why is it that i understand the bible more clearly today then all my years in the organization (jw)???
?many religious people believe the average person cannot understand the bible..maybe the reasons (1) they may have tried to study the bible and found it difficult, so they gave up.
(2) maybe they believe truth is subjective;so whatever you believe,that is truth for you.
Christianity is technically about becoming the new person, the death of the old man, the spirit of christ living within you.
Its not about knowing nutty and ever changing dogma all based on prophetic books of bible or who knows the most obscure and pointless old testament stories and it sure as hell about blind obedience to seven magical men.
for those that still care to read the bible of course.
those that don't, please keep the snarky comments to yourselves :-).
i am assuming nwt is not very popular?.
Its wasn't till about 6 months ago i realized there was a physical manifestation of god in the old testament called the word of jehovah or lord.
Once i understand what new testament writers were referring to in the old testament, the idea the nwt should even be considered inspired scripture is ridiculous.
They claim all bibles have a trinitarian bias. Now its kind of like no shit sherlock.
As for translation, i really dont think it makes much difference just as long as its not the nwt.
There is a scholar named daniel b wallace who wrote the net bible. He is a really interesting speaker without a dogmatic axe to grind. I like using his software.
in case you were wondering if the governing body we're going to become kinder and gentler, the answer is a big "no!!!
in the current study edition of the wt magazine, the sheeple are reminded of some very important key points.
1) god has an organization ( corporation ) that you must respect.. 2) only the gb/faithful slave can dispense spiritual food and only the gb/faithful slave can interpret the bible.. 3) individual dubs absolutely cannot learn "truth" on their own.. 4) god requires "unity of doctrine.
Has it always been just flat out cult nonsense? Its like they aren't even trying anymore.
I swear every second so called study just about doctrines particular to the wts. Even when do a bible study they have to throw in verses that are controversy placed in nwt.
ezekiel spends two chapters (38-39) describing a war that either will never take place, or which has yet to take place.
according to the prophecy, the warlord gog, of magog, will 1) sweep down on israel, covering the land like a cloud.
this will happen in 2) the latter years when israel will 3) be a people “gathered out of many nations” and peoples.
Jws use to believe everything was symbolic of satans attacking the wts and the annoited remnant in the end times.
They recently had new light that israel might actually mean israel so there is a huge push to convert all the jews in Israel to good little dubs.
The whole new theology borrows quite heavy from evangelical made in america Christianity where everything good or bad that happens to america is a product of our support of the jewish state.
Or the fact jw ends times chronology isnt happening. I just know those dipsticks in brooklynn are watching the 700 club looking for ideas.
some time ago, during the mid-week meeting, the sanctification of god’s name was being discussed (chapter 4 in ‘god’s kingdom rules’).
in paragraph nine we read that in the early period the jw’s viewed jesus ransom sacrifice as the most important teaching of the bible.
then they said they gave overbalanced importance to jesus, and nowadays, they say the sanctification of god’s name is the most important thing in the bible.. .
In the old testament one of the titles of god was simply known as "the name". When a person says protected the name of god or calling apon the name of god its really more the language of localization. Essentially calling apon the power of god.
There is a really great example of this in the book of exodus where an angel with the name of god within him leads the jews out of Egypt.
God's end plan for humanity is for humans to reconciled to him though a personal relationship with jesus christ. Essentially the old testament being which carried his name within him.
Essentially that is reason why adding three vowels to four constants isnt that big a deal.
Jws have basically reduced christianity to harry potter by saying the magic word jehovah.
i am new on this forum.
i have been associating with the jw's for three years, and was about to be baptised soon (next month).
however, i discovered on time that it is not right to do.
Jws essentially just believe the new testament was just written for the annoited which can only later be understood by the magical seven.
Blah blah blah
after reading some experiences, i have found that this organization has had quite a big change in its operations within the last decade.
back when i was talking to the ocassional witnesses at a local hotspot i remember some of them having respectable intelligence.
what i want to know though is those who have been aquainted with who they felt were more educated and independent in thinking, how they handled the rapid changes.
I got into a debate one time with a Christian guy about jesus as god in the flesh. He didnt waste his time with the typical proof texts and such because most of that has been changed in new world translation. He showed me how the new testament referances the old testament and what the authors were talking about. Especially the direct references to word of the lord in the old testament. It was pretty straight foward. I even doubled checked it against secular sources like Bart Erham and it was pretty much the same.
Now you can question the legitimacy of the bible but you really question the authors intent.
Then i tried to pin down my beliefs as a witness (unbaptised). I then realized that i didn't have any. I could'nt pin down any tenets of my faith. All i did was go door to door with a briefcase full of books playing silly bugger full of ridiculous circular nonsense that i didnt understand.
Then i realized no on understood it. Doctors, engineers, lawyers. We are all the same.
It scares me.
i remember clearly the many times that in the past they have insisted on not showing their faces out in the street on this day.
i am exaggerating.
but i mean they've always insisted on being out and about very early on christmas day... preaching.. most elders in my congregation believed this was the best time to preach since most people were celebrating a religious holiday.
I always thought holiday witnesses was kind of a taboo thing to do. At least it is here.
i'll start with the first study article.. this study article deals with vows made to jehovah.
three main vows are discussed.. 1) your dedication to jehovah.
we are told that it is not possible to claim that our baptism was not valid .
I think us ubm have always known we don't have a snowballs chance in hell with the wts upholding the sanctity of our unions.
No real suprise here.
i'll start with the first study article.. this study article deals with vows made to jehovah.
three main vows are discussed.. 1) your dedication to jehovah.
we are told that it is not possible to claim that our baptism was not valid .
Good god
Can't people tell the difference between a bible study and a cult indoctrination session. Its literally like they have stopped trying to pretend they are a religion or Christianity.
I think or at least hope the constant threatening of the rank and file will do more to wake people. Maybe not in this generation but the next one. I currently live next door to an elder in which 3 out of his 4 children didnt become dubs.
