Arauna

22 minutes ago, Space Merchant said:

whole concept of copyright laws even though it is presented in front of them.

They usually are not strong on law....... it is more about 'feelings' to them. 

Laws are in place for a reason. Theft of intellectual property is a major problem. China has been stealing US patents for decades. 

Sometimes these people act outside the law and should learn a legal  lesson or two. 

2 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

Look to the world that scholars have collectively built—for the most part, this system of things is run by highly educated people—to properly evaluate ‘scholarship.’

If one looks at the kind of 'science' in scholarship these days - where a  person can now choose a gender despite a Y or X chromosome -  then the state of scholarship is in chaos.  

The most prestigious universities get grants from certain pharma giants and then a study appears shortly after which just happens to bring more money into the pocket of the corporation. Now that is excellent scholarship!

So much for scholarship....... although I must say one has to work exceedingly hard to get a PHD in an ancient language - three times harder than the social sciences - but this does not make you an expert on 'everything' pertaining to the bible. 

Nevertheless, Feruli's years of service and record sounds commendable and maybe qualifies him to have a negative say about the direction of GB....... but must he do it so publicly? ......So as to garner undue attention to his person and his scholarship? 

I would like to know the outcome of this.....   

2 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

Does he convey any sense that Jehovah is running the show or is it all political maneuverings with him?

An important question.....

Anyone can say something " just because they think they are qualified to do so". 

1 hour ago, Ann O'Maly said:

Allen/Wyatt Earp guy (is he still posting?).

Lol......

1 hour ago, Ann O'Maly said:

(the FDS doctrine, @Arauna)? 

Thanks Ann.  I guess the older I get the lazier the eyes and brain.... 

Crispell name origins?

Read the piece. Loved the connection between the Dutch and French (as happened in South Africa. ) Recognised all the Dutch and French names  - except Crispell. Where is this name from?

Afrikaans language is a form of old Dutch..... so I understand all related languages (Belgium, Flemish etc) but we have an unique double negative in the language which came from the French.

In the early stages of the colony the French Huguenots were not as many as the Dutch but a substantial group. It was a Dutch colony and speaking French in the churches was prohibited-  so the religious French protestants had to learn and use Dutch.  They automatically used the double negative and it stuck in the "Afrikaans" /Dutch language permanently.

Agreed.... many wars in Europe and bloody "purges' of religious groups took place all over Europe and England. The Inquisition started with Jews but soon escalated to the searching out of Christian heretics. A cruel depraved part of history.... 

3 hours ago, JW Insider said:

have another theory as to what he is doing,

Please notify what you think that could be.

The video talks about glory....... Feruli apparently already has glory and does not need more.

I do not buy this statement. Satan was the most beautiful and already had a lot to be grateful for..... but he became arrogant.  

8 hours ago, TrueTomHarley said:

have to read a book before you comment

True, and even if it accuses, regardless of him being a scholar, without sufficient proof it is without substance. 

So detractors on the forum should not be so ecstatic ...... he does apparently urge brothers not to leave....... an idea which is abhorent to them . 

11 hours ago, Ann O'Maly said:

FDS doctrine

???  I am not American and my first language is not English so I naturally never get the acronyms. 

5 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

It also seems they are ashamed of their own videos. 

??   

5 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

Do not understand the spiritual things of God

Your personal opinion only......... and while you are allowed to have a personal opinion , it does not mean it is absolutely correct.  Satan and his demons are also allowed by God to have a personal opinion..... 

My maiden name was De Villiers.  My forefathers were also  of Huguenot stock that went to South Africa in the 17th century and started the wine industry. There is a famous farm in Cape area called La Rochelle which was named after the area in France my forefathers came from.

They fled to Holland when the Edict of Nantes was made void and persecution came overnight. They then went on to settle in the Cape. I have a book with my family history in south Africa....the genealogy was updated after my children were born.

What I find interesting is that Huguenots were also in the area you come from.... and your family were part of these persecuted protestants way back then.

I visited a fort built around 1650s in Florida USA. It was built by the Spanish when they had control of Florida.  It looked similar to the fort in south Africa built at the same time for sea defence.

I felt sad when I learnt there at this fort that a group of Huguenots which landed in Florida were massacred there by the Spanish.  

Seems like your family (I do not know the last name) fared better in the north of USA.

My family Crest has the lamb and fleur-de-lis symbols which indicate that they also participated in the crusades..... but I did not care to investigate this - not important.

What is interesting about your family history: it goes back to time of Russel.

Do share some more interesting titbits

13 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

say they are NO PART OF THE WORLD.  That is supposed to be the BI

Especially if you have the self-appointed 'super righteous' to police their every move.  Remember how the pharisees policed jesus's every move to find fault....... and they did....... despite his perfection. How much easier with more imperfect mortals. 

Russia and China has growing influence in the UN. China has an important position in the human rights council and can appoint leaders to 15 agencies. Russia is running for a position...  Other positions are held by totalitarian countries with "sharia law" ......None of them have human rights in their countries.

This is the future of the world - where totalitarian friends vote each other onto UN organizations. (WHO) controvercies is a good example.

China gets along well with Arab totalitarian states. Their agreements usually have a clause.....something to this effecf: I do not say anything about your internal affairs and abuses and you say nothing about mine. We as a clan, we do not vote against each other.

This does not augur well for the future when worldly, august institutions (mountains in biblical symbols) have only superficial justice/righteousness. Integrity is a quality of the past.

These countries do as they please...... a law to themselves.... which seems to be a growing trend.

Inhumane- I will think of them in my prayers.

The term generation  can also be used as a measure of time with reference to past or future ages. An age which is identified by certain features. 

That is why I demonstrated the above definition with the pre-flood generation / age and its impact; also the post-flood generation/ age which also consisted of a very long period..

Today they are still commemorating events of WW2 which is an event which is still part of the age starting with WW1 because it is identified by world-wars.

However,  those people who saw these 'massive signs' and lived in the aftermath of any of these wars may soon start dying. Many are in their sixties or older. I am a post-ww2 baby which understands the impact of the war due to listening to the many stories my grandfather and father told me (both were in the war).. 

Most of the young generations less than 30 years have no clue. I personally always understand history in the context of the age........ because people are ALWAYS impacted by what happens in their age.

Russel was influenced by pyramids because he was living an age that was obsessed with the orient.... because of all the discoveries in the news of artifacts in the middle east. Archeology was a fledgling science and the great mysteries were continuously revealed. It even gave rise to a new religion called Mormonism. So people do get distracted by what is happening in the world and its propaganda.

This is why I always caution on this forum that one cannot just Google information about an era and think you understand the mindset and full implications of the era. An era can have many features which define it. Even short periods have many features i.e. the roaring twenties was short-cut by the depression but some of its ideas still lived on in those who were part of it.

The generation that was impacted by the first and second world wars are now getting on in life...... we know the stories and the oral traditions...... The millenials, frankly do not care. They are impacted by what happened in the sixties - the loss of morals and experimentation with drugs, and the new philosophies that were brewing in the Frankfort school etc.

On 4/21/2020 at 2:25 AM, JW Insider said:

This means they were born by or before 1900, baptized by or before 1914, and would be at least 120 years old today if they were part of "This Generation."  

Since not all family lineages started at 1900 (not all in one generation are the same age ) it means that anyone born in the time of the 1914-generation is still part of the 1914-generation.  And anyone born before 1914 and was 90 years old  in 1914 were also of this 1914- generation. Anyone that is anointed in the time between 1914 and say 1992 could hence still be part of that 1914-generation because in a generation all are not the same age and they had contact with this generation.

I always had a problem with the old definition of generation because I understand from history that all people living in the same generation are not the same age.

Abraham was part of the "post-flood" generation.  Why? He was born when Shem was still alive. Between Shem and Abraham there were 427 years. In this time 10 new generations were born and until ALL of those died off (those who were born in Shems lifetime), after Shem died, they were all still part of the post- flood Shem-generation. Why? They potentially could speak to shem and  even his brothers.....and learn about the flood and post flood conditions in his area.  So Abraham was of the post-flood generation. 

Noah died 2 years before the birth of Abraham.....he was of the Pre-flood generation. So after Noah died - all those born in his lifetime and who could contact him and could benefit from his wisdom about pre-flood generation stories, was of his generation. Noah he lived to see the beginning of 9 generations of his decendants after the flood. These were all part of his generation until they died off.  Some people born were contemporaries of Noah and of Abraham..... and could then qualify for both generations.

Shem lived at least until 75 years AFTER abraham entered Canaan.  My numbers could be slightly off......as I did the calculations in haste but this is to illustrate what a generation means.  This is the criteria for a generation. 

The modern idea of a generation is organized according to trends.... such as the babyboomers or millenials.... but this is not a true definition of a generation.

When I speak of pastor Russel's generation, i think of the elderly born in say 1790 and were still alive when Russel printed his magazine, as well as all those people born after this until 1916 when Russel died.  Those who afterwards died, after Russel died, but were born while he was alive, were still part of his generation.

So a generation is not the linear line most people think of. 

On 5/3/2020 at 4:46 PM, 4Jah2me said:

Hippies were also anti-war. It is not just a JW thing. 

Ok.... Hitler did not eat meat and that did not make him holy.... so what is the point? Hippies are holy ? 

If  punks or hippies do not go to war it still does not identify them with the people who is described in Isaiah 2:4 ,,,, a people who flock to jehovah's worship out of all the nations and learn war no more....... in the time of the end.

On 5/3/2020 at 4:46 PM, 4Jah2me said:

nobody is known for telling as many lies about how

So your answer is that JWs tell lies about jah's kingdom? JWs  are just about the only ones who understand the kingdom to be a real government. .... the other part of the answer given is just hate-OCD.

On 5/4/2020 at 7:25 AM, Witness said:

a spirit of independent thinking does

I suffer a sample the many  illogical interpretations of scripture quite regularly here on this forum. It is a good example of what 'independence'  does. A freedom to follow your own desires and interpretations which make no sense. 

On 5/11/2020 at 7:17 PM, 4Jah2me said:

sorry for Arauna though, with her OCD about OCD. It

Let me make it clear: I feel deeply sorry for those who suffer from the real disease. However I call those out here who only have one MO and a brain which has only one track..... that of vicious hatefullness.  

This OCD I refer to here on this forum is a hate-OCD. No matter what the subject is, (the subject may be unrelated to the GB and immorality..). but the subject is twisted so the same hate for  the GB and JWs comes up..... . There is no reasonableness or a willingness to even discuss....... it is a return (over and over) to the same MO and the same words  and same old blanket accusations  .....over and over and over ...... get my drift?  If I have OCD .... it is a hate for the hate-OCD. Lol. 

On 4/21/2020 at 2:25 AM, JW Insider said:

This means they were born by or before 1900, baptized by or before 1914, and would be at least 120 years old today if they were part of "This Generation."  

Since not all family lineages started at 1900 (not all are the same age) it means that anyone born in the time of the 1914-generation is still part of the 1914-generation. Anyone that is anointed in the time between 1900 and say 1992 could hence still be part of that 1914-generation because in a generation all are not the same age.

I always had a problem with the old definition of generation because I understand from history that all living at the same time are not the same age.

Abraham was part of the "post-flood" generation.  Why? He was born when Shem was still alive. Between Shem and Abraham there were 427 years. In this time 10 new generations were born and until ALL of them died off after shem died, they were still part of the post- flood generation. So Abraham was of the post-flood generation. 

Noah died 2 years before the birth of Abraham.....he was of the Pre-flood generation. So after Noah died - all those born in his lifetime and who could contact him and could benefit from his wisdom about pre-flood generation stories, was of his generation. Noah he lived to see the beginning of 9 generations of his decendants. These were all part of his generation until they died off after his death.

Shem lived at least until 75 years AFTER abraham entered Canaan.  My numbers could be slightly off......as I did it in haste but this is to illustrate what a generation means.  This is the criteria for a generation. 

When I speak of Russel's generation, i think of the elderly in his generation born in say 1870 and all those born after until Russel died. Those who then died after Russel died and  were born while he was alive is still part of his generation.

A generation could also be a set time by jehovah - as before the flood -120 years.

5 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

men standing in the market place

This is a very beautiful thought - then you go ahead and spoil it by indicating that those who expect to live forever on earth are second grade citizens. 

They are just as important to Jehovahs purpose as those who have a different job.  The anointed are not superior to those who will get the earthly hope.

I think the only quality they may have a little more of than the rest of us is: humility - because they have more of Jehovah's spirit! 

Those who are not humble will not follow these humble ones - just like the pharisees did not follow jesus because he was too humble for them.

Some truth in it...... but what did you expect from the deceitful CCP?  

This is my personal opinion as I am not a doctor. 

This virus is a RNA virus - similar to AIDs - it is a retrovirus. I think it will definitely become endemic and will come back year after year as soon as a person's resistance is low.

It will eventually give you a disease of the lungs or severe lung damage that you may end up with COPD or 'clots ' and die of "related" causes.  Most AIDS patients,  after infected, do not have a disease but eventually develop all kinds of illnesses (full-blown disease because the immunity cannot fight) before death  - and die of aids-related causes. This has the same mechanism, it will keep infecting the lungs and other related organs.

I think the medical establishment have been reluctant to talk about these type of implications.  I saw an article which showed that one cannot become a soldier (I think it was China  or USA) if you have the virus. After 40 years of aids there is still no vaccination for RNA retroviruses.  Any vaccination they may develop now will not be a cure but merely ward off full blown disease.

The implication of this is that nations will realize they have to work together and cannot trust their armies to be stable. Though some nations are now using this pandemic to further consolidate their power, they may soon realize they need the UN. They will then willingly let the UN decide policies (such as they are now doing with WHO).

The "image of the beast" will start its rule. At present, they have started to remove all news against WHO policies (whether correct or incorrect, valid or invalid) from the internet. 

The "image " of the beast is a "reflection" of all other governments. It will start to implement central monetary policies to deal with the financial disaster awaiting the world, food shortages, supply chains, etc. We may be entering the final phase of the end.  They will eventually work together and set the stage to call peace and security.

On 5/17/2020 at 11:39 AM, Kosonen said:

example Abingdon Downs cattle ranch has 25 000 heads of cattle on 50

You better start applying for a visa then and see how easy it is to get one.... Imagine 8 million people applying for visas all at once because like a Waco-cult they recon they have to be at a specific place together. 

It need not be a literal place...... but you are stuck on that idea ... because it is your own idea.  Many people do not see it as a literal wilderness.

On 5/16/2020 at 7:05 PM, 4Jah2me said:

hard to come across as someone who is superior. 

He tries to come across as a reasonable person.... which you definitely are not.

31 minutes ago, b4ucuhear said:

Frankly, this is a rationale and line of thinking I would expect Satan the Devil to accuse God of.

So right!  It is the same as people that call Jehovah a dictator because he desires exclusive devotion and obedience. 

But I can give the answer to that and Mr Kosonen will again ignore what I say and go on with his theories.  So if he is really interested in the logical and the truthful answer, I want to give him a project to think about:  what is needed for all people on earth to be united and live in harmony and peace!

Please write down a list of things you think will be needed to bring this about...... then we can talk further.  Let the philosopher or prophet in Mr Kosonen come out!

On 5/11/2020 at 9:37 AM, James Thomas Rook Jr. said:

nly have 3666 "upvotes".

drop the three then you have it correct - lol

On 5/9/2020 at 9:37 PM, Kosonen said:

sanctification is the most important thing.

Well, the bible says one must not be wise in your own eyes.  Can one really take it upon oneself to criticize the translation of the lord's prayer? Jesus himself taught his followers to pray for the 'sanctification' of Jehovah's name.... so Jesus was wrong in teaching us to pray for his father's name to be sanctified?  Is Jehovah God not pure and holy?  Should He not be viewed as separate from everything else? Above every other human-made god and thing and above the angels and everything else in heaven?

Jesus came to earth to sanctify his fathers name by setting the example of how we should live. He became the chief agent for Jehovah's purpose to be completed. He would be the ransom sacrifice and guarantor for mankind to be brough back into a perfect relationship with Jehovah.  The purpose is to restore imperfect humans back into a direct relationship with Jehovah, a relationship which Adam willfully broke. 

The kingdom of Jesus will restore us to Jehovah - not Jesus. Jehovah is so great and so pure...... yet most people view Jesus as equal to him.  This is a lie.  Jesus himself taught that only his father is good. Jesus is NOT equal to god and never can be because he is a creation of God - even if he is a perfect reflection of his father.  He is a mere 'reflection' of the real thing - the reality the truth.  God is also Jesus' father (life-giver)  "John20:17 Jesus said to her: “Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothersa and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Fatherb and your Father and to my Godc and your God.’”

"Our father in heaven, may your name be sanctified." The book of Mathew was originally written in Hebrew - and eventually translated by Mathew himself into Greek (if I remember correctly).

While JWs relied heavily on personalities for some of our teachings in our past history, do you not think that they keep doing research when they teach us the importance of the sanctification of the name of God? Do they not revise and correct some of the past teachings? So why is it that this fundamental truth is still with us?

Here is a link to Hebrew scholar Nehemia Gordon going into the word "sanctification" as opposed to 'hallowed':   He says that Jews can pray this prayer and goes into the fact that the Hebrew scriptures also calls Jehovah "father" many times.  Why?  well the word father means "life-giver" so why would you not sanctify the one who is responsible for your life and everything else?

What I do not understand is this:  why do people not think things through before criticizing? 

It is only when all people on earth let go of their false gods and their own  ideas.... and all serve Jehovah in unity and truly "sanctify" him that there will ever be peace of earth.  When all revere only that one name and without question follow all the wonderful qualities and principles/laws associated with that name.  

I read a bit of the book of revelation again this week and all the scenes in heaven show the angels and all created beings falling before Jehovah and praising him.  He is worthy of all praise. .....We can only be sanctified if we are in total and perfect harmony with Jehovah, like Jesus was. Please read the entire John 17 - Jesus' prayer the night he died to Jehovah.  He mentioned Jehovah's name so many times in the prayer.  "john 17: Sanctify them by means of the truth;c your word is truth.d ¹⁸  Just as you sent me into the world, I also sent them into the world.e ¹⁹  And I am sanctifying myself in their behalf, so that they also may be sanctified by means of truth.

Jehovah is the absolute standard for sanctification / purity and truth.