Also if you want one of the most balanced, unbiased, and thorough critiques of Russell and the very early days, B.W.Schulz & R.M Vienne (who post here occasionally I think) are some of the best and most diligent scholars publishing material on this era. You can get their books on Lulu.
doubtfull1799
JoinedPosts by doubtfull1799
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43
JW Refutations of Criticism of Russell and Rutherford
by Duvduv incan someone direct me to jw refutations of the harsh criticisms of charles russell and judge rutherford that are on the internet and youtube?
i am a fair person and insist on hearing both sides to a controversy.
in this case, i would like to know what traditional yw responds to such personal criticisms and alleged changes in beliefs.
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43
JW Refutations of Criticism of Russell and Rutherford
by Duvduv incan someone direct me to jw refutations of the harsh criticisms of charles russell and judge rutherford that are on the internet and youtube?
i am a fair person and insist on hearing both sides to a controversy.
in this case, i would like to know what traditional yw responds to such personal criticisms and alleged changes in beliefs.
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doubtfull1799
Read the Proclaimers book - that pretty much sums up the Watchtower side of the story.
Then get a hold of a series of articles in Watchtower from the early days called "Harvest Siftings" and you'll see both sides of the Rutherford takeover were actually published, but only one side is represented in the Proclaimers version. There are many scholars who have done thorough independent research on the early days of the Society and if you do your own research you will quickly discover that the Proclaimers book is revisionist history at its finest. There is no discussion of some of the Watchtowers greatest controversies like the Walsh trial or the Moyle trial. Also look up the Societies own actual membership statistics which are available in the predecessor of the Proclaimers book, "JW's in the Divine Purpose" and you will clearly see that around 75% of followers left the org after the controversial failed Rutherford prophesy of 1925, not just "a few disgruntled members" that the Proclaimers book claims.
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My Conversation With JW's Last Night
by TD inthe subject was how long humans have been on the earth.
although i'm posting this under "jokes & humor" this is (sadly) only a slight exaggeration:.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b_0cfmq1nu.
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doubtfull1799
That was brilliant - thanks for sharing!
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The 'IN' families
by punkofnice inone thing i don't miss about being a jobo, is those families that ruled the congregations.. i've seen how the elders protected their own using our old friend, nepotism.. eg.
the son of an elder that stole a car and was prosecuted but 'let off' because it was kept secret and all his relatives were elders in the same congregation.
it certainly went on when i was an elder but i wasn't one of the 'in' crowd.
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doubtfull1799
I served as an elder for nearly 20 years and I can tell you from personal experience that nepotism was one of the the greatest failings amongst elders. I served with many good and sincere elders and well as some rotten eggs along the way, but even the good ones often gave into nepotism, either by promoting their children to readily for privileges, or by protecting their children from discipline or judicial actions.
@JTrottigy - if you believe nepotism doesn't exist in the org you either have no experience in the matter, or you are delusional. I have witnessed personally dozens of cases of it in my time. Yes, on paper it is something that Witnesses don't approve of and good men actively try to avoid, but the reality is far different from the intentions.
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Do Jehovah's Witnesses fulfill Matthew 24:14?
by jwdoctrine indo witnesses fulfill matthew 24:14?.
do witnesses fulfill matthew 24:14?.
(youtube video link above).
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doubtfull1799
No.
1. They have not preached to the entire inhabited earth - about a third of the word (Muslim countries, North Korea, Communist dictatorships etc) is not being actively preached to in the way it is being done in the Wester world.
2. They have created their own definition of what the "good news" is, they are not merely preaching Christs resurrection, which was the so-called Good News of the NT.
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Holy spirit
by mrssauk inwhat is the difference (if any) between being guided by holy spirit and being inspired by holy spirit?
is it just semantics?.
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doubtfull1799
Absolutely it is playing semantics. This is the core question that started my awakening process.
In fact you can make a good case that being "guided" should be amore accurate and perfect process than being "inspired!"
I am a photographer and if I do a job where someone "inspired" me then end result is my creation, it may just be influenced from an idea or a piece that someone else created. The person or work inspiring me has little control over the end result. Whereas if someone is "directing" me in the job then they have full control over the end result, they will be specifying how I do it and what the end result looks like. The have control of the accuracy of how the final image looks.
When you look at it that way, it is "direction" that should lead to infallibility, not "inspiration!"
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Pioneers, Prayers and Pills
by Wake Me Up Before You Jo-Ho inlooking back on my two decades as a jehovah’s witness, i’ve come to realize how the constant theme of endurance is playing a detrimental role on the individual's psyche.. jehovah’s witnesses have become far too good at keeping going.
they’re experts at surrendering to the demands of the watchtower, living up to what’s expected of them, and getting on with the priorities that those in power have defined and imposed upon them.
they keep showing up, presenting themselves a dutiful pioneer or ministerial servant.
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doubtfull1799
Some amazing insights - great post @Wakemeup
Another way of saying endurance in the JW context is "expectation postponed" and we know where that leads.... "makes the heart sick." Even if you don't believe the Bible is inspired anymore (as I don't) it still has some valid points to make on human nature... add toxic shame into the mix, that constant feeling engendered in you that you aren't good enough or that you aren't doing enough and you have a powder keg.
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Giving the GB a Windows Version Name
by AllTimeJeff ini don't know which version of gb we are on.
(also unknown, which "old light" doctrines they changed to conveniently fortify their own position, when i was at gilead in 2005, i called them 2.0 because the last of the old guard was dying off.. for those associated with "ancient" history, windows started to come in their own with 3.0 and 3.1 in the early 1990s.
that is, until windows 95 happened, and the ubiquitous start button was first introduced.
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doubtfull1799
Great idea. If only they would. Come clean, air out all the old skeletons in the closet they have been hiding and covering up for decades and start fresh. If only such honesty weren't so damaging to their narrative... It would take great courage, courage I don't think they possess.
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The Forgery of an Antique God
by TerryWalstrom inin the world of antiquities, especially that of bronze art, specifically heads, would you be surprised or alarmed to discover that experts estimate about half of all the art sold at auction and donated to museums around the world.... consists of forgeries?while you're digesting the news of corrupt practice, let me raise a rather vexatious collateral issue for your consideration:.
auction houses keep silent about this fraud.in fact, it has been asserted by investigators specializing in such fraud, it is largely the auction houses submitting these works at auction under fake identities so they cannot be directly held liable for illicit transactions.
proving they've knowingly done so is too problematic to pass muster.one expert who exposed such a fraud was sued by the auction house and forced toward financial settlement out of court under the libel laws.now why mention all the above in the first place?for one reason only, the same thing occurs in the religious transactions of jehovah's witnesses.the auction house (watchtower corporation) represents its salvific theology as authentic and transacts with potential converts so's they pay for such art (ful fraud) by giving their lives, honor, and sacred service in exchange.when flaws are found, instead of owning up to the illicit enterprise, they seek legal redress or prosecute the accuser through coercive threats of disfellowship.now here is another insidious parallel.
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doubtfull1799
I like the analogy, I think its a good one. Thanks for sharing...
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The urban legends we heard as JWs!
by stuckinarut2 inhow often have we heard some sort of sensationalist urban legend as jws?.
here is an example i was told as a kid:.
the experience of a sister who knocked on a door and was greeted by a big fierce looking man- intimidating and mean.
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doubtfull1799
Smurfs
Demonized objects form yard sales
Poltergeist stories
In fact the whole satanic panic in the 80's led me to having nightmares for years. In fact it was not till I woke up a couple of years ago that I stopped having "demon" nightmares in association with my sleep paralysis.