hi to all again.. about a year before i packed it in back in late '90 the wts reprinted (in english in the uk) the wt bound volumes from 1960 - 1979.. in view of the (even then) dodgy information (e.g.
the 1975 issue in the 1968 bound volume) i wondered why they did this.
ok so the internet wasn't around but i would have thought that the last thing the wts would do was draw attention to issues they would rather forget.
Yes, Rick, the big brown books arrived here by the truckload. Public speakers gleefully took them on to the speakers stand whenever they gave a talk. I saw one elder have a pile of them on the speakers stand during his Public Talk. Didn't make it any better though!
Cheers,
Ozzie
our friend and true brother, silentlambs, has been diligently and wholeheartedly coming to the aid of the victims of jw molestation for months now, sacrificing much on their behalf and on our behalf to fight for justice.
now is the time that you can help silentlambs so he can continue to devote his time to this crucial issue.
please read the following.
Yep, we've placed an order to come to us in Australia. Mrs Ozzie' slooking forward to getting 'in the mood"!
Cheers,
ozzie
today's watchtower study (feb 15, p17) seeks to reassure jws that jehovah will take action against all opposers to the wtbts.. it states: "unscrupulous men slander jehovah's witnesses, branding them a 'dangerous cult'.
god is aware of their actions-and these will not go unpunished.
"(para 11).
Herr Englander,
Be sure to tell us how the birthday party in a pub went. This is getting exciting!
Make mine a Killarney, thanks, mate.
Ozzie
our friend and true brother, silentlambs, has been diligently and wholeheartedly coming to the aid of the victims of jw molestation for months now, sacrificing much on their behalf and on our behalf to fight for justice.
now is the time that you can help silentlambs so he can continue to devote his time to this crucial issue.
please read the following.
I am wondering if these candles can be shipped to Australia?
Ozzie
it is generally acknowledged, and confirmed by experience, that there is a significant gender imbalance in the organisation.. there are considerably more sisters than there are brothers.
that's great for the brothers, because a lot of the poor jw lasses get so desperate that even the most dorky of brothers can take his pick.. but why is there this imbalance?.
it's true that birth rates show slightly more females being born than males (mother nature's way of safeguarding the future?
Something strange is happening in Aussie churches. Well, at least the ones I have seen, that is.
I couldn't help but notice the large niumber of males attending. I admit I didn't do a count each time, but my impression is that the ratio is closer to the society 'norm' than in the Kingdom Halls. So, why is this? Presumably the guys are leaving faster than the lasses! And why is that? Good question! Perhaps they've become disillusioned. Many we know fall foul of the judicial committee process, so perhaps that speeds up their departure.
Ozzie
today's watchtower study (feb 15, p17) seeks to reassure jws that jehovah will take action against all opposers to the wtbts.. it states: "unscrupulous men slander jehovah's witnesses, branding them a 'dangerous cult'.
god is aware of their actions-and these will not go unpunished.
"(para 11).
Today's Watchtower Study (Feb 15, p17) seeks to reassure JWs that Jehovah will take action against all opposers to the WTBTS.
It states: "Unscrupulous men slander Jehovah's Witnesses, branding them a 'dangerous cult'. God is aware of their actions-and these will not go unpunished."(para 11)
Apparently these opposers will meet a fate similar to that described in Zephaniah. How the connection is drawn is not said, but the punishment is gory if the article is to be believed.
Also, it's claimed that the opposition is the result of the influence of manipulative clergymen (para 11). Further details are not given.
Jehovah's witnesses R&F are exhorted to remain faithful and to 'seek Jehovah'. How? Paragraph 5 states that "'Seeking Jehovah' today involves developing and maintaining a warm personal relationship with him in association with his earthly organisation."
A similar point is repeated in paragraph 19 which states; "...by displaying a meek, submissive attitude toward God and his arrangements for salvation?"
This does not seem to 'gel' with Jesus, words recorded at John 17:3"This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge (or, "knowing you") the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ."
The question may be asked "If salvation resulted from knowing Jehovah and Jesus in the first century and this was the good news or gospel, and nothing else, why is that not sufficient in the 21st century?"
It is not explained with scripture references in the Watchtower article how the organisation is linked to salvation.
Also, not explained, are the "arrangements for salvation" that it's necessary to show submission to. Could this be 'code' for the organisation again?
Did anyone else come away from today's Watchtower Study feeling that the scriptural backing for these statements was lacking?
Wishing they would be honest,
Ozzie (of the un non-anointed class)
we are told that the governing body is the group through which god speaks to the human race.
we have also been told by that governing body that mysticism is of the devil.
it's evilwickedmeanbadandnasty.. so exactly how, then, does the gb get this information from god?.
Question: Do the G.B. claim to communicate with God?
I am not sure that they do make this claim. They certainly do claim to be a spirit directed organisation. They are the words used in the second of the two questions to baptism candidates.
But being spirit directed does not mean the same as communicating with God. Communication is a two-way street i.e. a communication needs a sender, a message, and a hearer and vice versa, as in a conversation. So that ones such as Adam and Abraham had conversations with God. The G.B. do not claim that.
Jesus promised that after his going away he would send "a helper, the Holy Spirit,.... that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you"(John 14:26). It seems the WTBTS are claiming that the H.S. is helping them, directing them as in their thoughts and decisions.
Whether this means that this operation of the H.S. was to continue past those to whom Jesus spoke is a moot point. Notice that the H.S. would "bring back to your minds all the things I have told you". So there is nothing in those words to suggest that there would be anything new that they would learn, nor that the 'light' would get brighter.
Please don't take my remarks as meaning that my defence of the Society teaching is a blanket defense; far from it. But I do think we should be sure of what we are criticizing before we assume a superior position.
Cheers,
ozzie (of the truth in advertising class)
i have a question.
at the beginning of each meeting at the kingdom hall, the chairman invites us to find our seats and be seated.. after we have got ourselves comfortable and all is (reasonably) quiet, the meeting chairman then invites us to stand and sing the opening song.. does anyone else find this a bit strange?
why are we invited to sit, then before we've done anything else, we're invited to stand.. just seems odd to me.
I like that Moxy about the conventions: "You may remain standing..."
Don't you find that if you sit down, you get others giving you stern looks as if you're rebellious!
I guess "You may remain standing... " is theocrateze for "You will remain standing..." LOL
Ozzie (of the seated class)
i have a question about restrictions on df'd persons wanting to come back to the org.. i finally joined here on mar 26, after reading posts for about a month, with telling my story first.
what moved me to join in was reading ozzie's post on mar.23(i think), about "restrictions" regarding reproofs, probations, and df'ing.
i appreciated his comments and was so glad when he brought the subject up.
Now Emperor in waiting,
We all love you really!
your posyts are always read with interest here.
Keep up the good work!
Ozzie (luv em all class)
just had dinner with my wife and a couple of her friends.. one of them was telling me about her sister-in-law, a very nice, kind person who i've met on several occasions.
it seems this sister got a job in an office as a receptionist/secretary.
last christmas (1999) her employer asked her to sign christmas cards for all the clients.
Doesn't all this seem like: Tell me the same old story?
From one side of the mouth (figuratively) the Society says that JWs make decisions for themselves, up to the conscience.
BUT
From the other side of the mouth the Society's representatives, elders and CO/DO act at enforcing idealized rules and regulations. Despite what they claim not to be, the elders are seen as 'spirotual policemen', and no wonder!
Ozzie
