was just curious.........do witnesses have to buy the stalktower and asleep magazines?
or does each kh supply them to the members for free?.
also, do they have to try to sell them to householders anymore?
interesting as in nz the jw told me its all donation
Well, you usually follow the big state across the ditch so you would! In Oz it's been by donation only, ever since the introduction of GST (VAT for you poms!!).and that's what it's all about - TAX! Where countries had tax laws amended or introduced that would make the publications taxable, then the WTS brought in the "donation" arrangement. They just won't pay tax - what good corporate citizens they are!! (not!)
was just curious.........do witnesses have to buy the stalktower and asleep magazines?
or does each kh supply them to the members for free?.
also, do they have to try to sell them to householders anymore?
In (some/many?) other countries they are still sold for a fixed price.
speaking with a hardline friend (oxymoron alert) tonight he used the above verse as proof that jehovah needs a hierarchical organization - otherwise why stratify the membership?
any refutation?
cheers .
Johannine Christianity, for instance, obviously cringed at such a pattern of organisational and doctrinal authority -- "you don't need anybody to teach you," (1 John 2:27)
I'm not sure that it is so obvious. I understood that John was speaking of the gnostic teachers who were a real threat to the church at the time.
speaking with a hardline friend (oxymoron alert) tonight he used the above verse as proof that jehovah needs a hierarchical organization - otherwise why stratify the membership?
any refutation?
cheers .
By way of a P.S.:
Another favorite line by the dubs is, Jehovah has always had an organisation, so he must have one now.
Of course this is far from the truth for through much of human history Jehovah did not have anything remotely like an organisation, Not only that but Jesus never founded one, in fact there was little in the way of organisation for many years after, but still for the dubs it sounds good, eh?
What they're really meaning is that they need the WTS or "organisation™" for their salvation, for their access to God and so on. That is blatantly blasphemous for nowhere is that ttaught in scripture. Rather those "in Christ" are saved, not in an organisation. Those "in christ" don't need to perform works to earn their salvation - they are already saved. Why, you can't be saved twice! Nor can you be half saved - you either are or aren't. can we imagine those in the time of 1 Timothy 3 being told to turn in their field service reports and anyone who didn't was branded irregular or even inactive?
speaking with a hardline friend (oxymoron alert) tonight he used the above verse as proof that jehovah needs a hierarchical organization - otherwise why stratify the membership?
any refutation?
cheers .
G'day besty:
Sounds like a typical dub thought but wrong nonetheless.
Perhaps you could ask your "oxymoron friend" to do something new, read the scripture in context, in context of the whole letter and in context of the time in which it was written.
Ask him what was the situation of congregations that Paul was writing to?
Also point out that being organised does not call for "an organisation". I'm sure he could appreciate that his mother/wife/evrybody needs some organisation in the home but that doesn't mean the home is an organisation in the style of the WTS. And that's how the christians were meeting, in homes. Not for them the palatial Kingdom Halls with sound systems, set times, and set programs. That becomes clear from the Pauline epistles where Paul advises order in their gatherings, people talking at will.
Still, at these gatherings they needed someone to lead, someone else to care for the "widows and orphans" and so on.
Incidentally, if he's so keen on applying 1 Timothy 3, perhaps he could ask his congregation why the MS don't do what their first century counterparts did - or would that look like "good works" to him?
Anyway, suggest your friend reads up, not just from the "Insight" volumes!, but read historically and from bible commentaries - he'd certainly learn something of what the situation really was, just as I have.
Cheers, Ozzie
i am not proud of that, for i know the pain i caused someone as i look back.. i turned in 4 people for 'gross sins' over my tenure as a jw.
i wish i could take it back now.
were these people guilty of 'sin' as defined by the wts?
Struth, Jeff! You know minimus is the one who's supposed to ask them questions!
by now you realise that your account has been deactivated.
i'm a bit sad in a way, since i know you are no threat to me.
still, out here in the 'real life', we have rules regarding civil conduct that even jehovah's witnesses must abide by to keep their 'privilages' here.
I've restored youllneverknow's account.
youllneverknow: You have posting access again.
in the march 2007 issue of quadrant, an "australian review journal of literature and ideas", there is a small biography entitled:.
bedevilled: growing up jehovah's witness.
by ashlley morgan shae.. i read the article last night.
Most people seem to have the NIV so I use that at church and bible studies. However, I agree with Blondie that there are many times I find it very 'slanted'.
My personal favorite for research and serrmons (when I can get away with it!) is the ESV.
Downunder this is known as the Eastern Suburbs Version whilst the NIV is the Non-Ideologival Version!
Make of that what you will.
they way im seeing it is that jw seem to teach only honesty which i dont see as being a bad thing at all so why are some of you on here using **** this and **** that or im going to do some fornication now blah blah blah , i dont mean to be offensive at all but some of you say you are christian????
or is it that you have been repressed for to long ?
help me as i feel stuck in the middle , dont know what to do
Well, Munka, you'll be in tomorrow before any of us here!
