . I am so sorry that happened to you and I hope you're doing better now. As for the witnesses, by their works you will know them. That's how I know God exists, when he punishes those people for their actions against you.

MsMcDucket: Thank you! I have been a fan of yours for a long time and that never occurred to me!

Gumby: That's quite alright, no need to be embarrassed. Actually, I think it's quite funny how most people think I'm a girl, they just never bothered to look before! I did that deliberately to enhance my mystique By the way, you might remember a rather heated arguement we were in several months ago. I just wanted to say thanks for being understanding and showing me something I hadn't considered before.

Take care!

Anitar