Posts by doubtfull1799

3

Update on my “Satan” Study

by Doug Mason in

after releasing my study, “satan.

lucifer.

devil”, i came across additional supporting information in the book, “crucible of faith” and in two articles at the biblical archaeology society.. as well as including passages from these resources, i restructured the chapters up to and including the chapter on qumran (essenes).. i added the word “revised” to the cover and to the filename:.

doubtfull1799

Elaine Pagels has written a great book on the history of "the Satan"

5

Do not blow a trumpet ahead of you....

by doubtfull1799 in

this latest video shows shot after shot of gb member mark sanderson helping/comforting/consoling/encouraging etc etc like he is some saint offering spiritual "gifts of mercy" - it seems that when mark decided to have himself videoed in this manner he forgot jesus words in matthew 6:1-4 .

https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/global/love-in-action-hurricane-irma-maria-relief-work/.

doubtfull1799

This latest video shows shot after shot of GB member Mark Sanderson helping/comforting/consoling/encouraging etc etc like he is some saint offering spiritual "gifts of mercy" - It seems that when Mark decided to have himself videoed in this manner he forgot Jesus words in Matthew 6:1-4

https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/global/love-in-action-hurricane-irma-maria-relief-work/

14

Trump mentality = Watchtower mentality

by doubtfull1799 in

the fake news is working overtime.

just reported that, despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91% of the network news about me is negative (fake).

why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt?

doubtfull1799

The Fake News is working overtime. Just reported that, despite the tremendous success we are having with the economy & all things else, 91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake). Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?

- Donald Trump

Since the deliberate spreading of wrong information and the distorting of facts are common, we have good reason to be cautious and to evaluate carefully what we hear.... We should not waste our time viewing questionable Internet news sites or reading unsubstantiated reports circulated via e-mail. It is especially important to avoid websites promoted by apostates. Their whole purpose is to tear down God’s people and to distort the truth.... We need to be especially cautious when we come across reports regarding Jehovah’s people. Never forget that Satan is the accuser of God’s faithful servants. (Rev. 12:10) Therefore, Jesus warned that opposers would “lyingly say every sort of wicked thing” against us. (Matt. 5:11) If we take that warning seriously, we will not be shocked when we hear outrageous statements about Jehovah’s people.....

- Aug 2018 Study Edition

Trump and Watchtower are in perfect harmony - they both believe that negative or critical news about them = fake news.

3

How is watchtower written? Who takes decision for information?

by asp59 in

i wonder about this subject.

if there's a struggle among does in bethel what to write.

cause most times is preach preach.

doubtfull1799

I should add that when I say "research" I don't mean in the normal sense of researching to find out the facts of something, rather the research was more to quote mine and find something we could use to support a pre-exisitng conclusion, opinion or doctrine. Or something we could use to "prove" bible prophecy or the "wisdom" of bible principles etc.... If we came across evidence that didn't fit the picture we were trying to portray we would just ignore it or try to misrepresent it in some way so as to reject it...

3

How is watchtower written? Who takes decision for information?

by asp59 in

i wonder about this subject.

if there's a struggle among does in bethel what to write.

cause most times is preach preach.

doubtfull1799

I can't give you much insight on how the main study articles are prepared, but I can tell you how many of the auxiliary articles and feature articles in the Awake used to be prepared when I worked on a remote writing desk in my country.

First we would come up with an idea for an article that we thought would have good broad interest.

Next we would do some initial research and put together a one page outline of the topic we had in mind, showing the main points we proposed to highlight and the thrust of the material we planned to develop.

That outline would get sent to the US head office for approval by the writing desk there. If the outline was approved they would send the outline back to our branch with a go ahead to write the article along with an indication of how long they would like the article to be and for which magazine... For example they might say they would like the outline to be developed into an Awake cover series of 8 pages.

From there we would do more research and try to find studies or quotes or statistics etc that we could use to support the points we were trying to make and we would incorporate this into a written article. Then we would send that into the branch writing desk where another brother would edit it and send it back to us for a rewrite. Then we would fix all the issues and send it back for another round of editing before it was sent of to the US branch.

In the US brach the article would be further edited and possibly combined with other research that wsa perhaps done on the subject by another writing team in a different part of the world. Once the article was completed it would go into an index for possible use. A compiler would go through all the articles and select the ones that would go in any particular issue of the magazine according the the head office priorities or needs etc...

Hope that helps to understand the process!

Often we would come up with the ideas and other times the society would send us subjects to write about based on what Circuit Overseers suggested as needs in the field etc....

7

AwakeI explains differences in Scripture quotations

by Doug Mason in

this article in the awake!

of november 22, 1968 discusses reasons for differences between quotations in the new testament (“christian scriptures”) and their hebrew or septuagint sources.. http://www.jwstudies.com/awake__nov_22__1968__was_the_writer_quoting.pdf .

doug.

doubtfull1799

So basically they're claiming the Septuagint was an inspired translation?

And laying the scriptural foundation for misquoting, their favourite hobby?

12

So much wrong with today's text....

by doubtfull1799 in

"jehovah takes the initiative to bless his loyal servants.".

this statement is a contradiction or on oxymoron or something.... if they already had to demonstrate loyalty before he acted then he did not take the initiative!.

our faith is not complete unless we are convinced that jehovah will reward....yes faith involves the certain expectation of gods promised blessings.. so they condemn people for "serving to a date", the carrot if you like, and being disappointed when there blessings do not materialise at the promised time... yet say that the carrot is an important part of faith!!!.

doubtfull1799

No I don't do the daily text or have the booklet, but i have the App and I see it sometimes when I look something up for research purposes.

12

So much wrong with today's text....

by doubtfull1799 in

"jehovah takes the initiative to bless his loyal servants.".

this statement is a contradiction or on oxymoron or something.... if they already had to demonstrate loyalty before he acted then he did not take the initiative!.

our faith is not complete unless we are convinced that jehovah will reward....yes faith involves the certain expectation of gods promised blessings.. so they condemn people for "serving to a date", the carrot if you like, and being disappointed when there blessings do not materialise at the promised time... yet say that the carrot is an important part of faith!!!.

doubtfull1799

Good point @Liew, highlights another absurdity of the text....

12

So much wrong with today's text....

by doubtfull1799 in

"jehovah takes the initiative to bless his loyal servants.".

this statement is a contradiction or on oxymoron or something.... if they already had to demonstrate loyalty before he acted then he did not take the initiative!.

our faith is not complete unless we are convinced that jehovah will reward....yes faith involves the certain expectation of gods promised blessings.. so they condemn people for "serving to a date", the carrot if you like, and being disappointed when there blessings do not materialise at the promised time... yet say that the carrot is an important part of faith!!!.

doubtfull1799

"Jehovah takes the initiative to bless his loyal servants."

This statement is a contradiction or on oxymoron or something.... if they already had to demonstrate loyalty before he acted then he did not take the initiative!

Our faith is not complete unless we are convinced that Jehovah will reward....Yes faith involves the certain expectation of Gods promised blessings.

So they condemn people for "serving to a date", the carrot if you like, and being disappointed when there blessings do not materialise at the promised time... yet say that the carrot is an important part of faith!!!

25

Jesus—a real, historical person

by Ireneus in

jesus was a real and historical person (not the way jws or the rest of the people think him to be) because of the following historical facts:.

1) the fact that the most influential political establishment of that time (roman empire) was convinced that jesus’ name would sell to suit their political agenda (to promote slavery) shows that jesus was as historical as roman empire itself; hence they implanted slavery-friendly verses into the bible as though spoken by jesus (such as mathew 5:39, 41; 24:45 ..etc) this was in contrast to the real personality jesus really was—he was a man of courage, who ‘walked alone to do what is right if those invited refused to accompany him.’ when his family and disciples were fond of sleeping, his delight was to spend early morning hours alone, in meditation, with god to the extent he could say he was “one” with qualities of god.

(mark 1:35; john 8:1, 2; 10:30) such a person would naturally be too famous and too crowd-pulling against whom even the influential people were helpless even when they were whipped out of the temple which reminds us of “hollywood rambo style” merely because of his moral authority (not that he had any supernatural powers to perform miracles).. 2) similarly, emerging religion (apostate christianity) too knew they could misuse the name of jesus to serve its commercial agenda.

doubtfull1799

Well you've just highlighted the problem right there. Wiht no original sources to check, and no outside corroboration from other historians other than Christian sources, we have no way of knowing what Jesus actually said, versus what others "put into his mouth" years later! How then do you separate the man from the myth, even if there was a real man to begin with?