JW organization.

[Elijah John]

Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to:

-vote
-celebrate birthdays
-celebrate Christmas or Easter
-donate or receive blood transfusions.

And if any JW openly persists in doing these things[edit to add publicly], they will be shunned or disfellowshipped, [edit to add or otherwise admonished or disciplined.]

For debate,

1) what do any of these check-list prohibitions have to do with Christianity?

2) And are any of these prohibitions compatible with the idea of Christian freedom?

3) Are these prohibitions arbitrary or legalistic?

4) And could Jehvoah's Witness as an organization flourish without these particular prohibitions and still honor God?

Please address any or all of the above.

[tigger2]

[Replying to post 418 by polonius.advice]

RESPONSE: The "Longer Ending" of Mark's gospel which has an Ascension story missing in the "Shorter Ending"is now accepted as the Bible's Canon even though it was added in the second century.

The story of the woman taken in adultery is now accepted as part of the Bible's Canon although if was added in the fourth century.

The longer ending is now accepted by whom?? Surely most do not accept Mark 16:16-18!

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/da ... fference/

[polonius]

[Replying to post 418 by polonius.advice]

RESPONSE: The "Longer Ending" of Mark's gospel which has an Ascension story missing in the "Shorter Ending"is now accepted as the Bible's Canon even though it was added in the second century.

The story of the woman taken in adultery is now accepted as part of the Bible's Canon although if was added in the fourth century.

The longer ending is now accepted by whom?? Surely most do not accept Mark 16:16-18!

https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/da ... fference/

RESPONSE:
Your will find the longer ending of Mark in the New Revised Standard Bible produced by the World Council of Churches, the New American Bible used by Catholics, and the King James Version of the Bible used by some Protestants.

A number of bible passages were added over time. For example the “Freer Ending� a third ending to Mark also exists and was referred to my St. Augustine.

Mark was written first about 70 AD so does not contain anything about the Ascension or the Virgin Birth stories which evidently developed later. The woman taken in adultery story first appeared in John’s gospel in the 4th century.

And of course
" It reads in the King James Version, also known as the Authorized Version: “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.�These words are simply not a part of the generally accepted New Testament manuscripts. Regrettably, in this particular passage some other versions read essentially the same.

https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/b ... 1-john-5-7

There is also reason to believe that Matthew didn’t have a Trinity claim at its end of his gospel but it was added in the third century. (See Eusebius's writings)

Do you believe that "all scripture is God breathed" or might it really contain a fair amount of fiction?

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 413 by brianbbs67]

I'm not in the habit of repeating myself.
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 896#916896

Did you have a comment (that isn't inaccurate) to make about the scripture you quoted?

If so feel free to try and formulate some complete sentences in English to express them.

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[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 412 by JehovahsWitness]

Matthew 28:18-20 seem to say that exact thing?

IMG_0877 by brianbbs67, on Flickr

Thank you so much for your contribution I always thoroughly enjoy reading passages from the book of Matthew. I would draw your attention to my earlier post that deals with this point and await your further comment on the topic.
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 896#916896

Please have a most excellent day,

JW

[tigger2]

[Replying to post 420 by polonius.advice]

RESPONSE: The "Longer Ending" of Mark's gospel which has an Ascension story missing in the "Shorter Ending"is now accepted as the Bible's Canon even though it was added in the second century.

Your will find the longer ending of Mark in the New Revised Standard Bible produced by the World Council of Churches, the New American Bible used by Catholics, and the King James Version of the Bible used by some Protestants.

I haven't found that the NRSV was produced by anyone but the National Council of Churches (not the WCC).

The NRSV, like some others, ends the Gospel at 16:8, but follows it with the shorter vending (enclosed with double brackets). It then presents the longer ending - also enclosed with double brackets!

If this means that all the endings for Mark are "now accepted as the Bible's Canon," we have a strange mixture. The double brackets indicate the dubious reliability of these endings.

We see the same thing in the ESV. It may be that these endings are 'canonical,' but they certainly are not the endings by Mark, which end at 16:8.

[brianbbs67]

[Replying to post 415 by polonius.advice]

I found this list of verses found or suspected of being added later. AFAIK, that one isn't, but who knows??


Matthew 9:34
Matthew 12:47
Matthew 17:21
Matthew 18:11
Matthew 21:44
Matthew 23:14
Mark 7:16
Mark 9:44
Mark 9:46
Mark 11:26
Mark 15:28
Mark 16:9–20
Luke 17:36
Luke 22:20
Luke 22:43
Luke 22:44
Luke 23:17
Luke 24:12
Luke 24:40
John 5:4
John 7:53–8:11
Acts 8:37
Acts 15:34
Acts 24:7
Acts 28:29
Romans 16:24

The more I study the new testament , the more I am disappointed in the >300 church.

[JehovahsWitness]

The more I study the new testament , the more I am disappointed in the >300 church.

The Jehovah's Witnesses belief is that as prophecied, early Christianity was eventually corrrupted and that by the 3rd Century CE Christianity existed only in an Apostate state. After the death of the last of the Apostles, Christians started adopting pagan teachings and departing from scriptural truths. This sad state continued for many centuries.

[Tcg]

[Replying to post 425 by JehovahsWitness]

Of course every branch of religion your chart identifies as weed would state as fact that your branch of religion is the weed and theirs is the wheat. Can you provide empirical evidence that this chart represents reality. Empirical evidence that would convince me and every member of the branches of religion you maligned with your chart, that your chart represents reality?

[Tcg]

[quote="Tcg"]
[Replying to post 425 by JehovahsWitness]

Of course every branch of religion your chart identifies as weed would state as fact that your branch of religion is the weed and theirs is the wheat. Can you provide empirical evidence that this chart represents reality? Empirical evidence that would convince me and every member of the branches of religion you maligned with your chart, that your chart represents reality?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 425 by JehovahsWitness]

Of course every branch of religion your chart identifies as weed would state as fact that your branch of religion is the weed and theirs is the wheat.

And I should care because ...?

Can you provide empirical evidence that this chart represents reality.

I do believe that the various historical events such as the dates related to the rift between the various Christian sects are a matter of historical record. Are you suggesting there is no such thing as the Catholic/Orthodox church or that the reformation is fiction?

Empirical evidence that would convince me and every member of the branches of religion you maligned with your chart, that your chart represents reality?

And I should care because ...? I'm not here to convince you and I couldn't care less if you are convinced or not. I am presenting information as to the Jehovah's Witness point of view no more no less; if you aren't convinced may I suggest you don't become one?

JW