u/GeologistDowntown614

Fala pessoal, estou querendo pegar um Meteor 350, vi em um post antigo no sub que alguns usuários conseguiram pegar dando entrada de 10k e passando o resto no crédito, ficando menor do que financiamento.

Vocês já fizeram isso? Vale a pena?

I've noticed that many academic biblical scholars (such as Bart Ehrman, E. P. Sanders, Paula Fredriksen, James D. G. Dunn, and others) seem to agree that Paul was one of the most influential figures in shaping christianity. At the same time, they don't all agree on how he shaped it.

Some argue that Paul remained thoroughly Jewish and saw himself as proclaiming Israel's messiah, while others suggest that his theology represents a significant development beyond the message of the historical Jesus.

I also realized that most discussions simply assume Paul existed as a historical figure. Is his existence considered virtually certain in modern scholarship? If so, what is the evidence that leads historians to that conclusion?

I've noticed that many academic biblical scholars (such as Bart Ehrman, E. P. Sanders, Paula Fredriksen, James D. G. Dunn, and others) seem to agree that Paul was one of the most influential figures in shaping christianity. At the same time, they don't all agree on how he shaped it.

Some argue that Paul remained thoroughly Jewish and saw himself as proclaiming Israel's messiah, while others suggest that his theology represents a significant development beyond the message of the historical Jesus.

I also realized that most discussions simply assume Paul existed as a historical figure. Is his existence considered virtually certain in modern scholarship? If so, what is the evidence that leads historians to that conclusion?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the disconnect between the teachings of Jesus and what eventually became institutional Christianity, which naturally led me to the figure of Paul.

- Lack of Direct Interaction: Paul never actually interacted with Jesus during his earthly life. Unlike the original disciples, he bases his authority on a spiritual experience/vision after Jesus’s death. Is that historically sufficient to justify the central position he came to hold in the early Church?

- The Status of Women: The historical Jesus seemed remarkably egalitarian for his time, onversing with women publicly, defending them, and counting them among his close followers. In contrast, sections of the Pauline corpus explicitly state that women should not teach or speak in assemblies, and should instead ask their husbands at home.

- A Shift in Focus: Jesus spoke extensively about internal transformation, love, compassion, detachment from wealth, and the imminent Kingdom of God. In many of the Pauline epistles, however, the theological weight seems to shift toward sin, guilt, strict orthodoxy, authority, and church hierarchy.

E. P. Sanders and Bart D. Ehrman say much the same thing. Nietzsche famously viewed Paul as someone who transformed Jesus's message into a religion of guilt and resentment, shaped by his Pharisaic background. Leo Tolstoy similarly argued that institutional Christianity abandoned the radical simplicity of Jesus's teachings, leading him to reject Pauline doctrine altogether and focus almost exclusively on the Sermon on the Mount.

I’d love to hear perspectives based on historical critical analysis and textual evidence

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the disconnect between the teachings of Jesus and what eventually became institutional Christianity, which naturally led me to the figure of Paul.

To what extent did Paul actually continue Jesus’s message, and to what extent did he corrupt or distort it? Here are a few specific points that make me question his role:

- Lack of Direct Interaction: Paul never actually interacted with Jesus during his earthly life. Unlike the original disciples, he bases his authority on a spiritual experience/vision after Jesus’s death. Is that historically sufficient to justify the central position he came to hold in the early Church?

- The Status of Women: The historical Jesus seemed remarkably egalitarian for his time, onversing with women publicly, defending them, and counting them among his close followers. In contrast, sections of the Pauline corpus explicitly state that women should not teach or speak in assemblies, and should instead ask their husbands at home.

- A Shift in Focus: Jesus spoke extensively about internal transformation, love, compassion, detachment from wealth, and the imminent Kingdom of God. In many of the Pauline epistles, however, the theological weight seems to shift toward sin, guilt, strict orthodoxy, authority, and church hierarchy.

Nietzsche famously viewed Paul as someone who weaponized Jesus's message into a religion of guilt and resentment, driven by his Pharisaic background. Leo Tolstoy similarly argued that institutional Christianity abandoned the radical simplicity of Jesus, leading him to disregard Pauline doctrine altogether and focus strictly on the Sermon on the Mount.

Given that Paul is the foundational architect of virtually all mainstream Christianity, I want to look at this objectively. Did Paul legitimately expand and systematize the message of Jesus for the Gentile world, or did he fundamentally hijack it?

I’d love to hear perspectives based on historical critical analysis and textual evidence

in 2026 Governing Body Update #4 Volker Calisto talks about Marks sanderson visit to the branch:

"From the time Brother Sanderson arrived until the day he departed, there were no air raid sirens at all in the area where the branch is located. It was truly amazing!"

He also quoted a sister who said:" 'I felt like Jehovah's warm embrace."

These guys honestly view these old men as God on earth.

All this time, the solution to the war was incredibly simple: just send the GB in Ukraine. But I guess that would bring peace and security a bit too fast

I checked, and there's an episode missing.

Is it the lost episode where Caleb questioned the GB? Or the one exposing the secrets behind Stephen Lett's wig?

Jokes aside, it's strange how they remove content without any notice. It honestly feels a bit like 1984 and the Ministry of Truth.

I recently noticed that the videos about the 1914 generation have also been removed.

I was talking to a Buddhist friend yesterday about the internal dynamics of Jw's, and it hit me just how much the organization's structure is designed to never take the blame. If anything goes wrong, it is always your fault

- Can't stay focused during the meetings? The blame will never lie with the rigid, mechanical, and repetitive teaching. It’s your fault for not preparing and a cold heart

- Going through hard times and your life is going nowhere? It’s your fault for not "doing more" to earn Jehovah's blessing. This completely nullifies their own theological concept of undeserved kindness (grace). It has turned into a spiritual meritocracy.

- Frustrated and exhausted in field service because you get no results? Your fault. Jeremiah preached for 30 years without anyone listening and he was doing just fine, If you’re not happy knocking on closed doors and standing in public service, there must be something wrong with your heart.

This twisted logic forces the individual to live in a constant state of self-blame and emotional invalidation. You are never good enough, you never do enough, you never have enough faith. It’s no wonder there are so many cases of depression and anxiety...

Do you have a story where the blame was shifted onto you?

I recently spoke with a brother from Switzerland, and we discussed how some elders there are getting tattoos in hidden areas (like the chest or upper arm) while keeping their privileges. (Apparently, the Italian brothers living there don't really agree with this)

I looked it up on jw, and while the recent articles give reasons against it, but it’s not strictly prohibited. This reminds me of the beard rule. When I traveled to Switzerland, many local brothers already had beards way before the Governing Body announcement. It seems the direction from Jehovah's organization in Switzerland is chiller and smarter compared to the rest of the world

In my region, if you get a tattoo, you lose your privilege

I realize Qui-Gon Jinn is basically the patron saint of PIMOs. He stayed physically in the order, but he was completely mentally out of the organization's high control culture.

• Turning down "privileges": He was offered a prestigious seat on the high council (the Star Wars equivalent of the GB), but he turned it down. He knew that the higher up you go, the more you have to compromise your conscience for organizational policy
• Ignoring the "Faithful Slave" hierarchy: He completely bypassed the rigid, bureaucratic rules of the Jedi Code to focus on the "living force." He basically decided that his personal relationship with spirituality mattered more than the arbitrary "new light" coming out of Coruscant
• He was a "bad association" : Mace Windu and Yoda clearly viewed him as a loose cannon. They tolerated him because he got results and was a skilled elder, I mean master, but they definitely kept an eye on him for having independent thinking
• Marked but not disfellowshipped: He wore the robes, took the assignments, and used the organization’s resources, but he absolutely refused to blindly follow the elders' local needs parts. He walked right on the edge of getting expelled but kept his privileges just enough to keep doing his things.

It’s just a funny parallel, but George Lucas nailed the exact vibe of navigating a rigid, high-control religion that once started with good intentions, but was ultimately corrupted by its own arrogance and dogmatism

May the Force be with all the PIMOs

Pra mim, é ver uma mulher fazendo algo muito bem. Ela nem precisa ser o meu tipo. Mas quando vejo alguém demonstrando talento, dedicação ou domínio em alguma atividade, por exemplo, pintando ou jogando vôlei muito bem eu fico com muito tesão na pessoa

Hey everyone. I wanted to open up a discussion here, especially for those who still believe in God or some higher power after waking up: how have you been fulfilling your spirituality?

To give you some context, I’m currently PIMO. I still believe in God and, honestly, I think that on a few doctrinal points (like rejecting the trinity or hellfire), the JWs actually made some sense. But as for everything else... I feel like the organization has just become a modern day version of the Pharisees. Today, my spiritual outlook is very close to Raymond Franz

One thing that always bothered me while inside is that I never felt that "divine" joy or real peace at meetings, in field service, or within the congregation. To be completely honest, most of the time it was just pure boredom. And when I check out other religions, it's the exact same thing, I spend the whole time checking my watch, just wanting to leave. Even when reading the Bible, I see it more as a moral code, but I rarely feel joy or any deeper connection to the divine

On the other hand, I feel something much closer to the sacred when I’m out hiking, observing nature, watching animals, or reading poetry that celebrates the beauty of the world and human body. It feels like I find way more spirituality in those moments than in any rigid religious environment

The Brazilian writer Rubem Alves went through a similar process of religious disillusionment and wrote something that really stuck with me:

"Our disillusionment with the ecclesiastical organization did not mean that we had abandoned the hope of finding a community. Exactly the opposite. We began to look for it in places where we had not looked before. And to our surprise, we found more signs of the Spirit outside the closed boundaries of our church communities than within them."

This idea really makes me think. In fact, my therapist encouraged me to look into volunteer work as a way to find human connection and a sense of purpose

Even so I keep wondering: why is it so hard to feel a connection with the divine? Why does it feel like God is always hiding?

How has this transition been for you? What helped you fill that spiritual void? (if it has been filled at all)

I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories