Love and unity....

@KingDavid403 said
What about the Archangel Gabriel? Satan was the Archangel of worship. There are clearly other Archangel's beside Michael. There is only One Lord and His name in English is Jesus.

"The Archangel Gabriel is a messenger of God in the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Gabriel's role varies by religion, but some of his most important duties includ ...[text shortened]... , the New Testament, the Quran, and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. His feast day is celebrated on September 29."

@Ghost-of-a-Duke said
@galveston75

To clarify, you only answer your own questions? (And only then with a cut and paste from the Watch Tower).

Sad.

@galveston75 said
Sorry but the term "archangel" was only used twice in the bible, with the name Michael, not Gabriel or Satan.

And yes as you are showing angels were used by god in many instances. "Angel" is usually referred to as a "messenger".

@galveston75 said
I'll make a deal with you and everyone else here.
You all post here as you please. I will either comment on your post, or I may not.
And when I post here with information I would like to share, I will do that.

I'm not aware of any restrictions other then the host clearly saying not to be rude or disrespectful.... (which they fail to enforce).
Very simple...If y ...[text shortened]... n't like my post "DON'T READ THEM!"

So do we have a deal? If not, that is your problem...........

@Rajk999 said
Then when nobody responds you want to know "Where is everybody" ... you really are a weirdo.

@moonbus said
'I may respond to your post ... or I may not.'

'Hey, where is everybody?"


"Weirdo!"


Yup, that's the thread in a nutshell. Move along now folks,nothing to see here.



😆

@galveston75 said
I'll make a deal with you and everyone else here.
You all post here as you please. I will either comment on your post, or I may not.
And when I post here with information I would like to share, I will do that.

I'm not aware of any restrictions other then the host clearly saying not to be rude or disrespectful.... (which they fail to enforce).
Very simple...If y ...[text shortened]... n't like my post "DON'T READ THEM!"

So do we have a deal? If not, that is your problem...........

@Rajk999 said
Then when nobody responds you want to know "Where is everybody" ... you really are a weirdo.

@Rajk999 said
Lol ... Dont forget Galveston is providing an essential service in the Spirituality Forum.

The experiences of an ex-JW :

https://qr.ae/psnBSe
************************************
I can tell you why I believe the Jehovah’s Witness “religion” is a cult.

And bear in mind this is coming from someone who really didn't want it to be a cult and looked for loopholes to explain away the evidence identifying it as a cult.

When evidence was presented to me I’d say “It has “cult tendencies”, but it isn't a cult”. Or the way to deflect the accusation was always to ask “What do you think a cult is?” or “What’s the difference between a religion and a cult?” because most people don't know.

So, the reasons why I believe the Jehovah’s Witness “religion” to be a cult are:

You cant leave with your reputation intact. Find me any quote from any of the literature that speaks of someone leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses with good intentions. You won’t find one. People who leave are labelled as “weak”, “sinful”, “selfish” or “dangerous”. Right now, there are thousands (likely millions) of active Jehovah’s Witnesses trying to leave. A lot of them are on exJW Reddit asking for help and advice from former members. My personal estimate is that if shunning former members was removed that at least a third would walk away from the “religion”.

Sincere inquiry results in you being silenced. Sure you can ask questions, but you’re to accept the answer you’re given. If you’re not satisfied with the answer or point out glaring inconsistencies you’re told to keep quiet about it or wind up being disfellowshipped for “causing divisions”. Only the Watchtowers interpretation of scripture matters. When it changes (and it does frequently) you’re to accept the new belief immediately.

No tolerance for open debate. When a Jehovah’s Witness is bested on scripture (which is very easy to do) rather than respectfully conceding or be willing to study the matter objectively they instead rely on name-calling or simply refusing to provide an explanation like active Jehovah’s Witness Edward Smith does:

“The truth” keeps changing. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus himself chose the Watchtower society as his one channel of communication on earth in 1919 and declared it “clean” from false doctrine. But if you were to believe and practice what the Watchtower was publishing back then today you’d be disfellowshipped as an apostate. Jehovah’s Witnesses are told that the changes in doctrine are “new light” from god - but often this “new light” reverts back to old beliefs that were previously declared false.

Talent and creativity are stifled. Are you a gifted soccer player? A talented artist? Do you have a natural aptitude for the sciences? Too bad you’ll never get to use them. You have to put door knocking and meeting attendance before anything - including your own family.

Causing family breakups. When I was a kid there was a man who was shunning his own daughters. He never met his grandchildren. Why? His daughters went to a nightclub and so were disfellowshipped. When I was 8 we were told to shun my uncle. Why? He was suffering from alcoholism and so was disfellowshipped. My mother tells people I’m dead. Why? I refused to recant my belief that Jesus is the mediator for all men and not just 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses so I was disfellowshipped. Parents shun their children, children shun their parents, brothers shun their sisters. This shunning last forever unless the person returns to the cult. But even that takes about a year (minimum) of shunning while still attending meetings being ignored before the elders allow you to have your family back.

The façade of “unity”. Jehovah’s Witnesses have worldwide conformity, not unity. Anyone who disagrees is removed. North Korea has the same procedure. It’s very creepy reading JW literature as an awakened former member because you can see that the literature tells you what to believe, think and feel.

“Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!” Those words describe Jehovah’s Witnesses as the happiest people on earth. There is no greater joy than that which comes from serving the only true and living God, Jehovah. Since he is “the happy God,” those who worship him reflect his delight. What are some aspects of our worship that contribute to our being so happy? Jesus assured us that happiness comes from being “conscious of [our] spiritual need.” Continually studying the Bible and attending all our Christian meetings satisfies that need. Learning the truth of God’s Word has set us free from religious falsehood and error. The Scriptures have also taught us the best way of living. Because of that, we enjoy wholesome Christian fellowship within our happy association of brothers. - Our Kingdom Ministry, Feb 2002.[3]

The irony is that Jehovah’s Witnesses have a higher than average number of sufferers of depression and mental illness. In my last congregation, 25 out of 80 members were on medication for depression. And they’re only the ones I know of. Self-harm is also common as is suicidal ideation.

Following men. Jehovah’s Witnesses follow the governing body. They deny it and, from personal experience, you don't even realise you’re doing it. But they do. They claim that Jesus is the head of their religion - but conveniently it’s the governing body that tell them what Jesus is saying and what Jesus wants. When the governing body say one thing but the bible says another they go with the governing body. Recently, the governing body commanded them to “trust the governing body as you would trust god himself”.[4] [5]

Fear of “the world”. “The world” is a Jehovah’s Witness term which means the world outside of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The world is evil, satanic, dangerous and soon to be destroyed. And “worldly people” (that’s what they call you) are not to be trusted, selfish, angry, immoral, unreasonable and dangerous. Something which even active Jehovah’s Witness Sergio Semer Betyashan admits in his answer is a form of bullying. (The double standard appears to be lost on him).

Salvation only to be found within the group. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Watchtower org is “the ark of protection”[6] and liken it to Noah’s ark in which only a few survived the flood of Noah’s day. Everyone else, regardless of how good they are or even if they’re Christians of another denomination, are set to be destroyed.

Now, of course, you could pick any religion and find cult-like tendencies in it. But very few religions out there have that amount of hold on its members that it could command them to disown their own children or parents, decide who their friends should be or tarnish your name simply for respectfully leaving.

You’ll get some JWs on here claiming that you can leave at any time by simply not attending meetings anymore. What they’re not telling you is that’s not leaving. That’s simply becoming “an inactive Jehovah’s Witness”. You’re still a JW and still expected to follow all of the petty JW rules or you will be disfellowshipped and shunned.

You’ll get some JWs on here claiming that they left in the past and were not shunned at all. What they’re not telling you is that they were never baptized and therefore were never JWs in the first place. Therefore shunning wouldn't happen because they’re still regarded as a potential convert.

You’ll get some JWs on here claiming that exJWs are bitter. What they’re not telling you is that these exJWs are upset that their family have been taken away from them for simply wishing to leave the group.

An easy way of spotting a cult is - try to leave. Do they treat you differently afterwards?

If Yes, you’re in a cult.

@Ghost-of-a-Duke said
The experiences of an ex-JW :

https://qr.ae/psnBSe
************************************
I can tell you why I believe the Jehovah’s Witness “religion” is a cult.

And bear in mind this is coming from someone who really didn't want it to be a cult and looked for loopholes to explain away the evidence identifying it as a cult.

When evidence was presented to me ...[text shortened]... ing a cult is - try to leave. Do they treat you differently afterwards?

If Yes, you’re in a cult.

Whew!!!! I hope everyone feels better now.

So one of the marks that the bible speaks of is the "Love and Unity" that Jehovah's people will have.
Unfortunately not all who may study and even become one of Jehovah's Witnesses by baptism, decide that it is not for them. That is sad but it happens.
Jehovah demands that the congregations and members are to remain clean from ones who (practice) a sinful way of life. If one persist in a way that Jehovah hates, they will no longer be allowed to partake in the associations with the congregation.
But it's sad too to hear ones here disregard Jehovah's laws and clear commands to remove oneself from ones who break God almighty s laws and even scoff at it.
And then to have the shallowness to condemn those who follow Jehovah's commands...
But maybe ones here who relate to Saul now, will one day become like Paul?

@galveston75 said

But maybe ones here who relate to Saul now, will one day become like Paul?

@galveston75 said

So one of the marks that the bible speaks of is the "Love and Unity" that Jehovah's people will have.
Unfortunately not all who may study and even become one of Jehovah's Witnesses by baptism, decide that it is not for them. That is sad but it happens.
Jehovah demands that the congregations and members are to remain clean from ones who (practice) a sinful way of li ...[text shortened]... Jehovah's commands...
But maybe ones here who relate to Saul now, will one day become like Paul?

Charles Russell wrote six books (Scripture Studies) and boldly declared that it would be better to leave the Scriptures unread and read his books, rather than to read the Scriptures and neglect his books. In The Watch Tower, September 15, 1910, p. 298 he wrote:

“If the six volumes of Scripture Studies are practically the Bible, topically arranged with Bible proof texts given, we might not improperly name the volumes “The Bible in an Arranged Form.” That is to say, they are not mere comments on the Bible, but they are practically the Bible itself. Furthermore, not only do we find that people cannot see the divine plan in studying the Bible by itself, but we see, also, that if anyone lays the Scripture Studies aside, even after he has used them, after he has become familiar with them, after he has read them for ten years—if he then lays them aside and ignores them and goes to the Bible alone, though he has understood his Bible for ten years, our experience shows that within two years he goes into darkness. On the other hand, if he had merely read the Scripture Studies with their references and had not read a page of the Bible as such, he would be in the light at the end of two years, because he would have the light of the Scriptures.”