http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/14/us/sunday-stickup/index.html.
i thought this article had some interesting interesting comments including this, "if a pastor or church leader has ever told you that the bible commands christians to tithe or give 10% of their income; hit you up for multiple offerings during one service; made you march up front to give; asked you to donate to a mysterious "building fund" or give a "first-fruit" offering; or even given special recognition to big givers in your congregation, lee and other pastors have a message for you:.
you are getting played.. these rituals, they say, violate new testament teachings about how and why people should give.
Point three for me too:
"Now he watches a widow get devoured -- she is giving everything to a religious institution that he has already shown is not worthy of her," Albertson writes in an essay, "Rethinking the Widow's Mite."
"This is not a heartwarming story of a generous giver," he says. "This is a heartbreaking story of exploitation."
I never saw it this way.
Thanks to JakeM2012 for posting this article.
in our super cappy fallacious public talk today.
i kept hearing "we do jehovahs will" "do jehovahs will" "not our will...jehovahs" there was a lot of crap in the talk to be irritated by.
but this got me thinking.... if you are required under penalty of death!
Jehova holds a gun to my head and says: "Do my will - or you will die."
No free will at all.
clarified understandings / new light of the past 7 years or so:.
* the faithful and discreet slave is only the governing body and only since 1919.. * the faithful slave was appointed in 1919 by jesus but it will not receive its greater authority until the judgment of the sheep and goats.. * charles taze russell was not part of the faithful and discreet slave.. * there was no slave for 1900 years before 1919.. * there may not have been any anointed during those 1900 years, but it's possible there were a few.. * 1935 was not the cut-off date for the selection of the anointed-- this selection is still ongoing.
* 1935 has no special biblical significance.. * 1918 has no special biblical significance.. * gog of magog is not satan, but is a coalition of nations, who may be ruled by the mysterious king of the north.. * there is no evil slave class.
Thanks
clarified understandings / new light of the past 7 years or so:.
* the faithful and discreet slave is only the governing body and only since 1919.. * the faithful slave was appointed in 1919 by jesus but it will not receive its greater authority until the judgment of the sheep and goats.. * charles taze russell was not part of the faithful and discreet slave.. * there was no slave for 1900 years before 1919.. * there may not have been any anointed during those 1900 years, but it's possible there were a few.. * 1935 was not the cut-off date for the selection of the anointed-- this selection is still ongoing.
* 1935 has no special biblical significance.. * 1918 has no special biblical significance.. * gog of magog is not satan, but is a coalition of nations, who may be ruled by the mysterious king of the north.. * there is no evil slave class.
* If God was not going to resurrect a certain person if they died at Armageddon, then He also won't resurrect that person if they die prior to Armageddon.
Where you found this? Source please. THANKS.
if you had to pinpoint the time or experience that finally made you open your eyes, what would it be?.
i think for me it was the time i saw my dad shun his brother who he had not seen in decades just because he was a da'ed jw.
i thought to my self "no way jesus would do that.
For me 3 points:
- why no longer meals at the conventions?
- why no longer money for the publications?
- why the amount of a sold kingdomhall is not used for buying the new one?
I found all the RIGHT answers here and on jwfacts.
The I studied the bible very deep . The end: I saw TTATT
my wife has just left for the convention.
i dread it.
she will come home tired and cranky as always.
@ zeb
Maybe you can prepare a nice candle-light-dinner for her.
The whole convention she only had dry bread or soggy salad with water.
Your dinner and the wine would remind her, how nice it would be - to stay at home and maybe watch the convention on the PC or TV. After all the convention talks about "showing love like jesus" it would be great to show her the "real love".
Just my 2 cents.
i guess the branch isn't happy with the amount being sent each month since we are way lower than our loan amount.
we now have to another financial survey to see the max amount that can be given.
it is "encouraged" for all to be in attendance and give much forethought and consideration to the amount you can donate each month.
WT 2015-09-01 says:
how many times have elders read their bible in its entirety?
these are the leaders that give counsel to married couples, to teenagers, to single girls and single boys on everything from marriage, education, sex, association, dress, and recreation..
how well do they know their bible?
My last question to an elder (during luch together with his wife) about a doctrine ended with the following sentence:
"You have the library and you can search. Have a close look there about your question!".
So this was 5 years ago and I searched in the wt library AND in the intenet. So I could see the TTATT.
Like Phizzy said:
I have learned the truth about the Bible, and learned what it really says, since leaving the JW's.
tomorrow's wt study, paragraph 4 says this - "the early bible students understood the expression rendered in the king james version "my brethren" to refer to those who would rule with christ as well as to all of mankind after they are restored to earthly perfection.".
rutherford decided in 1923 to change this teaching, and create an elite group of christians.
for 92 years the men running the wtbts have perpetuated & embellished this false teaching - especially so during the past three years - and hidden the bible truth about christ's brothers from millions of people fearful to question the org - created doctrine!.
stuckinarut2
... Then they say the Only way to show love is by preaching!
I got your point. But to be fair, they don't say "only way". Anyhow, nowhere in the bible I can find a prioritization, which type of "showing love" is more importend than an other type.
----------- wt quotes ---------------
... one of the primary ways (study)
And one of the primary ways we show love for God, for Christ, and for our neighbor is by preaching the good news of the Kingdom.
... the best way (simplified edition)
And the best way we show that love is by telling people about the good news of the Kingdom.
back in the 1960's early 70's i remember my congregation going on a witch hunt and making a list of products, ice creams, confectionary or anything that might contain blood!.
i remember one zealous brother asking an ice cream vendor if the ice cream contained blood.
the vendor just looked gone out!.
Always the same:
1) is there a little bit of blood in this ... included?
2) is there a little bit of pagan historie in this ... involved?
3) is there a little bit of military in this ... involved?
4) is there a little bit of "great babylon" in this ... involved?
5) is there a little bit of "stumbling my brothers & sisters" in this ... possible?
For ... you can fill in "sausage", "holiday", "work", "clothes" and a lot more words.
Knowing TTATT helped me to escape from all this sickening considerations.
Have a nice weekend all around the word
