Posts by Mephis

63

Watchtower crackdown on anointed expansion - are they reaching for a solution to the expanding numbers problem?

by slimboyfat in

if this has been discussed i missed it.

i think the january study watchtower is a concerted attempt to reduce the numbers claiming to be anointed.

but i love the sneaky way they go about it this time.

Mephis

Possum wrote: Mephis/talesin ditto totally agree............makes you wonder for all the individuals obviously suffering some sort of religious mania or undiagnosed/untreated mental illness who profess to be anointed.

It's obviously a sensitive subject/issue, for a number of reasons generally with religion/mental health stuff, and especially with the GB explaining the increase in numbers as being a result of mental health problems. But the definition they themselves are giving there of someone who is a 'genuine' partaker is of someone who could likely benefit from seeing a mental health professional. 'Genuine' anointed have to be delusional to partake, but if you're delusional and partake you're not 'genuine'. It's quite the catch-22. But turtles all the way down I guess.

63

Watchtower crackdown on anointed expansion - are they reaching for a solution to the expanding numbers problem?

by slimboyfat in

if this has been discussed i missed it.

i think the january study watchtower is a concerted attempt to reduce the numbers claiming to be anointed.

but i love the sneaky way they go about it this time.

Mephis

Elders count partakers on memorial, including those they visit who aren't well enough to attend congo one. They're allowed to ignore anyone who does the crispy bread and wine thing who they don't think should be doing it.

63

Watchtower crackdown on anointed expansion - are they reaching for a solution to the expanding numbers problem?

by slimboyfat in

if this has been discussed i missed it.

i think the january study watchtower is a concerted attempt to reduce the numbers claiming to be anointed.

but i love the sneaky way they go about it this time.

Mephis

If I were to be convinced, without any self-doubt or questioning, that I had been specially chosen by god, I'd get a two week stay for observation at local psychiatric ward and advice on appropriate medication for a delusional mania. (I have a bipolar diagnosis.) The seven men in Brooklyn seem to be saying they genuinely get that feeling and it qualifies them to run a non-profit. Not throwing stones, just saying.

52

If a year is really 365 1/4 days why 360 days to calculate 1914

by blondie in

jw
friends

doesn't that throw off the date?.

*** w51 6/15 p. 383 questions from readers ***.

in establishing the length of the seven times of the gentiles, a time or year of 360 days is used, to give 2,520 days, which become 2,520 years when ezekiel 4:6 is applied.

Mephis

Always amused me that the Jews cribbed the Babylonian calendar (down to the month names and possibly even the concept of a sabbath) rather than the timekeeping Egyptian one (12 x 30 day months plus 5 festival days), or even one of the Phoenician ones (eg 5 x 31 day months followed by 7 x 30 day months).The 19 month Metonic cycle pre-dates Meton, and he likely copied it from the Babylonians too. This all predates Hillel II by the better part of a thousand years.

52

If a year is really 365 1/4 days why 360 days to calculate 1914

by blondie in

jw
friends

doesn't that throw off the date?.

*** w51 6/15 p. 383 questions from readers ***.

in establishing the length of the seven times of the gentiles, a time or year of 360 days is used, to give 2,520 days, which become 2,520 years when ezekiel 4:6 is applied.

Mephis

They did go by the lunar year of 360 days and the calendar was only adjusted in roman times, was it not??
Lunar year is 354 days. So they added 7 extra months in every 19 year period to make it work out. So a Hebrew year was normally 354 days (12 x 29.5), but quite often was 384 days. When the trippy prophetic stuff was being written, that's the sort of Babylonian influenced calendar that they'd have been used to.

30

JW Statistics for "Britain" 2015 over 2014

by freddo in

jw
friends

population listed.

peak pubs.

ave pubs.

Mephis

Population growth in Britain runs at 0.6% according to ONS. Average publishers for that many people could reasonably be expected to rise by around 800 as new unbaptised publishers/born-ins start counting hours. People are leaving faster than are being born in, and new recruits aren't covering it up.

24m hours for an increase of less than 200 to average publishers is incredible in its waste of time. Mind boggling makework. No business could sustain that kind of crappy results from a marketing campaign. No-one could afford the £130m cost to employ people at even national minimum wage to even begin to achieve that level of failure. Bankrupt model is bankrupt.

40

2014-12-17-BOE-Children Give Up Your Pocket Money!

by Atlantis in

petra!

2015-12-17-boe already, you dear brothers have done so well, sending gifts both large and small.

for in-stance, two children, five and seven years old, sent their pocket money to help build our new bethel instead of going to the circus, writing, "this is much better than that!

Mephis

Targeting the kids to give money is something even other religions shy away from. They're an absolute disgrace. Really. It's old people for the legacies and kids for anything which might brighten up the misery of being inside that vile cult. I'm proud of myself for typing that without the string of Anglo-Saxon epithets they really deserve.

125

Watchtower purchases CoC copyright for undisclosed amount!

by the girl next door in

now what is your stance?

Mephis

Memphis: you claimed that "British courts consistently find that the 'public interest' defence outweighs any right to private property" but the case you mention is incredibly specific and related to providing evidence. I don't think you have proven your claim by a long way.

Simon: You said: "That seems like a claim with no basis. Do you have anything to back it up? Let me guess, mass trespass / right-to-roam ... what else ya got?", are you asking for something like a statement such as:

(1) Every natural or legal person is entitled to the peaceful enjoyment of his possessions. No one shall be deprived of his possessions except in the public interest and subject to the conditions provided for by law and by the general principles of international law.

Thought we were talking about copyright law, but if you're having difficulty accepting the argument, I can't help further than to point you to something like the European Convention on Human Rights. i'd be interested in knowing why you disagree?

125

Watchtower purchases CoC copyright for undisclosed amount!

by the girl next door in

now what is your stance?

Mephis

Thank you Mephis, now we have a more balanced presentation of the facts, which is quite a bit different than the terse statement you initially provided indicated.

It's exactly the same. Really. You're trying to find fault where there is none. There was a period of less than a year where case law shifted because of a ruling on video stills.

And 'no' to your presumption.. Simon got his answer. You have your's.

125

Watchtower purchases CoC copyright for undisclosed amount!

by the girl next door in

now what is your stance?

Mephis

Oubliette -

The first link from google gives a full overview of the case: http://kb-law.info/wt_dev/kbc.php?decision=172&&land=UK&lang=EN&page=UK

From the link you quoted the first line from...

"There is no official statutory provision offering 'in the public interest' as a defence to copyright infringement. However can it be used?

The answer is yes but only in very rare circumstances can/ does a Defendant raise these grounds in order to avoid successful action for copyright infringement against them.

Lion Laboratories v Evans - this case saw the publication of an internal memo which criticised the accuracy of breathalysers sold by the claimant. The defendant raised the public interest defence on the grounds that investigations should be made regarding the accuracy of the equipment to avoid incorrect readings when used by the police on motorists.

The three members of the Court of Appeal all accepted this defence."

The article then goes on to discuss how case law shifted one way and then back since, under the impact of various new legislation.

If you're expecting an essay from me to refute Simon's contention this is about right to roam, I'll decline the invitation :)

Don't be lazy. Create a coherent argument providing tangible evidence or stand down.

Erm, no? Happy to provide the names for you to do your own reading though. It's a bit more than right to roam but whatever.