Interestingly enough, because gravity exists, it is entirely possible for our observable universe to spring from exactly nothing. Cosmology is a fun (maybe I have a weird definition of fun) field to study. The more you research, the more you'll find that our universe springing from nothing (or, depending on the theory, a larger 'sea' of universes) is just as, if not more, likely than the existence of some sort of eternal sentience.
OneEyedJoe
JoinedPosts by OneEyedJoe
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17
A big bang from a previous universe compacted into one big mass makes more sense than out of nothing....
by EndofMysteries ini've been learning a lot more about the universe, galaxies, planet formations, etc.
it's amazing how stars are constantly recycled, they form from gathering all the dust/gas/mass around them, the heat and pressure as the mass gets larger, producing stronger gravity, and depending on it's makeup creates fusion, turning into a star, then when it dies, it turns into a supernova, explodes, and sends it's matter out there for other stars to form,etc.
now galaxies do the same thing, and supposedly in many billons of years many galaxies will have eaten others, and if blackholes or something pulling in all the stars and mass is at the centers of these galaxies, then eventually everything would turn into one huge mass.
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An eager Sister Pioneer approaches the BOE with her plan...
by LogCon insister pioneer, always thinking of how to expose false religion and promote true worship, finds out that many mormons are becoming disillusioned with the mormon faith because of the revelations being exposed on the internet.
if it is exposing the mormons, it would help to expose other false religions.she puts two and two together and comes up with a plan.. after the next meeting she asks the boe to meet with her at the back room.. ' with all in attendance brother jorgenson speaks first.... brother jorgenson: ' sister pioneer, this is most unusual but we know you are excited about something.
tell us what is on your mind.
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OneEyedJoe
I suspect that 90% of jws would fail to see the hypocrisy of encouraging people to research the history of their religion while forbidding such research of their own religion. This is no more hypocritical than going do door to door handing out literature while forbidding the reading of any literature that someone might give to you.
So in summary, brother j would say "great idea!"
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Jehovahs Witnesses costs/benefits analysis
by What is Truth? injehovahs witnesses costs/benefits analysis .
motivated by the 9/15/14 watchtower studied nov 16th.
i chose to take up their odd challenge, on paragraph 16 which is among many suggestions in this article that would bring up questions if followed through by any thinking person.. how do you feel about being a christian?
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OneEyedJoe
Yeah I was thinking about this at the cult meeting today. You well illustrate that all the "benefits" are really costs when you know the truth.
I also looked the part where they basically said that if your kids are having doubts, is not rally because there's some ocular issue to be considered, is because they lack self-confidence it feel that they're being left out.
Ugh. I effing hate this s*** cult.
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Millions now Living Will Never Die
by skin inthis is the title of a watchtower book published 95 years ago in 1920 by j f rutherford.
it still gets an occasional mention at meetings about how it was a turning point in the history of the watchtower.
but how many witnessess today can answer this question.who are these millions of people alive in 1920 that would never die?
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OneEyedJoe
DD - if I remember correctly loesch said that the understanding at the time was that non jws could survive Armageddon too, and that the millions were made up of non jws. I guess jws at the time got their exclusivity from believing that they were all of the heavenly calling or something. Or maybe it was just a fabrication from the German.
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What really woke me up: I started noticing most JWS are weirdos..
by kneehighmiah inthankfully my parents are converts so they aren't wierd.
seemed pretty popular by all accounts.
they are "popular" jws even now.
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OneEyedJoe
This was one of the first articulable doubts that I had in my childhood. When I was about 14-15 I realized that I was already smarter than most of the r/f in the congregation, and a much higher percentage than average seemed to have some sort of emotional issues, especially the converts.
My father explained to me that just as the apostles where "unlettered and ordinary" these people where humble and therefore where sincerely seeking god and willing to accept his direction. That never really sat well with me either but it basically told me that I wasn't going to get a satisfactory answer so I just stopped asking out loud...
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can someone give me thier opinion on matt 11 11?
by sowhatnow ini dont get it.. who is being spoken about?
first of all wouldnt moses be greater that john the baptist?
and yet im greater than john?
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OneEyedJoe
You're probably familiar with the JW interpretation of it - John (since he died prior to Jesus' death) was not of the annointed. Anyone who's annointed is a "greater" one than even John, just by virtue of the fact that they're annointed.
From a more objective perspective, I'd guess that this would probably be interpreted as saying that anyone who is currently in heaven is better off than John (who, at the time, was still alive on earth) even though John was a great man indeed.
In any event, it's all just a collection or random crap that sounded good to someone 2 thousand years ago so sometimes it's just not going to add up.
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Changed: Head coverings for sisters, w15 2/15 QFR
by wifibandit indoes a female kingdom publisher need to wear a head covering if she conducts a bible study in the presence of a male publisher?.
in a questions from readers item published in the watchtower of july 15, 2002, it was stated that a sister should cover her head if she conducts a bible study in the presence of a male publisher, whether he is baptized or not.
further consideration of the matter suggests that a modification to this direction is appropriate.. if the male publisher who accompanies the sister while she conducts an established bible study is baptized, the sister would certainly want to wear a head covering.
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OneEyedJoe
I may be incorrect but its my understanding that baptism was for forgiveness of sins nothing else, as per mentioned in acts.
You're thinking of when you're baptized in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. When you're baptized in the name of the watchtower society, you get a bunch of added perks like making women wear napkins on their heads, carrying microphones, and more!
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A real chat with my brother
by All for show inmy brother called to chat, which is shocking from the man of few words, off the cuff i let him know last weekend i learned that the outrageous socks he wears are inappropriate.
i let him know i would no longer be associating with him and the fact that he has been inactive for the past 10 years he has blood on his hands and i didnt want that dripping all over my freshly cleaned floors.
i also told him the internet was no longer naughty, but the fact that he wasn't an ms ever, showed his lack of spiritual maturity.
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OneEyedJoe
Well you might be saving them a lot of heart ache by sharring TTATT with them now. As many have related here, often people can be out physically but it just takes some major life event to get them sucked back into the cult. Educating them before that happens will innoculate them against any possibility of getting pulled back in somehow.
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I need help
by tiredroadie inim new here, and dont know much about jw, other than what im reading.
i have my best friend who is having bible study in her home with 2 witnesses, and she is soaking it in.
she is very defensive and is getting more and more closed off.
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OneEyedJoe
I reccomend reading "Freedom of Mind" by Steven Hassan, or at least look up some of the material on his website www.freedomofmind.com
As has been said, don't outwardly oppose them. Be interested and ask detailed questions to get them to think about things. For some questions to ask, check out: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/questions-to-ask-a-jehovahs-witness.php
Another tack to take would be if you talk to them about another group that they would agree is a cult. The mormons are a good example. Explain how these other groups use mind control techniques to indoctrinate people, and your friend will likely begin to see that the JWs use the very same techniques. One technique is to get them to tell you themselves what would cause them to end involvement with the cult. This will require some research on your part (jwfacts.com is great for this) to see what damning evidence there is towards the cult. Steven Hassan, in one of his videos, talked about how he questioned a JW in this fashion and got them to admit that if a Governing Body member (the GB is a committee at the top of the pyrimid in the cult) left the organization because they realized that what they taught wasn't from the bible. This indeed has happened, and the man wrote a book about it.
Look up youtube videos created by ex-members and have them watch them. If they're already to the point where they're weary of looking at anything from ex-members, ask them if they'd stay at a hotel or eat at a restaurant that had thousands of negative reviews just because the proprieters of the restaurant/hotel say that the place is wonderful? How much more important is the decision on what religion to join? Shouldn't they have ALL possible information in order to make an informed decision?
Also, don't use the word cult with them, use "group" or "organization" as the word cult will set off alarm bells in their head that tells them that you're attacking them.
Lastly, the key to all of it is that you cannot stop showing love to your friend. The love that they'll recieve in the cult is conditional upon their acceptance of cult doctrine and behavior - your love is unconditional and they will see the difference. Get other friends/family involved and present a uninted front of concern (not opposition) to them. As others have said, direct opposition will get you nowhere. The people studying with them have probably already told them that satan may cause close friends or family to oppose their study - if you oppose you'll just be playing into their predictions. You might want to put out the word to their family on this as well. Any opposition will seem to confirm that the people studying with them are from god, and you are being controlled by satan, because they predicted it. Love and genuine concern and interest is the only way to go.
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Changed: Head coverings for sisters, w15 2/15 QFR
by wifibandit indoes a female kingdom publisher need to wear a head covering if she conducts a bible study in the presence of a male publisher?.
in a questions from readers item published in the watchtower of july 15, 2002, it was stated that a sister should cover her head if she conducts a bible study in the presence of a male publisher, whether he is baptized or not.
further consideration of the matter suggests that a modification to this direction is appropriate.. if the male publisher who accompanies the sister while she conducts an established bible study is baptized, the sister would certainly want to wear a head covering.
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OneEyedJoe
I think i've posted this here before, but once when I was probably 4 or 5, we met for service and it was all women and children under 12. It fell to the woman who's house we were in to conduct, and she asked her son to find her a hat. He came back with a mickey mouse ears hat, and that's what she conducted the meeting for service in. Not a lot of things more ironic than wearing a mickey mouse hat in order to show respect and preserve the dignity of the arrangement.