Posts by diamondiiz

40

Are you guided by spirit?

by straightshooter in

jw
friends

living by the spirit benefits the individual and those around them.. .

Sorry, I don't buy it. Nowhere does it say some invisible manifestation will continue while physical manifestation will cease. I find a lot of people who think they speak in wisdom are full of themselves and no wisdom exists outside of their own self. And at present partial gifts? Come on, what partial gifts do people have today? Just as I stated earlier just because someone thinks they understand something or hear something in their head because of the spirit is bunch of nonsense, too many people have too many mental problems. I hope you don't take offense but maybe I'm a doubting Thomas but unless I see something real in this day and age I'm not buying that there is God's spirit acting on anyone today. One can quote and interpret scripture and another will interpret it another way both will claim to be guided by spirit and will point fingers at the other how the other is wrong when in fact both people are delusional and think they're being used by God.

One can be viewed as wise and knowledgable and yet the opposite may be true. Faith love and hope are qualities that we can build and manifest but these are not gifts from God, these may be our manifestation of belief in God and nothing else. There are Muslims, Budhists and Hindus who have their faith, may even be brilliant in wisdom and knowledge and yet do they have God's holy spirit as per Christian faith? No, they don't even put faith in Christ. So the delusion that God is using his spirit today is just that - a big delusion! That's like saying that Christ returned invisibly and since you can't prove he hasn't doesn't mean he hasn't - same arguement with invisible acts of holy spirit today - I don't buy it. Hope I didn't offend anyone but that's my view and unless I see something otherwise I'm not changing my mind.

40

Are you guided by spirit?

by straightshooter in

jw
friends

living by the spirit benefits the individual and those around them.. .

diamondiiz

I also think or speak silently but that doesn't mean it's holy spirit talking to my in my thoughts - just me thinking :). People have various dreams, many of us had de javu experiences but it doesn't make us prophets nor does it make us guided by spirit. When we ponder on subjects the mind still works even when we sleep and may continue to work on solutions to our questions or problems even days or weeks later we can still have these dreams come up that also doesn't mean it's holy spirit. I've had deep thoughts on certain issues that had nothing to do with the bible and I know I had dreams about the issue many days afterward and I don't contribute any of that to holy spirit as it had nothing to do with God. If God's spirit operated today on people silently it would also manifest itself in some ways physically but these gifs were to be done away and I believe they have been. There is no evidence that some gifts stuck around while others stopped. It may be just our imagination making us think that when we come to some sort of conclusion it has to be from God - why? Can't we come up to OUR understanding all by ourselves? Look at 1925 teaching, I'm sure old Joe thought about it and came to the conclusion that it was biblical and maybe even thought it was God's spirit guiding him but really it was just his deep or shallow thinking that made him come up with this bogus date that he began to preach to the public.

I think many of us heard experiences that someone somewheres was praying and a jw knocked on their door and tha was god's direction. But when we stop and think don't many of the other evangelical religions also give similar experiences? After all when you have a billion hours spend in serving wts you would thing there would be plenty of odd occurrances happening as more time you put in the chances of something occurring increase. More you drive the possibility of you getting in an accident also increase.

3

when a religion

by ssn587 in

i am wanting to know when the ibs became a religion, it my thought that up until awhile in the 1920s, the society was just a publishing company not hiding behind the idea of being a religion.

so when did they become one in actuality?

i know they claim that when jesus came in 1918 to judge all the religons he found them and appointed them as his fds in 1919. but really all nonsense aside, just when did they officially become a religion?.

diamondiiz

Depends what you mean by officially. Officially when Russell had a following that adhered to his teachings. Officially according to wts, sometime after "religion is a snare and a racket" campeign ended.

30

I've been thinking!? What happens after Armageddon?

by LucyA in

given the fact that the majority of jw are lets say less educated than the general population.

whose going to run the hospitals power plants waterworks you know general infrastructure in every country there are jws after armageddon or is jehovah simply going to get the angels to do the grunt work?

.

diamondiiz

villabolo:

You're talking about relativly short period of time after Armageddon - I was talking about a longer time frame (100s of years) not a relativly short period after the war. As the theory goes, people would be resurrected after some time frame - billions of people - possibly many more than 6 billion. These resurrected people would need to be taught by surviving witnesses how to live in harmony with God's way while they grow to perfection. Meantime the people would delight in their work. So initial survivors would do fine but longer term, people couldn't progress as a society if they were all to do only enjoyable work and that was the point of my initial post.

40

Are you guided by spirit?

by straightshooter in

jw
friends

living by the spirit benefits the individual and those around them.. .

diamondiiz

No, I'm not under any delusion that there is something out there guiding me in any direction. If God is, He is not using his spirit to guide anyone at this time nor is there any gifts in spirit manifested today. Just because I choose not to cheat on my wife or whack some one off does not mean I'm guided by spirit. If I choose not to steal when I could or lie when it might better me, that also doesn't mean I'm led by spirit but it just means that I make choices that may perallel the bible's acceptable works. I don't hear voices nor do I see anything out of ordinary - those that I knew who seen things and heard voices were in a mental hospital for drug abuse.

I would like to hear some real proof how others are led by spirit.

30

I've been thinking!? What happens after Armageddon?

by LucyA in

given the fact that the majority of jw are lets say less educated than the general population.

whose going to run the hospitals power plants waterworks you know general infrastructure in every country there are jws after armageddon or is jehovah simply going to get the angels to do the grunt work?

.

diamondiiz

From the wts vision all will have enjoyable work. From that delusion one can conclude that God will leave all stores undamages to the survivers will be able to raid these and live off the goods found. How many of us heard that possibility? I know I did that the stores would be left behind to help the survivors afterwards. After the supplies run out you better hope that either God provides slaves for you or angels will have to do jobs that nobody wants. Simple objects require tasks that no one wants to do but someone does it because it pays the bills. Let's say to build a home. In the west we build homes out of wood but to cut trees down you need a saw(even primative hand saw). Even a hand saw is made out of metal which needs to be processed from iron, etc. Someone needs to dig it out of the ground, process it, goes to a smelter, and eventually will end up looking like a saw blade. So even a primitave tools requite jobs that are not enjoyable but if no one will have unenjoyable jobs I guess maybe those unrightious who get resurrected will do these? hmmm Sewers? I guess not, who wants to maintain that? Clean water? Well someone will have to run a sewage treamnet and water treatment plants but there won't be higher education and maybe there won't be anyone wanting to deal with shit all day long so hey don't worry about it, just dig a hole in your big green backyard. Reality was never part of wts and sad part is that so many of us were there and didn't think deeper about even small aspects of the bs story wts was feeding us. Saying that people will be willing to clean shit? hmm didn't wts say that all will have enjoyable taks? hmm I guess gb meant they will have enjoyable tasks while their brothers slaves will do everythng to make gb happy even if they have to wipe their asses which these slaves will have to view as required satisfactory taks and they better do it with gladness of heart of they will be disfellowshipped killed of upon refusal to agree with gb.

Reality is, if we are to live on earth as bible teaches it would be very much similar to today but the only things would change is the human view of each other and greed would have to be eliminated. Someone would still do dirty jobs and clean shit but IF it were to work all would have to appreciate each others efforts as on par with themselves. These paradise dreams like wts sells are just that - dreams that could never be reality because they're unrealistic. Unless they get slaves in the new world the wts presentation of peradise could never be. Care centers would still be required even for perfect people! I can't see how people would be so perfect and would naver break a bone, get cut or injured. Even if death was to be abolished there would be still those that did something and get major injury requiring some sort of help unless they all live in a protective bubble or are not humans but spirits living on earth.

pjschipper: humans don't need satan to do bad and we don't need satan's influence to be as evil as some are. That's another religious myth. Sure one can point to Hitler and say that guy surely was under demonic influence but really was he? Or was he just another politician who wanted others to do his own will, somewhat like gb who want others do their will - Malawi/Mexico is prime example of wicked men not caring for their "peers", would you say that gb during 1960/70s were under demonic influence?

159

Breaking News: Big Trouble with the Watchtower

by Bethelite Elder in

jw
friends

a couple of weeks ago, an ex-bethelite(10 years) by the name of mel smith was disfellowshipped.

i understand that he still lives in ny are and has a mortgage company.

evidently, he was hurt while serving at the farm and watchtower did some horrible things to him.

diamondiiz

Sounds odd even for wts, I would like to see more evidence on this one. If it's true and is possibly to appear on Oprah that would be great as I'm sure there as still a lot of jw watching Oprah.

57

I'm new, let me introduce myself

by no lies please in

jw
friends

i've been lurking here for many months.

i served as an elder for many years, and regular pioneer for much longer until recently.

i'm also a mts grad and was used extensively on the circuit and district level.

diamondiiz

Welcome, haveing non witness family is a HUGE asset as you haven't lost anyone that matters and who needs fake friends anyways that will side with strangers than those they've known for a long time.

143

Does anyone think that maybe we're just wrong?

by paul from cleveland in

jw
friends

i was disfellowshipped in 1995. even though i lost my friends and family, i felt like i had been finally set free and was happy for many years.

while i was a jehovah's witness, i always felt so miserable.

i never felt like i was doing enough to please jehovah.

diamondiiz

TD said it correctly regards to comparing Israel and wts. Once Israel lost it's favor with God, the religious system ended. There were congregations in the first century but it doesn't appear that they had a house of scribes who made their fellow brothers push their interpretations upon the public. WTS can't prove that there was a line of teachers from first century untill 1879 that carried same message as wts. There is no proof that God had an active organization between nation of Israel and wts so what makes one think that wts is It? WTS originated with flaws which were not corrected in 1919 so how could they have been chosen to be God's channel? Did anyone tell them that they were chosen? I think not. I can say that I'm the chosen one come and follow me - but where's the proof? Hopefully you wouldn't do it today if a stranger said it to you but that's exactly what strangers from Brooklyn are saying and 7million people are following them without questioning that. Those of us who did question are not there anymore. Russell taught 1874 as Christ's return and that was taught until official change in 1943 - some 2 decades after so called appointing of the servent. Did God choose those who pushed 1925 as more legit date than 1914 and had a leader live in a mansion? Would Jesus view a drunken man claiming to be a judge living in a mansion driving a Cadillac a chosen vessel and a best thing that would represent his interests on earth? Think about it. WTS was decietful from the start and it continued on. It wasn't if they were humble at one point and went bad, it wasn't if they had anything promised to them other than what they made up. There was no sign, nor was there an angel sent to say that this was God's chosen organization. Israel is said to have had many prophets and many signs, wts had none.

1914 is not only one date they forced on their so called brothers! 1878 probably would be considered the first as they expected to go to heaven in that year and in 1881 after that. 1914 was just one of many dates taught by Russell but out of all the different dates 1914 was to be the start of great tribulation and Armageddon and that is why when WWI started Russell thought the end has arrived and it was imminent.

Their preaching is in vein when they are decieving people! They're teaching something that Christ never did. Where do you see in the bible Christ teach that people won't die but live on paradise earth? He didn't point to a date and even though some of his disciples thought he was about to establish a kingdom at that time I don't remember seeing them teaching that message to the masses. I don't remember early church disfellowshipping anyone who questioned the older men in Jerusalem - Paul wasn't one of the 12 and he questioned Peter on circumsission, in fact Paul rebuked Peter. Can you imagine going to Brooklyn and seeing one of the GB and telling them they're flat out wrong about 1914? No one doubts for a second that they would let you talk to any of them and for them to allow themselved to be rebuked is unthinkable! You would have been either given a choice of "you follow us" or "there is the door". This org has many good things but the bad things are serious enough to kill one's spirituality. I will use their own illustration here, if you were thirsty and someone offered you a glass of cold water with just a small amount of poison in it - would you drink it hoping that the poison won't kill you? That is wts appearing to be holy but disgusting on the inside.

13

What Are the GREATEST SINS One Can Commit in the WT World?

by Cold Steel in

one of the greatest, i'll bet, is apostasy.. but what about others?

what is someone has committed adultery?

or even murder?

diamondiiz

To say that you don't believe that wts is God's org. If you say it's not God's org, that will get you df and you will be labeled an apostate.

In my case I told elders I didn't believe in 1914, about wts not being forthfront about pedophiles and about UN scandel and that I was investigating(researching) wts. They asked me if I believed wts was God's org and at that time I wasn't sure but didn't say no and the PO said he didn't know what to think of me. But it was only a year after that meeting that I left by a DA letter. I'm sure have I said right there and then that I didn't believe wts was God's org I would have been df at that time. In jw eyes gb=God even though they wouldn't say that but one can commit fornication, and other sins which will be forgiven but when you wts isn't God's org you're out.