Ask one of Jehovah's Witnesses

[Jackalope]

Mod hat on: I suggest you remove Rhythm from your ignore list immediately, as it's a direct violation of rule #11 to have a member of staff on ignore.  Thank you.

It shouldn't even be possible. Maybe something got unplugged in the migration. Something else, I mean.

It isn't. You can click the button all day long, but it won't actually put any staff member on ignore. Not even us redshirts can do it.

[The Grand Nudger]

Power, overwhelming.

In any case, this little aside being done, it's easy to ignore me. All you have to do is choose what you do and don't respond to like you already do, like everyone does. There's no requirement for you to respond to anything I post as a user, Nica.

[Tonus]

So we finally acknowledged the obvious and made it technically impossible to ignore Rhythm?

[Won2blv]

So quit saying that I'm just wrong because you said so and its so sad that I don't know I am wrong and can you believe that I actually believe that I am right because I am so wrong because you said so, yes that was supposed to be as incoherent as your sentences, and give me some examples? Calling me a polytheist only proves that you can take a definition and find a broad definition to fit what JW's believe. And you can't say we subscribe to arianism because we do recognize Jesus as a divine being, just not the almighty. 

Anyone who subscribes to cynicism like yourself but thinks its skepticism can never acknowledge when they're wrong. They can never admit to any good in the thing they detest because then they'll have to know that their little of house of cards like reasoning is too flimsy for their small thinking. So again, how do you rope me into these replies? I put you on my ignore list but I still get your messages somehow

The difference between judaism and christianity is the pagan influence of hellenization.  This isn't only true for catholics (a favorite target of your ranting ire), it is true -of christianity- as a whole.  I don't think that's a problem (which is why your responses to me are so amusing), the way that you think trinitarianism is a problem, for example.....the only problem that I see is your inability to own the claims -you- make.

You being wrong about something has more to do with your say so than my say so.   Mull that one over for awhile.  Now I'm a cynic?  The hits keeps coming. Perhaps you haven't noticed that you've been called to task on the things -you- say regarding other christian sects?  Your responses have been to call me names........it's like you don't know when you're being a douche..just totally oblivious,  lol.   Can't help but wonder why that is.  No worries though, babble on about how horrible some other group of people is for believing in some equally ridiculous version of an idiotic fairy tale, go ahead.  I'm sure the responses you get will have something to do with the cynicism of others, rather than your own ignorant remarks.  Apparently, the Kindgom Hall taught you to sling the mud, but not how to take a punch?  Hey, that's a great question.  

Why is the JW belief structure so intolerant of criticism directed towards it - and dissent from it, but overflowing with criticism directed at other sects and people, and aggressively acting to encourage dissent from other denominations?  

Just give me the facts! Explain how we adopted just as much pagan customs and beliefs as any other christian. And show me how I "rant" against catholics. You're coming from a point of view that the whole bible is bullshit so you can argue whatever you want just for shits and giggles of it. And then this is my favorite quote of yours, "Your responses have been to call me names........it's like you don't know when you're being a douche..just totally oblivious,  lol." Thats been pretty much the extent of your responses. I have demonstrated how the bible seems to be more in line with the fact that Jesus and Jehovah are two separate beings. You have demonstrated that when confronted with facts, you just don't have the ability to be rational. Probably just the southern way of life I guess...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vNoR4Yb...verified=1

[The Grand Nudger]

Just give me the facts!

-because you respond so well to them?

 Explain how we adopted just as much pagan customs and beliefs as any other christian. 

Where would you like to begin, in what century and in what locality?  It's not so much that you've adopted them as that you've -inherited- them.  You are not a jew...the religion you follow took a path, ostensibly, from judaism to where it is now....I know that you think this all happened in the space of one magical godmans uttering words of wisdom...but it didn't.  If you want "the facts"...then you'd better not balk at them when presented.  

And show me how I "rant" against catholics. You're coming from a point of view that the whole bible is bullshit so you can argue whatever you want just for shits and giggles of it.  

Not actually the point of view I'm coming from, though it is one I'd be comfortable advancing. Course, I have an unyielding respect for stories and storytelling...otherwise known as "bullshit".  My POV, the place I'm coming from in this discussion, is that the disagreement between christian sects is bullshit, wholecloth.  As an outsider, looking in...watching you all argue over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin is high comedy.  

 And then this is my favorite quote of yours, "Your responses have been to call me names........it's like you don't know when you're being a douche..just totally oblivious,  lol." Thats been pretty much the extent of your responses. I have demonstrated how the bible seems to be more in line with the fact that Jesus and Jehovah are two separate beings. You have demonstrated that when confronted with facts, you just don't have the ability to be rational. Probably just the southern way of life I guess...

You haven't demonstrated any such thing, you've simply reasserted your doctrinal position.....but I already knew what your beliefs were, even as you lacked clarity as to the -nature- of those beliefs, and I don't dispute that you hold them.  So......meh?  The issue of christology is an open question, and no amount of reasserting ones faith position will close it.  The very -reason- that it's an open question is that all of you continue to reassert your conflicting faith positions regarding christology.  I understand that you think you have the answer......but that kind of comes with the territory - and so do they, so tell us something we -don't- know?  

You've been approaching this -all wrong-.  I understand why you believe what you do.  I simply don't find it to be any more compelling or definitive than why catholics believe what they do.  You can both point to scripture.  There is no easily identifiable difference in your methods or your evidence...and yet neither of you finds the other's argument compelling....no more so than I do, which ought to set off alarm bells for you both (imo, at least enough of a warning siren to stop you both from claiming that the others are horrible)....but it obviously doesn't.

:clears throat: Ahem..and I quote....again

Its not that JW's are saying that Catholics are horrible because they're probably wrong in some of their beliefs but rather because they so obviously have adopted pagan and self serving beliefs into their ethos.

Bitch please, you know you love cornbread- and you clearly can't get enough of me.   

[Won2blv]

Bitch please, you know you love cornbread- and you clearly can't get enough of me.   

Just give me the facts. Give me a list of the pagan practices that Witnesses have adopted as part of our worship to god. Don't give me bullshit examples like how calendars have a pagan origin just give me the dirty truths that I am ignoring. And I'll respond to those. And as far as the trinity and hellfire, etc. I can't empirically claim to know what the bible writers had in mind but I do know that my case for my arguments are better grounded than most believers.

Repaired quote for you.

[Won2blv]

So again, how do you rope me into these replies? I put you on my ignore list but I still get your messages somehow

Mod hat on: I suggest you remove Rhythm from your ignore list immediately, as it's a direct violation of rule #11 to have a member of staff on ignore.  Thank you.

Since I can't technically ignore can I least keep it for symbolic reasons?

[The Grand Nudger]

You're familiar with the term hellenism, as a witness, I assume?  Would you like to begin there, a few hundred years before anything we would call "christian" arose as a separate and distinct religious identity from "jewish"?  If you are familiar, just catch me up on what you know about hellenism and christianity so I don't end up talking down to you as though you were ignorant - and we can have some fun?

As a light intro in the interim, are you familiar with the jewish concept of the afterlife? That when you die, that's it, you're done, no resurrection, no eternal life? You can thank hellenization for the departure from there, to your ideas of a limited (albeit existent) heaven, and of a bodily resurrection. So...no, I'm not talking calendars and holidays, now am I?

Before you respond...I want you to keep in mind that there is no shame in this, I am not telling you that your beliefs about resurrection or heaven are wrong to hold...or that they're "unchristian"-. There's no need to defend the accuracy of those beliefs (and it would be pointless with me specifically, as you already know).

[Won2blv]

You're familiar with the term hellenism, as a witness, I assume?  Would you like to begin there, a few hundred years before anything we would call "christian" arose as a separate and distinct religious identity from "jewish"?  If you are familiar, just catch me up on what you know about hellenism and christianity so I don't end up talking down to you as though you were ignorant - and we can have some fun?

As a light intro in the interim, are you familiar with the jewish concept of the afterlife?  That when you die, that's it, you're done, no resurrection, no eternal life?  You can thank hellenization for the departure from there, to your ideas of a limited (albeit existent) heaven, and of a bodily resurrection.  So...no, I'm not talking calendars and holidays, now am I?

Before you respond...I want you to keep in mind that there is no shame in this, I am not telling you that your beliefs about resurrection or heaven are wrong to hold...or that they're "unchristian"-.  There's no need to defend the accuracy of those beliefs (and it would be pointless with me specifically, as you already know).

Sorry bro but that shits weak. You can say that our earthly resurrection is the same as an afterlife but its just not true. Christians for the most part believe that when you die you instantly go somewhere else. It makes way more logical sense that god created the earth to live on rather than a welcome mat to heaven. And its scriptural. I will do more research into hellenism because I don't know much about its effect on judaism. However you still haven't demonstrated how witnesses have joined the pagan amalgamation bandwagon. Bodily resurrections have a history in Judaism. You can't just mold everything that share a similar trait to hellenism and call it hellenism. And besides, I am referring to the Council of Nicaea type of shit where they pretty much said, fuck it, its all christian now.

[The Grand Nudger]

The idea of a resurrection -at all- Nica......is hellenistic influence.  The idea of a heaven where people go after their lives -at all- is hellenistic influence...I'm -not- saying that the idea of an afterlife and your bodily resurrection are the same ideas.....wtf are you talking about?  I'll have pages to say before we -ever- get to the council of Nicaea.....Those are just the first two -demonstrations- of syncretism (please, look this up too while you're at it..since it's the term for what we're discussing) that, due to their early influence..have seeped into -every- christian sect. The hellinizing influence on judaism was crucial in changing those parts of judaism which needed to be changed in order to yield the christianity we see today, yours included. If judaism (and later christianity) -hadn't- incorporated pagan thoughts on the matter, you wouldn't have this belief in resurrection, you wouldn't have this belief in an afterlife. Your beliefs would not differ from jewish beliefs in this way (not that their beliefs are now..what they were then....we're talking about a sea change in judaism -a sea change in the entire western world- predating christianity, which forms the basis of concepts important to the current iterations of all three branches of the abrahamic faiths). This was so well understood as an event that early christian writers, centuries later, like "Paul" warn us of it explicitly....whilst not realizing that a few verses later they are blissfully spouting hellenized christo-judaism themselves. You should understand all of this, as you like to lambast catholics for their syncretism (The JW National Sport, if ever there were one).......had you looked beyond the materials the kingdom hall provided you with...you would have found that the catholics didn't -start- this trend. It was (and is) ongoing. You, as a christian, as a JW...have -inherited- syncretism. So please, please, stop haranguing others denominations for what is equally true of your denomination. You seem to think that catholic syncretism is obvious...but I'm not sure what that means, obvious in ways that the syncretism in your own sect isn't? Obvious relative to sneakier examples of syncretism in some other faith system?

The religious explanation for this is simple..mind you. Progressive revelation. But you asked me for facts..........so progressive revelation is out. The facts are, yall have been cribbing from pagans.

Now, show me that you're even capable of having this conversation, and when you ask for facts....then get them.....handle it a little bit better, eh?