Srecko Sostar

God cannot simultaneously have no earthly influence to answer Satan while answering prayers.
The GB should not be allowed to punish members who disobey on matters where the scriptures are silent if they are not claiming ti be "inspired of God."

WT 9/16 .... the BEARD ARTICLE
Paragraph 3.... Mosaic Law?
“ For example, in God’s Law to the Israelites there were rules that protected them against the openly immoral way of life of the nations around them. The Law showed Jehovah’s strong feelings against clothing that does not make clear the distinction between male and female—what has been described in our day as unisex fashion. (Read Deuteronomy 22:5.) From God’s stated direction about clothing, we clearly see that God is not pleased with styles of dress that feminize men, that make women look like men, or that make it hard to see the difference between men and women.”
Paragraph 17.... no Mosaic Law
“What about the propriety of brothers wearing a beard? The Mosaic Law required men to wear a beard. However, Christians are not under the Mosaic Law, nor are they obliged to observe it. (Lev. 19:27; 21:5; Gal. 3:24, 25) In some cultures, a neatly trimmed beard may be acceptable and respectable, and it may not detract at all from the Kingdom message. In fact, some appointed brothers have beards. Even so, some brothers might decide not to wear a beard. (1 Cor. 8:9, 13; 10:32) In other cultures or localities, beards are not the custom and are not considered acceptable for Christian ministers. In fact, having one may hinder a brother from bringing glory to God by his dress and grooming and his being irreprehensible.—Rom. 15:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 7.”
Which is WT? You can’t have it both ways?

The locusts of Joel Chapter 2 no longer refer to Jehovah's Witnesses and events surrounding 1919.
The locusts in Revelation chapter 22 however still do refer to the anointed, but are now no longer connected with the prophecy on Joel.
 
Joel 2 now refers to the "Babylonians", the coalition of nations that will try to destroy God's people.
The context of Joel chapter 2 points the time period of fulfillment to Jehovah's Day in the Great Tribulation and how God will save his people.

Did you make this up?

Why not answer your own litany of questions ?

Lol, yes, I had looked at all the various depictions of Jesus in other cultures. They all make him look like one of their own. What I meant was that God's organization should have known better than to make him look like a 40's all American boy from California 😂

The next to the last words of the Prophet Ebedeah were usually quoted as Bible Studies were started.
 

Can you provide how "exactly" Jesus looked, that I may be able to make the same claim. The  Org under the direction of JW's did make some changes in view from the early portraits and depictions of Jesus. Historical insight has Jesus seem a lot darker. This does not mean where Jesus was born weren't lighter skinned people.

It is obvious that both Russell and Rutherford made mistakes in their interpretation and got some things downright wrong. For example the depiction of a Caucasian blue eyed, blonde, and beardless Jesus in "The Kingdom is at Hand" (1944). To us now, it seems unfathomable how this could have even happened, surely someone would have known that Jesus, as a middle eastern Jew, couldn't have looked like this: (He even has a 40's hair style!)

 

Location of Annual Meeting was Jersey City Assembly Hall, date October 5. A new complex will be built that will host 1000 workers for the Audio/video and art production. The architect from the Britain branch relocation project is being reassigned to Patterson where announcement will be made of a renewed Patterson with its own visitor center. Building of the new AV complex will be complete 2026, it will be as professional as any "worldly" complex and the size of the complex will be EXACTLY the same size as Warwick Bethel and it will be located in Ramapo, NY. Construction begins on 2022, a 4 year project.
Expanding buildings projects doesn’t mean that the end is delayed , those buildings will continue to be used after Armageddon

It occurs to me that the GB's original belief about Armageddon and the 1,000 year reign was not so different than the belief from some other denominations that say that the 1,000 year reign started in the first century (some would say 70 CE).
Being a figurative time period, they say this thousand year reign is the one we are already in, and that might actually last for two thousand or even three thousand years after the first century. Then when Christ's worldwide "Parousia/Synteleia" occurs (Judgment Day/Armageddon), the rest of the dead come to life at that time, which is same as the the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous, in time for "Judgment Day." They say that this is how "every eye will see him, even those who pierced him."  And of course it allows for Revelation to say the following WITHOUT parentheses in the way that the NWT has added. (Biblehub, not the NWT, is shown below.)
4Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. 6Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection!
But this common solution is not really a better solution, because those of the first resurrection have come back to rule with Christ in his thousand year reign, which is then interpreted as lasting forever. It's illogical to have it mean both a limited time and an eternal reign. Adding the parentheses, as done in the NWT, is actually one of the simplest solutions, except that it effectively allows for TWO judgment days, one at Armageddon and one at the end of the 1,000 years of literal reign. (Although we do believe that they continue to reign forever, not just for a thousand-year reign, the 1,000 years has a special purpose of bringing "the rest of the dead back to life." This can include those resurrected during the period and the rest of those who may have never physically died, but who gain unending life due to 'passing the test' at the end of a literal 1,000 year period.)

It's interesting to look at how this teaching has changed over the years according to the Watchtower. Back in 1919, when we say that Jesus picked the top Watch Tower Society's leaders to be the Governing Body that made up the entire "Faithful and Discreet Slave" at the time, they taught a very different version of this.
Back then, and for several more years, the Governing Body taught that they were already in the thousand year reign. By the mid-1920's, the Watchtower was teaching that the millennium had started more than half a century earlier, and therefore had only about 950 years to go. By the mid 1920's, a resurrection would begin of all the persons worthy of a resurrection to earthly life, starting with the "ancient worthies" of Bible renown. 
"The year 1926 would therefore begin about October first, 1925.... We should, therefore, expect shortly after 1925 to see the awakening of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Melchisedec, Job, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, John the Baptist, and others mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews." The Way to Paradise p. 224 "That among those who will be thus the faithful representatives and visible governors of the world will be David, who was once King of Israel; and Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jepthai, and Joseph, formerly ruler of Egypt, and Samuel the prophet and other faithful men named with approval in the Bible at Hebrews 11th chapter." -- Public Records Deed to the San Diego Property, Beth Sarim Remember that these men were not Christians (prior to John the Baptist) and Russell had long taught that all Christians (including the Great Crowd) will go to heaven, but that all persons prior to John the Baptist could be resurrected to life on earth. (The Great Crowd were anointed Christians, and were going to heaven because they were Christians.) Russell had taught that 144,000 of those anointed Christians had an even higher calling to be Christ's Bride. The other millions of Christians in heaven would not be part of Christ's Bride. 
But the resurrection of ancient worthies, starting about one Jubilee (50 years) into the 1,000-year reign, was only a start. Since we were in the millennium, it was also true that more and more people would be resurrected over the next 950 years, and that MILLIONS more persons would stop dying. MILLIONS of non-"Bible Students" (non-"JWs") would begin to live forever, or at least another 950 years before the next big test around the year 2873 or 2874.
(The "Millions Now Living Who Would NEVER Die" would also NEVER be part of the Great Crowd according to that teaching.)
If the WT/GB had kept that belief, we would now be nearly 145 years into the thousand year reign, with only 855 years to go. And more and more people would be added to those MILLIONS living in 1925 who would never die. The rest of the dead, including those who continued to die along with those of us already enjoying long lives, would come to life in resurrections at later times during the 1,000 years. (This part I don't have a consistent answer on yet, as to what we taught exactly about when people would stop dying, and when the resurrections might be considered complete.) By now, however, if the old teaching had held, there could be people still alive who had been born, for example, in 1825 (100 years old in 1925) and therefore already approaching their 200th birthday.
There was also the idea that Armageddon was already starting back then, more than 100 years ago, based on the clashes between workers and management, socialists and capitalists, etc. The solution was to change this to a different kind of Armageddon to happen in the future, not so much "among the nations" but at God's hands. And the 1,000-year reign would start immediately after Armageddon was finished.
We should keep in mind that Revelation is the kind of book that has always allowed for a variety of interpretations, and we currently teach that the above interpretation was not so far off so as to move Jesus to reject or disqualify the "faithful slave" for serving that as spiritual food.

When I was a younger man, Sreko Sostar, such things were of intense concern to me.
After watching the yo-yo go up and down for 50 and more years. and the flashing strobe light of "new light" flashing on and off ( not to mention getting beat over the head with the flashlight ...). and  seeing the "overlapping generations" chart explained, and hearing the Governing Body in person (via video) come up with the things they do .... including "there is more evidence of the Kingdom, than there is for gravity, electricity. wind ..." I have a new policy which governs my thinking.
Anything that cannot be proved with solid hard evidence that is tangible, touchable, and recordable I will consider the source, and their track record of being right. and does it pass the common sense "smell test".
Just because a person gives advice and counsel wearing a white lab coat and has a stethoscope around his neck does not make him a Doctor.
..... he may be selling white lab coats and stethoscopes.
There is one thing for sure .....
After and undetermined number of trips around our Sun .... about the things you have mentioned .... we will all too soon know, without a word having been said by ANYBODY.
...since there is nothing we can do about it, no matter who is right, or who is entertaining fantasies .... why worry about it.
Sit back, have a beer ... enjoy the show ... and have a good life.
                                                       -------------------------
The reward of rejecting obvious crap ... is self respect.
 
 

Well hello there everybody, hope you are having a great weekend!
 

I wondered  the same thing about 6 years ago, when just leaving the WT. Definitely, it can give a person a "strong headache"!    What I realized when it was pointed out to me, is that the answer is right in this set of scriptures.  Satan contrives the delusion, not God.  "The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works."  God "sends" the delusion by allowing it to happen.  He allowed Satan to test Job's integrity, by removing the protective "hedge" around him.  Job 1:9-12   And, since Satan demands to sift each one of us as "wheat", God allows it.  Luke 22:31  
I'm taking the liberty to post my question and the answer I received.   I hope it helps alleviate the headache. 
http://4womaninthewilderness.blogspot.com/2013/05/who-is-to-blame.html
 

- He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives
Here i see how Organizational success in: Preaching work, Legal Battles, Worldwide Unity, Building Programs, Technology helped Education ...etc, .... and hard work to be Moral in all things, can be also "weapon" that serve the lie. Not one time, even WT Society publication emphasized, how it is not enough for individual, or whole groups of people, to be nice and honest, moral people, not to lie, steal, kill, etc., or to even have faith in God, but how is most important to worship Him in acceptable way.
... they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  This is very intrigue. How is possible that people, like JW members, refusing to love the truth, when they are so sure how they Have The Truth. They have the truth? This can go to philosophy and some metaphysics. Is it "Truth" some thing that we can to "posses"? Obviously it is inside WT Society. They can "materialize" some supposed "truth" into textual shape of some publication (books or/and magazines). If you get this publication and accept message, than you are in "possesion" of the so called truth. And after some time this "truth" can be replaced with another "truth"( in same manner you replacing old curtain with new one on your window). In means how so called "first truth" came to be "thing" that can be physically put aside or even destroyed. That is how "ownership" is working. Because this sort of "the truth" has not came from God, but it is human Product. If some individual is Creator of something (like "truth" in this case) he is entitled to "posses" it, to sell it, to destroy it.
Here we see difference about who is ownership of something. Human can not "posses" God's Truth. Human can only "posses" own truth and playing with it as they wish.   
Well, we came now to this part of 2 Thess: For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie .  What more you need to be on wrong way, than powerful delusion (send by no one else but that God who you, or JW in this subject, want to worship) This is something to get strong headache. You put your trust in God who sends powerful delusion on you because you are wrongly made conclude how you love the truth, but on contrary, you love your own created picture of image of truth.  
Is there any hope? :))

If dead in Armageddon is not final, and if that means people can be resurrected because of special reasons God have, despite death in Armageddon, than ....  

So as I am sure there are plenty of you folks here that adhere and read the wt and "awake".  Have any of you who have read these considered the wt Oct study edition this year? In particular this little quote:
       "KEEP TRYING TO MAKE DISCIPLES
14. According to Jesus’ instructions recorded at Matthew 28:19, 20, what do we try our best to do, and why?
14 Read Matthew 28:19, 20. As we conduct Bible studies, we have to try our best to “make disciples . . . , teaching them to observe all the things [Jesus has] commanded.” We need to help people understand how important it is for them to take their stand for Jehovah  and his Kingdom. This means trying to motivate people to make the truth their own by applying what they learn, dedicating their life to Jehovah, and getting baptized. Only then will they survive Jehovah’s day.—1 Pet. 3:21."
 
So one must be baptized as a jw in order to survive Jehovahs day (judgement day).  That is basically what is being said. 
What about this statement by the wt? 
"Millions of others will have the opportunity of gaining everlasting life when they are resurrected. Jesus performed a resurrection when he visited the city of Nain. The only son of a widow had died, and Jesus, “moved with pity,” raised him to life  again. (Luke 7:11-15) Also, the apostle Paul said: “I have hope toward God . . . that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.” 
So which is it? What is the point of surviving the judgement day if you can achieve the same thing after the 1000 years? 

The human flaws continue down to this day. WT doctrine is not truth.   Your own leaders say they make errors in doctrine.  What’s around the corner?   They baited you with truth, then fed you lies called truth. Rev 8:10,11; Heb 12:15  We were warned of captivity to “empty philosophy”, a deviation from the teachings of Christ, but JWs continue drinking it in.  Col 2:8; Matt 24:4,5; Rev 13:10; 18:3
What is preached during the last days to “Israel”?  Matt 10:23
2 Thess 2:3,4: “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.”
Christ calls his servants to expose the man of lawlessness who oppresses the anointed members of Christ’s Body/Temple of God.   This is the message.  Rev 11:1-3   You speak of those who stood up against Moses, as if the organization and its leaders are another "Moses” and the nation of Israel. The comparison is so often made, but its origin is from your leaders; of which I am very sorry.  Moses is so much more in the limelight than Christ Jesus, since the GB compare themselves to Moses as well as the apostles...when necessary to support their spurious role.    It is your leaders who are standing up against the Son of God by replacing the priesthood, with “Gentiles”/elders who “set themselves up” to rule over the anointed Temple of God. 1 Cor 3:16,17; Rev 13:5-7   My gosh, do you really believe that elders have God’s authority to teach, judge and disfellowship His own priesthood of “kings”? Mal 2:7; 1 Pet 2:5,9; Eph 2:20-22; Rev 5:9,10
Ezek 44:8; Num 18:7
 And that’s okay with JWs…without considering God’s word; His view of His “special possession” and what to expect of them.   This was Korah’s desire also, to do things his way, not God’s way.  
Your leaders make their rules and regulations totally contradictory of God’s, which includes idolatry toward an earthly organization that you believe brings salvation.  Col 2:20-23  Even through scriptures, that you say you believe whole-heartedly  in, we see that  Christ is salvation, not an earthly organization.  Act 4:12; John 10:7-10  Christ and the Father.  Who are not attached to earthly things. Luke 12:34  Who have an organization, which is the TEMPLE/”144,000”/Bride/New Jerusalem/Holy City.  They have had it since the first century.  Your organization is a little more than a hundred years old and JWs believe it is what God NOW wants?
And you believe God turns a blind eye to all that the Watchtower has done?   He doesn’t. For anyone who has eyes that see, it’s time to get out of the Watchtower.  Matt 24:15,16; Luke 17:26-37  
The Watchtower's existence was foretold by both Daniel and John.  We're here; the fourth Beast/organization has trampled the priesthood, allowed by a false prophet/Beast/Harlot. Rev 13:15; 16:13,14; 17:1  Revelation concerns God's wayward people, NOT Christendom.  And, if you recall, many; no, the majority, in the nation of Israel who continually followed their own thinking and worshiped false gods, lost their lives.  God removed His protection and allowed the nations to step in, causing oppression, and suffering.   Our God and His decrees, His judgment and His laws have not changed, but are fulfilled in Christ - the Head of the Temple of God.  The same Temple that is replaced by an organization in Satan's realm.  
Rev 18:4-8; Rev 19:20
2 Thess 2:9-12:  The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
edited

Where do they say they erred?

Under these additional topics, are your responses:
 
“WHY ARE EX JWS SO RUDE?”
“They suffer from OCD and cannot move on but must destroy...... another indication of who their father is.”
 
“BLOCKING TROLLS THE STAR TREK WAY!”
“These people have OCD.    They do the same thing over and over.  It is like a mild mental illness and they cannot control it.  Their dominant pattern of thinking has got a glitch.  They come across as normal except for their hate of jehovah's people.” 
 
“UN COMPACT 2018”
“I would like to hear your comments on the captioned subject UN Compact 2018  - that is if you have any..... OCD again - GB bashing.”
Back to OCD symptoms! 
So please control the OCD and get back to the subject of human rulership and Agenda 21 - the 2018 UN compact.”
 
“WHAT KIND OF NAME ARE YOU MAKING WITH GOD?”
"OCD again!  Obsessive compulsive disorder. "
 
“STUDY ARTICLE WATCHTOWER 11/11/2018”
“That is it!  You are another person with OCD.  There is only one subject on your mind and you return to it in everything you say. ....."
 
“AN INTERESTING TAKE ON POLITICS, CONSPIRACIES, AND PROPHESIES”
“Another session where it starts off with 'Jehovah's name' and then turns into a bashing session.  Obsessed with bashing?  What kind of Christian quality is that?   most apostates have OCD - I recognize the signs immediately! They have an emotional sickness - they spend their time bashing........ 
They are suffering from the same sickness as Satan had ..... hence the OCD. 
The OCD syndrome..... over and over the same of same....”
 
“24 YEAR OLD BETHELITE WOMAN RECENTLY DISFELLOWSHIPPED FOR APOSTASY COMMITS SUICIDE!”
“There is something OCD about those who have left Jehovah on bad terms...... they obsessively come back with dubious intentions. I have seen this over and over again. Many of them seem to suffer from this OCD phenomena.”
 
“607 B.C.E. – IS IT BIBLICALLY SUPPORTED?”
“Speaking to you is like speaking to a Muslim...... no proper chronology - and scriptures applied to elevate your own form of belief ...... and of course the constant OCD 'accusations'.”    
 
I could have gone on.   I don't know, Arauna, but maybe we both have OCD.  You may be obsessed with the topic of apostates.    Maybe Jesus had OCD also...or, perhaps he was driven by Holy Spirit, as were the apostles who you may have interpreted as suffering from “OCD-like” symptoms in their day, causing them to preach of Christ continually and expose falsehoods, continually.  They never let up. 
Paul stated:
But I’ll go on doing what I’m doing. This will take away the opportunity of those people who want to brag because they think they’re like us. 13 People who brag like this are false apostles. They are dishonest workers, since they disguise themselves as Christ’s apostles. 14 And no wonder, even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 So it’s not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants who have God’s approval. In the end they will get what they deserve.”  2 Cor 11:12-17
Call me "OCD", but I won’t let up either.  :)  
 
 
 

Of course, it is sad and crazy to shun people because they changed their standpoint, perspective on life or religion.
But (almost) every social group doing exactly this same thing. Even "the most religiously advanced and spiritual mature group" as JW members are, doing the same thing. :))

Considering that my mother was a young adult when Rutherford built his "monument", the term "crackpot", (correctly spelled with a hyphen)  was well in use; and, if she did hear of his folly, she most certainly would have used the term, "crack-pot" during that day.  Her mother had a full library of Rutherford's publications, only because she took pity on the Bible Students and bought whatever they were peddling at the moment.    Did my mother have the full historical context of the era?  She may have, with such a library at her fingertips.   

Do you have proof that the articles quoted are out of historical context?  What about the Proclaimer's Book that I quoted?  Was that not enough historical context for you?    Or, is the truth of the matter, bothersome?  Does it change the perspective that Rutherford was a false prophet per God's ancient words spelled out in the Bible?  It appears that God's  words on identifying false prophets, as well as Jesus' warnings about them, have been taken out of context by you, and the organization; and evaluated by their "today's modern standards".  
Perhaps, it is time for JWs to get real and look at their history,  square in the face, and stop making excuses for false, failed, prophesy  and changed teachings, that have paved their road and reputation as an organization.  

Would you call this an “educated statement”?
We’re talking about a religious leader of “Israel”, who is to represent God in truth.  JWs were to respect this individual, as well as his teachings.  Are you saying man’s word trumps God’s word?  When does God’s word trump man’s?  When a church in “Christendom” utters a prophesy that fails to come true?
Although you believe all the historical failed doctrine are errors that are to be forgiven, God’s word takes a different view when it comes to His people.
But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in My name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’
21 “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ 22 If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but His prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without My authority and need not be feared.  Deut 18:20-22
Jehovah’s Witnesses have joined this list:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfulfilled_Christian_religious_predictions