Posts by Rattigan350

33

A Different View of "Peace and Security"

by Bobcat in

since the wt this week has the prediction of a "peace and security" event, i thought i would include a comment from the new american commentary (nac, d. michael martin, pp.159-60) on 1 thessalonians 5:2, 3.. here is the wt's position, according to this week's wt study (sep 2012 study edition, pp.3 4):.

1 th 5:2, 3 is a "future development.".

it happens "just before that day of jehovah.".

Rattigan350

There are many things wrong with their position on this.

1. It is not a prophesy as Paul was not a prophet.

2. A declaration of Peace and Security would only mean something when there has been no peace. But there has been peace for many decades. What significance is this "declaration"?

3. This was referring to Jerusalem's destruction in 70Ce, not our day. There is no Jerusalem under attack today.

For decades Witnesses have been getting excited when the pope or president says "peace and security., it hasn't meant anything.

53

2014 DC: Fewer, but larger venues in the U.S.

by doinmypart in

jw
friends

in the u.s. there are fewer venues this year, but they will be held in larger facilities.

as long as i can remember my family travelled no more than 2 hours to attend and in the last few years the dc was local (within a few minutes travel).

this year my family is driving 6 hours to a major u.s. city.

Rattigan350

Also because fewer conventions means fewer plane fares for Bethel speakers.

62

Well my JW elder dad has lost his job...

by BU2B in

as a little background, my dad became a jw in 1980 i think, went to bethel, married my mom in 86' went back for another year and then i came along... he worked in the auto repair shop at bethel while he was there, and upon leaving, continued working in this field.

my whole life they have been the type of jw parents that tell you how you will never get to high school, never graduate it, never get married in this system, never have children in this system etc.. i say this to illustrate the end is just around the corner attitude they have always had, probably because they fully bought/buy into the hype at the conventions/wt articles.

my father has no plan in place for retirement, and he is physically slowing down doing such hard laborious work.

Rattigan350

Just don't help them financially. They will still apportion some for the WWW no matter how poor they are. They need to learn to prioritize.

There are those who are unemployed that will put something in the contribution box, thinking that they are seeking the kingdom and the rest will be provided. My theory is that they are going to the meetings and contributing, then why would Jesus help them, they are already doing those things. Stop doing those things because of lack of money and then he provides.

22

WT's Crazed Obsession!

by JW GoneBad in

i have recently read for the umpteenth time the 4 gospel accounts.

what caught my attention this time around was how many times jesus makes mention of the endeared expression father (with f in caps) when referring to his god as recorded by matthew, mark, luke and john.. what was also interesting by comparison is how little jesus actually makes reference to his father on a first name basis (jehovah) in these four books.. note my findings with the help of the comprehensive concordance:.

jehovah: matthew 11 times mark 8 times luke 26 times john 4 times (total 49 times).. father: mathew 43 times mark 4 times luke 21 times john 119 times (total 187 times).. .

Rattigan350

@Comatose

I'm pretty positive Jesus is not quoted as saying Jehovah

I'm pretty positive that no one said "Jesus" either. No one used "J" back then. They said Yeshua when referring to him. But now a days we use Jesus to refer to him. Because of that I don't have a problem with the English Jehovah. If you are going to have a problem with Jehovah, then you will find the same problem with all other J names in the Bible.

22

WT's Crazed Obsession!

by JW GoneBad in

i have recently read for the umpteenth time the 4 gospel accounts.

what caught my attention this time around was how many times jesus makes mention of the endeared expression father (with f in caps) when referring to his god as recorded by matthew, mark, luke and john.. what was also interesting by comparison is how little jesus actually makes reference to his father on a first name basis (jehovah) in these four books.. note my findings with the help of the comprehensive concordance:.

jehovah: matthew 11 times mark 8 times luke 26 times john 4 times (total 49 times).. father: mathew 43 times mark 4 times luke 21 times john 119 times (total 187 times).. .

Rattigan350

@designer stubble:

You are aware that "Jehovah" does not appear in original text of the New Testament at all. All 237 times have been added by the WTBTS

You are incorrect.

Matt 4:10 NIV "Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." The footnote reads Deut 6:13

Deut 6:13 ASV "Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; and him shalt thou serve, and shalt swear by his name." The tetragrammaton does appear there.

So, if the NIV is correct, then Jesus lied because what the NIV records was not written. What was written was "Yĕhovah". Since Jesus gave correct quotes and not lied, he used God's name.

So what appears in the original text of the NT does not matter. What Jesus said matters. And he said correct quotes.

17

The new light changes from the draw close to Jehovah printed form vs online form.

by EndofMysteries in

the changes are in paragraph 7 and 8 in the first chapter of draw close to jehovah book, and i fail to see any doctrine change, only the gb trying to cover up possible mistakes they've made and potential embarrassment of worldly sources knowing what jehovah's name means while they were wrong.

let's examine this new light they quote with this letter.

let's see a word for word comparison on what many will be talking about in meetings about the wonderful new light and evidence that they are the faithful slave...... .

Rattigan350

Did the GB never read Ex 6:3, in their own bible it says this,,,"And I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as God Almighty, but as respects my name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them."

The theory is that he informed Adam and Eve of his name and they knew it from on down to Jacob, but he did not make the meaning and power known.

46

2014 -2015 District Convention Theme - unofficial-

by WatchTower87 in

jw
friends

unofficial theme:.

-the end (of watchtower) is near!

- lets kingdom come bis.

Rattigan350

The theme is "Trust in Me"

Kaa

39

Where is the MONEY REALLY GOING? -- Special Assembly Days, etc

by EyeDrEvil in

i have always wondered why it cost so much to "rent" the space used for local special assembly days and circuit assemblies.... in our case, the society built a large assembly hall, on donated farm land (= free), in the middle of some corn fields 20 miles outside of columbus, ohio... the property has a couple of apartments where some of the travelling overseers live, who help with the upkeep of the building.

cleaning the building was taken care of because of our "privilege" to go out the day before the assembly to get it in good shape (free housekeeping and maintenance work).. so, the society owns the building.

it was built on free land.

Rattigan350

Ok, question. It is stated here that Assembly deficits will cause a letter to the congregations to make it up and if the congregations don't cover the CO's expenses then he reports it to Brooklyn.

What then happens to the congregations if they don't do anything?

33

What is the Real Financial Cost of a Circuit Assembly?

by FairMind in

jw
friends

my congregation along with about thirty others attends circuit assemblies at a facility that is owned by the organization (a converted school).

this building also has a section that serves as a kh for three local congregations.

i have noticed that when the financial reports are read at the assemblies that the expense (which is not detailed) is always around $4,000.

Rattigan350

But that's ignoring the real cash cow, and the real reason for these events: the $3000-4000 donation generated at every assembly day.

Yes, that is the real reason, and what if they did not meet the amount to even break even after that donation. They would have to stop making those donations. What would the society do if those donations to the WWW stop and only assembly expenses are covered? They would stop the assemblies. Close the unprofitable stores, like any other business. The blessings of a bad economy.

55

Is there Racial harmony among the JWs?

by Amazing in

jw
friends

when i joined the jws, racial issues were not really discussed much, other than some mention in the material given to me during my bible study in the "truth" book.

our kingdom hall had only one dark skinned individual, who is portguese, and one of the anointed.

i believe that he is now deceased.

Rattigan350

Smiddy said:

Racial harmony ? segregation ? Are those two terms compatible ? In America before the 1960`s when segregation was enforced , JW`s complied ,KH`s had segregated people , blacks in their halls , whites in their halls never the two to meet .A white man could not go to a KH with the blacks , and a black man could not walk into a KH full of whites .And jehovahs witnesses whatever colour made sure that never happened. Why ? because it is the law they said. We must pay ceasers thing to ceaser but Gods things to God . Hang on, didn`t they break the law when it suited them to get their way and proclaim they were champions of freedom ? in their going from door to door , witnessing etc.? They broke existing laws.

This is something I have heard and if I was living in that time, I would go to any KH that I wanted to, to support my brothers. Being white, I like going to the predominately black congregations because the rebel in me likes the defiance of segregation.

But other than this I don't see racism in the organization. But that was not racism in itself.

Today there are even black churches that advertise themselves as African American and black only or white only.