The Pope's Cousin is a Jehovah's Witness!

[wmscott]

My mother was a Mormon, my dad is a Southern Baptist, my sister is a Pentecostal, my father in law is a lapsed Catholic now a Non -Denom. My grand parents were Lutheran, several cousins are Episcopalian, Methodist, Pentecostals, and so on…

We can not control what people want to believe or how to believe.

 

[Bill_Pick]

Please get a Christian bible and read John 1:1, and leave your bible at home

 

[twopekinguys]

msnbc.msn.com/id/34593719/ns/politics-the_new_york_times Changes in beliefs? Your information you have passed along here is fabricated. The Witnesses follow the bible as close as humanly possible, not fabricating anything. How easy it would have been if only you could have found the word ‘Christmas’ in the bible just for starters. This is a touchy subject I realize and am not here to change any of your beliefs, however, the fact are facts. This New York Times Article is just more proof of why our Catholic Church has been crumbling over the years. Ya just cant make it up as you go along. Revelation makes it’s position pretty clear ‘do not add nor take away from these scriptures’. Moosh

Granted, the word Christmas is not in the Bible. But while you’re looking through your Bible, can you tell me where the word Bible is found?

While you’re at it, show me where the interenet is mentioned in the Bible. It is your premise that if it isn’t in the Bible, it is pagan. Well if that is true, you should turn your computer off now.

The Bible is not the sole source of knowledge, worship and praise. There are also ancient traditions, as well as oral traditions. We have to integrate them as well since not everything minute detail is recorded in the Bible.

Faith and worship should contain all of these things, not just one or the other.

Also, how hard did you have to look to drag up a thread that hasn’t had a post in over 4 years?

 

[T_More]

msnbc.msn.com/id/34593719/ns/politics-the_new_york_times Changes in beliefs? Your information you have passed along here is fabricated. The Witnesses follow the bible as close as humanly possible, not fabricating anything. How easy it would have been if only you could have found the word ‘Christmas’ in the bible just for starters.

You mean like Governing Body, Pioneers, Watchtower Society, etc, etc?

This is a touchy subject I realize and am not here to change any of your beliefs, however, the fact are facts. This New York Times Article is just more proof of why our Catholic Church has been crumbling over the years. Ya just cant make it up as you go along.

**Like the “Light getting brighter”? Explain to us how your quote above fits into the generation not passing away theory and it’s relationship to 1914 and this recently changing? Or the numerous predictions on when the end was coming throughout the history of the WTS? **

Revelation makes it’s position pretty clear ‘do not add nor take away from these scriptures’. Moosh

You are absolutely correct. So why is the NWT only used by the WTS? Why was it okay to use the KJV and others for the first half of it’s existence? What are the credentials of the group that took on the very serious task of translating the bible?

 

[Bill_Pick]

Granted, the word Christmas is not in the Bible. But while you’re looking through your Bible, can you tell me where the word Bible is found?

While you’re at it, show me where the interenet is mentioned in the Bible. It is your premise that if it isn’t in the Bible, it is pagan. Well if that is true, you should turn your computer off now.

The Bible is not the sole source of knowledge, worship and praise. There are also ancient traditions, as well as oral traditions. We have to integrate them as well since not everything minute detail is recorded in the Bible.

Faith and worship should contain all of these things, not just one or the other.

Also, how hard did you have to look to drag up a thread that hasn’t had a post in over 4 years?

The JW rewrote the bible just a few years ago and not have the most corrupt bible on earth
This post was for Moosh

 

[Dirk_Skene]

Well I must say there is no difference in the bible that they share.( I have read it) …

Maybe, but you might want to try again. Now granted the JW version is based on the JKV which is, in my opinion, obsolete, but the watchtower society has gone through & changed a few things up. If it is not a Catholic Church approved translation, it cannot be trusted to be accurate. After all, WE and only we are the “Old Time Religion.” :bible1:

 

[SANxJONERO]

My ex used to be a JW & I remember she told me they changed some things in the bible, but I don’t remember what exactly. I definately do not trust their bible tho & that religion screwed up her family like some kind of cult.

 

[ccolley]

Has anyone seen this?..

(By Markus Mannheim The Canberra Times vol 21.08.2005)

*He may be the spiritual head of the world’s largest Christian church, but a cousin of Pope Benedict the XVI says that he is still a naughty boy to her. *

*Steffie Brzakovic, 78, of Cooma, received a call from her famous first cousin shortly after his election in a papal conclave in April. *

*It was the first time she had heard from him in more than 50 years. *

*Mrs. Brzakovic, who was raised in the southern Germany city of Weilheim before moving to Australia in 1956, said she remembered Joseph Ratzinger as a young boy who was often up to no good. *

*"He was everywhere he shouldn’t [have] been, she recalled yesterday, shaking her head. “When I think today of what we did, it’s a wonder that [we are] alive.” *

*When she received the phone call three months ago she first thought it was a prank. It wasn’t until His Holiness told her it was “Ratzinger Pepi”, referring to his childhood nickname, that she realized who was on the other end. *

*“I said, ‘Are you the Pope?’ and he [replied]. ‘But for you I am still Ratzinger Pepi’.” *

*Mrs. Brzakovic was raised as a Roman Catholic, but became a Jehovah’s Witness in the 1970’s. *

*She said that while her religious differences with her family had caused frustration, the Pope had encouraged her for following her faith. *

*“He told me that ‘You are doing the work that we should do’,” she said, referring to her church’s missionary work. “He said, ‘You have halls that are not too big, but they are full. We have cathedrals, churches, chapels and they are empty’.” *

*Mrs. Brzakovic is spending this weekend at a Jehovah’s Witness convention in Canberra with about 3000 district worshippers. *

*Pope’s Cousin a JW You can save the pic of the news article and make it larger to read it. The sister has a DC lapel pin on. *

*Best regards, *

*Anderson *

The Link with a scan copy of the article is at: greekinfo.net/phpbbjwforum/viewtopic.php?t=170

What poppycock!!! Creative poppycock…is still poppycock! If you follow the link it is a forum…not a news site…Don’t believe everything that is on the internet!
The Pope may indeed have a relative that left the Church…anyone can be fooled by false prophets…but the “quotes” from the Pontiff are obviously made up…

CC

 

[Bill_Pick]

Maybe, but you might want to try again. Now granted the JW version is based on the JKV which is, in my opinion, obsolete, but the watchtower society has gone through & changed a few things up. If it is not a Catholic Church approved translation, it cannot be trusted to be accurate. After all, WE and only we are the “Old Time Religion.” :bible1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

[SHW]

msnbc.msn.com/id/34593719/ns/politics-the_new_york_times Changes in beliefs? Your information you have passed along here is fabricated. The Witnesses follow the bible as close as humanly possible, not fabricating anything. How easy it would have been if only you could have found the word ‘Christmas’ in the bible just for starters. This is a touchy subject I realize and am not here to change any of your beliefs, however, the fact are facts. This New York Times Article is just more proof of why our Catholic Church has been crumbling over the years. Ya just cant make it up as you go along. Revelation makes it’s position pretty clear ‘do not add nor take away from these scriptures’. Moosh

Christmas actually stands for Christ Mass, the special Mass that is celebrated in honor of our Lord and Savior’s birth. Jesus gave His Church the power to bind and loose Matthew 18:18 and so they instituted a special celebration for the feast of His birth. This is neither adding nor taking away from the Scriptures. Jesus’ Church hierarchy may designate any days they desire for worshiping Him. This pleases Him because He is worthy of all honor and worship.

Revelation 4:11
“ You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”

“The word for Christmas in late Old English is Cristes Maesse, the Mass of Christ, first found in 1038, and Cristes-messe, in 1131.” newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm

If some “Catholic” hospitals ever decide to allow abortions to be done at their facilities, then they are in violation of Catholic teaching. The teaching itself does not change.

Persons can claim to be Catholic and call themselves Catholic and perhaps they even attend the Catholic Mass on two days a year (Christmas and Easter) or whenever they feel like it because it makes them feel good, but this doesn’t mean that they are faithful Catholics. A faithful Catholic is a person who is obedient to all teachings and all laws of the Catholic Church.

The Church can’t stop a person or organization from claiming to be Catholic in either name or belief even though these people or organizations pick and choose which Church dogmas and/or Church laws (if any) to obey. Any person who has an abortion or helps another have an abortion is automatically excommunicated. ewtn.com/expert/answers/Abortio2.htm

However, the type of person who willfully disobeys the Church’s teachings really does not either believe nor do they care that they are excommunicated. They continue to call themselves Catholic, because if they do not, then the media would no longer pay any attention to them and as a result they would no longer have any power because they would lose their funding from other fellow dissidents and also from the Catholic Church’s enemies.

Disobedient “Catholics” and their sinful organizations are self-serving and the media loves the controversies that their disobedience creates because it helps them sell newspapers, etc. and advertising space. Also, many of the owners of these media outlets also hate the Catholic Church’s teachings so any “Catholic” controversy makes it doubly satisfying for these media outlets.

God knows who is faithful to Him and His Catholic Church and He will sort it all out on Judgment Day.

Matthew 7:13-14
Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 7:21-23
"Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’

 

[Usbek_de_Perse]

My brother in law is a JW. It has been painful for the family.

 

[Bill_Pick]

My dauther is Baptist and your point is what

 

[adelore]

msnbc.msn.com/id/34593719/ns/politics-the_new_york_times Changes in beliefs? Your information you have passed along here is fabricated. The Witnesses follow the bible as close as humanly possible, not fabricating anything. How easy it would have been if only you could have found the word ‘Christmas’ in the bible just for starters. This is a touchy subject I realize and am not here to change any of your beliefs, however, the fact are facts. This New York Times Article is just more proof of why our Catholic Church has been crumbling over the years. Ya just cant make it up as you go along. Revelation makes it’s position pretty clear ‘do not add nor take away from these scriptures’. Moosh

The** facts **remain that JW’s **did indeed **celbraite Christmas and Easter Years ago. Maybe you weren’t aware of this. It’s in the JW History, look it up. It is Not a fabrication.

I am not a JW, I am a Catholic.

What am I making up? Do the homework/history of your own church. You will find the beliefs from Russle to now are not the same for JWs. (I’m not saying they have all changed, the beliefs, but a lot of them have. For starters Christmas.)

If you want to stay a JW, by all means stay one, that is your right, but at least do some “homework” on your own Religion, so that you don’t say that other’s are telling untruths about the JW’s.

Since someone said about the word Christmas not being in the Bible, they are right it’s not, however the word “Kingdom Hall” isn’t in the Bible either, no is the words “memorial supper”, yet sometimes not all words are in the Bible that we use. Like someone else said, the word Bible isn’t in there either.

The word Tradition is in there though…and we Catholics follow the Traditions of Jesus and his first 12 Witness. Who by the way Peter was given the Keys. The Catholic Church can trace it’s Roots all the way back to Jesus. The JW’s can **Only **if they admit, they came out of the Catholic Church. Other than that, the JW’s don’t have a direct line back to Jesus. (That’s not fabracated that’s a fact.)

Take Care

 

[Ignatius]

*He may be the spiritual head of the world’s largest Christian church, but a cousin of Pope Benedict the XVI says that he is still a naughty boy to her. *

*Steffie Brzakovic, 78, of Cooma, received a call from her famous first cousin shortly after his election in a papal conclave in April. *

*Mrs. Brzakovic, who was raised in the southern Germany city of Weilheim before moving to Australia in 1956, said she remembered Joseph Ratzinger as a young boy who was often up to no good. *

*"He was everywhere he shouldn’t [have] been, she recalled yesterday, shaking her head. “When I think today of what we did, it’s a wonder that [we are] alive.” *

*When she received the phone call three months ago she first thought it was a prank. *

I think this article is a prank. BTW, the link is broken.

 

[SunnaB16]

The news story probably is a hoax, but this thread has certainly given us some entertain-
ment.

Moosh:
Is it just a coincidence that you exhumed this thread right at Christmas?
Were your people out in force on Christmas Day and yesterday, explaining to everyone
your own ideas about Christmas?

Are your activities on threads like this one the online equivalent of going into Catholic book-
shops and op-shops, and planting Watchtower Society literature there?

Tragically, most Catholics are woefully ignorant about their own Faith, and theyre sitting ducks when people like you turn up and overwhelm them with your seemingly impressive Bible knowledge. And you probably use some of them as "experts" who "detail" the "horr- ors of Roman Catholicism". You can get away with that in your own territory, but dont ex-
pect to get away with it here. Some of us Catholics do in fact take our Catholic Faith ser-
iously, and we don`t intend to just lie down and allow ourselves to be beaten up by false
accusations.

I apologise if the above seems uncharitable, but you brought it back up, and we have a
right, AND ALSO A RESPONSIBILITY, to defend the True Faith.

We love Holy Mother Church, and we should be prepared to give our lives for Her.

 

[Rolltide]

Well, since I’m a professional historian, I thought I’d better throw out some historical evidence:

“Even though Christmas is not the real anniversary of our Lord’s birth, but more properly the annunciation day or the date of His human begetting (Luke 1:28), nevertheless, since the celebration of our Lord’s birth is not a matter of divine appointment or injunction, but merely a tribute of respect to Him, it is not necessary for us to quibble particularly about the date. We may as well join in with the civilized world in celebrating the grand event on the day which the majority celebrate - “Christmas Day.”” — Watchtower, December 1, 1904, p. 364

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Same picture as above, but pointing out senior leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrating Christmas:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

And finally, here’s a nice Christmas greeting from JW founder Charles Taze Russell:
(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

Looks like the Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrated Christmas at LEAST up to 1926…

 

[Rolltide]

Oh… and in the Christmas card above, it’s also interesting to note the JW use of the cross in the upper left-hand corner as a symbol of the organization. JW’s no longer believe that Jesus died on a cross, but instead, died on a “torture stake”.

 

[Hesychios]

**The Pope’s Cousin is a Jehovah’s Witness! <<

:yawn:
**

 

[Rence]

Soooo…how do JWs account for that descrepancy? How is it that JW celebrated Christmas in the early part of their history, and now they troll Christian forums during Advent and Lent just to say how wrong it is to celebrate Christmas and that we should not be allowed to celebrate Christmas?

In the beginning of the JW history, they worshipped Christ as God the Son, and then they changed their teachings. Now they criticize Christians for their beliefs in Christ.

What I’m asking is: how do the leaders of their organization rationalize the lack of longevity of their organization? the lack of consistency?

The RCC has been around for centuries, with the same dogma. The JW’s teachings have changed several times. In addition, their prophecies have been wrong a few times. Are the ‘elders’ hiding these things from the members? or are the members just ignoring (or even denying) these things?

 

[SunnaB16]

Rolltide and Rence:
Good Show!

Your comments triggered a memory; the JW claim that “Jehovah God” is the Ultimate
Editor of The Watchtower. So The Watchtower is claimed to be inspired…and yet, it
contradicts itself. Sorry, if an earlier poster has already mentioned this.

Kenneth Guindon (hope thats how his name is spelt) who became a JW at the age of 15 (or thereabouts) , but eventually reverted to Catholicism, said we should do what you fellas have done; expose the contradictions. Being in print, theyre not so easy to explain
away. They might say that the earlier papers are anti-JW forgeries, though.

Reminds one of George Orwell`s “1984”…

PS: Ken Guindon authored a book of his experiences, titled “El Camino Real: The King`s
Highway”. He left the Church after the mother of a JW friend bowled him over with her
“Bible knowledge”.