Posts by peacefulpete

39

why celebrate xmas?

by enoughisenough in

many on here are ex jw....they have left the jws because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations.

one of the things learned as a jw is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of jesus.

( matt chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby jesus than what is portrayed by the christian churches) they learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices jesus told the samaritan woman that god wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth.

peacefulpete

Everyone has a unique home situation that affects what they can do but to see only the negative in a holiday that celebrates Peace on earth and goodwill toward men is just sad. If you are really unable to see the good in things like this you are a damaged human being IMO. Or maybe a grinch. Again because I hate typing, I'll repost from last month:

We host a fairly large international Xmas. It's a highlight of our year. If the ice is good, I clear an ice rink with lights around it, bond fire where we burn last year's tree. We feature the traditions of a different county every year. (almost blew myself up with Mexican fireworks last year) It means a lot to see friends and catch up. Everyone has a stocking that usually has trivial trinkets and candy. It takes effort but last year when my health was so uncertain I needed a little Norman Rockwell escape. It meant so much to have everyone come like every other year.

People are the reason for the season.

If you don't now have a friend to celebrate with, reach out to a workmate or distant family, you'd be surprised how good it feels to be welcomed.

33

Pioneer couple sense of entitlement

by nowwhat? in

so there's this middle age pioneer couple.

he works part time and the wife doesn't work at all.

their daughter is getting married and even though it is known they go on multiple vacations a year, they expect the grooms parents to pay for 100% of the wedding!

peacefulpete

We pioneered for many years, had many friends as well who pioneered. Never asked anyone to fix my car. I did it. Never had any reason to believe they would have helped if I asked. Knew only one joker who did something like that, that was because he was a 'taker' not because he was a pioneer. There were many things pioneering fostered, a lax attitude toward health and financial stability for example. But I'd not include the sense of entitlement you are describing. If anything we cultivated a "do without" mentality and expected, and got nothing, from the congregation.

349

Who really is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?

by Godlyman in

if anyone were to come up to you claiming that they are the faithful and discreet slave, how would you go about proving them to be false, based upon scripture?.

estephan.

peacefulpete

“You are My servant, O Israel” (41:8)
You are My servant, Israel” (49:3)
But hear, now, O Jacob My servant,
Israel whom I have chosen!(44:1)
Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen (43:10)
Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; (44:2)
Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. (44:21)
Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob. (48:20)
READ chapt 52 through 54 again and ask who is God's Servant being mocked and oppressed then restored?

349

Who really is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?

by Godlyman in

if anyone were to come up to you claiming that they are the faithful and discreet slave, how would you go about proving them to be false, based upon scripture?.

estephan.

peacefulpete

No hard evidence could convince the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. They didn’t want it.

Or stated more precisely, they understood their own writings precluded the idea of vicarious human sacrifice buying the forgiveness for the sins of others. The "promised" Messiah was a real savior not an invisible secret one. Much like why most Christians today reject the WT's invisible spiritual return.

39

why celebrate xmas?

by enoughisenough in

many on here are ex jw....they have left the jws because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations.

one of the things learned as a jw is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of jesus.

( matt chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby jesus than what is portrayed by the christian churches) they learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices jesus told the samaritan woman that god wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth.

peacefulpete

enough...you do know the two stories in Matt and Luke are incompatible and that they reflect just 2 of any number of Jesus birth traditions. The church Xmas nativity stories today in the Western Christian tradition are an attempted blending of the two. The Greek Orthodox tradition however maintains Jesus was born in a cave. In this they agree with Justin Martyr and Origen who both said a cave in Bethlehem was the site of Jesus' birth. The Protoevangelium also testifies to this early tradition. Emperor Hadrian even went and leveled the site because first century Christians were making pilgrimages to the cave. Ascension of Is has him born in a house like Matt..

Then we have Ignatius, the supposed first attestation of Matt, he has a very different version of the star story where Jesus IS the star.

Now the virginity of Mary was hidden from the Prince of this world, as was also her offspring, and the death of the Lord; three mysteries of renown, which were wrought in silence by God. How, then, was He manifested to the world? A star shone forth in heaven above all the other stars, the light of which was inexpressible, while its novelty struck men with astonishment. And all the rest of the stars, with the sun and moon, formed a chorus to this star, and its light was exceedingly great above them all. And there was agitation felt as to whence this new spectacle came, so unlike everything else above. Hence every kind of magic was destroyed, and every bond of wickedness disappeared, ignorance was removed, and the old kingdom abolished, when God appeared in human form [or revealed himself in a human manner] for the renewal of eternal life.
Ignatius, Letter to the Ephesians 19

We haven't even started on this topic, but my point is that there simply wasn't the a singular tradition about Jesus' birth in the earliest Christian records. No one appears to be fixated or maybe even aware of the contradictory birth narratives in Matt and Luke.

39

why celebrate xmas?

by enoughisenough in

many on here are ex jw....they have left the jws because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations.

one of the things learned as a jw is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of jesus.

( matt chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby jesus than what is portrayed by the christian churches) they learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices jesus told the samaritan woman that god wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth.

peacefulpete

enough .....you made similar negative comments about Xmas a month ago that suggest you haven't yet shed the sectarian bigotry of the WT. Anyone who studies religious history understands that every religion is indebted to those that came before. Every religion is a syncretic admixture of old and new. Last month I said:

baah humbug. Ludicrous. Jesus is depicted as celebrating Hanukah. An apostate religious holiday (with Solstice lights and delayed to match the Roman event) if there ever was one. He is also depicted as celebrating the Passover reclining not standing up like the Bible says. Jews had by then adopted the Roman tradition of reclining at ease. He drinks 4 glasses of wine, not part of the OT instructions in fact prohibited due to the yeast. Sanctimonious puritanism is not a reflection of the Jesus of the Bible.

Have you considered what that ought to suggest? Did the writers of the Gospels see it as an issue? What about Paul saying not to be concerned about "eating food sacrificed to idols"? Doesn't that also suggest Paul felt that the religious use of something doesn't "taint" the object? Even former JWs who identify as Christians need to ask how much of my belief system is the product of sectarian JWism,

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanukkah-and-the-winter-solstice/

89

Myth of 1914

by peacefulpete in

the wt engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. in fact the european power struggles that came to a head were centuries old.

millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of franz ferdinand in june 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the great war.

take a look at these two pages and ask if the wt's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.

peacefulpete

Can anyone show the argument for adding 30 years to 1844 and then the 40 years to 1874? I recall it being a typology eisegesis on 30 years of Jesus, 40 years in the wilderness.

89

Myth of 1914

by peacefulpete in

the wt engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. in fact the european power struggles that came to a head were centuries old.

millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of franz ferdinand in june 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the great war.

take a look at these two pages and ask if the wt's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.

peacefulpete

TD...I imagine most every participant has a slightly different version of what happened and where fault lies.

89

Myth of 1914

by peacefulpete in

the wt engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. in fact the european power struggles that came to a head were centuries old.

millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of franz ferdinand in june 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the great war.

take a look at these two pages and ask if the wt's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.

peacefulpete

The WT engages in history revisionism when insisting the world changed overnight in 1914. In fact the European power struggles that came to a head were centuries old. Millions of lives had been lost in the wars of the 19th century, with the world a powder keg the years prior to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in June 1914 which is often said, albeit rather arbitrarily, as the start of the war that escalated over the next 4 years into the Great War. Take a look at these two pages and ask if the WT's interpretation of history seems accurate to you.

https://historylists.org/events/10-events-that-led-to-world-war-i.html#:~:text=10%20Events%20that%20Led%20to%20World%20War%20I,8%20Balkan%20Wars%20Serbian%20Troops%20...%20More%20items

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_by_death_toll#Modern_(1500_AD%E2%80%93present)_wars_with_greater_than_25,000_deaths

11

Have the Jehovah's Witnesses brought reproach on the name Jehovah?

by Vanderhoven7 in

i would have to say yes...by tagging god's alledged name in their title and attaching to it unusual doctrines, end of world date predictions, deadly blood interpretation, abusive shunning policy, csa cover ups.. is there more?.

peacefulpete

Yahweh is depicted as having directed genocide, endorsed selling slaves, stoning children with behavior problems and the raping of virgins. It's hard to imagine much of anything that could bring reproach on his name.