Posts by Mephis

11

Walking Fish - evolution or adaptation?

by Earnest in

a recent article in nature reports on a fish that has a pelvic girdle with features associated with terrestrial vertebrates.. discuss..

Mephis

Why is there only one common ancestor? Why is there no evidence of other "common ancestors" which were not as successful? Was there no competition to be the "first" common ancestor?

There are certain basic building blocks (eg DNA/RNA and the genetic code) to all known life on Earth which implies a specific way in which life came to be - 'the common ancestor'. Until the mechanisms of how that initial life came to be are known for sure, or at least to a high degree of probability, then the 'why' and related questions are unanswerable really. One of the reasons finding evidence of life elsewhere within the solar system (and beyond) would be so important is that it would help to begin to identify the causal factors more precisely. But so far as we know currently, life exists on Earth and it's all based upon the same basic building blocks and has a common origin. If there were other forms of life on Earth then they are obviously no longer with us and would seem to also be beyond our ability to detect. I don't think the mystery so much lies with 'alien' life on Earth, life here is adapted for Earth, but in how (if) life develops elsewhere and in different conditions.

10

Johan Cruijff R.I.P.

by fulano in

the greatest soccer player ever of my country died today.

only 68 years old.

he meanta lot to many people because of his skills, as a player and trainer.

Mephis

That orange shirt, the two stripes, the number 14.

So influential upon the game as player and manager.

36

Estimating future growth or decline of Watchtower

by shepherdless in

i have seen a few posts here, in various guises, in relation to whether watchtower is in decline.

plenty of people respond, but it is all fairly anecdotal, or "gut feel".

some of it has been wishful thinking.. as of late 2015, watchtower's numbers suggest it is still growing marginally, but there are various anecdotes on this site of publishers typically being older, and younger ones disappearing.

Mephis

Pew Survey covers the aging in the US. Pew have issues with sample size for JWs, but median age seems to be heading north of 50 there. ( http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/chapter-3-demographic-profiles-of-religious-groups/ )

I'd suspect that holds true for most industrialised countries as part of a more population trend, compounded by the JWs inability to retain born-ins.

13

Urgent assistance needed for Barbara and ARC!

by Atlantis in

my contacts are assisting in this effort but the more people the better!.

.. information needed in assisting barbara anderson with arc... barbara needed a boe for arc and i have already sent it to her so that problem is solved.

however we are in need of the following information:.

Mephis

No worries. Glad it was of use.

Just to source the first assertion I made. For the Elders to CO to Christian Congregation link, it's sections 12 and 66 of the ruling on Tayo et al v Charity Commission (2015)

http://www.charity.tribunals.gov.uk/documents/decisions/Tayo-etc-decision-09Apr15.pdf

All the best.

13

Urgent assistance needed for Barbara and ARC!

by Atlantis in

my contacts are assisting in this effort but the more people the better!.

.. information needed in assisting barbara anderson with arc... barbara needed a boe for arc and i have already sent it to her so that problem is solved.

however we are in need of the following information:.

Mephis

Just quickly from off top of my head, I believe they shifted some aspects of control onto the 'Christian Congregation' corporate entity, as this is not registered as a charity in the UK. That came up in the First Tier Tribunal Hearing. Circuit Overseers report to that according to evidence given there.

To the best of my knowledge, 'The Watchtower and Bible Tract Society of Pennsylvania - British Branch' was dissolved on Wednesday, 11th October 2000. See Charity Commission site: http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?subid=0®id=241623

The Watch Tower Bible And Tract Society of Britain had been incorporated nearly a year to the day before that.

Currently:

"The charity, a UK company limited by guarantee, is controlled by its governing document, the memorandum and articles of the company dated 25th October 1999, as amended by special resolutions dated 19th April 2000 and 21st November 2013." (Annual report, 2014)

Can't link directly because it's monstrously long link, but you want 26th November 2013 on the documents available (free of charge) from Company House: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03858051/filing-history

Hope that's of use.

35

Judgment handed down by Court of Appeal in legal challenge to Charity Commission inquiry opened in 2014

by OrphanCrow in

this is good news.

the wt have lost in their attempt to stop the uk charity commission's inquiry into their affairs.

however, the wt is still digging in their heels about turning documents over to the charity commission.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/court-of-appeal-gives-judgment-in-court-case-by-jehovahs-witness-charityjudgment handed down by court of appeal in legal challenge to charity commission inquiry opened in 2014.today, the court of appeal handed down its judgment regarding the commission’s statutory inquiry, opened in 2014, into the watch tower bible and tract society of britain (the leading jehovah’s witness charity in the uk).

Mephis

Quoting is screwy again.

But in short, it would cause WBTS problems because it introduces accountability and criminal penalties into how some aspects of their child safeguarding policies are implemented. Not just at a local level, where local elders can be left to hang if it suits HQ, but also at circuit overseer and branch level too. Because the holy spirit sure as hell isn't going to be reading and writing DBS reports.

On cost, most volunteers get the check done for free. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dbs-check-requests-guidance-for-employers#volunteer-applications

35

Judgment handed down by Court of Appeal in legal challenge to Charity Commission inquiry opened in 2014

by OrphanCrow in

this is good news.

the wt have lost in their attempt to stop the uk charity commission's inquiry into their affairs.

however, the wt is still digging in their heels about turning documents over to the charity commission.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/court-of-appeal-gives-judgment-in-court-case-by-jehovahs-witness-charityjudgment handed down by court of appeal in legal challenge to charity commission inquiry opened in 2014.today, the court of appeal handed down its judgment regarding the commission’s statutory inquiry, opened in 2014, into the watch tower bible and tract society of britain (the leading jehovah’s witness charity in the uk).

Mephis

The chances of them being given leave to appeal a unanimous decision written by the Master of the Rolls are slim.

The DBS check is interesting because it's the specifics of what they're objecting to. Cofty's right, thousands of other organisations do this already. I believe it would even be free for both elders and the WBTS to do this as they are unpaid. But it has significant consequences as it is a criminal offence not to report someone who should be on that list, and it's a criminal offence for both person and those who employ/appoint him if such a person is placed in a role which they shouldn't be in. This is really significant. They'll kick and scream as loudly and for as long as they can over this. It takes accountability all the way to those who approve an elder's appointment. And has the potential to expose a lot of things the WBTS would rather congregations not know about.

375

This thread is for proof that God exists

by juandefiero in

jw
friends

however, i haven't found any evidence to support that belief.. have you?

if so please, show me the evidence that god exists, and i will believe along with you.. criteria:.

(1) you must specify which god you are talking about;.

Mephis

Memphis that's so cool you got a class with Tallis. He seems a very thoughtful guy. I knew he was against post structuralism too but you can't win them all. I think he very much has got "a point with the brain" and he's not the only one pointing out that brain reductionism is nonsense when you really examine it.
The problem is that the point he does have is (yet again) pretty much understood by those doing the actual work. He's taking aim at popular misconceptions or misrepresentations and then pushing them onto other things. No consciousness is not the same as the brain. Anyone with even a passing acquaintance of the subject knows this. Still Tallis girds up to tilt at the next set of windmills, because even the idea that measurable brain activity impacts upon consciousness is anathema. It's a bit tedious really.

12

JW's in Ukraine

by Psalm1611 in

need help finding jw material written after 1986. good day!

i am reaching out for help from those of you that know your material better than i, an outsider.

i am a baptist missionary in ukraine for 5 years now.

Mephis

http://www.jwfacts.com/ has a lot of information which covers the whole history. Obviously in English, and whether what it quotes is also available in Russian is another matter altogether.

375

This thread is for proof that God exists

by juandefiero in

jw
friends

however, i haven't found any evidence to support that belief.. have you?

if so please, show me the evidence that god exists, and i will believe along with you.. criteria:.

(1) you must specify which god you are talking about;.

Mephis

Tallis is fun. He took a tutorial on lit crit I was in a long time back. He's good mates with one of my old tutors. He doesn't half like tilting at strawmen arguments though. He was on his 'post-structuralism is bunk' phase back then. He does have a point with the brain, but I'd question whether that is the correct understanding to take from the work establishing the processes anyway. Like his work on post-structuralism, it's all kind of truism based and seems to miss the real point.