Posts by Disillusioned JW

19

This good news of the kingdom

by Rattigan350 in

growing up around the faith, whenever i heard something taught, i'd always think there is a different way of looking at that, probably better.. we always hear "this good news of the kingdom will be preached... " matt 24:14.. so i think, is there more to it than preaching the kingdom?.

luke 17:21 the kjv and asv says "neither shall they say, lo here!

or, lo there!

Disillusioned JW

Is there any verifiable evidence that 'The Service Committee at JW Branches will automatically bin any anonymous letters which highlight "flaws" in a JW dogma'? It seems to me that probably is done to most such letters, but I'm not sure it is done to all of them.

We know that the WT sometimes starts teaching ideas which they formerly considered apostate teachings (of JW's who became expelled for such teachings). We also know that the WT sometimes changes policies and sometimes revised the wording of the NWT due to caving into pressure by ex-JWs critics of the WT and by critics of those who never were JWs. We also know that the WT makes uses of theological scholarly books by that which the WT calls Christendom. However I release that most likely in all of the above examples, the critics of the WT probably didn't write anonymously.

11

How did Christianity Achieve its Position as the World's Largest Religious Grouping?

by fulltimestudent in

jw
friends

there is little evidence to indicate that there were many christians in the first 2 or 3 centuries of its existence.

but after the conversion of constantine (or, at least his toleration of christianity) things changed.

with one notable exception all future emperors promoted christianity.

Disillusioned JW

I've often (especially after becoming a an atheist and a scientific naturalist) wondered what caused (and what enabled) early Christianity to grow so rapidly. An article called "Why Did Early Christianity Rise So Rapidly?" states intriguing ideas regarding that (see https://www.patheos.com/blogs/religionqanda/2022/03/why-did-early-christianity-rise-so-rapidly/ ). It discusses a book by a sociologist named Rodney Stark; the book is called The Rise of Christianity.

6

Belgium: ex-JWs lawsuit against Watchtower continues

by yalbmert99 in

-belgium: the lawsuit of ex-jehovah's witnesses against the watchtower will continue before the ghent court of appeal on march 22, 2022. support them by your presence!

march 17, 2022..

Disillusioned JW

Here is something related, but it pertains to the JW religion in Iceland and Norway.

https://grapevine.is/news/2022/03/16/iceland-may-remove-religious-org-funding-for-jehovahs-witnesses/ says the following.

"After former members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Iceland came forward on the news discussion show Kompás, wherein they recounted psychological abuse and being shunned by their families after being forced out of or leaving the faith, Vísir now reports that the chair of the parliamentary general and educational committee is considering whether or not to cut off the church from national funding.

... Norway, which has a national religious system similar to Iceland’s, made the decision earlier this year to cut the Jehovah’s Witnesses off from government funding."

35

Isn’t JW’s teaching of “the abomination that causes desolation” wrong?

by Abraham1 in

what “the abomination that causes desolation” mentioned in mathew 24:15 means could be understood only by close followers of jesus because it was part of his personal discussion with them.

by stopping to greet those whom they consider as “their enemies” jws are identifying themselves as “pagans,” according to jesus.

(mathew 5:43-48) thus they cannot correctly understand what the abomination that causes desolation” that would appear as part of signs of “last days.”.

Disillusioned JW

At WT/JW conventions held on non-WT/JW property (such as indoor public stadiums) in the USA the USA flag and the local state flag are on display. Also on the JW news website in a video depicting Russia police (or soldiers) entering a Kingdom Hall in Russia I think I saw handheld cameras in use by some the Russian government personnel.

35

Isn’t JW’s teaching of “the abomination that causes desolation” wrong?

by Abraham1 in

what “the abomination that causes desolation” mentioned in mathew 24:15 means could be understood only by close followers of jesus because it was part of his personal discussion with them.

by stopping to greet those whom they consider as “their enemies” jws are identifying themselves as “pagans,” according to jesus.

(mathew 5:43-48) thus they cannot correctly understand what the abomination that causes desolation” that would appear as part of signs of “last days.”.

Disillusioned JW

Hi Vidquin, you are right that I got it backwards regarding which was the King of the North and which was of the South. I know that the Anglo-America is identified by the WT as the King of the South. [I think I stated things backwards because I was thinking of saying the USA first and Russia second, while I was reading the word order used by Abraham1 of "North King ... South King".]

35

Isn’t JW’s teaching of “the abomination that causes desolation” wrong?

by Abraham1 in

what “the abomination that causes desolation” mentioned in mathew 24:15 means could be understood only by close followers of jesus because it was part of his personal discussion with them.

by stopping to greet those whom they consider as “their enemies” jws are identifying themselves as “pagans,” according to jesus.

(mathew 5:43-48) thus they cannot correctly understand what the abomination that causes desolation” that would appear as part of signs of “last days.”.

Disillusioned JW

road to nowhere, many WT/JW teachings are correct. For example they correctly teach the following: the Babylonian, Assyrian, and Roman empires existed; that Nineveh existed; that Jerusalem's temple was destroyed in 70 AD/CE; that King Herod existed; that planet Earth exists and that there was a time when no life existed on the planet; that all humans born more than 150 years ago have died; that the United States of America exists; that living humans have a brain; that planet Earth is polluted, that crime exists on the planet, and that numerous religions exist on the planet; etc.

A more appropriate question, than the one you suggested, is "Are any doctrines/teachings unique (or original) to the WT (and its JW religion) correct, and if so, which ones?" That question none come to my mind which are correct.

35

Isn’t JW’s teaching of “the abomination that causes desolation” wrong?

by Abraham1 in

what “the abomination that causes desolation” mentioned in mathew 24:15 means could be understood only by close followers of jesus because it was part of his personal discussion with them.

by stopping to greet those whom they consider as “their enemies” jws are identifying themselves as “pagans,” according to jesus.

(mathew 5:43-48) thus they cannot correctly understand what the abomination that causes desolation” that would appear as part of signs of “last days.”.

Disillusioned JW

Abraham1,it is true that the WT says that the final King of the North (probably viewed by the WT as being what the WT calls Anglo-America) will not meet his end by the final King of the South (and the WT currently says that the current King of the South is Russia and its allies). But the WT also says that the final King of the North will meet his end, but by God (at the battle of Armageddon) instead of by the final King of the South.

35

Isn’t JW’s teaching of “the abomination that causes desolation” wrong?

by Abraham1 in

what “the abomination that causes desolation” mentioned in mathew 24:15 means could be understood only by close followers of jesus because it was part of his personal discussion with them.

by stopping to greet those whom they consider as “their enemies” jws are identifying themselves as “pagans,” according to jesus.

(mathew 5:43-48) thus they cannot correctly understand what the abomination that causes desolation” that would appear as part of signs of “last days.”.

Disillusioned JW

Fisherman, I noticed that you said (on page one of this forum topic) that the "WT has always explained the disgusting thing that causes desolation as the UN." Do believe that the League of Nations and the United Nations are the same organization (as the WT teaches, with the League having gone into the abyss and having later ascended out of it as the UN)? Or, like me are you now convinced that the United Nations is a considerably different organization than what the League of Nations was? I have follow up comments to possibly make depending upon your answers.

20

Governing body member has nervous breakdown due to bethel workload

by Witness 007 in

karl klien life story from the watchtower.. "president rutherford had repeated occasions to reprove me for breaking some rule.

(under president knorr 1950) brother knorr invited me to join the writing department...when i told him it did not matter where i served he reproved me..saying when an added privilege is offered we should be eager to accept it...my attitude was due to my health which has always been a problem.

knorr was older we were like brothers with the older brother knorr prone to expressing inpatients to my short comings.

Disillusioned JW

I'm starting to think I was in error for thinking I can get an idea of the gender of those making posts by some of the subject matter they write and how they write it (other than when they specifically mention their gender in some way).

16

Do we really need this many prayers in a day?

by RULES & REGULATIONS in

there’s no proof that prayers have any effect whatsoever, other than perhaps giving the person who prays a false sense of having done something.

all claims that prayers have been answered are either anecdotal, fraudulent, delusional or are the result of either pure coincidence or confirmation bias.. how many prayers do you need in a day?.

you get up and eat breakfast...you pray for another day of life.

Disillusioned JW

Correction: In the quote of the WT's book where I typed "god" I should have typed "God".