let me clarify, when i say aliens, i don't mean shiny helmeted spaceship dwelling anal probers.
(although i could be proved wrong).
if any alien lifeform was found on mars or another planet or even a comet, be it tiny bacteria or even some form of non carbon based life form, would that not destroy religions grip on mankind?
as keyser soze said, religious people are already overlooking abundant evidence discovered right here on earth, so why would this be any different?
People still believe humans have only been around for 6000 years, in spite of hard evidence that they've been around for a few orders of magnitude longer. A few microbes on mars would be relatively easy to dismiss.
last sunday after sitting through the ca an eldurr whom i know related this story about the warwick compound construction, as related to him by someone who had just returned from their tour of duty.. "the property is over-run with rattlesnakes.
so there are assigned brothers who catch and release them off property.
they won't kill them.
Well, what cult compound would be complete without a wall to "keep snakes out?"
i believe the last two wt studies in the 7/14 wt study articles were planned for this exact time and did not come about by happenstance... the jw cult is preparing the rank and file for some faith altering "new light" to be announced fairly soon, and these scare tactics will do just the trick.... the articles are preparing the rank and file to become apostataphobic, they have the rank and file in such a frenzy, even have them questioning themselves and their own motives for being in the borg!.
with paragraphs like:.
if you hear someone that has doubts or questions about the borg avoid them like the plague, and tell your local elders, but don't judge them!!!.
My guess is that they're simply preparing for the (uneventful) end of 2014. That's sure to leave many doubting. I'm sure that there are a good number of people (I myself did this at one point) that have doubts and said they'd give it till 2014 (on the rough estimation that a generation could last no longer than 100 years) and if nothing has happened they'll reevaluate.
My theory, though, is that articles like this that stress how to treat those who might be appostates in the congregation aren't for the fully indoctrinated believers. These articles are to send a message to the doubters that they'd better keep quiet and stay in line or they'd effectively be shunned. With a system like that, you could have a congregation where everyone has the same doubts but they're all too afraid to say anything.
how strange today's study was!.
warning examples of apostacy, and saying to all witnesses "watch for bad associations in the cong".
talk about paranoia and distrust amongst themselves!.
CC - nicely done. I always want to do something like that, but it's too much trouble to do all the research, just to have everyone miss the point.
how strange today's study was!.
warning examples of apostacy, and saying to all witnesses "watch for bad associations in the cong".
talk about paranoia and distrust amongst themselves!.
Oh I'm well aware that it's a cult, but I've always been annoyed at the unspoken rule that men be clean shaven. I've already begun to have a bit of stubble for all meetings, and my objective is to work up to having a beard of a few day's growth (how I prefer to look, and how I look between meetings). Now I've got a quote right from the WT that would call anyone who wants to fight me on it unwise. Worst case I stir up a little trouble, best case I can drop one of the WTS's restrictions before I can make my exit.
how strange today's study was!.
warning examples of apostacy, and saying to all witnesses "watch for bad associations in the cong".
talk about paranoia and distrust amongst themselves!.
So, does paragraph 13 mean I can grow a beard with no repercussions?
Opinions about dress and grooming [...] may also trigger controversy. Accordingly, of no scriptural principle is being violated Jehovah's people wisely abstain from arguing over such matters, "for a slave of the Lord dies not need to fight, but needs to be gentle towards all.
I'm going to have to put this one in my back pocket.
Edit: the more I think about this, the more awesome it is. Not only does it give ammunition for you to do whatever you want, it condemns anyone who would fight with you over it (I.e the elders) even if it causes a controversy!
it's definitely on their minds.
i attended a funeral recently and a jw told me that the person who died almost made it to the 100 year anniversary of the birth of the kingdom.. curious what comments like this you've heard in your area?.
(and can't wait for november!).
I haven't noticed much excitement, but I'm not rally in tune with the social scene in my congregation. The only thing I've heard was a remark an elder made, saying how good it was that the society was making such a big deal about the 100 year anniversary, since that means "they're not planning on changing 1914 anytime soon." I have no conception how someone could acknowledge that it's possible (likely, even!) that they might change 1914 without seeing the cult for what it is.
worship (verb).
show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.. .
i was just thinking about the two meetings a week.
There's plenty of worship going on, it's just all directed towards the GB.
catholic workers ordered to attend jehovahs witness meetingseptember 8, 2014 by mary maria leave a comment.
san francisco, california in an interesting case of religious rights in the workplace, the 9th circuit court of appeals has ruled that employees of the san gabriel/pomona regional center must attend services from the kingdom hall of the jehovahs witnesses.
the protestant church is not exactly known for its ecumenical cooperation or respect for the catholic church which it often decries as being a supreme object over the whole earth that rhymes with the word lore.. at issue is a five year dispute brought on by catholic employees who care for a disabled man at the facility.
DD -
I looked up the care organization (I don't remember what i was called) when I saw the other thread on this topic. I found their contact information and sent an email urging them to provide any workers who might attend JW meetings with the jwfacts link, and cited the use of undue influence by JWs.
from bart ehrman's blog under the heading of:.
jesus' appearances in the modern world.
of particular interest are instances in which jesus is said to have appeared to entire groups of people, rather than just to an individual.
But Wiebe points out that it is about the same amount of time between the life of Jesus and the earliest Gospels.
This statement at the end makes me think that this is all an elaborate effort to basically say that the Gospels aren't trustworthy. At least, that's how I read it, and it's certainly a good point if that was the intent.
If that wasn't the intent, it's quite some delicious irony.
