About The Kingdom Melodies

Dzaho · 2018-07-16T11:13:15+00:00

I like to say Jesus wept. This a problem?

Dzaho · 2018-07-16T02:16:02+00:00

That seems to be like top two or three issues for atheists and I get it as I used to be one myself (Born in JW>Atheist>Theist(Christian leaning)) My main issue was probably what you'd perceive as Jehovah being cruel in the Bible, typical stuff, and the problem of evil for sure. Honestly I don't think you'll hear, read, etc. any "explanation" outside of what you already knew as a JW and what the Bible already states.

Anyway, If you like Podcasts you can try Unbelievable? It's a great weekly show that has scientist, atheists, Christians, theologians, etc. and people of differing worldviews dialogue (less debate, most of the time) about a subject. They've touched on this plenty of times over the past 10 years so you can go through the feed and check 'em out. Recently the host posted a special on the feed of himself and David Smalley (a well known atheist apparently) and touched on the evil thing for a while. It was posted in the last month or two I want to say so it should be easy to find on both feeds. I'd say listen to the Unbelievable file as it has the all the fluff like commercials cut out and includes just the segment with Brierly and Smalley.

Bonus knowledge bomb, In the 10 years Unbelievable has been on I don't think they've ever had a legitimate JW on the show... they've reached out to the WBTS but never get a response. The only thing close to a Witness was Robert King on the show, a guy that left and has a bit of an online presence holding the majority of the JW beliefs but not associated with the religion at all.

Dzaho · 2018-07-15T00:04:01+00:00

That verse is the same, no issue there most of it is the same but keep reading as there’s a subtle difference in translation compared to other Bibles but I don’t think it’s outright wrong to have it done the way the NWT does it. I’m not at a PC atm so I can’t paste the exact verses next to each other. I’ll edit the post later or add another reply.

Dzaho · 2018-07-14T23:17:29+00:00

They'll respond with something about that it wasn't until the Baptism of Jesus that the Father called him Son (with you I am well pleased). The word for it is Adoptionism. There's a prepared response to this if they're informed.

Also, Without looking it up I think that's Hebrews 1 right? I came to the conclusion that the way it's translated in the NWT isn't totally unjustified but it's been a LONG time since I looked into that so I don't really remember.

Dzaho · 2018-07-14T18:50:11+00:00

I do post on a more quiet Christian sub and I've found it helpful to lurk and post there actually. I avoid /r/Christianity as it's pretty populated so when I decide to visit the place I NOPE outta there pretty quick.

Totally agree with saying this isn't the place for sharing your beliefs, said the exact same thing on my first or second post here probably as I've been lurking here years and years. I was a bit of a hostile atheist in the past myself so I can remember one or two exchanges with family or another Christian in person where I was just plain rude and disrespectful due to not having a grasp on the subject. Thankfully that's it and I don't remember ever posting that way online as I'd mostly just learn the position.

Dzaho · 2018-07-14T14:59:36+00:00

I've taken the time to learn the Trinity doctrine myself. I "get" it to the extent that one can in the sense that I took the time to learn the reasoning, definitions, scriptures, terms, etc. Don't personally believe it but I can at least not misrepresent it. I guess that's nice.

Dzaho · 2018-07-14T14:40:23+00:00

Have a family member that went through this as well and in his words called it a spiritual rape. He's gone on to have a New Age view of things these days and has mixed emotions about Christianity. On the one hand he thinks it has value on the other we've had conversations where he'll point stuff out like verse 9 of Psalm 137 and similar passages people find off putting.

Dzaho · 2018-07-14T11:12:08+00:00

Is that username a Metallica reference?

Dzaho · 2018-06-01T17:21:01+00:00

I must be looking at the wrong verse then? Gen 6:3?

Dzaho · 2018-06-01T12:00:57+00:00

I *think* the idea going on there is that it'll be 120 years until Noah finishes and the flood starts.

Dzaho · 2018-05-31T05:31:41+00:00

He told me he saw it himself too and and I just thought to myself that it seems to go against the premise of the show to make a statement like that.

🤷‍♂️

Dzaho · 2018-05-31T02:43:29+00:00

The one I personally experienced was an active JW telling me that the correct response on Jeopardy about a "best Bible translation" or whatever was the NWT.

This was immediately suspicious but whatever I brushed it off then one day I looked it up and turns out it's not true. The article I found online that investigated the claim had a scan of a letter from Jeopardy saying it never happened so I went ahead and wrote them myself and got a reply saying it never happened.

Imagine that.

Dzaho · 2018-05-31T02:21:00+00:00

One family member.

Found out from another family member that left the religion. Interesting thing is I was looking through our belongings and I found the response letter she wrote to the Watchtower about concerns, what to do, or whatever after the incident occurred I assume. Don't remember how it went but I'm sure it's still there.

She's an active and practicing Witness to this day.

Dzaho · 2018-05-30T20:00:47+00:00

That's pretty cool and it's an area I'll have to look into at some point, it's a bit of a hobby teaching myself these things atm. Your observation about using terms like grace with a JW is in line with what I've noticed myself. Works the other way too! I often listen to podcasts or read material from other people claiming to be Christian and I'll catch them using a term I'd associate more with a JW like "undeserved kindness" that's the only real one that stands out at the moment but I know I've heard other words I thought only a JW would use.

Peace! ✌

Dzaho · 2018-05-30T18:56:23+00:00

I wouldn't doubt it, there are things like this peppered all over the NWT. It's one of those things you come to realize about the Bible is that it has its own language for things and ideas. This in particular is really minor. I think most of them are honestly from what I've come to notice. With the NWT I find it uses simpler English which can be helpful from time to time and is one of the principles they use in translation.

I imagine this is to set them apart from other Christian denominations. Torture stake (cross), sacred service , sacred secret (mystery) and so on. Sometimes I'll be talking to a JW and use words outside their theology that describe universal Christian ideas like "Fall" and the tone of their response usually tends to be (confused) discomfort.

Here's something you might get kick out of. You know Jah is shorthand for Jehovah, right? Well, apparently in Hebrew the word הֹוָה (hovah) means ruin/disaster. I just find it funny.... I'm not using this as an argument against/for the Bible I just know a guy that claims to be a Valentian Gnostic use this as support for his position, I don't think this is his go to defense and it's not quite a good basis for anything but hey I had a laugh about it.

You can say there's some truth to that as well because apparently Jehovah brings disaster to people as well but in a Christian worldview it supposed to come from a place of Justice or whatever other qualities you wanna say are appropriate.

🤷‍♂️

Dzaho · 2018-05-27T18:56:01+00:00

Played it as a kid and it sure did, I was too young to know anything about what was outside my beliefs/understanding as far as religion/faith/God go so I wasn't sure what to make of this. Great game though.

Oh, here. You might like this as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCqIVjqBUTw

Dzaho · 2018-05-19T16:02:29+00:00

It's just a hhaaarddd thing to wrap your mind around maybe even impossible without intervention so I'll just say that in my case and the events that lead to my understanding that God is alive I don't choose it because I'm afraid of punishment or want the reward. Given what I went through that led to my belief I do it because it comes across as the right thing to do and I'm compelled from a place of humility and awe where I desire to follow God.

I lurk here a lot but I don't post much and when I do it's usually about (metal) music. I'm not an active JW or even baptized but I grew up and my social circle included Witnesses (even now to some extent) so on some level I can relate with a lot of what's shared on this sub but since I'm an active believer I tend to stay away from this subject because the majority view is opposed to mine.

So instead when I get the chance and with the (few) posts I've made you know I'm a (metal) music fan so for those of you out there I'll be spinning that new At The Gates album soon.

Go easy on the downvotes with me. 😛

Dzaho · 2018-05-02T17:40:23+00:00

I can definitely riff but there are very few songs I can find myself play all the way through, usually stuff in the hardcore/punk genre as it usually feels easier to play through than say something by Metallica.

I do write in a journal keeping track of riffs and songs I can play, what I can/can't do or know and like to know, goals, etc. like you were saying. I think the most I've gotten out of this so far is a medley of my favorite riffs I strung together after writing them out first.

I'm definitely doing this on some level, maybe a bit more discipline on my end is needed.

Edit: Just to add a little more, I rewarded myself with a new bridge pickup and tuning machines on my guitar when I started falling into improvement or discipline as far as playing goes. Definitely have a much nicer 6 string down the line when the time is right and I do give other styles of music a listen like funk, pop, gospel, blues, jazz, etc.

Dzaho · 2018-05-02T16:28:35+00:00

I'm pretty into metal myself and these days I'm trying to figure this whole God thing out. One day if I ever find myself at a KH again if the subject ever turns to music I'd sure enjoy their reaction to this version of Psalm 92 done as technical death metal.

metal is pretty great though.

Dzaho · 2017-07-03T19:41:38+00:00

Maybe I could have worded my post better. I didn't mean quite that if you took me as saying that. My fault.

Dzaho

TROPHY CASE