"A 'spiritual rapture' occurred."
Sound familiar?
interesting.
we are not the only ones with problems to understand a generation.
https://youtu.be/ujyhagjcswa.
"A 'spiritual rapture' occurred."
Sound familiar?
i have been reading where the watchtower is closing down kingdom halls.
there is something that i don't understand, or maybe i am just misunderstanding it.
can someone clear this up for me?
It's worse than it seems.
First, the congregation takes out a loan...from the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society. Even if a lower interest rate can be financed through some other banking institution, the congregation must pay for its new Kingdom Hall by borrowing money from the WBTS. Part of the loan agreement is that the WTBS becomes the sole owner of the property. THEN the property is developed by volunteer labor from the local brothers who will use the Kingdom Hall.
All of this so that, a few years down the road, the WTBS can profit TWICE from the local members - first, from the interest on the loan and second, from the sale of the property. Sometimes the sale is because the WTBS instructs those same members that they need a new Kingdom Hall and the process begins all over again.
what are some flaws of the bible that convince you that its not god's word.
for example what about prophecies like babylon or prophecies about jesus birth and life that jw use to make you believe bible is god originated?
i'd appreciate your comments.
I took Astronomy to meet my science requisite for my general education credits in college (I went to a 2 year college in my early 20s while I was still in). I thought it would be all about planets and stars. It was mostly math.
We learned of Kepler and how he discovered several planets in our solar system without even seeing them. His equations dealing with the orbit of a large celestial math and how they interact with each other led to his proving Jupiter, Saturn, and other planets existed.
Years later I read something that dealt with the Great Flood of Noah's Day. It showed how much water was needed to cover the highest peaks on Earth. Based on the increased mass due to the water required and Kepler's equations, I knew it was scientifically impossible for the Flood to have taken place. It would have changed the Earth's orbit and the orbits of the other planets in our solar system.
(recently i spent 18 days in europe in first, london, then paris, and last of all, madrid.
i was quite bedazzled by paris.
on my first night there, after a long day of sightseeing, i sat down and wrote this.).
Brilliant writing, Terry! I always enjoy reading your works. Whether it's the Monorails of Mars or Veronica in Pairs. Please keep sharing your talent with us.
the watchtower and quite a few other religious groups don't do certain things because of pagan origins.
they go on about the different holidays, certain traditions, and say they don't do those things because of pagan origins.
yet they turn right around and do other stuff, which does have pagan origins.
JW: "We would like to invite you to the Memorial of Christ's Death."
Me: "Do you mean 'The Lord's Evening Meal?"
JW: "Yes!"
ME: "No thank you. That is based on the pagan holiday of known as 'Passover'. As a Christian, I do not practice interfaith."
JW: "But Jesus commanded us to do this!"
Me: "Do you refuse to celebrate Christmas?"
JW: "Yes."
Me: "Why?"
JW: "Because it has pagan origins."
Me: "How do you define 'pagan'?"
JW: "Any practice originating with false religion."
Me: "Is Judaism false religion?"
JW: "Yes."
Me:*Puts on Thug Life sunglasses/"The Next Episode" by Dr. Dre starts playing*
the watchtower and quite a few other religious groups don't do certain things because of pagan origins.
they go on about the different holidays, certain traditions, and say they don't do those things because of pagan origins.
yet they turn right around and do other stuff, which does have pagan origins.
I agree with you 100%. So much of the cult life in the organization is based on this concept. The idea that if something, at least at one time, was involved in a religion other than Jehovah's Witnesses it would be considered interfaith - literally worshiping a god other than Jehovah. Therefor being something that just was not done.
After leaving the organization I began to learn of customs practiced daily by Witnesses, at least in the U.S., that come from non-Judaeo-Christian religion.
Are you married?
Yes.
Did the bride wear a white gown?
Yes.
Were there bridesmaids and groomsmen?
Yes.
Are their wedding rings?
Yes.
All pagan ritual for weddings.
Here's the worst part - as an active Witness in the U.S. I dare you to go around your congregation stating that.
"Oh Brother So-and-So, is that a wedding band you're wearing? You do realize that is pagan in origin. You may want to take that off as to not stumble any one in the congregation."
"Sister So-and-So, I hear you are getting married this weekend. Are you having bridesmaids or wearing a white wedding dress? You shouldn't. Especially if you are having your wedding in the Kingdom Hall. Those are all practices steep in ancient false religion."
I promise you will be ordered to cease and desist under penalty of disfellowshipping if you don't.
when your fridge is getting empty, what should you do?
a recent wt shows the ideal next step.
(in picture form, so all ages/education levels can understand.).
Upper picture caption - "Oh, dear! No food, again. I guess I will just go with out."
Lower picture caption - "I know I'm starving, but someone has to pay for these child abuse court judgments against the Watchtower."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fku45b2kchu.
"Stuck with what is authorized"?
What a cult!
i was 5 years old when my mother was baptised.
we went from celebrating xmas to no presents or decorations.
we would still go to my unbelieving aunty's house on xmas day, all of my cousins would be playing with their new toys and would wonder why i didn't have any.
It was pretty awful. I was born in. My father was the presiding overseer until I started high school. We moved to a new congregation then and he was seen as a threat by our new presiding overseer.
Up until high school I had no Witness friends in school or even in my neighborhood. I had neighborhood friends who shared the same interests I had. Both my neighborhood friends and my interests were frowned on by my parents.
Until I moved and started high school I was ridiculed constantly by classmates for being a Witness. I never felt proud to be ridiculed for my imaginary friend. I hated it. I often tried to hide the fact I was a Witness.
Every Saturday morning I had to get up early to go out in field service. Unless I was sick, I couldn't stay home and watch Saturday morning cartoons. Sundays were no better. If we had the morning meeting I had to go out in service after the meeting and starve until dinner. If we had afternoon meetings I had to get up early on Sundays to go out in service. That means I couldn't stay up late on Friday or Saturday to watch my TV shows. My parents didn't want me falling asleep during the Watchtower Study.
That which was hardest was that I am a huge sci-fi/fantasy enthusiast, So much of what I was into was deemed "demonic" by my parents and forbidden. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to stash a $2,000.00 comic book collection as a 12 year old?
this is such an important issue, more and more people are succumbing to what must be some viral outbreak wreaking havoc in the world.. i'm talking about unnecessary punctuation.. it's easy to become infected.
you want to write something and add some emphasis so you add an exclamation mark to make it "important!
" but dang, it's not important enough is it??
I agree. However I do support the use of the Oxford comma and two spaces after the end of a sentence.