Posts by mizpah

26

Sacred Geometry and the Tetragrammaton - Why YHWH is NOT a Name

by SanFranciscoJim in

for the past several years, i have become very interested in metaphysics.

i've taken courses in studies called "sacred geometry" and "hyperdimensional physics" with professors from u.c.

berkeley and u.c.

mizpah

SS:

I question your theory that the Bible was used as a device to police and control people. The fact is that the Catholic church made the production and reading of the Bible a capital offense. It kept it as a "forbidden book" for generations only to be read and used by the clergy of the church. Finally, when courageous men like Wycliff and Tyndale along with others produced and distributed the Bible in the vernacular people saw just how unscriptural the Church was and threw off its yoke of slavery.

The Bible was actually a book of liberation and freedom. It was the institution of the church that policed and oppressed the people.

30

hidden messages in the bible

by invictus in

have you heard of chuck missler?

i just got his booklet " hidden treasures in the bible", and this is an interesting statement:.

( comparing names in hebrew and their english meaning).

mizpah

The trouble with most people/authors who claim to have a special insight into the Bible is that they encouage you to become dependent upon them for this "key" to understand it. So, you buy more of their books or contribute to their organizations. And then you're right back into a similar situation that Jehovah's Witnesses are with the Watchtower Society.

There is enough learning in Christ's teaching of love to last one a lifetime. It is not hard to understand. And one does not need another man or organization to explain the "secret." True, there are things in the Bible "hard to understand." But usually none of these teachings are essential to living a good life that is beneficial for you and for your neighbor. And that is the simplicity of Christ's teachings.

45

My Sister's Wedding - Good and Bad News

by kelpie in

ok.. firstly let me see i can explain this with out too much rambling..... for those who know me, know that i was disfellowshiped in june this year.

before this time, my mother, stepfather and sister shunned me.

since my disfellowshipping, i have not had contact with my parents and an occasional text message from my sister.. i found out last week that my sister was getting married on the saturday just gone (11th october) so i decided to give her a call on friday to wish her luck for her wedding.

mizpah

kelpie:

Be aware that the elders may try to impose conditions upon you if you decide to be reinstated. A friend of mine met with the elders with this purpose in mind. They said that they would not reconsider a reinstatement unless he attended the meetings regularly, went out in field service again and abided by all the rules and regulations of the organization. They asked him specifics. For example, they asked him whether he would a withhold blood transfusions from his children in an emergency situation. He simply could not agree to all the terms.

Of course, this friend had disassociated himself. So, the rules may be a little different from a disfellowshipped individual. But the elders are aware that some former members may try to get back for the purposes you mentioned: family association, etc.

26

Sacred Geometry and the Tetragrammaton - Why YHWH is NOT a Name

by SanFranciscoJim in

for the past several years, i have become very interested in metaphysics.

i've taken courses in studies called "sacred geometry" and "hyperdimensional physics" with professors from u.c.

berkeley and u.c.

mizpah

I tend to agree with SixofNine. The Bible was written mainly for the average person of limited education. But there has always seem to be a tendency down through history to make it a book of "hidden mystery" which only the true believers have the "key of understanding."

The Jews dissected and analyzed nearly every word in the Old Testament to produce their Talmud. It took their scholars and Rabbis to explain the meaning of it to their members. The Catholic church made it a forbidden book only accessable to priests and other leaders in the Church. Only they were "educated" enough to explain it to their members.

True, there are things hard to understand in the Bible. But it is mostly because we are removed from the authors and their times to have a fuller understanding of what was written.

34

"Why Are Jehovah's Witnesses So Sure That They Have The Right Religion?"

by minimus in

that question is raised on page 709 in the "proclaimers" book.

notice the answer the book gives.

"because they believe and accept what the bible says as to the identifying marks of true worshipers.

mizpah

As I recall, this idea of "sifting" has been in long use by the Watchtower Society to explain major defections from the organization. I heard this same argument by the older members in the early 1950s to explain why so many left during the Russell/Rutherford transition.

But I have heard that the younger ones in the congregation do not have the same drive and zeal that was seen in the early period of the movement. Perhaps, we are seeing evidence of a moderation in the organization that is starting from bottom up. What do you think?

19

The necessity of "Spiritualizing" prophecy fullfillment

by refiners fire in

the watchtower organization has certainly, in times past, taken an absolute position on the matter of interpreting prophetic scripture passages.

but they are not the only ones guilty of that crime.

it is easy to demonstrate the same pattern from adventism, and ( as i have done previously) from many other churches of the ?born again?

mizpah

RF:

One of the scariest cults is Scientology. Scientologists have used threats and strong armed tactics to silence their opposition. One of their favorite tactics is to counter-sue litigants in long and protracted law suits that exhausts the financial means of an individual.

Sadly, this seems to be the latest tactic used by the Watchtower Society in the sexual abuse cases. For example: The case involving Vicki Boer in Canada.

45

My Sister's Wedding - Good and Bad News

by kelpie in

ok.. firstly let me see i can explain this with out too much rambling..... for those who know me, know that i was disfellowshiped in june this year.

before this time, my mother, stepfather and sister shunned me.

since my disfellowshipping, i have not had contact with my parents and an occasional text message from my sister.. i found out last week that my sister was getting married on the saturday just gone (11th october) so i decided to give her a call on friday to wish her luck for her wedding.

mizpah

kelpie:

I am sorry that the wedding was a painful and disruptive occasion. It should have been joyous and happy one for all the family. But the organization and its rules interfere with normal human relationships.

I have to agree with Blondie. It is not the people. They are victims of the system too. They sincerely believe they are obeying Jehovah when following Watchtower rules. It is the organization that is cruel and heartless in setting these rules and forcing members to abide by them.

As painful as it is, people like your sister will discern the cruelty of it all. It will be another chink in the armor of the Watchtower defense. In the meantime, take advantage of your association with family members. You could be the source of freeing them from this spiritual slavery.

19

The necessity of "Spiritualizing" prophecy fullfillment

by refiners fire in

the watchtower organization has certainly, in times past, taken an absolute position on the matter of interpreting prophetic scripture passages.

but they are not the only ones guilty of that crime.

it is easy to demonstrate the same pattern from adventism, and ( as i have done previously) from many other churches of the ?born again?

mizpah

OHappyDay:

Yes, if the scrolls found in the caves at Qumran are those of the Essenes, they did divide the world into the "righteous" (themselves") and the "unrighteous" (all others). They considered themselves God's favored people who would survive the destruction of Jerusalem and the corrupt priesthood. Instead, they were destroyed along with other Jews by the Romans.

But this view was also held by many Christians as well. The Catholic church has only moderated its views in recent years. But it was clear that originally the Church taught that there was no salvation outside the church. They persecuted and murdered other Christians as "heretics" and "apostates." They equated their Church with God.

All this has a familiar ring to it. The Watchtower as "God's organization" feels that there is no salvation outside of its domain. They spiritually "kill" all apostates and condemn all other Christians to destruction at Armageddon. They anticipate the time when 6 billion people will be destroyed by God.

19

The necessity of "Spiritualizing" prophecy fullfillment

by refiners fire in

the watchtower organization has certainly, in times past, taken an absolute position on the matter of interpreting prophetic scripture passages.

but they are not the only ones guilty of that crime.

it is easy to demonstrate the same pattern from adventism, and ( as i have done previously) from many other churches of the ?born again?

mizpah

RF:

Yes, your assumption is correct. Augustine planted the seed that the "kingdom of God" was being fulfilled in the Church itself rather than a future event to come upon earth. This "city of God" (the Church" was in contrast to the "city of man", the pagan world.

That is why many Catholics were concerned with the approach of the new millenium. (1000 CE) If the Church was the kingdom of God, then the end of the 1000 years meant the loosing of Satan and a time of war and persecution as foretold in the Apocalypse. But the time passed without realizing these events. But the idea of the church being the "city of God" remained.

14

Reformers repeat mistake....

by mizpah in

i'm reading a fascinating book, god's best seller, by brian moynahan.

in it he documents how a few men like wycliff and tyndale risked their lives to make the bible available to the common people.

the catholic church violently opposed these efforts and persecuted all who were involved in the translating, publishing and distributing the scriptures.

mizpah

RF:

I'm also appalled at the horrendous crimes that were committed by those who claimed to have "the truth." The book made a reference to the justification of torture and murder by the perpetrators by the citing of scriptural passages. Men who studied the Bible and should have known Christ's views on love and compassion thought nothing of putting a "heretik" to the stake and slowly buring him to death.

Sadly, these crimes were done by both Protestant and Catholic believers. Recently, the Catholic church has made some attempt to apologize for these crimes of the past. I wonder if the Protestant churches have done the same? (Lutheran, Calvinists, Reformists, etc.)