Posts by DevonMcBride

7

Speaking of Wacky Religions....

by Ghosthunter in

jw
friends

has anyone ever heard of a group called eckankar?

they're based out of minnesota.

there is a vice president of the company i work for that's really into it.

Witness Cruises

by undercover in

jw
friends

another post on another thread about a witness cruise got me to thinking about when the dubs would block whole sections of cabins on cruise ships and have "witness cruises".

i never went on one myself, but i knew a few that did.

i heard some pretty sordid stories.

A couple of years ago my mother and father went on a cruise that had a group of Mormons on board. They had the nerve to preach to some of the passengers and hand out tracks. Some of the people got offended and complained to the purser who had to put a stop to this.

Imagine traveling anywhere/anyplace on holiday and finding a group of religious fanatics.

Devon

28

ALERT--ALERT--Randys Got Watchtower On Tape--Backing Bush! Money Laundering

by Voyager in

here is the thread you need: http://www.randytv.com/laundermoney.htm.

watchtower admits, from the watchtower's treasurers office, to backing bush, and engaging in political, military, and government programs.

laundering money through their holocaust fund.

DevonMcBride

Politics is not my cup of tea but if the Watchtower made a political donation, wouldn't this be on public record somewhere?

Devon

12

New mindset of JW's.......?

by integ in

i feel that the "true" feelings of a great percentage of jw's today is more along the lines of hoping that the society will somehow self destruct and they can be free, and that they feel trapped in this religion.

many jw's have confided with me...albeit in guarded terms, that they want out...but they can't do anything because of family and peer pressure.

it is a very guarded society, under a collective dictatorship regime.

DevonMcBride

Only the Watchtower can create their own scandals or problems. You can't do it for them. If you did something BIG it wouldn't be their scandal at all. It would be yours.

Devon

33

Rabbi Responds to Jehovah's Witnesses

by DevonMcBride in

jw
friends

the below message was e-mailed to a friend of mine who then sent it to me.

devon

on the subject of jehovah's witnesses: they don't visit us anymore, they used to come by regularly.

DevonMcBride

It doesn't matter if her argument is weak or not because she wasn't out to debate with them. She wanted them to stop bothering her and it worked.

Devon

33

Rabbi Responds to Jehovah's Witnesses

by DevonMcBride in

jw
friends

the below message was e-mailed to a friend of mine who then sent it to me.

devon

on the subject of jehovah's witnesses: they don't visit us anymore, they used to come by regularly.

DevonMcBride

Many of you missed the point the Rabbi made. She doesn't expect everyone to learn Hebrew to understand the Bible. She said that later on in the post. She does feel it's nervy of the JW's or any missionary to say only they understand the bible correctly when they can't even read God's words.

Devon

33

Rabbi Responds to Jehovah's Witnesses

by DevonMcBride in

jw
friends

the below message was e-mailed to a friend of mine who then sent it to me.

devon

on the subject of jehovah's witnesses: they don't visit us anymore, they used to come by regularly.

DevonMcBride

The below message was e-mailed to a friend of mine who then sent it to me.

Devon

On the subject of Jehovah's witnesses: They don't visit us anymore, They used to come by regularly. The last time they came by might explain why they haven't returned.Two women appeared on our doorstep and, seeing that I had four children ranging in age from 2 to 11, one asked: "Do you like to study the Bible?""Yes," I replied politely."Do you like to study the bible with your children?" she inquired further."Yes, I do," I replied."Would you be willing to study the Bible with us?" she asked.Oh, do you study Bible?" I asked innocently and then continued, "Where did you learn Hebrew?""Oh, I don't know any Hebrew," she protested, "I use a translation.""Do you believe that God wrote the Bible?" I asked."Yes! Of course God wrote the Bible, every word of it, that it why it is so important to study it," she affirmed."Then I am amazed that you would use a translation," I offered, continuing, "If the Bible is God's word, every bit of it, then it seems to me that you should read it as God wrote it. A translation is someone's interpretation, not God's word. If you REALLY believe God wrote the Bible, word for word, then it is unfathomable to me that you would trust a translation written by a mere human being." She sputtered an answer about her translation being authoritative, but I pressed my point.Then she protested, "Hebrew is so difficult to learn. I couldn't possibly do that."At this point I turned to my then five-year-old daughter, Naomi, and said, "Sweetheart, run and get a chumash from Ema's shelf."Little Naomi trotted off to fulfill my request. I noticed that my older children, 8-year-old Danny and 11-year-old Rachel, were watching and listening in rapt attention, smiles broadly pasted on their faces; they knew precisely what their mother was up to.Naomi returned with the Beraishit (Genesis) volume of a rabbi's Bible; it contains the Hebrew text and traditional commentaries, but no English translation. I opened the book to the first chapter of Genesis and asked Naomi to read a few verses. She cheerfully did so.Then I turned to our "visitors" and said: "If a five-year-old can learn Hebrew and read God's word, who are you to canvas the neighborhood claiming you speak for God on the topic of the Bible? If you want to study the Bible in THIS house, you'll have to study it as God wrote it."The missionaries bid us goodbye and haven't visited since.Now, to be honest, I have no objection to a good translation and use them all the time in teaching. (I especially commend Everett Fox's translation of the Torah because it captures so much of the flavor and nuance of theHebrew.) However, I am deeply offended by missionaries because their fundamental premise is that my religious tradition is inadequate and theirs is innately superior. I find that an inexcusably intolerant attitude.My children still enjoy telling the story of the last time the missionaries stopped by our house.Shalom and a sweet Pesach to all,

Rabbi Amy Scheinerman

9

When a JW Comes to My Door?

by JamesThomas in

jw
friends

a resent thread has got me thinking.

the question is: when a jw comes to my door what reaction of mine would have the best chance of motivating that person to ponder or question their beliefs?

what will help them open, rather than shut down and fortify their shell of exclusivity?

DevonMcBride

Here is my two cents worth.

If they think you are sincere, they are more likely to listen. Build rapport and trust with them first, then ask questions kindly. So many people start off hammering them about the UN or child abuse. That puts their defense up.

36