StopTheInsanity
Well-known member
Sort of a new Reasoning book, but not for the ministry per se, but also for Christian qualities or living:
New Release on New GB Update
- Thread starter StopTheInsanity
- Start date
Brother potato
Well-known member
What chapter does child sexual abuse come under?
Ms_ladyblue
Well-known member
The GB needs to take a long hard look at this publication and apply just about everything written in it to themselves.
Scriptures for Christian Living…in other words, ways to tell you how to live your life…and according to them, supported by the scriptures.
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BARNABY THE DOG.
Well-known member
The ethereal attributes to living our life is innate in all of us from conception. it is not to be learnt, but developed. It is given us in our very construction. It is a miracle of construction that our brain comes equipped with the embryonic but complete demonstration of the ethereal benefits of what makes us human. Who could put such concepts in the mind as truth, honesty, love, justice, peace, generosity, faithfulness and forgiveness to name but few, unless they could blossom to a wonderful fullness in expression of the virtues of Jehovah?
It even comes with a built in choice to employ it or ignore it. What sort of altruism in freedom in choice is that? How much more glorious does it make such a reflection of His virtues when freely given in choice of all else?
The bible is not necessary to cultivate such attributes other than through example. Adam needed no such instruction, or Noah. I realise it’s almost a heresy to suggest such a thing, but is not our love for Jehovah a natural course of action rather than something we have to learn, other than by the examples given us through our upbringing by those that are our parents, and even then, that would be via application and reasoning, rather that teaching something that is already within us and that we are aware of? Idealistic perhaps. Wishful thinking, maybe. But to yield to the thought that men can teach us a better way than our Creator whom endowed us with such virtues in valuing each other seems somewhat hypocritical to me.
The attributes of the spirit, for that is what they are, are developed through learning by example, appreciation, experience, reward, rebuke, and results. Thus in turn we receive what we give; often more than we give, because that too is often a result of appreciation in others. And can such appreciation be taught? No. Except by experiencing it, - and to experience it, one first has to be selfless and generous in spirit. These are the examples that the bible gives us, if one is alive spiritually to the message they give. Jesus does not grieve his own death, but agonises the sacrifice from so many angles, including that of his father. Jehovah does not howl from the heavens - he splits the ground in two, rents the curtains of the inner sanctum, darkens the sky. If that does not move the soul, what will?
If I may say so, watchtowers attempt to instruct in Christ—like living is as much a prostitution of truth served up on the alter of its own desires, as one may read. It will burn - along with all that they have. Are those of the 144,000 going to rule over us watchtower style?
No. They will rule like Christ, with a kindly yoke and a light load. (Matt 11:30)
BARNABY THE DOG.
Well-known member
Well yes, of course. It was a rhetorical question to watchtower GB.
So, does that mean as long as no executions take place at your own birthday party or those that you attend, that it is okay to celebrate birthdays?
I personally think birthday parties are ridiculous. Singing a song over a cake with candles, etc.
But even more ridiculous is JW's that don't celebrate birthdays but do have baby showers. They celebrate prebirth but not anniversaries of that same birth. Yet, they have weddings and celebrate anniversaries of that wedding.
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Ms_ladyblue
Well-known member
Beautifully worded Barnaby.
So from what I’m understanding BTD, the way WT instructs Christians to live would therefore be to apply yourself out of a sense of duty and not from the heart, or real love.
Which is why they sound so mechanical and do things so mechanically….and also why from the moment a disfellowshipping announcement is made they automatically turn off the “love” switch.
Sidenote: I just expressed the thoughts that came to my mind while reading, so wrote them down. I hope it makes sense to you and others here too.
Sorry, but I have never understood why, for example, I should not remember my children's birthdays and my own as well. I am grateful to Jehovah that I have been given a daughter and a son and on their day, in the words of Job 1:4, I remember them. When they were small, they chose what they wanted for diner and now with a phone call and to Jehovah with a prayer of thanks that they are healthy and well and that I was able to enjoy them for another year. Could you explain to me what's wrong with that? JW's never succeeded; they always talked about the murders and I talked about Job1:4 - Each of his sons would hold a banquet at his house on his own set day. They would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.So, does that mean as long as no executions take place at your own birthday party or those that you attend, that it is okay to celebrate birthdays?
I personally think birthday parties are ridiculous. Singing a song over a cake with candles, etc.
But even more ridiculous is JW's that don't celebrate birthdays but do have baby showers. They celebrate prebirth but not anniversaries of that same birth. Yet, they have weddings and celebrate anniversaries of that wedding.
and forget to turn it on, because they have no idea what Jehovah's love means; just lip service without feeling. 🥹
StopTheInsanity
Well-known member
Interesting wording. That made me think of battle-hardened soldiers (aka: elders). The first "kill" is the hardest, but then after that, the disassociative state kicks in and the next social "kill" gets easier and easier and easier, and thus why they become so mechanical. They literally have to disassociate from their own grief and fear and natural compassion to go against their own consciences in the name of "duty".
THIS is what made them so scary during COVID with the vaccines. Just like Paul said, they "imagined" that they were serving God by shaming and pressuring the unvaxxed to get vaxxed. I remember one conversation during Zoom service one Saturday morning which made me nauseous and enraged both at the same time: a sister spoke up about a brother in another congregation who just had a heart attack and you could tell she was distressed about it and she went on saying how she's known so many that this has happened to recently. The service group overseer just said in a mechanical voice that "we're living in the last days" and that this type of thing is going to happen and just changed to subject. He completely shut her down. Disgusting. That poor brother who had the heart attack can't even become a recipient of compassion. But, boy, if he got COVID, then everyone would be fawning over him....total disconnect. I kept on thinking that while the GB kept on droning on about all the deaths of the bros and sisters supposedly from COVID. I was like "why don't they mention the bros and sisters who were hit by a car today? Or those who committed suicide? Or died of cancer? Why are the deaths from COVID more special? How do the families of those feel hearing about all the support for COVID deaths but not theirs? All to protect their 501(c)3 status. No different than the Pharisees.
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Ms_ladyblue
Well-known member
I believe they made COVID into a God. Look at all the attention they gave to it, almost like they were praising that people got it. Not to mention all the “rituals” that went along with it such as masks and six feet social distancing. Also the praise going to such ones who got vaxxed to be able to have a job.
It was no longer preaching about the good news of the kingdom but the good news about the COVID vax.
They fell right into the ‘snare of the devil.’
BARNABY THE DOG.
Well-known member
I can only agree with you Ms Ladyblue. I had always viewed watchtower as the holders of truth and that it was my duty to do as they said - until due to the heartlessness of our elders I saw it for its true manifestation. What I learnt from discussions here - at the risk of being termed a cult leader again - is that the bible speaks for itself. It s not a duty, but a love of righteousness that comes from within. And what the bible says, illustrates to me - others may agree - is that the attributes of the spirit are innate in all of us. We need to listen to them. The bible explains why we should cultivate these attributes. Honestly speaking, if the desire is not in us, how can we be taught the value? We chose to do so then. Choice is given us. Independent of leverage. The pathway to development is discussion of the truth, reasoning on the scriptures, prayer for the spirit (understanding) to be given us and thus open our eyes to its values. Understanding the values of the spirit. (It will take a thousand years to grasp the fundamentals so the bible says). Is this the case with watchtower? Where is the love of the spirit evident amongst those who lead? I don’t see it. Do you?
Was that rhetorical or are you asking me in thinking that I am against what you feel the need to do? I think it is ridiculous to celebrate B-days and ANY other holiday for that matter. My wife and I don't even celebrate our own wedding anniversary. But as far as others, I say to each their own. I don't think there is anything wrong with what you feel the need to do.
What I was pointing out is the ridiculousness of JW's that won't celebrate their birthdays but will have/give baby showers. The soon to be mom is there with baby inside her kicking around. People show up with gifts. (Usually bought from a registry as if it is expected to buy what is asked for.) There's food, cake, etc. Then somehow when that same child that the baby shower was given for, when they are born, if you try a year later on their first B-day (Anniversary of birth), to get together again with food/cake/gifts, somehow it is bad and is to be avoided according to the GB because a Pharaoh and a King each executed someone on their birthdays. Why can JW's have pre-birthdays (baby showers) but should avoid anniversaries of their births? Just more GB BS!
Did any executions in the Bible ever take place on someone's wedding day? If so, I guess we should avoid weddings too, according to the GB.
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So, does that mean as long as no executions take place at your own birthday party or those that you attend, that it is okay to celebrate birthdays?
I personally think birthday parties are ridiculous. Singing a song over a cake with candles, etc.
But even more ridiculous is JW's that don't celebrate birthdays but do have baby showers. They celebrate prebirth but not anniversaries of that same birth. Yet, they have weddings and celebrate anniversaries of that wedding.
I know what you mean, while it's true that birthdays come from pagan origins so does wedding rings. And we still practice wedding ring rituals. The real reason not to celebrate birthdays is because of people worship over Godly worship. Demanding a birthday present like if you're some "God" which is what they were guilty of by asking for the execution of certain people. Self worship is dangerous as your worship should be focused 100% on Jehovah. We should not have an expectation of receiving gifts just cause it's our birthday. And attending birthday parties is like a form of worshipping that person who has that birthday. Which is pagan in itself, self gratification and self importance and self worship. That's the problem with having an overly simplistic response like in that new book. There is way more into it than a King wishing for murder on his birthday.
And that's not to say that we can't satisfy our wants on our birthday. It just has to be a private matter with yourself and maybe your spouse too as you both are one flesh together. Instead of throwing a birthday party for yourself, you can treat yourself to going to your favorite diner or buy something you enjoy for yourself. Even though I don't celebrate my birthday I still take advantage of it by getting myself a free birthday smoothie from the gym. So treating yourself privately on your birthday is fine.
StopTheInsanity
Well-known member
My understanding is the birthdays are connected to astrology and horoscopes and the "Keep Yourselves in God's Love" mentions that Birthdays are the biggest holiday for Satanists. If you look at the customs surrounding birthdays, a round cake (mentioned in the Bible as offerings to false gods) and the blowing out of candles (chasing away evil spirits) then the origins become clear and one has to ask one's self how Jehovah would view the matter. I don't think WT has done a good job and explaining this and showing enough evidence so people can see the true nature of this practice:
1. Birthdays didn’t begin until calendars were created.
Early civilizations had no way to keep track of time other than by using the moon, sun, or some other important event. This made it difficult for them to pay attention to the anniversary of a person’s birth.As time went on, everyone realized that they all experienced the effects of aging, they just didn’t have a means to mark a special milestone for it.
It wasn’t until ancient people began taking note of the moon’s cycles that they began paying attention to the change in seasons as well. They also noticed this pattern repeated itself over and over again. They began marking these changes in time.
This is what bore the first calendars, which marked time changes and other special days. From this type of tracking system came the ability to celebrate birthdays and other significant events and anniversaries each year.
2. It all started with the Egyptians.
Scholars who study the Bible say that the earliest mention of a birthday was around 3,000 B.C.E. and was in reference to a Pharaoh’s birthday. But further study implies that this was not their birth into the world, but their “birth” as a god.When Egyptian pharaohs were crowned in ancient Egypt, they were considered to have transformed into gods. This was a moment in their lives that became more important than even their physical birth.
Pagans, such as the ancient Greeks, believed that each person had a spirit that was present on the day of his or her birth. This spirit kept watch and had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday that particular individual was born.
3. You can thank Greeks for all those birthday candles.
Gods and goddesses were a huge part of Greek culture. Greeks offered many tributes and sacrifices to appease these gods. The lunar goddess, Artemis, was no different.As a tribute to her, the Greeks would offer up moon-shaped cakes adorned with lit candles to recreate the glowing radiance of the moon and Artemis’ perceived beauty. The candles also symbolized the sending of a signal or prayer. Blowing out the candles with a wish is another way of sending that message to the gods.
4. Birthdays first started as a form of protection.
It is assumed that the Greeks adopted the Egyptian tradition of celebrating the “birth” of a god. They, like many other pagan cultures, thought that days of major change, such as these “birth” days, welcomed evil spirits. They lit candles in response to these spirits almost as if they represented a light in the darkness. This implies that birthday celebrations started as a form of protection.In addition to candles, friends and family would gather around the birthday person and protect them from harm with good cheers, thoughts, and wishes. They would give gifts to bring even more good cheer that would ward off evil spirits. Noisemakers were also used to scare away the unwanted evil.
5. The ancient Romans were the first to celebrate the birth of the common “man.”
This seems to be the first time in history where a civilization celebrated the birth of non-religious figures. Regular Roman citizens would celebrate the birthdays of their friends and family members. The government, however, created public holidays in honor of more famous citizens.Any Roman turning 50 years old would receive a special cake baked with wheat flour, olive oil, grated cheese, and honey. But an important thing to note is that only men would experience this birthday celebration. Female birthdays were not celebrated until about the 12th century.
6. Birthdays were first considered to be a pagan ritual in Christian culture.
In Christianity, it is believed that all people are born with “original sin.” That, in combination with early birthdays being tied to pagan gods, led Christians to consider birthdays to be celebrations of evil. This lasted for the first few hundred years of the existence of the Christian Church.It wasn’t until the 4th century that Christians abandoned that way of thinking and began celebrating the birth of Jesus, also know as Christmas. Celebrating the birth of Jesus was partly enacted to recruit those who already celebrated Saturnalia, the Roman holiday.
b_grace
Member
Are you saying birthdays are satanic, or the customs that have been tied to them? I'm not aware of anythign in the scriptures that says we can't appreciate that day for ourselves or our families. What is going on here?
StopTheInsanity
Well-known member
I'm saying that the customs originate in false worship and that Satanists also have birthdays as one of their main holy days.